Haunted House Party Lyrics - Sage Francis

The first thing he says to me 

"If you could know it all would you want to?" 

and I'm wondering if it's a question he poses everybody with 

I was warned about the gift that he's got and the kind of things he sees 

Me? . . . well I got a few tricks up my sleeve 

I was waitin' for him to show his hand 

til I discovered the difference between an old mind and the mind of an old man 

so I stand corrected, sitting in my chair erect and attentive 

wishing that he never asked that question 

'cause it echoes in my empty feelings 

fearing what's underneath each following sentence 

revealing a puzzle piece to the jig saw 

of a skin crawling coffee session 

It's something that his kid saw in me 

that brought me to his attention 

and he knows this 

who's he think he's speakin' to 

it's not often that he emerges from his coffin of a reading room 

on a special occasion he tests his relationship 

with one who's never read much but he's interested in spaceships 

his head's stuffed with ancient scripts so he laughs 

holds up his golden cup to toast the past 

here's to a lack of spontaneity the future has 

I can tell you when you're gonna die 

all you gotta do is ask 

(what's up power trip? big tough guy now? throwing things like that over a cup of joe w/ someone you don't even know, really, you don't know who i am) 

he sat there, his eyes still weren't focusing 

he said' "i can see you seeing some things" 

and i said "yeah, well thanks for noticing. What gave it away - my poker limbs? 

Cross examined while my hands were busy closing things up into deserts 

that he's only read about in winter weather 

and i'm able to fill the gaps that act as traps in the lyrics of letters 

when mirrors open i bet he thinks i'll enter 

but i detect ulterior motives in his hidden agenda 

we live forever in these chairs comparing mental notes 

bodies doubling as temporary captains of a rented boat 

My paper mate sent me to her folks in an envelope 

disguised as insurance fraud, some things were never meant to float 

i've never been in a shipwreck but i know they exist 

and the experience must be something close to this 

hopeless feeling that gets reeled in from oceans for emotions 

sick 

got me shaking his hand with an open fist 

what's he notice of my grasp besides the calluses 

a soul that's trapped by my mind's paralyses 

knowing i'll ask his to sign the marriage slip 

he says "not so fast" 

and he goes to find his glasses (bastard) 

puts on the lenses that were scratched 

like someone got the best of him in a cat fight 

must have been when he developed that bad sight 

they don't help, he needs a helmut with a flash light 

if he thinks he can enter the darkness at half price 

to find his daughter's black wedding dress from her past life 

traditions died at our haunted house party last night