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Tough Guy

by Donna Linklater

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1.
Side Show 03:40
Come to the tents and see the chaos of society Come to the tents and hear their strange songs tiptoe to your ear This one, has horns on her head This one, antennae instead This one, has too many legs but they work quite well for dancing, La dah dah deee dah dah dah dah dah dah....... Come to the tents and look their teeth are shaped like grappling hooks Come to the tents and peek there's fairy moss growing on their cheek You might think they look pretty strange But think twice if you want them to change Come closer lift up the veil And see who meets your gaze Come to the tents and stare a face that's most familiar there Come to the tents alas, it's nothing but a looking glass. La dee da dut dah duh duh dah dah dah.....
2.
Burn your crops with herbicides and ethylene Cut the tops off the plants that look deformed and mean An ounce of prevention beats a milligram of cure You'll never burn enough to make things better than they were All you do is slash and burn Then you throw our thoughts away All you do is slash and burn While you take away our days Pink ribbons in my hair to hide the lanthionization and dye Charge it on my new pink Visa I can use the receipt to wipe my eyes An ounce of prevention beats a milligram of cure You'll never burn enough to make things better than they were All you do is slash and burn Then you throw our thoughts away All you do is slash and burn While you take away our days Look up from your DSM hears another point of reference: Treat my circumstances with belief and trust and deference Because an ounce of respect beats a pound of sympathy You'll never burn enough to bring me back to purity All you do is slash and burn Then you throw our thoughts away All you do is slash and burn While you take away our days
3.
Tough Guy 04:12
Out on the town I avert my eyes But you're still gonna try and get me to believe your smarmy lies You take what you want To heck with being nice And you barked at the barista when he botched your pumpkin spice You're a tough guy, aren't ya? You're a tough guy, aren't ya? You went to school at fancy places But all that education couldn't buy you humble graces You wink at girls That are half your age And you run down your employees who you pay the minimum wage. You're a tough guy, aren't ya? You're a tough guy, aren't ya? You're a tough guy, aren't ya? Aren't ya? Aren't ya? And all that you've got is a hot silver spoon But the new moon is waxing and it's all ending soon... You're not sexy. You're not sexy. You're not sexy to me. You're not sexy. You're not sexy. You're not sexy to me. You're not sexy. You're not sexy. You're not sexy to me.
4.
Oh I wish I were Dion duMaurier I'd win women's hearts all day And if I were Dion duMaurier I'd have such charming things to say And all my dreams, And all my fears would come true. Oh how I'd love to strut down the sidewalk And lead with my hips and my heart I'd turn women's heads on the sidewalk And they'd tell me I'm funny and smart And all my dreams And all my fears would come true. (whistling solo) I'd get up on stage and the women would rage And tear at my jeans and guitar And when I was done and I'd stopped having fun I'd buy you a drink at the bar And tell you your eyes are like opals And they shine of the fire in your soul My intentions are honourable and noble, And the scent of your hair makes me whole Then all my dreams, and all my fears would come true
5.
Open your eyes to the morning light And let your sun shine down on me Moving faster than a comet's light Sparkle down on this world And let your radiant light shine And let your radiant light shine Open the door to the noisy world And sing a song for us to hear Run so fast and jump and skip and twirl You could almost fly away And let your radiant light shine And let your radiant light shine So throw a little light to the soft dark corners Cuz no one has the right to tame you or set you right Shine your radiant light Now lay your curls upon the pillow dear, Your body finally stops to breathe Let your dreams roll in on rainbow stars And shine your radiant light
6.
She's singing outside the auditorium She hasn't got an orchestra or band She hasn't a guitar or an accordion She hasn't got a smartphone in her hand A singer all alone is insane A singer all alone is insane You've got to hear the things that people say There's a million of you and only one of me Why can't we find our way to some strange harmony? Little children sing themselves to peace When they're happiest. A singer all alone is insane A singer all alone is insane You've got to hear the things that people say I don't know what else I want to say..... I haven't got the words to change your mind.... A singer all alone is insane A singer all alone is insane You've got to hear the things that people say OPEN YOUR EYES
7.
When you glare and you stare and your sneer At me in the morning When you push me and crowd me away When I'm mad or I'm sad or I'm bad Or I'm just not compliant But you're too nice to tell me to my face To get in place I hear voices and they tell me you're not alone I hear voices and they tell me you're not alone So it's alright if you don't want me around But it sucks and it stings and hurts Every time I'm rejected Because it feels like it happens all the time It's not in my mind Square my shoulders stiff my lip and stick my chin out That's just not my style Still I know that my whining won't change your mind. I know cuz I tried I hear voices and they tell me you're not alone I hear voices and they tell me you're not alone We all want to belong We all want to belong We all want to belong We all want to belong But it's alright if you don't want me around
8.
The empty streets in wintertime Are colder without snow The coloured lights are stashed away And wicked winds do blow The spring will come The winter will end But now it's cold And it feels like nothing ever will be bright or warm again The lonely streets in wintertime When dawn begins to glow Have promises of daylight And fresh soft falling snow
9.
It's been a wicked winter baby But there are skies of blue maybe In the future The city's cold and lonely But oh my one and only I'm telling you It's coming soon, It always feels like this in winter The freezing night just seems to linger On and on and on But the day's are growing longer And we are growing stronger every day In every way In the springtime of the year When the sun shines warm and clear We will shake the dust off and open our windows And hope we'll be okay When winter comes back in December It might be hard but just remember That you're not alone Because we have each other And we will run for cover where it's warm And then we'll love that storm In the springtime of the year When the sun shines warm and clear We will shake the dust off and open our windows And hope we'll be okay In the springtime of the year We will raise our voices clear We will shake the pain off and open our hearts And we know we'll be okay. Hold on. Hold on. Hold on.

about

I would like to acknowledge funding support form Ontario Arts Council, an agency of the Government of Ontario

Special thank you to:
Ontario Disability Support Program
ODSP Action Coalition
Patricia Claeys
Jack Orchard
and especially Paul Linklater

Dedicated to Marvin Linklater

credits

released February 1, 2019

produced, recorded, and performed by Donna Linklater
mastered by Mike Indovina

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Donna Linklater Winnipeg, Manitoba

She writes songs about madness and the wild world that rejects it.

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