HORCHATA

In December, drinking horchata In December, drinking horchata I’d look psychotic in a balaclava I’d look psychotic in a balaclava Winter’s cold is TOO much TO handle But winter’s cold is 2 much 2 handle Pincher crabs that pinch at your sandals Pincher crabs that pinch at your sandals Years go by and hearts start to harden In December, drinking horchata Those palms and firs that grew in your garden Look down your glasses at that Aranciata Are falling down and nearing the rosebeds With lips and teeth to ask how my day went The roots are shooting up through the tool shed Boots and fists to pound on the pavement Those lips and teeth that asked how my day went Are shouting up through cracks in the pavement Here comes a feeling you thought you’d forgotten Chairs to sit and sidewalks to walk on Here comes a feeling you thought you’d forgotten Chairs to sit and sidewalks to walk on You’d remember drinking horchata Oh you had it but oh no you lost it You’d still enjoy it with your foot on Masada You understood so you shouldn’t have fought it

Winter’s cold is TOO much TO handle Pincher crabs that pinch at your sandals

Here comes a feeling you thought you’d forgotten Chairs to sit and sidewalks to walk on Oh you had it but oh no you lost it Looking back you shouldn’t have fought it

WHITE SKY

An ancient business CHORUS A modern piece of glasswork Down on the corner that you walk each day in passing Sit on the park wall Ask all the right questions The elderly salesclerk won’t eye us with suspicion “Why are the horses racing taxis in the winter?” The whole, immortal corporation’s given its permission Look up at the buildings A little stairway Imagine who might live there A little piece of carpet Imagining your Wolfords in a ball upon the sink there A pair of mirrors that are facing one another You waited since lunch Out in both directions, a thousand little Julia’s It all comes at once That come together in the middle of Manhattan CHORUS You waited since lunch It all comes at once

CHORUS

Around the corner, the house that modern art built A house for modern art to keep it out the closets Of people who might own it The sins of pride and envy And on the second floor, the Richard Serra Skatepark

You waited since lunch It all comes at once HOLIDAY

Holiday, o, a holiday! I’ve got wheels, I’ve got Cutter Spray And the best one of the year And a healthy sense of worth Dozing off underneath my sheets Half of me is the gasoline While I cover both my ears But the other half’s the surf

But if I wait for a holiday Could it stop my fear? So if I wait for a holiday Could it stop my fear? To go away on a summer’s day Never seemed so clear To go away on a summer’s day Never seemed so clear

Holiday, still so far away Our republic on the beach I can’t forget just how bad it gets When I’m counting on my teeth

But if I wait for a holiday Could it stop my fear? To go away on a summer’s day Never seemed so clear

A VEGETARIAN SINCE THE INVASION SHE’D NEVER SEEN THE WORD BOMBS SHE’D NEVER SEEN THE WORD BOMBS BLOWN UP TO 96 POINT FUTURA SHE’D NEVER SEEN AN AK IN A YELLOWY DAY-GLO DISPLAY A T-SHIRT SO LOVELY IT TURNED ALL THE HISTORY BOOKS GREY CALIFORNIA ENGLISH

Wouldn’t ever gag you with a spoon, my only true love Sweet carob rice cake Never really heard you speak that way, it’s unworthy oF... She don’t care how the sweets taste Funny how that little college girl called language corrupt Fake Philly cheese steak Funny how the other private schools had no Hapa Club But she use real toothpaste

Someone took a trip before you came to ski in the Alps Cuz if that Tom’s don’t work Your father moved across the country If it just makes you worse just to sunburn his scalp Would you lose all of your faith in the good earth? Contra Costa, contra mundum, contradict what I say Living like the French Connection, but we’ll die in LA AND IF IT’S ALL A CURSE AND WE’RE JUST GETTING WORSE Blasted from a disconnected light switch BABY, PLEASE DON’T LOSE YOUR FAITH IN THE GOOD EARTH Through the condo that they’ll never finish Bounced across a Saudi satellite dish Blasted from a disconnected light switch And through your brain to California English Through the condo that they’ll never finish Bounced across a Saudi satellite dish No one sits inside a freezing flat and stays there til May And through your brain to California English Leafing through a stack of A-Z’s to surf the UK Waiting with the wind against your face and gel in your hair Shivering in little undershirts, but don’t seem to care

Blasted from a disconnected light switch Through the condo that they’ll never finish Bounced across a Saudi satellite dish And through your brain to California English TAXI CAB

Unsentimental When the taxi door was open wide, Traveling around I pretended I was horrified Sure of myself Sure of it now By the uniform and gloves outside Of the courtyard gate But you were standing there so close to me Like the future was supposed to be You’re not a victim In the aisles of the grocery But neither am I And the blocks uptown Nostalgic for garbage Desperate for time I remember Remember well I could blame it on your mother’s hair But if I’d forgotten Or the colors that your father wears Could you tell? But I know that I was never fair You were always fine In the shadow of your first attack, I was questioning and looking back You said, “Baby, we don’t speak of that” Like a real aristocrat

Compound to compound Lazy and safe Wanted to leave it Wanted to wait

RUN

Every dollar counts Honey, with you And every morning hurts And a batTERED radio We mostly work to live Until we live to work We could TRY

She said, So lead my feet away “You know Cuz all they’ll do is stay There’s nowhere else to go” And I don’t think your eyes But changing roles Have ever looked surprised It struck me that the two of us could RUN She said, Worlds away from cars “You know And all the Stars and Bars There’s nowhere LEFT to go” Where a little bit of condensation means so much But with her fund And a little bit of change is all your little fingers touch It struck me that the two of us could RUN

I said, Honey, with you “You know Is the only honest way to go There’s nowhere else to go” And I could take two But changing roles But I really couldn’t ever know It struck me that the two of us could RUN Honey, with you Honey, with you And a batTIN radio Is the only honest way to go And I could take two We could try But I really couldn’t ever know COUSINS

You found a sweater on the ocean floor They’re gonna find it if you didn’t close the door You and the smart ones sit outside of their sight In a house on a street they wouldn’t park on at night

Dad was a risk-taker His was a shoemaker You, greatest hits 2006 little list-maker, Heard codes in the melodies You heeded the call You were born with ten fingers and you’re gonna use em all

Interesting colors I discovered myself If your art life is gritty, you’ll be toasting my health If an interest in culture should be lining the wall, When your birthright is interest you could just accrue it all

Me and my cousins and You and your cousins It’s a line that’s always running

Me and my cousins and You and your cousins I can feel it coming

You could turn your back on the bitter world GIVING UP THE GUN

Your sword’s grown old and rusty CHORUS Burnt beneath the rising sun It’s locked up like a trophy I heard you play guitar Forgetting all the things it’s done Down at a seedy bar Where skinheads used to fight And though it’s been a long time You’re right back where you started from Your Tokugawa smile I see it in your eyes And your garbage style That now you’re giving up the gun Used to save the night

When I was 17 You felt the coming wave I had wrists like steel Told me we’d all be brave And I felt complete You said you wouldn’t flinch

AND now my body fades But in the years that passed Behind a brass charade Since I saw you last And I’m obsolete You haven’t moved an inch

But if the chance remained CHORUS To see those better days I’d cut the cannons down I see you shine in your way Go on, go on, go on My ears are blown to bits From all the rifle hits CHORUS But still I crave that sound

DIPLOMAT’S SON

It’s not right But it’s now or never To offer it to you would be cruel And if I wait Could I ever forgive myself? When all I want to do is use, use you

On a night When the moon glows yellow in the riptide HE WAS a DIPLOMAT’S SON With the light From the TV’s buzzing in the house IT WAS ‘81

Cuz I’m gonna cut it where I can I know, you’ll say And then I’m gonna duck out behind them I’m not doing it right If I ever had a chance it’s now then But this is how I want it But I never had the feeling I could offer that to you I can’t go back To offer it to you would be cruel To how I felt before When all I want to do is use, use you There’s—

HE WAS A DIPLOMAT’S SON That night I smoked a joint IT WAS ‘81 With my best friend We found ourselves in bed Dressed in white With my car keys hidden in the kitchen When I woke up He was gone I could sleep Wherever I lay my head HE WAS THE DIPLOMAT’S SON And the sight Of your two shoes sitting in the bathtub IT WAS ‘81 Let me know That I shouldn’t give up just yet Looking out At the ice-cold water all around me Cuz I’m gonna take it from Simon I can’t feel any traces of that other place And then I’m gonna duck out behind them If I ever had a chance it’s now then In the dark When the wind comes racing off the river But I never had the feeling I could offer that to you There’s a car All black with diplomatic plates I THINK UR A CONTRA

I had a feeling once You wanted good schools and friends with pools That you and I You’re not a contra Could tell each other everything For two months You wanted rock and roll, complete control Well, I don’t know But even with an oath With truth on our side Never pick sides When you turn away from me Never choose between two It’s not right Well I just wanted you I just wanted you I THINK UR A CONTRA You said, My revolution thoughts “Never pick sides Your little arrows of desire Never choose between two” I want to trace them to the source Well I just wanted you And the wire I just wanted you

But it’s not useful now I THINK UR A CONTRA Since we’ve both made up our minds And I think that you’ve lied You’re going to watch out for yourself Don’t call me a contra And so will I Til you’ve tried

I THINK UR A CONTRA And I think that you’ve lied Don’t call me a contra Til you’ve tried

Vampire Weekend is Ezra Koenig, Rostam Batmanglij, Christopher Tomson, and Chris Baio 2009 Vampire Weekend Music (ASCAP)/Imagem Music. MIA – “Hussel” sample in Diplomat’s Son, written by M.I.A., Switch and Diplo, Published by Imagem Music/Copyright Control/ Music by Chris Baio, Rostam Batmanglij, Ezra Koenig, and Christopher Tomson Hollertronix Music (ASCAP); Toots and the Maytals – “Pressure Drop” Interpolation - written Except tracks 5 and 10, Music by Rostam Batmanglij and Ezra Koenig by Frederick “Toots” Hibbert, Universal Music Publishing Limited. Lyrics by Ezra Koenig except tracks 1 and 9: Lyrics by Rostam Batmanglij and Ezra Koenig Cover photograph by Tod Brody, Band photograph by Chris Tomson Ezra Koenig: lead vocals; guitar on tracks 3,4,6, and 7; keyboard on track 1; piano on track 10; programming on track 8 Design by Rostam Batmanglij & Asher Sarlin Rostam Batmanglij: piano; background vocals; vocal harmonies; keyboards; harpsichord; vss-30; drum; synth; sampler programming; lead vocals on BRIDGE OF track 9; guitars on Management: Vampire Weekend is exclusively managed worldwide by Ian Montone and tracks 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 9, and 10; shakers, hand drum, snares on track 9 Monotone Management Christopher Tomson: Drums Chris Baio: Bass; background vocals on tracks 2 and 4; additional synth on track 4 A&R: Kris Chen & Imran Ahmed additional musicians: Legal representation: Nicky Stein at Clintons Mauro Refosco – Marimbas, rebolo, zabumba, shekere, shakers, auxiliary percussion on track 1 Marcus Farrar – Shekere, auxiliary percussion on track 1 Vampire Weekend thanks: Kris, Imran, Ian, Michele, Pollack & Monotone Family, Nicky, Libby Gery – vocals on track 8 Richard R, Sonya, Jon, Valerie, Onslow, Jeremy, Martin Mills & Beggars Group, Adam, Russell, Anne Donlon – vocals on tracks 1,8 Morgan, Richard A, Garth & Nick, Erik B, Smokey G, Brian Cross, Neil Heal, Big Rob, Curtis, Nat Baldwin – Double Bass on tracks 1, 5, 8 Rich D, Big T, Heddy. Jonathan Chu – violin, viola 1, 4, 5, 9 Hamilton Berry – cello on tracks 1, 4, 5, 8, 9, 10 CB thanks: Katie Doyle, Mom, Dad, Al, Gabe Bedoya, Michael Harper, Brian McCleery, Bailey Seth Rosenfeld – cello on track 8 Johnson, Thom Mills, Erik Lindman, Naomi Nevitt, Volney Friedrich, Avery McNeil, Will Jesse Novak – Additional Instrumentation on Track 8 McLaren, Tom Johnson, Erin Saltman, Jim McCormick, Seth Flaxman, Ashley Cleek, Dan Gu, Jeff Curtin – hand drums on tracks 8, 10, shakers on track 10 David Honick, Jordan Corbin-Wentworth, Marianna Rosett, Geoff Larson, everyone else. Shane Stoneback – shaker on track 10 RB thanks: Maman, Baba, Zal, Tim, Jenny, Bobby, Jeff, Miho, Sam, Joe, Libby, Josh, Asher, the All tracks produced by Rostam Batmanglij Weisgalls, Wes, Eskandar, Leila, David, Ed, Victoria, Jane, Craig, Ramesh, Angel, David Kahne String Arrangements by Rostam Batmanglij for encouragement and Bradley Nowell stories, Patrick Dillett for grave detail on predelay, All tracks mixed by Rostam Batmanglij and Justin Gerrish except track 2, 99.1 HFS, special thanks to Emily Lazar and Joe Laporta. mixed by Rostam Batmanglij, mixing assistant Shane Stoneback Engineered by Rostam Batmanglij, Shane Stoneback and Justin Gerrish, EK thanks: Sara, Daya, Dana, Noodles, my family, everyone who advised and sympathized: assisted by Fernando Lodeiro Andrei, Wes, Lexy, the Macklovitch bros, the Longstreth bros, Toy, Daniel, Jason, Moon Ska except track 7 engineered by Rostam Batmanglij and Tito Fuentes, assisted by Melchor M Records, my cousin Leo, suburban punks everywhere. recorded at Treefort Studios in DUMBO, Brooklyn; Topetitud in Mexico City, Mexico; Avatar CT thanks: Scooter, Mom, Dr. Brett N. Tomson, Grandma and all the Neumans. Matt “Buddy Studios NYC in Manhattan; Hicks and Joralemon in Brooklyn Herms” Herman, the Mencias, Brian and Nicole, Thom, Tim, Megan K and everyone else who’s All tracks mastered by Emily Lazar at The Lodge, Assistant Mastering Engineer Joe LaPorta 7/09 displayed admirable patience with me. p 2010 Vampire Weekend under exclusive license to XL Recordings Ltd. c 2010 Vampire Weekend under exclusive license to XL Recordings Ltd.