Existential Hymns

Works by Tyler Burba

 Lyrics

So Much More

There’s so many things
I didn’t know before
but now I know
what I don’t know
is so much more

Lived out of the wake
of every door I closed
compelled by night
to drift toward light
and never moor

Never moor
Never moor
Never moor
Never ever moor

Shedding my youth
the urge to scream my scorn
when wisdom comes
I will be dumb
life’s pointless grunt

Can’t leave a trace where it’s
worked and worn
where it’s plain
it’d be all the same
if I’s never born

Oh fading sun
make me numb
take me oṃ
maṇi padme home
I just regret
that I haven’t found it yet
My ears will sing
and they will sing the love of
falling


Never born
Never born
Never born
Never ever
Never born
Never born
Never born
and never ever
mourn


All I Think Is You


It’s tangled up my mind
and burnt up all my signs
gave up my thoughts of truth
now all I think is you

A goblet in my hand
stutter “I’m your man”
no water seems to soothe
when all I drink is you

When did it become?
Where did it come from?
falling out of
outer space

Mine eye that wont let be
what brings its ecstasy
blind nature holds its hue
but all I see is you

When did it become?
Where did it come from?
Falling out of
outer space

Who will I become?
The father or the son?
I ain’t nothing new
when all I am is you


Bastard Sun


Morning went its way
but brought no day
fires made
fell and fade
as your eyes
bony
brightness found a shade
and then escaped

Bastard sun
your father’s left and gone
yet he bade you
shine on everyone

Floating out to space
we leave no trace
body breaks
bones escape
it’s only me
silent
screaming out the word
and it is good

Bastard sun
your father’s left and gone
yet he bade you
shine on everyone

‘Cept Love


Too Many roads for this wheel to bear
too many ditches
too many springs in the pick-up truck
for these worn-out britches

All this love
save it for later
screw the dove and
feed the alligator
ain’t nothing wrong with love
‘cept love
ain’t nothing wrong
‘cept love

Sat on my mat and said
goodbye to all that
drank my gin and rummy
let down my hair at the
drop of a hat
wrapped in your love like a mummy

All this love
save it for later
screw the dove and
feed the alligator
ain’t nothing wrong with love
‘cept love
ain’t nothing wrong
‘cept love

Verses un-tied
and looks run amok
shoes still unrhymed
to an odd-hustled buck
got me still chanting woes
for these unworthy hos
but I don't mind
no, I don't mind

All this love
save it for later
screw the dove and
feed the alligator
ain’t nothing wrong with love
‘cept love
ain’t nothing wrong
‘cept love
ain’t nothing wrong
‘cept love


Laughing At The Past

I fell into a rage
at the light beam’s dance of dust
I built myself a robin
but its red breast turned to rust

What’s the sense in wondering
when nothing ever happens ‘til it does?
Laughing at the past,
while the future laughs at us

What have I to thank
for this unrelenting birth
and its constantly revealing
what I do best is makes things worse?

First chill then sudden stupor
of the present’s timely thrust
breaking with the past
while the future breaks with us.

Dissolved state
wake
dreaming
the pain body
same fears
nature’s soul throbbing
old waif
wailing the
corybanter
still raging
tearing his grays

fall out and point the way
where somebody waits for me
so somebody wait for me.
aye I
set course for Beulah’s wake
where somebody waits for me
so somebody wait for me
counting down daze
come grace their bated gaze
where somebody waits for me
so somebody wait for me
somebody wait for me


Aye, I melt into grace
in the siren’s wax-filled rut
and it mellowed like a bellow
all the yellow in my gut

The end of echo’s wandering
where light waits blanketed by dust
longing for the past
while the future longs for us

Death’s Gonna Marry You and Me

Ain’t it hurt, ain’t it hard
when it’s plain to see
that what should be
cannot be
hold each other in the night
so master can’t see
death’s gonna marry you and me

Though I scratch and I search
I can’t find a way
the only way
is Judgment Day
if we wake up into light
or no longer see
death’s gonna marry you and me

Weep our vows on the grateful day
a long black pick dig our wedding bed
drink our toast from a farm boy’s cup
fall through the trees and never come up

It erased my life
when dusk touched your face
the blazing breast
of the human race
saw the shadow in your eye
of the hangman’s tree
death’s gonna marry you and me

Weep our vows on the grateful day
a long black pick dig our wedding bed
drink our toast from a farm boy’s cup
fall through the trees and never come up

Some are born to sweet delight
but we were born to endless night
feel the horror in your mouth
whisper somber sweet
death’s gonna marry you and me
death’s gonna marry
you and me

Born Sick and Commanded Well

I’m foldin’ in
movin’ on again
I don’t think I can make it.

Another friend
shuffled off and then
I don’t think I can take it.

Don’t know why
I compromised
to living in this hell
born sick and commanded well

Every dawn
taunts “it wont be long”
but I don’t think I can make it

Another sin
comes floodin’ in
and I don’t think I can take it

What to do
when life lives you
with a hunger you can’t quell
born sick and commanded well

Yeah, you’ll crawl
til you fall
and you’ll cry
yourself dry
and all the while
he’ll watch with
crossed-armed indifference
all the while

No son
no god besides me
will die for what I’ve done
No one besides me
can cross that river Jordan

Cause he calls all through Thanatos
equals all through Thanatos
take that doubt inside
and shout it from on high
You only lose
false consolation

World’s gonna spin
shake me off its skin
and I don’t think I can make it

Fallen ill
say they got the pill
I don’t think I can take it
I don’t think I can take it
I don’t think I can take it
I don’t think I can take it

It’s only truth
that hurts and soothes
clanging like a knell
born sick and commanded well

Body Electric

I’m gonna sing
my body electric
way out off of the grid
and I’m gonna move
way out in the country
just like my mamma did
she couldn’t take her heart
you know it was bound to break
I’m gonna sing my body electric
and keep this heart well-hid

You never know
what’s gonna get you
the outside or inside first
so I’ll tilt the cup
and drink to the bottom
still feel I’m dying of thirst
how can I break with fate
a fate that just won’t wait?
I’m gonna sing my body electric
and treat it like its worth

Out in the willows
weeping alone
the bones in the hills
gonna welcome me home
out in the forest
tall black and lack
I know my momma
gonna welcome me back

Lay your sorrows down
Lay them in the ground
Lay your sorrows
Out in the willows
weeping alone
the bones in the hills
gonna welcome me home
out in the forest
tall black and lack
I know my momma
gonna welcome me back

I’ve blurted out
too many true feelings
to show my face around
but I’ve wasted years
on cowardly comrades
who just want to calm me down
those that quell their blame
by blowing out your name
I’m gonna sing my body electric
and wake up what’s gone tame


I Don’t Feel a Thing

She threw back her vows
she threw back the ring
and I sure wish that I could
cry, cry, cry
but I don’t feel a thing

She wants me to hurt
she wants it to sting
and I sure wish that I could
lie, lie, lie
but I don’t feel a thing

I could save our dreams
I could save our love
I could flail and scream
but I don’t give a fuck

I can’t hardly move
inside of this drink
and I sure wish that I could
try, try, try
but I don’t feel a thing

I could save our dreams
I could save our love
I could flail and scream
but I don’t give a fuck

She wanted a song
but I just couldn’t sing
and I sure wish that I knew
why, why, why
but I don’t feel a thing


Oh Yeah I

Well
each day I wake with a belly sour
anchored by a dour power
but still I shake my soul to wake and
cast towards dawn my heart to break

Oh yeah I
think I’m falling down
oh yeah I
think I’m losing ground
oh but I’m
gonna fly
oh yeah I
if love don’t hold me down
oh yeah I’m
letting go of
forging an immortal name
for children to recite in vain

I should sever all these ropes
that are keeping all I want as hopes
but I just stare out to the west
and pray for days that’ll blaze the rest


Oh yeah I
think I’m falling down
oh yeah I
think I’m losing ground
oh but I’m
gonna fly
oh yeah I
if love don’t hold me down
oh yeah I’m
letting go of
forging an immortal name
for children to recite in pain
and paying all my worldly debts
they ain’t seen the half of yet

Somebody’s Daddy Now

Here you call me up
out of your blue
and you act like I
did some evil to you
wake me up
to make amends
how could I
turn my back on my friends?
Well, I ain’t got the time
for this piece of your mind
and I won’t repent
for the reasons you vent
I won’t return to a time
when all my buddies
was the drinkin’ kind
so, let me lay to rest
all your whys and your hows
I’m somebody’s daddy now

Take away the drink
and what we got left?
a friendship forged on shared regret
and though a part of me aches
to shun your slippery face
they tell me ain’t no safer way
can’t you see why that
part of me died?
How I burden the urn (yearn) for the
bridges I burned
a true friend’d be humble and proud
instead of blowing your smoke
into my pink cloud
so let me lay to rest
all your whys and your hows
I’m somebody’s daddy now

Somebody’s daddy now
that’s why you don’t
see me boozin’ around
I’m somebody’s daddy now
that's why I packed up moved
to the good side of town
let me lay to rest
all your whys and your hows
I’m somebody’s daddy now

Teach You to Break A Heart

I fall
I flail
clench fists of rust
and lose the world
that won my trust
praying for someone
to pick me up
and learn me to hurt again

O dream
erase
love’s carrion
pave way the
unexpected one
fumbling through darkness
we’ll find a sun
to burn up the greed of me

But O solemn wonder
for all that longs to be
time floating under
the drive that longs to cease

O solemn wonder
for all that longs to be
time floating under
the drive that longs to cease

The look
upon
your face it was
a smile
that turned
the day to dust
how plainly uncanny
the power of lust
to teach you to break a heart
teach you to break a heart


Ugly

First year
suspended here
hearts above our heads
gather near
the rain and tears
making rainbows in our bed
the city makes you feel that life
is easier single file
and everyone looks ugly
when you’ve known them for awhile

We sunk
the world, kerplunk
buried fossils in our clothes
peeling out the boggy doubt
where nothing ever grows
I just want to testify
the freedom of an empty mile
where everyone looks lovely
when you’ve known them for awhile.

As it flows
Aalborg eyes
set my sails
upon your sighs
ghosts, they ride
my slow demise
as it flows
azure eyes

Someone’s in the pasture, Lina
someone’s got our calf and gone.
making for the gun,
aiming at the sun,
alms (arms) to the god of fun