I Don't Think You Understand

Eden was a bad place to unwind

Adam used to lie on peacock feathers

peel another perfect orange rind

and curse another day of perfect weather

He would look around at God's idea of wilds

and say to Eve there are some things we should demand

her voice was small she was just a child and she'd say

Adam, I don't think you understand

All through the night you can't sleep

your body is a lost mountain climber

your mind goes beep beep beep

all the way up to the uncountable numbers

So you crawl down to the base of your awareness

you are searching for a cable or a strand

and you shout living this way is careless and it echoes

I don't think you understand

We were all standing at the crotch of the bay

where some steps made out of stone were sinking in the grass

we were all up at Death's vacation house to play

we were thinking he'd give most of us a pass

and so I grabbed him by his musty-smelling cloak

and I asked him why he bought that piece of land

I said how can you live this way when some are broke

and he said Michael I don't think you understand

then he said to me

the trees are in the forest side by side

the rocks are on that mountain with the snow

the sun is in the heavens far and wide

and something always has to go below

there's salt in the water of the sea

there's sugar in the fruit of the land

but if you think there's an answer in me

I don't think you understand

There's malice in the eyeballs of every day

in the apple vitamin and grocery cart

Courageous is your sunny breakfast tray

and that crossword you are never gonna start

the puzzle you are never gonna solve

and everything that's in somebody else's hand

if the world did sing a song while it revolved it might be

I don't think you understand