| October Road |
| September Grass Well, the sun's not so hot in the sky today and you know I can see summertime slipping on away. A few more geese are gone, a few more leaves turning red, but the grass is as soft as a feather in a featherbed. So I'll be king and you'll be queen, our kingdom's gonna be this little patch of green. Won't you lie down here right now in this September grass? Won't you lie down with me now, September grass. Oh, the memory is like the sweetest pain. Yeah, I kissed the girl at a football game. I can still smell the sweat and the grass stains. We walked home together, I was never the same. But that was a long time ago, and where is she now? I don't know. Won't you lie down here right now in this September grass? Won't you lie down with me now, September grass. Oh, September grass is the sweetest kind, it goes down easy like apple wine. Hope you don't mind if I pour you some, made that much sweeter by the winter to come. Do you see those ants dancing on a blade of grass? Do you know what I know? That's you and me, baby. We're so small and the world's so vast, we found each other down in the grass. Won't you lie down here right now in this September grass? Won't you lie down with me now, September grass. Lie down, lie down, lie down, lie down. Won't you lie down here right now in this September grass? Won't you lie down with me now, September grass. Won't you lie down here right now in this September grass? Won't you lie down with me now, September grass... October Road Well I'm-a going back down maybe one more time, deep down home, October road. And I might like to see that little friend of mine that I left behind once upon a time. Oh, promised land and me still standing, it's a test of time, it's a real good sign. Let the sun run down right behind the hill, I know how to stand there still till the moon rise up right behind the pine, oh, Lord, October road. Let the sun run down right behind the hill, I know how to stand there still till the moon rise up right behind the pine, oh, Lord, October road. It's the big-time life that I can't abide, raise my rent, tan my hide. Sweet call of the countryside, go down slow, open wide.. I did my time and it changed my mind, I'm satisfied, oh. I got so low down, fed up, my God, I could hardly move. Won't you come on, my brother, get on up and help me find my groove. Keep me walking, October road. Keep me walking in the sunshine, yeah A little friend of mine, October road. Keep me walking, October road. Keep me walking in the sunshine, yeah. A little friend of mine, October road, help me now. On the Fourth of July Shall I tell it again how we started as friends who would run into one another now and again. At the Yippee Cai O or the Mesa Dupree, or a dozen different everyday places to be. I was living alone, we were ever so brave on the telephone. Would you care to come down for fireworks time, we could each just reach, we step out of line. And the smell of the smoke and the lay of the land and the feeling of finding one's heart in one's hand and the tiny tin voice of the radio band singing "love must stand," love forever and ever must stand. Unbelievable you, impossible me, the fool who fell out of the family tree, the fellow that found the philosopher's stone, deep underground like a dinosaur bone. Who fell into you at a quarter to two with a tear in your eye for the Fourth of July for the patriots and the minutemen and the things you believe they believed in then Such as freedom, and freedom's land and the kingdom of God and the rights of man with the tiny tin voice of the radio band singing "love must stand," love forever and ever must stand and forever must stand. Oh, the smell of the smoke as we lay on the land and the feeling of finding my heart in my hand with the tiny tin voice of the radio band singing "love must stand," love forever and ever must stand and forever must stand. All on the Fourth of July, on the Fourth of July. Whenever You're Ready Little one done run out of money now, no, it doesn't seem to have a home. Left to fend for yourself in the wilderness, out there living life all alone. Whenever you're ready, you could see a dream come true. Whenever you're ready, I'm just saying it's up to you. Whenever you're ready, things could start looking up. Whenever you're ready, take a big sip from the loving cup. Making that face carved out of stone, coping real hard with a losing hand. Sound of a dog choking on a chicken bone, it just can't be the way that you had things planned, my friend. Whenever you're ready, yeah, yeah, things could start to happen real fast. Whenever you're ready, my good friend, sure we could get one built to last. Whenever you're ready, oh, we could get it done today. Whenever you're ready, sure enough you could come out and play. Cold, hot, ready or not, whatever you've got. What have you got to lose, my good friend? Whenever you're ready, whenever you're ready, my good friend... Belfast To Boston (God's Rifle) There are rifles buried in the countryside for the rising of the moon, may they lie there long forgotten till they rust away into the ground. Who will bend this ancient hatred, will the killing to an end? Who will swallow long injustice, take the devil for a country man? Who will say "this far no further, oh lord, if I die today?" Send no weapons no more money. Send no vengeance across the seas, just the blessing of forgiveness for my new countryman and me. Missing brothers, martyred fellows, silent children in the ground. Could we but hear them could they not tell us "Time to lay God's rifle down." Who will say, "this far, no further," oh Lord, if I die today? Mean Old Man On my own, how could I have known? Imagine my surprise. Just a fool from a tree full of fools who can't believe his eyes, imagine my surprise? I was a mean old man, I was an ornery cuss, I was a dismal Dan, I made an awful fuss. Ever since my life began, man, it was ever thus, I was a nasty tyke who was hard to like. I had to misbehave, I did things in reverse, refused to wash or shave, I was horrid to my nurse. I got back what I gave which only made me worse, I had to have my way which was bleak and gray. Oh dear, living in here, one hundred years of rain. Such a drag, this riches to rags with just myself to blame, a dirty low-down shame. Silly me, silly old me, somewhere outside my mind. Clever you walking me through, willing to lead the blind just in the nick of time. Who gets a second chance? Who gets to have some fun? Who gets to learn to dance before his race is run? Who gets to shed his skin? Who comes up born again? Who was a mean old man till you turned him into a golden retriever puppy dog? Who's a good boy? My Traveling Star Watch my back and light my way (my traveling star, my traveling star). Watch over all of those born St. Christopher's Day (old road dog, young runaway). They hunger for home but they cannot stay, they wait by the door, they stand and they stare. They're already out of there, they're already out of there. My daddy used to ride the rails (so they say, so they say). Soft as smoke and as tough as nails (Boxcar Jones, old walking man). Coming back home was like going to jail. The sheets and the blankets and babies and all, no, he never did come back home, never that I recall. Never mind the wind, never mind the rain, never mind the road leading home again. Never asking why, never knowing when, every now and then, there he goes again. She had a cat and a dog named Blue (my traveling star, my traveling star). A big old stove and a fireplace, too (old road dog, young runaway). She told me loved me like it was true. I knew I should stay, I knew I would go. Run, run, run away. Run, run, run away, boy. Run before the wind, run before the rain, over yonder hill, just around the bend. Never knowing why, never knowing when, every now and then, there you go again. Tie me up and hold me down (oh, my traveling star). Bury my feet down in the ground (oh, old road dog). Claim my name from the lost and found and let me believe this is where I belong. Shame on me for sure for one more highway song. My traveling star, my traveling star... Raised Up Family I was raised up family, man, I'm glad I'm on my own. I was raised up family, man, I'm glad I'm on my own. I mean, God bless the child that can learn to live alone, yeah. Thinking about my cousin, what it was that did him in. Could it have been that whiskey, rotgut, bootleg, bathtub gin? It's like it took a lot of liquor just to let him live in his own skin. Back in Raleigh, North Carolina, you got to ride it on back in Raleigh, North Carolina. The ship set down on the shore of this uncharted desert island, me and my people fanned out, I guess we settled down a little while. Ah, but the devil came with the dark days of winter, man, the children ran wild. I used to know why, no, I don't know why anymore. I used to know why, no, I don't know why no more. I get to wonder at the Kundalini thunder, down under my floor. You got to ride it on back, take me back. Back in Raleigh, North Carolina, yeah, do you wanna go? Way back in Raleigh, North Carolina. Carry Me On My Way I forget what to ask for, there isn't anything I haven't been given. How could I wish for anything more as I am here living in heaven? This moment in the sun to feel the wheel turning on. Carry me on my way, carry me on my way. Carry me on my way, carry me on my way. I worry about my actions, I think about the damage I do. I've seen the coming attractions, Armageddon and Waterloo. I tried to change my mind, I wasted precious time. Carry me on my way, carry me on my way. Carry me on my way, carry me on my way. Who knows where the time goes, only everything is everything. Feels like I'm wearing my father's clothes, singing a song my brother would sing. I turned to hide my face, they're gone without a trace. Carry me on my way, carry me on my way. Carry me on my way, carry me on my way. Caroline I See You Caroline, I see you standing on the stairway, waiting for your bear there. Handy on the landing, penny in my pocket, high enough to hold you. When I come back home to you tomorrow, you may well be angry, I'll for sure be hungry. Meet me in the middle, make it melt like chocolate, be my little baby. I take you down by the water some December morning. Take you from your family, leave them with their longing. Take you by your hand, somewhere on the sand. Caroline, I love you, though I'm late to say so, hesitate to tell you. What will be your answer some December morning? Standing on the stairway, Caroline, I see you. Baby Buffalo Are you there? Can you hear me? Somewhere near me? In the morning, long ago, had to hold you so close, had to never let go. Time on the river sliding on by. Hard to believe, wink of an eye. Where'd you go, Baby Buffalo? What's become of old Cotton Eyed Joe? Hold up, lying low, long gone come-a summertime snow. Talk to your doctor, making her rounds. Ninety-six tears, one thousand clowns. There they are, shining bright. True creation, pure delight. They go on, so do you. On and on, maybe me too. Long ago Baby Buffalo, what's become of old Cotton Eyed Joe? Hold up, lying low, long gone come-a summertime snow. Hold on to now till you have to let go. Easy through your fingers, ever so. I'm just guessing, I don't know. Maybe it's a blessing, I sure hope so. Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas (Martin/Blane) Christmas future is far away, Christmas past is past. Christmas present is here today bringing joy that may last. Have yourself a merry little Christmas, may your heart be light. In a year our troubles will be out of sight. From now on, have yourself a merry little Christmas, make the yuletide gay. In a year our troubles will be miles away. Here we are as in olden days, happy golden days of yore. Precious friends who are dear to us gather near to us once more. I know that in a year we all will be together, if the Fates allow. Until then, we'll just have to muddle through somehow. And have ourselves a merry little Christmas now. Cause everybody knows... |