she walks through the halls,
everyone looks away
she has no one to talk to
and nothing to say
she smiles, it helps her to keep it inside
this is her way, to get through the day

she has this dream,
she walks in with a dynamite crown
all the fuses, sparkle like birthday candles
she has time, for just one shocked look,
jaws drop down and then she goes:

boom, boom, boom, boom...

she sits on the streetcar,
listening to tunes
through her headphones
tapping her toes and pretending
she’s queen of the world,
but no one knows
she smiles,
it helps her to keep it inside,
this is her way, to get through the day

she has this dream
she’s a girl in a hospital bed
small and withdrawn
in her gut there’s a ticking time bomb
and with just one last shake
of her head she implodes on the

boom, boom, boom, boom...

and everyone says,
“what a shame, she was such a nice girl.
she always looked healthy,
smiled brave to the end
whatever she had inside,
well she kept it inside,
until that day, oh, she went

boom, boom, boom, boom...”

she sits in this room
with this person she loves
boiling with rage and with pain
whatever he has inside,
well, he keeps it inside,
and you’ve gotta know, one day,
she’s gonna blow
she’s a dynamite girl
she’s a dynamite girl

she has this dream
she walks in with a firecracker crown
all the fuses, sparkle like birthday candles
there is time, for just one shocked look
jaws drop down and then she goes

boom, boom, boom, boom...

oh, she needs a small reminder
of what’s going on inside her
something to tell her to be strong
to tell her to stay calm
so she—
buys more buddhas
buys every one they’ll sell her
yeah, buddha wouldn’t like it
but he’s not around to tell her
how to act, or who to be
if only it were that easy
if only it were that easy
she put a buddha in the garden
fishes swimmin’ ’round his toes
and a buddha in the hallway
blessing all who come and go
there’s a buddha in our office
where we work from dawn ’til night
as long as buddha’s here
guess everything’s all right
i’ll buy more buddhas
buy every one they’ll sell me…


there’s a buddha in the bathroom
staring at me in the tub
lucky buddha in the kitchen
give his chubby tum a rub
and there’s a buddha in the living room
perched on the tv
i hope that he likes CSI
repeated endlessly
and there’s a buddha in the bedroom
so let’s keep the action zen—
we can always turn him to face the wall
every now and then
we buy more buddhas
buy every one they’ll sell us…

two weeks on the road, two days in the car
two kids flaked out on the back seat
hovering halfway between boredom and sleep
darkness is falling, the sunset’s complete
and the orange glow of mercury lights
says we’re almost, we’re almost home

this city’s a strange place to call home
with people packed in like sardines
and the walls are so thin you can hear every word
when you sleep they seep into your dreams
in hindi, i dream of calcutta and everything left there behind
tagalog on the other side, spoken rapid and sweet

so many rivers, and here’s where we meet
down this river of cold, grey concrete
under the warm glow of mercury lights
oh, mercury lights, oh mercury lights
oh mercury lie, lie, lie, lie, lie, lie, lie, la-la-la-la-lie-la-lie

been so many years now, can’t remember why we came
was it for work, for love, for glory or for fame?
or were we running, from some unspeakable pain?
in pashto, i dream of machine guns
and everything falling apart
in spanish, i dream of my Pedro
and feel again the crack in my heart

so many rivers, and here’s where we meet
down this river of cold, grey concrete
under the warm glow, of mercury lights
oh, mercury lights, mercury lights
oh mercury lie, lie, lie, lie, lie, lie, lie, la-la-la-la-lie-la-lie

well, if you never vote, now’s a good time to start
it’s never too late, never too late, never too late
and if you never loved, you can open your heart
never too late, never too late, never too late

Chorus:
’cause where there’s life, there’s hope
an’ where there’s breath, there’s beauty
there’s always one more chance
to tell the truth or do your duty
there’s still time to say “i love you”
or “i know i done you wrong”
there’s always time to write and sing
just one more song
or figure out a better way for us to get along
it’s never, never, never, never, never, never,
never too late

so, if you want to make a film, or write a book
it’s never too late, never too late, never too late
and though you said you made your mind up,
you can take a second look
never too late, never too late, never too late

Chorus

though you think you’ve settled down,
you can always take a chance
it’s never too late, never too late, never too late
sometimes folks up in toronto even still get up and dance
it’s never too late, never too late, never too late

Chorus

never too late, never too late, never too late
never too late, never too late, never too late

darlin’, rest with me tonight
put your head on my shoulder
put your hand on my thigh an’
darlin’, rest with me tonight
well, my heart’s open wide
all you gotta do is step inside
every little thing’s gonna be all right
you just rest with me tonight

darlin’, we’ve been rushin’ ’round
getting things done
pushin’ all our feelings down
darlin’, it’s no wonder we’re tired
let’s put it all aside, yeah, just
rest with me tonight

darlin’, let’s sing a lullaby
’cause everything is better
when we harmonize
and darlin’, you know the words
it’s a little bit like this song you’ve heard
that goes a thump-a, thump-a,
thump-a, thump-a

darlin’, o-o-o darlin’

darlin’, the world keeps spinnin’ ’round
an’ why’re we always trying to keep
our feet on the ground
when some things are lighter than air?
if your heart’s in the clouds
i will meet you there, singin’
darlin’, o-o-o darlin’