Music and lyrics by Damon Waitkus

Lyrics

Whip me, teacher, you should know
that’s all I ever needed from you.
Don’t impress me with your signet,
don’t give me any books to leaf through.
I only want your love.
I will even take it lying down.
You can’t just leave me with your demons
after running all my angels out of town.

It could take you miles out of your way
and–ah!–how would you know?
I’ve got eyes and I can see shapes
but I can’t really read.

Off-the-record, into the clinic,
under anesthetic and the knife:
Thought I’d have a housebroken shadow
but I only have this fear of life.

Come clean now, doc, let’s take a stand
while your master’s boy still walks with you:
tell him things didn’t go as planned
for the captains as well as the crew;
Tell him you’re just a conscript of his old daddy,
not some slave of the mind.
A lot of well-meaning people are dead wrong
most of the time.

Whip me teacher like you love me,
that is all I actually need:
a freezing lash of winter rain
to shake awake the indolent seed,
humiliation, absolution
in the sunlight every single day.
Feel like an old English sheepdog
getting a bath in the driveway.

It could take you miles out of your way
and–ah!–how would you know?
I’ve got eyes and I can see shapes
but I can’t really read.

Personnel

DW – voice, piano, hammer dulcimer, pianet, glockenspiel, percussion
EP – melodica, violin
KM – bassoon, voice
JH – electric bass, voice
JG – drums, vibraphone