Here we go again my friend Thinking about trying to make it work Reminds me of the time when we were kids We thought we knew it all, when will we learn Like coming home from far away Nothing feels better than being in your arms I know how this will end and it won’t be good, it can’t be good I hate to see you sad and know I’m the one I still got to believe that there’s a chance for you and me Here I go again so scared Thinking about trying to ignore it all Reminds me of when I kissed your mouth As a wildfire grows, who will get burned Like coming home from far away Nothing feels better than being in your arms I know how this will end and it won’t be good, it can’t be good I hate to see you sad and know I’m the one I still got to believe that there’s a chance for you and me I still got to believe I still got to believe I still believe that there might be Oh, there might be a chance For you and me
Pigtails and sneakers, your dirty face Sticky fingered little girl wrapped up in ribbon and lace Mirrors and hairbrush, you’re playing dress up Make up and perfume, perfume, accessorize Macaroni necklace and momma’s fancy pearls Let your hair down, you’re so grown up Adrienne, wipe your lipstick smile Adrienne, kick off your high heels Adrienne, grab your teddy bear And sleep tonight Wrap yourself in flower petals Dreaming about your Neverland And sleep tonight Hop scotch and jump rope, riding your bike round the yard Picking flowers, chasing butterflies, baking your mud pies Jumping high, running fast, you’re playing real hard now Muddy shoes by the front door of your make-believe house Little dolls and plastic food, you’re building a home now Let your hair down, you’re so grown-up Adrienne, wipe your lipstick smile Adrienne, kick off your high heels Adrienne, grab your teddy bear And sleep tonight Wrap yourself in flower petals Dreaming about your Neverland And sleep tonight And sleep tonight
I turned on the six o’clock news All the faces and all the names Pretty sure it must be a lie All the faces and all the names It’s not real, it can’t be real All the faces and all the names It’s an elaborate trick of my mind All the faces and all the names I don’t know you Are you out there Is anybody out there Are you out there Is anybody out there Are you out there Is anybody out there Are you out there Is anybody out there I’m looking at some photographs It’s all honeybees and daisies It was a warmer time With honeybees and daisies And I walked with someone Through honeybees and daisies That was a different me Honeybees and daisies I don’t know you Are you out there Is anybody out there Are you out there Is anybody out there Are you out there Is anybody out there Are you out there Is anybody out there I’m looking in the mirror And it’s vaguely familiar I think I remember you It’s so vaguely familiar You were always there So vaguely familiar I think it’s going to be OK
So scared, so scared and unprepared Nothing is the same anymore I am just a child Won’t you please take care of me Mistakes, mistakes, I’ve made a few Will you believe that I loved you A tiny hand in mine With a mouth that must be fed I wake to the crying at night I wake to feel the tears are mine No longer in me But always with me No longer in me But a part of me Constant reminder Of the love that left me I guess I was too young Too young to understand I’m not ready for this But believe me child, I’ll do my best A tiny hand in mine With a mouth that must be fed I wake to the crying at night I wake to feel the tears are mine No longer in me But always with me No longer in me But a part of me
Wise men say let your heart be your guide Wise men say let your heart be your guide Wise men say let your heart be your guide Ever since the beginning when the girl gave the apple to the boy My guide has always been my stomach Fill my belly with barrels of beer Fill my belly with barrels of beer Fill my belly with barrels of beer Ever since the beginning when the girl gave the apple to the boy I carry my sin in my stomach There's a hollow that I can not fill There's a hollow that I can not fill There's a hollow that I can not fill Ever since the beginning when the girl gave the apple to the boy It's impossible to fill my stomach The quickest way to a man's heart is through his belly The quickest way to a man's heart is through his belly The quickest way to a man's heart is through his belly Ever since the beginning when the girl gave the apple to the boy The surest way to hell is through my stomach
I’m not doing the girl thing Where I say one thing but really mean the other Say what I mean or what I think I mean Sometimes I guess I don’t always understand myself I am not doing the whole jealous girl thing To be jealous you have to want something You tell me, maybe you’re the missing puzzle piece No pieces, maybe I’m a portrait not a puzzle It seems logical than a man like you would think What else could I be doing pining away for you I’m not doing the girl thing Where I give the silent treatment and guilt Nothing to say or I thought you wouldn’t relate I wanted to save you from embarrassment when you didn’t understand I know it’s 70°, I’m wearing pants and a sweater But I’m cold right now, just so cold right now Then in 10 minutes I’ll strip down to nothing But then I’ll be warm I am busy living in the moment and I may cover myself And convince myself that I am cold Oh, that I am cold But that’s because I’m not ready to show me to you Just give me time, I’ll find warmth when I see the sun But you see, it’s got to feel right It’s got to feel just right It’s got to be just perfect Or I’ll get cold again I haven’t talked to you in a while Cause I’m just too busy living in the moment I’m not doing the girl thing Where I’m playing mind games with you Not interested or then again just shy Maybe I’m preoccupied with something else just on my mind Don’t think you know me Don’t compare me to other women Don’t think of me as your mom, your friend, your neighbor I am unlike any other person you’ve met before The stories of my past made me the person I am today Because of this I carry my traits, my quirks, my neurosis So listen and get to know me Don’t think that I carry the stereotypes For we are all different And we are all beautiful in our own way So know this, I am
We'll drink from a jar I'll show you my scars You hate the sound of the banjo I can't write a love song I've been loving for way too long All I can do is beat upon the banjo Banjo love It fits just like a glove Banjo love The bees just got to buzz Makes me want to dance Come on darling, give it a chance Still a plunky, grumpy song might be a love song I'll show you the stars We'll lay out in the yard I won't forget to bring along the banjo Every bird's got a song Beat on your clanging gong While I plunk upon my old banjo Banjo love It fits just like a glove Banjo love The bees just got to buzz Makes me want to dance Come on darling, give it a chance Still a plunky, grumpy song might be a love song When you're young A slow brooding melody May be all that it takes A serenade for your lady fair Is what gets her cake to bake After some years There's hair in your ears Love songs become inconvenient Daily life, with its gives and its takes Is more of a social agreement We've sure been through a lot This is the best love song that I got Like a cow appreciates grass I'm thankful for you
I light a candle For everything I’ve ever wanted and lost For everyone I ever loved and lost Calling on my patron saint The saint of regret and mistakes The saint who knows all my mistakes I met a girl, and her name was Grace And her name was Grace And her name was Grace I say a prayer For everyone I’ve ever done wrong For failures and things gone wrong Singing a sacred song An old song about a second chance I know I need another chance I fell in love, and it was Grace And it was Grace Her name is Grace
They say that we are all In the same boat Looking around, I don’t see nobody But me, myself, and I Maybe it’s not the same boat But the very same ocean If you’re in this ocean too Then brother, I pity you Cause things are bad Real bad I am lying on the deck Bleeding out time Stretched too thin Squeezed too tight I wonder when I am Bruised and battered Without an anchor All we have for sure is time I’m watching mine bleed away Ive been stuck in the same storm For nigh on six weeks Tossed and turned and pitched about Then pitched about again When it all seemed over I looked up at the soggy stars And near as I can tell I’m stuck right here I was stuck right here Where I had began I hadn’t moved at all Not one single wave I am lying on the deck Bleeding out time Stretched too thin Squeezed too tight I wonder when I am Bruised and battered Without an anchor All we have for sure is time I’m watching mine bleed away Next, I found myself Stuck inside a doldrum Not a wind, a breeze, or a seagulls fart To move that sail I thought I’d be stuck right here For all eternity When I looked down I found I was racing fast I was moving just as fast as I cold go Speeding towards the very edge of the map There is nothing I could do to stop it Right towards the very edge of the map I am lying on the deck Bleeding out time Stretched too thin Squeezed too tight I wonder when I am Bruised and battered Without an anchor All we have for sure is time I’m watching mine bleed away Up and down on the waves It’s a natural motion No matter how steep or severe It’s something you can always count on I’ve been plunged right in In and out and sideways There is noting natural here at all Nothing natural on which I can rely I am lying on the deck Bleeding out time Stretched too thin Squeezed too tight I wonder when I am Bruised and battered Without an anchor All we have for sure is time I’m watching mine bleed away Even though we are tossed about Just trying to hang on We got no ritual, no routine No port in that storm I look up at the sky And the stars still shine And I am confident we’ll find I am sure that we We’re gonna find We will find our way We’ll find our way Again
I had a little lamb it’s fleece was dripping red The blood of the little lamb filled my supper glass The blood of the little lamb smeared around the door What a shame your son is dead One summer day, it rained and the creeks did rise The water came up and took a little boy His father paced the banks searching for his son All the people came and dragged the creek and found his body I had a little lamb it’s fleece was dripping red The blood of the little lamb filled my supper glass The blood of the little lamb smeared around the door What a shame your son is dead There was a girl in the prime of her blushing years And after lunch one day her heart just stopped And the doctors said it was something they couldn’t explain All the people cried and her mother, her mother well, she just didn’t understand I had a little lamb it’s fleece was dripping red The blood of the little lamb filled my supper glass The blood of the little lamb smeared around the door What a shame your son is dead There was a disease we thought was just for old men It doesn’t discriminate, your hair fell out Your parents watched you suffer, everyone knew the end All the people prayed for a miracle and you died I had a little lamb it’s fleece was dripping red The blood of the little lamb filled my supper glass The blood of the little lamb smeared around the door What a shame your son is dead The blood of the innocent flows like a mighty river All the people sang Amazing Grace
Last year's tomato vines Lay rotten on the ground When the winter snow melts off You can see the remains of the day A window sill whiskey bottle Holds what’s left of February’s grief She wore a yellow gingham dress To the park that day Her hair tied up with blue ribbons Got to be that way Go ahead and lay her down, down, down Nothing left for me to say A stiff July breeze is blowing Through my dinning room window I still got hanging up those old curtains of yours They are pale green with a flower print They are blowing up like a great big balloon It's your ghost in the middle of the room She wore a yellow gingham dress To the park that day Her hair tied up with blue ribbons Got to be that way Go ahead and lay her down, down, down Nothing left for me to say Most nights now, I sleep in the yard I got to see them stars The back door is cracked open By an old gasoline can When it gets too cold to sleep out I think I'll set the whole thing on fire She wore a yellow gingham dress To the park that day Her hair tied up with blue ribbons Got to be that way Go ahead and lay her down, down, down Nothing left for me to say
Boom boom ticka ticka boom boom Boom boom ticka ticka boom Boom boom ticka ticka boom boom Boom boom ticka ticka boom He walked down, hat tipped back An old broomstick in his hand Dragging along that one dead leg He’s kicking an old soup can Everybody knows him They see him coming round Long before you see him I know you’ll hear this sound Boom boom ticka ticka boom boom Boom boom ticka ticka boom Boom boom ticka ticka boom boom Boom boom ticka ticka boom Scraping on an old stop sign post With some dried up chicken bones Shaking an old tobacco tin Full of little tiny stones Every morning, he’s outside my house He’s scraping on the old fence He's been at it for so long His rhythm is starting to make sense Boom boom ticka ticka boom boom Boom boom ticka ticka boom Boom boom ticka ticka boom boom Boom boom ticka ticka boom Early one morning, I'm down at the garage I’m working on this old car I invite him in, give him a hammer And a twenty pound digging bar A couple of rusty old brake drums And an empty plastic tub I grab my old six string And Uncle Leroy is blowing on a jug Boom boom ticka ticka boom boom Boom boom ticka ticka boom Boom boom ticka ticka boom boom Boom boom ticka ticka boom We cleaned all the junk right out of the garage My wife’s real happy about that We swept the floors, we learned some songs We all got us a matching hat Every Friday after supper time The whole neighborhood is coming in Every girl grab your best fella Even Grandma is shaking her old skin Boom boom ticka ticka boom boom Boom boom ticka ticka boom Boom boom ticka ticka boom boom Boom boom ticka ticka boom Boom boom ticka ticka boom boom Boom boom ticka ticka boom Boom boom ticka ticka boom boom Boom boom ticka ticka boom Boom boom ticka ticka boom boom Boom boom ticka ticka boom
Your baby blues are bloodshot now You’ve been at it way too long I know it hurts It’s gonna hurt for a while You traded trust for heartache That wasn’t a very good deal You wanted someone to love you But we’re all so unreliable Broken and beautiful That’s how I see you Broken and beautiful I love you just the way you are To get out of bed in the morning Takes everything that you’ve got You feel like you’re never enough If only you could feel strong To be able to live with yourself You got to be somebody else Just to give it a go one more time You gotta be someone better than this Broken and beautiful That’s how I see you Broken and beautiful I love you just the way you are They told you that you were special But you’re feeling so empty now They said if you’re ever feeling bad Just turn that frown upside down You feel like your hair is on fire It’s so hard just to be nice You’re feeling mean and there’s nothing you can do Your smile has packed up and left town It hasn’t been seen in a long time It’s probably for their own good It’s for your own good But I want you to know that you are enough Broken and beautiful That’s how I see you Broken and beautiful I love you just the way you are
I got home and found hanging on my fence A hollow, empty shell from a locust He shed his armor now, that brave boy The rain will fall, the wind will blow, it’s still hanging on It’s been so long since I had a good cry It used to be so much easier I don’t even know why, why I’m so dry I try to catch my breath, I think I’ve had enough I went out on the porch, waiting for the dark I heard a cricket, under the flowerpot. He’s chirping the saddest song for everything he’s lost He’s chirping loud and long, I think I know how he feels It’s been so long since I had a good cry It used to be so much easier I don’t even know why, why I’m so dry I try to catch my breath, I think I’ve had enough
There’s a cat in the Christmas tree Oh me, Oh my She climbed up so very high There’s a cat in the Christmas tree Oh me, Oh my You silly cat, why There’s a cat in the Christmas tree Oh my, Oh me She chewed up some ribbon, left a present for me There’s a cat in the Christmas tree Oh my, Oh me Such a sight I never did see There’s a cat in the Christmas tree Oh whoop de doo She ate some tinsel, there was nothing I could do There’s a cat in the Christmas tree Oh whoop de doo Now she’s called little sparkle poo There’s a cat in the Christmas tree Oh low, low, low She chewed on some wires and a breaker did blow There’s a cat in the Christmas tree Oh low, low, low Now she’s got a real healthy glow There’s a cat in the Christmas tree Oh me, Oh my She climbed up so very high There’s a cat in the Christmas tree Oh me, Oh my You silly cat, why
The Chestnut Street serenade Singing for you, all the songs that I know Trying to melt your heart with my song I don’t know what I’d do If my plan worked I haven’t thought that far ahead I’m happy being miserable Miserable is better than dead Maybe you’d be better than that The Chestnut Street serenade Singing for you, all the songs that I know Trying to melt your heart with my song This is our secret Our secret romance Some things are better left as secret In the dark we can hide From what we don’t understand In the dark we’ll sing the words we’re afraid of The Chestnut Street serenade Singing for you, all the songs that I know Trying to melt your heart with my song I can’t seem to be able To let go of your hand That has to mean something Maybe I’ll give you All that I can For now, I’ll just sing another song The Chestnut Street serenade Singing for you, all the songs that I know Trying to melt your heart with my song The Chestnut Street serenade You melted me
Pops has had too much coffee He’s pacing a hole in the floor Mom is, um, paranoid She’s checking the locks on all the doors It’s not that she doesn’t want anybody busting in She doesn’t want us getting out It’s a quarantine, honey Stomp, and shimmy, shake, and shout Dancing in the living room The chicken skin shake Strut around in a great big circle Your legs have got to quake Dancing in the living room The chicken skin shake Jiggle, jiggle, jiggle, jiggle, jiggle them arms Jiggle, jiggle, jiggle them bones Dancing in the living room The chicken skin shake We ate everything We had up there on the shelf Every cracker, every crumb We shoved them in our mouth We ate everything From off this gravy train Now we’re calling for some delivery It’s the veggie lo mein Dancing in the living room The chicken skin shake Strut around in a great big circle Your legs have got to quake Dancing in the living room The chicken skin shake Jiggle, jiggle, jiggle, jiggle, jiggle them arms Jiggle, jiggle, jiggle them bones Dancing in the living room The chicken skin shake Dancing in the living room The chicken skin shake Strut around in a great big circle Your legs have got to quake Dancing in the living room The chicken skin shake Jiggle, jiggle, jiggle, jiggle, jiggle them arms Jiggle, jiggle, jiggle them bones Dancing in the living room The chicken skin shake Come on children We’re gonna dance it all night Step it, step it, step it, step it You gotta step it right Spin around, spin around, spin around, spin around Spin around like a top It ain’t over till The fat lady stop Jiggle, jiggle, jiggle, jiggle, jiggle them arms Jiggle, jiggle, jiggle them bones Jiggle, jiggle, jiggle, jiggle, jiggle them arms Jiggle, jiggle, jiggle them bones Jiggle, jiggle, jiggle, jiggle, jiggle them arms Jiggle, jiggle, jiggle them bones Jiggle, jiggle, jiggle, jiggle, jiggle them arms Jiggle, jiggle, jiggle them bones Dancing in the living room The chicken skin shake Dancing in the living room The chicken skin shake Dancing in the living room The chicken skin shake Dancing in the living room The chicken skin shake Dancing in the living room The chicken skin shake Dancing in the living room The chicken skin shake Dancing in the living room The chicken skin shake
Cosmoline, Cosmoline Cosmoline, so pure and clean When fire reigns down from the sky Everything I knew is turned to ash I bury my face into the mud To cool my burning flesh When fire reigns down from the sky Empty and burned up without you Cosmoline, Cosmoline Cosmoline, so pure and clean When I go out into the world To face temptation’s snares I carry you always with me, my dear Your image seared into my mind When I go out into the world Everywhere I go, I’m without you Cosmoline, Cosmoline Cosmoline, so pure and clean When I lay down to sleep at night Fragments of you flood my mind I lay there and try to remember you Your eyes and the way you’d smile When I lay down to sleep at night There I am without you
There’s a full moon rising up over the hill I'm sleeping on that cold, cold ground The wind is whispering through the treetops I'm laying on that cold, cold ground The creek is running up over its banks I'm sleeping on that cold, cold ground Me and the coyotes are howling at the moon I'm singing the only song that I know Crying for a love that once I lost I'm singing the only song that I know Dig me a hole and throw my body in Bury me in the cold, cold ground For all of my sins here and all of my crimes Throw me in that cold, cold ground Upon my very last dying breath Bury me in that cold, cold ground Me and the coyotes are howling at the moon I'm singing the only song I know Crying for a love that once I'd lost I'm singing the only song that I know
The Lord told Adam that for his crime There would be punishment, he had to do hard time Pack your crap boy and hit the road One way or another, you gotta do what you’re told By the sweat of your brow you will learn The simplest pleasure, must be earned Your very existence, you must carve Out of the hard ground, or you will starve The soup kitchen is closed for you bum Your children, their children, on and on Simple and easy in the garden You blew it boy, you’ll never see it again The curse of Adam, the sting of a bee The curse of Adam, a falling tree The curse of Adam, brings me to my knees The curse of Adam, I hate to leave Time has passed now, generations roll The sting of work has taken it’s toll We used to live to a ripe old age Now when we’re still babies, already headed to the grave From coal mine to the forest to any job that will pay We continue the struggle each and every day We have made tools and developed a trade Proud of our accomplishments and all we’ve made Even with all of this progress God looks down and says, “Aw, what a mess” Scratching and clawing, everyone wants to be the best Hard work won’t buy any rest The curse of Adam, the sting of a bee The curse of Adam, a falling tree The curse of Adam, brings me to my knees The curse of Adam, I hate to leave I know some people that think the world owes them They think it’s ok to take what they don’t have If you think you won’t pay, then roll them dice And ask old man Adam, what was his price Put your nose to the grindstone and shoulder the wheel Maybe if you’re real careful, your bruises will heal Like old Adam, we’re all headed for dead Just be grateful for your daily bread The curse of Adam, the sting of a bee The curse of Adam, a falling tree The curse of Adam, brings me to my knees The curse of Adam, I hate to leave I’m sweating and bleeding, sitting right where I’m at Working at music, put some money in the hat That’s all there is, there ain’t no more If you don’t like it, just show me the door
Your fingers curled over The top of my headboard My hands gently tracing Soft parts of your arm I can feel, on your fourth finger The reminder of him If I were king of a nation at war I would make sure He was in the front lines If I were king He’d throw himself out the window at my word If he happened to die There's nothing anyone could say I saw you up on your rooftop From my upstairs window Your skin is like honey dripping Sweet honey dripping I was sure, if I was close You would smell just like the sun If I were king, of a nation at war I would make sure He was in the front lines If I were king He'd throw himself out the window at my word If he happened to die There's nothing anyone could say
I got home from work early Put the dinner on the stove Longing for the “I love you’s” You’d whisper when we were alone I yearn for the yesterdays When I was your prize You’d walk me around With your big dreams in your eyes With a big house and a family A family with three kids You’d always take care of me Promised all the love you could give These bruises get easier to hide They barely even enter my mind But the way you look at me And the sound of your voice Rips me apart Leaves me feeling cold and alone Even when you’re by my side I caught myself thinking today About the first time I really cried You made me feel like nothing at all When you laughed at what I said It’s always the same old fight I guess you got tired of pointing out my flaws You said you’d had enough of this To find my own way home I remember that long walk home Convinced myself it wouldn’t happen again Hoping each set of headlights were yours You haven’t come for me yet These bruises get easier to hide They barely even enter my mind But the way you look at me And the sound of your voice Rips me apart Leaves me feeling cold and alone Even when you’re by my side I woke up tonight in the dark You’re lying there next to me I’ll get up and do it all again I won’t feel anything anymore These bruises get easier to hide They barely even enter my mind But the way you look at me And the sound of your voice Rips me apart Leaves me feeling cold and alone Even when you’re by my side
Nobody knows Nobody really knows Who laid her grave Put her beneath the sod Grab that old devil By his crooked horn And ask him What she had done When they found her The scene was a mess It’s broken glass And a bridal veil She was nailed Right to that wall Where her mother’s Portrait had been On either side For all to see In great big letters Scribbled two words Written with wood ash On one side A dusty smudge The word love The other word written With her own lipstick Smeared all around A bright red truth They couldn’t figure What it all meant They couldn’t figure What it all meant Nobody knows Nobody really knows Who laid her grave Put her beneath the sod Grab that old devil By his crooked horn And let him know It was my own two hands
Put the fat in the frying pan and listen to it sizzle Put the fat in the frying pan and listen to it sssss Put the fat in the frying pan and listen to it sizzle Now, you all got to sing for your supper. Somebody stole farmer brown’s prize hen Somebody stole farmer brown’s prize cluck Somebody stole farmer brown’s prize hen Now, you all got to sing for your supper Squeeze that hen, we’re having eggs Squeeze that hen, I’m eating eggs Squeeze that old hen, we’re having eggs Now, you all got to sing for your supper Too late for eggs, pluck that old hen Too late for eggs, pluck the cluck Too late for eggs, pluck the old hen Now, you all got to sing for your supper Chicken and gravy and leftover beans Chicken and gravy and leftover fart noise Chicken and gravy and leftover beans Now, you all got to sing for your supper Shake the old jug and pass it around Shake the old jug and pass it hiccup Shake the old jug and pass it around Now, we all sung for our supper Put the fat in the frying pan and listen to it sizzle Put the fat in the frying pan and listen to it sss Put the fat in the frying pan and listen to it sizzle Now, you all got to sing for your supper
Sleep tonight my angel I will stay till you’re asleep I know it’s been a long day But sleep tonight Sleep tonight Sleep tonight my love I know that you’re excited I am excited too But sleep tonight Sleep tonight Sleep tonight my angel Wrap my arms around you A little closer now Sleep tonight Sleep tonight
Fox went out with his brother coyote They walked out upon the fields Just before the morning would break They knew where all the little birds go They knew where all the little birds go They had acquired a little steel trap They set the bait and they pulled it back Dreaming of a mid-morning snack In the bushes waiting for the snap Undercover, waiting to hear the trap go snap They caught themselves a little sparrow Not much more than a coyote mouthful But whose teeth would get to taste That single bite of sparrow meat Which brother would get to eat Old fox, he grabbed a wing Coyote did the very same thing Pulled that bird wing from wing Before the wishbone snapped, she did sing As her wishbone snapped, she did sing Old fox and your brother coyote You got me but before I go I know how you are both gonna die You’re gonna die choking on an old sparrow bone You’re gonna die chocking on a little sparrow bone Old black crow circling all around Checking out what is on the ground Bleached out white by the sun It’s what’s left of fox and his brother coyote Old dead fox and his brother coyote Greedy fox and greedy coyote Eat your veggies you old fox and coyote
If I squint my eyes When I squint my eyes It’s the time of day when the light begins to play I look across the room and see her standing there There is a girl that I never knew She’s got a blue flowered dress Her hair hangs over her shoulder in a single plait She’s looking at me looking at me with judgement in her eyes She’s looking at me with judgement in her eyes I’ve been seeing ghosts Lurking in all my doorways They all came out They came out to play I’ve been seeing ghosts Hey, hey, hey, hey I look through the haze I’m cutting through the haze In the shadows of the room in the shadows I see a man He is someone, I’ve known him forever He’s got his hat perched on the top of his head He is standing so close, he is standing too close I feel his disappointment I know he’s disappointed but he wants me to go on I’m dancing while I play I’m dancing while I play I’ve been seeing ghosts Lurking in all my doorways They all came out They came out to play I’ve been seeing ghosts Hey, hey, hey, hey
I went down in the cold March water You get a line, honey and I'll get a pole We'll go fishing in the old baptizing hole The old baptizing hole The old baptizing hole Twenty-odd years ago somebody drowned here The preacher dunked him back and forgot to pull him up The city officials said they could baptize no more Baptize no more Baptize no more It's a calm, cool, clear night The trees are screaming your name This entire valley’s flooded With your blood By your blood With your blood I've seen the pictures of the man you call Christ A tall, handsome man with baby blue eyes He's much too pretty to save a wretch like me Save me Save me I heard a preacher say that in this life There are two kinds of people, the have’s and have-not’s Heaven’s for the perfect, worthless be damned Worthless be damned Worthless be damned It's a calm, cool, clear night The trees are screaming your name This entire valley’s flooded With your blood By your blood With your blood I went down in the rushing water The river washes my sin away The river carries me away Carries me away Carries me away
We go dancing in the light, light of the new moon It’s the night the ghouls come out, they’ll be walking soon This graveyard is full of stones Chipped and covered with moss Every stone tells it’s tale Each a tale of loss I’ve been dead now 40 years Killed by my true lover Took a bullet in the chest Because she loved another I am sure you have never seen A stupider man than me I stuck my head in a crocodiles mouth Just to see what I could see I bought myself a tombstone I want nothing but the best Chisel in my expiration date I’ll give it my best guess This graveyard is getting crowded Dying it ain’t no sin Saint and Sinner they are all Dying just to get in
Called my brother up the other day He said, hey brother I got something to say Don’t you think you’ve been here long enough It’s time for you to move on Called my brother up the other day He said, hey brother I got something to say Don’t you think you’ve been here long enough It’s time for you to move on They said it’s time to move on, but I’m not ready yet They said it’s time to move on, but I still got a little bit left I miss the way she combed her hair in the hallway mirror I miss the smell of earl grey in the afternoon I miss the way she was always laughing at me And the way that laugh would ring She said as she was lying there She said, I’m done lying here, it’s time for me to leave When I am gone from here I want you to move on She said as she was lying there She said, I’m done lying here, it’s time for me to leave When I am gone from here I want you to move on She said it’s time to move on, but I’m not ready yet She said it’s time to move on, but I still got a little bit left I miss the way she combed her hair in the hallway mirror I miss the smell of earl grey in the afternoon I miss the way she was always laughing at me And the way that laugh would ring I said to myself, I says self Don’t you think it’s time to be moving on There’s so much that we wanted to see There’s so much that we wanted to do I said to myself, I says self Don’t you think it’s time to be moving on There’s so much that we wanted to see There’s so much I wanted to do I guess it’s time to move on, but I’m not ready yet I guess it’s time to move on, but I still got a little grief left I miss the way she combed her hair in the hallway mirror I miss the smell of earl grey in the afternoon I miss the way she was always laughing at me And the way that laugh would ring
She walks out to sea With the wind in her hair And the warm sand soothing her feet There’s no one around Except the morning gulls Scavenging the treasures on the shore She looks out to sea Thinking she’s alone She discovers the ocean smiling back at her She pulls out her thoughts And secrets one by one Pouring them into the pale blue foam She watches As they’re sucked out to sea And listens as they echo back so quietly She knows they’ll be safe As they swirl all around Mixing with the other whispered secrets
I went down to the hen house, the hen house To see what I could happen to find There’s my old chicken, my chicken Good old Martha, that hen of mine Her nest was empty, it’s empty There were no eggs to be found So I had to sit and wait Wait for her to lay an egg down I sang to her this song And she gave one brown egg to me Just goes to show you, to show you Nothing in this word is free I took the egg to the kitchen And cracked it in a hot frying pan This song is now over, its over So don't ask for any bacon
You can tell a lot about a person By the way they hold their coffee cup You gotta grab it like you mean it Hold it like you need it Sip it like you’ve been here before Some people hold it all tentative and doubtful Like they’re afraid of getting too big of a mouthful Well, go ahead and dive right in Show us that steamy grin Slurp it like you’ll never have it again I’ve been known to sit too long, just holding my coffee cup All nervous and twitchy, I’m afraid to get back up When it’s gone it’s gone When it’s done, move on You can’t drink from an empty cup Grab it like you need it Hold it like you mean it
Final leg of a journey Started last week Out here on the road Searching for something more You’ve always been such a friend You say come on down and stay awhile This road leads to your door It will lead me to your door It will lead me to you Round and round and round and round We’re talking in circles Trying to be honest Afraid to say too much Trying to say it all Afraid of being honest You know I’m not telling you everything You can see it all in my eyes I’d like to tell you everything I’m the boy you’ve known so long Did you know I had a crush on you The girl I’ve wanted for so long With that sparkle in her eye She says maybe she only sparkles When I’m around And that is how it all began Everything must have a beginning This began before we ever knew It’s how it all began
Ever since the beginning of time There’s been songs written about heartache And man’s forever quest to get over it This song ain’t much different It includes all the same cliches Difference is, it’s about the first original heartache At the start of time, world was made Man was there but he got lonely, so Woman was made and it all went downhill from there Somewhere down the road woman got Restless and tired of his stink, she Decided she’d be better off without that bum With the sands of time, The hourglass empties Desert sure is dry You can’t get water From a stone Man wasn’t meant to be alone Man was sad and this was a new feeling Never felt before, his Eyes swelled up and a spray came forth Sand poured from his eyes, he Beat his chest and carried on Yeah, that’s right, I said sand poured from his eyes Like I said this was all brand new Not without a few bugs to work out, and Back then sand was the way of expressing sadness So man set out across the earth Crying sand all the way He didn’t know where he was going, so he just kept walking All the places he wandered looking for Something to cheer him up Sand piled higher and the deserts were made With the sands of time, The hourglass empties Desert sure is dry You can’t get water From a stone Man wasn’t meant to be alone He walked to the edge, the very Edge of the world and There he found the maker He said, “I don’t know if you’re open for Suggestions or criticisms but this Stuff from my eyes burns like hell” Don’t get me wrong, I think you done Great with every little thing, but this Way of making sad just ain’t working Creator stepped up and said, hey thanks bud, I was kinda Worried about that when we laid it down, I was Hoping we’d never need to use it. First thing first, and with a Wave of his wand, the Sand in the man’s eye turned to salt water Second thing is - being Sad’s alright, but it would be pretty Soggy ‘round here, if it lasted forever Man needs a way to get Over stuff, to Drown his sorrows and move on Creator took a chunk of that man’s liver Made himself a bartender from it Bartender took out some highball glasses and poured the whiskey The three of them had a drink, sat down Talked about all that was troubling them, Creator said, don’t worry boys, this rounds on me With the sands of time, The hourglass empties Desert sure is dry You can’t get water From a stone Man wasn’t meant to be alone
I like to run, it jiggles my brain I like to run, it’s quite insane When I go for a run I pretend there are zombies chasing me It’s really quite a thrill I like to run, it makes my feet ache I like to run, when I get home I’m having a big slice of chocolate cake When I go for a run I pretend there is a giant volcanic eruption Right there, it’s exploding, right there It’s really quite a thrill I like to run, it jiggles my bones I like to run, I’m listening to Some Brother Jack on my headphones When I go for a run I pretend there is a giant chicken chasing me Really, giant chickens are terrifying It’s really quite a thrill
Never again, I feel the wind brush my cheek Never again, I see the flowers reach for the sky Never again, I see the moon reflecting down Looking down on me Looking down on me Here we are now, at the end of the line With nothing more to do All I got here is a blanket and a bottle And noting left to lose Never again, I feel your lips brush my face Never again, Your arms are reaching out Never again, I see your eyes looking at me Your eyes looking at me Your eyes looking through me Here we are now, at the end of the line With nothing more to do All I got here is a blanket and a bottle And your damn cold feet
Twister is touching ground The ground begins to shake And the water is rising The sky is turning black The stars are all snuffed out And the moon, the moon is bleeding Put on my cleanest shirt And I comb my hair Got to look my best Got to look good for the end of days Locust have eaten their fill The apples hanging rotten And the fields are on fire Old men will dream their dreams Young men will see visions And your children will prophesy Put on my cleanest shirt And I comb my hair Got to look my best Got to look good for the end of days There’s a sign by the side of the road It says, are you ready The end is near
The band’s on the back porch Just picking Johnson’s reel All the girls are in the yard Kicking up their heels So what, if you don't know the steps Just stomp some ground and fake it Grab what your momma gave ya And shake it, shake it, shake it Old Uncle Leroy, out under the old oak tree He's got a bottle wedged between his knees When no one’s looking, he takes a great big swing While the rest of the time he’s just chewing on an old twig He says the spirit is willing boys, but this flesh is so weak Half a bottle gone now, he's headed to the creek Well he baptized his demons and he splashed around awhile Now he's running naked through the yard, looking for a towel Before this night is over and his bottle is all gone We'll get him up on the porch, he's drunk enough to play along Old Uncle Leroy, he likes to thump the bass But he has a real hard time, keeping a steady pace The band’s on the back porch Just picking Johnson’s reel All the girls are in the yard Kicking up their heels So what, if you don't know the steps Just stomp some ground and fake it Grab what your momma gave ya And shake it, shake it, shake it Old Grandma got her laundry hanging up there on a string Dresses, shirts, and socks, and all those lacy underthings On laundry day she scrubs up everything except what she's got on When evening comes she is ready for some dancing on the lawn Everybody knows Grandma is the best dancer in the land She's stomping the yard, to beat the band Stomping and a twirling, she spins round and round She spins those skirts too fast and ends up on the ground Eyes up boys, or you may get to know Grandma’s got no undies on, it's a laundry day peep show The band’s on the back porch Just picking Johnson’s reel All the girls are in the yard Kicking up their heels So what, if you don't know the steps Just stomp some ground and fake it Grab what your momma gave ya And shake it, shake it, shake it The band’s on the back porch Just picking Johnson’s reel All the girls are in the yard Kicking up their heels So what, if you don't know the steps Just stomp some ground and fake it Grab what your momma gave ya And shake it, shake it, shake it The band’s on the back porch Just picking Johnson’s reel All the girls are in the yard Kicking up their heels So what, if you don't know the steps Just stomp some ground and fake it Grab what your momma gave ya And shake it, shake it, shake it
The good Lord came to me and said Boy, you gotta go where you don’t want to go The good Lord came to me and said Boy, you gotta do what you don’t want to do He said, I’m sending you You gotta go where you don’t want to go I tried to run I tried to hide I did go where no one could find me Then he sent a great big fish to swallow me whole I’m in the belly of the whale, it’s so deep, deep, deep The bottom of the sea is so deep, deep, deep The pressure is crushing me, it’s so deep, deep, deep The ocean is closing in now deep, deep, deep Squeezing my skin, it’s so deep, deep, deep It’s the heartbeat of a whale going beat, beat, beat It’s taking over now beat, beat, beat All I can hear going beat, beat, beat Everything is going black now beat, beat, beat All I want to do is sleep so deep, deep, deep Beat, beat, beat Deep, deep, deep But I got out I wanna tell the world that I survived I got out I wanna tell the world that I’m alive Pull up my socks and I wipe my eyes There is hope on the other side Pull up my socks and I wipe my eyes There is hope on the other side The muses spoke to me and said Boy, you gotta sing a song you don’t want to sing The spirit’s moving me and says Boy, you gotta stand where you don’t want to stand He says, I’m sending you You gotta sing a song you don’t want to sing I tried to run I walked away I shut my mouth, I got nothing to say Then he sent a great big song to swallow me whole I’m in the belly of a song it’s so loud, loud, loud Hit bottom again it’s so loud, loud, loud Force a goofy grin it’s so loud, loud, loud Starting to panic now it’s so loud, loud, loud Gotta get out, don’t know how, loud, loud, loud The heartbeat of a whale going beat, beat, beat It’s taking over now beat, beat, beat All I can feel going beat, beat, beat Everything is going black now beat, beat, beat All I want to do is sleep so deep, deep, deep Beat, beat, beat Deep, deep, deep But I got out I wanna tell the world that I survived I got out I wanna tell the world that I’m alive Stomp your feet Now, hold someone’s hand There is hope on the other side Stomp your feet and grab someone’s hand There is hope on the other side (Rant) I got out I wanna tell the world that I survived I got out I wanna tell the world that I’m alive Clap your hands and shout it together There is hope on the other side Clap your hands, now scream it together There is hope on the other side There is hope on the other side There is hope on the other side
You can hear it in the breeze Blowing through the leaves up in all the trees You can hear it in the neighbor’s car Going beep, beep, beep cause he forgot his keys It’s a joyous noise on a busted banjo It’s a joyous noise on a busted banjo You can hear it in the birds Chirping good morning at the crack of dawn You can hear it in the drone of the engines As everyone is out mowing their lawn It’s a joyous noise on a busted banjo It’s a joyous noise on a busted banjo You can hear it in a group of kids With their out of tune violins You can hear it in the stuffy ladies With the tsk, tsk, tsk as they are judging my sins It’s a joyous noise on a busted banjo It’s a joyous noise on a busted banjo You can hear it in the baby’s cry There’s something that she really needs You can hear it in a contended sigh It’s annoying, I know, but at least he’ll never leave It’s a joyous noise on a busted banjo It’s a joyous noise on a busted banjo I’m so grateful for all these sounds Because they remind me I don’t have to be perfect To find some beauty
Old man Judas had a hill On the outskirts of town He built himself a big tall gallows To hang himself from With a kiss he sealed the deal Everything’s got a price Old man Judas felt so bad When the guards rolled them dice Couple of nails and a butchered king To finish up the job Old man Judas played his part From the rope he did bob Old man Judas had a hill On the outskirts of town He built himself a big tall gallows To hang himself from
He lived in words He lived in quiet solitude He spent his days With a little dog named Napoleon It'd be easy to explain it away To say that he had just snapped But it was more like the ocean The waves just wearing him away He liked to look out the window Watch the birds pecking at the earth He was partial to prose He was a sucker for a romantic verse They praised him as a sensitive boy Maybe he just cried too much She was the only one who ever Looked him in the eye He wore her heart on his sleeve Their bloodlines forever entwined He carved her name across his bare chest He's the butcher poet of Jug Handle Hill He lived in words Words that were screaming in his head He liked the quiet monotony Cutting meat down at the store Everyday that he passes her house He's draining out like an hourglass More like a pen Scratching paper till the ink was all gone He wore her heart on his sleeve Their bloodlines forever entwined He carved her name across his bare chest He's the butcher poet of Jug Handle Hill He liked to look in her window See her dancing across her room He sent her words Scribbled down on his butcher paper Then one night he stepped out of the shadows He came knocking right up at her door She was the only one Who ever looked him in the eye He wore her heart on his sleeve Their bloodlines forever entwined He carved her name across his bare chest He's the butcher poet of Jug Handle Hill He lived in words Her words calmed his scattered mind She loved his words She was a sucker for romantic verse
Put my coat on With a briefcase in my hand Open up the door and step out into the world A smile painted on my face As I pass the man on the stairs Hiding behind this sweater He’ll never see what’s there I control what you see I control who you know I can be most anything that I want to be But never me A little less than perfect and I’m not there yet A little less than perfect and perfect’s a little less than me Looking in my mirror where less is always more Looking out through my eyes It’s a beautiful world but I don’t fit Get home late Safe here alone at home A bag of groceries under each arm Heading for the kitchen Cook myself dinner And it’s looking pretty good now Don’t feel much like eating So I throw it away I do the dishes Then I put them away Going through the motions Gotta keep a normal day Naked in the bathroom As I fill up the tub Lower myself down Swallowed by the water The hands that are washing me I connected by these thin arms When I look down I don’t recognize myself It’s been so long since I’ve seen my skin And I’ve lost what beauty was but I know I’m starving for control A little less than perfect and I’m not there yet A little less than perfect and perfect’s a little less than me Looking in my mirror were less is always more Looking out through my eyes It’s a beautiful world but I don’t fit I don’t know how this happened Don’t know, don’t know when or where But this was sneaking up on me I used to be someone Now I just don’t know I don’t know what to eat or went to sleep I don’t understand No, I don’t understand I’m out of control I’m out of control A little less than perfect and I’m not there yet A little less than perfect and perfect’s a little less than me Looking in my mirror were less is always more Looking out through my eyes It’s a beautiful world but I don’t fit
Reciting sappy love song lyrics I’m hoping you’re the ears meant to hear them And I, I don’t know what this all means But I know what it seems It seems on tv, it’s the only words they’re saying And these magazines say I got to be playing And I’m just a little girl In this whole wide world Doing whatever I can to fit in He says he wants to take it to the next level What am I, just a video game Holding hands in your parents’ basement The look in your eyes is just stopping time Moving closer with your arm around me Nervously you say, “I want to be serious” And I’m just a little girl In this whole wide world Doing whatever I can to fit in You gotta find that one boy That one special boy And when you find him You’ll be that special girl The only girl And you’ll do what it takes to keep him You’ll learn and you’ll sacrifice You’ll pluck and you’ll curl And you’ll stay trim You’ll wax ad you’ll exfoliate And you will have figured things out by then And he will be yours Maybe this is nothing new There are plenty of boys who are just like you But this is different this time Can’t you see this is so serious Maybe I’m not ready for this But what else is a girl to do And I’m just a little girl In this whole wide world Doing whatever I can to fit in
Well, you’re siting at my elbow Perched high atop a bar room throne We’re in a long line of great Friday night escape artists I got a double Irish And you’re sipping your sour apple martini The band begins their eulogy To the all too real, life crushing day Those were the days when we howled at the moon Your sundress clinging to your back As you flit across this hot sticky room The door explodes into the night Leaking out all those pent up pheromones Roll down the concrete Find someplace to rest our weary bones We were the kings and queens of another Friday night We were the kings and queens of another Friday night Well, you’re hanging from my elbow As we spin across this crowded floor I never dance, I took a chance You looked so good to me The frat boys at the bar are making fun Of my smooth stepping moves The bass is thumping and we’re all jumping In slow motion Those were the days when we howled at the moon A sundress clinging to your back As you flit across this hot sticky room The door explodes into the night Leaking out all those pent up pheromones Roll down the concrete Find someplace to rest our weary bones We were the kings and queens of another Friday night We were the kings and queens of another Friday night Well, we hooked elbows And we roll down the street arm in arm We closed them out, we shut them down Making memories, we’ll never remember We’re screaming jukebox melodies At all the burning street corner lights Excitement dripping into the night I pound my chest and kiss it all goodnight Those were the days when we howled at the moon A sundress clinging to your back As you flit across this hot sticky room The door explodes into the night Leaking out all those pent up pheromones Roll down the concrete Find someplace to rest our weary bones We were the kings and queens of another Friday night We were the kings and queens of another Friday night We were the kings and queens of another Friday night
Kiss me softly, kiss me warm Kiss me like it's the first time again Kiss me hard, kiss me fast Kiss me like you know it's gonna be your last Kiss me now, kiss me quiet Kiss me like it's a big, big secret Kiss me loud, kiss me passionately Kiss me like you want the whole world to see Kiss me again, kiss me with your eyes Kiss me like you hate saying goodbye Kiss me in the dark, kiss me to sleep Kiss me like you know I'll never leave You know I’ll never leave I’ll never leave Never leave Never leave Just kiss me
Scratch in the dirt and plant a kiss Dig a hole for someone we’ll miss Plant a kiss, with a rusty hoe Mound the ground and let it go Meet me at the kissing tree Just the birds and you and me The bees buzz their weary song The fence post shadows growing long Quiet now, just hold my hand May the kissing tree forever stand Plant a kiss deep in the ground Join hands, ring ‘round and ‘round Ashes, ashes, all fall down Wear that kiss and a willow crown Meet me at the kissing tree Just the birds and you and me The bees buzz their weary song The fence post shadows growing long Quiet now, just hold my hand May the kissing tree forever stand On top of the hill, be sure to meet me Plant a kiss, we’ll plant a tree Dry bones to that graveyard Scratch in the dirt and plant a kiss hard Meet me at the kissing tree Just the birds and you and me The bees buzz their weary song The fence post shadows growing long Quiet now, just hold my hand May the kissing tree forever stand
It’s a knife in my back When you left for Omaha You said you had to go see your mother Everyone knows that she’s been dead for years What’s a girl to do Without her leading man You carved your share right our of me I’ve got my battle scars Underneath all that flash You didn’t have the nerve to tell me straight Goodbye Goodbye Goodbye Goodbye Goodbye This is ironic All these years you were throwing knives at me And now this, here it is This is how it will end
It's laundry day again I'm out of clean socks Start the water, add the soap Well, here’s a load of mine Throw in what you got We’ll separate it later We’ll watch it all come clean Wash it all clean You will come clean Round and round and round and round Around it goes It’s getting warmer as it gets drier It’s getting drier as it gets warmer There’s nothing like a clean, warm shirt It’s got to be clean and warm You are so warm Open the dryer door Out tumbles a mass of clothes Your favorite things to wear Tangled up with mine Here’s my blue corduroy’s You say I look good in them They’re twisted round your favorite sweater Twisted up with your sweater Twisted up with you I’m tangled up in you
The lion tamer cracks his whip And the lion’s mouth is shut He’s tamed every beast that walks this earth But he’s never tamed his tongue Lion tamer, lion tamer Why do you say the things you say The words you choose cause your tongue To sting like the whip you crack Your words hurt, they cut to the bone You’ve chased everyone that loved you away The lion tamer cracks his whip And the lion’s mouth is shut He’s tamed every beast that walks this earth But he’s never tamed his tongue Lion tamer, lion tamer Why do you say the things you say You made Rosie the clown cry again Everyone knows that clowns shouldn’t cry She spit at you and said she’d never forgive you The things you say make you a beast The lion tamer cracks his whip And the lion’s mouth is shut He’s tamed every beast that walks this earth But he’s never tamed his tongue Lion tamer, lion tamer Why do you say the hurtful things you say The beautiful freaks dance by the light of the moon You sit alone in your little cage Your only companions are your tongue and your whip One for the lion and one for yourself The lion tamer whispers a word And the lion’s mouth is shut His tongue has caused so much pain So with his whip he hangs
I feel alone, so cold and alone No one here beside me to lend a hand And you don’t understand who I am I feel so empty gotta fill it with Well you don’t know my name You just turn away 16, it’s still so young But I feel much older than that 16, it’s old enough to know better Still too young to care at all Cause I gotta feel something different Than what I feel right now He holds me close, makes me feel different With each embrace I feel more than before I gotta go deeper, deeper, deeper than before It’s the only thing that makes me feel alive And anymore it don’t matter who it is 16, it’s still so young But I feel much older than that 16, it’s old enough to know better Still too young to care at all Cause I gotta feel something different Than what I feel right now You don’t think I see the way that you stare And you don’t think I know the things you say about me But at least I have a name, at least you see me here Maybe it isn’t good but it’s all I have right now Maybe I wanted more but it’s all that’s left of me You’ll never understand who I am No, you’ll never, you’ll never understand No, You’ll never understand who I am No, you’ll never, you’ll never understand I am so young only 16 I’m 16, I’m 16 And I got to feel something different Then what I feel right now
I look out the window The sky is a shade of grey There is a single bird Sitting by himself He looks like he is lost Can’t find his little birdy friends And I start to cry About that stupid bird The tears well up I sing Mmm, mmm, mmm, mmm Mmm, mmm, mmm, mmm I feel better Sometimes I feel better It’s the photo that was taken Just before he found out It’s the little pink ribbon We found in the bottom of her drawer It’s the empty stare She’s going through the motions It’s his brave face despite Brave face, everybody knows It’s the hungry look All the hungry eyes The tears well up I sing Mmm, mmm, mmm, mmm Mmm, mmm, mmm, mmm I feel better Sometimes I feel better I get sad sometimes About little thing that happen It gets me down Thinking about that stuff I get swallowed up And overwhelmed by it all The tears well up I sing Mmm, mmm, mmm, mmm Mmm, mmm, mmm, mmm And I feel better Sometimes I feel better Sometimes It makes me feel better sometimes But not always
Grandma is up a tree Waiting for the rapture I guess I should mention She’s completely nude She’s up there waiting For her Lord and Savior to return She shed her earthly garments She thinks she’s wearing her heavenly raiments Grandma is up a tree With absent minded zealotry I guess you could say She’s a real lost cause Lost cause, cause It’s a lost cause Lost cause It’s lost cause It’s a lost cause Lost cause I’m in a band Waiting for the noise to begin I got an audience of one It’s just lonely old me When you play the kind of music That not many people want to hear You can’t be surprised When there aren’t many ears Well, I’m in a band And we play weird folk music I guess you could say It’s a real lost cause Lost cause, cause It’s a lost cause Lost cause It’s lost cause It’s a lost cause Lost cause Old Uncle Leroy He’s in the garage having church See, he met a girl, went to some meetings And changed some things Don’t think for a second That he’s fooling anybody It’s the same old bottle With a different label Old Uncle Leroy Is in the garage drinking his sacraments And I guess you could say He’s a real lost cause Lost cause, cause It’s a lost cause Lost cause It’s lost cause It’s a lost cause Lost cause I guess we are all Like ducks sitting on the water Floating steady, nipping at bugs Enjoying every kind of weather But underneath it all We’re kicking just as fast as we can We’re in a great big hurry Even if we’re already there So lace up your running shoes And plop right down in the grass If you got somewhere better to be Then it’s a real lost cause Lost cause, cause It’s a lost cause Lost cause It’s lost cause It’s a lost cause Lost cause Lost cause, cause It’s a lost cause Lost cause It’s lost cause It’s a lost cause Lost cause Lost cause, cause It’s a lost cause Lost cause It’s lost cause It’s a lost cause Lost cause Lost cause, cause It’s a lost cause Lost cause It’s lost cause It’s a lost cause Lost cause
The old man stood on the top of the hill With his son and a very sharp knife His loving God demanded for payment A living sacrifice The good Lord said, hold it there man I was just kidding Check the bushes and you will find tied up a ram He said, I was just testing you Abe You must love me above all else For I am who I am The old man didn’t get the joke But he guessed he passed that test He’s never been so scared in his whole life He said, loving his son that much Was like taking that great big knife And carving out a little piece of himself Love is a butcher Love is a cleaver in your chest Love is a bloody butcher It’ll cut you, cut you, cut you into little tiny pieces The phone rang the other day Gram said she didn’t know who to call She thought that she would call me She said she was down and out, she was down and out She had just lost husband number three She said, loving and losing boy, loving and losing I’ve had three husbands who have died She said, each time I lose someone It’s like using a great big axe And taking a chunk out of my hide She said, I’m getting older and fatter boy But I’m feeling thinner and thinner Like a piece of paper blowing in the wind She said, there ain’t no shame in loving boy Get back up on that horse and try again This time I was sliced too thin Love is a butcher Love is a cleaver in your chest Love is a bloody butcher It’ll cut you, cut you, cut you into little tiny pieces Well, Brothers and Sisters Brothers and Sisters We are gathered here today Well, Brothers and Sisters Brothers and Sisters Hear what the good book has to say You must leave your mother and father You must leave your mother and father And cleave to the one you love You must cleave, you must cleave You must cleave to the one you love When I hear the word cleave It reminds me of a cleaver And that’s exactly what love is going to be Love will cut you up, it will cut you up Till there is nothing left of you Love is a butcher Love is a cleaver in your chest Love is a bloody butcher It’ll cut you, cut you, cut you into little tiny pieces
There will be no need for a lamp There will be no more night When we gather by the river But for now, my child sleep Water flows just like crystal And the tree bears it’s fruit We’re going there to want for nothing But for now, my child sleep Wash your robes my child and you’ll be blessed You may enter through the gates You may taste the tree of life But for now, my child sleep There will be no need for a lamp There will be no more night When we gather by the river But for now, my child sleep
Do you know how to read a map Use your finger and trace that line Any town, any place Where we end up God only knows When this is over We’ll get in the car and go Do you know how to write a letter Write down anything Whatever comes to mind We’ll grab a stamp Send it out to someone you love It’s a great way to Share what you’re going through Do you know how to plant a seed Pinch it real careful and Drop it in the dirt It’s a lot of waiting Rain, sun, and wait some more Wait long enough We’ll find out what you will grow Do you know how to see the world You don’t need much Maybe just an extra shirt Pack your stuff See where the road might take us When this is over We’ll get in the car and go
Your peace is a river, I’m swimming to shore You threw me an apple, I’m chewing on the core I’m treading water, I can see the horizon line Keep my head up, fighting for what’s mine With a bit and a bridle, you can’t make me drink Hold me under now, I’m starting to sink Meet me at the river Meet me at the river Meet me at the river Down by the riverside The wind in my hair, it’s your breath on my face Dancing through a field of Queen Anne’s lace Dig a hole in the ground, that’s where my rest lies Mix up some mud and smear it on my eyes Take a bath in the river, scrub my rotten skin Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, dunk away my sin Meet me at the river Meet me at the river Meet me at the river Down by the riverside Fighting the current, I’m trying to get out Your peace is a river, I’m choking on my doubt My last mouthful of bread, I spit it up at the sky Your body and your blood, even you had to die The mud is your grace, I’m slipping back in I can’t fight anymore, I give up, I give in Meet me at the river Meet me at the river Meet me at the river Down by the riverside Meet me at the river Meet me at the river Meet me at the river Down by the riverside Meet me at the river Meet me at the river Meet me at the river Down by the riverside
Mr Malarkey blah blah blah Mr malarkey nah nah Mr Malarkey blah blah blah Mr Malarkey ohhhh Mr Malarkey likes to hear himself speak He once told a story it lasted all week He rarely has anything to say Doesn’t stop him from saying it all anyway Sometimes he likes to talk to the wind Telling the world about the places he’s been He never really gone anywhere He still has lots and lots to share Whenever you pass that old brown jug It will never get beyond Mr Malarkey’s mug He’ll take a sip and then stories start a flowing Blawwwweehhhh like a hurricane blowing He talks so much, he’s talked for years His very own wife, shoved wool in her ears It’s the very best marriage, though, you ever could find She just smiles and nods, and shakes her head If ever you should happen to meet Mr. Malarkey, be quick on your feet Turn and go before he opens his mouth Or you’ll be stuck standing there, listening forever, just sinking into the earth, slowly, one long story at a time, and you try to interrupt, mr malarkey, you already told me that, but he can’t hear you because he’s busy going on and on, telling you the same story over and over and over, and you feel yourself, drifting away into eternity, it’s painful, he won’t shut up, can’t take a hint, just going on and on and on and on and on...
This song is about my favorite old sweater You will know what I am talking about Everybody has a favorite old sweater You’ve been through some stuff together Breakups, kisses, kids, fights, and personal tragedy But mostly it’s a dependable garment You get that first crisp, fall morning The seasons are trying to changing, you are not quit there yet You don’t want to turn on the furnace but it is chilly You curl up with a blanket You got a hot cup of coffee and everything is perfect It’s all cozy and you know you got that sweater on There’s a grease stain on the collar A tiny bunt hole on the front And the entire left sleeve is trying to let go Get off while the getting’s good Been spit up on by all three kids Been to some weddings and a couple funerals When I die, I want to be buried In my favorite old sweater Well everybody’s got a favorite old sweater Except maybe your’s isn’t a sweater at all Maybe it’s an old college sweatshirt, has some Greek letters on the front It’s advertising your favorite sorority It’s probably not something you wear out of the house But when there is a chill in the air, it’s the thing you want to have on Maybe it’s an old flannel shirt Left over from your old grunge music days The elbows are worn out from throwing haymakers in the mosh pit It’s missing every other button It’s got a rip in it, down here from that time Well you know what I’m talking about It stays in the bottom of the dresser drawer It’s just an old rag really, but you could never part with it because it’s always been there for you My old sweater wasn’t original to me This is a hand me down sweater Pre-owned, gently used merchandise This sweater originally belonged to my Grandfather I don’t remember for sure if he gave it to me Right before he died or maybe it was just after Well, I guess he couldn’t have given it to me after he died That would have been weird But somehow I ended up with this sweater and I’m glad I did I don’t have any specific memories of Pap wearing the sweater I am positive it was not his favorite old sweater But I know it belonged to Pap and when I put it on, I think of him He’s been dead now a long time I’ve been wearing the sweater out for 20 years, anyhow We’ve been through some stuff, me and this sweater Even though it’s had plenty of time to air itself out The first time every fall when I put it on It always smells like he is standing there next to me It’s that first chilly day, you go outside, and you really need a sweater And you are walking to the park with the kids And everyone has their little favorite sweater on And the leaves are crunching underneath your feet And you are thinking about having soup for dinner And your dreaming about great big pumpkins and all that basic stuff The chilly, crisp air blows through the half naked trees And the smell on the air, I am sure There must be a ghost smoking a pipe in my sweater pocket
Don’t look at me that way No one has ever looked at me And saw what you see Trying to hide behind an open window Sometimes it would be easier If windows were mirrors Naked eyes Showing you everything I’m holding inside Naked eyes Showing you everything that I’m trying to hide You say, you love to get lost in my eyes I say, it’s a scary place without a map You say, in my eyes you can see your reflection I say, if you see yourself, you’re not lost with me Naked eyes You’re looking at me While I’m looking at you Naked eyes So hard to look at So hard to look away Don’t look at me that way You hold the whole world In your eye sockets When you look at me It’s like the first time You ever opened your eyes Eyes full of wonder I know you see me as beautiful Naked eyes You’re seeing me While I’m seeing you Naked eyes A soft glance Reminds me to breathe When I kiss you You keep your eyes open You say you’re afraid Of what you might miss You say in my eyes You see the depth of forever I say in your eyes I see the man I know I can be Naked eyes You’re seeing me While I’m seeing you Naked eyes A soft glance Reminds me to breathe
Naked eyes Showing you everything I’m holding inside Naked eyes Showing you everything I’m trying to hide Don’t look at me that way I can see the whole world in your eye sockets When you look at me You’re telling me everything One look from you can break my heart Naked eyes You’re looking at me While I’m looking at you Naked eyes So hard to look at so hard to look away My blushing bride It’s picture perfect in your mind’s eye There’s nothing pretty About this faded old photograph Look at the ribbons and the laces Are you satisfied Go ahead and try to hide Are you satisfied Maybe you better just shut your eyes Naked eyes You’re seeing me While I’m seeing you Naked eye A soft glance reminds me to breathe I am so nervous Here’s the part I’ve been waiting for Your rock steady hand in mine When I kiss you You keep your eyes open Yo say you’re afraid of what you might miss You say in my eyes You see the depths of forever I say in your eyes I see the man I know I can be Naked eyes My blushing bride Naked eyes A soft glance reminds me to breather Naked eyes My blushing bride Naked eyes A soft glance reminds me to breathe Naked eyes A soft glance reminds me to breathe A soft glance reminds me to breathe Reminds me to breathe Reminds me to breath
In classic fashion We begin our tale With once upon a time Once upon a time The scene Could’ve been anywhere Let’s say in early spring And for characters, only two But like any good cast We have our share of ghosts Our characters, I’ll choose fitting names We’ll call them the Princess and Hero Princess and the Hero Friends could be lovers If circumstances were different Princess sits on the edge of her bed Haunted by our Hero, now retired Our late Hero And Hero, miles away Sits on a barstool thinking about the past Call it misinformation Call it paths not taken Or just cal it poor timing Hero, I say hero But he’s really just a boy without a clue A traveling musician Ready for the road Looking for inspiration Our brave Hero And Princess, an ordinary girl Walks a path others have chosen for her She searches for courage to walk her own path She knows she wants so much more Once upon a time Once there was a time Every good story must have a twist of fate Circumstances do change Circumstantial evidence And Hero is at her doorstep Friends could be lovers Maybe, once upon a time
Our happy Hero Seems to have won Princess with his song But life can be funny sometimes It’s the thing he wanted the most Is the very thing that terrifies him Not afraid that it will be bad But afraid of getting it wrong Round and round Round and round Up and down Up and down Round and round Round and round Up and down Up and down Life is like a carousel Round and round, up and down And then up and down again She wants to ride with you Get on your horse and ride alongside But don’t be fooled, it could get rough Just hold on tight These horses are alive She’s right next to you Nothing to fear Round and round Round and round Up and down Up and down Round and round Round and round Up and down Up and down
Another step forward And another step back Hero will find a friend A companion And maybe even a lover But we all search through this dream This fantasy And we trust in love or fate And that has worked But the test comes after the question And Hero ponders And drinks another barstool bottle He believes that life will be sweeter, someday Why wait for someday It’s time silly Hero Time for your question
Remember that place down on fourth street We used to go in for a slice after work The guy in there, I think his name was Joe, I really can’t remember He used to spin the pizza right there on the tip of his finger I was in town the other day I thought I would stop in I tell you, it’s not the same Even though it still looks the same It looks the same But it will never be the same Looks the same It will never be the same Still the same It will never be the same Still the same It will never be the same Did you hear about old Scotty Boy, that guy used to like to have some fun I don’t know how it all went so bad He got wrapped up in some stuff he couldn’t handle It all went south, now he’s living with his mom I couldn’t believe it I never thought it would happen to that guy I stopped in to see him right after it happened He was still the same old Scotty Still the same He’s not really the same Somehow he’s the same He’s never going to be the same Still the same He’ll never be the same Still the same He’ll never be the same Still the same He’ll never be the same It’s good to talk to you, I guess it’s been a while How’s your wife, how’s the kids, you know, how’s that job Did you talk to anybody else anymore Yeah, I don’t really talk to anybody, anymore Me, you know me I’m doing good, I never change I stay the same I think I’m the same I’m still the same Somehow, maybe I’m the same Still the same Not really the same I stay the same I guess I’m not the same at all Stay the same Nothing ever stays the same Still the same Nothing stays the same Still the same Nothing stays the same Still the same Nothing ever stays the same
I got a lot of old friends Everyone of them started out as a new friend So I guess I’ll go out and make a lot more new friends Eventually, I’ll have a lot more old friends Oddballs, old friends, and weird folk Oddballs, old friends, and weird folk I know some people that like to run their ship real tight Everything’s got to be all hip and cool Well, I know who I am and I know who I’m not And I ain’t never been nobody’s fool Oddballs, old friends, and weird folk Oddballs, old friends, and weird folk I’m listening to all the old songs on the radio Sometimes a song, it can make me cry I remember all the times that we we had And I remember the reasons why I guess I’m doing ok I’ll never be something that I’m not I’m sitting here just being me And being me is all that I got Oddballs, old friends, and weird folk Oddballs, old friends, and weird folk I never ate lunch with the cool kids You see, it used to bother me, now it don’t There’s no such thing as a free lunch Sha nonny nonny skiddley nont Oddballs, old friends, and weird folk Oddballs, old friends, and weird folk I hug my friends when I see them Because, hey, you never know See we’ve lost some friends before their time I’ll sing another song before I go Oddballs, old friends, and weird folk Oddballs, old friends, and weird folk Oddballs, old friends, and weird folk
When the end comes Well, you have to say goodbye So long, see you later Wish I didn’t have to go Here I am checking out I bought the farm Well, I wish I didn’t have to go That which makes all men terrified In which we are all glorified That which makes the bravest man cry An atheist will give a priest a chance One day the old reaper will find you There is no earthly way to hide It’s inevitable you’ll die here It’s just a waiting game With his wicked scythe, he’ll cut you down They’ll raise up that old burial mound Poisoned, stabbed, old age, or drowned He’ll find a way to claim you When the end comes Well, you have to say goodbye So long, see you later Wish I didn’t have to go Here I am checking out I bought the farm Well, I wish I didn’t have to go Black man, white man, and a patriot Anarchist, trans, and a terrorist People you know and all the people you hate It’s a great equalizer Car accident or a suicide Medical complications, a genocide Natural causes or a homicide So many different ways to go here Heaven, hell, reincarnation Purgatory, moral motivation Darkness or a sunny vacation Either way its the end, now When the end comes Well, you have to say goodbye So long, see you later Wish I didn’t have to go Here I am checking out I bought the farm Well, I wish I didn’t have to go For which all the songs have been song That which makes scary movies fun Makes a painter paint the setting sun It’s artistic inspiration It destroys life for a mother Carves a great divide for two lovers Please, don’t let my dog suffer Here, we’ve all known some loss It leaves us crying in it’s wake Inflicting pain we just can’t take Despite empty promises we make It’s so hard to put them to rest When the end comes Well, you have to say goodbye So long, see you later Wish I didn’t have to go Here I am checking out I bought the farm Well, I wish I didn’t have to go I got questions I want answers to Don’t think I can let go of you Guess letting go is what you’d want me to do So here I am moving on
Sitting in your living room Listening to old vinyl records play We’ll get up and practice our dancing moves As we so often have a tendency to do As the records spin around I put my hands on the small of your back With a pop, and a crack, a hiss, and a kiss It goes something like this Warm soft light coming from the lamp in the corner I will hold you tight Music is soft and low but it's pounding in my head I will hold you tight Spinning across the carpet with your hands on my shoulders I'll hold you tight, did I mention I’d hold you tight Oh, this is home Oh, this is home The following verse is from the Stomp Your Feet version only: It's been so long since we heard that old song We've been too busy just running around It's Friday night, the kids are in bed, you're dozing in your chair I whisper softly, do you remember how it goes As the record spins around I put my hands on the small of your back With a pop, and a crack, a hiss, and a kiss It goes something like this Warm soft light coming from the lamp in the corner I will hold you tight Music is soft and low but it's pounding in my head I will hold you tight Spinning across the carpet with your hands on my shoulders I'll hold you tight, did I mention I’d hold you tight Oh, this is home Oh, this is home Oh, this is home
Sitting on a bar stool, in this smoky haze Got a gin and tonic to clear my mind Sitting here thinking about the return of Jesus Christ And the way it’s all gonna end I ain’t no bible scholar but I read a page or two He was here once, guess he’s coming back soon Will it be a big, big bang or soft and gentle Like the summertime rain on the old porch roof Will I even notice, will I run outside to see Jesus coming down through the clouds He lifts me up, I’m flying high Looking down on all you left below When the roll is called up yonder, I’ll be there (Judgement verse 2) When we all get to heaven What a day of rejoicing that will be We’ll all be in paradise, but some of us more so than others There’s a special place set up for the privileged Body and blood of Christ, this holy meal Well, it turns into a big fatty steak with 25 year old scotch Well, up there you have all them TV preachers who sent us to hell Republican politicians will be there and maybe 2 or 3 lucky democrats Super rich guys will be there with their super skinny wives And the guys who were the stars of my high school Well, I’ll be in there somewhere but I got to work harder than you Make sure my appetites don’t get the best of me When the roll is called up yonder, I’ll be there (Revised and updated verse 2) When we all get to heaven What a day of rejoicing that will be We’ll all be in paradise, but some of us more so than others There’s a special place set up for the privileged Up there will be the TV preachers who sent us to hell And all of the politicians that play for the right team There will be all the people that cheated their way in They purchased their golden ticket with a little charitable donation All of those VIP’s will be real surprised when they look around See all of us oddballs and weird folk I’ll be in there somewhere but I got to work real hard Make sure my appetites don’t get the best of me When the roll is called up yonder, I’ll be there Well, I’ll be there with my hobo brothers And all my dirty derelict friends I haven’t always been real good, but I tried just the best that I could This stuff doesn’t come easy We’ll be sitting around feasting, we’ll be praising the Lord the best we know how Like the Bible says, blessed are the poor Blessed are the weak, blessed are the humble Blessed are the kicked around and beat up Blessed are the spit upon and blessed are the drunk, the dirty, the worthless And blessed are the lonely We’ll be there singing our drunken hobo praises We’ll be happy just to be somewhere other than here When the roll is called up yonder, I’ll be there
The organ grinder plays a song Upon the old pump organ It’s her favorite melody She plays it soft and low She plays it soft and low You’d never even know she was there As long as she keeps playing Just somewhere in the background Until the music stops Until the music stops Nothing flashy, nothing special She keeps us moving on The show won’t go on without her On with the show On with the show Then one night outside of Memphis She smashed her right hand It swelled too much for her to play The worst show we ever had The worst show we ever had The juggler lost his rhythm He hit a monkey with a bowling pin Then the magician went on too long Jealous clowns got angry Angry clowns aren’t funny The dancing bear was all out of sorts He was in no mood for dancing He killed a man and maimed three more All on his way out of town We are all on our way out of town Nothing flashy, nothing special She keeps us moving on The show won’t go on without her On with the show On with the show
Now, there was an angel who had a sickle He came out from having it sharpened When he came out, he ran into the angel Who was in charge of tending the fire Now this guy had work orders for the angel with the sickle He told him that the grapes on Earth were ready He said, take your sharp sickle and gather the ripe grapes That are hanging from the earth’s vine So, that angel took his sickle and went across all the earth Swinging as he went He gathered all the grapes and He threw all them grapes into the wine press That was built by God’s anger All those grapes were trampled in the wine press and Blood flowed from it like a flood As high as a man for 180 miles Revelation
That smell gets me every time It’s a coffee and a hot griddle You loved to make me some pancakes Your kitchen was a special place Pancakes dripping Butter sliding Syrup running down Warms me up And reminds me Makes me think of you Waking up to the sound of your radio It’s fighting with the sizzle of the pan Sounds like we’re having some pancakes Sounds like we can handle anything Pancakes dripping Butter sliding Syrup running down Warms me up And reminds me Makes me think of you When I am feeling downhearted Maybe even a little scared I can always count on some pancakes To make me feel ok Pancakes dripping Butter sliding Syrup running down Warms me up And reminds me Makes me think of you That smell gets me every time It’s a coffee and a hot griddle I love to make you some pancakes Our kitchen is a special place Our kitchen is a special place Our kitchen is a special place Pancakes dripping Butter sliding Syrup running down Warms me up And reminds me Makes me think of you
Packing up my boyhood plans I used to have so many Going down to the second hand store To pawn off this old guitar To invest in something new Got to buy a diamond ring All my dreams went up in cash Selling these foolish notions I want to take care of you Give up what I wanted To give you everything Dreams are like wild horses Or maybe shooting stars Even if you could catch them at all You can’t hang on to them We might not have much But we can always write a song about that You, wishing I could play an old song I used to know so many So, you’re going down to the second hand store To buy an old guitar To invest in something new You want to hear the song that won your heart You bought my dreams And called them ours You want to see me happy We are both happy You’re all I’ve ever wanted We have everything Dreams are like wild horses Or maybe shooting stars Even if you could catch them at all You can’t hang on to them We may never have much We’ll have each other We’ll write a song about that Write a song about that Write a song about that
Pedal down now It’s ninety more miles to Portland, Maine It’s getting darker now Got to find a place to lay my head Maybe I’ll just keep going Push on up the coast I’m tired but I can’t sleep Afraid to stop my car My worries might catch up with me The past has been haunting me Since the Mass and New Hampshire line There’s something nice about feeling small Like you could so completely disappear There’s something safe about a great big world It makes it easy when you just want to hide So, I’m driving on Think I’ll just fade into the night Think I’ll just fade into the night Going somewhere Don’t know where, it could be anywhere I guess I’ll end up Wherever this highway takes me It’s not that I’m running I just don’t want to be found I’m lost but I’ll be back by next week Afraid to stop myself I might catch up with me The past has been haunting me Since I let myself remember There’s something nice about feeling small Like you could so completely disappear There’s something safe about a great big world It makes it easy when you just want to hide So, I’m driving on Think I’ll just fade into the night Think I’ll just fade into the night Think I’ll just fade into the night Think I’ll just fade into the night
No one knows how things will end So dangerous to promise I could swear by the stars What is that worth With guesses and predictions Who can know No one knows what life will give I’m wondering what life has for us I want all life will give Round and round and round and round The years will pass You with me, as I grow older As you grow older, I’m with you In life there are so many things to share I want to share them all with you I don’t want to miss anything I have faith in one thing And one thing is for sure When a blessing is this good All you can do is say thank you You can only speculate The reasons how or why But we can’t know how it will end I wouldn’t want to know the ending The joy is finding out along the way I want to journey there with you
Sometimes it’s hard To catch your breath Your chest gets tight Oh, what a mess You can’t see Any good reason You feel so foolish This is happening again Everything is spinning Moving so fast You don’t know how long You can last It’s OK I know things are tough It’s OK You feel like you’re not enough You want to scream It won’t do any good It doesn’t matter That’s understood So stand up And raise your hand And let us know You’re here I’m right here too They said, time is a gift Spread your wings and fly But you just want to lay in a heap Huddled up to cry They said, it won’t kill you It will surely make you stronger But you don’t know If you can go on much longer They said, it’s a shame You should do great things But all you can think of Is the fear tomorrow brings It’s OK I know things are tough It’s OK You feel like you’re not enough You want to scream But it won’t do any good It doesn’t matter That’s understood So stand up And raise your hand And let us know You’re here I’m right here too I’m screaming into the abyss It seems no one hears I’m calling out for help But nobody cares I’m giving up I’m giving up again I just can’t Go on It’s OK I know things are tough It’s OK I feel like I’m not enough I want to scream But it won’t do any good It doesn’t matter That’s understood So I’ll stand up And raise my hand And let you know I’m here We’re right here too
It's honey on my tongue Hallelujah on my lips It's the shiver down my spine When I tuck her hair behind her ear Shiver my timbers Rest my soul Hold my hand Away we go It’s waltzing down the boulevard A lullaby screaming on the radio It’s the rest for all my weary When she lays her head down on my shoulder Shiver my timbers Rest my weary soul Hold my hand Away we go It’s the stillness of an empty night The loneliness at dawn It’s the chicken soup comfort Of hearing her voice repeating in my head Shiver my timbers Rest my weary soul Hold my hand, now darling And away we go It’s her breath on my cheek It’s the way she closes her eyes It’s her hand in my hand As you’re waiting for something to happen Shiver my timbers Rest my weary soul Hold my hand, now darling And away we go
The state came in 1908 and took my Grandpap’s farm A handful of losses would surely save the masses He watched his years rot away, he said he didn’t need it all anyway Wash my feet in the rushing water Crossing the river Jordan The dust of earth passes down the drain Crossing the river Jordan Purified, sanctified, and baptized Crossing the river Jordan Crossing the river Jordan The old man loaded up the boat and waited for the rain A flood leaves behind debris and it carries off the trash Water rises and the population is controlled Wash my feet in the rushing water Crossing the river Jordan The dust of earth passes down the drain Crossing the river Jordan Purified, sanctified, and baptized Crossing the river Jordan Crossing the river Jordan We have frail bones and rotten teeth Disease is like water, a flood’s an epidemic We’re left with scars, scars and purity Wash my feet in the rushing water Crossing the river Jordan The dust of earth passes down the drain Crossing the river Jordan Purified, sanctified, and baptized Crossing the river Jordan Crossing the river Jordan Crossing the river Jordan
Scientists say that the world is gonna end today Our sun is done, now the flames will come It’s a great big, burning ball of gas Raining down on all of us with fire and ash Rivers of light Rivers of light Rivers of light Wash over me Grab your umbrella and some rubber boots Head outside to dance in your yard Sirens scream and a dog whispers a prayer Cross your heart and pound your chest real hard Rivers of light Rivers of light Rivers of light Wash over me Like a moth to a flame, light that wick Put on your sunglasses and we’ll get there quick Baby, we are all stardust You are a firework Rivers of light Rivers of light Rivers of light Wash over me Sweet Mother Earth is too young to die She had so much more to give Shed some tears and mix up some mud Wrap your arms around her one last time Rivers of light Rivers of light Rivers of light Wash over me
Time for my daily sacrament of coffee Everything is prepared just right I sip it Coffee’s cold Well, most mornings it’s a real struggle for us to get out the door I don’t know why, there is never a good reason for it We just can’t get out the door in the morning We’re always scratching and clawing and fighting and carrying on Just to get out the door And I can remember one particular morning where things were real bad We were as late as we’ve ever been I did’t think we were gong to make it at all I don’t know why but I was losing my mind I was screaming and yelling and carrying on Just yelling at everybody I went into drill sergeant mode You know, trying to get everybody lined up at the door I don’t know why I did it, I’m not real proud of it I don’t know why I did it But I kicked open the back door like I was on a commando raid I just kicked open the back door I’m yelling go, go, go, go, go You know, just trying to get out the door Then, we got to get big sis’ to the bus on time So we are running up the hill Like we are storming a machine gunners nest in an old World War 2 movie There’s kids hanging everywhere There’s kids on my back It’s all knees and elbows As we are running up the hill, yelling and carrying on I don’t know how we are going to make it But somehow we made it on time I don’t know how It was a Tuesday morning miracle my friends We made it on time Her day was saved Don’t worry, we made it Now we are headed back to the house To see what we’re gonna get into next I feel like there was something I was doing before all this panic set in Oh, that’s right, it was the sacrament of coffee I had everything prepared just right But now you guessed it Now I am drinking my coffee cold Time for my daily sacrament of coffee Everything is prepared just right I sip it Coffee’s cold Well, then there is the phase If you’ve had little kids, you’ll know this phase If you’ve grown up with little kids in the house You’ll understand this phase It is the phase where you’ll be standing there minding your own business You’ll just be minding your own business And you feel a little tiny hand tugging on your pant leg So naturally you look down Because there is a tiny hand tugging on your pant leg Somebody looks up at you and they say Hey Pops, hey Pops, I got to go potty You are right, you do have to go potty You are peeing on my floor as we speak Child, what is you problem Why are you peeing on my floor If you have to go potty, then get yourself to the potty Don’t just stand there talking about it What is you problem, child I thought they said all you came housebroken If I had known all this business Things might’ve been real different around here Well, then you find yourself on you hands and knees Scrubbing urine out of the carpet You’re trying to peel wet underwear off of a tiny little naked butt There’s always something to clean up There is always a mess around here Maybe somebody got peanut butter on the cat again Or they smeared their buttery toast all through their hair That is hard to clean up Or maybe there is a trail of coffee dribbles all through the kitchen Hey, don’t judge me I make messes too It happens, you know, it happens There is always a mess to clean up around here There is always something By the time you get done cleaning up all your messes You guessed it Now I am drinking my coffee cold Time for my daily sacrament of coffee Everything is prepared just right I sip it Coffee’s cold Then there was this one perfect day It was a magical day, everything was going Brother Jack’s way I just couldn’t believe it It was all working out perfect I had hot, steamy coffee going on, there It was all at the right time And I poured myself a cup I poured myself a perfect cup of coffee And I set it down there on the stand I was just getting ready to settle into the chair And I looked down and there’s these big eyes looking up at me These big eyes looking up at me And they say, hey Pops, hey Pops Your coffee smells so good Your coffee smells so good and I know you love to drink the coffee Can I have a little sip of your coffee Well, that is sweet You want to be like your dear old dad But no, you can not have a sip of my coffee I’ll tell you why You see, this is the sacrament of coffee after all Everything is prepared just right And no you cannot have a sip of my coffee This coffee is much too hot for you You might burn your precious little mouth And I don’t want you to burn your precious little mouth So no, you cannot have a sip of my coffee There you go, problem solved We’ll be moving on now I turn my back for a split second I was just going to get a book to read Everything’s got to be prepared just right It is the sacrament of coffee after all So I just turned my back for a split second Child, why would you put a crayon in my coffee cup What is wrong with you Oh Pops, oh Pops, don’t get mad at me Don’t get mad at me, Pops, I was worried about you I was worried about you I was just trying to help you out You see, you said your coffee was so hot Pops, I didn’t want you to burn your precious little mouth So, I thought if I put a crayon in your coffee cup A crayon in your coffee cup might cool things off And hey look Now your coffee is pink Time for my daily sacrament of coffee Everything is prepared just right I sip it Coffee’s cold Someday you’ll grow up and I’ll be left to my own devices Maybe I’ll learn to play the organ or read a book without any pictures There will be lots of occasions to fulfill the sacred sacrament of coffee I’ll enjoy it completely and at the right time But I know I will miss the days when I drank my coffee cold
Take all the romantic things That I’ve ever done They don’t amount to much at all Without someone to hold Take all my broken hearts And all the pain I’ve known I would gladly bear them all again For one more time to see you smile Say anything Say anything at all It’s enough, to see you sitting there Don’t say anything at all Take all the things, I’ve never said And all the songs never sung They can’t compare with the unspoken word Whispered with your eyes Take all the doubts we’ve ever had And throw them on the fire Sifting trough the glowing embers To find the hope that remains Say anything Say anything at all It’s enough, to see you sitting there Don’t say anything at all I’ll tell you a line now baby Its all I’m gonna say I’ll tell you a line now baby It’s gonna have to be enough Tell me what you’re thinking I got to know what you’re thinking It’s not enough to see you sitting there You got to tell me something Tell me something Say it, say it, say it I’ll tell you a line now baby It’s gonna have to be enough I’ll tell you a line now baby Its all I’m gonna say I got to know what you’re thinking Just tell me what you’re thinking It’s not enough to see you sitting there Say something to me Say something to me Say anything Say anything at all
Further up and farther in Check the map, see how far we’ve gone Moving on and moving fast Don’t want to see where I’ve been Oh, the shadowlands Oh, the shadowlands Down here where we all live You can look down on everything White is black and black is blacker We’re so used to grey that we call it white Oh, the shadowlands Oh, the shadowlands Eventually, we all lose someone we love Everyone has known some loss The thing is, how long will it take Till you realize that they’re gone Oh, the shadowlands Oh, the shadowlands Come to a place I’ve never been I can see now I’ve never really loved at all Everything I thought I knew Was a shadow of what really is Oh, the shadowlands Oh, the shadowlands
Going across town on the 8th street bridge Passing that old railroad yard Noses to tails, they are lining up As far as I can see here, it’s rusty old trains As far as I can see here, it’s rusty old trains Rusty old trains and burned out cars Vacant store fronts down on the boulevard Busted out windows down at the old churchyard It’s the sign of the time The face of our demise It’s the sign of the time My old grandma used to hang her laundry out Hanging it all out for the whole world to see Grandaddy’s underwear said made in the USA Now we’re too embarrassed to hang our fat clothes out We’re too embarrassed to hang our dirty clothes out Rusty old trains and burned out cars Vacant storefronts down on the boulevard Busted out windows down at the old church yard It’s the sign of the time The face of our demise The sign of the time Everyone I know is in a great big hurry The faster you go here the quicker you’ll get there The end of the road is the same here for everyone I’m going to take my time here and look at the scenery I’m gonna take my time here and look at the scenery Rusty old trains and burned out cars Vacant storefronts down on the boulevard Busted out windows down at the old church yard It’s the sign of the time The face of our demise The sign of the time
I wake up in the night and it’s so quiet I’m listening for that snore What I wouldn’t give to hear you breathing Nothing sounds like the silence Hello darkness, hello my old friend I’m talking to myself again Reciting all my prayers, I need some noise Nothing sounds like the silence I miss every sound that you would make I never knew you were so loud This emptiness is screaming, I need some peace Nothing sounds like the silence
Well, here I sit all on mine own Chewing on some old chicken bones He popped right up, out of the ground That old snake ate my radio He slithered right on up to me Tickled my ear, just as you please He licked his snakey lips That old snake ate my radio They say rock and roll won’t save your soul I don’t know nothing about no soul I don’t have to worry about it anyway ‘Cause that old snake ate my radio Well, the only news that I get now Comes from inside the snake, you know low down And I hear it when he opens up his mouth That old snake ate my radio I only hear what he wants me to hear The rest of the time it ain’t real clear I think there’s something he doesn’t want me to hear That old snake ate my radio They say rock and roll won’t save your soul I don’t know nothing about all that I don’t have to worry about it anyway ‘Cause that old snake ate my radio I don’t know why the snake ate my radio He’s got a taste for static, tubes, and your local weather Lock your doors and pull them shades That old snake will eat your radio He’s got an endless appetite for radios now Anything noisy that hisses a lot Look out now, we got some dead air That old snake will eat your radio They say rock and roll won’t save your soul I don’t know nothing about your soul It doesn’t matter anyhow That old snake will eat your radio He ate every radio in the whole world All of them, every single radio He ate ‘em all, there ain’t a radio left I went to him and I said Mister snake, what you gonna do now you ate all them radios He said, get ready boy, get ready Cause next I’m coming for your banjo
I was out in the yard one day I heard a sound coming up over the hill It was that boomy kind of music that I don’t understand I look out over the fence and see them when they crest the top of the hill It’s two young gentlemen pushing their bikes up over the hill They got a phone or something strapped to the front of one of the bikes It’s that boomy kind of music that I don’t understand It’s their soundtrack for a bike ride These young gentlemen have to be about fourteen years old That is when the walk changes, you can always tell by the walk It’s a little bit like a duck, sort of that side to side thing They got to walk real slow for effect They want to make sure we notice how tough they think they are They are coming up over the hill with their boomy music They are cussing and carrying on They are pushing their bicycles up over the hill I got to thinking this is sort of a metaphor for what it’s like to be a young man Here’s some stories and mythologies That explain what it is like to be a 14 year old boy In case you have never been a 14 year old boy Its kind of like an 80’s action movie The main protagonist is always sitting in a pub or a cafe He’s got a hamburger or something He’s all forlorn and lonely and there’s never any music playing at this point The silence represents how quiet and serious this guy is The waitress comes over and says, “you’ve got a phone call” He goes up to the counter for his phone call, On the other end is the bad guys They got his girl, or his brother or something It’s bad, you can see it on his face So, he explodes out of that place Just like those boys pushing their bikes He’s walking down the middle of the road You can tell that this guy will save the day or die trying. Yippie Ki Yay my friends. You know he’s the hero and he will live through this movie no matter what You can tell by that walk Because We walk down, we walk down, we walk down the street real slow This song is really about pirates The captains standing up there on the deck He is looking down at his blood thirsty crew Sure, that blood thirsty crew could mutiny They could make him walk the plank, leave him on a deserted island But he knows they won’t It’s because he holds him in place with that look It’s that mean pirate look He walks across the deck real slow The wind blows through his beard The whole thing is in slow motion and he raises his sword over his heard and gives an arrrrrr They give him an arrrr right back and there won’t be any mutiny on that day They know who is in charge and it’s because We walk down, we walk down, we walk down the street real slow I guess this is sort of about cowboys, It’s not the high noon shoot out kind of thing But more of the I just rode into town and I’m dirty and dangerous kind of thing It’s a look at me because I am one bad hombre kind of thing This guy rolls off his horse and he walks down the middle of the road He gives a wink up to the saloon girls. A tumble weed blows across there and Weoh weoh its all in slow motion - A hand comes out from a salon door and it’s got a shot of whiskey He snags that glass, slams it back, and smashes the glass all without ever losing a step Everybody knows there won’t be any trouble in town on that day Because We walk down, we walk down, we walk down the street real slow I guess that’s what this song is about It’s about pirates and cowboys It’s about that swagger when you are fourteen years old It’s about how you turn every mundane situation into high drama in your own imagination One day you are just as normal as you can be for a fourteen year old boy Then it changes Maybe you are in line at the cafeteria The lunch lady scoops some mac and cheese onto your tray and there it goes You turn around real slow You see that popular girl sitting at her table there with all her popular friends You know you don’t stand a chance with her But for a split second you’re fairly certain she is on the verge of being kidnaped By an evil syndicate of Kung fu masters And you’re pretty sure when she is kidnapped by an evil syndicate of Kung fu masters They are gonna call you up You gotta save the day Jack She’ll be so happy, she’ll give you a little kiss on the cheek Everybody will be so happy They will name you king of the popular kids Then you look over and you notice all the tough guys The jocks, the athletes, the guys on the team They always sit at the table next to the popular girls You see them and snap back to reality There you are, standing there with your Mac and cheese and maybe a sloppy joe You turn to walk back to your buddies in the other corner because that’s where you sit Way over there You are still thinking about saving the world, you can’t help it While you’re walking back there, you are walking real slow Because We walk down, we walk down, we walk down the street real slow For most boys, after that point in time, it changes It’s all delusions of grandeur When you get to be about sixteen, you want a car and a girl So you learn to drive and you got to take care of the car You go get a job and a real life All that fantasy stuff about saving the world disappears It doesn’t matter how tough you are anymore You got to pay the bills and that’s all there is to it For us creative musician types, it’s a little difficult We got a soundtrack going in our heads all the time You are taking out the trash and there is epic music playing in your head It can get a little confusing Most of us go on and get a job and a real life and forget all those fantasies But some of us become songwriters We grab a guitar and find a stage somewhere I am standing there on the side of the stage in the dark and then the lights turn on and it’s all in slow motion now there’s a tumble weed blowing across the stage I look out at the blood thirsty audience and the salt wind blows through my beard and I raise my guitar over my head, I give an arrr and start across that stage real slow We walk down, we walk down, we walk down the street real slow We walk down, we walk down, we walk down the street real slow
Sitting alone in my room Listening to Louis Armstrong Sing his song Imagining you are here with me We’re dancing What a wonderful world that would be I can think of no better thing Than spending the whole day Just looking into your deep eyes If you were here We’d stay up all night We’re talking till I fell asleep With my head on your shoulder
Hypocrisy met judgment Mistakes were made You wouldn’t go You wouldn’t even say my name Your wine is from the bitter grapes It’s the poison of the dragon The cruel, cruel venom of the asp I know we can’t go back To the way things used to be I wouldn’t want to Even if we could I don’t want to go back To the way things were I’m never, never, never Never going back If vengeance reigns down Fire from the sky I didn’t wish it upon you You don’t deserve all that
I went walking late last night to See what I could happen to see Found an old moonshine still just Sitting right there still for me So I thought I’d pour some out To see if it was still in use Got no whiskey from the still but Some old rotten corn juice Heard there are people now who Make their own motor fuel They use a still like the old Moonshiners used to do Guess they’ve got places to go and they’d Rather make their own than pay for gasoline I’l take mine in a glass, I got nowhere That important to be Moonshine is still, made in a still Whether for your car or to drink from a jar Moonshine is still moonshine The man doesn’t want you thinking For yourself all on your own So he says it’s not real safe to make this stuff You’ll end up a pile of bones They want total reliance, so they can control the masses They make it illegal to take care of your own brrrrrrr Moonshine is still, made in a still Whether for your car or to drink from a jar Moonshine is still moonshine I am not trying to be some kind of trouble making rebel I just want to make my shine, Drink it down by the jar full I say it’s time for all moonshiners to Get together and unite Whiskey and motor fuel, We’ll drink a pint, drive our tractors at night Moonshine is still, made in a still Whether for your car or to drink from a jar Moonshine is still moonshine
Today I got up early I couldn’t sleep My head was too full Turned on the tv Looking for the news of the day Well, the weather report Is the only news I need A man says If time would stop right now You’d be stuck right here Where you are, forever I’d be all right with that And at that moment I realize that Suddenly we’re something Maybe not suddenly But definitely something Something that had always been there But maybe we just didn’t see I’m so glad that now I know What I want and how We’re definitely without a doubt Yes, we’re something now Yes, we’re something now Last night You looked at me just right It was a magic moment Like the ones in the movies I know love is more Than a single moment What I know for sure Is your look is all I want I know If time would stop right now I’d be stuck right here Looking at you forever I’d be all right with that At that moment I realize that Suddenly we’re something Maybe not suddenly But definitely something Something that had always been there But maybe we just didn’t see I’m so glad that now I know What I want and how We’re definitely without a doubt Yes, we’re something now Yes, we’re something now Yes, we’re something now Amen
I got a letter from a friend of mine She said she was just thinking about me She was driving home on an overcast afternoon Underneath a canopy of fall leaves In life there are only a few guarantees The leaves will change every autumn In the springtime, they’ll return You wonder how you ever lived without them Have you ever had something happen That takes you by surprise Reminds you that you are alive And you do, you do indeed feel But me, I’m living from moment to moment One little surprise to the next Somehow you’re like the leaves Always changing but always there You always, yeah you always You always surprise me I called up a friend of mine Said I was just thinking about her I was driving home on a cool clear day Just thanking God for all my blessings Only a few things I know for sure I can’t wait to hold you again I can’t sleep when you’re not around You remind me that everything is ok Have you ever had something happen That takes you by surprise Reminds you, you are alive And you do, you do indeed feel I’m wanting to hold you close It’s surprising how safe you are I know we’re always changing I’m not worried, you’re always there You always, yeah you always You always surprise me You always, yeah you always You always surprise me
What time is it It's taco time, down at my house Everybody's coming over tonight, it's taco time It’s taco time, down at my house Everybody’s coming over tonight, it’s taco time I called up Grandma I said, hey why don't you come over tonight We're having a great big party, it's taco time She said, I wouldn't miss it Boy, I love you so What should I be bringing I know, a meatloaf It's taco time, down at my house Everybody's coming over tonight, it's taco time It’s taco time, down at my house Everybody’s coming over tonight, it’s taco time Uncle Leroy said he'd be there He loves a good theme night He said he had to stop on the way and pick up some tequila I said don't worry about it there, Uncle Leroy It's not that kind of party He said, what you talking about, boy It's taco time It's taco time, down at my house Everybody's coming over tonight, it's taco time It’s taco time, down at my house Everybody’s coming over tonight, it’s taco time My wife makes really good guacamole I heard a story the other day, about avocados They said all the avocados in Mexico are controlled by the drug cartels It made me feel bad about giving my money to organized crime But avocados are oh so green and I love guacamole My wife makes really good guacamole It's taco time, down at my house Everybody's coming over tonight, it's taco time It’s taco time, down at my house Everybody’s coming over tonight, it’s taco time We got cheese and beans We got chicken and beans We got lettuce, onions, and beans Did I mention we got the beans My wife says it’s the same thing every time She says, you eat too many refried beans You're sleeping on the couch It's taco time, down at my house Everybody's coming over tonight, it's taco time It’s taco time, down at my house Everybody’s coming over tonight, it’s taco time It’s taco time, down at my house Everybody’s coming over tonight, it’s taco time
Jesus had a Thanksgiving too You can read about it in the Bible He had his twelve closest friends there They were sitting there beside him He sliced the bread and he poured the wine He said, sorry boys but tomorrow I’m gonna die They said, yeah right Jesus, yeah right, you ain’t going nowhere Sure enough, they got up the next day and found out its all over Maybe things haven’t gone the way you’d hoped for lately Just hasn’t been the year you’d planned Thanksgiving day Football on the tv, got a turkey in the oven Think I’ll have a little slice of pie for desert Thanksgiving day Save a seat for Grandma She would have loved to have been here But we lost her earlier this year Thanksgiving day Everybody join hands now, its time to give thanks Time to count your blessings and name your losses Thanksgiving day Thanksgiving day Jesus liked to eat with crooks He said drunks make better company Than all them stiff religious folks Filled with their pride and piety People got mad and said hey man, hey man, hey man Why are you eating with all them losers and bums He said, I was hungry did you give me something to eat When I was thirsty did you give me something to drink He said, no man, I’m sitting here with the people that love me And I don’t care what you all think Thanksgiving day Football on the tv, got a turkey in the oven Think I’ll have a little slice of pie for desert Thanksgiving day Save a seat for Grandma She would have loved to have been here But we lost her earlier this year Thanksgiving day Everybody join hands now, its time to give thanks Time to count your blessings and name your losses Thanksgiving day Thanksgiving day Thanksgiving day Thanksgiving day
I thought about writing you a poem With words like cherish and adore Too bad, I’m not a poet I thought about picking you some flowers I would put them in a vase with water Too bad, they would make me sneeze So, I’ll give you my hand It’s all I can afford to lose Hold it as long as you want to This is the kind of song Makes you feel like crying and you don’t know why Reminds you, you’ve got no hand to hold It’s for all the lonely, lonely people out there Everybody feels lonely sometimes So, here is my idea I think all the people of the world who’s got no hand to hold Should get together and hold each other
My love carries a photograph In a locket made of silver That delicately hangs around her neck So precious to her is that Locket and its treasure of the Likeness of the man that she loves Often in the morning, she can be Found polishing with a Piece of silk taken from a dress she used to wear Seldom does an afternoon pass Where she can't be seen with The locket laying open in the palm of her hand And every night, before she sleeps She kisses her love and gently hangs The locket on the post of her bed My love carries a photograph In a locket made of silver And the likeness is not of me
Neighbor to neighbor And nose to nose Fighting and fussing Is how it goes You don’t agree So, you’re wrong I’m sure I yell at you And then we fight some more Your way is not my way My way will never be your way Maybe there is a third way Where my way and your way Can find a way To walk away My way and your way Can find a way To be the way
Night has come, the sun it is set Night has come, the sun it is set Night has come, the sun it is set We’ll sing together in this dark night Lay your tiny hand in mine Lay your tiny hand in mine Lay your tiny hand in mine We’ll sing together in this dark night We'll sing a song for the moon and for the stars We'll sing a song for the moon and the stars We'll sing a song for the moon and for the stars We'll sing together on this dark night Though the shadows around us have grown Though the shadows around us have grown Though the shadows around us have grown We'll sing together on this dark night There’s nothing to fear here, my darling, my dear There’s nothing to fear here, my darling, my dear There’s nothing to fear here, my darling, my dear We'll sing together in this dark night When the sun creeps over the top of the hill When the sun creeps over the top of the hill When the sun creeps over the top of the hill We'll sing together in this new days light
The men work the forest The lumber is cut The nails are pounded The platform is built Up on the hilltop You can see the world Up on the hillside You can see it all Up on the platform Construction has begun It must be sturdy The bracings are strong There's a single beam pointed to the sky From which a rope will hang There's a stiff rope hanging in the wind From which I will hang, I will hang When I die, I'll stand before the throne. The book is opened, it's judgment day When I die, there's no going back Rewards and the punishments, there's hell to pay When I die, I will be measured My life will be weighed, it's judgment day A knife in the back Of someone I loved I put on a clean shirt And destroy the evidence The hounds tracked me down You can run but you can't hide The judge said, son With a crime like this, someone's got to pay No one else is gonna step up to take your place For what it's worth son, for right or wrong, you're gonna hang This is your judgment When I die, I'll stand before the throne. The book is opened, it's judgment day When I die, there's no going back Rewards and the punishments, there's hell to pay When I die, I will be measured My life will be weighed, it's judgment day The trap door opens The moment has come The dry air Hits me in the face The rope goes tight And my body jerks I can feel my eyes bulge I'm choking on my tongue Sucking for air, I'm fighting for air Breathing is the only thing The crowd cheers How many times will I bounce 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 When I die, I'll stand before the throne The book is opened, it's judgment day
It was back in 1981 I was waiting on a bus You came up to me and you said, hello I think it was a Thursday A few weeks later I moved in with you Into your apartment over on 4th Ave Our first date was a crosstown bus Our second was later that night down at Joey’s Bar A couple of drinks and a jukebox singalong Turns out your favorite songs were the same as mine I was figuring on a one night stand It's lasted for three years St Valentine’s day massacre Seven men were killed Add one more to the list, now baby This love is gonna be the death of me One morning last week I was sipping my coffee Just trying to figure out how I had gotten here I guess I got used to having somebody around You liked waking up with me there This hasn't always been great but it’s certainly never been bad Thinking about it, I guess it's just been really, really good St Valentine's day massacre Seven men were killed Add one more to the list, now baby This love is gonna be the death of me It was back in 1929 Seven men were shot They were mobsters and they were fully armed Confronted and killed without a fight I guess this love is kind of like that slaying I never saw you coming, I just fell into you without a fight St Valentine's day massacre Seven men were killed Add one more to that list, now baby This love is gonna be the death of me This love is gonna be the death of me This love is gonna be, oh you will be The death of me
Why did you leave me alone in the dessert Why did you lead me to this valley of dry bones Why did you leave me alone in the dessert Why did you lead me to this valley of dry bones Out of the sand, the snake did crawl Coiled right up, standing six feet tall There we stood looking eye to eye He said, “boy, today's the day you're going to die” I looked at him and said, “how's it going to be” He said, “boy, you're gonna drown out at sea” I laughed in his face, “man, is this a joke” Surely you can see that for water we’re broke I'll take my chances holding death’s hand For a thousand miles here, there's nothing but sand Why did you leave me alone in the dessert Why did you lead me to this valley of dry bones Why did you leave me alone in the dessert Why did you lead me to this valley of dry bones Then right there before my eyes The snake took off and he began to fly Higher and higher and higher still He began spinning like the wheel of a mill The further he went, the bigger he got Leaving me here with nothing but hot He got so big that he covered the horizon From edge to edge, like bread dough rising I said, “please don't eat me Mr. Snake” He said, “don't you listen boy, it ain't how you're gonna break” Why did you leave me alone in the dessert Why did you lead me to this valley of dry bones Why did you leave me alone in the dessert Why did you lead me to this valley of dry bones The sun was gone now, the sky was getting dark A spark ignited inside that snake’s heart Flickering and flashing, the snake began to quiver The sky was flooded by a burning river That snake’s heart exploded and the air was torn A heavenly host began to mourn Lightning flashed and hit the ground I could see fire burning all around Why did you leave me alone in the dessert Why did you lead me to this valley of dry bones Why did you leave me alone in the dessert Why did you lead me to this valley of dry bones That snake’s skin began to shed It fell to the ground like crumbs of bread As the crumbs fell, they began to melt It was no longer sand here but it’s water I felt I was threatened no more by fire or the heat This dessert is flooded, it's up over my feet I was running, going with all haste The water is rising now, it’s up over my waist The wind was blowing from that snake’s lips I could taste salt upon my lips With his tongue he flicked me in the air When I came down, water’s up over my hair I struggled and fought, I did my best But that snake was right, I sunk to my rest Why did you leave me alone in the dessert Why did you lead me to this valley of dry bones Why did you leave me alone in the dessert Why did you lead me to this valley of dry bones Why did you leave me alone in the dessert Why did you lead me to this valley of dry bones Why did you leave me alone in the dessert Why did you lead me to this valley of dry bones Why did you leave me alone in the dessert Why did you lead me to this valley of dry bones
When the visitors come from outer space Will they find anyone left of the human race Will we all be destroyed by an evil pandemic Because our fussing and fighting is so systemic Republicans versus Democrats, the virus doesn’t care Lock-downers versus opener-uppers, the virus doesn’t care The richest among us, they are holed up with their maids While the weak and the old wheeze away their last days Scratching and clawing, we want to control what we don’t know It’s got to be my way or the highway, I don’t want to end up alone Instead of the problem, we fight each other, it’s an enemy we understand I gotta have what’s mine and damn my fellow man When the visitors come from outer space Will they find anyone left in the human race
Well Judy Garland, she died on the toilet From an alleged drug overdose And Elvis, the king, he died on the toilet For him it was a heart attack Arius of Constantinople, he died on the toilet Ironically it was explosive diarrhea King Edmund II, he died on the toilet They stabbed him with a knife Wenceslaus III was also stabbed on the toilet Except they got that boy with a spear Catherine the Great, she died on the toilet Except for her it was a stroke That guy in Jurassic Park, he also died on the toilet For him it was the T-Rex When I die, there’s lots of places that I could be There’s at least one place I know I don’t want to be I don’t want to die sitting on the toilet When I die, die, die, die When I die, die, die, die Don’t want to die, sitting where I go I could die in my sleep When I’m a real old man I could die speeding down the road In a ‘79 Trans-Am I just don’t want to go While I’m sitting where I go I just don’t want to die Sitting on the throne When I die, die, die, die When I die, die, die, die Don’t want to die, sitting where I go I could die at your birthday party Choking on a piece of cake I could die from a snake bite A real live poisonous snake I just don’t want to go While I’m sitting where I go I just don’t want to die Sitting on the can When I die, die, die, die When I die, die, die, die Don’t want to die, sitting where I go When I die, die, die, die When I die, die, die, die Don’t want to die, sitting where I go I could die tortured and flayed By a psychopath on the loose I could die, trampled By a heard of angry moose I just don’t want to go While I’m sitting where I go I just don’t want to die Sitting on the john When I die, die, die, die When I die, die, die, die When I die, die, die, die When I die, die, die, die Don’t want to die, sitting where I go
It’s Friday night, I’m on the hooch again I promised myself I’d stay sober today I put on my cleanest shirt and I comb my hair I’m headed out for a couple of beers It’s a dollar in the old jukebox Something to occupy my time There’s an old whiskey bottle over the fridge That I keep my Jesus in When I’m feeling bad or down on my luck I take a big swig and swallow him up This is my saving grace It holds me tight When Jesus walked here on Earth He turned water into wine I bet he was, he was a hell of a wine maker If he was here, I’d cry him a bucket of tears Like in the Bible, I perform a miracle It’s a miracle I got up today at all There’s an old whiskey bottle over the fridge That I keep my Jesus in When I’m feeling bad or down on my luck I take a big swig and swallow him up This is my saving grace It holds my tight I’m tired of looking through blood shot windows And trying to cut through the haze You can throw me out, throw me out with the old bath water I ain’t no good to anyone anymore Someday, I’ll smash that bottle And set my savior free
On the day I was born Wiped the blood from my brow Shook that doctor’s hand Wah, wah, wah Getting born wasn’t easy But if I can handle that Then there’s nothing that I can’t Do, do, do I crossed on over From that other side Kicked up my heels Ha, ha, ha Wake up in the morning And I rub my eyes Stretch real big And whistle at the sky Wake up in the morning And I rub my eyes Stretch real big And whistle at the sky Trudging through life I was working real hard I wiped the sweat from my brow Ugh, ugh, ugh Working hard won’t buy me Any more time here So I put my feet up now La, de, da To get here, kid You know I had to break some rules Breathe real deep Huh, huh, huh Wake up in the morning And I rub my eyes Stretch real big And whistle at the sky Wake up in the morning And I rub my eyes Stretch real big And whistle at the sky On the day we get born We make a deal with death The clock starts counting Tick, tick, tick Every breathe since We trying to break that pact Trying to cheat death ah, ah, ah
Call it what you will Knowing for sure or just being scared I’ve been through it all I’m out of excuses I guess it’s time I can see in you You believe in me Loyalty is everything I know I’ll be loyal I want to spend my life Learning how to make you happy I want to spend my life Just holding you Only one thing left to do All I know is what my heart desires My heart desires you All I want is you Will you
Turn off the television, it’s all bad news It’s just your local weather report and other half truths If you really got to know if it’s raining, than open up your window And let it all come in Let that rain come in Windows open and the fresh air is coming in There’s a kid on my lap and a cat upon my feet We’re just tying to cuddle up close We’re never gonna shut that window We’ll never shut our window There is a wildfire with a hungry appetite It’s licking up everything and it’s flexing it’s might Air is thick, the sky is weird, they can no longer open their windows I’ll open mine while I can Open your windows while you still can Windows open and the fresh air is coming in There’s a kid on my lap and a cat upon my feet We’re just trying to cuddle up close We’re never gonna shut that window We’ll never shut out window There are some people outside screaming about some stuff I don’t really want to hear what they’re saying, I’ve had enough I could start shouting back. I think I’ll turn up my music instead Open up my windows, play it real loud Open up my windows Windows open and the fresh air is coming in There’s a kid on my lap and a cat upon my feet We’re just trying to cuddle up close We’re never gonna shut that window We’ll never shut that window
This dark valley, this dark valley This dark valley, I’m walking through This dark valley, this dark valley This dark valley, that I’m walking on through Well, my pack is getting heavy It’s getting heavy when I’m walking through This old pack of mine is getting heavy It’s getting heavy while I’m walking through Well, I lay down my old burdens Yeah, I lay ‘em down and walk on through Well, I lay down my old burdens Yeah, I lay ‘em down, keep walking through Now, I’m swimming in those still waters I’m swimming then I walk on through I’m swimming in those still waters Yeah, I take a dip and walk on through I’m rolling in green pastures I roll along and walk on through I’m rolling in green pastures Now, I’m rolling my way through This dark valley, this dark valley This dark valley, I’m walking through This dark valley, this dark valley This dark valley, that I’m walking on through
If ever you are faced With a zombie attack Grab yourself something With which you can hack at their brains it’s the only way Grab a Claw hammer, sledge hammer Monkey wrench, or crowbar Flat shovel, round shovel Pitchfork, or garden hoe Kitchen knife, Bowie knife Really any kind of knife but you might want to grab something longer like a broom handle and maybe some duct tape I mean a knife has a real limited range if you are fighting zombies you might want a little distance but don’t worry about it I’m sure it will be fine If ever you are faced With a zombie attack Grab yourself something With which you can hack at their brains it’s the only way