Waiting For The Punchline (1995)

All songs written by Nuno Bettencourt and Gary Cherone
Except * written by Bettencourt, Cherone, and Badger


  1. There Is No God*
  2. Cynical
  3. Tell Me Something I Don't Know*
  4. Hip Today
  5. Naked*
  6. Midnight Express
  7. Leave Me Alone
  8. No Respect
  9. Evilangelist
  10. Shadow Boxing
  11. Unconditionally
  12. Waiting For The Punchline

There Is No God

 
so you're a self proclaimed messiah 
or maybe a blasphemes liar 
a clever hypnotic hoax 
a hallowed heretic coax 
who tells these stories so old 
no, never the same twice told 
speaking in distorted thruths 
i see that thomas wants some proof 
did you come to heal the sick 
with one more magician's trick 
ye generation seeks a sign 
while blind keeps leading the blind 
 
so you say there is no god 
just a clever man's charade 
a once upon a fairy tales fraud 
has god made man or man made god 
 
there is no god 
 
confused thy talk in parables 
accused thou walk in parallels 
a simple game of simon says 
this month's flavor sciences 
today's fact, tomorrow's fiction 
leave the rest to superstition 
if knowledge comes from learning books 
wisdom comes from discerning looks 
a fool that says there is no god 
don't feel for that sorry sod 
who needs proof then he'll believe 
i wonder if he's been deceived 
 
there is no god 

Cynical Fuck

 
today don't look so bad 
compared to tomorrow 
if time is all we have 
then we're living on borrowed 
yesterday's for fools 
who try to remember 
the good ol' days 
weren't always that 
much better 
 
cynical fuck 
well i ain't nothing but a 
cynical fuck 
it don't take much to be a 
cynical, all you need is love 
all you need is what to be a 
 
and whatever you do 
someone's done it first 
though it's sad but true 
this us just another verse 
if you can't take it with you 
then what's the use 
i never saw a u-haul 
being pulled behind a hearse 
 
chorus 
 
looks like my brighter side 
has gotten a bit darker 
i must have stepped over 
my four leaf clover 
'cause someone drank my 
half-filled cup of water 

Tell Me Something I Don't Know

 
sun going up, 
making its rounds 
it keeps on moving, 
painting the town 
before you know it, 
she's sinking low 
so tell me something . . . 
 
something i don't already know 
i don't know? 
 
toward the south, 
then turning north 
whirlwind spinning, 
on a circular course 
the answer my friend, 
returns to blow 
so tell me something . . . 
 
something i don't already know 
i don't know? 
tell me something 
i don't know? 
 
as for the wise men who pursue 
their knowledge 
same as the fool, free falling 
prey to folly 
can only one fate befall 
them both 
so tell me something . . . 
 
chorus 
 
if every song been sung, 
under the sun 
what's left for me then, 
eat drink and have fun 
it must go on, as for the show 
so tell me something . . . 

Hip Today

 
you'll be gone tomorrow 
you'll be gone tomorrow 
gone tomorrow 
 
you're preoccupied 
with the latest fashion 
hip today, hip today 
with wide open eyes 
on the next big thing 
you can cash in 
hip today, hip today 
 
no never contrived 
it's an overnight sensation 
a clever disguise 
that hides all of your 
pretension 
sally's selling out 
her seashells for souls 
hope i don't die 
before i get old 
 
hip today 
you'll be gone tomorrow 
you'll be gone tomorrow 
gone tomorrow 
 
dancing in your head 
visions of rave reviews 
hip today, hip today 
believing all that's read 
conceiving another guru 
hip today, hip today 
 
having made your bed 
falling short of filling shoes 
you've been left for dead 
'cause there's always 
someone new 
sally's selling out 
her seashells for souls 
hope i don't die 
before i get old 

Naked

 
so you want me to take it off 
just to see what's 
underneath my cloth 
i'll show you i'm every 
inch a man 
measure all that you 
think you can 
 
i'm more than what 
meets the eye 
flesh 'n' blood is 
often a white lie 
by the cover you misjudge 
the book 
open your mind and take 
another look 
 
naked, and i'm unashamed 
naked, with no one to blame 
naked, ya you want the truth 
naked, here's my birthday suit 
naked, naked, naked, naked 
 
i pretend to be not anyone 
except me and my imperfections 
there is nothing i 
expect of you 
that you wouldn't 
expect of me, too 
 
chorus 
 
will you excuse me for my ignorance 
'cause i can see only one 
difference 
those of you who seek to find 
while all the others choose 
to walk 'n' talk blind 

Midnight Express

(instrumental)

Leave Me Alone

 
as for this song 
i'll set the mood 
there's nothing wrong 
prefer solitude 
alone to think 
of what i don't know 
the deeper i sink 
the further i'll go 
 
nothing to fear 
no need to hide 
i'm already there 
came in from outside 
safe in my nest 
home sweet home 
no invited guests 
i want to be alone 
 
leave me alone 
leave me alone 
i wish you would 
leave me alone 
leave me alone 
i just want to be alone 
 
it's better this way 
no one will get hurt 
if you stay away 
i won't lose my shirt 
if i have become 
too defensive 
i'm not the one 
you have to live with 
 
chorus 
 
i want to be, i want to be 
i want to be, alone 
 
don't feel sorry 
it's not your concern 
only the lonely 
are the ones who get burned 
safe in my nest 
home sweet home 
no invited guests 
i want to be alone 

No Respect

 
respect, 
always everybody looking for some 
respect, 
who do you think you're gonna get it from 
respect, 
anybody here deserving of none 
respect, 
tell me what makes you think 
you're not the one 
 
no respect, no respect none 
no respect, no respect none 
no respect, no respect none 
no respect, no respect none 
 
respect, 
why be concerned with 
public adulation 
respect, 
pat on the back crying 
for attention 
respect, 
finding out what it really 
means to me 
respect, 
honor comes only after 
humility 

Evilangelist

 
little lamb come out of 
the rain 
you'll catch your death in 
the cold 
a helping hand to come ease 
the pain 
in peace you'll rest in 
our fold 
 
i can be a watch 
towering light 
for those of you who can't see 
i'll separate the truth 
from the lies 
blind faithful come follow me 
 
evilangelist 
you name is on my list 
i'm your evilangelist 
in what god you trust 
 
close your eyes while i 
hypnotize 
a friend in need to confess 
you've been denied the cock 
crowed thrice 
surrender all you possess 
 
evilangelist 
your name is on my list 
i'm your evilangelist 
i was betrayed by a kiss 
 
so many claim 
to come in thy name 
promising peace they'll bring 
lest ye taste 
the fruit of the vine 
they're just wolves in 
sheep's clothing 

Shadow Boxing

 
last round 
looks like i'm in for a fight 
knocked down 
there is nowhere left to hide 
stick 'n' move 
when i try to run away 
old one two 
i only end up face to face 
 
mirror mirror getting clearer 
 
it's just me and my shadow 
dancing round the ring 
i try to fight it 
but then how can i win 
when i'm only shadow boxing 
 
time out 
i'm looking for a 
standing eight 
no doubt 
my inside has come out to play 
bob 'n' weave 
it's conscious of my 
every move 
been deceived 
can no longer ignore the truth 
 
mirror mirror getting clearer 
split decision blur my vision 

Unconditionally

 
so tell me what can i do 
that you couldn't see through 
from the very start 
there is only one thing 
yet to come from my heart 
 
loving you, unconditionally 
loving you, unconditionally 
that's what i want to be 
what you are to me 
 
can you see why it's so hard 
for me to break apart 
from all the things i hold 
closer to a heart 
that has grown, far too cold 
 
loving you, unconditionally 
something new 
to a heart yet not free 
that's what i want to be 
what you are to me 
 
and though it seems impossible 
when both of my hands are full 
that's the only condition 
that keeps me 
from loving you. . . 

Waiting For The Punchline

 
you might say hey, i lost my sense of humor 
i'm quite surprised i didn't lose it sooner 
why waste your breath on anything less 
then talk so trivial 
as a man who ran out of material 
 
chorus: 
why did the chicken go across the road 
to get to the other side 
i'm still waiting for the punchline 
whoever said the grass always grows 
greener on the other lied 
i'm still waiting for the punchline 
 
the good ol' days i was known to wear a smile 
like all good things they've gone out of style 
i will admit, usually a quick wit 
i found bemusing 
what used to be, no longer are amusing 
 
chorus: 
 
it's nothing that you said, 
no nothing that you did 
must have been a bad joke, 
that's gone over my head 
what me worry, another tragedy 
the latter plus time, equals comedy 
 
why can't i get to the other side