Richard Manuel

When I get off of this mountain, you know where I want to go?
Straight down the Mississippi river, to the Gulf of Mexico
To Lake Charles, Louisiana, little Bessie, girl that I once knew
She told me just to come on by, if there's anything she could do

Up on Cripple Creek she sends me
If I spring a leak she mends me
I don't have to speak, she defends me
A drunkard's dream if I ever did see one

Good luck had just stung me, to the race track I did go
She bet on one horse to win and I bet on another to show
The odds were in my favor, I had 'em five to one
When that nag to win came around the track, sure enough she had won

Up on Cripple Creek she sends me
If I spring a leak she mends me
I don't have to speak, she defends me
A drunkard's dream if I ever did see one

I took up all of my winnings, and I gave my little Bessie half
She tore it up and threw it in my face, just for a laugh
Now there's one thing in the whole wide world, I sure would like to see
That's when that little love of mine, dips her doughnut in my tea

Up on Cripple Creek she sends me
If I spring a leak she mends me
I don't have to speak, she defends me
A drunkard's dream if I ever did see one

Now me and my mate were back at the shack, we had Spike Jones on the box
She said, "I can't take the way he sings, but I love to hear him talk"
Now that just gave my heart a throb, to the bottom of my feet
And I swore as I took another pull, my Bessie can't be beat

Up on Cripple Creek she sends me
If I spring a leak she mends me
I don't have to speak, she defends me
A drunkard's dream if I ever did see one

Now there's a flood out in California and up north it's freezing cold
And this living on the road is getting pretty old
So I guess I'll call up my big mama, tell her I'll be rolling in
But you know, deep down, I'm kind of tempted to go and see my Bessie again

Up on Cripple Creek she sends me
If I spring a leak she mends me
I don't have to speak, she defends me
A drunkard's dream if I ever did see one

Ever since time began
Man loves the woman
Woman loves the man

This is the way
It was meant to be
Through the pages
Through the books of our history

You, you, you
Who do you love, who do you love, who do you love, now,
You, you, you
Who do you love, who do you love, who do you love

One and one and one are three
I love you
Do you love me
This is the place now is the time
Give me your love
And I'll give you mine

You, you, you
Who do you love, who do you love, who do you love, now,
You, you, you
Who do you love, who do you love, who do you love

This is simple
And it's true
There's a shining light
All around you
You're the one
You're the fire
You can make it higher and higher

This is the place now is the time
Tell me now darlin' will you be mine

You, you, you
Who do you love, who do you love, who do you love

Put your arms around me
Ahhh
Hold me tight
Ahhh
Cuddle up darlin'
Ahhh
In the sill of the night
Ahhh
You are the one
Ahhh
That I adore
Ahhh
You are the one
That I love so

This is the place now is the time
Tell me now darlin' will you be mine

You, you, you
Who do you love, who do you love, who do you love, now,
You, you, you
Who do you love, who do you love, who do you love, now,
You, you, you
Who do you love, who do you love, who do you love, now,
You, you, you
Do you love me
Do you love me
Do you love me now
You, you, you
Who do you love
who do you love
who do you love.

Robertson: Everybody knows him; you know this guy I think. Yea

Young: Thank you.

Young: I'd just like to say before I start that, ah, one of the pleasures of my life is being able to be on the stage with these people tonight

Young: They got it now Robbie.

[Musical intro]

There is a town in north Ontario,
With dream comfort memory to spare,
In my mind I still need a place to go,
All my changes were there.

Blue, blue windows behind the stars,
Yellow moon on the rise,
The big birds flying across the sky,
They were throwing shadows on our eyes.
Leave us

Helpless, helpless, helpless
Baby can you hear me now?
The chains are locked and tied across my door,
Baby, sing with me somehow.

Blue, blue windows behind the stars,
Yellow moon on the rise,
The big birds flying across the sky,
They're throwing shadows on our eyes.
Leave us

Helpless, helpless, helpless.
Helpless, helpless, helpless.
Helpless, helpless, helpless.

Babe can you hear me now?

Helpless, helpless, helpless.
Helpless, helpless, helpless.
Helpless, helpless, helpless.

The chains are locked and tied across my door

Baby, baby, baby, sing with me somehow

With me so helpless

Helpless, helpless, helpless.

Thanks

Now deep in the heart of a lonely kid
Who suffered so much for what he did,
They gave this ploughboy his fortune and fame,
Since that day he ain't been the same.

See the man with the stage fright
Just standin' up there to give it all his might.
And he got caught in the spotlight,
But when we get to the end
He wants to start all over again.

I've got fire water right on my breath
And the doctor warned me I might catch a death.
Said, "You can make it in your disguise,
Just never show the fear that's in your eyes."

See the man with the stage fright,
Just standin' up there to give it all his might.
He got caught in the spotlight,
But when we get to the end
He wants to start all over again.

Now if he says that he's afraid,
Take him at his word.
And for the price that the poor boy has paid,
He gets to sing just like a bird, oh, ooh ooh ooh.

Your brow is sweatin' and your mouth gets dry,
Fancy people go driftin' by.
The moment of truth is right at hand,
Just one more nightmare you can stand.

See the man with the stage fright
Just standin' up there to give it all his might.
And he got caught in the spotlight,
But when we get to the end
He wants to start all over again, hmm hmm,

You wanna try it once again, hmm hmm,
Please don't make him stop, hmm hmm,
Let him take it from the top, hmm hmm,
Let him start all over again.

No regrets Coyote
We just come from such different sets of circumstance
I'm up all night in the studios
And you're up early on your ranch
You'll be brushing out a brood mare's tail
While the sun is ascending
And I'll just be getting home with my reel to reel
There's no comprehending
Just how close to the bone and the skin and the eyes
And the lips you can get
And still feel so alone
And still feel related
Like stations in some relay
You're not a hit and run driver no no
Racing away
You just picked up a hitcher
A prisoner of the white lines on the freeway

We saw a farmhouse burning down
In the middle of nowhere
In the middle of the night
And we rolled right past that tragedy
Till we pulled into some road house lights
Where a local band was playing
Locals were up kicking and shaking on the floor
And the next thing I know
That coyote's at my door
He pins me in a corner and he won't take no
He drags me out on the dance floor
And we're dancing close and slow
Now he's got a woman at home
He's got another woman down the hall
He seems to want me anyway
Why'd you have to get so drunk
And lead me on that way?
You just picked up a hitcher
A prisoner of the white lines on the freeway

I looked a coyote right in the face
On the road to Baljennie near my old home town
He went running through the whisker wheat
Chasing some prize down
And a hawk was playing with him
Coyote was jumping straight up and making passes
He had those same eyes just like yours
Under your dark glasses
Privately probing the public rooms
And peeking through keyholes in numbered doors
Where the players lick their wounds
And take their temporary lovers
And their pills and powders to get them through this passion play
No regrets Coyote
I just get off up aways
You just picked up a hitcher
A prisoner of the white lines on the freeway

Coyote's in the coffee shop
He's staring a hole in his scrambled eggs
He picks up my scent on his fingers
While he's watching the waitresses' legs
He's too far from the Bay of Funday
From appaloosas and eagles and tides
And the air conditioned cubicles
And the carbon ribbon rides
Are spelling it out so clear
Either he's going to have to stand and fight
Or take off out of here
I tried to run away myself
To run away and wrestle with my ego
And with this flame
You put here in this Eskimo
In this hitcher
In this prisoner
Of the fine white lines
Of the white lines on the free free way

Dry your eyes, take your song out
It's a newborn afternoon
And if you can't recall the singer, can you still recall the tune?
Dry your eyes, play it slowly, just like you're marching off to war
Sing it like you always wanted, like you sung it once before
And from the center of the circle, to the big waiting crowd
If it ever is forgotten, sing it long and sing it loud
And come dry your eyes

And you taught us more about living, than we ever cared to know
And we came to learn a secret, and we never let it go
And it was more than being holy, it was less than being free
And if you can't recall the reason, can you hear the people see
Right through the lightening and the thunder, to the dark side of the moon
Through that distant falling angel, that descended much too soon
Come dry your eyes

Dry your eyes, take your song out
It's a newborn afternoon
And if you can't recall the singer, you can still recall the tune
Come dry your eyes
Come dry your eyes
Dry your eyes

It makes no difference where I turn
I can't get over you and the flame still burns
It makes no difference, night or day
The shadow never seems to fade away

And the sun don't shine anymore
And the rains fall down on my door

Now there's no love
As true as the love
That dies untold
But the clouds never hung so low before

It makes no difference how far I go
Like a scar, the hurt will always show
And it makes no difference who I meet
They're just a face in the crowd on a dead-end street

And the sun don't shine anymore
And the rains fall down on my door

These old love letters
Well, I just can't keep
Just like the gambler says:
"Read 'em and weep"
And the dawn don't rescue me no more

Without your love, I'm nothing at all
Like an empty hall, it's a lonely fall
Since you've gone it's a losing battle
Stampeding cattle, they rattle the walls

And the sun don't shine anymore
And the rains fall down on my door

Well, I love you so much
That it's all I can do
Just to keep myself from telling you
That I never felt so alone before

Such a night, it's such a night
Sweet confusion under the moonlight
Such a night, such a night
To steal away, the time is right

Your eyes caught mine, and at a glance
You let me know that this was my chance
But you came here with my best friend Jim
And here I am, tryin' to steal you away from him

Oh, but if I don't do it, you know somebody else will
If I don't do it, you know somebody else will
If I don't do it, you know somebody else will
If I don't do it, you know somebody else will

And it's such a night, it's such a night
Sweet confusion under the moonlight
It's such a night, such a night
To steal away, the time is right

Yeah, I couldn't believe my ear and my heart just skipped a beat
When you told me to take you walkin' down the street
Oh yeah, you came here with my best friend Jim
Here I am, I'm stealin' you away from him

Oh, but if I don't do it, you know somebody else will
If I don't do it, you know somebody else will
If I don't do it, you know somebody else will
If I don't do it, you know somebody else will
'Cause it's such a night

Virgil Kane is the name
And I served on the Danville train
'Till Stoneman's cavalry came
And tore up the tracks again

In the winter of '65
We were hungry, just barely alive
By May the 10th, Richmond had fell
It's a time I remember, oh so well

The night they drove old Dixie down
And the bells were ringing
The night they drove old Dixie down
And the people were singing
They went, "Na, na, la, na, na, la"

Back with my wife in Tennessee
When one day she called to me
"Virgil, quick, come see,
There goes Robert E. Lee!"

Now, I don't mind chopping wood
And I don't care if the money's no good
You take what you need
And you leave the rest
But they should never
Have taken the very best

The night they drove old Dixie down
And the bells were ringing
The night they drove old Dixie down
And all the people were singing
They went, "Na, na, la, na, na, la"

Like my father before me
I will work the land
And like my brother above me
Who took a rebel stand

He was just 18, proud and brave
But a Yankee laid him in his grave
I swear by the mud below my feet
You can't raise a Kane back up
When he's in defeat

The night they drove old Dixie down
And the bells were ringing
The night they drove old Dixie down
And all the people were singing
They went, "Na, na, la, na, na, la"

The night they drove old Dixie down
And all the bells were ringing
The night they drove old Dixie down
And the people were singing
They went, "Na, na, la, na, na, la"

Play a little blues? Paul Butterfield…

Train arrive 16 coaches long
Train arrive 16 coaches long
Well that long black train
Took my baby and gone

Train, train rollin' around the bend
Train, train, train, rollin' around the bend
Well it took my baby
Away from me again

Come down to the station
To meet my baby at the gate
Asked the station master
If my train's a-running late
He said "If you're a-waiting
on the 444
I hate to tell you son
That train don't stop here any more"

Train train, train, rollin', around the bend
Train train, train, rollin', around the bend
Well it took my baby
Away from me again

-Solo-

Heard that whistle blowin'
It was the middle of the night
When I got down to the station
The train was pulling out of sight

Mystery train rollin' around the bend
Mystery train rollin' around the bend
Well it took my baby
Away from me again

Ooohhh Yeah! Oh Yeah.

Everythin', everythin', everythin's gonna be alright this mornin'
Ooh yeah, whoo

Now when I was a young boy, at the age of five
My mother say I was, gonna be the greatest man alive
But now I'm a man, way past 21
Want you to believe me woman,
I had lot's of fun
I'm a man
I spell M, A, child N
That represent man
No B, [no] O child, Y
That mean mannish boy
Man, yeah
I'm a full grown man
Man
I'm a natural born lovers man
Man
I'm a rollin' stone
Man
I'm a hoochie coochie man

Sittin' on the outside, just me and my mate
You know I'm made to move honey,
come up two hours late
Wasn't that a man
I spell M, A child, N
That represent I'm grown
No B, O child, Y
That mean mannish boy
Man, [yeah]
I'm a full grown man
Man
I'm a natural born lovers man
Man
I'm a rollin' stone
Man, [yeah]
I'm a hoochie coochie man

Well, well, well, well,
The line I shoot will never miss
When I make love to a girl,
she can't resist
I think I go down,
to old Kansas Stew
I'm gonna bring back my second cousin,
that little Johnny Cocheroo
All you little girls,
sittin'out at that line
I can make love to you girl,
in five minutes time
Ain't that a man [yeah]
I spell M, A child, N
That represent man
No B [no], O child, Y
That mean mannish boy
Man
I'm a full grown man
Man
I'm a natural born lovers man
Man
I'm a rollin' stone
Man-child
I'm a hoochie coochie man

well, well, well, well
well, well, well, well
well, well, well, well
hurry

Robertson: Wasn't that a man; Muddy Waters!

Further on up the road someone's gonna hurt you like you hurt me.
Further on up the road someone's gonna hurt you like you hurt me.
Further on up the road, baby, just you wait and see.

You gotta reap just what you sow; that old saying is true.
You gotta reap just what you sow; that old saying is true.
Just like you mistreat someone, someone's gonna mistreat you.

Further on up the road someone's gonna hurt you like you hurt me.
Further on up the road someone's gonna hurt you like you hurt me.
Further on up the road, baby, just you wait and see.

You been laughing, pretty baby, someday you're gonna be crying.
You been laughing, pretty baby, someday you're gonna be crying.
Further on up the road you'll find out I wasn't lying.

Robertson: We're gonna bring out another friend of ours now
To do this tune with Mac; Bobby Charles
Great, great, great song writer, Bobby Charles

Robertson: He wrote “See Ya Later Alligator”

Down south in New Orleans,
The prettiest girls I've ever seen.
Sparkling eyes, lips so sweet,
we make love to the Rumba beat.
Ship's at anchor, my suitcase packed,
Got a one way ticket, ain't comin' back.
Life's a pleasure, and love's a dream,
Down south in New Orleans.

My dark eyed baby, I'm on my way,
Back into your arms to stay.
I'm tired of work, I wanna play.
I'll make sweet love to you night and day.

Down south in New Orleans,
The prettiest girls I've ever seen.
Sparkling eyes, lips so sweet,
we make love to the Rumba beat.
Ship's at anchor, my suitcase packed,
I got a one way ticket, ain't comin' back.
Life's a pleasure, love's a dream,
Down south in New Orleans.

I want to get too loose, on Toulose Street,
I wanna kiss all the Creole girls I see.
Drink all day, dance all night.
Do it wrong, 'til I do it right.

Down south in New Orleans,
The prettiest girls I've ever seen.
Sparkling eyes, lips so sweet,
we make love to the Rumba beat.
Ship's at anchor, my suitcase packed,
Got a one way ticket, ain't comin' back.
Life's a pleasure, love's a dream,
Down south in New Orleans.

Robertson: Mac Rebennack and Bobby Charles.

Boards on the window, mail by the door
What would anybody leave so quickly for?
Ophelia - Where have you gone?

The old neighborhood just ain't the same
Nobody knows just what became of
Ophelia - tell me, what went wrong?

Was it somethin' that somebody said?
Mama, I know we broke the rules
Was somebody up against the law?
Honey, you know I'd die for you

Ashes of laughter, the coast is clear
Why do the best things always disappear
Like Ophelia - please darken my door

Was it somethin' that somebody said?
Honey, you know we broke the rules
Was somebody up against the law?
Honey, you know I'd die for you

They got your number, scared and runnin'
But I'm still waitin' for the second comin'
Of Ophelia - come back home

Morrison

And the caravan is on it's way
I can hear the merry gypsies play
Mama mama look at emma rose
She's a-playin with the radio
La, la, la, la...

And the caravan has all my friends
It will stay with me until the end
Gypsy robin, sweet emma rose
Tell me everything I need to know
La, la, la...

Turn up your radio and let me hear the song
Switch on your electric light
Then we can get down to what is really wrong
I long to hold you tight so I can feel you
Sweet lady of the night I shall reveal you

Turn it up, turn it up, little bit higher radio
Turn it up, turn it up, so you know, radio
La, la, la, la...

And the caravan is painted red and white
That means ev'rybody's staying overnight
Barefoot gypsy player round the campfire sing and play
And a woman tells us of her ways
La, la, la, la...

Turn up your radio and let me hear the song
Switch on your electric light
Then we can get down to what is really wrong
I long to hold you tight so I can feel you
Sweet lady of the night I shall reveal you
Turn it up, turn it up, little bit higher, radio
Turn it up, that's enough, so you know it's got soul
Radio, radio turn it up, hum
La, la, la, la...

You can walk on the water, drown in the sand
You can fly off a mountaintop if anybody can
Run away, run away--it's the restless age
Look away, look away--you can turn the page

Hey, buddy, would you like to buy a watch real cheap
Here on the street
I got six on each arm and two more round my feet
Life is a carnival--believe it or not
Life is a carnival--two bits a shot

Saw a man with the jinx in the third degree
From trying to deal with people--people you can't see
Take away, take away, this house of mirrors
Give away, give away, all the souvenirs
We're all in the same boat ready to float off the edge of the world
The flat old world
The street is a sideshow from the peddler to the corner girl
Life is a carnival--it's in the book
Life is a carnival--take another look

Hey, buddy, would you like to buy a watch real cheap
Here on the street
I got six on each arm and two more round my feet
Life is a carnival--believe it or not
Life is a carnival--two bits a shot

We'd like to bring on one more very good friend of ours

[Pause]

Bob Dylan

[Applause]

Baby let me follow ya down,
Baby let me follow ya down,
Well I'd do anything in this God almighty world,
If you just let me follow ya down.

Can I come home with you,
Baby can I come home with you?
I'll do anything in this God almighty world,
If you just let me come home with you.

I'll buy you a diamond ring,
I'll buy you a wedding gown,
Well I'd do anything in this God almighty world,
If you just let me follow ya down.

May God bless and keep you always,
May your wishes all come true,
May you always do for others
And let others do for you.
May you build a ladder to the stars
And climb on every rung,
May you stay forever young,
Forever young, forever young,
May you stay forever young.

May you grow up to be righteous,
May you grow up to be true,
May you always know the truth
And see the lights surrounding you.
May you always be courageous,
Stand upright and be strong,
May you stay forever young,
Forever young, forever young,
May you stay forever young.

May your hands always be busy,
May your feet always be swift,
May you have a strong foundation
When the winds of changes shift.
May your heart always be joyful,
May your song always be sung,
May you stay forever young,
Forever young, forever young,
May you stay forever young.

We'd like to bring on one more very good friend of ours

[Pause]

Bob Dylan

[Applause]

Baby let me follow ya down,
Baby let me follow ya down,
Well I'd do anything in this God almighty world,
If you just let me follow ya down.

Can I come home with you,
Baby can I come home with you?
I'll do anything in this God almighty world,
If you just let me come home with you.

I'll buy you a diamond ring,
I'll buy you a wedding gown,
Well I'd do anything in this God almighty world,
If you just let me follow ya down.

They say everything can be replaced
They say every distance is not near
So I remember every face
Of every man who put me here

I see my light come shinin'
From the west down to the east
Any day now, any day now
I shall be released

They say every man needs protection
They say that every man must fall
Yet I swear I see my reflection
Somewhere so high above this wall

I see my light come shinin'
From the west down to the east
Any day now, any day now
I shall be released

Now, yonder stands a man in this lonely crowd
A man who swears he's not to blame
All day long, I hear him shouting so loud
Just crying out that he was framed

I see my light come shinin'
From the west down to the east
Any day now, any day now
I shall be released

I took my bucket down to the well
There's a (desert?) woman, sweet mystery
She let the rope fall down in the well
Like it was meant to be

She put the jug upon her head
Walked with her back to the wind
I followed her tracks the moment she said
"Why don't you come in?"

chorus:
She killed the light, she dropped her glove
She said "Are you looking for trouble
Or looking for love, love, love?"

I woke in the morning dying of thirst
Headed straight back to the well
There she was with a jug on her head
The rope had just fell

The well in her eyes was deep and black
With no question or answer
She wiped my brow and I followed her back
To the Tropic of Cancer

chorus

I Pulled into Nazareth, I was feelin' about half past dead
Just need to find a place where I can lay my head
"Hey, mister, can you tell me where a man might find a bed?"
He just grinned and shook my hand and, "No", was all he said

Take a load off Anny
Take a load for free
Take a load off Anny
And you put the load right on me
(You put the load right on me)

I picked up my bag and I went lookin' for a place to hide
When I say Carmen and the Devil walkin' side by side
And I said, "Hey, Carmen, come on, would yo go downtown"
And she said, "Well, I gotta go but my friend can stick
around"

And take a load off Anny
Take a load for free
Take a load off Anny
And you put the load right on me
(You Put the load right on me)

Go down, Miss Moses, there ain't nothin' that yo ucan say
'Cause just ol' Luke and Luke's waitin' on the Judgment Day
"Well, now Luke, my friend, what about young Anna Lee?"
He said, "Do me a favor, son, won't you stay an' keep Anna
Lee company?"

Take a load off Anny
Take a load for free
Take a load off Anny
And you put the load off Anny
And you put the load right on me
(You put the load right on me)

Crazy Chester followed me and he caught me in the fog
He said, "I will fix your rags, if you'll take Jack, my dog"
I said, "wait a munute, Chester, you know I'm a peaceful man"
He said, "That's okay, boy, won't you feed him when you can?"

Take a load off Anny
Take a load for free
Take a load off Anny
And you put the load right on me
(You put the load right on me)

Catch a Cannonball, now, to thake me down the line
My, my bag is sinkin' low and I do believe It's time
To get back to Miss Anny, you know she's the only one
Who sent me here with her regards for everyone

Take a load off Anny
Take a load for free
Take a load off Anny
And you put the load right on me
(You put the load right on me)

Its the last waltz
The last waltz with you
But that dont mean
The dance is over
Its the last waltz
The last waltz was through
But that dont mean
That the party is over

Oh, the last waltz
The last waltz with you
But that dont mean
The dance is over
Its the last waltz
The last waltz
The last waltz was through
But that dont mean
That the party is over.

You can walk on the water, drown in the sand
You can fly off a mountaintop if anybody can
Run away, run away--it's the restless age
Look away, look away--you can turn the page

Hey, buddy, would you like to buy a watch real cheap
Here on the street
I got six on each arm and two more round my feet
Life is a carnival--believe it or not
Life is a carnival--two bits a shot

Saw a man with the jinx in the third degree
From trying to deal with people--people you can't see
Take away, take away, this house of mirrors
Give away, give away, all the souvenirs
We're all in the same boat ready to float off the edge of the world
The flat old world
The street is a sideshow from the peddler to the corner girl
Life is a carnival--it's in the book
Life is a carnival--take another look

Hey, buddy, would you like to buy a watch real cheap
Here on the street
I got six on each arm and two more round my feet
Life is a carnival--believe it or not
Life is a carnival--two bits a shot

Oh, the streets of Rome are filled with rubble,
ancient footprints are everywhere.
You could almost think that you're seeing double,
On the cold, dark night on the Spanish Stairs.
Gotta hurry on back to my hotel room,
Where I got me a date with a pretty little girl from Greece.
She promised she'd be there with me,
When I paint my masterpiece.

Oh, the hours we spent, inside the Coliseum.
Dodging lions, and a-wasting time,
oh those mighty kings of the jungle, I could hardly stand to see 'em
Yes it sure has been a long, hard drive.
Train wheels a-running thru the back of my memory,
When I ran on a hilltop following a pack of wild geese,
Someday everything is gonna sound like a rhapsody
When I paint my masterpiece.

Sailing round the world in a dirty gondola,
Oh to be back in the land of, Coca-cola.
Well I left Rome, and landed in Brussels,
On a plane ride so bumpy that I almost cried,
Clergy men in uniform, and young girls pulling mussels,
Everyone was there to greet me when I stepped inside,
Newspaper men eating candy,
Had to be held down by big police.
Someday, its gonna be different,
When I paint my masterpiece.

Who robbed the cradle, who robbed the grave
Who's the one that asked to be saved
No, wo-wo-wo no answer came
I moved to the country that cried of shame
I left my home and found a name
No, nobody could explain

Have mercy, cried the blacksmith
How're you gonna replace human hands
Found guilty, said the judge
For not being in demand

Frozen fingers at the keyboard
Could this be the big reward
No, no answer came
Brought up everybody to see for themselves
They wouldn't believe it from no one else
No, nobody could explain

Dead tongue said the poet
To the daughter of burlesque
Cocteau, Van Gogh and Geronimo
They used up what was left

Cry wolf, said the martyr
I don't believe I'm alive
You're the hero, said the mute
And you're bound to survive

Julie and little John Tyler lived in the house next door
We would be the great triangle and to this we swore
Julie was my sweetheart, little John was my cohort
And all the wild horses in the world couldn't keep us apart
Once we went for a swim in the noonday sun
And promised to return before the moon struck one

Julie came running through the pasture - she was screaming at the sky
She fell down to her knees and the tears did fly
Little John was stung by a snake over by the lake
And it looked like he s really, really hurt - he was lying in the dirt
Who, we went it as fast as we could run
But we lost little John as the moon struck one

I was vacant, Julie was a bird with a broken wing
We were always afraid of what tomorrow might bring
We'll drive down to Durango - up and leave this place
And maybe forget the triangle with a change of pace
The car broke down when we had just begun

And we walked back to the house while the moon struck one

I was thinkin' out loud
Talking to myself
I was up on a cloud
There was nobody else
No, no I did not call
I never was allowed
To speak up at all
I was just thinkin' out loud

Transylvania train, circus never came
The heroes are all gone
No trampoline, fell without a scream
Who's looking for a job

Before I realized, I was hypnotized
Flashback to the past
Cross-eyed jack, monkey on his back
We knew it would not last

Room service gone off duty
The bellman has retired
This hotel is a beauty
Even the house dick's been fired
Then the sky came crashing down
And knocked me off this cloud
When I fell to the ground
I was just thinkin' out loud

Went to the movie matinee
To see the blue coats try to get away
From a smoke signal
Above the trees
A smoke signal
Shifting in the breeze
Some folks think it's make believe
Other folks ain't so naive
About a smoke signal
Could see it coming
A smoke signal
Hear the drums drumming

You don't believe what you read in the paper
You can't believe the stranger at your door
You don't believe what you hear from your neighbor
Your old neighborhood ain't even there no more

Indian maid will plant the seed
And cultivate a whole new breed
There's a smoke signal
Over your head
A smoke signal
You know what it said?
When they're torn out by the roots
Young brothers join in cahoots
To send a smoke signal
Near and far
A smoke signal
No matter where you are

You don't believe what they say on the radio
You don't believe what you see on the video
Living in the shadow of a doubt today
Still waiting for the smoke to clear away

Tried to get in touch with you
Tried to get my message through
By smoke signal
Honey, do ya read me
Smoke signal
Call me if you need me
There you were all in white
Standing out in the broad daylight
Lookin' like a smoke signal
From heaven above
Smoke signal
Oh, my love

Got my motor runnin'
Little girl, are you comin'
Keep your candle burning bright

Soon as you are ready
Hold that ladder steady
Come tread softly through the night

Don't leave me in the dark
Like a ghost rider in your yard
Carving names in bark along the boulevard

I'd be a bushwhacker
Even be your hijacker
Keep your candle burning bright

When we cross that railroad track
There'll be no turning back
Come tread softly through the night

Don't leave me sitting here
Up on top of your fence
I'm like an alley cat up here, without a lick of sense

Volcano--I'm about to blow
Volcano--Gonna overflow
Volcano--Look out below

Don't leave me empty-handed
Like a villain in the woods
Prowling around the grounds, trying to make off with the goods

Volcano--I'm about to blow
Volcano--Gonna overflow
Volcano--Look out below

The ladies would put the baskets on the table
And the men would sit beneath a shady tree
The children would listen to a fable
While something else came through to me
The river got no end, just roll around the bend
Then pretty soon the women would all join in
On the river hymn...

The whole congregation was standing on the banks of the river
We are gathered here to give a little thanks thanks

The voice of the rapids will echo
And ricochet like an old water well
Who d ever want to let go
Once you sit beneath its spell
It's dark and wide and deep, towards the sea it creeps
I'm so glad I brought along my mandolin
To play the river hymn...

You can ride on it or drink it
Poison it or dam it
Fish in it and wash in it
Swim in it and you can die in it
Run, you river, run

Son, you ain't never seen yourself
No crystal mirror can show it clear, come over here instead
Son, you ain't never eased yourself
Til you laid it down in a river bed
If you hear a lonesome drone, it's as common as a stone
And gets louder as the day grows dim
That's the river hymn...

The whole congregation was standing on the banks of the river
We are gathered here to give a little thanks thanks

G D
Take a silver dollar and put it in your pocket,
A E
Never let it slip away.
G D A
Always be a man, not a boy gone astray.
D D/C# Bm Bm/A E A
When ya get half cra-zy from the August heat
D D/C# Bm Bm/A
Or on a frozen, rotted road
E
With no one to complain to about your achin' feet.

(Chorus:)
A G D A
You're gonna walk that endless highway,
D E A
Walk that high-way till you die.
G D A
All you children goin' my way,
D E A
Better tell your home-life sweet goodbye.

When I see a detour up ahead,
Well, I leave it far behind,
Who knows what you're apt to find there.
With the cost of livin, and the price of dyin',
Well it look like t'me this time I wont be buyin'

(Chorus)

When they get a scapegoat by the throat,
it's hard labour and cold beans.
If ya get away real quick,
You'll be eatin from the poison peanut machine.
Well, I sing by night, wander by day.
I'm on the road and it looks like I'm here to stay.

(Chorus)

Oh, the streets of Rome are filled with rubble,
ancient footprints are everywhere.
You could almost think that you're seeing double,
On the cold, dark night on the Spanish Stairs.
Gotta hurry on back to my hotel room,
Where I got me a date with a pretty little girl from Greece.
She promised she'd be there with me,
When I paint my masterpiece.

Oh, the hours we spent, inside the Coliseum.
Dodging lions, and a-wasting time,
oh those mighty kings of the jungle, I could hardly stand to see 'em
Yes it sure has been a long, hard drive.
Train wheels a-running thru the back of my memory,
When I ran on a hilltop following a pack of wild geese,
Someday everything is gonna sound like a rhapsody
When I paint my masterpiece.

Sailing round the world in a dirty gondola,
Oh to be back in the land of, Coca-cola.
Well I left Rome, and landed in Brussels,
On a plane ride so bumpy that I almost cried,
Clergy men in uniform, and young girls pulling mussels,
Everyone was there to greet me when I stepped inside,
Newspaper men eating candy,
Had to be held down by big police.
Someday, its gonna be different,
When I paint my masterpiece.

(intro) C F F#dim C Am D7 F C F

[C]Bessie was [C/G#)more than [Am]just a [D7]friend of mine [F] [G]
[C]We shared the [E]good times with the [Am]bad [D7] [F]
[C]Now [C/G#]many a [Am]year has [D7]passed me by [F] [G]
[C]I still re[E]call the best [Am]thing I ever had [F] [G]

[C]I'm just goin' down the road t' see [F]Bessie
[C]Oh, See her soon [G] (riff)
[C]Goin' down the road t' see [F]Bessie [F#dim]Smith
When I [C]get [Am]there I [D7]wonder [F]what she'll do [C] [F]

Now all the crazy things I had to try
Well I tried them all and then some
But if you're lucky one day you find out
Where it is you're really comin' from

I'm just goin' down the road t' see Bessie
Oh, See her soon
Goin' down the road t' see Bessie Smith
When I get there I wonder what she'll do

Now in my day I've made some foolish moves
But back then, I didn't worry 'bout a thing
And now again I still wonder to myself
Was it her sweet love or the way that she could sing

I'm just goin' down the road t' see Bessie
Oh, See her soon
Goin' down the road t' see Bessie Smith
When I get there I wonder what she'll do

There's so much time has gone right on by
I didn't think one could be so wrong
And then one night I was drinkin' and a-thinkin'
In the bottom of the glass I could see Bessie's face so strong

I'm just goin' down the road t' see Bessie
Oh, See her soon
Goin' down the road t' see Bessie Smith
When I get there I wonder what she'll do

When she sees me will she know what I've been through?
Will old times start to feelin' like new?
When I get there will our love still feel so true?
Yet all I have, I'll be a-bringin' it to you
Oh Bessie, sing them old-time blues

Baby don't you do it, don't do it
Don't you break my heart
Pleeeeease don't do it, don't you break my heart

A sacrifice would make you happy if nothing for myself
Now you wanna leave me for the love of someone else
My pride is all gone whether I'm right or wrong
I need you baby to keep on keepin' on

You know I'm trying to my best
Oh i'm trying to do my best
Don't do it, don't you break my heart
Pleeeeease don't do it, don't you break my heart

My biggest mistake was loving you too much and letting you know
Now you got me where you want me and you won't let me go
If my heart was made of glass well then you'd surely see
How much heartache and misery, girl, you've been causing me

While I've been trying to do my best
Well I've tried to do my best
Don't do it, don't you break my heart


Pleeeeease don't do it, don't you break my heart

Go down to the river and there I be
I'm gonna jump in girl, but you don't care bout me
Open up your eyes
Can't ya see I love ya?
Open up you heart, girl
Can't ya see I need ya?

Oh baby don't do it, do it, do it
Don't you break my heart
Pleeeeease don't do it don't you break my heart

My biggest mistake was loving you too much and letting you know
Now you got me where you want me and you won't let me go
If my heart was made of glass well then you'd surely see
How much heartache and misery, girl, you've been causing me

While I've been trying to do my best
You know I've tried to do my best
Don't do it, don't you break my heart
Pleeeeease don't do it, don't you break my heart

I Pulled into Nazareth, I was feelin' about half past dead
Just need to find a place where I can lay my head
"Hey, mister, can you tell me where a man might find a bed?"
He just grinned and shook my hand and, "No", was all he said

Take a load off Anny
Take a load for free
Take a load off Anny
And you put the load right on me
(You put the load right on me)

I picked up my bag and I went lookin' for a place to hide
When I say Carmen and the Devil walkin' side by side
And I said, "Hey, Carmen, come on, would yo go downtown"
And she said, "Well, I gotta go but my friend can stick
around"

And take a load off Anny
Take a load for free
Take a load off Anny
And you put the load right on me
(You Put the load right on me)

Go down, Miss Moses, there ain't nothin' that yo ucan say
'Cause just ol' Luke and Luke's waitin' on the Judgment Day
"Well, now Luke, my friend, what about young Anna Lee?"
He said, "Do me a favor, son, won't you stay an' keep Anna
Lee company?"

Take a load off Anny
Take a load for free
Take a load off Anny
And you put the load off Anny
And you put the load right on me
(You put the load right on me)

Crazy Chester followed me and he caught me in the fog
He said, "I will fix your rags, if you'll take Jack, my dog"
I said, "wait a munute, Chester, you know I'm a peaceful man"
He said, "That's okay, boy, won't you feed him when you can?"

Take a load off Anny
Take a load for free
Take a load off Anny
And you put the load right on me
(You put the load right on me)

Catch a Cannonball, now, to thake me down the line
My, my bag is sinkin' low and I do believe It's time
To get back to Miss Anny, you know she's the only one
Who sent me here with her regards for everyone

Take a load off Anny
Take a load for free
Take a load off Anny
And you put the load right on me
(You put the load right on me)

Ring your bell
Change your number
Run like hell
You can't hide from thunder

Oh, no
Ring your bell
Get in the wind
You and me gonna make some medicine

Run that rebel across the tracks
With the Mounties on his trail
He was taught
Don't get caught at the mercy of the man
Land in jail
Meet me, madam, on the high road
We gonna blow the man down
I've been totin' a heavy load
And I'm rarin' to clown
Mess around

Ring your bell
Shake your tower
Pump your well
Turn on your power
I'm gonna ring your bell
Glide on in
You and me gonna make some medicine

Smoky bars and souped-up cars
Where we drowned all sorrow
Renegade woman
Love me like there's no tomorrow
Left to borrow
Bloodhounds comb the back streets
With the ramrod close behind
Ask for justice, you gonna find
My ass across
That border line

Ring your bell
Sound the chime
Open up your shell
Get on the line
Come on, ring your bell
Gimme some skin
You and me gonna make some medicine

We carried you in our arms on Independence Day
And now you'd throw us all aside and put us all away
Oh, what dear daughter 'neath the sun could treat a father so?
To wait upon him hand and foot and always tell him "No"

Tears of rage, tears of grief
Why must I always be the thief?
Come to me now, you know we're so alone
And life is brief

It was all very painless
When you went out to receive
All that false instruction
Which we never could believe
And now the heart is filled with gold
As if it was a purse
But, oh, what kind of love is this
Which goes from bad to worse?

Tears of rage, tears of grief
Why must I always be the thief?
Come to me now, you know we're so alone
And life is brief

We pointed you the way to go
And scratched your name in sand
Though you just thought it was nothing more
Than a place for you to stand
I want you to know that while we watched
You discovered no one would be true
That I myself was among
The ones who thought
It was just a childish thing to do

Tears of rage, tears of grief
Why must I always be the thief?
Come to me now, you know we're so alone
And life is brief

Forefather pointed to kingdom come
Sadly told his only son
Just be careful what you do
It all comes back on you.

False witness spread the news
Somebody's gonna lose
Either she or me or you,
Nothing we can do.

(Chorus)

Don't you say a word
Or reveal a thing you've learned
Time will tell you well
If you truly, truly fell

Tarred and feathered, yea!
Thistled and thorned,
One or the other
He kindly warned.

Now you look out the window tell me
What do you see?
I see a golden calf pointing
Back at me.

I been sitting in here for so darn long
Waitin' for the end to come along.
Holy coaster's on the brink
Take a chance, swim or sink.

False witness, cast an evil eye
said I cannot tell a lie,
Haints and saints don't bother me
I'm not alone you see.

(Chorus)

Once I walked through the halls of a station
Someone called your name
In the street I heard children laughing
They all sound the same
Wonder, could you ever know me
Know the reason why I live
Is there nothing you can show me
Life seems so little to give
Once I climbed up the face of a mountain
And ate the wild fruit there
Fell asleep until the moonlight woke me
And I could taste your hair
Isn't everybody dreaming!
Then the voice I hear is real
Out of all the idle scheming
Can't we have something to feel
Once upon a time leaves me empty
Tomorrow never comes
I could sing the sound of your laughter
Still I don't know your name
Must be some way to repay you
Out of all the good you gave
If a rumor should delay you
Love seems so little to save

She reads the leaves and she leads the life
That she learned so well from the old wives
It's so strange to arrange it, you know I wouldn't change it
But hear me if you're near me, can I just rearrange it?
The watchman covers me
With his remedy
I can't see and it's hard to feel
I think his magic might be real

I can't get to you from your garden gate
You know it's always locked by the magistrate
Now, he don't care why you cry, he thinks it's just a lie
To get out, I don't doubt that you'd make a try
If the good times get you through
I know the dogs won't bother you
We'll be gone in moonshine time
I've got a place they'll never find

You know I do believe in your hexagram
But can you tell me how they all knew the plan?
Did you trip or slip on their gifts you know were just a con?
You knew it, why'd you do it? I've been hiding in the dawn
Now I must be on my way
I guess you really have to stay
Inside the mission walls Down in Modark, Arkansas

I pulled into Nazareth, was feeling 'bout half past dead
I just need some place where I can lay my head
Hey, mister, can you tell me, where a man might find a bed?
He just grinned and shook my hand, "No" was all he said.
Take a load off Fanny, take a load for free
Take a load off Fanny, and you put the load right on me
I picked up my bags, I went looking for a place to hide
Then I saw old Carmen and the Devil, walking side by side
I said, "Hey, Carmen, c'mon, let's go downtown"
She said, "I gotta go, but my friend can stick around"
Take a load off Fanny, take a load for free
Take a load off Fanny, and you put the load right on me

Go down, Miss Moses, ain't nothin' you can say
It's just old Luke, and Luke's waiting on the judgement day
Well, Luke, my friend, what about young Annalee
He said, "Do me a favour, son,
won't you stay and keep Annalee company"
Take a load off Fanny, take a load for free
Take a load off Fanny, and you put the load right on me

Crazy Chester followed me, and he caught me in the fog
Said, "I will fix your rag, if you'll take Jack, my dog"
I said, "Wait a minute Chester, you know, I'm a peaceful man"
He said, "That's ok, boy, won't you feed him when you can"
Take a load off Fanny, take a load for free
Take a load off Fanny, and you put the load right on me

Catch the cannonball, now to take me down the line
My bag is sinking low, and I do believe it's time
To get back to Miss Fanny, you know she's the only one
Who sent me here, with her regards for everyone
Take a load off Fanny, take a load for free
Take a load off Fanny, and you put the load right on me

We can talk about it now
It's that same old riddle, only starts from the middle
I'd fix it but I don't know how
Well, we could try to reason, but you might think it's treason
One voice for all
Echoing (echoing) echoing along the hall
Don't give up on father's clock
We can talk about it now

Come, let me show you how
To keep the wheels turnin' you got to keep the engine churnin'
Well, did ya ever milk a cow? (Milk a cow?)
Well, I had the chance one day but I was all dressed up for Sunday!
Everybody, everywhere:
Do you really care?
Well, then pick up your heads and walk
We can talk about it now

It seems to me we've been holding something
Underneath our tongues
I'm afraid if you ever got a pat on the back
It would likely burst your lungs
Whoa, stop me, if I should sound kinda
Down in the mouth
But I'd rather be burned in Canada
Than to freeze here in the South!

Pulling that eternal plough
We got to find a sharper blade, or have a new one made
Rest awhile and cool your brow
Don't ya see, there's no need to slave, the whip is in the grave
No salt, no trance
It's safe now (you know it's safe) to take a backward glance
Because the grains have turned to chow!
We can talk about it now,
We can talk about it now

I know she's a tracker
Any style that would back her
They say she's a chooser
But I just can't refuse her
She was just there, but then she can't be here no more
And as my mind unwheels
I feel the freeze down in my knees
But just before she leaves, she receives

She's been down in the dunes
And she's dealt with the goons
Now she drinks from a bitter cup
I'm trying to get her to give it up
She was just here, I fear she can't be there no more
And as my mind unwheels
I feel the freeze down in my knees
But just before she leaves, she receives
It's long, long when she's gone
I get weary holding on
Now I'm coldly fading fast
I don't think I'm gonna last very much longer

Well, she don't always win Try again and again
But like a viper in shock
With her eyes on the clock
She was just there somewhere, and here I am again
And as my mind unwheels
I feel the freeze down in my knees
But just before she leaves, she receives

Lonesome Suzie never got the breaks
She's always losing and so she sits and cries and shakes
It's hard just to watch her and if I touch her
Oh, poor Suzie, I'm wondering what to do

She just sits there hoping for a friend
I don't fit here but I may have a friend to lend
Maybe I mistook her but I can't overlook her
Must be someone who can pull her through

Anyone who's felt that bad could tell me what to say
Even if she just got mad she might be better off that way

And where is all the understanding?
Her problems can't be that demanding
Why is it she looks my way
Every time she starts to cry

Lonesome Suzie, I can't watch you cry no longer
If you can use me until you feel a little stronger
I guess just watching you has made me lonesome too
Why don't we get together, what else can we do

Am
If your memory serves you well
Bo7
We're going to meet again and wait
E
So I'm going to unpack all my things
F Dm Am
And sit before it gets too late
C Am
No man alive will come to you
C Am
With another tale to tell
C A
And you know that we shall meet again
F Dm Am
If your memory serves you well

CHORUS:
Dm F C G G7
This wheel's on fire, rolling down the road
C G F C
Best notify my next of kin
F G A
This wheel shall explode!

If your memory serves you well, I was going to confiscate your lace
And wrap it up in a sailor's knot and hide it in your case
If I knew for sure that it was yours, and it was oh so hard to tell
And you know that we shall meet again if your memory serves you well

(CHORUS)

If your memory serves you well, you'll remember that you're the one
Who called on them to call on me to get you your favours done
And after every plan had failed and there was nothing more to tell
And you know that we shall meet again if your memory serves you well

(CHORUS)

They say everything can be replaced
They say every distance is not near
So I remember every face
Of every man who put me here
I see my light come shining
From the west down to the east
Any day now, any day now
I shall be released
They say every man needs protection
They say that every man must fall
Yet I swear I see my reflection
Somewhere so high above this wall
I see my light come shining
From the west down to the east
Any day now, any day now
I shall be released
Now, yonder stands a man in this lonely crowd
A man who swears he's not to blame
All day long I hear him shouting so loud
Just crying out that he was framed
I see my light come shining
From the west down to the east
Any day now, any day now
I shall be released

Standin' out in the night,
Delilah took me down
To see the widow bring
Rain to the town.
It's against the law
To be a tonic man,
But the widow know
She's got the upper hand.
So I went on in
Feelin' kinda wheezy.
You know she soothed my mind, boys,
She rocked me kinda slow and kinda easy
All day and all night.

"Pick a card 'fore you go--
It's a long trip to Mexico."

'Lilah waited by the door,
"I can't stay here anymore, no, no."

Then she took a pill
She washed her feet in the mud
She said "Look out son,
You know, I just started a flood
For forty days and forty nights".

Then I got my shoes,
And 'Lilah called my name.
She said it looked to her
Like it gonna rain.
Then the Cotton King
He came in chokin'
And the widow laughed and said:
"I ain't jokin'--
Think what you want"
She said, "Now don't ya tease me.
I just fell in love, boy,
So rock me kinda slow and kinda easy,
All day and all night."

Sweet William said
With a drunken head:
"If I had a boat,
I'd help y'all float".
Delilah stood there watching
William in a trance,
And the widow seized by the St. Vitus dance.
But just then an old man
With a boat named "Breezy"
Said: "You can ride with Clyde, boys,
If you rock it kinda slow and kinda easy,
All day and all night".

We carried you in our arms on Independence Day
And now you'd throw us all aside and put us all away
Oh, what dear daughter 'neath the sun could treat a father so?
To wait upon him hand and foot and always tell him "No"

Tears of rage, tears of grief
Why must I always be the thief?
Come to me now, you know we're so alone
And life is brief

It was all very painless
When you went out to receive
All that false instruction
Which we never could believe
And now the heart is filled with gold
As if it was a purse
But, oh, what kind of love is this
Which goes from bad to worse?

Tears of rage, tears of grief
Why must I always be the thief?
Come to me now, you know we're so alone
And life is brief

We pointed you the way to go
And scratched your name in sand
Though you just thought it was nothing more
Than a place for you to stand
I want you to know that while we watched
You discovered no one would be true
That I myself was among
The ones who thought
It was just a childish thing to do

Tears of rage, tears of grief
Why must I always be the thief?
Come to me now, you know we're so alone
And life is brief

Katie's been gone since the spring time;
She wrote one time'n sent her love
Katie's been gone for such a long time now.
I wonder what kind of love she's thinkin' of.
Dear Katie,
If you can hear me,
I can't wait to have ya near me.
Oh, Katie, since ya caught that bus,
Well, I just don't know how things are with us.
I'm still here and you're out there.
Katie laughed when I said I was lonely.
She said, there's no need t'feel that way.
Katie said that I was her only one,
But then I wonder why she didn't want to stay.
Dear Katie, if I'm the only one,
How much longer will you be gone?
Oh, Katie, won't ya tell me straight:
How much longer do I have to wait?
I'll believe you,
But please come through.
I know it's wrong to be apart this long;
You should be here, near me. (I'm not sure about those last two chords)
Katie's been gone and now her face is slowly fading from my mind.
She's gone to find some newer places,
Left the old life far behind.
Dear Katie, don't ya miss your home?
I don't see why you had to roam.
Dear Katie, since you've been away
I lose a little something every day
I need you here, but you're still out there.
Dear Katie, please drop me a line,
Just write, Love, to tell me you're fine.
Oh, Katie, if you can hear me,
I just can't wait to have you near me.
I can only think
Where are you,
What ya do, may be there's someone new.

I never thought I'd need you
But now I find I'm wrong.
Come on back, sweet mama,
Back where you belong.
I've gambled over this town
And find that I can't win.
Come on back and pick me up again.

(Chorus):
Now if I lose,
Let me lose.
I don't care
How much I lose.
If I lose a hundred dollars
While I'm tryin' to win a dime,
My baby, she's got money all the time.

Of all the other girls I know,
None can take your place.
'Cause when I get into a jam,
They just ain't in this race.
So come on back home, babe,
Let's make another round.
With you here by my side, babe,
The deal just can't go down.

(Chorus x2)

Long-distance operator,
Place this call, it's not for fun.
Long-distance operator,
Please, place this call, you know it's not for fun.
I gotta get a message to my baby,
You know, she's not just anyone.

There are thousands in the phone booth,
Thousands at the gate.
There are thousands in the phone booth,
Thousands at the gate.
Ev'rybody wants to make a long-distance call
But you know they're just gonna have to wait.

If a call comes from Louisiana,
Please, let it ride.
If a call comes from Louisiana,
Please, let it ride.
This phone booth's on fire,
It's getting hot inside.

Ev'rybody wants to be my friend,
But nobody wants to get higher.
Ev'rybody wants to be my friend,
But nobody wants to get higher.
Long-distance operator,
I believe I'm stranglin' on this telephone wire.

Lonesome Suzie never got the breaks
She's always losing and so she sits and cries and shakes
It's hard just to watch her and if I touch her
Oh, poor Suzie, I'm wondering what to do

She just sits there hoping for a friend
I don't fit here but I may have a friend to lend
Maybe I mistook her but I can't overlook her
Must be someone who can pull her through

Anyone who's felt that bad could tell me what to say
Even if she just got mad she might be better off that way

And where is all the understanding?
Her problems can't be that demanding
Why is it she looks my way
Every time she starts to cry

Lonesome Suzie, I can't watch you cry no longer
If you can use me until you feel a little stronger
I guess just watching you has made me lonesome too
Why don't we get together, what else can we do

Chorus:
I've got the key to the highway,
Packed up and bound to go.
I'm gonna leave here running,
Cause walking is most too slow.

I'm going back down to the border
Where I must fairly go(?)
Cause you ain't done nothing but
Drive a good man away from home.

So give me one more, one more kiss, baby
Just before I go
I'll be back out on the highway,
That's the only place I know.

And when the moon creeps over my room, honey,
I'll be on my way.
I'm gonna roam this old highway
Until the break of day.

Chorus.

Well, its so long, so long, baby.
I must say goodbye.
I gotta roam, roam this highway
Until the day I die.

Ferdinand standing in the tower thinkin how to get the power
Empress knows that it would cost her
For Ferdinand The Imposter
Came to me to make a deal,
Dressed like General Butterfield.

Couldn't wait to thank him for the stuffed birds and rubber door
Donated to him from the poor
But its just his game
And he carries no shame
Still, he done nobody wrong
He knew he didn't belong
But he went along

Looking to see if there's somebody else he'd like to be
Benny the Barber, Luke and me,
Passed out tickets cautiously,
To see the burning of the soup,
Down at Lucy's chicken coop.
Then of course Ferdinand,
Started out doing Charlie Chan.
That last atlas honkey's fall,
He says he's gonna do them all.

A voice just said he's not for real,
But its just his game,
And he carries no shame.
Still he done nobody wrong,
He knew he didn't belong,
But he went along.
Lookin' to see if there's somebody,
Else he'd like to be.

Oh its hard, oh, don't you know
To be somebody that you dont even know
But he's friendly, yes he's kind
I can't help wonderin why they'd want to change his mind

Got a message in the mail,
Ferdinand was thrown in jail.
I left the snow with Abigail,
Went on down to fix his bail.
They had him locked in a gunny sack,
His hands were tied behind his back.
He claimed he was a Doukhobor
But they never heard of that in Baltimore.
The police said he'd better go home,
And he went back alone,
Back to the snow.

Still he done nobody wrong,
He knew he didn't belong,
But he went along.
Lookin' to see if there's somebody,
Else he'd like to be,
Mainly free.

When I get off of this mountain, you know where I want to go?
Straight down the Mississippi river, to the Gulf of Mexico
To Lake Charles, Louisiana, little Bessie, girl that I once knew
She told me just to come on by, if there's anything she could do

Up on Cripple Creek she sends me
If I spring a leak she mends me
I don't have to speak, she defends me
A drunkard's dream if I ever did see one

Good luck had just stung me, to the race track I did go
She bet on one horse to win and I bet on another to show
The odds were in my favor, I had 'em five to one
When that nag to win came around the track, sure enough she had won

Up on Cripple Creek she sends me
If I spring a leak she mends me
I don't have to speak, she defends me
A drunkard's dream if I ever did see one

I took up all of my winnings, and I gave my little Bessie half
She tore it up and threw it in my face, just for a laugh
Now there's one thing in the whole wide world, I sure would like to see
That's when that little love of mine, dips her doughnut in my tea

Up on Cripple Creek she sends me
If I spring a leak she mends me
I don't have to speak, she defends me
A drunkard's dream if I ever did see one

Now me and my mate were back at the shack, we had Spike Jones on the box
She said, "I can't take the way he sings, but I love to hear him talk"
Now that just gave my heart a throb, to the bottom of my feet
And I swore as I took another pull, my Bessie can't be beat

Up on Cripple Creek she sends me
If I spring a leak she mends me
I don't have to speak, she defends me
A drunkard's dream if I ever did see one

Now there's a flood out in California and up north it's freezing cold
And this living on the road is getting pretty old
So I guess I'll call up my big mama, tell her I'll be rolling in
But you know, deep down, I'm kind of tempted to go and see my Bessie again

Up on Cripple Creek she sends me
If I spring a leak she mends me
I don't have to speak, she defends me
A drunkard's dream if I ever did see one

Baby don't you do it, don't do it
Don't you break my heart
Pleeeeease don't do it, don't you break my heart

A sacrifice would make you happy if nothing for myself
Now you wanna leave me for the love of someone else
My pride is all gone whether I'm right or wrong
I need you baby to keep on keepin' on

You know I'm trying to my best
Oh i'm trying to do my best
Don't do it, don't you break my heart
Pleeeeease don't do it, don't you break my heart

My biggest mistake was loving you too much and letting you know
Now you got me where you want me and you won't let me go
If my heart was made of glass well then you'd surely see
How much heartache and misery, girl, you've been causing me

While I've been trying to do my best
Well I've tried to do my best
Don't do it, don't you break my heart


Pleeeeease don't do it, don't you break my heart

Go down to the river and there I be
I'm gonna jump in girl, but you don't care bout me
Open up your eyes
Can't ya see I love ya?
Open up you heart, girl
Can't ya see I need ya?

Oh baby don't do it, do it, do it
Don't you break my heart
Pleeeeease don't do it don't you break my heart

My biggest mistake was loving you too much and letting you know
Now you got me where you want me and you won't let me go
If my heart was made of glass well then you'd surely see
How much heartache and misery, girl, you've been causing me

While I've been trying to do my best
You know I've tried to do my best
Don't do it, don't you break my heart
Pleeeeease don't do it, don't you break my heart

They say everything can be replaced
They say every distance is not near
So I remember every face
Of every man who put me here

I see my light come shinin'
From the west down to the east
Any day now, any day now
I shall be released

They say every man needs protection
They say that every man must fall
Yet I swear I see my reflection
Somewhere so high above this wall

I see my light come shinin'
From the west down to the east
Any day now, any day now
I shall be released

Now, yonder stands a man in this lonely crowd
A man who swears he's not to blame
All day long, I hear him shouting so loud
Just crying out that he was framed

I see my light come shinin'
From the west down to the east
Any day now, any day now
I shall be released

Corn in the fields.
Listen to the rice when the wind blows 'cross the water,
King Harvest has surely come.

I work for the union 'cause she's so good to me;
And I'm bound to come out on top,
That's where I should be.
I will hear every word the boss may say,
For he's the one who hands me down my pay.
Looks like this time I'm gonna get to stay,
I'm a union man, now, all the way.

The smell of the leaves,
From the magnolia trees in the meadow,
King Harvest has surely come.

Dry summer, then comes fall,
Which I depend on most of all.
Hey, rainmaker, can't you hear my call?
Please let these crops grow tall.
Long enough I've been up on Skid Row
And it's plain to see, I've nothing to show.
I'm glad to pay those union dues,
Just don't judge me by my shoes.

Scarecrow and a yellow moon,
And pretty soon a carnival on the edge of town,
King Harvest has surely come.

Last year, this time, wasn't no joke,
My whole barn went up in smoke.
My horse Jethro, well he went mad
And I can't remember things bein' so bad.
Then there comes a man with a paper and a pen
Tellin' us our hard times are about to end.
And then, if they don't give us what we like
He said, "Men, that's when you gotta go on strike."
Corn in the fields.
Listen to the rice when the wind blows 'cross the water,
King Harvest has surely come.

-------------
Lyrics Powered by LyricFind
Written By ROBERTSON, ROBBIE
Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.

When I get off of this mountain, you know where I want to go?
Straight down the Mississippi river, to the Gulf of Mexico
To Lake Charles, Louisiana, little Bessie, girl that I once knew
She told me just to come on by, if there's anything she could do

Up on Cripple Creek she sends me
If I spring a leak she mends me
I don't have to speak, she defends me
A drunkard's dream if I ever did see one

Good luck had just stung me, to the race track I did go
She bet on one horse to win and I bet on another to show
The odds were in my favor, I had 'em five to one
When that nag to win came around the track, sure enough she had won

Up on Cripple Creek she sends me
If I spring a leak she mends me
I don't have to speak, she defends me
A drunkard's dream if I ever did see one

I took up all of my winnings, and I gave my little Bessie half
She tore it up and threw it in my face, just for a laugh
Now there's one thing in the whole wide world, I sure would like to see
That's when that little love of mine, dips her doughnut in my tea

Up on Cripple Creek she sends me
If I spring a leak she mends me
I don't have to speak, she defends me
A drunkard's dream if I ever did see one

Now me and my mate were back at the shack, we had Spike Jones on the box
She said, "I can't take the way he sings, but I love to hear him talk"
Now that just gave my heart a throb, to the bottom of my feet
And I swore as I took another pull, my Bessie can't be beat

Up on Cripple Creek she sends me
If I spring a leak she mends me
I don't have to speak, she defends me
A drunkard's dream if I ever did see one

Now there's a flood out in California and up north it's freezing cold
And this living on the road is getting pretty old
So I guess I'll call up my big mama, tell her I'll be rolling in
But you know, deep down, I'm kind of tempted to go and see my Bessie again

Up on Cripple Creek she sends me
If I spring a leak she mends me
I don't have to speak, she defends me
A drunkard's dream if I ever did see one

She reads the leaves and she leads the life
That she learned so well from the old wives
It's so strange to arrange it, you know I wouldn't change it
But hear me if you're near me, can I just rearrange it?
The watchman covers me
With his remedy
I can't see and it's hard to feel
I think his magic might be real
I can't get to you from your garden gate
You know it's always locked by the magistrate
Now he don't care why you cry, he thinks it's just a lie
To get out, I don't doubt that you'd make a try
If the good times get you through
I know the dogs won't bother you
We'll be gone in moonshine time
I've got a place they'll never find
You know I do believe in your hexagram
But can you tell me how they all knew the plan?
Did you trip or slip on their gifts, you know we're just a con?
You knew it, why'd you do it, I've been hiding in the dark
Now I must be on my way
I guess you really have to stay
Inside the mission wall
Down in Modock, Arkansas

(Chorus:)
Get Up, Jake, it's late in the mornin'
the rain is pourin' and we got work to do.
Get Up, Jake, there's no need a-lyin',
You tell me that you're dyin', but I know it's not true.

Now, me and Jake, we work down on the river,
on the ferry "Baltimore".
And when Jake don't rise up in the mornin',
People lined up all along the shore.

(Chorus)

Crap game will take you to the cleaners,
Rye whiskey to the grave.
River Woman don't you come no closer,
'Cause me and Jake got no time to save, Oh, oh,

(Chorus)

Dirty Dan he came up from Savannah,
Carried a mean streak in his eye.
Now, him and Jake both wanted Annabella,
I guess one man here has got to die.

Get Up, Jake, it's late in the mornin'
the rain is pourin' and we got work to do.
Get Up, Jake, there's no need a-dyin',
Annabelle's cryin' and it's all for you.

Hang around, Willie boy,
Don't you raise the sails anymore
It's for sure, I've spent my whole life at sea
And I'm pushin' age seventy-three
Now there's only one place that was meant for me:

Oh, to be home again,
Down in old Virginny,
With my very best friend,
They call him Ragtime Willie
We're gonna soothe away the rest of our years,
We're gonna put away all of our tears,
That big rockin' chair won't go nowhere

Slow down, Willie boy,
Your heart's gonna give right out on you
It's true, and I believe I know what we should do
Turn to stern and point to shore,
The seven seas won't carry us no more

Oh, to be home again,
Down in old Virginny,
With my very best friend,
They call him Ragtime Willie
I can't wait to sniff that air,
Dip that snuff, I won't have no care,
That big rockin' chair won't go nowhere

Hear the sound, Willie boy,
The Flyin' Dutchman's on the reef
It's my belief
We've used up all our time,
This hill's to steep to climb,
And the days that remain ain't worth a dime

Oh, to be home again,
Down in old Virginny,
With my very best friend,
They call him Ragtime Willie
Would'a been nice just to see the folks,
Listen once again to them stale old jokes,
That big rockin' chair won't go nowhere

I can hear something callin' on me
(And you know where I wanna be)
Oh Willie, can't you hear that sound?
(Down in old Virginny)
I just wanna get my feet back on the ground
(Down in old Virginny)
And I'd love to see my very best friend
They call him Ragtime Willie
(Oh, to be home again)
I believe old rockin' chair's got me again!

The many roads I've covered, the many trails I've burned,
But when our paths did cross, love, whew! My whole world made a turn.

And we've got time to kill, what a thrill, June and July.
We've got all our love, buckets of the tears that we cried.

Now we don't cry no more, gonna bolt the door.
Don't know what we've got, but it feels like a lot, we don't need no more.

When my day's work is done, we can take in a jamboree,
But I just wanna sit down by the fire with my love right here beside me.

We've got time to kill, Catskill, sweet by and by.
We've got all our love, the sky above, the twinkle in your eye.

Now where the wheel might roll, is where my love and I shall go.
We're gonna plant the seed, there ain't nothing we need, we found our own rainbow.

My love wants to have her fortune read, and I know that she's in a hurry.
If we go along the straight and narrow, you don't even have to worry.

We've got time to kill, standin' still, go on, give it a try!
We've got all our love, mountains of, the trees are so high.

We don't need no big car, don't eat no caviar.
When we come to rest, we take to the nest, you know where we are.

Now deep in the heart of a lonely kid
Who suffered so much for what he did
They gave this ploughboy his fortune and fame
Since that day he ain't been the same

See the man with the stage fright
Just standin' up there to give it all his might
And he got caught in the spotlight
But when we get to the end
He wants to start all over again

I've got fire water right on my breath
And the doctor warned me I might catch a death
Said, "You can make it in your disguise
Just never show the fear that's in your eyes"

See the man with the stage fright
Just standin' up there to give it all his might
He got caught in the spotlight
But when we get to the end
He wants to start all over again

Now if he says that he's afraid
Take him at his word
And for the price that the poor boy has paid
He gets to sing just like a bird, oh, ooh ooh ooh

Your brow is sweatin' and your mouth gets dry
Fancy people go driftin' by
The moment of truth is right at hand
Just one more nightmare you can stand

See the man with the stage fright
Just standin' up there to give it all his might
And he got caught in the spotlight
But when we get to the end
He wants to start all over again, hmm hmm
You wanna try it once again, hmm hmm
Please don't make him stop, hmm hmm
Let him take it from the top, hmm hmm
Let him start all over again

Crash on the levee, mama,
Water's gonna overflow,
Swamp's gonna rise,
No boat's gonna row.
Now, you can train on down
To Williams Point,
You can bust your feet,
You can rock this joint.
But oh mama, ain't you gonna miss your best friend now?
You're gonna have to find yourself
Another best friend, somehow.

Now, don't you try an' move me,
You're just gonna lose.
There's a crash on the levee
And, mama, you've been refused.
Well, it's sugar for sugar
And salt for salt,
If you go down in the flood,
It's gonna be your own fault.
Oh mama, ain't you gonna miss your best friend now?
You're gonna have to find yourself
Another best friend, somehow.

Well, that high tide's risin',
Mama, don't you let me down.
Pack up your suitcase,
Mama, don't you make a sound.
Now, it's king for king,
Queen for queen,
It's gonna be the meanest flood
That anybody's seen.
Oh mama, ain't you gonna miss your best friend now?
Yes, you're gonna have to find yourself
Another best friend, somehow.