Anger. With a smile.

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Again, early summer 1988. I had been jilted -- I was going to name names, but have decided against it. (She knows who she is, she's heard this song before.) I was angry, enraged really, and this was the result. Whether that comes through in this recording or not I do not know. I rewrote much of this for the recording.

I give Ed Crane a writing credit because part of the bouzouki is what he played.

she was flirtatious, the smile on her face said
every word that hallowed lost ground
i said a€œi love youa€쳌 and she said a€œthata€™s too bad
youa€™re on the wrong train into town.a€쳌
a€œword has it that youa€™ll never be the kind of stranger i might want to meet.a€쳌

dismissing innocence, blissfully ignorant
lost in the greenhouse, now feel the effect
i said a€œi want youa€쳌 but she wanted out of here
tomorrow or someday but not just yet
well therea€™s a blade that slices skin not unlike a soldier digging in

she wanted everything in writing i sent it all in semaphore
she said the navy should keep on fighting i said ia€™m tired of the war

i was excited and then i got frightened
when she said a€œokay boy Ia€™ll take you ona€쳌
i said a€œleta€™s stay here,a€쳌 she said a€œia€™ll go deara€쳌
up with the picture book and then she was gone
word says it time and time again one hand clapping is not the same as zen

radars make contact for ship to ship combat
take aim and fire just as you please
she phones me later and leaves it unpaid for
excuse me for asking, but is this how you squeeze?
therea€™s a blade that slices close not unlike a sailor whoa€™s a ghost

she wanted everything in writing every word we ever spoke
she sunk my fleet in heavy fighting because she broke my only code