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lyrics

PAVLOV
(Joe Forkan)

Charlie curb crawls with a carving knife, for the scarlet letter girls
And he double-checks his color wheel, before he asks ‘em for a whirl
He’s gotta make some careful choices, before he spills a little ink
‘Cause he could write his own obituary, if they’re blue instead of pink

Carrie’s tarted up like Alice, she’s in a dress that’s size 13
She doesn’t dare drink from the bottle, she knows that just makes her mean
But she can fake a little wonderland, ‘cause there’s all those bills to pay
So she’s a pistol in the evening, and a bullet in the day

I guess we all make our choices, from the cradle to the grave
But someone’s ringing Pavlov’s dinner bell
Maybe the choice is already made

Charlie wrapped himself in Cupid's arms, and he drifted off to sleep
He’s thinking she’s no imitation, a gritty pearl against his teeth
She dreamed she flew across the ocean, it was like she always could
But she keeps clipping off her feathers, ‘cause they look nice in a book

She’s a bright spot in his darkness, he’s just a stain upon her dress
But he wasn’t hoping for transcendence, just to relive an old caress
But you know he never understood her, ‘though he tried so hard to please
You know she married him in Spanish, and divorced him in Chinese

He’s only got a little kindling, but he can make the chimney smoke
She’s just dreaming of ol’ Henry James, whether Henry likes it or he don’t
We’ll all keep taking chances, ‘til they put us in the ground
Because virtue’s sold by volume baby, and vice is sold by pound

Now the shed’s all full of drama, wrapped in old extension cords
And there are fingers like a midget’s, from the rusty table saw
She’s digging up the power lines, and burying the dead
And fussing with the wiring, at the bottom of the bed

I guess we all take our chances, from the cradle to the grave
But someone’s ringing Pavlov’s dinner bell
Maybe the choice is already made

Charlie’s up before Jesus, telling Sunday morning tales
With a virgin Bloody Mary, stretching canvas pounding nails
Ain’t no diamonds without pressure, and the deadline’s judgment day
Gotta keep begging for redemption, while we keep the lord at bay

I guess we’ve all got our problems, from the cradle to the grave
Someone’s ringing Pavlov’s dinner bell, outside an empty cage
We’ll all keep taking chances, ‘til they put us in the ground
Because virtue’s sold by volume baby, and vice is sold by pound

credits

from Peripheral Vision (2016), released September 20, 2016
Joe Forkan – acoustic guitar, slide guitar, vocals
Eric Stoner – banjo
Joey Burns - electric bass
Fen Ikner - drums
Craig Schumacher - hammond b3 organ, harmonica

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Alpha Mule Los Angeles, California

Alpha Mule is an American music duo from Southern California, featuring musicians Joe Forkan and Eric Stoner.

Their music is influenced by rock, blues, bluegrass, folk and traditional country - primarily music from the American south and American southwest. ... more

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