Can you treat it like an oil well
When it's underground, out of sight?
And if the sight is just a whore sign
Can it make enough sense to me?

Pretend the table is a trust knot,
We'll put our labels down, faith is down
I'll watch the yarn of twine unravel
And you'll never get it back

It's what I want (it's what I want)
It's what I want (twine comes down)
It's what I want, it's what I want
Don't you know, I could make you try
Make you try, make you try, make you try

I've been crowned the King of Id
And Id is all we have, so wait
To hear my words and they're diamond-sharp
I could open it up
And it's up and down

Ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh, ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh
Ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh, ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh
Ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh, ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh
Ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh, ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh

It's what I want (it's what I want)
I see you beg like a little dog (ball and twine)
Don't you know that it's what I want? (It's what I want)
I'll see you beg, and it makes you dry
Make me dry, make me dry, make me dry

I've been down, the King of Ids
Id's all we have, I've been down
And I could wait to hear the words
They're diamond-sharp today

Ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh, ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh
Ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh, ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh
Ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh, ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh
Ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh, ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh


Lyrics submitted by summerbabe, edited by Jate

In The Mouth A Desert Lyrics as written by Stephen Joseph Malkmus Scott Kannberg

Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd., Hipgnosis Songs Group

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In the Mouth a Desert song meanings
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25 Comments

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  • +1
    General Comment

    I think he's talking about trust being broken between two people. The other person is trying to get his trust back, but he's still deciding. He has total control over where the relationship goes (they are begging). However, he isn't inclined to fix anything ("It's what I want").

    freakishordeon August 24, 2006   Link

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