An as-of-yet unreleased Tapeworm song. Played by A Perfect Circle during their winter 2001 tour. Thus the odd situation that a cover version of the song has been heard by the general public before the original version's release. Leave it to Maynard.

These lyrics are about as unofficial as unofficial gets; like I said, the song is unreleased. I got these by listening to the song about fifty times and doing my best to make out the lyrics. I'm pretty damn sure that these are completely accurate, but I wouldn't bet my life on it. Thanks to Ælien for his assistance.

By the way, these lyrics come from the performance in Portland, Oregon (January 31, 2001). I chose this particular version because A. this was the first recording to be released on the internet, and thus the most widely distributed; B. this is by far the most high-quality version available of the song; and C. Portland kicks ass. You can get this track at (http://www.aperfectcircle.org/multimedia/).

This next song has been just a rumor for the last two years. It's a song I did with Danny Lohner for the Tapeworm project. We spiced it up a bit.

Dead as dead can be,
the doctor tells me.
But I just can't believe him;
ever the optimistic one
long show.
Your ability to become
my perfect enemy.

Wake up
to face me.
Rise up,
show me.
Someday
I'll say you're
vacant and
maybe you're better off this way.

Leaning over you here,
cold and catatonic,
I catch a brief reflection
of what you could and might have been.
It's your light
and your ability.
My perfect enemy.

Wake up!
Why can't you face me?
Rise up,
show me.
Some day
I'll say you're
vacant and
maybe you're better off this way.
Maybe you're better off this way.
Maybe you're better off this way.
You're better off this way.
You're better off this...
You're better off this...
Maybe you're better off!

Wake up!
Why can't you face me?
C'mon and rise up
until you show me.
Someday
I'll say you're
vacant and
maybe you're better off this...
Go ahead and play dead.
I know that you can hear this.
Go ahead and play dead.
I know that you can hear me.
Why can't you turn and face me?
Why can't you turn and face me?
Why can't you turn and face me?
You fucking disappoint me.

Other performances have slight lyrical variations, but nothing very major, with one exception: at the Toronto show (March 14, 2001), the end of the song seems to go like this:

maybe you're better off this way.
Go ahead and play dead.
I know that you can hear this.
Go ahead and play dead.
Why can't you turn and face me?
I shove across the bullshit.
I shove across the bullshit.
I shove across the bullshit.
You fucking disappoint me.

However, at the Michigan show on March 29, 2001, the lyrics were again the same as in Portland. Trent Reznor (of nine inch nails and Tapeworm) commented after the Portland show that he was displeased that the song had been played before it was "fully realised"; perhaps this lyrical experimentation is indicative of the song's incomplete state.

Vacant
(Iris - Awakening - Diffusion Records)
Lyrics by Reagan Jones

Deep inside
You're the rogue
While your soul's gone hiding

Dare you say
Here your love is won

In your age
Answers come
Still you're undecided

Hurting as your body comes to play
But you keep:

Living the same way
Cheating your mind's ache
Telling yourself your life isn't empty
Seek what you want or think that you need
But this life still won't be giving

Vacant stares
Hollow spin
Get you all excited

Left unseen
The one who you've become

You're in place to find the wall
And without you knowing
There your tortured innocence has crawled
But you keep:

Living the same way
Cheating your mind's ache
Telling yourself your life isn't empty
Seek what you want or think that you need
But this life still won't be giving

Vacant is a song that epitomizes the reality of denial. Denial is a feeling, and action, that most of us are quite familiar with. We have to face denial when we face ourselves every day, with each and every emotion that we attempt to deal with.

Reagan Jones describes the vacancy in one's heart as the result of feelings of denial, of those of us who are alone, without love and without possession of another's love for us. Vacant is a song that really struck a chord with me, as it made me reconsider the state of my own love life and what I could do to change it (I'm still single). If anything, I would have to say that Vacant is a definite wake-up call to the loveless.

Va"cant (?), a. [F., fr. L. vacans, -antis, p. pr. of vacare to be empty, to be free or unoccupied, to have leisure, also vocare; akin to vacuus empty, and probably to E. void. Cf. Evacuate, Void, a.]

1.

Deprived of contents; not filled; empty; as, a vacant room.

Stuffs out his vacant garments with his form. Shak.

Being of those virtues vacant. Shak.

There is no fireside, howsoe'er defended, But has one vacant chair. Longfellow.

2.

Unengaged with business or care; unemployed; unoccupied; disengaged; free; as, vacant hours.

Religion is the interest of all; but philosophy of those . . . at leisure, and vacant from the affairs of the world. Dr. H. More.

There was not a minute of the day which he left vacant. Bp. Fell.

3.

Not filled or occupied by an incumbent, possessor, or officer; as, a vacant throne; a vacant parish.

Special dignities which vacant lie For thy best use and wearing. Shak.

4.

Empty of thought; thoughtless; not occupied with study or reflection; as, a vacant mind.

The duke had a pleasant and vacant face. Sir H. Wotton.

When on my couch I lie In vacant or in pensive mood. Wordsworth.

5. Law

Abandoned; having no heir, possessor, claimant, or occupier; as, a vacant estate.

Bouvier.

Vacant succession Law, one that is claimed by no person, or where all the heirs are unknown, or where all the known heirs to it have renounced it.

Burrill.

Syn. -- Empty; void; devoid; free; unemployed; disengaged; unincumbered; uncrowded; idle. -- Vacant, Empty. A thing is empty when there is nothing in it; as, an empty room, or an empty noddle. Vacant adds the idea of having been previously filled, or intended to be filled or occupied; as, a vacant seat at table; a vacant office; vacant hours. When we speak of a vacant look or a vacant mind, we imply the absence of the intelligence naturally to be expected there.

 

© Webster 1913.

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