Smile

By Chris Devine

Honolulu, 1996 or so. John was always a pain because he insisted it was all in my head. He admitted later that was a lie, but he got this song for his trouble. It's meant to be ironic.

You can cry to heaven, if you think you'll get an answer,
But the silence and the noise are falling ever faster.
Hold your own hand, dance with the panther,
Bare your teeth in anger, flirt with disaster,

And smile at me.

It's too dangerous in this half-life for you to wander,
Too many doubts to harbor, hopes to squander.
Take the decisions made for another,
Make them yourself but take time to wonder,

And smile at me.

But don't talk to me, it's not your voice I want to hear.
Don't stand so close, I don't want you near.
Laugh at me lightly, laugh at my fear,
Pretend that in silence it all disappears,

And just smile at me,
Just smile at me,
Smile at me.

And just smile at me,
Just smile at me,
Just smile at me.