Chris Bevard says:

I played the backwards section on "Combo Platter" through my soundboard 
on the forward way and it's "Johnny Sunshine"!  It sounds like Liz with 
an acoustic by herself, playing slowly and singing the first verse to 
herself ("He took the car. . .etc.")  then she stops and is just singing 
to herself.  Then it goes into the last section of the song into the 
normal song again.  Cool, huh?  

CRATER LAKE
Once you've left a lonely rage on
It's on, and it grows
And dynamite stuffed in a mailbox
Doesn't smoke until it blows
Oh, and all the tears in four tiny years
Well look at me I'm frightening my friends
You better roll me
I've bought a map of the moon
There's a crater with my name on it
(?)
That I was getting drunk in your room
Because I wanted to throw my weight around
Oh, all the tears in four tiny years
WEll, look at me I'm frightening my friends
You'd better roll me home
You'd better roll me home

ALICE SPRINGS
See the sun rise so loud
This whole town gets drowned out
Sky writing with the sweep of a flashlight
I'm driving over that way
Some pot of gold, it's just a carpeting store on opening day
See the moon rise so slow and shallow
It burns halos in my eyes 
And it's hard to swallow
It's harder to breathe
So many (?)
Nobody here knows what to believe
They've got me underground
 
COMBO PLATTER (from Supernova 7")
(song fades in)
. . .It's probably a bad place to be 
It's probably worse than Manhattan
Looks like shit and it feels like America
Looks like shit and it feels like America
(?)
(?)
Everyone's got a Monday
Looks like shit and it feels like America
Looks like shit and it feels like America
Its nice to be liked
But it's better by far to get paid
I know that most of the friends that I have
Don't really see it that way
But if you could give em each one wish
How much do you want to bet
They'd wish success for themselves and their friends
And that would include lots of money
I would surely include lots of money
So if there are any of you little green elves
Sitting out there today
Step right up wish me old irish luck
But I also need shitloads of money
And if there are any of you dirty rich old men
Sitting up there in (?)
Step right up I'm a (?) fuck
But I'm gonna need shitloads of money
I'm gonna need shitloads of money
I have got to have shitloads of money

--------------BACKWARDS PART---------------

I'm not over my hopes 
I just walked outside I didn't know they (?)
(?)
Don't be so in love with yourself
Don't be so in love with yourself
Don't be so in love with yourself
Cause I'm not Don't you know I'm not
I said you've got a lot of nerve
Coming here after all of the times that you tried to (?) the world over 
When I was in (?)
Don't be so in love with yourself
Don't be so in love with yourself
Don't be so in love with yourself
Cause I'm not Don't you know I'm not
You've got a lot of nerve
After all it was (?)

This is as much as I have of this song.  Someone help?

Here are my lyrics for some tunes on WS and the b-side "Combo".

SHANE 
I know that it was the night the war broke out
Because you and I were driving around
You were doing a story about if people understood
What was happening to their world tonight in bed sleeping
The world tonight in bed asleep
You said that you were in touch with the draft resisters 
In case the big boys called you up
You're gonna have to let them dick you around
But don't let em make you do what you can't live with tonight
in bed with me sleeping
You looked like you were just a little kid
I should've said you gotta watch your ass
You've gotta have fear in your heart. . .

DOGS OF L.A.
The canyon air is like a breath of fresh L.A.
I was a Star Trek crew member with my Beatle boots 
And my Super 8 and I raced you to the top
(?)
And me approaching the painted shrine 
I kissed the Buddah and made him cry
I kissed the Buddah and made him cry
Georgie, I'm your friend
And the shit brown reservoir is a testament to the dogs of L.A.
Who hold the place like the mafia and say
"Run me around again."
The sawed off tree trunks stand among the moving palms
You were beaming as I focused in and I panned along
And I raced you to the top
Kicking snakes up from dusty rocks
Young (?) Pegoda plays Frankenstein
I kissed. . .etc. repeat chorus


Candice D. Weaver  writes:

Here's what I got for "Dogs of L.A."

The canyon air is like a breath of fresh L.A.
I was a Star Trek crew member with my Beatle boots and my Super-8
And I raced you to the top
The camera gets a shuttered shot of me approaching a pagan shrine
I kissed the Buddha and made him cry
Georgie, I'm your friend
And the shit-brown reservoir is a testament to the dogs of L.A.
They hold the place like the Mafia and say, run me `round again
The sight of tree trunks ...???
You were kneeling as I focused in and I panned along
And I raced you to the top, kicking snakes up from dusty rocks
Young Abe Vigoda plays Frankenstein
I kissed the Buddha and made him cry
Georgie, I'm your friend
And the shit-brown reservoir is a testament to the dogs of L.A.
They hold the place...etc.
I wanna go again.
The shit-brown reservoir...etc.

Whip-Smart

I'm gonna tell my son to grow up pretty as the grass is green and
 whip-smart as the English Channel's wide
And I'm gonna tell my son to keep his money in his mattress and his 
 watch on any hand between his thighs
And I'm gonna lock my son up in a tower 'til I write my whole life
 story on the back of his big brown eyes
When they do the double dutch, that's them dancing
I'm gonna tEll my son to join a circus so that death is ??
 and ??are just another way of life
And I'm gonna tell my son to be a prophet of mistakes because for
 every truth there are half a million lies
And I'm gonna lock my son up in a tower 'til he learns to let his
 hair down far enough to climb outside
When they do the double dutch, that's them dancing

---

Nate Ryan  writes:

It's "Abe Vigoda plays Frankestein." For those of you who aren't fans of the
seventies tv show "Barney Miller," Abe Vigoda was the old guy who played the
detective named "Fish." Pretty weird reference, huh? I'm still trying to
figure out what Liz is trying to say about Hollywood in this one. Whatever it
is, it doesn't seem too positive.

---

Larry  writes:

I was able to figure out just about all of May Queen -- I would welcome help
with my problem line.  

MAY QUEEN

Don't be fooled by him
He's fine
Rock and roll Ken doll he's a national   (?)
He's an off-and-on friend of mine

Where have I been?
Got any what?
Who have I seen?

I spy a May Queen
You were miles above me
Girls in your arms
The changing of Her Majesty's guard is truly amazing

Got any what?
Disease, hashish, a mind?
Do I have any what?

Where have I been?
Got any what?
Who have I seen?

I spied a May Queen
You were miles above me
Girls in your arms
You could've planted a farm
Alla them hayseeds....

===============================================================

I will now exercise the transcriber's privilege and interpret a little... I
think the song is about Liz and her romance with rock stardom.  Exile came
out in MAY 1993 (you could look it up as Casey Stengel used to say).  The
"hayseeds" could be the carping scenesters who resented her success.  I think
the "you" in the song is Liz.... 

The difficult second album is acquiring layers..

---

GimeaDrink@AOL.COM writes:

Anyways... here's what I THINK the words to Supernova are...
If I'm wrong you can force me to listen to Mariah Carey as punishment ;)

                            Supernova
I have looked all over the place... but you have got my favorite face
Your eyelashes sparkle like guilded grass and your lips are sweet and
slippery like a cherub's bare wet ass.

Cause you're a human supernova... a solar superman... 
You're an angel with wings of fire.... a flying giant friction blast.

You walk in clouds of glitter and the sun reflects your eyes...
and every time the wind blows I can smell you in the sky.
Your kisses are as wicked as an M-16 and you f*ck like a volcano and you're
everything to me.

Cause you're a human supernova... a solar superman... 
You're an angel with wings of fire.... a flying giant friction blast...
you're a giant flying friction blast

BTW... the basic chords for this... as far as i can figure out are
                A   E   D
           The chorus is  E    D     A

Disclaimer: All lyrics and chords in the previous letter are approximate...
the writer wiil not be held responsible for any harm caused to it's readers
;)

---

Jay Cantrell  writes:

``I'm gonna tEll my son to join a circus so that death is ??
 and ??are just another way of life''

What I hear/think?-

``I'm gonna tell my son to join a circus so- the dad feels cheated,
Dreams(Clowns?) are just another way of life.''

Here's my full copy:

WHIP-SMART

I'm gonna tell my son to grow up pretty as, the grass is green,
and whipsmart as the EnglishChannel's wide.

And, I'm gonna tell my son to keep his money in - his mattress,
and his watch on any hand between his(girls) thighs.

And I'm gonna lock(love?) my son up in a tower till,
                         I write my whole life story,
on the back of his big brown eyes(?)

When they do the double-Dutch, that's them dancing
When they do the double-Dutch, that's them dancing
When they do the double-Dutch, that's them dancing
When they do the double-Dutch, that's them dancing

I'm gonna tell my son to join a circus so- the dad feels cheated,
Dreams(Clowns?) are just another way of life.

An' I'm gonna tell my son to be a prophet of mistakes,
Because for every truth there are half a million lies.

And, I'm gonna lock my son up in a tower till,
He learns to let his hair down far enough to climb in(out?)side.

When they do the double-Dutch, that's them dancing
When they do the double-Dutch, that's them dancing
When they do the double-Dutch, that's them dancing
When they do the double-Dutch, that's them dancing

Inst.break-twice thru

When they do the double-Dutch, that's them dancing
When they do the double-Dutch, that's them dancing
When they do the double-Dutch, that's them dancing
When they do the double-Dutch, that's them dancing

(A Cappella)
When they do the double-Dutch, that's them dancing
When they do the double-Dutch, that's them dancing
When they do the double-Dutch, that's them dancing
When they do the double-Dutch, that's them dancing
(backing instruments again)
When they do the double-Dutch, that's them dancing
When they do the double-Dutch, that's them dancing
When they do the double-Dutch, that's them dancing
When they do the double-Dutch, that's them dancing
(A Cappella again)
When they do the double-Dutch, that's them dancing
Sing...Sing...Sing...sing...sing...sing...sing...sing
-------------------------------------------

CHOPSTICKS

I met him at a party, and he told me how to drive him home.
He said he liked to do it backwards;I said that's just fine with me.
That way, we can fuck and watch TV.

It was 4:00a.m. and the light was grey like it always is in paperbacks.
He asked if I liked playing jacks.
I told him that I was good to sixes, but all hell broke loose after that.

I told him that I knew JuliaRoberts when I was twelve at summer camp.
We didn't say anything after that.

I dropped him off and I drove on home, cause secretly I'm timid.
-------------------------------------------------

Message-Id: <9410031844.AA04815@thingfish.SSD.intel.com>
Subject: Liz'rics
To: andras@is.co.za
Date: Mon, 3 Oct 1994 11:44:13 -0700 (PDT)
Cc: cantrell@SSD.intel.com (Who Me)
X-Mailer: ELM [version 2.4 PL21]
Resent-Date: Tue, 4 Oct 1994 22:05:33 +0200 (GMT)
Resent-From: Andras Salamon 
Resent-To: andras@hermes.is.co.za
Resent-Message-Id: 
Content-Type: text
Content-Length: 3054
Status: R

Does .za mean that you are located in Zambia?
That should give Liz a kick, if she finds out
her homepage is hosted from Africa.
Here's some lyric stuff:

Yours-
I'm gonna tEll my son to join a circus so that death is ??
 and ??are just another way of life
What I hear/think?-
I'm gonna tell my son to join a circus so- the dad feels cheated,
Dreams(Clowns?) are just another way of life.

Here's my full copy:
                whip-smart

I'm gonna tell my son to grow up pretty as, the grass is green,
and whipsmart as the EnglishChannel's wide.

And, I'm gonna tell my son to keep his money in - his mattress,
and his watch on any hand between his(girls) thighs.

And I'm gonna lock(love?) my son up in a tower till,
                         I write my whole life story,
on the back of his big brown eyes(?)

When they do the double-Dutch, that's them dancing
When they do the double-Dutch, that's them dancing
When they do the double-Dutch, that's them dancing
When they do the double-Dutch, that's them dancing

I'm gonna tell my son to join a circus so- the dad feels cheated,
Dreams(Clowns?) are just another way of life.

An' I'm gonna tell my son to be a prophet of mistakes,
Because for every truth there are half a million lies.

And, I'm gonna lock my son up in a tower till,
He learns to let his hair down far enough to climb in(out?)side.

When they do the double-Dutch, that's them dancing
When they do the double-Dutch, that's them dancing
When they do the double-Dutch, that's them dancing
When they do the double-Dutch, that's them dancing

Inst.break-twice thru

When they do the double-Dutch, that's them dancing
When they do the double-Dutch, that's them dancing
When they do the double-Dutch, that's them dancing
When they do the double-Dutch, that's them dancing

(A Cappella)
When they do the double-Dutch, that's them dancing
When they do the double-Dutch, that's them dancing
When they do the double-Dutch, that's them dancing
When they do the double-Dutch, that's them dancing
(backing instruments again)
When they do the double-Dutch, that's them dancing
When they do the double-Dutch, that's them dancing
When they do the double-Dutch, that's them dancing
When they do the double-Dutch, that's them dancing
(A Cappella again)
When they do the double-Dutch, that's them dancing
Sing...Sing...Sing...sing...sing...sing...sing...sing
-------------------------------------------

and...

        chopsticks

I met him at a party, and he told me how to drive him home.
He said he liked to do it backwards;I said that's just fine with me.
That way, we can fuck and watch TV.

It was 4:00a.m. and the light was grey like it always is in paperbacks.
He asked if I liked playing jacks.
I told him that I was good to sixes, but all hell broke loose after that.

I told him that I knew JuliaRoberts when I was twelve at summer camp.
We didn't say anything after that.

I dropped him off and I drove on home, cause secretly I'm timid.
-------------------------------------------------

Chel Micheline  writes:

in jealousy- the song, at least- i believe the lyrics are:
He's got a million DOLLAR car
he's got a 37 year old guitar
he's got a family that DOES HEROIN 
or something to that effect-
i remember sitting in my car and thinking about those lyrics and if they
made sense- 
remember- this is what I THINk I heard and I'm just trying to fill in the
question marks....

---

vincav@aol.com writes:

Hey.

can i give my interpretation?  add a little to the layers?  i think you
should allow me because i'll suggest the missing part of larry's
transcription...

first, my suggestion for the problem line:

"he's a national end-all"  

now, my interpretation...

well, allow me to use liz's words in the Rolling Stone interview (even if you
didn't like the article, they are still her words.) for some direction:
  
"Crater Lake" illustrates when "you think [the relationship is] done, but it
isn't really done." The following song, "Alice Springs," is saying, 'I guess
it will never work'"; the subsequent song, "May Queen," "says 'Work? Who
wants it?' Like, I got over and out...

so it is about a romance, and it could be with her own rock stardom. but as a
female who's had her share of relationship problems, this song really
relates.  And what's a May Queen? it has to do with spring and flowers and
celebrations and receiving of admiration.  it's the fairest maid in the
village who gets to sit under the arbor of flowers and receive homage.  it
has to do with agricultural and fertility rituals.  

the relationship, spring, is over and now there is a beautiful may queen who
has learned and has to move on, no need to work, just to stand tall and be
pretty.

but that amounts to only one part of the song.  i don't want to over-analyze;
just saying "hey, that's a good song" is good enough for me.  but all of
these allusions only prove how great her lyrics are, that something about the
"who really cares" end of a relationship could talk about a may queen and
actually make sense.  to tell herself not to be fooled by any feelings he may
be showing because he is fine, untouched.  to make him into a plastic play
thing.  to reduce him to an "off and and on friend."  and then, after getting
caught up in her thoughts of whoever it was who just passed through her life,
to start questioning herself.  "where have i been? got any what?  who have i
seen?"  and then to answer with stating that she spies a May Queen.  wow.

but my favorite line is "the changing of her majesty's guard is truly
amazing"

---

Danielle Tropea says:

I was told that Abe Vigoda looks like Boris Karloff.
Boris Karloff played Frankenstein.
Therefore, Abe Vigoda is/looks like/plays Frankenstein.
Does that make any sense?