Tag Archives: The Barista Cycle

associated with the 1996 concept album, The Barista Cycle

Christine in a cafe with the boulevardiers…

Christine in Paris

 

He met her in a cafe near Montmartre. But he knew her slightly from back home; she’d been in one of his classes. He’d never talked to her, but he’d often noticed her, usually laughing at the center of a knot of young men.

At first, he didn’t recognize her, only saw the back of her head in the cafe, barely noticing the jet black bob of shiny hair. But one of the three men with her at the table kept staring at him. For a while he thought there would be trouble — the young man’s gaze was so intent. Finally, the man walked over.

“You’re from New York?”

“No,” he said, trying to size the guy up. Suddenly, he realized the man was probably gay. He spoke English with the adopted cadence of someone signaling a certain delicacy of spirit.

“My friend,” the man continued, “She thinks she knows you.”

The girl had turned around, a faint, quizzical smile on her face. Then he knew who it was. “I’m not from New York. But I do know your friend, I think. We went to college together.”

He joined them at their table and, after a while, the men left, and he was alone with her.

It was Paris. And she was beautiful.

Neither of them were what you would call free, it turned out, but with their encumbrances half a world away, it was easy enough to give in to the moment.

And the moment gave way to a series of afternoons and evenings and long nights talking and drinking and walking through the streets and along the river. Paris can draw out a moment like that… draw it out into reveries and dreams…

Instead of renting a car and driving by himself to Italy, as he’d long planned, he found himself with the girl, driving along the northern coast.

When they got to St. Malo a series of storms blew in off the North Atlantic, rolling in over the dark walls of the old city and hammering the ancient, rippled windows of the tiny upstairs room in the pension they found, keeping them there for days.

Or maybe they kept each other there. The first morning, he walked out during a break in the rain and bought a small bag of groceries, a loaf of bread, cheese, two bottles of local wine.

He told himself he wasn’t falling in love.

Back home, back on the job after his first real vacation from his first real, career job… he found himself daydreaming about her constantly. She was still in France, in a graduate program oriented to rich Americans, studying post-deconstructionalist, neo-Marxist film criticism. Or something. It seemed to change with every letter.

He dreamed of her and walking by the Seine… or the long days in the little pension in St. Malo.

But she wrote of school, gossiped about her gay male friends and their businessmen boyfriends, made small talk.

He could feel the distance grow. With every letter, she drew farther away.

A lot farther than just the distance from L.A. to Paris…

 

Too Much Trouble Christine

more stream & DL options

previous versions
Monday, October 17, 2005
Tuesday, October 18, 2005
Tuesday, January 31, 2006

new ‘studio’ recording

lyrics
Too Much Trouble Christine

You’re too much trouble, Christine
You’re too much trouble, Christine
You’re too much trouble, Christine
So Why do I love you, Christine

You’re too much trouble, Christine

Christine on a beach, Christine on a plane
Christine in a cafe with the boulevardiers
Christine on the set Christine in my head
Christine in my heart and tearing up my bed

You’re too much trouble, Christine…

Christine I’m terrified just holding your hand
Christine you twist me up like no one else can
Christine you’re crazy but you got a plan
world domination begins with one man

You’re too much trouble, Christine
You’re too much trouble, Christine
You’re too much trouble, Christine
So Why do I love you, Christine

You’re too much trouble, Christine

(C)2008, TK Major

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You’re new round here…

Don't Let Dee Dee Dog You 'Round

There were few men in town, straight or gay, who hadn’t played the fool for Dee Dee at least a couple of times.

She’d married thrice and buried three husbands by the age of 43. There wasn’t the slightest hint — or even possibility — of foul play in the deaths of her husbands — but it made you think.

Or it should have.

Still, men fell under Dee Dee’s spell. She lined ’em up and knocked ’em over and the guys just got back in line to have her do it again. Other women would watch it happen, shake their heads. Watch it happen again.

A guy would see it happen to his buddy and tell himself, well, the sucker asked for it, what do you expect, it’s Dee Dee — and then Dee Dee would turn to him with her eyes opening up like crazy, empty mineshafts and the next thing he knew he was signing over the pink slip to his F750 and borrowing against his life insurance to loan her the money for an operation for her beloved grandmother. Even though he paid for grandma’s funeral two years ago. And attended it.

Don’t Let Dee Dee Dog You ‘Round

more stream & DL options

previous versions
Monday, October 10, 2005
Friday, April 14, 2006
produced version

lyrics
Don’t Let Dee Dee Dog You ‘Round

Don’t let Dee Dee dog you ’round
If you knew her old tricks you’d haul yer bones outta town
Let me share the wisdom that the pack has found
don’t let Dee Dee — dog you ’round

Don’t let Dee Dee dog you ’round
Don’t let Dee drag you down

You’re new round here
so let me clue you in
there’s a firestorm of trouble
you’re about to jump in
her name is Deborah Dale
won’t wanna hear that again
‘Cause Dee Dee means danger — and damnable sin

Don’t let Dee Dee dog you ’round
Don’t let Dee drag you down

We all ’round here we’ve seen it before
we pretty much know what you’ve got in store
she’ll rip out your heart and tear up your soul
there ain’t a man here in town that she can’t control
–all the same, we all love Deborah Dale

In the trailer parks
and the liquor stores
in the strip mall lounges
‘midst the strip mall mores
one light shines above all the rest
its the same flame that draws
the moths to their deaths

Don’t let Dee Dee dog you ’round
Don’t let Dee drag you down

A fool and his money are soon famous round here
and the vampires have radar for a fool full of beer
most suck out your money then they leave you alone
but Dee Dee don’t stop til she’s drained out your soul

Don’t let Dee Dee dog you ’round
Don’t let Dee drag you down

We all ’round here we’ve seen it before
we pretty much know what you’ve got in store
she’ll rip out your heart and tear up your soul
there ain’t a man here in town that she can’t control
–all the same, we all love Deborah Dale

3/17/1996
(C)1996,2008, TK Major

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Look at the mess that you’re leaving me in…

JoZynn, JoZynn

 

 

 
3 little babies down on the floor
2 scared 2 cry
1 thing for sure
Nothing means nothing anymore
except those kids…

Internet Archive page for this recording
previous version (March 27, 2006)
previous AYoS version (December 8, 2005)

JoZynn JoZynn

JoZynn JoZynn
JoZynn JoZynn
look at the mess that you’re leaving me in
Jo
Zynn JoZynn

JoZynn JoZynn
all is forgiven
come back again

3 little babies down on the floor
2 scared 2 cry
1 thing for sure
Nothing means nothing anymore
except those kids
Jozynn Jozynn

JoZynn JoZynn…

All this time you been away
it’s nothing to me
it’s just be a day
if you just come back again
Jo
Zynn

JoZynn JoZynn…

3 lonely kids
1 angry man
2 hurt 2 cry
for God’s sake woman there’s
a million things
you’ll never understand
Jo
Zynn JoZynn

JoZynn JoZynn
Jo
Zynn JoZynn
look at the mess that you’re leaving me in
Jo
Zynn JoZynn

(C)1996, TK Major

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Don’t Let Dee Dee Dog You ‘Round… Again

Don't Let Dee Dee Dog You Around

 

 

 

 

Another mythic she creature… half-goddess, half-vampire, and all woman… No, wait, that was Sister Monica at St Anne’s. I didn’t go there, but I heard all about her from the my pal, who went there.

No, the Dee Dee of this song is the queen of the strip mall vamps. Beyond floozy. Beyond tramp or trollop…

previous version [Oct 10]

Don’t Let Dee Dee Dog You ‘Round

Don’t let Dee Dee dog you ’round
If you knew her old tricks you’d haul yer bones outta town
Let me share the wisdom that the pack has found
don’t let Dee Dee — dog you ’round

You’re new round here
so let me clue you in
there’s a firestorm of trouble
you’re about to jump in
her name is Deborah Dale
won’t wanna hear that again
‘Cause Dee Dee means danger — and damnable sin

We all ’round here we’ve seen it before
we pretty much know what you’ve got in store
she’ll rip out your heart and tear up your soul
there ain’t a man here in town that she can’t control
–all the same, we all love Deborah Dale

In the trailer parks
and the liquor stores
in the strip mall lounges
‘midst the strip mall mores
one light shines above all the rest
its the same flame that draws
the moths to their deaths

Don’t let Dee Dee…

A fool and his money are soon famous round here
and the vampires have radar for a fool full of beer
most suck out your money then they leave you alone
but Dee Dee don’t stop til she’s drained out your soul

We all ’round here we’ve seen it before
we pretty much know what you’ve got in store
she’ll rip out your heart and tear up your soul
there ain’t a man here in town that she can’t control
–all the same, we all love Deborah Dale

Don’t let Dee Dee dog you ’round
If you knew her old tricks you’d haul yer bones outta town
Let me share the wisdom that the pack has found
don’t let Dee Dee — dog you ’round.

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