1982
Things Fall Apart
My mother said, “I'm a survivor
I pull together Christmas every year”
“Something has to last,” she said
“Once a year let's have the past”
And then one year to reach up high
To hang an angel from the tree
Became a painful thing, besides
“She's lost her wings,” my mother said
Things fall apart but they never leave my heart
Good morning, Midnight, it's Christmas
Things fall apart but they never leave my heart
My boyfriend said, “Its really sweet
The way you go for Christmas cheer”
I said, “We cant afford the tree,” he said,
“Love is free”
So we trimmed the cactus with my earrings
That we'd meant to pawn
There wasn't any snow, but there was rain
He licked me like a candy cane
And then one day he said
“I can't stand in your way, it's wrong”
“With what?,” I asked, but he was gone
Things fall apart but they never leave my heart
Good morning, midnight, it's Christmas
Things fall apart but they never leave my heart
The party was a huge success
“But where should we go next?,” they said
They killed a tree of ninety-seven years
And smothered it in lights and silver tears
They all got wrecked, they laughed too loud
I started to feel queasy in the crowd
I caught a cab back to my flat
And wept a bit and fed the cat
Things fall apart, but they never leave my heart
Good morning, midnight, it's Christmas
Things fall apart, but they never leave my heart
It's Christmas
They're snorting up and spinning out
The mandatory lines,
They're vulgarly refined,
Coyly uncouth.
Professional precocities
And recherche atrocities,
Watch them make an entrance:
The electroplated youth.