| Disc 1 | ||||||
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| 1. |
| 4:36 | 
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The carriage horses stamp and fume
Until all color's gone They leave the street in black and white And bring the evening coming on Lovers tug their way out of gloves Out of shoes, and gray chiffon The driver pulls his blanket high And pretends to look beyond Oh, pray for you, pray for me Sing it like a song Life is short but, by the grace of God This night is long Girls crowd into bathroom stalls The boys smoke in their cars The general, he's in civilian clothes Standing at the bar He waves at the deaf flower lady "Come sit by me, sweetheart" He draws a napkin battle plan Says, "this is where we start" Oh pray for you, pray for me Sing it like a song Life is sort but, by the grace of God This night is long There are no more hummingbirds Like there used to be They're fat and slow and careless now They've turned blue and mean And the parrots sound like monkeys Screaming from the trees As the decent people Fumble for their keys We used to spend the night in town Down by city hall And the water works of Irish Beach Just below the falls We'd walk down to the Park Hotel Past the Baptist Veteran's Mall Back then, a man in uniform Might mean anything at all Oh, pray for you, pray for me Sing it like a song Life is short but, by the grace or cruel heart of God The night is long |
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| 2. |
| 4:16 | 
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| 3. |
| 4:42 |
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I don't know you to wear a hat
But I came home late and there it sat, You rose to show what hats are for When living through a civil war, When living through a civil war Christmas mornings and New Years Days They flood with dreams and drift away, They cling to logs and cupboard doors Riding out this civil war, Riding out this civil war Some fighters came and pitched a tent And everyone around here, we went, The fix was in, but we bet and we swore From both sides of a civil war... We build this up and we knock this down We call our little mob a town, We nail a sign up above the door "God bless our little civil war," "God bless our little civil war" Three dogs at a party an a boat at night Play checkers in a lantern light, They sing a song out to the shore Of women, gold, and civil war... Every truth carries blame And every light reveals some shame, Progress rides with thieves and whores The stowaways of civil war, The stowaways of civil war. |
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| 4. |
| 3:55 |
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If you fear the angels above while you sleep
Then I'll be the blood, you paint on your door Your dream is a worry that nothing will keep, But time is a story and there will be more Your dream is a worry that nothing will keep, But time is a story and there will be more And death and disgrace can seduce anyone Who needs to believe there’s judgment at hand, God may be kind and see you like a son, But time is a lion when you are a lamb God may be kind and see you like a son, But time is a lion when you are a lamb The years see the best of intentions and greed They come without shame, they'll leave you with some Men become old when their hurt becomes need, But time is a lover and your time is young Men become old when their hurt becomes need, But time is a lover and your time is young The sun is a soldier, out crawling the hill Setting fire to every house that’s in view, Lighting the ruin of my hope and my will Till I’m like a shadow and I’m falling on you, Crawling on you, Oh you know how I do… So sleep here with me and I’ll keep you close For now while i try to live up to you, You can’t see the challenge of this, I suppose, But time is a dare and I’m trying to You can’t see the challenge of this, I suppose, But time is a dare and I’m trying to But time is a dare and I’m trying to ( 3x ) |
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| 5. |
| 4:13 |
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| 6. |
| 4:54 |
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I've seen the best
And the worst you can be, And all while you're getting the better of me. You're fragile but wicked And fleeting as breath, And you move up behind me And scare me to death. You're fragile but wicked And fleeting as breath, But when you move close to me You scare me to death At war between all good intentions And greed, My love is the kind Where want becomes need. Where lust takes the toll Of a quick stolen breath, You stir within me And scare me to death. Where lust takes the toll Of a quick stolen breath, You stir within me And scare me to death A dose now of either heart or of mind Can be lethal, it seems, if they're not combined. They show but contempt when consideredas two, And pretend that each is the other to you… Now, you spit in your hands And haul on the rope. And fill up my cup With the worst kind of hope. You lift me with words I haven't found yet, I fall like your shadow And you scare me to death. I fall like a shadow, You’ve stolen my breath, You sleep here beside me And scare me to death. You sleep here beside me And you scare me to death. |
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| 7. |
| 6:20 |
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I saw Willie Mays
At a Scotsdale Home Depot Looking at Garage Door Springs At the far end of the 14th floor His wife stood there beside him She was quiet and they both were proud I gave them room but was close enough That I heard him when he said out loud This was my country This was my song Somewhere in the middle there Though it started badly and it's ending wrong This was my country This frightful and this angry land But it's my right if the worst of it might still Somehow make me a better man The sun is unforgiving and There's nobody who would choose this town But we've squandered so much of our good will That there's nowhere else will have us now We push in line at the picture show For cool air and a chance to see A vision of ourselves portrayed as Younger and braver and humble and free. This was our country This was our song Somewhere in the middle there Though it started badly and it's ending wrong This was our country This frightful and this angry land But it's my right if the worst of it might still Somehow make me a better man I've started something I can't finish And I barely leave the house it's true I keep her out on my sores and joints But I've guess I've had my blessings too I've got my mother's pretty feet And a factory keeps my house in shade My children they've both been paroled And we get back all the peace we've made I feel safe so far from heaven From towers and their ocean views From here I see the future coming across What soon will be beaches too But that was him I'm almost sure The greatest centerfielder of all time Stooped by the burden of endless dreams His and yours and mine He hooked each spring beneath his feet He leaned over then he stood upright Testing each against his weight For one that had some play and some fight He's just like us I want to tell him And our needs are small enough Something to slow our heavy door Something to raise one up This was my country This was my song Somewhere in the middle there Though it started badly and it's ending wrong This was God's country This frightful and this angry land But if it's his will The worst of it might still Somehow make me a better man If it's his will The worst of it might still Somehow make me a better man |
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| 8. |
| 4:30 |
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I waved to you as my boat was leaving
Hats flew up and everybody cheered, But you turned as I guess someone spoke to you, And in a sea of arms you disappeared. I lived the life of a ragged soldier The secretary to a rebel king, He kept us drunk and hungry in a jungle Tangled in the lilies of his scheme. We gambled and we fought with one another We had no code to give us unity, Most died among us without God or honor As blood became our faith and currency. And all the while I kept your name beside me I wrote it, but refused it on my tongue, Believing you a song still there inside me I feared your loss if ever it were sung. I found myself at last upon a shoreline I booked my passage home and stood in tears, With a bag of apples and a forged passport -The first I'd seen my face in seven years... Now I wonder at the day when I might find you, Appear among the living at your door, Will you have a husband and some children? Will we share a secret anymore? Life is brutal to the weak and sober Its powers of persuasion dark and grave, lt pushes its way up to the railing Then turns its face when you start to wave. |
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| 9. |
| 4:49 |
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Lincoln Street is howling
It's empty, growing colder, The night has come on limping and It's bleeding from the shoulder. Headlights fake a prison break Of snow that rages and dies, It's lost its will upon this hill As one time so did I. But here comes everybody- The rounders and the nuns, The poets sweeping sleeper cars, The butcher and his sons; Here comes the restitution We'd all but given up, This evening we're content believing That love will be enough. Air is what I need But I try to breathe you in, Thinking I can get at what I must Beneath your skin. Your veins are humming wire Rushing fire to your face, I feel it flush against my own, A pulse that I can taste. And here comes everybody- The tyrant and his crew, His most loyal traitors And they whisper this to you: Here comes the restitution You'd all but given up, This evening we're content believing That love will be enough. The fire escape is folded Like the cradle of an arm, Our dread so deep we've learned to keep it Near without alarm. But every fear is like the prayer You've learned to shout out loud, From your lips to God's ear It turns the face of every crowd. And here comes everybody- The closet renegades, The weary, hungry soldiers From the children's lost crusade. Here comes the restitution We'd all but given up, This evening we’re content believing That love will be enough. |
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| 10. |
| 4:12 |
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If anybody asks what's new
I say, "not much," and it's mostly true, But when my stars align with you Then I will write my book. I turn my face from all the rage Playing on the grim, dark stage, But you've show me an open page And I will write my book. I have no time for what inclines Their rhyme or broken reason; The world is ruthless, shrewdly blind, My oath to them is treason... I'd never claim that what I'd heard Was the first wave or the last word, But your heart beneath my hand just stirred And I will write my book. I have no time for what inclines Their crimes on every season; The world is truthless, shrewdly kind, My oath to them is treason... I have no words to turn the tide -Lights go out, and worlds collide- But by your candle hopes abide And there I'll write my book, By your candle hopes abide And there I'll write my book. |
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| 11. |
| 6:16 |
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The song wants to repeat just now,
It sings itself to show you how, It throws away its finest line Just to keep the feel and time. Just to keep The feel and time, It throws away now Its finest line. The word wants just to leave my tongue, To turn your face, and when that's dope I've got no use for what it proves, It only means the way you move. It only means The way you move, I've got no use now For what it proves. Close your eyes and shut my mouth, The day has worn its welcome out. It pats you down and cuffs your hands And makes its bed right where you stand… The prayer wants to believe in you And does in spite of all you do, It sings itself just like a song When hope is weak and pride is strong. When hope is weak And pride is strong, It sings itself now Just like a song. The thought wants nothing more than show How little now you really know. It burns then it turns cold and mean Taking any offer sight unseen... The song wants to repeat just now, It sings itself to show you how, It throws away its finest line Just to keep the feel and time. Just to keep The feel and time, It throws away now Its finest line. |
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| 12. |
| 5:03 |
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Darkness settles on the ground
And leaves the day stumbling blind, Coming to a quiet close And maybe just in time: We'd almost lost the heart to know How to keep our best in mind, We'd almost lost the heart to know How to keep our best in mind. Time has turned an angry face And throws a dark eye back to see That what will pass for mercy now We practice unforgiving. As if might and will mode right Or either one could make us free, As if might and will made right Or either one could make us free. Lovers laugh and cross this way Weaving out into the street, It seems we never were so young Or it was never quite so sweet. But the world is always beautiful When it's seen in full retreat, The worst of life looks beautiful As it slips away in full retreat. God only knows that we can do No more or lass than He’ll allow, God only knows that we mean well God knows that we just don't know how. But I'll try to be your light in love And pray that is enough for now, I'll try to be your light in love And pray that is enough for now. |
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