February by Tao Lin Lyrics
At the bank I felt like I was in Super Mario World. I pointed at things that made me feel that way and I pointed at the ceiling and we went to a furniture store. We sat there. And we went to a bookstore.
You said you wanted to read ‘Against Love.’ I said Lorrie Moore had a character with a like-life instead of a love-life and you said that was good. ‘Lorrie Moore is good,’ I said.
A little girl ran by with about fifteen books and you said she was a genius.
We read a children’s book that told children to eat hot dogs. And we hid it. And you pointed at Infinite Jest. I said my girlfriend read it and you got quiet. You were quiet and asked why I didn’t live with my girlfriend. ‘I don’t have a girlfriend,’ I said. ‘You just said you did,’ you said. I said I meant ex-girlfriend and a Barnes and Noble person stood above us.
The Barnes and Noble lady wore a kimono. She freaked out and gave a lecture about where to sit and we paid attention and she ran away. I looked at your face. I said something and you laughed.
You snorted when you laughed and I said that you snorted. You were louder and happier than before. I slapped you a little. I said I was wearing kimonos to work from now on. I brought you the punk planet with my story in it.
‘Is it real?’ you said. ‘You said everything you write is real.’
I said I didn’t know and I said maybe. ‘Just read it,’ I said. ‘Just read it later,’ I said.
You read it and I looked at the side of your face. The story had my ex-girlfriend and a guitar and you asked me if I played guitar. I said, ‘I don’t know.’ I said I played drums. You said you were twenty-six and made minimum wage at Barnes and Noble and wore kimonos to work. And we used escalators to get to the first floor.
And we made it. I said I was going to pants you. And when we got outside it was nighttime.
You said you wanted to read ‘Against Love.’ I said Lorrie Moore had a character with a like-life instead of a love-life and you said that was good. ‘Lorrie Moore is good,’ I said.
A little girl ran by with about fifteen books and you said she was a genius.
We read a children’s book that told children to eat hot dogs. And we hid it. And you pointed at Infinite Jest. I said my girlfriend read it and you got quiet. You were quiet and asked why I didn’t live with my girlfriend. ‘I don’t have a girlfriend,’ I said. ‘You just said you did,’ you said. I said I meant ex-girlfriend and a Barnes and Noble person stood above us.
The Barnes and Noble lady wore a kimono. She freaked out and gave a lecture about where to sit and we paid attention and she ran away. I looked at your face. I said something and you laughed.
You snorted when you laughed and I said that you snorted. You were louder and happier than before. I slapped you a little. I said I was wearing kimonos to work from now on. I brought you the punk planet with my story in it.
‘Is it real?’ you said. ‘You said everything you write is real.’
I said I didn’t know and I said maybe. ‘Just read it,’ I said. ‘Just read it later,’ I said.
You read it and I looked at the side of your face. The story had my ex-girlfriend and a guitar and you asked me if I played guitar. I said, ‘I don’t know.’ I said I played drums. You said you were twenty-six and made minimum wage at Barnes and Noble and wore kimonos to work. And we used escalators to get to the first floor.
And we made it. I said I was going to pants you. And when we got outside it was nighttime.