DIRTY

also appears on:

• Sonic Life 7" (weird demo)
• Dirty deluxe reissue 2CD/4LP

Line-up:
Thurston - guitar
Kim - bass
Lee - guitar/vocals
Steve - drums

Lyrics   status: confirmed

I see your wishes on the wall
And that's alright with me
I see you run to make a call
Hoping that there's someone free
Your life and my life, they don't touch at all
And that's no way to be
You've never seemed so far

What's real? What's true?
I ain't turning my back on you
Where you going? Where you been?
Making wishes, watching dreams?
It might be simple, it might be true
I might be overwhelmed by you
You might be empty
The way your eyes just look right through
It's such a mess now anyway
Wish fulfillment every day
I don't believe you
Now I can't hear a word you say

I see you shaking in the light
Reading the headline news
The others, they're not quite so bright
You want them to choose you
I could almost see your face tonight
Singin' simple rhythm and blues
You'll always be a star

Shake it baby! C'mon, scream!
Did I see your face in a magazine?
Your doubt, it leaves me sore
I can't stand it anymore
It's my favorite shot of you
You looked so pretty, your eyes were true
I'm still on your side in spite of everything you do
We're only blood on light on life
New pretty pictures every night
Come wish beside me
Don't you know you know what's right?

NOTES:

• Only played live once by Sonic Youth, though sometimes played solo by Lee (such as 9/5/00).
• "Little Jammy Thing" from the Sonic Life 7"/CD appears to be an instrumental demo of Lee's guitar part set to a loud beatbox.
• The 2003 deluxe reissue of DIRTY contains no fewer than 4 versions of this song. In addition to the LP version and 'Little Jammy Thing', a Lee solo version (w/ "synth-birds dubbed in courtesy of Dead C gtrist Michael Morley") and a full-band early turbo-charged instrumental demo titled 'Guido' are included (Guido Chiesa being the author of 'Sonic Life', the first bio of Sonic Youth, which came with a CD containing 'Little Jammy Thing').

ALTERNATE VERSIONS:

• "Little Jammy Thing"

• "Guido" - 3'50"

• "Wish Fulfillment" (demo -- last track on DIRTY deluxe reissue) 3'50"

  Early lyrics on this version: "I doubt it, but that's the score / We can't find it anymore"