Two rights

It's sick and it's sad and it makes me grieve
At the bad things
Borne on the wings
Of the loose twists and ruthless turns
Of fact, truth and tact you've put to good use
Yeah right,
Right
Wrong

Too many times
Two rights
Make a wrong

Each hard word said is a scar on your heart
And your head's the part
That starts the end
Of the best of friends
Amends immense
And your pride stands tall and high and hard as a Jericho wall
You think in time
The other wall
will fall

'Til then it's just right,
Right, left
Right, right, left
Right
Right
Wrong

Too many times
Two rights
Make a wrong

Mitch Murphy  2004-2005

It's not easy being green

I've given over to this world
Rendered Caesar's unto Caesar
Every other part I give to you
Take it
Please save it

If I wake before I die
I pray the Lord my steps to guide
And if I touch the spotty thing
I pray dear Lord please wash my clothing

It's not easy being green
Green and tender for the bruising
But tender's what you need
To mould me
Please mould me

If I wake before I die
I pray the Lord my steps to guide
And if I touch the spotty thing
I pray dear Lord please wash my clothing

I had a friend in apathy
He tried to smother my intention
I slit his throat while he was sleeping
He would have done the same to me
Goodnight apathy

If I wake before I die
I pray the Lord my steps to guide
And if I touch the spotty thing
I pray dear Lord please wash my clothing

Mitch Murphy  2003

In You I have Peace

The long tongs
Of their tongues pin me
And the hammers
Of their blunt words nail me
The bellows
Of their empty wisdom wail against me

But in you I have peace
The shade upon my right hand

Friend, friend, friend
Friend? Liar
They say love, love
Could you blaspheme the name of any higher?
And the dove, the dove
Is just a gentle white bird

But in you I have peace
My brother and my keeper

When everytime I try to smile
Facepaint and pantomime
When everytime I try to fly
Redtape and razorwire
When the bird on the wing
Is such a foreign thing

In you I have peace
My brother and my keeper
The shade upon my right hand


Mitch Murphy 2005

Sweet day

It's a sweet day
Wind on my back, sun on my face
It's a nice one
To keep it to myself
In my lap
Golden platter, silver spoon, the gravy train stops right outside my room
But that's not the track
To anywhere I want to be

Take a living coal
From off your altar
Purge my lips til they speak
The good things

Bring all your broken, mistreated and bruised
O taste and see, The Lord is good

I'm the one
The sun shines on
I got everything you want
But I count it all as dung
Save the freedom that Jesus won
And that's the track
To everywhere I want to be

Take a living coal
From off your altar
Purge my lips til they speak
The good things

Bring all your broken, mistreated and bruised
O taste and see, The Lord is good
Bring all your lame; they'll walk, the blind will see again

Mitch Murphy (sometime between 2004 and 2005)

A Lullaby for my little ones

Close your eyes
Don't let them open
'Til it's time to rise
Time to see the sunlight

Don't let the world
Trouble you none
Don't let it weigh
Heavy upon you
The evil today
Is enough for you now
And the good gifts of God
Cannot be traded

Drop your plans
Sink to the bottom
The wheel rolls unmanned
The sails rest while she's mooring

Wait for the wind
That speaks peace within
The spinnaker sags
Without her lover
The treasure you seek
Will find its own wings
And fields white as gold
Are yours in the morning

Close your eyes
Don't let them open
'Til it's time to rise
Time to see the sunlight

Don't let the world
Trouble you none
Don't let it weigh
Heavy upon you
The evil today
Is enough for you now
And the good gifts of God
Will greet you unfaded

Mitch Murphy  November 2011

Last man standing

Save a missile for me
cos I don't wanna be
the last man standing
Save the whales, save the refugees
save a place for me
under ground zero's shady tree

Jesus come quickly
the bell tolls for everybody else
Lord, make it swiftly
The whole world's gone to hell
There's tears on every corner

Brother, throw my guns to the ground
cos I don't wanna be found
the last man standing
Mama take these badges from me
cos I don't wanna see
another cause up in mirrors and smoke

Jesus come quickly
the bell tolls for everybody else
Lord make it swiftly
The whole world's gone to hell
There's tears on every corner

Give me a heart of flesh, a face of flint
if you want me to be
the last man standing
Give me words I won't repent
if you want me to be
the last man standing

Jesus come quickly
the bell tolls for everybody else
Lord make it swiftly
The whole world's gone to hell
Hope is a candle in a cyclone

Copyright Mitch Murphy 2008

To let go - A song for Steve and Sandy Matthews

When the river hardly moves
When green pastures are my food
Nought to prove. Nought to show
I want to be ready
to go

When the rivers overflow
When the dams have all let go
There's nothing stable left to hold
I want to be ready
to let go

There's a storm on my horizon
It's greater than this vessel can bear
So my mustard seed of faith is in
someone who's been there

When the heavens overflow
When four angels have let go
When the fire hits the ground
I want to be ready
to be found

When the bridegroom takes His bride
I want to be ready
to rise

Copyright Mitch Murphy January 2011

My queen

You're my queen
My Norma Jean
My silver screen sunset scene

Copyright Mitch Murphy (who lurves Angela)

Brother please forgive me

Brother please forgive me
for I know not what I do
The things I ought
just seem to haunt
I do the things
that I don't really want to

You seem to have it all together
I know that's just the pot
calling the kettle white

My heart gets cracked and hard
like the dust from which it came
Nothin' grows
in a dry furrow
I cut you down
before I even see you

You seem to float like life is light as a feather
I know that's just a weight
to sink us both

I got a friend in Jesus
and I know He's your man
He built a bridge between us
I burnt it a bit
I didn't really mean to

He said to love your neighbor
And I know who that means, too
He dug a quiet harbor
I'm glad it's you
Would you let me be one too

I'll see you rise just like mist on the water
I know that's something I'd
like to do with you

Copyright Mitch Murphy

This owl and his pussycat

There's a happy sparkling stream that runs right through my mind
and a little pea-green boat and she is safe inside
White parasol and dress and shady ladies hat
My perfect pretty as a picture pussycat

The owl laid lazy on a nearby bank and sing
hoping pussycat might bring her bow up next to him
Pussy said to owl "would you please gently rock my boat
You see there's room for two and you just set my heart afloat"


Copyright Mitch Murphy 2008

Miners gold

Take pains to pay for gold with sleep
Crave and horde; the hole gets deep
Until the miners' candle's cold
Then pay for painless sleep with gold

Copyright Mitch Murphy 2010

Naked in the Garden

I'm afraid
not to build an empire
and I'm afraid
not to be the king
What if I wake one day and realise
that I've missed out
What if I wake up one day and realise
Life's passed me by and I've missed out

I want to get less
out of life
a song that is sweet
a joy that's complete
naked in the garden

Quiet and close
to my Lord
so I can hear
everything he has to say
walk in the cool of the day
naked in the garden

What if I build it
and they don't come
What if I pass her by in the street
and she's the one
I'm afraid to write a song
and not change the world
I feel the pressure and weight as you measure and pace
my song, my sound, my effect
on the world.

I want to get less
out of life
I'm happy with one wife
the love of my life
naked in the garden

Quiet and close
to my Lord
so I can hear
everything he has to say
walk in the cool of the day
naked in the garden

I'm afraid to take even just one step
without it being the first of a journey of a thousand
I'm afraid of unfailed relationships
at the risk of missing life's lessons when they all end
and what if
what if
What if
someone else
So what if
so what if
what if
someone else

I wished my life upon a star

and washed up downstream

not too far from where I'd started

no clouds had parted

If all men will be sailors then

fill my sails and plot my course

I'm yours

I want to get less

out of life

a song that is sweet

a joy that's complete

naked in the garden

Quiet and close

to my Lord

so I can hear

everything he has to say

walk in the cool of the day

naked in the garden

Copyright Mitch Murphy (sometime from 2006 to 2007)

Low Chariot

Sometimes I don't feel like the chariot
is ever going to swing this low
If I looked over Jordan, what would I see
Ten thousand angels after me
And the hounds all at my heels
The devil drives his deal
and points me to the noose
You cut me loose

Straw and sticks won't do for bricks
don't need a wolf to blow down my home
These boys don't need a man, another flash in the pan
they need a rock and not a rolling stone
The hourglass is cracked
Days I can't put back
point me to the grave
Could I just be your slave?

Kisses on my face like gold
Tears on my neck like silver
Apples fresh pressed and cold
in days of drought and hunger
tell me it's OK
"I never went away
I'd sooner sink the stars in the sea
You've got me"

Counsel to the cast away is like hard rain on dry clay
Streams all clouded up with silt
The message of the sage seems to squall more with age
until my soul is just a sump for guilt
The plowers on my back
celebrate each trophy track
The clouds have opened up
you share my cup

Kisses on my face like gold
Tears on my neck like silver
Apples fresh pressed and cold
in days of drought and hunger
tell me it's OK
"I never went away
I'd sooner sink the stars in the sea
You've got me"

Copyright Mitch Murphy 2009 (or thereabouts)

No Holes in Heaven

One stole my heart
and broke it apart
Left me with nothing
but a hole
the size of my soul

There's no holes in heaven
and no tears or lies
No hearts divided
and no holes

One stole my script
politely ripped
Left me with nothing
but a space
between judgement and grace

His story's perfect
graven in gold
If mine burns then let it burn
His be told

When He moves, everything moves
When He breathes, everything's new
When He gives, everything's gain
When He doesn't speak there is nothing
but a hole.

One threw the book
with a very proud look
Left me with nothing
but to wait
for the seal of my fate

My judge is Jesus
no jury required
He tasted death for me
and I won't taste it twice

There's no holes in heaven
and no tears or lies
No hearts divided
and no holes

Copyright Mitch Murphy 2011