This was a town took care of it's own That's what me and my children have known I worked the mill the way my parents did I remember this town when I was a kid
Sitting through the movies twice Open windows late at night Slipping out in the summer heat To meet John Miller in the middle of the street
They laid a highway a few years back Next town over by the railroad track Some nights, I'm glad it passed us by Some nights, I sit and watch my hometown die
I'm fifty-five and when the mill burned down I wasn't much past a pretty young gal The boss lit a match in the oily night Cops never had enough to set it right
So while the company traded with our lives We were busy watching that slow moon rise Dancing on the dry grass bridge Making love down by the Cedar County Bridge
They laid a highway a few years back Next town over by the railroad track Some nights, I'm glad it passed us by Some nights, I sit and watch my hometown die
They never came to tear that old place down They roped it off, but you can walk around See the dust on the rusted doors Watch the rain fall through the burned out floors
This was a town took care of it's own This was a town doing fine all alone The mill got out a quarter to five You could eat supper with any family you liked
They laid a highway a few years back Next town over by the railroad track Some nights, I'm glad it passed us by Some nights, I sit and watch this hometown die
Rain like static falling in my eyes Rain like static on the road Rain on the loners and the regular thieves Everybody else has gone home
If I could stay in your hotel bed Sleep all day I made my mind up a long time ago Got to keep on weaving my way
Like a late night pilgrim Looking for redemption in the underground Lord, won't You help a late night pilgrim When the morning comes around
You'll get dirty before you get clean That's how a dream will go And when it don't light like gasoline, baby You're on your own
Just a late night pilgrim Looking for redemption in the underground Lord, won't You help a late night pilgrim When the morning comes around
Sometimes, I am the fool who's dealing cards To a ghost whose running late Sometimes, the prophets they are just like me Can't do nothing but sit up and wait
With all the late night pilgrims Looking for redemption in the underground Lord, won't You help the late night pilgrim When the morning comes around
Lord, won't You help this late night pilgrim When the morning comes around
Yesterday we had a good thing going, I loved the way our love was growing. Thought I'd found love and affection, When you turned your love in the other direction.
Your love made a U-turn, Away from me. Your love made a U-turn, Left me standing in the street.
Thought I'd wait all night long, Trying to see the way I'd go wrong. I can't see through tears in my eyes, Somebody please tell me why.
His love made a U-turn, Away from me. His love made a U-turn, Left me standing in the street.
Love, sweet love, Look what you done to me, And the way you left me standing in the street. You lift me high, then you let me down, You won't even try to turn your love around.
Why did you make a U-turn? Away from me. Why did you make a U-turn? Leave me standing in the street.
Every day I tell myself, Why should I blame someone else? I'm still standing in a trance, Hoping there just might be a chance.
You'll make another U-turn, Right back to me. Come on, make a U-turn, Right back to me.
This city must belong to someone But it don't belong to me From the window I got here I count the traffic through my tears Wanting to write my ticket Write my ticket home
I got to get back in the arms Of a man who loves me I got to get back to the people Who have always been about me Take me back, I was wrong Write my ticket home
Place called Suzie's and the waitress She says, "Girl, you'll get used to all this" There is no way she could see How much that cold rain gets to me How much I've traded for a picture in my mind
I got to get back in the arms Of a man who loves me I got to get back to the people Who have always been about me Take me back, I was wrong Write my ticket home
I can hear them sitting and joking She talks so weird Though she come back broken Well, I had to drive I eat some pies I wish I would talkin' 'bout nothin' Will I lie
I got to get back in the arms Of a man who loves me I got to get back to the people Who have always been about me Take me back, I was wrong Write my ticket, write my ticket Write my ticket home
Swore that I was living free Boy, you couldn't talk to me And the pride that kept me Didn't know no company
Early morning subway train Feeling lost and runnin' late Well he held the car He gave his seat to me
And I can't find nothin' Feels so fine as lovin' a good hearted man Oh he can sooth me, free me Oh I'm going to marry that good hearted man
I told him that he better go 'Cause I was crazy and impossible That my love was broken My dreams had run all wild
Patient as the easy rain Oh he never turned away Callin' "Hey sweet woman You know you're not a child"
And I can't find nothin' Feels so fine as lovin' a good hearted man Oh he can sooth me, free me Oh I'm gonna marry that good hearted man
Good hearted man, now the night makes sense Because your tenderness, it's shelter in me So trading in that hard headed kid for a woman I can give to him And it ain't easy but I'm gonna do the best I can for that good hearted man
You know there just aint nothin' Feels so fine as lovin' a good hearted man Oh he can sooth me, free me Oh I'm gonna marry that good hearted man
Oh and I'm grateful, grateful Got to say thank you to a good hearted man
Well Josie walks around like she's bought herself some brand new clothes, Singing to herself swinging for the sidewalk Jones. She's got a cousin down in Reno says the money is coming fast, So she's packing it up, but her Mama says it ain't gonna last.
[Chorus] Wait it out, wait it out. So tired of hearing that I got to slow it down, I ain't gonna listen to them tell me how, I just got to burning and I won't stop now.
Well the late night broken down army ain't got no wheels, He was leaning on an El Dorado just to see how it feels. He's got his hands in his pockets janglin' a dollar in change, Leaving just as soon as he can get a job down in L.A.
[Chorus]
Your love likes soul, Your heart beats time, Take all you want. But don't take mine.
Wait it out, wait it out. So tired of hearing that I got to slow it down, I ain't gonna listen to them tell me how, I just got to burning and I won't stop
I got a postcard with an old address A picture of Houston in a beat up mess Just to remind me that it all went wrong Just to beat me up, just to turn me on
Stray paper, stray paper, stray paper Burnin' in my hands
Cigarettes in the glove box with the classified ads Ashes and silver worn into your hands I got to see you on a bar napkin Gas station quarters, I got to see you again
Stray paper, stray paper, stray paper Burnin' in my hands
Somewhere there's a letter that I never sent It used to read pretty, now it's empty as That night in the headlights with the blankets pressed Was it something to you baby, was it always just
Stray paper, stray paper, stray paper Burnin' in my hands
Stray paper, stray paper, stray paper Burnin' in my hands Burnin' in my hands Burnin' in my hands
Is there something I was gonna tell you? Is there something I was gonna say? If I had it, I guess I forgot it It's gone, it's all slipped away
Oh, my love was supposed to make you happy Supposed to make you happy all the time Oh, my love I was supposed to make you happy Supposed to make you happy all the time
Is there someone you're willing to wait for? Is there someone you long to be? Is there something I can do to change it? Didn't it used to be me?
Oh, my love was supposed to make you happy Supposed to make you happy all the time Oh, my love I was supposed to make you happy Supposed to make you happy all the time
Oh, my love was supposed to make you happy Supposed to make you happy all the time Oh, my love I was supposed to make you happy Supposed to make you happy all the time I was supposed to make you happy all the time
