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music & words by Jeff Mitchell
lyrics
This is a song about a woman called Sylvia
She a mean muthah fuckah
A City Bitch
She live in West Oakland in this run down diner
She all alone now; ain't no one else there but her
Her and her man usta run the place
Then he up and die back in '68
Some say he had the virus, but she never tell
Her diner ain't done no business since the tire plant next door
shut down during the recession ten years back
And Sylvia, she don't know what to do
So she shut the place down and make herself up a home
Round and round the dirty water sucks down the drain
Has to do her chores
She feeds the cat, makes the bed
Now her loved ones all are dead and gone
And this is what makes her angry...
This is what makes her blood boil...
All the neighbors say she's quite unstable
Possibly dangerous and unable to take care of little things
Burned out bulbs and apron strings
But Sylvia, I got an idea that you ain't half as crazy
as they make you out to be
You ain't never done me no wrong, and I think I know you just
tryin to cover up all the pain you feelin behind that anger
But you gotta let it go, hon
Get over it, girl
Or else it's just gonna mess you up even more
Sylvia, I wanna know
Why don't you take some time out for a picture show
Stop, drop everything you gotta do
Why don't you stop, drop everything that's bothering you
Sylvia, I think you'll see
You can release old patterns rather easily
You know there ain't no sense in carrying round that load
'cause it'll fuck you up just like a horny toad
Sylvia, take this tip from me
I offer it with love
It may be the key for you...
But then again, maybe not.
So you'll walk the streets
Talkin shit
Scarin kids
Never noticing
That the world continues spinning
And the argument you're winning with yourself never ends
Absent friends haunt your memories
So you do all your driving
With your agitation thriving
Head goes boom
Empty room
No one home
All alone you discover
Hungry cats eating rats
Just like them you can fend for yourself
You don't need a life like this
You can will it all away
Sylvia, I wanna know
Why don't you take some time out for a picture show
Sylvia, I think you'll see
You can release old patterns rather easily
You simply let it go
Watch the falling snow
Lay down softly drift away and dream
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