The Digital Desolation Row

Story of an Artist

Daniel Johnston – Story of an Artist

Listen up and I’ll tell a story
About an artist growing old
Some would try for fame and glory
Others aren’t so bold

Everyone, and friends and family
Saying, “Hey! Get a job!”
“Why do you only do that only?
Why are you so odd?
We don’t really like what you do.
We don’t think anyone ever will.
It’s a problem that you have,
And this problem’s made you ill.”

Listen up and I’ll tell a story
About an artist growing old
Some would try for fame and glory
Others aren’t so bold

The artist walks alone
Someone says behind his back,
“He’s got his gall to call himself that!
He doesn’t even know where he’s at!”
The artist walks among the flowers
Appreciating the sun
He does this all his waking hours
But is it really so wrong?

They sit in front of their TV
Saying, “Hey! This is fun!”
And they laugh at the artist
Saying, “He doesn’t know how to have fun.”
The best things in life are truly free
Singing birds and laughing bees
“You’ve got me wrong”, says he.
“The sun don’t shine in your TV”

Listen up and I’ll tell a story
About an artist growing old
Some would try for fame and glory
Others aren’t so bold

Everyone, and friends and family
Saying, “Hey! Get a job!”
“Why do you only do that only?
Why are you so odd?
We don’t really like what you do.
We don’t think anyone ever will.
It’s a problem that you have,
And this problem’s made you ill.”

Listen up and I’ll tell a story
About an artist growing old.
Some would try for fame and glory
Others just like to watch the world.

True Blue

Bright Eyes – True Blue

I am a blueblood I will admit that
I dance in blue shoes and wear a blue hat
Live in a blue house on a blue street
In a blue town by a blue creek
I write my blue songs with my blue pen
I sing the blue notes to my blue friends
Now I don’t know that much about you
But I like you because you are true blue

I had a blue dream about a blue star
In it I drove there in a blue car
And when I got there I met a blue dog
With a blue tongue, we had real fun
We bounced a blue ball, it broke a blue glass
We banged on blue drums and called it bluegrass
I guess the thing I’m trying to tell you
Is that it is best, kid, if you’re true blue

Once I had gangrene, I had it real bad
And so the Doc came with his black bag
I said “You know doc, I don’t feel well
If you had a blue bag I think I’d get well”
So he came right back with a blue sack
He said “Will this do?” I said, “Why not? Yeah”
That is how I am here today to tell you
That it is best, man, to be true blue 

Out on the blue sea I sailed a blue ship
I had a first mate that always had blue lips
His name was Bluebeard, he had a weird twitch
We flew a blue flag up on a big stick
And we ate bluegill and we ate blue chips
Oh, I felt real blue eating that blue fish
Because there ain’t much that I won’t do
Unless it keeps me from being true blue

Once in a blue moon there is a blue sky
I wear blue jeans and fly my blue kite
It hangs like a bluebird until the wind dies
And then the tears pour out of my blue eyes
If it is your birthday we’ll bake a blue cake
And then we’ll eat it off my blue plates
Because, kid, I don’t know much about you
But I like you because you’re true blue

Cherries & Cows

Daniel Johnston – Go

(A homemade video here. )

So you think you’ve found the one
And she knows just how you feel
And you say that she’s for real and she’s fun

Oh, yes you will, you found it
Oh, yes you did, you found it
Oh, yes you did, you found it.