LYRICS

HAPPY 

MOTHER'S 

DAY

She was a girl I knew
She looked a lot like you
I knew her way back when
Cause we were younger then than now....
I don't recognize your face or that look
the look of sadness in your eyes when you say:

Happy Mother's Day
Merry Christmas
Happy Birthday 
I wish you all the best 
And I thank you for these memories.

He was a guy I knew
Looked like my brother too
I never tried to phone
Now all that's left is bones...
and I ... I don't recognize your face or that look
the look of sadness in your eyes when you say:

Happy Mother's Day
Merry Christmas
Happy Birthday 
I wish you all the best 
And I thank you for these memories.
But I forgot the rest of your names anyway.....
Happy Mother's Day
Happy Mother's Day


Everyday I sit
I don't remember shit
They say that's why I'm here
They covered all the mirrors....
and I ...I don't recognize your face or that look 
that look of sadness in your eyes when you say:

Happy Mother's Day
Merry Christmas
Happy Birthday 
I wish you all the best 
And I thank you for these memories.
But I forgot your names anyway.....

Dennis Mills/The Judys

Some context for the song: 
My mother died two years ago, after living with dementia/Alzheimer's for 9 years.  
She was followed the next year by my eldest brother, who had vascular dementia, 
the result of many small strokes.  
Strange, but he died on exactly the same day as my mother.
Even stranger, is that I don't even remember the exact day, (although I know it is the end of July.)

The perspective in the song is of me in the future trying to remember who these people are that come to visit me.  I see my family members who went before.   I imagine myself looking perhaps at my sister, and seeing my mother.  

I imagine myself looking at friends or brothers, and having a vague memory of my older brother, who may have looked a bit like them.  He looked a bit like me.
I
 imagine myself sitting in a room, just waiting for someone to come and say hello.
I imagine these visitors saying Happy Mother's Day, like we would say to my dear mother, or Merry Christmas or Happy Birthday, which are the times people most likely visit. 

The song is intensely personal.  It is fueled with great regret, shame, anger, and sadness. Many friends have told me it makes them cry.  It makes me cry, too.
   

Town Called Hell

The Judys

I’m not a church going man

But I try to understand

All the anger in my town

From all the bad shit going down

Daddy locked up all his guns

But son, he finally found the key

And mowed those people down

And dug a hole in history

We stole their children in the night

And we know that wasn’t right

We took their language and their land

and sold them beads made in Japan

The President he promised hope

But we’re all still smoking dope

Waiting for the latest Pope

To wash our mouths out with some soap

And then I get down on my knees

And I look up at the sky

Is that rain that’s falling down

Or is there something in my eye?

Black rain coming down

Like a river from the sky

and the ground opened up

And swallowed me inside

Down, down, down

in a deep dark well

The Devil says Hi

Welcome to Hell!

Oh so glad you could come

The weather’s wonderful

Oh its a little hotter than Miami

So give us H ‘cause it’s hot

Give me E for a spell

Give me double L -L

That’s how we spell HELL

Give a man a gun

Then he give it to his son

Make a man a bomb

Blow us all to Kingdom come

Make a man a God

Nail him to the sky

Get down on your knees

‘Cause we’re all going to die.

There is only one thing that is guaranteed.

Dennis Mills/The Judys

Genda Blenda

She’s a boy

He’s a girl

And They want to change the world

Doesn’t matter what They are

‘Cause Everybody is a Star

Use your inside voice

It’s just an uptight world

Doctor said Don’t Worry Mom

Cause It’s a boy...no It’s a girl

She’s a boy

He’s a girl

And They want to change the world

Doesn’t matter what They are

‘Cause Everybody is a Star

It’s a tough crowd tonight

We’re playing chicken in the bar

You brought that damn feather boa baby

and all I got is this guitar.

She’s a boy

He’s a girl

And They want to change the world

Doesn’t matter what They are

‘Cause Everybody is a Star

Found a hidden map

Buried in your lap

All roads lead to scars

Schoolyards, and Smokey bars

She’s a boy

He’s a girl

And They want to change the world

Dennis Mills