She walks alone down a sleazy backstreet
Around a corner, up an alley to a dead end
There under a small blue light
She enters an unmarked doorway
(A low heartbeat, a low pounding escapes into the night)
This is a place she goes to fulfill a very basic need
Something people have been doing since the dawn of man
To communicate without talking
If she needs something
She makes a gesture with her hand
And mouths what she wants
She wants to make a connection
A certain kind of connection
No this is not about something from the black market
This is about no questions
This is about smoke and sweat and beats
This is about no message
CHORUS:
Take your partner by the hand
He's a woman, she's a man
What's so hard to understand
Take your partner by the hand
Mona in the promised land
Take your partner by the hand
Keep it simple if you can
Take your partner by the hand
At the club they circle around some sex goddess like vultures
Flashbulbs popping
Like bees around their queen
She is completely indifferent to all the commotion
And orders some mango tango ice cream by sign language
She's approached by some wild-eyed poet drunk with love
I like her easy refusal, the way she shakes her head
She lives these days in the attic of an old dance hall
That's been shut down for years
And swears there's times when she can hear feet shuffling below
And can see the shadows swaying, moving to the music
CHORUS (first half)
Elevator going up
Fifth floor
Lady's handbags, shoes, leather accessories, and electronics
Wait a minute, where am I, on this elevator to nowhere
Going up, going down
Then like a hallucination
I saw her out of the corner of my eye
Studying some shoes very carefully
She definitely had a particular purpose for these shoes in mind
Then as quickly as she appeared, she disappeared
Back into the slash and burn of New York
Ah, stuck in traffic
Crosstown, the stress of not moving
She described it as like being locked in a car
With a madman behind the wheel
And the radio tuned to static
Ever had a hot date one night
Couldn't wait, they won't get you too far
In the middle of a good night
Have you ever got a ride in the back seat of your car?
Stand up, have you ever been there?
Stand up, identify
Stand up, tell us all about it
Stand up, and testify
Ever met a woman, a late night woman
Party till your money was gone
Smiling Mona Lisa loaded up your Visa
Took the bartender home
Stand up, have you ever been there?
Stand up, identify
Stand up, tell us all about it
Stand up, and testify
Thought I was a He-Man, do it just for me, man
I know just what to do
Thought I was a hero, she rated me a zero
Honey, you ain't through
Stand up, have you ever been there?
Stand up, identify
Stand up, tell us all about it
Stand up, and testify
Stand up, stand up
Stand up, stand up
Stand up, tell us all about it
Stand up, identify
Stand up, have you ever been there?
Dm Dm7/C G A
They should have known that trouble was brewing
Dm Dm7/C Asus4 A
They should have seen what the old men knew
Bb F/A
They should have shut us down
Gm Dm
When the hail fell to the ground
Eb Bb/D C A
From a cloudy sky of baby blue
Three o'clock on a cold, cold morning
The big bell wailed as if on cue.
A woman's scream was heard
And the news came afterwards
"It's a blow out down in Number Two!"
Dm/B F/C
Down in Jericho Kentucky
A/C# Dm
The mines have all caved in
Bb E/G# A C
Down in Jericho
Broken hearts don't mend
E7 D#maj7 D
Tear stained eyes of kin
Bb C# F A A/C#
Never ever seen what the future might have been
The hat lamps burned with a flame like lightning
The coal dust blanketed the morning dew.
The young ones looked for kin
And the blind man, he looks grim.
'Cause he sees there's nothing that he can do.
They pumped up the mud and they chunked out water,
They scratched the earth till it turned to sand
And a half mile down below
It's a lost cause the miners know
Meet your maker, boys, the time's at hand.
Down in Jericho, Kentucky
The mines have all caved in
Down in Jericho.
Broken hearts don't mend
Tears stained eyes of kin
Never ever seen
What their future might have been.
The fire boss's hands are clean as a whistle
The fat cat knows he's a company man
But he should have bowed down his head
When they hauled out all the dead
But it's business, boys, start 'em up again.
Down in Jericho, Kentucky
The mines have all caved in
Down in Jericho.
Broken hearts don't mend
Tears stained eyes of kin
Never ever seen
What their future might have been.
Broken hearts don't mend
Tears stained eyes of kin
Never ever seen
We carried you in our arms on Independence Day
And now you'd throw us all aside and put us all away
Oh, what dear daughter 'neath the sun could treat a father so?
To wait upon him hand and foot and always tell him "No"
(Chorus:)
Tears of rage, tears of grief
Why must I always be the thief?
Come to me now, you know we're so low
And life is brief
It was all very painless
When you went out to receive
All that false instruction
Which we never could believe
And now the heart is filled with gold
As if it was a purse
But, oh, what kind of love is this
Which goes from bad to worse?
(Chorus)
We pointed you the way to go
And scratched your name in sand
Though you just thought it was nothing more
Than a place for you to stand
I want you to know that while we watched
You discovered no one would be true
And I myself was among
The ones who thought
It was just a childish thing to do
You know the girl you love she don't treat you right sometimes
You know the girl you love she don't treat you right sometimes
Well, that's the stuff you gotta watch because your girl is a liar.
You know, the girl you love stays out all night long,
Yeah, the girl you love, she stays out all night long.
That's the stuff you gotta watch because your girl's treatin' you wrong.
I need my hat, go get my coat,
Uncle Zak found out baby you don't want it anymore.
That's the stuff you gotta watch
That's the stuff you gotta watch
That's the stuff you gotta watch if you don't wanna lose your girl.
You know the girl's no good but don't you make no change.
Oh, the girl's no good but don't you make no change.
That's the stuff you gotta watch 'cause you're justified all the same.
She spends your dough, she drinks your gin
And if she rode round the corner then she's ready to go again.
That's the stuff you gotta watch
That's the stuff you gotta watch
That's the stuff you gotta watch if you don't wanna lose your girl.
Well, that's the stuff you gotta watch if you don't wanna lose your girl.
Yeah, that's the stuff you gotta watch if you don't wanna lose your girl.
In circles we gather
Moonlight fires are kindled
Sending it back
We just make it go back
Beating hearts, beating hearts
Come as one, come as one
This is Indian country
This is Indian country
Together we dance
All the first nations
There's no chance
We ever gonna give up
Beating hearts, beating hearts
Come as one, come as one
This is Indian country
This is Indian country
(Intertribal)
Going home, going home
To a nation, six nations
To all the faces I did not know
Beating hearts, beating hearts
Come as one, come as one
This is Indian country
This is Indian country
Ongwehonwe - Intertribal
There was something strange
In the sky tonight
I was left standing
With three moons shining
CHORUS:
Just on the outskirts of civilization
Just on the outskirts of civilization
Indians have always seen the lights
Since the beginning of time
They drew pictures on the rocks
Of our relatives from the sky
Just on the outskirts of civilization
Catch the light
Just on the outskirts of civilization
Where the sun goes at night
CHORUS
I hear no longer
The song of the women
I hear no longer
The cry of the bird
I see no more
The white smoke rising
Only the low hum from the lights is still heard
*These are the People of the Longhouse
These are the People that you tried to break
These are the People of the Pines
Who Follow the Code of Handsome Lake
He drank your poison, swallowed your fire
And lay with fever four long years
He received a vision so inspired
Three messengers with painted faces appeared
On the Allegheny river at a place called Burnt House
The code was shared for the very first time
By a Seneca chief, they call Handsome Lake
With a Wounded Heart and a sober mind
*Repeat
**We are the People of the Longhouse
We are the People that you couldn't break
We are the People of the Sacred Pipe
Who Follow The Code of Handsome Lake
When the Dark Moon had come to live in your soul
Get in touch with your creator, you are not alone
These are the words
That he had spoken two hundred years ago
And today they still ring true
Like they're carved in stone
When Native life was hurled into the pit
By way of the Canon, Rum, and Greed
Oh a great fire was burned, to let the smoke rise
And show the Six Nations the code was still alive
Way Down Deep in the Bush
We Oh hi ne oh he oh we oh we we
(section repeats 4 times)
* Repeat
You how long I've waited
I waited for so long
It needs a place I'm going
That's my home
Princie, how do you do?
They all greeted too
Others have done so too
That's my home
(bridge)
It matters a difference
If it's a one-room set
Any time that I get back
I still like it like that
And we got blues that match the sky
And love hurts like a fly
Until the day I die
That's my home
(bridge)
And friends say, "How do you do?"
We all greeted too
Others have done so too
That's my home
That's my home
Look over yonder, Apollo at a distance
You can hear his music if you listen to the wind (blow)
I want to be there - I want to be right there
Bear witness, I'm wailing like the wind
Come bear witness, the half-breed rides again
In these hands, I've held the broken dream
In my soul, I'm howling at the moon
Testimony, testimony
Declare yourself - I will testify
Testimony, testimony
Speak the truth, I will testify
I had a revelation like runaway horses
Took to the road with a carnival show (roll on)
Those golden days on Smokey Mountain
Playing guitar in a one man band
Bear witness, I'm howling at the moon
Come bear witness, I've danced among the ruins
In these shoes, I've walked a crooked mile
All my life I been searching for the nightbird
Testimony, testimony
Declare yourself - I will testify
Testimony, testimony
Speak the truth, I will testify
Are you ready to take the heat
Are you ready to blow the steam
Are you ready to bag the street
You got nothing to lose - but your chains
For forty days and forty nights
I come across the desert
Apollo right by mide side (rave on)
Bear witness, I'm wailing like the wind
Come bear witness, the half-breed rides again
In these hands, I've held the broken dream
In my soul, I'm howling at the moon
Testimony, testimony
Declare yourself - I will testify
Testimony, testimony
Alone in the shadows, of a willow tree
I watched from the dark
As you crossed through the park
Coming closer to me
Those brief moments return of the day we first met
The time we shared with that special care
Free from all jealousy
There must be a distant place
Far from every wrong face
Tears won't fall by chance
On this sweet romance ...
Where the light of the moon, and the lay of the land
Brightened the way of so many nights
Helping us understand
The line that we crossed, to climb those hills
Gave us the strength to never fear
The hurting talk folks want to hear
There must be a different place
Far from every wrong face
Tears won't fall by chance
On this sweet romance ...
When they hear, of our last goodbye
They'll have to seek another dream to surprise
With desperate lies
As we parade, far from these streets
We'll be side by side, livin life in pride
With love's lullabye
There must be a distant place
Far from every wrong face
Tears won't fall by chance
Didn't we break the silence
Didn't we fear the storm
Didn't we move the earth
Didn't we shoot for the sky
And didn't we catch the fire
And didn't we call upon the spirits
And didn't we fall together
And didn't we die for love
Days on the run, Nights in hiding
Hoping that you were, The healing inside me
Breathe in the sweet fire of love
I'm not afraid anymore
Sweet, sweet fire
I'm not alone
Breathe in the sweet fire of love
I'm not the same anymore
The sweet fire of love
D C A
D C Am
Didn't we cross new waters
Didn't we mix new blood
Didn't we build brand new bridges
Didn't we hold back the flood
Broken idols by the side of the road
They didn't fall on the side of the law
Am D
Here she comes a-shining like a light
Am D
Here she comes salvation in the night
Days on the run
Nights in hiding
Hoping that you were
The healing inside me
Breathe in the sweet fire of love
I'm not afraid anymore
Sweet, sweet fire
I'm not alone
Breathe in the sweet fire of love
I'm not the same anymore
The sweet fire of love
Didn't we shine like silver
Didn't we bear the cross
Didn't we bring down the hammer
Didn't we beat on the drum
Here she comes a-shining like a light
(Days on the run)
Here she comes salvation in the night
(Nights in hiding)
I'm giving up the ghost
(Hoping that you were)
I'm giving up the ghost
(The healing inside me)
Breathe in the sweet fire of love
I'm not afraid anymore
Sweet, sweet fire
I'm not alone
Breathe in the sweet fire of love
I'm not the same anymore
Sightseer in the middle of the night
Looking for action, something real tight
But can you make it when we turn on the lights
Of the city?
Street walker in the middle of the day
Been up all night trying to earn your pay
Mama, told you when you ran away
It's not easy, there's no pity in the city
I've been on this corner so long
But it's no one's guess who's the next blonde
But before you know it, it'll be gone
But I ain't complaining, don't get me wrong
It's not easy in the city
Street walker in the middle of your life
Every day is like shooting dice
You carry yourself like you carry a knife
In the city
Fast talker in the middle of the street
Trying to hustle everyone that you meet
Sooner or later everybody gets beat
I would try my finger and I would try my hand
At any fool game in this man's land
But don't you talk about this dear friend of mine
I ain't never been let down so you'd be wastin' time
I would scratch and steal and I would maim a man
I would even run a bounty across the other county
Don't you talk about a dear old friend of mine
I gave it all of my money but it makes me feel fine
Yeah, you know you won't give me no peace of mind
Try to understand, I just wanna feel good all the time
Don't you talk about a dear old friend of mine
And I know that you are sweet and more than double fine
Everybody said you oughta marry that rich man down the line
But if I had to make a choice I wouldn't change my mind
Honey, you just ain't as sweet as my strawberry wine
Oh no, no no no
Yeah, you caught me when I was down a-sleepin' in the park
Climbin' up the walls and laughin' in the dark
But I heard that you'd been talkin' about a dear old friend of mine
Never tasted anything as sweet as my strawberry wine
No no no
Yeah, I would scratch and steal and I would maim a man
I would even run a bounty across the other county
But don't you [incomprehensible] talk about a dear old friend of mine
Never tasted anything as sweet as my strawberry wine
Virgil Caine is the name and I served on the Danville train
'Til Stoneman's cavalry came and tore up the tracks again
In the winter of '65, we were hungry, just barely alive
By May the tenth, Richmond had fell
It's a time I remember, oh so well
The night they drove old Dixie down
And the bells were ringing
The night they drove old Dixie down
And the people were singing
They went, "La, la, la"
Back with my wife in Tennessee, when one day she called to me
"Virgil, quick, come see, there go the Robert E.Lee"
Now I don't mind choppin' wood, and I don't care if the money's no good
Ya take what ya need and ya leave the rest
But they should never have taken the very best
The night they drove old Dixie down
And the bells were ringing
The night they drove old Dixie down
And all the people were singing
They went, "La, la, la"
Like my father before me, I will work the land
And like my brother above me, who took a rebel stand
He was just eighteen, proud and brave, but a Yankee laid him in his grave
I swear by the mud below my feet
You can't raise a Caine back up when he's in defeat
The night they drove old Dixie down
And the bells were ringing
The night they drove old Dixie down
And all the people were singing
They went, "Na, na, na"
The night they drove old Dixie down
And all the bells were ringing
The night they drove old Dixie down
And the people were singing
Julie and little John Tyler lived in the house next door
We would be the great triangle and to this we swore
Julie was my sweetheart, little John was my cohort
And all the wild horses in the world couldn't keep us apart
Once we went for a swim in the noonday sun
And promised to return before the moon struck one
Julie came runnin' through the pasture, she was screamin' at the sky
She fell down to her knees and the tears did fly
Little John was stung by a snake over by the lake
And it looked like he's really, really hurt, he was lyin' in the dirt
Oh, we went it as fast as we could run
But we lost little John as the moon struck one
I was vacant, Julie was a bird with a broken wing
We were always afraid, what tomorrow might bring
We'll drive down to Durango, up and leave this place
And maybe forget the triangle with a change of pace
The car broke down when we had just begun
It's the last waltz
The last waltz with you
But that don't mean
The dance is over
It's the last waltz
The last waltz was through
But that don't mean
That the party is over
Oh, the last waltz
The last waltz with you
But that don't mean
The dance is over
It's the last waltz
The last waltz
The last waltz was through
But that don't mean
Oh yes, I'm the great pretender
Pretending that I'm doing well
My need is such, I pretend too much
I'm lonely but no one can tell
Oh yes, I'm the great pretender
Adrift in a world of my own
I play the game, but to my real shame
You left me to dream all alone
Too real is this feeling of make believe
Too real when I feel what my heart can't conceal
Oh yes, I'm the great pretender
Just laughing and gay like a clown
I seem to be what I'm not, you see
I'm wearing my heart like a crown
Pretending that you're still around
Too real is this feeling of make believe
Too real when I feel what my heart can't conceal
Oh yes, I'm the great pretender
Just laughing and gay like a clown
I seem to be what I'm not, you see
I'm wearing my heart like a crown
You got me spinning
You got me spinning like a spinning top
You got me hoping
Hoping this love will never stop
(Refrain)
You gave your love to me, and all my dreams
Your love is making me believe in me
You got me burning
You got me burning like a pile of steam
You got me ruuning
Got me running like a pile of steam
(Refrain)
You got me knowing
Knowing that you in my life I'd spend
You got me rolling
Rolling like a river around the bend
You got me turning
Turning around like a spinning top
You know you got me knowing
Fly so swift the rain won't lift
The gate won't close the railings froze
Get your mind on wintertime
You ain't going nowhere
Ooowe, ride me high
Tomorrow's the day my bride's gonna come
Oh oh, are we gonna fly
Down in the easy chair?
I don't care how many letters they sent
The morning came, the morning went
Pack up your money pick up your tent
You ain't going nowhere
Ooowe, ride me high
Tomorrow's the day my bride's gonna come
Oh oh, are we gonna fly
Down in the easy chair?
Buy me a flute and a gun that shoots
Tailgates and substitutes
Strap yourself to a tree with roots
You ain't going nowhere
Ooowe, ride me high
Tomorrow's the day my bride's gonna come
Oh oh, are we gonna fly
Down in the easy chair?
Now Ghengis Kahn he could not keep
All his kings supplied with sleep
We'll climb that hill
No matter how steep when we get up to it
Ooowe, ride me high
Tomorrow's the day my bride's gonna come
Oh oh, are we gonna fly
Down in the easy chair?
Ooowe, ride me high
Tomorrow's the day my bride's gonna come
Oh oh, are we gonna fly
Well, the comic book and me, just us, we caught the bus
The poor little chauffeur, though, she was back in bed
On the very next day, with a nose full of pus
Yeah, heavy and a bottle of bread
Yeah, heavy and a bottle of bread
Yeah, heavy and a bottle of bread
It's a one-track town, just brown and a breeze too
Pack up the meat, sweet, we're headin' out
For Wichita in a pile of fruit
Get the loot, don't be slow, we're gonna catch a trout
Get the loot, don't be slow, we're gonna catch a trout
Get the loot, don't be slow, we're gonna catch a trout
Now, pull that drummer out from behind that bottle
Bring me my pipe, we're gonna shake it
Slap that drummer with a pie that smells
Take me down to California, baby
Take me down to California, baby
Take me down to California, baby
Yes, the comic book and me, just us, we caught the bus
The poor little chauffeur, though, she was back in bed
On the very next day, with a nose full of pus
Yeah, heavy and a bottle of bread
Yeah, heavy and a bottle of bread
Stranded out in the night
Eliza took me down
To see the widow give
Rain to the town
It's against the law
To be a tonic man
But the widow knows
She's got the upper hand
So I went on in
Feelin' kinda wheezy
You know she soothes my mind, boys
She rocked me kinda slow and easy
All day and all night
Pick a card before you go
It's a long trip to Mexico
Eliza waiting by the door
I can't stay here anymore, no, no, no, no
Then she took a pill
She washed her feet in the mud
She said, "Look out son
You know, I just ordered a flood
For forty days and forty nights"
Then I dropped my shoes
Eliza called my name
She said it looked to her
Like it's gonna rain
Then the cotton king
He came in chokin'
And the widow laughed and said
"I ain't jokin'"
"Take once for all"
She said, "Now don't you tease me
I just fell in love, boy
So rock me kinda slow and rock me kinda easy"
Sweet William said
With a drunken head
"If I had a boat
I'd help y'all float"
Eliza stood there watching
William in a trance
As the widow [Incomprehensible]
The St.Vitus dance
But just then an old man
With a boat named, 'Breezy'
Said, "You can ride with Clyde, boys
If you rock it kinda slow and rock it kinda easy
Perhaps you think the Creator sent you here to dispose of us as you see fit
If I thought you were sent by the creator
I might be induced to think you had a right to dispose of me
Do not misunderstand me
But understand me fully with reference to my affection for the land
I never said the land was mine to do with as I choose
The one who has a right to dispose of it is the one who has created it
I claim a right to live on my land
And accord you the privilege to return to yours
Brother we have listened to your talk
Coming from our father the great White Chief at Washington
And my people have called upon me to reply to you
And in the winds which pass through these aged pines
We hear the moanings of their departed ghosts
And if the voice of our people could have been heard
That act would never have been done
But alas though they stood around they could neither be seen or heard
Their tears fell like drops of rain
I hear my voice in the depths of the forest
But no answering voice comes back to me
All is silent around me
My words must therefore be few
I can now say no more
Ollie told me, I'm a fool
So I walked on down the road a mile
Went to the house that brings a smile
Sat upon my grandpa's knee
And what do you think he said to me?
When you awake, you will remember everythin'
You will be hangin' on a string from your
When you believe you will relieve on the soul
That you were born up to grow old and never know
Ollie showed me the fork in the road
You can take to the left or go straight to the right
Use your days and save your nights
Careful where you step and watch whacha eat
Sleep with the light and you got it beat
When you awake you will remember everythin'
You will be hangin' on a string from your
When you believe you will relieve on the soul
That you were born up to grow old and never know
Ollie warned me, it's mean old world
The street don't greet you, yes, it's true
What am I supposed to do?
Read the writin' on the wall
I heard it when I was very small
When you awake, you will remember everythin'
You will be hangin' on a string from your
When you believe you will relieve on the soul
That you were born up to grow old and never know
Wash my hands in lye water
I got a date with the Captains daughter
You can go and tell your brother
We sure gonna love one another, oh yea
May be right and you might be wrong
I ain't gonna worry all day long
Snow's gonna come and the frost gonna bite
My old car froze up last night
Ain't no reason to hang my head I could wake up in the
Mornin' dead
Ohh ohh ohh
Ohh ohh ohh
If I thought it would do any good
There's gonna be a change of season
Indian summer look around and it's gone
Why you wanna save the best for last
We grow up so slowly and grow old so fast
We don't talk about forever
We just catch it while we can
And if I grab on to the moment
Don't let it slip away out of my hand
Chorus:
What about now
Forget about tomorrow
It's too far away
What about now
Close your eyes
Don't talk of yesterday
It's too far away, too far away
What about now
I'm coming out of the shadows
I'm getting of of this one way street
Blue memories they just gather dust
Leave them in the rain they turn into rust
Did you see the march to freedom
Did you ever see savannah moon
All the people walking in a line
said to the man, is it my time?
Chorus
In the walk of a lifetime
When you know it's the right time
I can't wait until the ship comes in
I can't wait starting all over again
The errors of a wise man
What a town what a town what a town
I fall in love every time I turn around
I looked to my left, looked to my right
And what do I see?
All the young girls dreaming, old ones scheming
Call girls calling after me
What a town what a town what a town
I fall in love every time I turn around
The music was playin, the people were swayin
Keepin the beat
In the alley, where they all rally
On them old cobblestone streets
What a town what a town what a town
I fall in love every time I turn around
Now I'm going home, I'm all alone
I'm putting my day to an end
So many places, so many faces
All of these people my friends
What a town what a town what a town
We can talk about it now
It's that same old riddle
Only starting from the middle
I'd fix it but I don't know how
Well, we could try to reason
But you might think it's treason
One voice for all
Echoing along the hall
Don't give up on father clock
We can talk about it now
Come, let me show you how
To keep the wheels turnin' you've got to
Keep the engine churnin'
But did you ever milk a cow
I had the chance one day
But I was all dressed up for Sunday
Everybody, everywhere
Do you really care
Pick up your heads and walk
We can talk about it now
It seems to me we've been holding something
Underneath our tongues
I'm afraid if you ever got a pat on the back
It would likely burst your lungs
Oh, stop me if I should sound
Kinda down in the mouth
But I'd rather be burned in Canada
Than to freeze here in the south
Pulling that eternal plough
We've got to find a sharper blade
Or have a new one made
Rest awhile and cool your brow
Don't you see there's no need to slave
The whip is in the grave
No salt, no trance
It's safe now to take a backward glance
Because the flames have turned to chalk
We can talk about it now
When your arms are empty, got nowhere to go
Come on out and catch the show
There'll be saints and sinners
You'll see losers and winners
All kinds of people you might want to know
Once you get it, you can't forget it
W.S. Walcott medicine show
You know he always holds it in a tent
And if you're looking for the real thing
He can show you where it went
There's a young faith healer, he's a woman stealer
He will cure by his command
When the music's hot then you might have to stand
To hear the Klondike Klu Klux Steamboat Band
Don't you sweat it, you can't forget it
W.S. Walcott medicine show
I'd rather die happy than not die at all
For a man is a fool who will not heed the call
Gonna see Miss Brer Foxhole
Bright diamonds at her teeth
She is pure gold down underneath
She's a rock and roll singer and a true dead ringer
For something like you ain't never seen
Once you get it, you can't forget it
W.S. Walcott medicine show
W.S. Walcott medicine show
Got my motor runnin'
Little girl, are you comin'
Keep your candle burning bright
Soon as you are ready
Hold that ladder steady
Come tread softly through the night
Don't leave me in the dark
Like a ghost rider in your yard
Carving our names in bark
Along the boulevard
I'd be a bushwhacker
Even be your hijacker
Keep your candle burning bright
When we cross that railroad track
There'll be no turning back
Come tread softly through the night
Don't leave me sitting here
Up on top of your fence
I'm like an alley cat up here
Without a lick of sense
Volcano, I'm about to blow
Volcano, gonna overflow
Volcano, look out below
Don't leave me empty handed
Like a villain in the woods
Prowling around the grounds
Trying to make off with the goods
Volcano, I'm about to blow
Volcano, gonna overflow
Intro: Em C Em C
Em C
With eyes of fire
Em C
No one can see
Em C
The smoke from the sweet grass
Em C
Covers me
Em C Em C (Guitar solo)
Em C
I am drawn
Em C
I am drawn to her
Em C
Like a moth to flame
Am C
She leads me down
Em C Am C
Unbound
Em C
I am lost
Em C
I am lost
Em C
Has anybody seen me
I am lost
Oh nothing is forgotten
Only left behind
Wherever I am
She leads me down
Em C
Unbound
No borders
No fences
Em C
No walls
No borders
No fences
Em C Am
Unbound
Em C Am C (sequence repeated)
Oh, listen for the night chant
Oh, listen for the night chant
Em C
Like a moth to flame
Am C
She leads me down
Em C
Unbound
No borders
No fences
Em C
Unbound
No borders
No fences
Em C Am C
Unbound
This was the way of it
Let the story fires be lighted
Let our circle be strong and full of medicine
Hear me
This is my dream song that I'm singing for you
This is my power song that is taking me to the edge
This is rock medicine
The talking tree
The singing water
Listen
I am dancing underneath you
This was the way of it
It is a river
It is a chant
It is a medicine story
It is what happened long ago
It is a bead in a story belt
It is what has been forgotten
It is the smell of sweetgrass and cedar
And prayers lifted to sky father
It is a way, a tradition
The way it was always done by the people
It is a feeling of warmth
The sound of voices
Listen
Over by the wildwood
Hot summer night
We lay in the tall grass
til the mornin' light
If I had my way I'd never
get the urge to roam
A young man serves his country
and an old man guards the home
Never gave a second thought
Never crossed my mind
What's right and what's not
I'm not the judgin' kind
I could take the darkness oh
Storms in the skies
But we all got certain trials
burnin' up inside
Don't send me no distant salutations
or silly souvenirs from far away
Don't leave me alone in the twilight
Twilight is the loneliest time a day
Don't put me in a frame upon the mantel
'Fore memories turn dusty old and grey
Don't leave me alone in the twilight
Tura lura lural
Tura lura lie
Tura lura lural
Hush don't you cry
Tura lura lural
Tura lura lie
Tura lura lural
That's an Irish lullaby
Often in dreams I've wondered
Back to that cot again
And I feel her arms huggin' me
Just like when she held me then
And I hear her voice a hummin'
To me as in days or yore
When she used to rock me
Yeah and she used to rock me
Outside the kitchen door
That's why I'm singing now right now
Tura lura lural
Tura lura lie
Tura lura lural
Hush don't you cry
Tura lura lural
Tura lura lie
Tura lura lural
Man that song I'm singin' is just an Irish lullaby
D Bm A
Tough Mama, meat shaking on your bones
D Bm A
I'm gonna take you down to the river and get you stoned.
Bm A
Papa's on the highway with that steel driving crew
Bm F#m Em G
Sister's in the big house her working days are through
C G A
Tough Mama, can I blow a little smoke on you?
Dark Beauty, Won't you move it on over and make some room?
It's my duty to bring you down to the field where the flowers bloom.
Ashes in the furnace, dust on the rise,
You came through it all the way, flyin' through the skies.
Dark Beauty With that long night's journey in your eyes.
Sweet Goddess, born of a blinding light and a changing wind,
Now, don't be modest, you know who you are and where you've been.
Jack the Cowboy went up north He's buried in your past.
The Lone Wolf went out drinking That was over pretty fast.
Sweet Goddess Your perfect stranger's comin' in at last.
Silver Angel, with the badge of the lonesome road sewed in your sleeve,
I'd be grateful if this golden ring you would receive. Today on the
countryside it was a-hotter than a crotch, I stood alone upon the ridge
and all I did was watch. Sweet Goddess It must be time to carve another
notch.
I'm crestfallen, the world of illusion is at my door,
I ain't haulin' any of my lambs to the marketplace anymore.
The prison walls are crumblin', there is no end in sight,
I've gained some recognition but I lost my appetite.
Bb Dm Gm
Last night the constellations
Bb Dm Gm
Watched me walk at half past twelve
Bb D7 Gm
With some people you donæ° see the whole picture all at once
C7 F
Like you fill in the gaps in the stars all by yourself
And who has time in this world of worries,
Drives you crazy makes you mad,
When you make the mistake just a little too late,
You're missing something now that you never knew you had.
Gm D7 Gm C
So how do I answer these blues you say I've got
Bb Dm Gm Eb F Bb
Too soon gone, too soon gone
Gm D7 Gm C
Time makes me pay for these memories I've bought
Bb Dm Gm Eb F Bb
Too soon gone, too soon gone
Eb F# Bb
No one lives forever
Eb D Gm C
Who would want to
Bb Dm Gm Eb F Bb
But you're too soon gone, too soon gone
Bb Dm Gm Eb F Bb
Too soon gone, too soon gone
Pretty soon now all this ice will melt,
And buds will get ready to break.
But every leaf that grows,
In the language that it knows,
Says that winter will return now and these trees are gonna shake.
So how do I answer these blues you say I've got?
Too soon gone, too soon gone.
Time sweeps me forward, as memory is caught.
Too soon gone, too soon gone.
Too much of nothin' can make a man feel ill at ease
But one man's temper might rise, while the other man's temper might freeze
In the days of long confessions, we can not mock a soul
When there's too much of nothin', no one has control
Say hello to Valerie, say hello to Marion
Send them all my salary on the waters of oblivion
Too much of nothin' can make a man abuse a king
He can walk the streets and boast like most but he don't know a thing
It's all been done before, it's all been written in the book
But when it's too much of nothin', nobody should look
Say hello to Valerie, say hello to Marion
Send them all my salary on the waters of oblivion
Too much of nothin' can turn a man into a liar
It can cause some man to sleep on nails, another man to eat fire
Everybody's doin' somethin', I heard it in a dream
But when it's too much of nothin', it just makes a fella mean
Say hello to Valerie, say hello to Marion
Itæ¯ impatience thatæ¯ holding back the clocks
Itæ¯ a life of dates and documents
The soul searchers wheel and deal
If youæ®e looking for repentance
Theyæ£l hand you down a sentence
Far away in Pittsburg or Paris
Loveæ¯ for sale and so reasonably priced
The answers are few and far between
It just bed sheets, my friend
Theyæ®e blowin?in the wind
Chorus
Tombstone, Tombstone I know your face
One day Iæ£l meet you down at that special place
The hard-earned wisdom of the night is all for hire
And I canæ° tell a shooting star from a bird on fire
Tombstone, Tombstone
Tombstone, Tombstone
Thereæ¯ a pump organ that lives on air
I can hear it from the market place
Pallid mourners in the crowd
Some are withered but alive
Where a burnin?past can find
The parishioners pour into the square
Thinking there before his grace go I
By they are mum with deafened ears
The neediest of sinners
Will forget it before dinner
Chorus
Tombstone, Tombstone
I know your face
One day Iæ£l meet you down at that special place
The hard-earned wisdom of the night is all for hire
And I canæ° tell a shooting star from a bird on fire
Tombstone, Tombstone
Tombstone, Tombstone
Are you the jailer or will you set me free
How many misdemeanors can one felony
Tombstone
Chorus
Tombstone, Tombstone
I know your face
One day Iæ£l meet you down at that special place
The hard-earned wisdom of the night is all for hire
And I canæ° tell a shooting star from a bird on fire
Tombstone, Tombstone
Tombstone, Tombstone
[Incomprehensible] to kingdom come
Sadly told his only son
"Just be careful what you do
It all comes back on you"
False witness spread the news
Somebody's gonna lose
Either she or me or you
Nothing we could do
So don't you say a word
Or reveal a thing you've learned
Time will tell you well
If you truly, truly fell
Tarred and feathered, yeah
Thistles and thorns
One or the other, he kindly warns
Now you look out the window
Tell me, what do you see?
I see a golden calf pointing back at me
I been sitting in here for so darn long
Waitin' for the end to come along
Holy roaster on the brink
I take a chance, swim or sink
False witness, cast an evil eye
Said I cannot tell a lie
[Incomprehensible] and saints don't bother me
I'm not alone you see
Don't you say a word
Or reveal a thing you've heard
Time will tell you well
If you truly, truly fell
Tarred and feathered, yeah
Thistles and thorns
One or the other, he kindly warns
Now you look out the window
Tell me what do you see?
I have wondered, I have worried
And I've walked a complicated line
I have hungered, I have hurried
And I've almost lost my mind
Feelin happiness, does not have to be
A smile of regret, that's left from behind
Had no choice, and could not speak a word
But the picture is fading, and I'm tired of waiting ...
There'll be faces at the doorway
Torn between the right and the wrong
And the road I have followed
Left me to sing an older man's song
Had no choice, and could not speak a word
Well you can tell everybody down in ol' Frisco
Tell 'em Tiny Montgomery says hello
Now every boy and girl's gonna get their bang
'Cause Tiny Montgomery's gonna shake that thing
Tell everybody down in ol' Frisco
That Tiny Montgomery's comin' down to say hello
Skinny Moo and [Incomprehensible] Frank
They're all gonna taken down by the [Incomprehensible]
One bird book and a buzzard and a crow
Tell 'em all that Tiny's gonna say hello
Scratch your dad, do that bird
Suck that pig and bring it on home
Think that dream and nose that dope
Tell 'em all that Tiny says hello
Now he's king of the drunks an' he squeezes, too
Watch out, Lester, take it, Lou
Join the monks, the C.I.O.
Tell 'em all that Tiny Montgomery says hello
Now grease that gig and play it blank
Gonna go on out and gas that dog
Trick on in flower that small
Take it on down begin to grow
Now play it at low and pick it up
Take it on in, in a bowl cup
Three-legged man and a hot-lipped hoe
Tell 'em all Montgomery says hello
Ladies and Gentlemen we have a party down in ol' Frisco
The many roads I've covered
The many trails I've burned
But when our paths did cross, love
My whole world made a turn
And we've got time to kill
What a thrill, June and July
We've got all our love
Buckets of the tears that we cried
Now we don't cry no more
Gonna bolt the door
Don't know what we've got
But it feels like a lot
We don't need no more
When my day's work is done
We can take in a jamboree
But I just wanna sit down by the fire
With my love right here beside me
And we've got time to kill
Catskill, sweet by and by
We've got all our love
The sky above, the twinkle in your eye
Now where the wheel might roll
Is where my love and I shall go
We're gonna plant the seed
There ain't nothing we need
We found our own rainbow
My love wants to have her fortune read
And I know that she's in a hurry
If we go along the straight and narrow road
You don't even have to worry
We've got time to kill
Standin' still, go on, give it a try
We've got all our love
Mountains of the trees are so high
We don't need no big car
Don't eat no caviar
When we come to rest
We take to the nest
If your memory serves you well
We're going to meet again and wait
So I'm going to unpack all my things
And sit before it gets too late
No man alive will come to you
With another tale to tell
And you know that we shall meet again
If your memory serves you well
This wheel's on fire
Rolling down the road
Just notify my next of kin
This wheel shall explode
If your memory serves you well
I was going to confiscate your lace
And wrap it up in a sailor's knot
And hide it in your case
If I knew for sure that it was yours
And it was oh so hard to tell
And you know that we shall meet again
If your memory serves you well
This wheel's on fire
Rolling down the road
Just notify my next of kin
This wheel shall explode
If your memory serves you well
You'll remember that you're the one
That called on them to call on me
To get you your favors done
And after every plan had failed
And there was nothing more to tell
And you know that we shall meet again
If your memory serves you well
This wheel's on fire
Rolling down the road
Just notify my next of kin
I was thinkin' out loud
Talking to myself
I was up on a cloud
There was nobody else
No, no, no I did not call
I never was allowed
To speak up at all
I was just thinkin' out loud
Transylvania Train, circus never came
Heroes are all gone
No trampoline, fell without a scream
Who's looking for a job? Oh oh
Before I realized, I was hypnotized
Flashback to the past
Cross eyed jack, monkey on his back
Knew it would not last
Room service gone off duty
Bellman has retired
This hotel is a beauty
Even the house dick's been fired
Then the sky came crashing down
Knocked me off this cloud
When I fell to the ground
I took my bucket down to the well
There's a [unverified] woman, sweet mystery
She let the rope fall down in the well
Like it was meant to be
She put the jug upon her head
Walked with her back to the wind
I followed her tracks the moment she said
"Why don't you come in?"
She killed the light
She dropped her glove
She said, "Are you looking for trouble
Or looking for love, love, love?"
I woke in the morning dying of thirst
Headed straight back to the well
There she was with a jug on her head
The rope had just fell
The well in her eyes was deep and black
With no question or answer
She wiped my brow and I followed her back
To the Tropic of Cancer
She killed the light
She dropped her glove
She said, "Are you looking for trouble
Unfaithful servant
I hear you leavin' soon in the mornin'
What did you do to the lady
That she's gonna have to send you away?
Unfaithful servant
You don't have to say you're sorry
If you done it just for the spite
Or did you do it just for the glory?
Like a stranger you turned your back
Left your keys and gone to pack
Bear in mind who's to blame an' all the shame
She really cared, the time she spared and the home you shared
Unfaithful servant
I can hear the whistle blowin'
Yes, that train is comin' and soon you'll be goin'
Let us not bow our heads for we won't be complainin'
Life has been good to us all even when that sky is rainin'
To take it like a grain of salt is all I can do, it's no one's fault
Makes no difference if we fade away
It's just as it was, it's much too cold for me to stay
Goodbye to that country home
So long to a lady I have known
Farewell to my other side
I'd best just take it in stride
Unfaithful servant
You'll learn to find your place
I can see it in your smile
And yes, I can see it in your face
The memories will linger on
The good old days they're all gone
Oh, lonesome servant can't you see
When obstruction blocks my way
I walk down that narrow way
till I can see the light of day
shining at the world
G C D7
and I realise that something here sure is wrong
G C G
The stones I throw will free all men
Make him walk proud through this righteous land
C C G
He will know which way to go
D7 G
I will show him by the stones that I throw
Don't build walls and barricades
So a man can't have his say
And barking dogs can't block my way
From taking my brothers hand
and something makes me want to stand up and do what's right
The stones I throw will free all men
Make him walk proud through this righteous land
He will know which way to go
I will show him by the stones that I throw
{last time}
G/// D7/G/ Eb7/// ////
Ab Db Ab
The stones I throw will free all men
Make him walk proud through this righteous land
Ab Db Ab
He will know which way to go
Eb Ab
I will show him by the stones that I throw
Now when the rumor comes to your town
It grows and grows, where it started no one knows
Some of your neighbors will invite it right in
Or maybe it's a lie, even if it's a sin they'll repeat the rumor again
Close your eyes, hang down your head
Until the fog rolls away, let it roll away
Open up your arms and feel the good
'Cause it's comin', a brand new day
Big men, little men turned into dust
Or maybe it was all in fun, they didn't mean to ruin no one
Could there be someone, here among this crowd
Who's been abused, had his name so misused and his privacy refused?
Close your eyes, hang your head
Until the fog rolls away, let it roll away
Open up your arms and feel the good
'Cause it's comin', a brand new day
Now all you vigilantes wanna make a move
Or maybe they won't, you know I sure hope they don't
For whether this rumor proves true or false
You can forgive or you can regret but he will never ever forget
Close your eyes, hang down your head
Until the fog rolls away, let it roll away
Open up your arms and feel the good
The ladies would put the baskets on the table
And the men would sit beneath a shady tree
The children would listen to a fable
While something else came through to me
The river got no end
Just roll around the bend
Then pretty soon the women would all join in
On the river hymn
The whole congregation was standing
On the banks of the river
We are gathered here
To give a little thanks thanks
The voice of the rapids will echo
And ricochet like an old water well
Who'd ever want to let go
Once you sit beneath its spell
It's dark and wide and deep
Towards the sea it creeps
I'm so glad I brought along my mandolin
To play the river hymn
You can ride on it or drink it
Poison it or damn it fish in it and wash in it
Swim in it and you can die in it
Run you river, run
Son, you ain't never seen yourself
No crystal mirror can show it clear come over here instead
Son, you ain't never eased yourself
Till you laid it down in a river bed
If you hear a lonesome drone
It's as common as a stone
And gets louder as the day grows dim
That's the river hymn
The whole congregation was standing
On the banks of the river
We are gathered here
I left my home in Norfolk Virginia
California on my mind
I boarded that Greyhound,
Rode in into Raliegh on across Caroline
Stopped in Charlotte to by pass Rockhill
We never was a minute late
We were ninty miles out of Atlanta by sundown
Rollin' out of Georgia state
We had motor trouble that turned into a struggle
Halfway across Alabam
And that bow broke down
And left us stranded in downtown Birmingham
Right away I bought a through train ticket
Got across Mississippi clean
And I was on that Midnight Flyer out of Birmingham
Smokin' into New Orleans
Somebody help me get out of Louisiana
Help me get to Houston Town
strum
1 & 2 & 3 & 4
V ^ V ^ ^ V
There are people there who care a little 'bout me
And won't put the poor boy down
Georgia born, they bought me a silk suit
And put luggage in my hand
And woke up high over Albuquerque
On a jet to the promised land
Workin' on a T-bone ala cartee
Flyin' over to the Golden State
When the pilot told us in thirteen minutes
He would set us at the terminal gate
Swing low chariot, come down easy
Taxi to the terminal door
Cut your engines and cool your wings
And let me make it to the telephone
Los Angeles, give me Norfolk Virginia
Tidewater four ten o nine
Tell all the folks back home
It's the promised land callin'
Sonny got caught in the moonlight
A wanted man with a haunted heart
Sonny found out the hard way
Playing for keeps, loser weeps
He said he'd come back when the lion sleeps
Struck by lightning, the fire is dying
And she called out your name
Sudden thunder, the sky is crying
Can't tell the tears from the rain
Sonny got caught in the moonlight
Paint graffiti on the subway wall
Sonny got lost in the blue night
They stood like statues, legs spread wide
Catch him in the crossfire and take him by surprise
Struck by lightning, the fire is dying
And she called out your name
Sudden thunder, the sky is crying
Can't tell the tears from the rain
Can't tell the tears from the rain
Most my life I've been running
Paint a portrait of a fool
With my heart in my hands
They've come to take me down
Sonny got caught in the moonlight
By the power that can turn the tide
I heard three shots around midnight
Driven by the passion, running from the heat
No questions asked ... he's just a kid from the street
Struck by lightning, the fire is dying
And she called out your name
Sudden thunder, the sky is crying
Can't tell the tears from the rain
