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Desert Island Questionnaire Lyrics
Say that you were stranded on a desert island
What books you gonna bring what friends would tag along
Say you had a month and you knew you were dying
How would you spend your time
What goodbyes would take too long
You don't like this game and you take exception
Who wants all this trouble even hypothetical
With the charging sky above
And the ground below that could swallow everyone
Staring at your phone at another party
Spend a lot on clothes got a lot of skin to show
People in the pool like the drowning army
Smoke along the moats and the hotel lobby glows
Wish that you can dance but you've got no partner
Keep tapping on your glass because you want to make a toast
To the ennui of our times
To the selfishness in everyone you know
Made a lot of friends but they can't be trusted
Don't know what their angle is
Post up at the bar and I'm double fisted
Talking to a mannequin
I don't know what it means when he takes my pulse
And says that I'm a lot like him
I say that's fair enough that's why I'm trying to loosen up
Every lunatic must be well intentioned
Sets himself apart he's an instrument of god
Took her from the playground to the farmhouse cellar
Kissed her while he killed her like a good Samaritan
They finally found her body many Autumns after
Interviewed her mother who said she'd now be 21
And although we lost her young
I know the good lord has a plan for all of us
Mormons at the door they are clean and handsome
Always have a good sales pitch
Your little sisters swears that she can take my order
But I can't take her serious
Need something to bring
For this human nature is not what this condition is
I'm so bored with my life but I'm still afraid to die
Everyone's asleep in this burning building
And I can't wake them up in time
You go on ahead I'll be right behind you
We're headed to the finish line
I can't get closure until this is over
Pretend that you were stranded on a desert island
What would be the message that you'd spell out for the plane
Say the engine failed when that plane was flying
If you were the pilot would you curse or would you pray
No one's gonna cry at this John Doe funeral
Not a lot to say did it even have a name
Light a candle just in case he was someone's friend
Throw some flowers on the grave
What books you gonna bring what friends would tag along
Say you had a month and you knew you were dying
How would you spend your time
What goodbyes would take too long
You don't like this game and you take exception
Who wants all this trouble even hypothetical
With the charging sky above
And the ground below that could swallow everyone
Spend a lot on clothes got a lot of skin to show
People in the pool like the drowning army
Smoke along the moats and the hotel lobby glows
Wish that you can dance but you've got no partner
Keep tapping on your glass because you want to make a toast
To the ennui of our times
To the selfishness in everyone you know
Made a lot of friends but they can't be trusted
Don't know what their angle is
Post up at the bar and I'm double fisted
Talking to a mannequin
I don't know what it means when he takes my pulse
And says that I'm a lot like him
I say that's fair enough that's why I'm trying to loosen up
Sets himself apart he's an instrument of god
Took her from the playground to the farmhouse cellar
Kissed her while he killed her like a good Samaritan
They finally found her body many Autumns after
Interviewed her mother who said she'd now be 21
And although we lost her young
I know the good lord has a plan for all of us
Always have a good sales pitch
Your little sisters swears that she can take my order
But I can't take her serious
Need something to bring
For this human nature is not what this condition is
I'm so bored with my life but I'm still afraid to die
Everyone's asleep in this burning building
And I can't wake them up in time
You go on ahead I'll be right behind you
We're headed to the finish line
I can't get closure until this is over
What would be the message that you'd spell out for the plane
Say the engine failed when that plane was flying
If you were the pilot would you curse or would you pray
No one's gonna cry at this John Doe funeral
Not a lot to say did it even have a name
Light a candle just in case he was someone's friend
Throw some flowers on the grave
Song Info
Submitted by
thusitwas On May 14, 2014
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One of Conor Oberst's best string of thoughts.
Brilliant song. I feel like it needs another verse to properly conclude though.
the lyrics posted above are wrong. here are the correct lyrics, per the album liner notes.
Say that you were stranded on a desert island What books you going to bring what friends would tag along? Say you had a month you knew you were dying How’d you spend your time what goodbyes would take too long? You don’t like this game and you take exception Who wants all this trouble even hypothetical? With the charging sky above And the ground below that could swallow everyone
Staring at your phone at another party Spent a lot on clothes got a lot of skin to show People in the pool like a drowning army The smoke alarm emotes and the hotel lobby glows Wish that you could dance but you got no partner Keep tapping on your glass ‘cause you want to make a toast To the ennui of our times To the selfishness in everyone you know
Made a lot of friends but they can’t be trusted don’t know what their angle is Post up at the bar and I’m double fisting talking to a mannequin Don’t know what he means when he takes my pulse and says that I’m a lot like him I say, “That’s fair enough, that’s why I’m trying to loosen up”
Every lunatic must be well-intentioned Sets himself apart he’s an instrument of God Took her from the playground to the farmhouse cellar Kissed while he killed her like a good Samaritan
Finally found her body many autumns after Interviewed her mother said she’d now be twenty-one And although we lost her young I know the Good Lord has a plan for all of us
Mormons at the door they look clean and handsome always have a good sales pitch Your little sister swears she can paint my aura but I can’t take her serious Need something to blame for this human nature is that what this condition is? I’m so bored with my life, but I’m still afraid to die
Everyone’s asleep in this burning building and I can’t wake them up in time You go on ahead I’ll be right behind you we’re headed to the finish line I can’t get closer till this is over
Pretend that you were stranded on a desert island What would be the message that you’d spell out for the plane? Say the engine failed when that plane was flying If you were the pilot would you curse or would you pray? No one’s gonna cry at this John Doe funeral Not a lot to say didn’t even have a name Light a candle just in case he was someone’s friend Throw some flowers on the grave