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DEADS01.TXT
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Dead Lyrics Version 1.0
Dear Fellow Dead Heads,
About six months ago a few of us were hanging out, singing some Dead
tunes. One of us was singing a line from an old song none of us could place.
Then we had an idea! Wouldn't it be cool if we had all the lyrics to the
Dead's songs on the computer, so the next time this happened we could just
type in the line and let the computer search for the tune? "Yeah", everyone
said! So we did it. And here it is. Along the way we were helped out by
other Dead Heads who had the same idea. This book, version 1.0 of our
interpretation of the Dead's lyrics, is a compilation of hundreds of hours of
work by your fellow Dead Heads. Now that it's done, we want everyone to have
access to it. Even those without computers. So please distribute this file
freely. There's only one catch. We ask that no money ever be exchanged for
this file. If this file is sold on disk, please don't charge more than the
price of the disk ($2.00). If it is sold as a printed document, please don't
charge more than the copying and binding fees (about $7.00). We all put lots
of time and love into this project, and decided not to receive any money for
it. We hope you will respect our wishes.
As you see, this is version 1.0. We will continuously update the files
as we get a hold of words to new tunes, and as we find out about old songs we
left out. We all know, the Dead take alot of licence in concert, so the
lyrics may vary. We have included the versions that appear on the studio
albums where possible. The live versions are usually pretty close. If
popular opinion demands that we change things, then that's cool. Some of
these songs were never written down, so we had to listen to the tapes and
guess what they were saying. If you think we got it wrong, you could very
well be right! Let us know what you think.
Now some technical information for those who want to print this out.
Print it using 12 characters per inch, with your margins set at 5 and 90.
Set your printer to 6 lines per inch. This gives you 66 lines per page, and
you will use 64 lines. The pages are numbered (1⌐166) and there is an index
at the back. It should be ready to go, all you have to do is press PRINT!
Watch your printer though, because some text editors may be fussy, and you'll
have to take out a line after each page. Shouldn't be too tough, but "if you
get confused, listen to the music play.
Hope you enjoy it as much as we enjoyed typing it!
Peace, The Folks at Terrapin Station
Aiko Aiko
My spy boy saw you spy boy sittin' by the fi-yo
My spy boy told your spy boy, "I'm gonna set you flag on fi-yo."
I said, "Hey now," "Hey now,"
Aiko Aiko all day, jockomo feno na na nay, jocko feena nay.
My grandma and your grandma were sitting by the fire
Said my grandma to your grandma, "Gonna get your tail on fire."
I said, "Hey now," "Hey now,"
Aiko Aiko all day, jockomo feno na na nay, jocko feena nay.
Ain't It Crazy (The Rub)
Man got the rub on, sister got the rub
They're goin' around doing the rub, the rub
Ain't it crazy, ain't it crazy
Ain't it crazy one day keep on rubbin' that thing.
Two old ladies was lying around in bed
One turned over and this is what she said,
Mama tell the chicken her body was a duck
Put him on the table with his feet sticking up
Two old ladies playing in the sand, each one wishing the other was a man
Well I see that woman goin behind the hill
I'm gonna find that girl, I'm gonna do my will
Well I feel so good, well I feel so fine
All I gotta do is drink that wine
I say the little old rooster called the little old hen
He said he had no lungs, ain't got no wing.
Ain't Superstitious / Meet Me on the Bottom
Meet me on the bottom, bring me my running shoes,
When I come out the window, we ain't got time to lose.
Well I ain't superstitious, but a black cat crossed my trail,
Don't brush me with my broom, Babe, I just might land in jail.
Well my right hand itchin', Babe, I get smothered by the shore,
Look down you engine, Babe, but somebody got to go.
Meet me on the bottom, Babe, bring me my running shoes,
When I come out the window, Babe, we ain't got time to lose.
Well I hope you are listening, when I come streaking by,
Got a bad old man, Babe, and I'm too young to die.
Well I ain't superstitious, but a black cat crossed my trail,
Don't brush me with my broom, Babe, I just might land in jail.
Dogs been barking all around my neighborhood,
You give a sign, Babe, ain't do nobody no good.
1
Alabama Getaway
32 teeth in a jawbone, Alabama trying for none,
Before I have to hit him, I hope he's got the sense to run.
Reason the poor girls love him, promise them everything,
Why they all believe him? He wears a big diamond ring.
Alabama getaway, getaway. Alabama getaway, getaway,
Only way to please me, ya just gotta leave and walk away.
Major Domo Billy Bojangles, sit down and have a drink with me,
"What's this about Alabama? It keeps a coming back to me.
Heard your plea in the courthouse, Witness box began to rock and rise,
49 sister states all had Alabama in there eyes.
Alabama getaway, getaway. Alabama getaway, getaway,
Only way to please me, ya just gotta leave and walk away.
Major said why don't we give him rope enough to hang himself?
No need to worry the jury, this kind takes care of themselves.
23rd psalm Major Domo, reserve me a table for three,
Down in the valley of the shadow, just you, Alabama, and me.
Alabama getaway, getaway. Alabama getaway, getaway,
Only way to please me, ya just gotta leave and walk away.
Alligator
Sleepy Alligator in the noon day sun,
Lyin' by the river just like he usually done.
Call for his whiskey, he can call for his tea,
Call all he want to, but he can't call for me.
Oh no! I've been there before,
And I ain't gonna come around here any more.
Creepy alligator coming all around the bend,
Shoutin' about the times when we was mutual friends,
I checked my memory and I checked it quick, yes I will.
I checked it runnin' some old kind of trick.
Oh no! Well I've been there before,
And I ain't gonna come around here any more.
Sailin' down the river in an old canoe,
A bunch of and an old tennis shoe.
Out of the river all ugly and green,
Came the biggest old alligator that I've ever seen!
Teeth big and pointy and his eyes were buggin' out,
Contracted the union, put the beggars to rout.
Screamin' and yellin', he was pickin' his chops,
He never runs he just stumbles and hops.
Just out of prison on ten dollars bail,
Mumblin' bitches and waggin' his tail.
2
All Over Now
Well now baby used to stay all night long, made me cry, Lord she done me wrong.
Hurt my eyes open, and that's no lie, tables turnin', now it's her turn to cry,
Cuz I used to love her, but it's all over now.
Well I used to wake up in the morning, get my breakfast in bed,
When I got worried, you know she eased my achin' head,
But now she's here and there with every man in town'
Still tryin' to take for that same old clown.
Cuz I used to love her, but it's all over now.
Well she used to run around with every man in town,
Spend all my money, Lord I better pass "go",
Put me out, it was a pity how I cried, table's turnin', now it's her turn to cry,
Cuz I used to love her, but it's all over now.
Yes and I used to love her, but it's all over now.
Althea
I told Althea I was feeling lost, lacking in some direction.
Althea told me upon scrutiny that my back might need protection.
I told Althea that treachery was tearing me limb from limb.
Althea told me better cool down boy, settle back, easy Jim.
You may be Saturday's child, all alone, moving with a tinge of grace.
You may be a clown in the burying ground, or just another pretty face.
You may meet the fate on Ophelia, sleeping and penchence to dream.
Honest to the point of recklessness, self-centered in the extreme.
Ain't nobody messing with you, but you, your friends are getting most concerned.
Loose with the truth, baby, it's your fire, but baby don't get burned.
When the smoke has cleared, she said, that's what she said to me.
Gonna want a bed to lay your head and a little sympathy.
There are things you can replace, and others you cannot.
The time has come to weigh those things.
This space is getting hot, you know this space is getting hot.
I told Althea I'm a roving son, and I was born to be a bachelor.
Althea told me, okay, that's fine, so now I'm trying to catch her.
Can't talk to you without talking to me, we're guilty of the same old thing.
Been talking alot about less and less and forgetting the love we bring.
And We Bid You Goodnight
Lay down my dear brother, lay down and take your rest,
Won't you lay your head upon your savior's chest,
I love you all, but Jesus loves you the best
And we bid you goodnight, goodnight, goodnight.
Walking in Jerusalem just like John (goodnight, goodnight)
I would never ride, well, I would never ride (goodnight, goodnight)
But His rod and His staff, they comfort me (goodnight, goodnight)
Tell "A" for the ark, that wonderful boat (goodnight, goodnight)
Tell "B" for the beast at the ending of the wood (goodnight, goodnight)
You know it ate all the children when they wouldn't be good,
Walking in Jerusalem just like John (goodnight, goodnight)
I go walking in the valley of the shadow of death,
And we bid you goodnight, goodnight, goodnight.
3
Around and Around
Well the joint was jumpin', going 'round and 'round,
Hey! realin' and a rockin', what a crazy sound,
Well they never stopped rockin' till the moon went down.
Well it sounds so sweet I had to take me a chance,
I rose out of me seat Lord, I had to dance,
Started moving my feet, well a clapping my hands.
Well I kept on dancin', going 'round and 'round,
Hey! realin' and a rockin', what a crazy sound,
Well they never stopped rockin' till the moon went down.
Well at twelve o'clock Lord, the place was packed,
The front doors was locked Lord, the place was packed,
When the police knocked, those doors they flew back.
Well I kept on dancin', going 'round and 'round,
Hey! realin' and a rockin', what a crazy sound,
Well they never stopped rockin' till the moon went down.
Attics of My Life
In the attics of my life, full of cloudy dreams unreal.
Full of tastes no tongue can know, and lights no eyes can see.
When there was no ear to hear, you sang to me.
I have spent my life seeking all that's still unsung.
Bent my ear to hear the tune, and closed my eyes to see.
When there was no strings to play, you played to me.
In the book of love's own dream, where all the print is blood.
Where all the pages are my days, and all the lights grow old.
When I had no wings to fly, you flew to me, you flew to me.
In the secret space of dreams, where I dreaming lay amazed.
When the secrets all are told, and the petals all unfold.
When there was no dream of mine, you dreamed of me.
Babe, It Ain't No Lie
Been all around this whole round world,
Lord, I just got back to day.
Worked all the way honey and I gave it all to you
Honeybabe, what more can I do?
Oh babe, it ain't no lie.
Oh babe, it ain't no lie.
Oh babe, it ain't no lie.
You know this life I'm living is mighty high.
One more woman, Lord in this town.
Keep her telling her lies on me.
Wish to my soul that old woman would die.
Keep her telling her lies on me.
4
Baby, What Do You Want Me To Do
You got me running, you got me hiding,
You got me running, hiding, hiding, running,
Anywhere you want it, let it roll, yeah, yeah, yeah,
Hey, you got me where you want me, baby doing what you want me to do.
Going up, going down, going up, down, down, up,
Anyway you want it, let it roll, yeah, yeah, yeah,
Yeah, you got me where you want me, baby doing what you want me to do.
I say, honey baby, honey you don't have to go,
I'm going to pack my bag, baby, down that road I go,
Roll on, roll on baby, honey what is wrong with you?
Now baby, baby, baby,...
Oh baby, honey what is wrong with you?
You don't treat your baby, treat me like you used to do.
Ballad of Casey Jones
Casey Jones was an old engineer,
Call for his family tonight, they will fear,
All I need is my water and coal,
Look out the windows, see my drag wheel roll.
One sunday morning in a driving rain,
Around the curve came a passenger train,
In the cabin stood Casey Jones,
Bold engineer but he's dead and gone.
Mrs. Casey when she heard the news
Sitting at her bedside she was lacing up her shoes
Children, children now catch your breath,
You will draw a pension if your Papa's dead.
Children, children now can you hear,
Tell me Mama what do you mean by that?
Get your hat, put it on your head,
Go to town, see your Daddy's dead,
Casey said just before he died,
Fix the blinds so that the bums can ride,
If they ride, let them ride rock,
Put their trust in the hands of God.
Casey said just before he died,
Two more roads that I want to ride.
People said, what roads, Casey, can they be?
Gold Colorado and the Santa Fe.
5
Bear Tracks
High on the mountain tell me what do you see,
Bland shacks and railroad tracks looking back at me,
Better take Chicago Forest to the plain,
There's a Colorado River running through the green,
You been hanging around this world far too long,
Lord, at night for countless hours certainly are gone,
Never been an outlaw, never been this free,
Except for tales of Colorado spring,
Take up my money, thought I'd be free,
Saw that man a commin' thought they were that free,
Chopped down that tree and my worries were all gone,
All of a sudden bullets were ringing through that home,
You been hanging around this world for far too long,
Hanging around the mountain home, back in half an hour,
Way back in the swamp, boys way back in the trees,
Colorado payroll in the Colorado spring,
You hear them coming, the voices of love,
You must come courting through this world or go,
Texas in the dell, running in the well,
You know all you can do is raise hell,
Stick around this world for far too long,
Back in half an hour with the...
Way back in the swamps, way back in the trees,
Never been this free in the Colorado spring,
As sun come up as alive as I can be.
Beat it on Down The Line
Well this job I've got is just a little too hard,
Running out of money, Lord, I need more pay.
Gonna wake up in the morning Lord, gonna pack my bags,
I'm gonna beat it on down the line.
I'm goin' down the line, goin down the line,
Goin' down the line, goin down the line,
Goin' down the line, goin down the line,
Beat it on down the line.
Yes I'll be waiting at the station Lord, when that train pulls on by,
I'm going back where I belong.
I'm going back to that same old used-to-be,
Down in Joe Brown's coal mine.
Coal mine, coal mine, coal mine, coal mine.
Coal mine, coal mine, coal mine, coal mine.
Coal mine, coal mine, coal mine, coal mine.
Down in Joe Brown's coal mine.
Yeah, I'm goin' back to that shack way across that railroad track,
Uh huh, that's where I think I belong.
I got a sweet woman Lord, she's waitin' there for me,
And that's where I'm gonna make my happy home.
Happy home, happy home, happy home, happy home.
Happy home, happy home, happy home, happy home.
Happy home, happy home, happy home, happy home.
That's where I'm gonna make my happy home.
6
Bertha
I had a hard run, runnin' from your window.
I was all night running, running, Lord I wonder if you care,
I had a run in, run around, and run down.
Run around the corner, corner, Lord run smack in to a tree.
I had to move, really had to move,
That's why if you please, I am on my bendin' knees,
Bertha don't you come around here anymore.
Dressed myself in green, I went down unto the sea.
Try to see what's goin' down, try to read between the lines.
I had a feelin' I was fallin', fallin', fallin',
I turned around to see,
Heard a voice al callin', Lord you was commin' after me.
I had to move, really had to move,
That's why if you please, I am on my bendin knees,
Bertha don't you come around here anymore.
Ran into a rainstorm, I ducked back into Novato.
It's all night pourin', pourin', pourin',
Lord but not a drop on me.
Test me, test me,
Test me, test me, test me,
Why don't you arrest me?
Throw me in to the jailhouse,
Lord until the sun goes down, 'till it goes down.
I had to move, really had to move,
That's why if you please, I am on my bendin' knees,
Bertha don't you come around here anymore.
I had to move, really had to move,
That's why if you please, I am on my bendin' knees,
Bertha don't you come around here anymore.
Big Boss Man
Big boss man, can't you hear me when I call?
Big boss man, can't you hear me when I call?
You ain't so big, you just tall, that's just about all.
You got me working boss man, a workin' around the clock,
I want a little drink of whiskey, you sure won't let me stop.
Big boss man, can't you hear me when I call?
You ain't so big, you just tall, that's just about all.
I'm gonna get me a boss man, one gonna treat me right,
I work hard in the daytime, sure get drunk at night.
Big boss man, can't you hear me when I call?
You ain't so big, you just tall, that's just about all.
7
Big Boy Pete
The joint was jumping on the corner down on Honky Tonk Street,
All of a sudden up pulled a Cadillac and out stepped a can named Pete.
A diamond on every finger, he wore he wore a tailor made suit,
Black cigar, he wore a Stetson hat,
He wore a pair on cowboy boots,
Busted on through the door mad as he could be,
Don't mess around, I'll cut you down 'cause my name is Big Boy Pete.
The music stopped, there wasn't a sound,
Up in the corner stood Bad Man Brown.
He smiled and grinned, he said you know my friend,
Take two steps further I'm going kick you in the hide,
Forty-Five keep it alive, seven bullets on my side.
Brown pulled a knife, jumped on Pete,
Fought from the counter right on out to the street.
They swung from the north, swung from the south,
Pete got the blackjack out.
Brown went out his mind, yes he did, now we deeply see,
If you're ever down on the corner, down on Honky Tonk Street,
Don't mess around he'll cut you down,
Take a lesson from Big Boy Pete.
Big Railroad Blues
Well my mama told me, my papa told me too,
Now my mama told me, papa told me too,
Well I shouldn't be here tryin' to sing these railroad blues.
Wish I had a'listened to what my mama said,
Wish I had a'listened to what my mama said,
Well I wouldn't be here tryin' to sleep in this cold iron bed.
Well I went to the depot, I never got there on time,
Went down to the depot, never got there on time.
Well my train done left, she's a rollin' down the line.
Mister jailer go away now, don't tell me no lies,
Mister jailer go away, don't tell me no lies,
When the train's going down, she's rollin' down the line.
Well my mama told me, my papa told me too,
Now my mama told me, papa told me too,
Well I shouldn't be here tryin' to sing these railroad blues.
8
Big River
Well I taught that weeping willow how to cry cry cry,
Taught the clouds how to cover up a clear blue sky.
Tears I cried for that woman are gonna flood you big river,
And I'm a gonna sit right here until I die.
I met her accidentally in St. Paul, Minnesota,
She tore me up everything I heard her drawl, that southern drawl.
Well I heard my dream went back downstream, cavortin' in Davenport,
And I follow you big river when you called.
Well I followed her down to St. Louie, later on down the river,
Trader said she's been here, but she's gone, boy, she's gone.
Well I followed her down to Memphis, but she just walked off the bus,
She raised a few eyebrows and she went on down alone.
Well I've gotten on down to Baton Rouge, River Queen roll on,
Take that woman down to New Orleans, New Orleans.
I give up, I've had enough, followed my blues on down to the gulf,
She loves you big river more than me.
Bird Song
All I know is something like a bird within her sang,
All I know she and a little while and then flew on,
Tell me all that you know, I'll show you snow and rain.
If you hear that same sweet song again, will you know why?
Anyone who sings a tune so sweet is passin' by,
Laugh in the sunshine, sing, cry in the dark, fly through the night.
Don't cry now, don't you cry, don't you cry anymore.
Sleep in the stars, don't you cry, dry your eyes on the wind.
All I know is something like a bird within her sang,
All I know she and a little while and then flew off,
Tell me all that you know, I'll show you snow and rain.
9
Black Muddy River
When the last rose of summer pricks my finger,
And the hot sun chills me to the bone,
When I can't hear the song for the singer,
And I can't tell my pillow from a stone,
I will walk alone by the black muddy river,
And sing me a song of my own,
I will walk alone by the black muddy river,
And sing me a song of my own.
When the last bolt of sunshine hits the mountain,
And the stars start to splatter in the sky,
When the moon hits the southwest horizon,
With the scream of an eagle on the fly,
I will walk alone by the black muddy river,
And listen to the ripples as they moan,
I will walk alone by the black muddy river,
And sing me a song of my own.
Black muddy river, roll on forever,
I don't care how deep or wide, if you've got another side,
Roll muddy river, roll muddy river, black muddy river, roll.
When it seems like the night will last forever,
And there's nothing left to do but count the years,
When the strings of my heart begin to sever,
And stones fall from my eyes instead of tears,
I will walk alone, by the black muddy river,
And dream me a dream of my own,
I will walk alone, by the black muddy river,
And sing me a song of my own, sing me a song of my own.
Black Peter
All of my friends come to see me last night,
I was laying in my bed and dying.
Annie Bonneau from St. Angel say the weather down there so fine.
Just then the wind came squalling through the dark,
But who can the weather command?
Just want to have a little peace to die,
And a friend or two I love at hand.
Fever roll up to a hundred and five.
Roll on up, gonna roll back down.
One more day I find myself alive,
Tomorrow maybe go beneath the ground.
See here how everything led up to this day,
And it's just like any other day that's ever been.
Sun going up and then the sun going down.
Shine through my window and my friends they come around,
Come around, come around.
The people might know, but the people don't care,
That a man can be as poor as me.
Take a look at poor Peter, he's lying in pain,
Now let's come run and see, run and see,
Run and see, run, run and see, and see.
10
Black Throated Wind
You're bringing me down, I'm running aground,
Blind in the lights of the interstate cars,
Passing me by, the busses and the semis,
Plugging like stones from a slingshot from mars.
But I'm here on the road, bound to the load,
That I picked up in ten thousand cafes and bars.
Alone with the rush of the drivers that won't pick me up,
The highway, the moon, and clouds and the stars.
Black throated wind, keeps on pourin' in,
With it's words of a life where nothing is new,
Ah, mother american night, I pass from the light,
Ah, I'm drownin' in you.
I left St. Louie, city of blues,
In the midst of a storm I'd rather forget.
I tried to pretend it came to an end,
Cause you weren't the women I once thought I'd met.
But I can't deny, times have gone by,
Well I never had doubts or thoughts of regret,
And I was a man when all this began,
Who wouldn't think twice about being there yet.
Black throated wind, whisper in sin,
And speaking on life that passes like dew.
It's forced me to see you've done better by me,
Better by me that I've done by you.
Now what's to be found by racing around,
you carry your pain wherever you go,
Full of blues, and tryin' to lose,
You ain't gonna learn what you don't wanna know.
So I give you my eyes and all of their lies,
Please help them to learn as well as to see.
Capture a glance, and make it dance,
But looking at you is looking at me.
Black throated wind, keeps on pourin' in,
With it's words of a life that could almost be true,
Ah, mother American night, here comes a light.
I'm turning around, that's what I'm gonna do.
Going back home that's what I'm gonna do.
I'm turning around, that's what I'm gonna do.
Going back home that's what I'm gonna do.
Cause you've done better by me than I've done by you,
I'm drowning in you.
11
Blues For Allah
Arabian wind, The needle's eye is thin, The ships of state sail on mirage,
And drown in sand, Out in no-man's land where Allah does command.
What good is spilling blood? It will not grow a thing;
Taste eternity the swords sing: Blues of Allah In 'sh'Allah.
They lie where they fall, There's nothing more to say,
The desert stars are bright tonight lets meet as friends,
The Flower of Islam, The Fruit of Abraham.
The thousand stories have come round to one again,
Arabian night, Our Gods pursue their fight,
What fatal flowers of darkness bloom from seeds of light.
Bird of paradise fly in white sky, Blues for Allah In 'sh'Allah,
Let's see with our heart, These things our eyes have seen,
And know the truth must still lie somewhere in between.
Under eternity, under eternity, under eternity blue,
Bird of paradise fly in white sky, Blues for Allah In 'sh'Allah.
Bo Diddley
Hey, Bo Diddley dee.
Bondi Pier
I was down by Bondi Pier, drinkin' tubes of ice cold beer,
With a bucket full of prawns upon my knee,
When I swallowed the last prawn,
I had a technicolor yawn and I chundered in the old Pacific Sea.
Drink it up, drink it up, crack another dozen tubes and prawns with me,
If you want to throw your voice, mate you won't have any choice,
But to chunder in the Old Pacific Sea.
I was sittin in the surf, when a mate of mine called Murf,
Asks if he can crack a tube or two with me.
The bastard barely swallowed it,
When he went for the big split, and he chundered in the Old Pacific Sea.
Drink it up, drink it up, crack another dozen tubes and prawns with me,
If you want to throw your voice, mate you won't have any choice,
But to chunder in the Old Pacific Sea.
I've had liquid laughs in cars, and I've hurled from moving cars,
And I've chuckled when and where it suited me.
But if I could choose the spot,
To regurgitate me lot, then I'd chunder in the Old Pacific Sea.
Drink it up, drink it up, crack another dozen tubes and prawns with me,
If you want to throw your voice, mate you won't have any choice,
But to chunder in the Old Pacific Sea.
12
Born Cross-Eyed
Seems like I've been here before,
Fuzzy then and still so obscure, goodbye, goodbye, goodbye, goodbye.
And I don't want to see anybody cry,
Meet me some mornin' in the sweet by and by, by and by, by and by.
Song commin' on,
So pleasin' to see, come and gone, goodbye, goodbye, goodbye, goodbye,
You don't have to tell me why,
Meet me some mornin' in the sweet by and by, by and by, by and by.
It ain't cause I'm the only one left darlin',
Bout the time the sun rises west,
Feelin' groovy, lookin' fine.
Think I'll come back here again,
Every now and then from time to time.
My how lovely you are, my dear,
The ball game has gone much too far my dear,
Sing to me, do your thing to me,
I'll meet you some mornin', meet you some mornin',
In the sweet by and by, by and by, by and by.
Box of Rain
Look out of any window, any morning, any evening, any day.
Maybe the sun is shining, birds are singing,
No rain is falling from a heavy sky.
What do you want me to do, to do for you to see you through?
For this is all a dream we dreamed one afternoon, long ago.
Walk out of any doorway, feel your way, feel your way like the day before.
Maybe you'll find direction,
Around some corner where it's been waiting to meet you.
What do you want me to do, to watch for you while you are sleeping?
The please don't be surprised when you find me dreaming too.
Look into any eyes you find by you, you can see clear to another day,
Maybe been seen before, through other eyes on other days while going home.
What do you want me to do, to do for you to see you through?
It's all a dream we dreamed one afternoon, long ago.
Walk into splintered sunlight,
Inch your way through dead dreams to another land.
Maybe you're tired and broken,
Your tongue is twisted with words half spoken and thoughts unclear
What do you want me to do, to do for you to see you through?
A box of rain will ease the pain, and love will see you through.
Just a box of rain, wind and water,
Believe it if you need in, if you don't just pass it on.
Sun and shower, wind and rain,
In and out the window like a moth before a flame.
And it's just a box of rain, I don't know who put it there,
Believe it if you need it, or leave it if you dare.
And it's just a box of rain, or a ribbon for tour hair;
Such a long long time to be gone, and a short time to be there.
13
Boys in the Barroom
Does God look down on the boys in the barroom,
Mainly forsaken but surely not judged.
Jacks, kings, and aces, their faces in wine,
Do lord deliver our kind.
From singing for whiskey three strings on the fiddle,
Four on the guitar and a song that I love.
Many's the night we spent picking and singing,
In hopes it be pleasing both here and above.
Jack's string fiddle to my sawtooth bow,
Who loves lonlieness loves it alone.
I love the dim lights like some love the dew,
Only thing I wonder sometimes:
Does God look down on the boys in the barroom,
Mainly forsaken but surely not judged.
Jacks, kings, and aces, their faces in wine,
Do lord deliver our kind.
Bring Me My Shotgun
Oh bring me my shotgun, bring me back some shells,
Why don't you just bring me my shotgun,
Bring me back a pocket full of shells,
Well you know if I don't get myself a little competition,
You know there's gonna be some trouble 'round here.
Well you know my mama told me, she said,
You gonna have bad luck, son, don't care where you go,
So why don't you bring me my shotgun.
Early in the morning when the sun gonna rise,
She lets her rolling go moonshine bright,
In the morning bring me my shotgun,
Well I can stand in the mist for a while,
But I can't stand it for very long.
14
Brokedown Palace
Fare you well, my honey, fare you well my only true one.
All the birds that were singing are flown, except you alone.
Going to leave this brokedown palace,
On my hand and knees, I will roll, roll, roll.
Make myself a bed in the waterside,
In my time, I will roll, roll roll.
In a bed, in a bed, by the waterside I will lay my head.
Listen to the river sing sweet songs, to rock my soul.
River going to take me, sing sweet and sleepy,
sing me sweet and sleepy all the way back home.
It's a far gone lullaby, sung many years ago.
Mama, mama many worlds I've come since I first left home.
Goin' home, goin' home, by the riverside I will rest my bones,
Listen to the river sing sweet songs, to rock my soul.
Going to plant a weeping willow,
On the bank's green edge it will grow, grow, grow.
Sing a lullaby beside the water,
Lovers come and go, the river roll, roll, roll.
Fare you well, fare you well, I love you more than words can tell,
Listen to the river sing sweet songs, to rock my soul.
Brother Esau
My brother Esau killed the hunter, back in 1969,
Before the killing was done his inheritance was mine.
When at first my brother walked away,
Before a weary band,
Esau gave his sleeplessness for a piece of moral land.
Our father favored Esau, he was eager to obey,
All the wild commandments, the old man shot his way.
But all this ended when, my brother failed at war,
He staggered home and found me in the door.
Esau he's on rollerskates today,
And he make a statement to someone in L.A.
Sometimes at night I dream, he's still that hairy man,
Shadow boxing the apocalypse, wandering the land.
Esau holds the blessing, brother Esau holds the curse,
I was thinking that the blame was mine,
But suspected something worse.
The more my brother looks like me, the more I understand,
The silent war it bloodied both our hands.
Sometimes at night I think I understand.
None of us can win.
Outside that dream, still that hairy man.
Well sometimes at night I think I understand.
Shadowboxing the apocalypse, wandering the land.
15
Brown-Eyed Women
Gone are the days when the ox fall down,
Take up the yoke and plow the fiends around.
Gone are the days when the ladies said' "Please,
Gentle Jack Jones won't you come to me."
Brown-eyed women and red grenadine,
The bottle was dusty but the liquor was clean.
Sound of the thunder with the rain pourin' down,
And it looks like the old man's gettin' on.
1929 when he stepped to the bar, drank to the dregs of the whiskey jar.
1030 when the wall caved in, he made his way selling red-eyed gin.
Brown-eyed women and red grenadine,
The bottle was dusty but the liquor was clean.
Sound of the thunder with the rain pourin' down,
And it looks like the old man's gettin' on.
Delilah Jones was the mother of twins,
Two times over and the rest were sins.
Raised eight boys, only I turned bad,
Didn't get the lickin's that the other ones had.
Brown-eyed women and red grenadine,
The bottle was dusty but the liquor was clean.
Sound of the thunder with the rain pourin' down,
And it looks like the old man's gettin' on.
Tumble down shack on Big Foot country.
Snowed so hard that the roof caved in.
Delilah Jones went to meet her God,
And the old man never was the same again.
Daddy made whiskey and he made it well.
Cost two dollars and it burned like hell.
I cut hick'ry just to fire the still,
Drink down a bottle and be ready to kill.
Brown-eyed women and red grenadine,
The bottle was dusty but the liquor was clean.
Sound of the thunder with the rain pourin' down,
And it looks like the old man's gettin' on.
Gone are the days when the ox fall down,
Take up the yoke and plow the fiends around.
Gone are the days when the ladies said' "Please,
Gentle Jack Jones won't you come to me."
Brown-eyed women and red grenadine,
The bottle was dusty but the liquor was clean.
Sound of the thunder with the rain pourin' down,
And it looks like the old man's gettin' on.
16
Built to Last
There are times when you must beckon,
There are times when you must fall.
You can take a lot of wrecking,
But you can't take it all.
There are times when I can help you out,
And times when you must fall.
There are times when you must live in doubt,
And I can't help at all.
Two blue stars, shine o'er the hill.
Plead no more, now just be still.
Through the night, now safely there.
Show me something built to last.
Been held by the fire,
Yes and I'm, held by the ring.
You can walk on balls of fire,
But sometimes you might bleed.
There are times when I have begged you
And you do the same to me.
If you can't or won't admit it,
At least we pulled you through.
Three blue stars, set o'er the hill.
Call them back; you never will.
All these trials, soon be dead.
We all need something built to last.
Built to last 'till time of seven,
Falls tumbling from the sky.
Built to last 'till lightness fades,
And darkness falls on all.
Built to last 'till years roll back
Our couch perched in the sky
Show me something different,
Or something built to try.
There are times when you get hit up on,
Try hard but you cannot give.
Other times, you'd gladly go
with what you need to give.
Don't be afraid to save your face,
When you have done your best
Now I won't forget,
Next day try the rest.
All the stars, are gone but one.
Morning dreams, we found the Sun.
Through the night, now safely there,
Show me something built to last
Two blue stones, shine o'er the hill.
Call it back; you never will
All these trials, now are dead.
Show me something built to last.
17
Built To Last (cont.)
All the stars, are gone but one.
Morning dreams. Here comes the sun.
Through the night, now sinking fast.
Show me something built to last.
Candyman
Come on all you pretty women, with your hair a hanging down,
Open up your windows cuz the Candyman's in town.
Come on boys and gamble, roll those laughing bones,
Seven come eleven, boys I'll take your money home.
Look out, look out the Candyman,
Here he comes and he's gone again.
Pretty lady ain't got no friend till,
The Candyman comes around again, around again.
I come from Memphis where I learned to talk the jive,
When I get back to Memphis be one less man alive.
Good morning Mr. Benson, I see you're doing well,
If I had me a shotgun I'd blow you straight to hell.
Look out, look out the Candyman,
Here he comes and he's gone again.
Pretty lady ain't got no friend till,
The Candyman comes around again, around again.
Come on boys and wager if you have got the mind,
If you've got a dollar boys, lay it on the line,
Hand me my old guitar, pass the whiskey round,
Won't you tell everybody you meet that the Candyman's in town.
Look out, look out the Candyman,
Here he comes and he's gone again.
Pretty lady ain't got no friend till,
The Candyman comes around again, around again.
18
Can't Come Down
Well I'm flying down desert streets wrapped in mother's wine and sheets,
Asbestos boots on flaming feet dreaming of forbidden treats,
When uniforms on nighttime beats ask me where I'm going and what I eat.
I answer them with a voice so sweet,
I can't come down till it's plain to see.
I can't come down I've been set free.
Who you are and what you don't make no difference to me.
Well someone trying to tell me where it's at,
And how I do this and why I do that,
With secret smiles like a Chesire cat,
And little wings like a vampire bat,
I fly away to my cold water flat and eat my way to a bone of fat,
And I say to the man with the funny hat,
They say I'll be good to lose my grip,
My hold on reality is starting to slip,
To tell me to got off with this trip,
The say its like a sinking ship,
Life is sweet it's too warm to sip,
And if I drink I'll chuck and flip, I'll just say as I take a nip,
Oh I dream of cotton seas and granite walls and redwood trees,
And ugly eye that only sees endless mirrors and infinite me's,
About the winter's coming freeze this afterthought I say with ease,
To all of you who make your fees.
Casey Jones
Driving that train, high on cocaine,
Casey Jones is ready, watch your speed.
Trouble ahead, trouble behind,
And you know that notion just crossed my mind.
This old engine makes it on time,
Leaves Central Station 'bout a quarter to nine,
Hits River Junction at seventeen to,
At a quarter to ten you know it's travlin' again.
Driving that train, high on cocaine,
Casey Jones is ready, watch your speed.
Trouble ahead, trouble behind,
And you know that notion just crossed my mind.
Trouble ahead, Lady in red,
Take my advice you'd be better off dead.
Switchman's sleeping, train hundred and two is
On the wrong track and headed for you.
Driving that train, high on cocaine,
Casey Jones is ready, watch your speed.
Trouble ahead, trouble behind,
And you know that notion just crossed my mind.
Trouble with you is the trouble with me,
Got two good eyes but you still don't see.
Come round the bend, you know it's the end,
The fireman screams and the engine just gleams...
19
Cassidy
I have seen where the wolf has slept by the silver stream.
I can tell by the mark he left you were in his dream.
Ah child of countless trees, ah child of boundless seas.
What are you, what are you meant to be?
Speaks his name for you were born to me,
Born to me, Cassidy.
Lost now on the country miles in his Cadillac.
I can tell by the way you smile he is rolling back.
Come wash the nighttime clean, come grow the scorched ground green.
Blow the horn, tap the tambourine.
Close the gap on the dark years in between.
You and me, Cassidy.
Quick beats in an icy heart, catch colt draws a coffin cart,
There he goes and now here she starts, hear her cry.
Flight of the seabirds,
Scattered like lost words,
Wheel to the storm and fly.
Fare thee well now, let your life proceed by it's own design.
Nothing to tell now, let the words be yours, I'm done with mine.
Fare thee well now, let your life proceed by it's own design.
Nothing to tell now, let the words be yours, I'm done with mine.
Catfish John
Mama said, "Don't go near that river,
Don't be hanging around old Catfish John."
Come in the morning I'd always be there,
Walking in his footsteps in the sweet Delta dawn.
Take me back to another morning, to a time so long ago,
When the sweet magnolia blossomed, cotton fields as white as snow.
Catfish John was a river hobo who lived and died by the river's bed,
Looking back I still remember I was proud to be his friend.
Mama said, "Don't go near that river,
Don't be hanging around old Catfish John."
Come in the morning I'd always be there,
Walking in his footsteps in the sweet Delta dawn.
Born a slave in the town of Vicksburg, traded for a chestnut mare,
Lord her never spoke in anger though his load was hard to bear.
Mama said, "Don't go near that river,
Don't be hanging around old Catfish John."
Come in the morning I'd always be there,
Walking in his footsteps in the sweet Delta dawn.
Walking in his footsteps in the sweet Delta dawn.
20
Cats Under the Stars
Cats on the blacktop, birdie in the treetop,
Someone plays guitar that sounds like clarinet.
I ain't ready to go to bed,
I think I'll take a walk downtown instead.
Cats on the bandstand, Give'em each a big hand,
Anyone who sweats like that must be all right.
No one wants to fight; no blackeye,
Just another cat beneath the stars tonight.
Cats in the limelight, feels like it's alright,
Everybody wants something they might not get.
I ain' ready yet, it ain't complete,
That's why I am headin' down to Alleycat Street.
Satin blouse unbuttoning, satin blouse unbuttoning,
Time is a stripper's doin', it's just for you.
Time is a stripper's doin', it's just for you.
Knock in the brass tacks, cover up your tracks Jack,
You ain't nowhere till you can pay your own way back.
What else do you lack to make it right,
But cats down under the stars tonight.
21
Caution
I went down one day, I went down one day to see a Gypsy woman,
Just one old day, yes I did,
I want to find out, I want to find out,
I want to find out, I want to find out now,
What's wring with me and my baby.
We ain't gettin' down like we used to do,
I mean it's pretty good now, but there was a time,
When it didn't work too well.
I went down to see this Gypsy woman, you understand,
I told her my story, I told her what was goin' on.
And she told me, man she said, all you need, all you need,
She said all you got to have, oh Lord,
Just a touch of Mojo's hand, oh bring it back on,
And it feels pretty good, yes indeed.
C. C. Rider
Well now C., C. C. Rider, well now see, see what you have done.
Well now C., C. C. Rider, well now see, see what you have done.
Well you made me love you woman, now your man is gone.
So I'm goin' away now baby and I won't be back till fall,
I'm goin' away now baby and I won't be back till fall,
Just might find me a good girl might not be commin' back at all.
Well now C., C. C. Rider, see now the moon is shining bright,
Well now C., C. C. Rider, see now the moon is shining bright,
Just might find me that good girl and everything would be alright.
China Cat Sunflower
Look for a while at the China Cat sunflower,
Proud walking jingle in the midnight sun.
Copperdome bodhi drip a silver kimono,
Like a crazy quilt stargown through a dream night wind.
Crazy cat peekin' through a lace bandanna,
Like a one-eyed Cheshire, like a diamond-eye jack.
A leaf of all colors plays a golden-string fiddle,
To a double-E waterfall over my back.
Comic book colors on a violin river Cryin' Leonardo,
Words from out a silk trombone.
I rang a silent bell, beneath a shower of pearls,
In the eagle-winged palace of the Queen Chinee.
22
China Doll
A pistol shot, at five o'clock, the bells of heaven ring,
tell me what you done it for, No I won't tell you a thing.
Yesterday I begged you before I hit the ground,
all I leave behind me is only what I found.
If you can abide it, let the hurdy-gurdy play,
stranger ones have come by here before they flew away.
I will not condemn you nor yet would I deny,
I would ask the same of you, but failing, will not die.
Take up your china doll, take up your china doll,
it's only fractured and just a little nervous from the fall.
La-la-la-la-la-la-la.
Chinatown Shuffle
Take it, you can have it, what I got baby, I can't hold
and if you find the secret tell me how to build the mold.
And I can't handle your problems so don`t try to handle mine,
get yourself a shotgun, a pocketful of shells
and we can while away the time.
Look up the wall, do it right, make a mistake,
you're going to pay for it twice,
but if you need it, got to have it get yourself
a shotgun and bring it back home
Look up the wall, you know you got to call
before you start falling, get ready to fall.
and if you fallin my direction
don't expect no help at all....don't
Get it right, do it nice
and if you make a mistake, you're going to pay for it twice,
but if you need it, got to have it get yourself
a shotgun and bring it back home
Look up the wall, you know you got to call
but if you start falling, be ready to fall,
and if you fall in my direction
don't expect no help at all, don't expect no help at all,
don't expect no help at all, and if you fall in my direction
don't expect no help at all,
23
Cocaine
Take a snip of this then play a little riff, don't be afraid to try
Don't need no airplane to get off the ground there's more than one way to fly
Have a little taste, Baby, don't hesitate, every hit don`t have to be a song
Gonna take you to the cosmos, Baby, and boogie with you all night long
Riding out on a rail, feels so fine
Talking 'bout that cocaine express, mainline, got a good head of steam
Never lived down on the Bayou, but I been busted in New Orleans, New Orleans
I can roll all night with you, Baby got a land? I'm just in from Marin
Can't get it off, but I can get it on and we'll be truckin' 'till the break of day
Here comes the doo-dah dealer on his Hog three wheeler, 250 pounds of sin
He's made your car the main attraction. you wanna beef up his action
But he will cut you, before he would cut you in, the only place to win
Riding out on a rail, feels so fine
Talking 'bout that cocaine express, mainline, taking a midnight cruise
Never lived up in the Northlands, but I been snowblind out in Sandford Dew
Snowblind in Sanford Dew, that's enough for you, snowblind
Cocaine Habit Blues
Tell it to me, tell it to me
Drink cold liquor let the cocaine be Cocaine'll kill my honey dead
Walking down the street with a dollar in my hand
Looked for a woman ain't got no man Cocaine'll kill my honey dead
Love my whiskey, I'll love my gin
But the way I love coke is all of a sin Cocaine'll kill my honey dead
Cocaine's dose is not for a man
Doctor said pretty soon, but he don't say when Cocaine'll kill my honey dead
Cold Jordan
Oh sinning is a gentilized journey, take Jesus as your daily guide
Though you may feel pure and saintly without Him walking by your side
And when you come to make your crossing at the end of the pilgrim's way
If you ever will meet your savior, you will surely meet him on that day
Now look at that cold Jordan, look at its deep water
Look at that wide river Oh heavy mighty billows roll
You better take Jesus with you, he's a true companion
Oh I'm sure without him that you never will make it home
That awful day of judgement is coming in the by and by
We'll see our Lord descending in the glory from on high
Oh, let us get in touch with Jesus and in the special love of God
And maybe ever get ready when he comes on Jordan's tide
Now look at that cold Jordan, look at its deep water
Look at that wide river Oh heavy mighty billows roll
You better take Jesus with you, he's a true companion
Oh I'm sure without him that you never will make it home
Now what you gonna do, Oh what you gonna say
Oh how you gonna feel when you come to the end of the way?
24
Cold Rain and Snow
Well I married me a wife, she's been trouble all my life
Run me out in the cold rain and snow
Rain and snow, run me out in the cold rain and snow
Well she's coming down the stairs, combin' back her yellow hair
And I ain't goin be treated this ol' way
Well she went up to her room where she sang her faithful tune
Well I'm goin where those chilly winds don`t blow
Comes A Time
Comes a time when the blind-man takes your hand, says "Don't you see?
Gotta make it somehow on the dreams you still believe."
Don't give it up, you got an empty cup only love can fill,
only love can fill.
Been walking all morning went walking all night
I can`t see much difference between the dark and light
And I feel the wind And I taste the rain
Never in my mind to cause so much pain.
Comes a time when the blind-man takes your hand, says "Don't you see?
Gotta make it somehow on the the dreams you still believe."
Don't give it up, you got an empty cup only love can fill,
only love can fill.
From day to day just letting it ride.
You get so far away from how it feels inside.
You can't let go cause you're afraid to fall,
But the day may come when you can't feel at all.
The words come out like an angry stream.
You hear yourself say things you could never mean.
When you cool down you find your mind.
You got a lot of words you've got to stand behind.
Comes a time when the blind-man takes your hand, says "Don't you see?
Gotta make it somehow on the dreams you still believe."
Don't give it up, you got an empty cup only love can fill,
only love can fill, only love can fill, only love can fill.
Confusion Prince
If only I could be less blind, if only I knew what to find
Everywhere and all of the time, it's bending my mind
Confusion Prince is at my door
The crown I wear is the one he wore
He's here to bring me down some more and bend my mind
The friendly stranger call my name
He only wants me for his game
But it don't matter just the same I bend his mind
I'll wave my flags into the sun
I fought my wars and now they're won
And I didn't need nobody's gun, I bend their mind
25
Cosmic Charlie
Cosmic Charlie how do you do? Truckin' in style along the avenue.
Dum de dum de dooodley do. Go on home your mama's calling you.
Kalico, Kahlia, come tell me the news.
Calamity's waiting for a way to get to her.
Rosy red and electric blue I bought you a paddle for your paper canoe.
Say you'll come back when you can Whenever your airplane happens to land.
Maybe I'll be back here too It all depends on what's with you.
Hung up waiting for a windy day kite one ice since the first of February.
Mama keeps saying that the wind might blow ,
But standing here I say I just don't know.
New ones comin' as the old ones go,
Everything's moving here but much too slow now,
A little bit quicker and we might have time,
To say "How do you do?" before we're left behind.
Calliope wail like a seaside zoo. The very last lately inquired about you,
It's really very one or two. The first you wanted, the last I knew.
I just wonder if you shouldn't feel,
Less concerned about the people unreal.
The very first word is "How do you do?",
The last "Go home your mama's callin' you."
Calling you, calling you, calling you, calling you,
Go on home your mama's calling you.
Crazy Fingers
Your rain falls like crazy fingers
Peals of fragile thunder keeping time
Recall the days that still are to come some sing blue.
Hang your heart on laughing willow stray
Down to the water, deep sea of love
beneath the sweet calm face of the sea swift undertow.
Life may be sweeter for this, I don't know,
See how it feels in the end.
May Lady Lullaby sing plainly for you soft, strong, sweet and true.
Cloud hands reaching from a rainbow tapping at the window, touch your hair
So swift and bright strange figures of light float in air.
Who can stop what must arrive now? Something new is waiting to be born
Dark as the night you're still by my side shine inside .
Gone are the days we stopped to decide where we should go, we just ride.
Gone are the broken eyes we saw through in dreams gone, both dream and lie.
Life may be sweeter for this, I don't know,
Feels like it might be alright,
While Lady Lullaby sings plainly through you Love still rings true.
Midnight on a carousel ride reaching for the gold ring down inside,
Never could reach it, just slips away but I try.
26
Cream Puff War
No, no! She can't take your mind and leave
I know it's just another trick she's got up her sleeve
I can't believe that she really wants you to die
After all it's more than enough to pay for your lie
Wait a minute, watch what you're doin' with your time
All the endless ruins of the past must stay behind, yeah
Well, can't you see that you're killing each other's soul
Well, you're both out in the streets and you got no place to go
Your constant battes are getting to be a bore
So go somewhere else and continue your cream puff war
Cumberland Blues
I can't stay much longer, Melinda, The sun is getting high.
I can't help you with your troubles, If you won't help with mine.
I gotta get down, I gotta get down, I gotta get down to the mine.
You keep me up just one more night, I can't sleep here no more.
Little Ben clock says quarter to eight; You kept me up 'till four.
I gotta get down, I gotta get down, Or I can't work there no more.
A lotta poor man make a five dollar bill, Keep him happy all the time.
Some other fella's makin nothin' at all And you can hear him cry,
"Can I go, buddy, can I go down Take your shift at the mine?"
Gotta get down to the Cumberland Mine.
Gotta get down to the Cumberland Mine.
That's where I mainly spend my time.
Make good money, five dollars a day. Made anymore, I might move away.
Lotta poor man got the Cumberland Blues He can't win for losin'
Lotta poor man got to walk the line Just to pay his union dues.
I don't know now, I just don't know If I'm goin' back again.
Dancing in the Streets
Hey, comin' out around the world be ready for a brand new beat
Oh, summer's here and the time is right, oh, for dancing in the street
Dancing in Chicago (dancing in the street)
Down in New Orleans (dancing in the street)
In New York City (dancing in the street)
All we need is music, sweet music (sweet, sweet music)
They'll be music everywhere (everywhere)
They'll be laughing, singing, music swinging and dancing in the street
It doesn't matter what you wear just as long as you are there
So come on every guy and grab a girl everywhere around the world
They're dancing (dancing in the street) oh oh
This is an invitation across the nation the chance for folks to meet
There'll be swinging, swaying, music playing and dancing in the street
Philadelphia, PA now (dancing in the street)
Baltimore and D.C. (dancing in the street)
Can't forget them other cities (dancing in the street)
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