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More marriages might survive if the partners realized that sometimes the better comes after the worse.

quote by Doug Larson
Added by Lucian Velea
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I Will Survive

(f.perren & d.fekaris)
(this is dedicated to my girls)
At first I was afraid, I was petrified
Kept thinkin I could never live without you by my side
Then I spent so many nights thinking how you did me wrong
And I grew strong
And I learned how to get along
And so youre back from outer space
I just walked in to find you here, with that sad look upon your face
I should have changed that stupid lock
I should have made you leave your key
If I had known for just one second youd be back to bother me
Go on now, go walk out the door
Just turn around now
coz youre not welcome anymore
Werent you the one who tried to break me with goodbye?
Did you think Id crumble?
Did you think Id lay down and die?
Oh no not i, I will survive
For as long as I know how to love, I know Ill stay alive
Ive got all my life to live
And Ive got all my love to give
Ill survive
I will survive
Hey hey
(i, I will survive)
Hey hey
(i, I will survive)
Every day
(i, I will survive)
Oh yeah
It took all the strength I had not to fall apart
Just trying hard to mend the pieces of my broken heart
And I spent oh so many nights just feeling sorry for myself
I used to cry, but now I hold my head up high
And you see me, somebody new
Im not that chained up little person still in love with you
And so you felt like dropping in and just expect me to be free
But now Im savin all my lovin for someone whos lovin me
Go on now, go walk out the door
Just turn around now
Youre not welcome anymore
Werent you the one who tried to break me with goodbye?
Did you think Id crumble?
Did you think Id lay down and die?
Oh no not i, I will survive
Oh as long as I know how to love, I know Ill stay alive
Ive got all my life to live
And Ive got all my love to give
Ill survive

[...] Read more

song performed by Diana Ross
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Partners In Crime

Alright
I know your wheels are turning, got your fire burning
I know your hearts as cold as stone
Youre covered in abuses, dripping with excuses
I know you got a lover at home
But youll come here to me, time after time
Youll go down on your knees
Yeah girl I can read your mind
Because were partners in crime, partners in crime
Your going empty handed, smiling like a bandit
Knocking on my window each night
Youre sweeter than a beauty queen, darker than a limousine
Need me cause I feel right
Yeah when its sink or its swim and the temperature flies
You get your body so close and lay it all on the line
Because were partners in crime, partners in crime
Because were partners in crime, ooh yeah
When its sink or swim and the tales thats youre blind
You get your body so close and lay it all on the line
Because were partners in crime, partners in crime
Ooh yeah, because were partners in crime
Because were partners in crime
Partners in crime, partners in crime
Lets go, ha

song performed by Kiss
Added by Lucian Velea
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Survival Shake

This is no story its the key of existence
A little thing you better not forget
I dont know nothing bout its a water-resistance
Why dont you use your head
And survive, survive, survive
You got to survive
Survive, survive, survive
You got to survive
So tell me darling what you wanna be
A welcome idiot in an appletree
I shake you up and I shake you down
Down to the ground
To survive, survive, survive
You got to survive
Survive, survive
All you got to do is to survive
You just got one life
All you got to do is to survive
You just got one life
So better be careful boy
Survive, survive, survive...

song performed by Fury In The Slaughterhouse
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Hudibras: Part 3 - Canto I

THE ARGUMENT

The Knight and Squire resolve, at once,
The one the other to renounce.
They both approach the Lady's Bower;
The Squire t'inform, the Knight to woo her.
She treats them with a Masquerade,
By Furies and Hobgoblins made;
From which the Squire conveys the Knight,
And steals him from himself, by Night.

'Tis true, no lover has that pow'r
T' enforce a desperate amour,
As he that has two strings t' his bow,
And burns for love and money too;
For then he's brave and resolute,
Disdains to render in his suit,
Has all his flames and raptures double,
And hangs or drowns with half the trouble,
While those who sillily pursue,
The simple, downright way, and true,
Make as unlucky applications,
And steer against the stream their passions.
Some forge their mistresses of stars,
And when the ladies prove averse,
And more untoward to be won
Than by CALIGULA the Moon,
Cry out upon the stars, for doing
Ill offices to cross their wooing;
When only by themselves they're hindred,
For trusting those they made her kindred;
And still, the harsher and hide-bounder
The damsels prove, become the fonder.
For what mad lover ever dy'd
To gain a soft and gentle bride?
Or for a lady tender-hearted,
In purling streams or hemp departed?
Leap'd headlong int' Elysium,
Through th' windows of a dazzling room?
But for some cross, ill-natur'd dame,
The am'rous fly burnt in his flame.
This to the Knight could be no news,
With all mankind so much in use;
Who therefore took the wiser course,
To make the most of his amours,
Resolv'd to try all sorts of ways,
As follows in due time and place

No sooner was the bloody fight,
Between the Wizard, and the Knight,

[...] Read more

poem by Samuel Butler
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Partners In Crime

Music :rudolf schenker
Lyrics:klaus meine
Even though we aint no brothers
We follow the spiritual light
Its thicker than blood
And harder than stone
We overcome stormy waters
Climb up the mountain so high
The day will come
When we bring it home
Were on some kind of a mission
For what we believe in our hearts
Were reaching out for our visions
cause we are partners in crime
Any time
Partners in crime
On the crimson sky
We ride the thunder, the lightning
To find the key to our faith
We keep searching for
The peace of mind (yeah)
He walked the road of a warrior
Stand up and do what it takes
cause these things life
Aint worth a dime
Out in a world of confusion
Searching for light in the dark
We turn the wheel of illusion
cause we are partners in crime
Any time
Partners in crime
On the crimson sky
We hold on to what money cant buy
cause friends will be friends
Till the day that we die
We go on until the end of time
Once youre in
You just cant get away
Even though we aint no brothers
We follow the spiritual light
Its thicker than blood
And harder than stone
We overcome stormy waters
Climb up the mountain so high
The day will come
When we bring it home
Were on some kind of a mission
For what we believe in our hearts
Were reaching out for our visions
cause we are partners in crime

[...] Read more

song performed by Scorpions
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How Do I Survive

How Do I Survive if you break my heart
I'm not strong enough
Just to smile and make things easy
I can't put on my brave face anymore
I always took it for granted
That I could take whatever you gave me
I guess you never really know for sure
'Cause there was never a doubt in mind
How it was meant to be
So who do I turn to darlin' if you should leave
How do I survive if you break my heart
How do I survive if you break my heart
I've got no excuses for bein' your fool
I never thought that it would be forever
But after so much time together
I've come to depend on you
What else am I supposed to do
'Cause there was never a doubt in mind
It wouldn't be easy
But I never realized how much you mean to me, ho
How do I survive if you break my heart
How do I survive if you break my heart
break
But there was never a doubt in mind
How it was meant to be
So who do I turn to darlin' if you should leave
How do I survive if you break my heart
How do I survive if you break my heart (How do I survive)
How do I survive if you break my heart (If you break my heart)
How do I survive if you break my heart (whooh, whooh)
How do I survive if you break my heart (How do I survive)
How do I survive if you break my heart (whooh,whooh)
How do I survive if you break my heart

song performed by Hollies
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Our Survival

We shall survive distance.
We shall survive space.
But can we survive the loneliness
that we have to face?

We shall survive winter.
We shall survive spring.
But can we survive the guilt
of the wedding ring?

We shall survive long nights.
We shall survive days.
But can we survive the longings
that always and forever stays?

We shall survive suspicion.
We shall survive fear.
But can we survive living
without each other, dear?

We shall survive all of this
if we put our love first.
We shall survive hunger.
We shall survive thirst
only if this love is true.

poem by Edwina Reizer
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Tom Zart's 52 Best Of The Rest America At War Poems

SONS AND DAUGHTERS OF WORLD WAR III

The White House
Washington
Tom Zart's Poems

March 16,2007
Ms. Lillian Cauldwell
President and Chief Executive Officer
Passionate Internet Voices Radio
Ann Arbor Michigan

Dear Lillian:
Number 41 passed on the CDs from Tom Zart. Thank you for thinking of me. I am thankful for your efforts to honor our brave military personnel and their families. America owes these courageous men and women a debt of gratitude, and I am honored to be the commander in chief of the greatest force for freedom in the history of the world.
Best Wishes.

Sincerely,

George W. Bush

SONS AND DAUGHTERS OF WORLD WAR III

Our sons and daughters serve in harm's way
To defend our way of life.
Some are students, some grandparents
Many a husband or wife.

They face great odds without complaint
Gambling life and limb for little pay.
So far away from all they love
Fight our soldiers for whom we pray.

The plotters and planners of America's doom
Pledge to murder and maim all they can.
From early childhood they are taught
To kill is to become a man.

They exploit their young as weapons of choice
Teaching in heaven, virgins will await.
Destroying lives along with their own
To learn of their falsehoods too late.

The fearful cry we must submit
And find a way to soothe them.
Where defenders worry if we stand down
The future for America is grim.

[...] Read more

poem by Tom Zart
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I Will Survive

This is a rare song from the 'Gladiator' soundtrack... the boxing movie, not the Russell Crowe movie.
------
The battle line is drawn
I dare you to cross it
You better think twice
before you mix it up with me
I won't back down
I'll keep the fire burning
As hard as you try
you're never gonna stop me now, no
You think you're shaking my innocence
but you're wasting time
Cause you don't know who I am.
I will survive
I'm driven by the faith
You can see it in my eyes
It's written on my face
I will survive
And I won't let it
fall from grace
All around the world
There are true believers
I know I'm not alone
There's someone watching over me
Ow! Stand my ground
While the world keeps turning
If I believe enough
I'm never gonna fade away, hey
You think you're shaking my innocence
but you're wasting time
Cause you don't know who I am.
I will survive
I'm driven by the faith
You can see it in my eyes
It's written on my face
I will survive
No I won't let it
I won't let it fall from grace
(Fall from grace...)
There's someone watching over me.
(Fall from grace...)
Nothing's gonna stop me now
Gonna stand my ground
I will survive
You can see it in my eyes...
I will survive
I've driven by the faith
You can see it in my eyes
It's written on my face
I will survive

[...] Read more

song performed by Cheap Trick
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Only The Strong Survive

(words & music by gamble - huff - butler)
I remember my first love affair
Somehow or another the whole darn thing went wrong
My mamma had some great advice
So I thought Id put it into words of this song
I can still hear her sayin it
Boy, oh, I see youre sittin out there all alone
Cryin your eyes out cos the woman that you love has gone
Oh, theres gonna be, theres gonna be a whole lot of trouble in your life
Oh, so listen to me get up off your knees cos only the strong survive
Thats what she said, only the strong survive
Only the strong survive,
Oh youve got to be strong, youd better hold on
Dont go all around with your head hung down
Well I wouldnt let that little girl
No, I wouldnt let her know that she made me feel like a clown
Theres a whole lot a girls lookin for a good man like you
Oh but youll never meet em if you give up now and say that your life is through
Yes she said: only the strong survive, only the strong survive,
Youve got to be a man, youve got to take a stand
Only the strong survive, only the strong survive,
Oh, youve got to be strong, youd better hold on
cos only the strong survive
Only the strong survive, only the strong survive,
Well, youve got to be a man, youve got to take a stand
Only the strong survive, only the strong survive

song performed by Elvis Presley
Added by Lucian Velea
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Only The Strong Survive (Take 22)

I remember my first love affair
Somehow or another the whole darn thing went wrong
My mamma had some great advice
So I thought I'd put it into words of this song
I can still hear her sayin' it
Boy, Oh, I see you're sittin' out there all alone
Cryin' your eyes out 'cos the woman that you love has gone
Oh, there's gonna be, there's gonna be a whole lot of trouble in your life
Oh, so listen to me get up off your knees 'cos only the strong survive
That's what she said, only the strong survive
Only the strong survive,
Oh you've got to be strong, you'd better hold on
Don't go all around with your head hung down
Well I wouldn't let that little girl
No, I wouldn't let her know that she made me feel like a clown
There's a whole lot a girls lookin' for a good man like you
Oh but you'll never meet 'em if you give up now and say that your life is through
Yes she said: Only the strong survive, only the strong survive,
You've got to be a man, you've got to take a stand
Only the strong survive, only the strong survive,
Oh, you've got to be strong, you'd better hold on
'Cos only the strong survive
Only the strong survive, only the strong survive,
Well, you've got to be a man, you've got to take a stand
Only the strong survive, only the strong survive

song performed by Elvis Presley
Added by Lucian Velea
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Paradise Lost: Book 02

High on a throne of royal state, which far
Outshone the wealth or Ormus and of Ind,
Or where the gorgeous East with richest hand
Showers on her kings barbaric pearl and gold,
Satan exalted sat, by merit raised
To that bad eminence; and, from despair
Thus high uplifted beyond hope, aspires
Beyond thus high, insatiate to pursue
Vain war with Heaven; and, by success untaught,
His proud imaginations thus displayed:--
"Powers and Dominions, Deities of Heaven!--
For, since no deep within her gulf can hold
Immortal vigour, though oppressed and fallen,
I give not Heaven for lost: from this descent
Celestial Virtues rising will appear
More glorious and more dread than from no fall,
And trust themselves to fear no second fate!--
Me though just right, and the fixed laws of Heaven,
Did first create your leader--next, free choice
With what besides in council or in fight
Hath been achieved of merit--yet this loss,
Thus far at least recovered, hath much more
Established in a safe, unenvied throne,
Yielded with full consent. The happier state
In Heaven, which follows dignity, might draw
Envy from each inferior; but who here
Will envy whom the highest place exposes
Foremost to stand against the Thunderer's aim
Your bulwark, and condemns to greatest share
Of endless pain? Where there is, then, no good
For which to strive, no strife can grow up there
From faction: for none sure will claim in Hell
Precedence; none whose portion is so small
Of present pain that with ambitious mind
Will covet more! With this advantage, then,
To union, and firm faith, and firm accord,
More than can be in Heaven, we now return
To claim our just inheritance of old,
Surer to prosper than prosperity
Could have assured us; and by what best way,
Whether of open war or covert guile,
We now debate. Who can advise may speak."
He ceased; and next him Moloch, sceptred king,
Stood up--the strongest and the fiercest Spirit
That fought in Heaven, now fiercer by despair.
His trust was with th' Eternal to be deemed
Equal in strength, and rather than be less
Cared not to be at all; with that care lost
Went all his fear: of God, or Hell, or worse,
He recked not, and these words thereafter spake:--

[...] Read more

poem by John Milton
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Survive

Survive
By: jimmy buffett, mike utley
1979
I play the stereo loud
When Im away from the maddening crowd
Smokin, jokin
Clowns we all are
Sometimes, kinda get real ill
When I receive my monthly telephone bill
But you say it, and Ill pay it
cause it just helps me to
Chorus:
Survive (survive), stay alive
til I see you again
Survive, stay alive
Cant say where it ends
Clouds lift and therere mountains below
Been awhile since Ive seen any snow
Its chillin, so thrillin, so good to be back
Feels nice, to be home for awhile
Lets sip champagne till we break into smiles
Well go dancin, romancin
cause youre the reason i
Chorus:
Survived (survived), stayed alive
Through the thick and the thin
Survive, stay alive
Where will it all end
But my bags aint unpacked
cause Ive got to go back and play
But I know well both
Chorus:
Survive (survive), stay alive
Through the thick and the thin
Survive, stay alive
Until it all ends
Oh well, survive (survive), stay alive
When will it all end
Survive, stay alive
Till I see you again
Notes -
Background vocals: james taylor, alex taylor, hugh taylor, deborah mccoll
Venetta fields, brenda bryant, paulette brown

song performed by Jimmy Buffett
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Leap Of Faith

There is strength deep inside me that I never knew I had
Theres a fire within burnin bright
There is a love inside of me that I never thought Id feel
Until the day you came into my life, yeah
And it was you that were there when no one else was
And you show me a love unknown, ooh
You kept the fire burnin
You kept hope alive
And when my soul was fallin
You helped me to survive
And you led the way
Encouraged me to take that leap of faith
Theres a dream that I dream, I never knew it would come true
Theres a place I never thought that I would be (ooh)
There is a chance (theres a chance) that I took (that I took)
That I never thought Id take
Until you came and helped me to believe, ohh...
You were there when no one else was
And you showed me a love unknown
You kept the fire burnin (you kept the fire burnin)
And you kept hope alive (and you kept hope alive)
And when my soul was fallin (and when my soul was fallin)
You helped me to survive (you helped me to survive)
And you led the way (ooh)
Encouraged me to take that leap of faith
(Of faith, of faith, of faith, of faith, of faith, of faith, ooh)
Leap of faith (faith)
Oh, yeah
Ohh-oh-oh...
You showed me just how
(How to believe in me) in me, ohh...
You moved that tree and tore that forest there for me
You kept the...
You kept the fire burnin (you kept it burnin)
You kept hope alive (you kept hope alive)
And when my soul was fallin (my soul was fallin)
You helped me to survive (yeah, you helped me to survive)
Ahh... (you led the way)
Encouraged me to take the leap of faith, yeah
You kept the fire burnin (whoo!)
You kept hope alive (you kept the hope alive, hey!)
And when my soul was fallin (my soul was fallin)
You helped me to survive (but you helped me to survive)
Ahh... (you led the way)
Encouraging me to take
The fire (kept it burning) hope (all my life)
My soul (someones callin) you (Ill survive)
You led (the way) encouraged me (to take)
That leap of faith and make it over
Now I owe my thanks to you, ho-ohh...

[...] Read more

song performed by R. Kelly
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Diverse Is Life Here, Is Only to Die worse?

Diverse this world looks,
Look at the green forests,
Look at the animals,
Diverse is living, world,
Only comes into life,
to Die worse!

Are men too, their diverse races,
Diverse thoughts,
Diverse nationality,
Diverse mentality,
Are this only to Die worse?

Some are selfish and ignorants,
Some are fantastic and fanatics,
Some are psychiatrists and some are their patients,
Some are physicians,
Some are with diseases,
Diverse is this world,
Only here all have to Die worse!

Some are good husbands
Some are good housewives,
Some quarrel and make worse,
And divorce,
Only to Die worse some day!
Some are sages,
Some work for wages,
Some dance and sing well on stages,
Some are teachers, some are pupils,
Diverse is this world,
All have to Die worse!

This earth is green and blue planet,
Not has any celestial danger yet,
Still men born here were half scientists,
The worked for some,
Yet nature reacted to all,
Diverse is science, only made,
Life better temporary
But truth is one has to live and die worse here,

Some are sages and buddhas,
Some are Lao Tzu and Taoist,
Some are communists, Marxist or Maoists,
Some or artists or some Are critics
Some are atheists,
Some are monoethists
Or polyethists,
Diverse is nature of men,

[...] Read more

poem by Ramdas Bhandarkar
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A Glimpse of Union

A mid-40ish couple,
walking from their back yard,
a quaint, quaint house,
trellised, treed, covered with skillfully placed green.
She a straight-laced, organic woman,
with black-framed glasses, utilitarian, not fashionable,
a sweater befitting her age,
befitting her comfort with her age,
and her husband,
even more organic than she,
bearded, capped, outdoors-man jacketed, walking up behind her,
together carrying a large, white planter to the house,
a tangle of green
sprouting high above the rim of the plastic holder.

They come more and more into view
as I walk up this gray, placid street,
the perspective of the house, shifting, to reveal their moving forms.

But they don’t seem husband and wife,
or not just husband and wife.
They appear partners,
partners in life,
partners in crime,
partners in all things gardening,
one in one,
partners in love.

poem by Marc Mannheimer
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Hudibras: Part 3 - Canto II

THE ARGUMENT

The Saints engage in fierce Contests
About their Carnal interests;
To share their sacrilegious Preys,
According to their Rates of Grace;
Their various Frenzies to reform,
When Cromwel left them in a Storm
Till, in th' Effigy of Rumps, the Rabble
Burns all their Grandees of the Cabal.

THE learned write, an insect breeze
Is but a mungrel prince of bees,
That falls before a storm on cows,
And stings the founders of his house;
From whose corrupted flesh that breed
Of vermin did at first proceed.
So e're the storm of war broke out,
Religion spawn'd a various rout
Of petulant Capricious sects,
The maggots of corrupted texts,
That first run all religion down,
And after ev'ry swarm its own.
For as the Persian Magi once
Upon their mothers got their sons,
That were incapable t' enjoy
That empire any other way;
So PRESBYTER begot the other
Upon the good old Cause, his mother,
Then bore then like the Devil's dam,
Whose son and husband are the same.
And yet no nat'ral tie of blood
Nor int'rest for the common good
Cou'd, when their profits interfer'd,
Get quarter for each other's beard.
For when they thriv'd, they never fadg'd,
But only by the ears engag'd:
Like dogs that snarl about a bone,
And play together when they've none,
As by their truest characters,
Their constant actions, plainly appears.
Rebellion now began, for lack
Of zeal and plunders to grow slack;
The Cause and covenant to lessen,
And Providence to b' out of season:
For now there was no more to purchase
O' th' King's Revenue, and the Churches,
But all divided, shar'd, and gone,
That us'd to urge the Brethren on;
Which forc'd the stubborn'st for the Cause,

[...] Read more

poem by Samuel Butler
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Passing Friend

Well theres nothing worse than a passing friend
Who will die on you till the bitter end
Theres nothing worse than a burning heart
Or a past that tears the world apart
Ive been thinking about my situation
Nothing ventured nothing left to lose
When its easier to just say nothing
I had thought about what I might lose
But through the childs eyes
There were feelings
Touching my violet skin
When the love games start appealing
You better get out and move on in
cause theres nothing worse than a passing friend
Or a pioneer of a dying trend
Nothing worse than a silent ghost
Or to lose your head at the starting post
Aint it always just a short vacation
When its love it always has an end
Under the sheets of life its just frustation
While the body goes in search again
But in the childs eyes
There were feelings
Touching my violet skin
When the love games start appealing
You better get out and move on in
cause theres nothing worse than a passing friend
Who will die on you till the bitter end
Theres nothing worse than a burning heart
Or a past that tears the world apart
Why do you love someone
Who wants to break your heart
Why do you need someone
Who wants to tear your world apart
No no not again
I was packing up my life in cases
For a hundred years or maybe more
Ive been talking to a million people
Dont you think I should have known the score
But in the childs eyes
There were feelings
Touching my violet skin
When the love games start appealing
You better get out and move on in
cause theres nothing worse than a passing friend
Who will die on you till the bitter end
Theres nothing worse than a burning heart
Or a past that tears the world apart
Nothing worse than a passing friend
Or a pioneer of a dying trend

[...] Read more

song performed by Beach Boys
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The Drugs Dont Work

All this talk of getting old
All this talk of getting old
Its getting me down my love
Its getting me down my love
Like a cat in a bag, waiting to drown
Like a cat in a bag, waiting to drown
This time Im comin down
This time Im comin down
And I hope youre thinking of me
As you lay down on your side
And I hope youre thinking of me
Now the drugs dont work
As you lay down on your side
They just make you worse
Now the drugs dont work
But I know Ill see your face again
They just make you worse
But I know Ill see your face again
Now the drugs dont work
They just make you worse
But I know Ill see your face again
Now the drugs dont work
They just make you worse
But I know Im on a losing streak
But I know Ill see your face again
cause I passed down my old street
And if you wanna show, then just let me know
And Ill sing in your ear again
But I know Im on a losing streak
cause I passed down my old street
Now the drugs dont work
And if you wanna show, then just let me know
They just make you worse
And Ill sing in your ear again
But I know Ill see your face again
cause baby, ooh, if heaven calls, Im coming, too
Now the drugs dont work
Just like you said, you leave my life, Im better off dead
They just make you worse
But I know Ill see your face again
All this talk of getting old
Its getting me down my love
Like a cat in a bag, waiting to drown
cause baby, ooh, if heaven calls, Im coming, too
This time Im comin down
Just like you said, you leave my life, Im better off dead
Now the drugs dont work
They just make you worse
All this talk of getting old
But I know Ill see your face again

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song performed by Verve
Added by Lucian Velea
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II. Half-Rome

What, you, Sir, come too? (Just the man I'd meet.)
Be ruled by me and have a care o' the crowd:
This way, while fresh folk go and get their gaze:
I'll tell you like a book and save your shins.
Fie, what a roaring day we've had! Whose fault?
Lorenzo in Lucina,—here's a church
To hold a crowd at need, accommodate
All comers from the Corso! If this crush
Make not its priests ashamed of what they show
For temple-room, don't prick them to draw purse
And down with bricks and mortar, eke us out
The beggarly transept with its bit of apse
Into a decent space for Christian ease,
Why, to-day's lucky pearl is cast to swine.
Listen and estimate the luck they've had!
(The right man, and I hold him.)

Sir, do you see,
They laid both bodies in the church, this morn
The first thing, on the chancel two steps up,
Behind the little marble balustrade;
Disposed them, Pietro the old murdered fool
To the right of the altar, and his wretched wife
On the other side. In trying to count stabs,
People supposed Violante showed the most,
Till somebody explained us that mistake;
His wounds had been dealt out indifferent where,
But she took all her stabbings in the face,
Since punished thus solely for honour's sake,
Honoris causâ, that's the proper term.
A delicacy there is, our gallants hold,
When you avenge your honour and only then,
That you disfigure the subject, fray the face,
Not just take life and end, in clownish guise.
It was Violante gave the first offence,
Got therefore the conspicuous punishment:
While Pietro, who helped merely, his mere death
Answered the purpose, so his face went free.
We fancied even, free as you please, that face
Showed itself still intolerably wronged;
Was wrinkled over with resentment yet,
Nor calm at all, as murdered faces use,
Once the worst ended: an indignant air
O' the head there was—'t is said the body turned
Round and away, rolled from Violante's side
Where they had laid it loving-husband-like.
If so, if corpses can be sensitive,
Why did not he roll right down altar-step,
Roll on through nave, roll fairly out of church,
Deprive Lorenzo of the spectacle,

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poem by Robert Browning from The Ring and the Book
Added by Veronica Serbanoiu
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