runs in the family

my friend has problems with winter and autumn

they give him prescriptions

they shine bright lights on him

they say it's genetic

they say he can't help it

they say you can catch it

but sometimes you're born with it

my friend has blight

he gets shakes in the night

and they say there is no way

that they could have caught it in

time takes its toll on him

it is traditional

it is inherited predisposition

all day i've been wondering

what is inside of me

who can i blame for it?

i say

it runs in the family

this famine that carries me

to such great lengths

to open my legs

up to anyone who'll have me

it runs in the family

i come by it honestly

do what you want

'cause who knows

it might fill me up

fill me up

my friend's depressed

she's a wreck

she's a mess

they've done all sorts of tests and

they guess it has something to do

with her grandmother's grandfather's grandmother

civil war soldiers who

badly infected her

my friend has maladies

rickets

and allergies

that she dates back to the 17th century

somehow she manages

in her misery -

strips in the city

and shares all her best tricks with

me?

well

i'm well. well

i mean i'm in hell. well

i still have my health

if wellness is this

what in hell's name is sickness?

but business is business!

and business

runs in the family

we tend to bruise easily

bad in the blood

i'm telling you 'cause

i just want you to know me

know me and my family

we're wonderful folks but

don't get too close to me

'cause you might knock me up

knock me up

mary have mercy. now look what i've done

but don't blame me because

i can't help where i come from

and running is something that we've always done

well and mostly i can't even tell what i'm running from

run from their pity

from responsibility

run from the country

and run from the city

i can run from the law

i can run from myself

i can run for my life

i can run into debt

i can run from it all

i can run till i'm gone

i can run for the office

and run from the 'cause

i can run using every

last ounce of energy

i cannot

i cannot

i cannot

run from my family

they're hiding inside me

corpses on ice

come in if you'd like

but just don't tell my family

they'd never forgive me

they say that i'm crazy

but they would say anything

if it would shut me up

shut me up

shut me up

shut me up