Gordon Lightfoot

I'm not sayin' that I love you
I'm not sayin' that I'll care if you love me
I'm not sayin' that I'll care
I'm not sayin' I'll be there when you want me
I can't give my heart to you
Or tell you that I'll sing your name up to the sky
I can't lay the promise down
That I'll always be around when you need me

Now I may not be alone each time you see me
Along the street or in a small cafe
But still I won't deny or mistreat you
Baby if you let me have my way

I'm not sayin' I'll be sorry
For all the things that I might say that make you cry
I can't say I'll always do
The things you want me to
I'm not sayin' I'll be true but I'll try

Now I may not be alone each time you see me
Or show up when I promised that I would
But still I won't deny or mistreat you
Baby if you love me like you should

I'm not sayin' I'll be sorry
For all the things that I might say that make you cry
I can't say I'll always do
The things you want me to
I'm not sayin' I'll be true but I'll try
I can't say I'll always do
The things you want me to
I'm not sayin' I'll be true but I'll try

The lamp is burnin low upon my table top
The snow is softly fallin
The air is still within the silence of my room
I hear your voice softly callin
If I could only have you near
To breathe a sigh or two
I would be happy just to hold the hands I love
Upon this winter night with you

The smoke is rising in the shadows overhead
My glass is almost empty
I read again between the lines upon the page
The words of love you sent me

If I could know within my heart
That you were lonely too
I would be happy just to hold the hands I love
Upon this winter night with you

The fire is dying now, my lamp is growing dim
The shades of night are liftin
The mornin light steals across my windowpane
Where webs of snow are driftin

If I could only have you near
To breathe a sigh or two
I would be happy just to hold the hands I love
And to be once again with with you
To be once again with with you

There was a time in this fair land when the railroad did not run
When the wild majestic mountains stood alone against the sun
Long before the white man and long before the wheel
When the green dark forest was too silent to be real

But time has no beginnings and hist'ry has no bounds
As to this verdant country they came from all around
They sailed upon her waterways and they walked the forests tall
And they built the mines the mills and the factories for the good of us
all

And when the young man's fancy was turnin' to the spring
The railroad men grew restless for to hear the hammers ring
Their minds were overflowing with the visions of their day
And many a fortune lost and won and many a debt to pay

For they looked in the future and what did they see
They saw an iron road runnin' from sea to the sea
Bringin' the goods to a young growin' land
All up through the seaports and into their hands

Look away said they across this mighty land
>From the eastern shore to the western strand
Bring in the workers and bring up the rails
We gotta lay down the tracks and tear up the trails
Open 'er heart let the life blood flow
Gotta get on our way 'cause we're movin' too slow

Bring in the workers and bring up the rails
We're gonna lay down the tracks and tear up the trails
Open 'er heart let the life blood flow
Gotta get on our way 'cause we're movin' too slow
Get on our way 'cause we're movin' too slow

Behind the blue Rockies the sun is declinin'
The stars, they come stealin' at the close of the day
Across the wide prairie our loved ones lie sleeping
Beyond the dark oceans in a place far away

We are the navvies who work upon the railway
Swingin' our hammers in the bright blazin' sun
Livin' on stew and drinkin' bad whiskey
Bendin' our old backs 'til the long days are done

We are the navvies who work upon the railway
Swingin' our hammers in the bright blazin' sun
Layin' down track and buildin' the bridges
Bendin' our old backs 'til the railroad is done

So over the mountains and over the plains
Into the muskeg and into the rain
Up the St. Lawrence all the way to Gaspe
Swingin' our hammers and drawin' our pay
Drivin' 'em in and tyin' 'em down
Away to the bunkhouse and into the town
A dollar a day and a place for my head
A drink to the livin' and a toast to the dead

Oh the song of the future has been sung
All the battles have been won
O'er the mountain tops we stand
All the world at our command
We have opened up the soil
With our teardrops and our toil

For there was a time in this fair land when the railroad did not run
When the wild majestic mountains stood alone against the sun
Long before the white man and long before the wheel
When the green dark forest was too silent to be real
When the green dark forest was too silent to be real
And many are the dead men too silent to be real

Softly she comes
Whispers the breeze with her passing
In secret love she is laughing
Softly she comes in the night

Softly she sighs
Sweetly she lies never sleeping
Her fragrance all in my keeping
Softly she comes in the night

Down the darkened hall
I hear her footsteps on my stair
And she is in my arms once more

Then softly she goes
Her shining lips in the shadows
Whisper goodbye at my window
Softly she goes in the dawn

Down the darkened hall
I hear her footsteps on my stair
And she is in my arms once more

Then softly she goes
Her shining lips in the shadows
Whisper goodbye at my window
Softly she goes in the dawn
Softly she goes in the dawn

That's what you get for lovin' me
That's what you get for lovin' me
Ev'ry thing you had is gone
As you can see
That's what you get for lovin' me
I ain't the kind to hang around
With any new love that I found
'Cause movin' is my stock in trade
I'm movin' on
I won't think of you when I'm gone.

So don't you shed a tear for me
B'cause I ain't the love you thought I'd be
I got a hundred more like you
So don't be blue
I'll have a thousand 'fore I'm through

Now there you go you're cryin' again
Now there you go you're cryin' again
But then someday when your poor heart
Is on the mend
Well I just might pass this way again

That's what you get for lovin' me
That's what you get for lovin' me
Everything you had is gone
As you can see
That's what you get for lovin' me
That's what you get for lovin' me

Well I got my mail late last night
A letter from a girl who found the time to write
To her lonesome boy somewheres in the night
She sent me a railroad ticket too
To take me to her lovin' arms
And the big steel rail gonna carry me home to the one I love

Ooooh oooo oo whu hu hoo
Ooo ooo ooo ooo ooo ooo oo

Well I bin out here many a long days
I haven't found a place that I could call my own
Not a two bit bed to lay my body on
I bin stood up I bin shook down
I bin dragged into the sand
And the big steel rail gonna carry me home to the one I love

Well I bin up tight most every night
Walkin' along the streets of this old town
Not a friend to tell my troubles to
My good old car she done broke down
'Cause i drove it into the ground
And the big steel rail gonna carry me home to the one I love

Well I look over yonder across the plain
The big drive wheels are poundin' along the ground
Gonna get on board and I'll be homeward bound
Now I ain't had a home cooked meal
And Lord I need one now
And the big steel rail gonna carry me home to the one I love

Now here I am with my hat in hand
Standin' on the broad highway will you give a ride
To a lonesome boy who missed the train last night
I went in town for one last round
And I gambled my ticket away
And the big steel rail won't carry me home to the one I love

When I woke this mornin', something inside of me told me this would be
my day
I heard the morning train, I felt the wind change, too many times I'm on
my way

Come on sunshine, what can you show me
Where can you take me to make me understand
The wind can shake me, brothers forsake me
The rain can touch me, but can I touch the rain

And then I saw the sunrise above the cotton sky like a candycane delight
I saw the milkman, I saw the business man, I saw the only road in sight
Then I got to thinkin' what makes you want to go, to know the wherefore
and the why
So many times now, oh Lord I can't remember if it's September or July

Then all at once it came to me, I saw the wherefore, and you can see it
if you try
It's in the sun above, it's in the one you love, you'll never know the
reason why

Come on sunshine, what can you show me
Where can you take me to make me understand
The wind can shake me, brothers forsake me
The rain can touch me, but can I touch the rain
So much to lose, so much to gain

Upon the bitter green she walked the hills above the town
Echo to her footsteps as soft as Eider down
Waiting for her master to kiss away her tears
Waiting through the years

Bitter Green they called her
Walking in the sun
Loving everyone that she met
Bitter Green they called her
Waiting in the sun
Waiting for someone to take her home

Some say he was a sailor who died away at sea
Some say he was a prisoner who never was set free
Lost upon the ocean he died there in the mist
Dreaming of her kiss

Bitter Green they called her
Walking in the sun
Loving everyone that she met
Bitter Green they called her
Waiting in the sun
Waiting for someone to take her home

But now the bitter green is gone, the hills have turned to rust
There comes a weary stranger, his tears fall in the dust
Kneeling by the churchyard in the autumn mist
Dreaming of a kiss

Bitter Green they called her
Walking in the sun
Loving everyone that she met
Bitter Green they called her
Waiting in the sun
Waiting for someone to take her home

In the early morning rain
With a dollar in my hand
With an achin' in my heart
And my pockets full of sand
I'm a long way from home
And I miss my loved ones so
In the early morning rain
With no place to go
Out on runway number nine
Big seven-o-seven set to go
But I'm stuck here in the grass
Where the cold wind blows
Now the liquor tasted good
And the women all were fast
Well there she goes my friend
Well she's rollin' down at last

Hear the mighty engines roar
See the silver bird on high
She's away and westward bound
Far above the clouds she'll fly
Where the mornin' rain don't fall
And the sun always shines
She'll be flyin' o'er my home
In about three hours time

This old airport's got me down
It's no earthly good to me
'Cause I'm stuck here on the ground
As cold and drunk as I can be
You can't jump a jet plane
Like you can a freight train
So I'd best be on my way
In the early morning rain
You can't jump a jet plane
Like you can a freight train
So I'd best be on my way
In the early morning rain

The minstrel of the dawn is here
To make you laugh and bend your ear
Up the steps you'll hear him climb
All full of thoughts, all full of rhymes
Listen to the pictures flow
Across the room into your mind they go
Listen to the strings
They jangle and dangle
While the old guitar rings
The minstrel of the dawn is he
Not too wise but oh so free
He'll talk of life out on the street
He'll play it sad and say it sweet
Look into his shining face
Of lonelines you'll always find a trace
Just like me and you
He's tryin' to get into things
More happy than blue

A minstrel of the changin' tide
He'll ask for nothing but his pride
Just sit him down upon that chair
Go fetch some wine and set it there
Listen to the pictures flow
Across the room into your mind they go
Listen to the strings
They jangle and dangle
While the old guitar rings

A minstrel of the dawn is near
Just like a step 'n fetchit here
He's like an old time troubador
Just wanting life and nothing more
Look into his shining eyes
And if you see a ghost don't be surprised
Like me and you
He's tryin' to get into things
More happy than blue

The minstrel boy will understand
He holds a promise in his hand
He talks of better days ahead
And by his words your fortune's read
Listen to the pictures flow
Across the room into your mind they go
Listen to the strings
They jangle and dangle
While the old guitar rings

The minstrel of the dawn is gone
I hope he'll call before too long
And if you meet him you must be
The victim of his minstrelsy
He'll sing for you a song
The minstrel of the dawn

I can see her lyin' back in her faded dress
In a room where ya do what ya don't confess
Sundown ya better take care
If I find you bin creepin' 'round my back stairs
Sundown ya better take care
If I find you bin creepin' 'round my back stairs

She's bin lookin' like a queen in a sailor's dream
And she don't always say what she really means
Sometimes I think it's a shame
When I get feelin' better when I'm feelin' no pain
Sometimes I think it's a shame
When I get feelin' better when I'm feelin' no pain

I can picture every move that a man could make
Getting lost in her lovin' is your first mistake
Sundown ya better take care
If I find you bin creepin' 'round my back stairs
Sometimes I think it's a sin
When I feel like I'm winnin' when I'm losin again

I can see her lookin' fast in her faded jeans
She's a hard lovin' woman, got me feelin' mean
Sometimes I think it's a shame
When I get feelin' better when I'm feelin' no pain
Sundown ya better take care
If I find you bin creepin' 'round my back stairs
Sundown ya better take care
If I find you bin creepin' 'round my back stairs
Sometimes I think it's a sin
When I feel like I'm winnin' when I'm losin' again

At times I just don't know
How you could be anything but beautiful
I think that I was made for you
And you were made for me

And I know that I will never change
Cause we've been friends through rain or shine
For such a long, long time

Laughing eyes and smiling face
It's seems so lucky just to have the right
Of telling you with all my might
You're beautiful tonight

And I know that you will never stray
Cause ya been that way from day to day
For such a long, long time

And when ya hold me tight
How could life be anything but beautiful
I think that I was made for you
And you were made for me

And I know that I will never change
Cause we've been friends through rain or shine
For such a long, long time

And I must say that it means so much to me
Just to be the one who's telling you
I'm telling you
That you're beautiful

He came down throught fields of green
On the summer side of life
His love was ripe
There were no illusions
On the summer side of life
Only tenderness
And if you saw him now
You'd wonder why he would cry
The whole day long

There were young girls everywhere
On the summer side of life
The talked all night
To the young men that they knew
On the summer side of life
Goin' off to fight

And if you saw them now
You'd wonder why they would cry
The whole day long

He came down through field of green
On the summer side of life
He prayed all night
Then he walked into a house
Where love had been misplaced
His chance to waste

And if you saw him now
You'd wonder why he would cry
The whole day long

Rainy day people always seem to know when it's time to call.
Rainy day people don't talk
they just listen till they've heard it all.
Rainy day lovers don't lie when they tell you
they've been down like you.
Rainy day people don't mind if you're cryin?a tear or two.
If you get lonely, all you really need is that rainy day love.
Rainy day people all know there's no sorrow
they can't rise above.
Rainy day lovers don't love any others
that would not be kind.
Rainy day people all know how it hangs
on their peace of mind.
(Lead break)
Rainy day lovers don't lie when they tell you
they've been down there, too.
Rainy day people don't mind if you're cryin?a tear or two.
Rainy day people always seem to know
when you're feelin?blue
I steps and stutters around in the gutters
sometimes need one, too.
Take it or leave it or try to believe it,
f you've been down too long,
Rainy day lovers don't hide love inside, they just pass it on.
Rainy day lovers don't hide love inside, they just pass it on.

There's a house on a hill
By a worn down weathered old mill
In the valley below where the river winds
There's no such thing as bad times
And a soft southern flame
Oh Cotton Jenny's her name
She wakes me up when the sun goes down
And the wheels of love go 'round
Wheels of love go 'round
Love go 'round, love go 'round
A joyful sound
I ain't got a penny for Cotton Jenny to spend
But then the wheels go 'round

When the new day begins
I go down to the cotton gin
And I make my time worth while to them
Then I climb back up again
And she waits by the door
Oh Cotton Jenny I'm sore
And she rubs my feet while the sun goes down
And the wheels of love go 'round

Wheels of love go 'round
Love go 'round, love go 'round
A joyful sound
I ain't got a penny for Cotton Jenny to spend
But then the wheels go 'round

In the hot, sickly South
When they say we'll shut my mouth
I can never be free from the cotton grind
But I know I got what's mine
She's a soft southern flame
Oh Cotton Jenny's her name
She wakes me up when the sun goes down
And the wheels of love go 'round

Wheels of love go 'round
Love go 'round, love go 'round
A joyful sound
I ain't got a penny for Cotton Jenny to spend
But then the wheels go 'round

Through the woodland, through the valley
Comes a horseman wild and free
Tilting at the windmills passing
Who can the brave young horseman be
He is wild but he is mellow
He is strong but he is weak
He is cruel but he is gentle
He is wise but he is meek

Reaching for his saddlebag
He takes a battered book into his hand
Standing like a prophet bold
He shouts across the ocean to the shore
Till he can shout no more

I have come o'er moor and mountain
Like the hawk upon the wing
I was once a shining knight
Who was the guardian of a king
I have searched the whole world over
Looking for a place to sleep
I have seen the strong survive
And I have seen the lean grown weak

See the children of the earth
Who wake to find the table bare
See the gentry in the country
Riding off to take the air

Reaching for his saddlebag
He takes a rusty sword into his hand
Then striking up a knightly pose
He shouts across the ocean to the shore
Till he can shout no more

See the jailor with his key
Who locks away all trace of sin
See the judge upon the bench
Who tries the case as best he can
See the wise and wicked ones
Who feed upon life's sacred fire
See the soldier with his gun
Who must be dead to be admired

See the man who tips the needle
See the man who buys and sells
See the man who puts the collar
On the ones who dare not tell
See the drunkard in the tavern
Stemming gold to make ends meet
See the youth in ghetto black
Condemned to life upon the street

Reaching for his saddlebag
He takes a tarnished cross into his hand
Then standing like a preacher now
He shouts across the ocean to the shore
Then in a blaze of tangled hooves
He gallops off across the dusty plain
In vain to search again
Where no one will hear

Through the woodland, through the valley
Comes a horseman wild and free
Tilting at the windmills passing
Who can the brave young horseman be
He is wild but he is mellow
He is strong but he is weak
He is cruel but he is gentle
He is wise but he is meek

Rows of lights in a circle of steel
Where you place your bets on a great big wheel
High windows flickerin' down through the snow
A time you know
Sights and sounds of the people goin' 'round
Everybody's in step with the season

A child is born to a welfare case
Where the rats run around like they own the place
The room is chilly, the building is old
That's how it goes
The doctor's found on his welfare round
And he comes and he leaves on the double

Deck The Halls was the song they played
In the flat next door where they shout all day
She tips her gin bottle back till it's gone
The child is strong
A week, a day, they will take it away
For they know about all her bad habits

Christmas dawns and the snow lets up
And the sun hits the handle of her heirloom cup
She hides her face in her hands for a while
Says look here child
Your father's pride was his means to provide
And he's servin' three years for that reason

Rows of lights in a circle of steel
Where you place your bets on a great big wheel
High windows flickerin' down through the snow
A time you know
Sights and sounds of the people goin' 'round
Everybody's in step with the season

Get out old Dan's records
Get out old Dan's records
We will dance the whole night long
It's fun to play the old time songs
If old Dan could see us now
I know he'd be so proud
Bring out old Dan's records
Bring out old Dan's records
I remember my Aunt Bea
She'd dance with Dan till two or three
If old Dan could see he now
I know he'd shout out loud

Dig out old Dan's records
Bring out old Dan's records
We're all here, we've all got dates
We'll dance all night to the seventy-eights
If old Dan could see us now
I know he'd be so proud
If old Dan were with us still
I know he'd come around

Get out old Dan's records
Dig out old Dan's records
Back to nineteen thirty-five
The foxtrot, jitterbug 'n jive
If old Dan could see us now
I know he'd be so proud

Get out old Dan's records
Bring out old Dan's records
High above the fireplace
There's a smile on old Dan's face
If old Dan could see us now
I know he'd be so proud
If old Dan were with us still
I know he'd come around

If you could read my mind love,
what a tale my thoughts could tell.
Just like an old time movie
about a ghost from a wishing well.
In a castle dark or a fortress strong
with chains upon my feet.
You know that ghost is me
and I will never be set free
as long as I'm a ghost that you can see.


If I could read your mind love,
what a tale your thoughts could tell.
Just like a paperback novel,
the kind the drugstore sells.
When you reach the part where the heartaches
come the hero would be me.
Heroes often fail.
And you won't read that book again
because the endings just to hard to take.


I walk away like a movie star
who gets burned in a three way script.
Enter number two, a movie queen
to play the scene of bringing all the good things out in me,
but for now love lets be real.


I never thought I could act this way
and I've got to say that I just don't get it.
I don't know where we went wrong
but the feelings gone and I just can't get it back.

If you could read my mind love,
what a tale my thoughts could tell.
Just like an old time movie about a ghost from a wishing well.
In a castle dark or a fortress strong
with chains upon my feet the story always ends.
And if you read between the lines
you'll know that I'm just trying to understand
the feeling that you left.

I never thought I could feel this way
and I got to say that I just don't get it.
I don't know where we went wrong
but the feelings gone
and I just can't get it back.

All you need is time
All you need is time, time, time to make me bend
Give it a try, don't be rude
Put it to the test and I'll give it right back to you

It's cold on the shoulder
And you know that we get a little older every day

Kick it around, take it to town
Try to defy what you feel inside
You better be strong
Your love belongs to us

It's cold on the shoulder
And you know that we get a little older every day

All I need is trust
All I need is trust, trust, trust to make it show
I don't want to know everything you done
If you get a tip then tell it to the eskimos


It's cold on the shoulder
And you know that we get a little older every day
It's cold on the shoulder
And you know that we get a little older every day

All we need is faith
All we need is faith, faith, faith to make it nice
Kick it around, don't be rude
If you're gonna make a mistake don't you make it twice

It's cold on the shoulder
And you know that we get a little older every day
It's cold on the shoulder
And you know that we get a little older every day
It's cold on the shoulder
And you know that we get a little older every day
It's cold on the shoulder
And you know that we get a little older every day

Pickin' up the pieces of my sweet shattered dream
I wonder how the old folks are tonight
Her name was Ann and I'll be damned if I recall her face
She left me not knowin' what to do
Carefree highway, let me slip away on you
Carefree highway, you seen better days
The mornin' after blues from my head down to my shoes
Carefree highway, let me slip away
Slip away on you
Turnin' back the pages to the times I love best
I wonder if she'll ever do the same
Now the thing that I call livin' is just bein' satisfied
With knowin' I got no one left to blame
Carefree highway, got ta see you my old flame
Carefree highway, you seen better days
The mornin' after blues from my head down to my shoes
Carefree highway, let me slip away
Slip away on you
Searchin' through the fragments of my dream-shattered sleep
I wonder if the years have closed her mind
I guess it must be wanderlust or tryin' to get free
From the good old faithful feelin' we once knew
Carefree highway, let me slip away on you
Carefree highway, you seen better days
The mornin' after blues from my head down to my shoes
Carefree highway, let me slip away
Slip away on you
Let me slip away on you
Carefree highway, got ta see you my old flame
Carefree highway, you seen better days
The mornin' after blues from my head down to my shoes
Carefree highway, let me slip away
Slip away on you

The minstrel of the dawn is here
To make you laugh and bend your ear
Up the steps you'll hear him climb
All full of thoughts, all full of rhymes
Listen to the pictures flow
Across the room into your mind they go
Listen to the strings
They jangle and dangle
While the old guitar rings
The minstrel of the dawn is he
Not too wise but oh so free
He'll talk of life out on the street
He'll play it sad and say it sweet
Look into his shining face
Of lonelines you'll always find a trace
Just like me and you
He's tryin' to get into things
More happy than blue

A minstrel of the changin' tide
He'll ask for nothing but his pride
Just sit him down upon that chair
Go fetch some wine and set it there
Listen to the pictures flow
Across the room into your mind they go
Listen to the strings
They jangle and dangle
While the old guitar rings

A minstrel of the dawn is near
Just like a step 'n fetchit here
He's like an old time troubador
Just wanting life and nothing more
Look into his shining eyes
And if you see a ghost don't be surprised
Like me and you
He's tryin' to get into things
More happy than blue

The minstrel boy will understand
He holds a promise in his hand
He talks of better days ahead
And by his words your fortune's read
Listen to the pictures flow
Across the room into your mind they go
Listen to the strings
They jangle and dangle
While the old guitar rings

The minstrel of the dawn is gone
I hope he'll call before too long
And if you meet him you must be
The victim of his minstrelsy
He'll sing for you a song
The minstrel of the dawn

Busted flat in Baton Rouge
Waiting for a train,
When I's feelin' as fadded as my jeans
Bobby thumbed a diesel down
Just before it rained
It rode us all the way from New Orleans

I pulled my harpoon out my dirty red bandanna
I's playin' soft while Bobby sang the blues
Winsheild wipers slappin' time
I's holdin' Bobby's hand in mine
And we sang every song that driver knew

Freedom's just another word
For nothing left to loose
Well nothing ain't nothing hun if it ain't free (da da)
And feeling good was easy lord when he sang the blues
Feeling good was good enough for me (da da)
Good enough ffor me and my Bobby MCGee

From the Kentucky cold mines
To the California Sun
Bobby shared the secrets of my soul
Through all kinds of weather,
Through everything we'd done
My Bobby, baby, kept me from the cold
One day a misleading lord
I let him slip away
He's looking for that home
And I hope he finds it
Well I'd trade enough tomorrows for one single yesterday
To be holding Bobby's body next to mine
Freedom's just another word for nothing left to loose
Now nothing, well that's all that Bobby left me
Well feeling good was easy lord when he sang the blues
Feeling good was good enough for me good enough for me mm hmm and my Bobby MCGee la da da da da (ect) my Bobby McGee la da da da da ect
Hey don't boss my Bobby MCGee
Oh I call him my lover, I call him my man, I'll call him my lover, do the best I can c'mon and my Bobby oh and my Bobby, Bobby McGee lo la lola lo
Hey hey hey Bobby McGee

If you'd like to spend the afternoon approaching lavender
You'll feel just fine but one thing's sure
You'll never be the same
If you'd like to try your hand at understanding lavender
Then you must be very sure
That life is not a game
You might even learn a thing or two approaching lavender
You'll soon be on a one night tour
Forgetting your own name
You won't need a reason just to be alone with lavender
For the light so warm and pure
Will draw you like a flame

The colors that surround you there will be the shade of lavender
Shadows dancing everywhere
Like flowers in the rain
You will find your tongue's on fire while lying next to lavender
With words you never spoke before
And will not speak again

Oh sweet lavender I understand you perfectly
There is no way that I can see
You living by yourself
Oh sweet lavendar I must be with you constantly
Your presence means so much to me
Much more that life itself

Oh sweet lavender as fragrant as the name you bear
Please cast away the clothes you wear
And give your love to me
Oh sweet lavender your smile is like the golden sun
I'd love to see you laugh and run
As naked as the sea

If you'd like to spend the afternoon approaching lavender
Don't try and get the best of her
She will not share the blame
If you'd like to try your hand at understanding lavender
Then you must be very sure
That life is not a game
There is no shame

I feel a blue 'cause I can't sew
There's still a lot of things that I should know
Anyone can guess
I don't know how to press
My Saturday clothes
Everyone's goin' home
I feel a little sad to watch them leave
But I'll be cool because I don't believe
The happy times are gone
I can still put on
My Saturday clothes
Every warm body knows

I've got to tell you
That was a swell time
So now I'll take the butts away
And put the glasses on the tray
I'll see you all next Saturday

I feel a little off because they're gone
And if my gal were here I'd still be on
But in a week or two
There's lots of things to do
In my Saturday clothes
Everyone's gone home

I've got to tell you
That was a swell time
So now I'll take the butts away
And put the glasses on the tray
I'll see you all next Saturday

Poor little Allison
Standing in the night wind
Wishing out loud
Turning her face to the summer rain
Poor little Allison
Never had much goin'
Hard to forget
Always in step with the world she's in
Never knowin' never feelin'
Showin' so much pride
Never sayin' what she's thinkin'
Or feelin' deep inside

Poor little Allison
Dreaming of the right one
Laughing out loud
Lost in a crowd of fair weather friends

Never knowin' never feelin'
Showin' so much pride
Never sayin' what she's thinkin'
Or feelin' deep inside

Poor little Allison
Standing in the night wind,
Wishing out loud
Turning her face to the summer rain
Hard to forget
Always in step with the world she's in

I'm standin' in the doorway
My head bowed in my hands
Not knowin' where to sit
Not knowin' where to stand
My father looms above me
For him there is no rest
My mother's arms enfold me
And hold me to her breast
They say you been out wandrin'
They say you travelled far
Sit down young stranger
And tell us who you are

The room has all gone misty,
My thoughts are all in spin
Sit down young stranger
And tell us where you been

I've been up to the mountain
I've walked down by the sea
I never questioned no one
And no one questioned me
My love was given freely
And oftimes was returned
I never came to borrow
I only came to learn

Sometimes it would get lonely
But it taught me how to cry
And laughter came too easy
For life to pass me by
I never had a dollar
That I didn't earn with pride
Cause I had a million daydreams
To keep me satisfied

And will you gather daydreams
Or will you gather wealth
How can you find your fortune
When you cannot find yourself
My mother's eyes grow misty
There's a tremblin' in her hand
Sit down young stranger
I do not understand

Now will you try to tell us
You been too long at school
That knowledge is not needed
That power does not rule
That war is not the answer
That young men should not die
Sit down young stranger
I wait for your reply

The answer is not easy
For souls are not reborn
To wear the crown of peace
You must wear the crown of thorns
If jesus had a reason
I'm sure he would not tell
We treated him so badly
How could he wish us well

The parlor now is empty
There's nothin' left to say
My father has departed
My mother's gone to pray
There's rockets in the meadows
And ships out on the sea
The answer's in the forest
Carved upon a tree

John loves mary
Does anyone love me

If you could read my mind

If you could read my mind love
What a tale my thoughts could tell
Just like an old time movie
bout a ghost from a wishin well
In a castle dark or a fortress strong
With chains upon my feet
You know that ghost is me
And I will never be set free
As long as Im a ghost that you cant see
If I could read your mind love
What a tale your thoughts could tell
Just like a paperback novel
The kind that drugstores sell
When you reach the part where the heartaches come
The hero would be me
But heroes often fail
And you wont read that book again
Because the endings just too hard to take

Id walk away like a movie star
Who gets burned in a three way script
Enter number two
A movie queen to play the scene
Of bringing all the good things out in me
But for now love, lets be real
* I never thought I could act this way *
And Ive got to say that I just dont get it
I dont know where we went wrong
But the feelins gone
And I just cant get it back

If you could read my mind love
What a tale my thoughts could tell
Just like an old time movie
bout a ghost from a wishin well
In a castle dark or a fortress strong
With chains upon my feet
But stories always end
And if you read between the lines
Youll know that Im just tryin to understand
The feelins that you lack
I never thought I could feel this way
And Ive got to say that I just to get it
I dont know where we went wrong
But the feelins gone
And I just cant get it back

It's alright for some, but not alright for me
When the one that I'm lovin' slips around
You think it's fine to do things I cannot see
And you're doin' it to me, baby, can't you see
That I know how it is?

I can see it in your eyes and feel it in the way you kiss my lips
I can hear it in your voice whenever we are talking like this
I can see what you believe in when his name is mentioned and I die
I can watch the way you walk, the way you talk, the way you close your eyes

It's alright for some, but not alright to be
Where the one that I'm lovin' can't be found
The city where we live, might be quite large
But the circle is small, why not tell us all, and then all of us will know?

I can see it in your eyes and feel it in the way you kiss my lips
I can hear it in your voice whenever we are talking like this
I can see what you believe in when his name is mentioned and I die
I can watch the way you walk, the way you talk, the way you close your eyes

It's alright to leave, but not alright to lie
When you come home and you can't say where you've been
You think it's fine to do, things I cannot see
And you're doin' it to me, baby, can't you see, that I know how it is?

I can see it in your eyes and feel it in the way you kiss my lips
I can hear it in your voice whenever we are talking like this
I can see what you believe in when his name is mentioned and I die
I can watch the way you walk, the way you talk, the way you close your eyes

I can see it in your eyes and feel it in the way you kiss my lips
I can hear it in your voice whenever we are talking like this
I can see what you believe in when his name is mentioned and I die...

Come to the door my pretty one
Put on your rings and precious things
Hide all your tears as best you can
Try to recall what used to be
Roses are waiting for dewdrops to fall
Climbing your windows and walls
Bells in steeple are ringing, singing
Listen to them talk about your love's return

Let me come in my pretty one
And try to undo what I have done
For I must be forgiven now
I will not lose what I have won

Roses are waiting for dewdrops to fall
Climbing your windows and walls
Leaves in the garden are falling, calling
Listen to them talk about your love's return

Open the door my pretty one
Wake from your sleep and take me home
Open your eyes and look my way
I cannot leave your love alone

Roses are waiting for dewdrops to fall
Climbing your windows and walls
Bells in steeple are ringing, singing
Listen to them talk about your love's return

When it's midnight on the meadow
And the cats are in the shed
And the river tells a story
At the window by my bed
If you listen very closely
Be as quiet as you can
In the yard you'll hear him
It is the pony man
We're always there to greet him
When he tumbles into town
He leads a string of ponies
Some are white and some are brown
And they never seem to kick or bite
They only want to play
And they live on candy apples
Instead of oats and hay

And when we're all assembled
He gives a soft command
And we climb aboard our ponies
As in a row the stand
Then down the road we gallop
And across the fields we fly
And soon we all go sailing off
Into the midnight sky

And as we gaily rock along
Beside a ripplin' sea
There's Tom 'n Dick 'n Sally
And Mary Joe and me
And the pony man is leading
Cause he's travelled here before
And he gives a whoop and a holler
At Mr. Moon's front door

And as we stop to rest a while
Where the soda river glides
Up to the slip comes a pirate ship
To take us for a ride
And the pony man's the captain
And the children are the crew
And we go in search of treasure
And laugh the whole night through

And when the hold is filled with gold
And the sails begin to strain
And the deck's piled high with apple pie
We head for port again
And down the whirling starcase
So swift our ponies fly
And we're safely in our beds again
When the sunbeams kiss the sky

When it's midnight on the meadow
And the cats are in the shed
And the river tells a story
At the window by my bed
If you listen very closely
Be as quiet as you can
In the yard you'll hear him
It is the pony man

Out on the road like a low-down Joe
And the bar where we are is so cool I'd like to stay
Misunderstood like I knew I would be
The one I care for don't mind, she's built that way
I would gladly offer you my love
In this hotel in Somewhere U.S.A.
This rental car never went so far
But with each passing mile one more dream has turned to clay
Now that we've met and your eyes are all wet
Let me fetch my guitar, there's a song I'd like to play
I would gladly offer you my song
In this hotel in Somewhere U.S.A.

One never knows where the good times go
If you got some to spend, we'll do anything you say
I'd never lie, well you know I've tried
Though you think it's the drink that has made me behave this way
I would gladly offer you my love
In this hotel in Somewhere U.S.A.

With ladylike devotion, she sails the bitter ocean,
if it wasn't for lovesick sailors,
there'd be nothin' left but flotsam.

Singin' why, me oh my, is there a better man than I?
I hope you find your way back home,
before you're lyin, high and dry,
I hope you find your way back home before you die.

Her sails below like bubbles,
while you sip your daily doubles,
if she wasn't so fond of the weather,
she might give the deckhands trouble,

Singin' why, me oh my, is there a better man than I?
I hope you find your way back home,
before you're lyin, high and dry,
I hope you find your way back home before you die.

One day when I grew older,
I found I could not hold her,
she took on a fine young skipper,
who soon ran her up on a boulder.

Singin' why, me oh my, is there a better man than I?
I hope you find your way back home,
before you're lyin, high and dry,
I hope you find your way back home before you die.

Now the pleasures of the harbor,
don't include a lady barber,
if it wasn't for Long John Silver,
all of us pirates would've been martyrs,

Singin' why, me oh my, is there a better man than I?
I hope you find your way back home,
before you're lyin, high and dry,
I hope you find your way back home,
before you're lyin, high and dry,
I hope you find your way back home before you die.

Seven islands to the high side of the bay, 'cross the bay
To the sunset through the blue light of a fiery autumn haze
We went walking on the high side of the bay on a chilly morn
And we saw how leaves had fallen on the beds where trees are born
Any man in his right mind could not fail to be made aware
Any woman with a gift of wisdom would not seek her answers there
Seven islands to the high side of the bay if you're looking west
To the sunset you can see it, all in fiery autumn dress
Anytime would be the right time to come up to your bed of boughs
Anybody with a wish to wander could not fail but to be aroused

Living high in the city, guess you think it's a pretty good way
You get to learn but when you get burned you got nothing to say
You seem to think because you got chicken to go you're in luck
Fortune will not find you in your mansion or your truck
Brothers will desert you when you're down and shit out'a luck

Look around at the morning, guess you're doing the best you can
Surely you know that when you go nobody gives you a hand
Think of the air you're breathing in, think of the time you waste
Think of the right and wrong and consider the frown on your face

It's time you tried living on the high side of the bay, you need a rest
Any woman or a man with a wish to fade away could be so blessed
Fortune will not find you in your mansion turned to gold
Brothers will desert you when your nights turn long and cold

If you feel it you better believe it, you're gonna see it, do you really know
It is rising like a feather, dipping and dancing from below
There's a new wave that is breaking in the wake of a passing ship
Every nation's gonna be shaken, put it together, don't let it slip

It's time you tried living on the high side of the bay, you need a rest
Any man or a woman with a wish to fade away could be so blessed

Seven islands to the high side of the bay, 'cross the bay
To the sunset through the blue light of a fiery autumn haze
To the sunset through the blue light of a fiery autumn haze

Rows of lights in a circle of steel
Where you place your bets on a great big wheel
High windows flickerin' down through the snow
A time you know
Sights and sounds of the people goin' 'round
Everybody's in step with the season

A child is born to a welfare case
Where the rats run around like they own the place
The room is chilly, the building is old
That's how it goes
The doctor's found on his welfare round
And he comes and he leaves on the double

Deck The Halls was the song they played
In the flat next door where they shout all day
She tips her gin bottle back till it's gone
The child is strong
A week, a day, they will take it away
For they know about all her bad habits

Christmas dawns and the snow lets up
And the sun hits the handle of her heirloom cup
She hides her face in her hands for a while
Says look here child
Your father's pride was his means to provide
And he's servin' three years for that reason

Rows of lights in a circle of steel
Where you place your bets on a great big wheel
High windows flickerin' down through the snow
A time you know
Sights and sounds of the people goin' 'round
Everybody's in step with the season

Is there anyone home in this house made of stone?
Anyone inside know my name
I've been around for a half of a hundred days.
Never saw a door shut so tight
Turn around, don't look down
There's a man behind you with a gun
Like any wandering child in the wilderness,
Wild and uncaged are your ways
I think I heard
Someone stirred
I think I heard
Someone stirred

There's a light around you
I've come to switch it on
It will brighten every room
Don't be ashamed if you feel a whole lot warmer in you heart.
You got that feelin' in your soul

Is there anyone home in this house made of stone?
Anyone in there who might care
I've grown weary and wise and I feel much amazed.
Got a few good tales to unwind
Turn around, don't look down
There's a man behind you with a gun.
Like any wandering minstrel I've dawned in the house of a thousand delights.

I think I heard
Someone stirred
I think I heard
Someone stirred
I think I heard
Someone stirred
I think I heard
Someone stirred
I think I heard
Someone stirred
I think I heard
Someone stirred

Just like birds of a feather
We too have followed the golden sun
It feels so good,
Knowin' the watchman's gone
If I give you a rose, buddy
Would you please bury it in the fields?
I seen a rose
Watchin' it all fold out

There's a train down at the station
It's come to carry my bones away
Two engines on
Twenty-one coaches long
End to end
Twenty-one coaches bend
The watchman's out
Kickin' the bums about

If I wait for the right moment
You can bet I'll climb aboard unseen
I've done it before
I know I can do it in my sleep

The watchman's out
Kickin' the bums about
The watchman's out
Kickin' your dreams about

As I leave you in the sunset
Got one more nothin' I'd like to say
"You don't know me
A son of the sea am I"
As I say to you, my brother
If you live to follow the golden sun
You better beware
Knowin' the watchman's always there

If you find me feedin' daisies
Please turn my face up to the sky
And leave me be
Watchin' the moon roll by
Whatever I was
You know it was all because
I've been on the town
Washin' the bullshit down

The watchman's out
Kickin' your dreams about
It feels so good
Knowin' the watchman's gone
It's like a song
Knowin' the watchman's gone

I can see her lyin' back in her satin dress
In a room where you do what you don't confess
Sundown, you better take care
If I find you bin creepin' round my back stairs
Sundown, you better take care
If I find you bin creepin' round my back stairs

She's bin lookin' like a queen in a sailor's dream
And she don't always say what she really means
Sometimes I think it's a shame
When I get feelin' better when I'm feelin' no pain
Sometimes I think it's a shame
When I get feelin' better when I'm feelin' no pain

I can picture ev'ry move that a man could make
Gettin' lost in her lovin' is your first mistake
Sundown, you better take care
If I find you bin creepin' round my back stairs
Sometimes I think it's a sin
When I feel like I'm winnin' when I'm losin' again

I can see her lookin' fast in her faded jeans
She's a hard lovin' woman, got me feelin' mean
Sometimes I think it's a shame
When I get feelin' better when I'm feelin' no pain
Sundown, you better take care
If I find you bin creepin' round my back stairs

Sundown you better take care
If I find you bin creepin' round my back stairs
Sometimes I think it's a sin
When I feel like I'm winnin' when I'm losin' again

Picking up the pieces of my sweet shattered dream
I wonder how the old folks are tonight
Her name was Ann and I'll be damned if I recall her face
She left me not knowing what to do

Carefree highway, let me slip away on you
Carefree highway, you seen better days
The morning after blues from my head down to my shoes
Carefree highway, let me slip away, slip away on you

Turning back the pages to the times I love best
I wonder if she'll ever do the same
Now the thing that I call living is just being satisfied
With knowing I got no one left to blame

Carefree highway, got to see you my old flame
Carefree highway, you seen better days
The morning after blues from my head down to my shoes
Carefree highway, let me slip away, slip away on you

Searching through the fragments of my dream shattered sleep
I wonder if the years have closed her mind
I guess it must be wanderlust or trying to get free
From the good old faithful feeling we once knew

Carefree highway, let me slip away on you
Carefree highway, you seen better days
The morning after blues from my head down to my shoes
Carefree highway, let me slip away, slip away on you
Let me slip away on you
Carefree highway, got to see you my old flame
Carefree highway, you seen better days
The morning after blues from my head down to my shoes
Carefree Highway, let me slip away, slip away on you

There's a little room on my list for tonight
Will ya be the one to fill it in
Toss around what is up, what is down
In between, would ya like to dream
Step on in, ya don't have to play to win
But then you might

There's a little song on my list for tonight
Would ya like to try and make it rhyme
Sing and sway, if your heart feels that way
We can leave the blues behind

There's a little lovin' on my list for tonight
With a bit of luck, I'll check it off
Toss around what is up, what is down

In between, d' ya know what I mean
Rain, rain all day long
You've made it pay, you can do no wrong tonight
Pick and grin, ya don't have to play to win
But then you might
Thick and thin, ya don't have to play to win
But then you might

There's a little room on my list for tonight
Will ya be the one to fill it in
Toss around what is up, what is down

In between, would ya like to dream
Step on in, ya don't have to play to win
But then you might
Thick and thin, ya don't have to play to win
But then you might

It was only yesterday
When I heard the teacher say
Patiently, one and two make three
We were children, you and me
Let us pray for the ones they call
The children of today
Nothin' left but promises
Nothin' much is certain
All we see is want and need across the board, why thank you lord
We're livin' in the glory of your care
Skies of blue have all turned brown
To the sound of cryin
Lord abide, let us stem the tide
Of broken dreams
Sometimes you seem to tell us
It's too late for prayin'

See the ocean wild and blue
Think of all that's in her
She will not surrender to the likes of us, but then she must
They tell us, wise men tell us, it's too late
For each child with eyes that smile
There'll be ten more cryin'
Lord abide, let us stem the time
Of helplessness
But then I guess we're livin'
Is it too late for prayin'

Nothin' here but grains of sand
Nothin' much worth savin'
Guess we've all got problems of our own to bear, and still we share
Tomorrow could get better than today
To the ones who've loved in vain
Will ya be beholden
Lord abide, let us stem the tide
Of broken dreams
Sometimes ya seem to tell us
It's too late for prayin'

You think you had the last laugh
Now you know this can't be true
Even though the sun shines down upon you now
Sometimes you must feel blue
You make the best of each new day
You try not to be sad
Even though the sky falls down upon you
Call it midnight feelin' bad

When you wake up to the promise
Of your dream world comin' true
With one less friend to call on
Was it someone that I knew
Away you will go sailin'
In a race among the ruins
If you plan to face tomorrow
Do it soon

The road to love is littered
By the bones of other ones
Who by the magic of the moment
Were mysteriously undone
You try to understand it
But you never seem to find
Any kind of freedom comin' clean
Is just another state of mind

When you wake up to the promise
Of your dream world comin' true
With one less friend to call on
Was it someone that I knew
Away you will go sailin'
In a race among the ruins
If you plan to face tomorrow
Do it soon

So take the best of all that's left
You know this cannot last
Even though your mother was you maker
>From her apron strings you pass
Just think about the fool
Who by his virtue can be found
In a most unusual situation
Playin' jester to the clown

When you wake up to the promise
Of your dream world comin' true
With one less friend to call on
Was it someone that I knew
Away you will go sailin'
In a race among the ruins
If you plan to face tomorrow
Do it soon

When you wake up to the promise
Of your dream world comin' true
With one less friend to call on
Was it someone that I knew
Away you will go sailin'
In a race among the ruins
If you plan to face tomorrow
Do it soon

The legend lives on from the Chippewa on down
Of the big lake they called 'Gitche Gumee'
The lake, it is said, never gives up her dead
When the skies of November turn gloomy
With a load of iron ore twenty-six thousand tons more
Than the Edmund Fitzgerald weighed empty.
That good ship and crew was a bone to be chewed
When the gales of November came early.

The ship was the pride of the American side
Coming back from some mill in Wisconsin
As the big freighters go, it was bigger than most
With a crew and good captain well seasoned
Concluding some terms with a couple of steel firms
When they left fully loaded for Cleveland
And later that night when the ship's bell rang
Could it be the north wind they'd been feelin'?

The wind in the wires made a tattle-tale sound
And a wave broke over the railing
And every man knew, as the captain did too,
T'was the witch of November come stealin'.
The dawn came late and the breakfast had to wait
When the Gales of November came slashin'.
When afternoon came it was freezin' rain
In the face of a hurricane west wind.

When suppertime came, the old cook came on deck sayin'.
Fellas, it's too rough to feed ya.
At Seven P.M. a main hatchway caved in, he said
Fellas, it's been good t'know ya
The captain wired in he had water comin' in
And the good ship and crew was in peril.
And later that night when his lights went outta sight
Came the wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald.

Does any one know where the love of God goes
When the waves turn the minutes to hours?
The searches all say they'd have made Whitefish Bay
If they'd put fifteen more miles behind her.
They might have split up or they might have capsized;
May have broke deep and took water.
And all that remains is the faces and the names
Of the wives and the sons and the daughters.

Lake Huron rolls, Superior sings
In the rooms of her ice-water mansion.
Old Michigan steams like a young man's dreams;
The islands and bays are for sportsmen.
And farther below Lake Ontario
Takes in what Lake Erie can send her,
And the iron boats go as the mariners all know
With the Gales of November remembered.

In a musty old hall in Detroit they prayed,
In the Maritime Sailors' Cathedral.
The church bell chimed till it rang twenty-nine times
For each man on the Edmund Fitzgerald.
The legend lives on from the Chippewa on down
Of the big lake they call 'Gitche Gumee'.
Superior, they said, never gives up her dead
When the gales of November come early!

I think you have somebody waiting outside in the rain to take you away
You got places to go, you got people to see still I'm gonna miss you
but anyway
I wish you good spaces in the far away places you go
If it rains or it snows may you be safe and warm and never grow old
And if you need somebody some time, you know I will always be there
I'll do it although I'm not supposed to care

I'll give you the keys to my flying machine if you'd like
I will show you the light and when you call I'm gonna come to you
And when you find someone who loves you, I'll know you would treat me the same
Just lie there, you're not supposed to care

I think you have somebody waiting outside in the rain to take you away.
That's some kind of a game still I'm glad it came down to the final round
but anyway

If you think you need someone who needs you, you know I will always be there
I'll do it although I'm not supposed to care
I'll do it although I'm not supposed to care

A one man band on a one night stand
As a one man band should be
The cried for more, he replied why sure
And he played one just for free
The sounds he laid down, the songs he played
Made the ladies all come to call
He was born in the back of a Seminole bus
On the road to Niagara Falls

I'd do it again, said I'd do it again
I'd do it again

The one man band philosophical man
Didn't lie when he said to us
I seen the high rollers come and go
It's the holy rollers I trust
The man said then he was sixteen when
He retired from the county school
A wee bit thin with a will to begin
He was known to be no man's fool

I'd do it again, I'd do it again
He said I'd do it again, I'd do it again
I'd do it again

The one man band was a mighty good man
Cause he played 'til the break of dawn
He ups and downs about four more rounds
And he stayed 'til the crowd went home
It seemed to me like he never could be
Like anything I'd ever seen before
When he stepped from the stage with his ax in his hand
And he run through the backstage door

I'd do it again, he said I'd do it again
I'd do it again

A one man band on a one night stand
As a one man band should be
They cried for more, he replied why sure
And he played one just for free

I remember when best friends were jealous lovers
Lyin' warm asleep beneath the covers
Dreaming of belonging to each other
And so we tried, never too close
Never too near, dyin' in time
And so we cried but that is alright
We meant no one no harm

I remember when best friends were not mistaken
Long before that freedom was forsaken
Learnin' about all the good things
In the world worth believin'
And so we tried, never too close
Never too near, dyin' in time
And so we cried but that is alright
We meant no one no harm

I remember when jealous lovers would stick together
When the days were warm and the nights more tender
When the bonds of truth were not made to measure
And so we tried, never too close
Never too near, dyin' in time
And so we cried but that is alright
We meant no one no harm

Try, try as you will
Following dreams never fulfilled
And so we cried but that is alright
We meant no one no harm

Who are these ones who would lead us now
To the sound of a thousand guns
Storm the gates of hell itself
To the tune of a single drum
Where are the girls of the neighborhood bars
Whose loves were lost at sea
In the hills of France and on German soil
From Saigon to Wounded Knee
Who come from long lines of soldiers
Whose duty was fulfilled
In the words of a warrior's will
And protocol

Where are the boys in their coats of blue
Who flew when their eyes were blind
Was God in town for the Roman games
Was he there when the deals were signed
Who are the kings in their coats of mail
Who rode by the cross to die
Did they all go down into worthiness
Is it wrong for a king to cry
And who are these ones who would have us now
Whose presence is concealed
Whose nature is revealed
In a time bomb

And last of all you old seadogs
Who travel after whale
You'd storm the gates of hell itself
For the taste of a mermaid's tail
Who come from long lines of skippers
Whose duty was fulfilled
In the words of a warrior's will
And protocol

Go first in the world, go forth with your fears
Remember a price must be paid
Be always too soon, be never too fast
At the time when all bets must be laid
Beware of the darkness, be kind to your children
Remember the woman who waits
And the house you live in will never fall down
If you pity the stranger who stands at your gate

When you're caught by the gale and you're full under sail
Beware of the dangers below
And the song that you sing should not be too sad
And be sure not to sing it too slow
Be calm in the face of all common disgraces
And know what they're doin' it for
And the house you live in will never fall down
If you pity the stranger who stands at your door

When you're out on the road and feelin' quite lost
Consider the burden of fame
And he who is wise will not criticize
When other men fail at the game
Beware of strange faces and dark dingy places
Be careful while bending the law
And the house you live in will never fall down
If you pity the stranger who stands at your door

When you're down in the dumps and not ready to deal
Decide what it is that you need
Is it money or love, is it learning to live
Or is it the mouth you must feed
Be known as a man who will always be candid
On questions that do not relate
And the house you live in will never fall down
If you pity the stranger who stands at the gate
And the house you live in will never fall down
If you pity the stranger who stands at the gate

Where the road runs down by the butternut grove
To old Bill Skinner's stream
Do tell at the noonday bell
It's time for a summertime dream
In a lunch pail town in a one horse way
You can live like a king and queen
Let's steal away in the noonday sun
It's time for a summertime dream

Birds in all creation will be twitterin' in the trees
And down below's a pond I know
You can swim in it if you please
And if you come 'round when the mill shuts down
You can see what chivalry means
Let's steal away in the noonday sun
It's time for a summertime dream

On a trip on down to wonderland
In love among the flowers
Where time gets lost with no straw boss
Tallyin' up the hours
Where the road runs down by the butternut grove
To old Bill Skinner's stream
Do tell at the noonday bell
It's time for a summertime dream

Birds in all creation will be twitterin' in the trees
And down below's a pond I know
You can swim in it if you please
So if you come 'round when the mill shuts down
You can see what chivalry means
Let's steal away in the noonday sun
It's time for a summertime dream

Let go darlin'
I can feel the night wind call
Guess I'd better go
I like you more than half as much
As I love your Spanish moss

Spanish moss hangin' down
Sweeter than the southern love we've found
Spanish moss
Keeps on followin' my thoughts around
Georgia pine and Ripple wine
Memories of Savannah summertime
Spanish moss
Wish you knew what I was sayin'

So I'm rollin' north thinkin'
Of the way things might have been
If she and I could have changed it all somehow

Spanish moss hangin' down
Lofty as the sycamore you've found
Spanish moss
Keeps on followin' my thoughts around
Georgia pine and Ripple wine
Kisses mixed with moonshine and red clay
Spanish moss
Wish you knew what I was sayin'

So I'm rollin' north thinkin'
Of the way things might have been
If she and I could have changed it all somehow

Let go darlin'
I can feel the night wind call
The devil take the cost
I like the way your kisses flow and I love your Spanish moss

The space shuttle ends where the subway begins
There's a tear on the face of the moon
From dusk until dawn they have searched all day long
But there's too many clues in this room
At best it is said we've been locked deep inside
Of an old sea man's chest full of charts
Where maps are contained and what's left of his brains
When his crew threw his balls to the sharks

All around the looking glass
Dancing to a tune
Sweeping out the house with a fine tooth comb
Which history's shown
Leads to ruin

In a word it is said that at times we must fall
But the worst of it all was the lies
We died for the cause just like regular outlaws
In the dust of an old lawman's eyes
In times best forgot there was peace there was not
In her pains mother earth came to bloom
Her children were born in the eye of the storm
And there's too many clues in this room

The power that is stored in this no man's land of chance
Is the someone who knows what they're doin'
The old soldiers say in their own crusty way
We've got too many troops in this room

All around the looking glass
Dancing to a tune
Sweeping out the house with a fine tooth comb
Which history's shown
Leads to ruin

The space shuttle ends where the subway begins
Praise the lord there's a train leavin' soon
From dusk until dawn they have searched all day long
But there's too many clues in this room

If you've got a heartache
Of the kind that will not pass by
Even if you don't see the end
Of what lies beyond the bend
Don't stay that way
It's all in a day believe me
Even the best of dreams must end
Even so it grieves me

Stay loose, don't fight it
Let it take you all the way and
If it's wrong, you will right it
Do not waste these hours away

How many times have I told you
These are the tears I've shed
Could it be that I need help
Is it maybe I've come undone
And one thing more
You know it don't come easy
Even the best of friends must part
Even so it grieves me

Stay loose, don't fight it
Let love take a holiday
If it's wrong, you're gonna right it
Do not waste these hours away

Soon the storm will be over
And the clouds will all pass by
To be insane beyond belief
Is sometimes the best relief
And one thing sure
Love never did come easy
Even the best of dreams must end
Even so it grieves me

Stay loose, don't fight it
Let it take you all the way and
If it's wrong, you will right it
Do not waste these hours away

Stay loose, don't fight it
Let love take a holiday
If it's wrong, you're gonna right it
Do not waste these hours away

Pretty faces everywhere
A few hard cases stop and stare
They've got charm that is not right
Pretty faces late at nightMorning Glory what's the story
Will it ever end
I've been all the way to Biscayne Bay
And all the way back again
All the way back again
I remember our old rendezvous
The key was kept inside a shoe
Those moments will remain frozen in time
Morning Glory's on my mind
What's the story Morning Glory
Will it ever end
I've been all the way to Biscayne Bay
And all the way back again
All the way back again

It seems like only yesterday
She married me and carried me away
I found out what life was all about
Morning Glory threw me out
Hey Morning Glory what's the story
Will it ever end
I've been all the way to Biscayne Bay
And all the way back again
Alimony, Palimony
Puts a dent in me
I've been all the way to Biscayne Bay
For a dip in the shining sea
A dip in the shining sea

Pretty faces everywhere
A few hard cases stop and stare
Even when I know it ain't my day
A lot of good faces anyway
Morning Glory what's the story
What is it to be
I've been all the way to Biscayne Bay
For a dip in the shining sea
A dip in the shining sea

What's the story Morning Glory
Will it ever end
I've been all the way to Biscayne Bay
And all the way back again
All the way back again
Hey Morning Glory what's the story
Will it ever end
I've been all the way to Biscayne Bay
And all the way back again
All the way back again

Put me somewhere east of midnight
West of the turnpike
Anywhere I wander is where I'll take my rest
As I lie down, toss some thoughts around
Dreams I'm told will come true if you
Believe in those who love you right now
Sea of dreams I long for you
Forget about the others
This is my hike, you can come if you like
To feel good, I would help you if I could
But I am out here searching
For the things that might have been
I need no more reminders
Not one love letter have I seen
And that's a pretty good start
The ocean is where lovers meet again
Sea of dreams by all means
Float me out of danger until then
Forever amen

It's a long long hike
We'll be leavin' early travelin' light
That's alright Heaven will be ours tonight

The road is paved with moonbeams
There are faces that I knew
They all came back to haunt me
But that ain't fair to the folks like me and you
It takes a bit of my heart
Tonight I shall be watching from the shore
Sea of dreams from now on
Forget about all the others
Back where the line forms
Destination sea of storms
By all means ever onward sea of dreams

Put me somewhere east of midnight
Along about daylight
Anywhere I wander is where I'll take my rest
If we could just lie down
Toss some thoughts around
It's a tough and a dirty long hike
You can come if you like
If we could just lie down
Toss some thoughts around

Nothing is for certain
That's what the showman said
First you must open the curtain
And stand'em on their heads
There can be no inhibitions
No prima donna ways
If you want to pass the audition
And times is tough these days

Remember when Mr. Barnum
Presented Jenny Lind
They named a candy after her
A circus after him
End of my story
The rest is history
She in all of her glory
He lived quietly
He needed her, she needed him
As sure as the sky above
In a way it was for them
A lesson in love
A lesson in love

You look like the moonglow
That follows me home
Always makes me turn around
Won't leave me alone
First to come are the midgets
A monkey and a kid
Followed by those two one-armed jugglers
The ego and the id

Songs of the season
Apples of the sun
There is no rhyme or reason
Just a time for each and every one
Hang on Mr. Barnum
Hang on Jenny Lind
We will meet you in streets of gold
Where eternity begins
We will let it all hangout
Go hand in glove
Live was meant to live and learn
A lesson in love
A lesson in love

In my life
In my time and in each line I've ever sung
And in my life
Was it my imagination or are you still the one
Who lingers on
I'd do anything for you
You'd do anything for me
We'd do anything for love
Oh you'd use any means
And I would try any scheme for love
We'd do anything for love

Once or twice
In my loneliness I watched the world go by
There was I
One too many miles beyond where you might say
Some luck was due, after all

We could have touched the sky
You had no alibi because
We'd do anything for love
Oh I would try any means
To have you in all my dreams because
You'd do anything for love

Not long ago as I rememeber
Once upon a dark and windy day
When love looked like a dying ember
Before you came to call
The beauty of it all I though I'd lost and yet

Cause in my life
Here in my mind in it now shines
A guiding light
Never again will I lose my way
Oh I would not tell a lie and
You had no alibi because
We'd do anything for love
Oh You'd use any means
And I would try any scheme for love
Simply anything for love
Oh I would do anything
Just about anything because
We'd do anything for love
Anything for love

These are just the simple facts
I will relate to you
Though they are not connected
Each and every one is true
If they seem a bit untidy
Well unraveling them is fun
I will not stand corrected
I have not harmed anyone
I just let it ride
Ride let it ride
Leave on the evenin' tide
Just let it ride

When I listen to my heart
I sometimes fail to find
One sane and simple answer
On the bright side of my mind
Even when I'm sleeping
I can't seem to unwind
I just let it ride

I knew a man from Windsor
Who went to Detroit every night
And stateside of the tunnel
Customs agents gave him flight
He threw his stash in the river
And his bedroll on the ground
And when they finally got there
A sleeping man was all that they found

He just let it ride
Ride let it ride
Leavin' on the evenin' tide
Just let it ride

Hear the steeple bell ring out
Above my lobster pots
I might be out here fishin' man
But that ain't where it stops
The mouths I feed are many
And they all say thanks a lot
They just let it ride

One day when I'm old and gray
'N consider what's gone by
I always will be proud of
Every tear I've ever cried
And all of the old jokes we told
Around the candle light
To all those tender damsels
Who had helped us through the night

They just let it ride
Ride let it ride
Leavin' on the evenin' tide
Just let it ride
I'm gonna let it ride

Here's to the girls of London
And the ones from Montreal
We never will forget them
We still fantasize them all
I knew one in St. Louis
On a Missouri afternoon
I met one up in Shanghai
And another in Rangoon

I just let it ride
Ride let it ride
Leavin' on the evenin' tide
Just let it ride
Ride ride ride
I'm gonna let it ride
Leavin' on the evenin' tide
Just let it ride

I can always try to forget somehow
What's a part of the past
Have a little laughter if you please
I won't even mind if it takes awhile
I've got time on my hands
I feel another chapter in the breeze
Somebody touched my heart string
Somebody made my heart sing
Somebody stole my heart away
Nobody's sayin' their sorry
It's a mighty sweet music
You can dance all night
Put some wood on the fire right now
Ecstacy made easy

Ecstasy I ask you, are you a name
Or just another patron with a smile
Let me analyze you, are you a flame
Or just the dying embers
Of a kiss run wild

Somebody found my heart string
Somebody made my heart sing
Somebody touched my heart last night
Somebody set me in flight
It's a mighty sweet music
Take a chance they say
Put some fire on the old iron stove
Ecstasy made easy, made easy

I hope I never lose what belongs to me
By the right of my birth
At midnight sailing out of Perth
Getting under way we turned 'er westward bound
On that southern sea
To sea what ecstasy was worth

If I satisfy you, if you satisfy me
Once the course has been set
Gonna need all the help I can get but
You just gotta be you, 'n I just gotta be me
I can't classify you, you can't pacify me
We can't make it at all
You won't even take my calls
I just want ta be loved
'N you just gotta be free
I'll smile and tell it to the world
You just gotta be
Pardon me for sayin'
What a price you've been payin'
What more can I say
You might feel different some day

If it matter to you, it still matters to me
You'll find me by the bayou
Thinkin' wicked thoughts of you
I just want ta be strong, you just gotta be wrong
I can't clarify you, you can't verify me
I can't make it by stealth
You won't even share the wealth so
You just gotta be you
And I just gotta be me
And I will tell that to the world
You just gotta be

With a gratified mind, I'll be on the highway
Just as soon as I can
Where there's a will there's a way so until then
I just want ta be me, and you just gotta be

A passing ship
I have found the open ocean
Give me no lip
The waves roll by as I pass on
A snulit sea
On the first day of April
How fresh the wind
Will you miss me when I'm gone
How many words
How many songs still unwritten
How many ships
Of the line have come and gone
In the good old days
May they never be forgotten
They had heavy wind
Or they had no wind at all

A passing ship
It is midnight on the ocean
Had a real long trip
I have been at sea all winter
When my ship came in
I was givin' up the ghost
I think I should be
Leavin' those passing ships alone

When the sea runs high
The sea runs wild and I'm unsteady
And I think of you
In the warmth of your home and family
When love is true
There is no truer occupation
And may this gale
Blow us to the ones we love

Another day
Another ocean
Give me no lip
But stand aside as I pass on
A sunlit sea
On the last day of October
How fresh the wind
Will you miss me from now on
I guess I should be
Leavin' passing ships alone

You've got time enough for two of us
What is mine I will share
We've got things that we can do without
Most anytime anywhere
Every little daydream that appears in all we do
Gives us some problems of our own
If you turn back to that page again
And you can't win
If you ask me I'll tag along
Paper matches in the afternoon
Cups of tea and all of that Zen
I think it's time we took a walk outside
It seems there is no oxygen
This time tomorrow we might all be packed and gone
I believe it's best we carry on
Smoke rings rising til they disappear
In the sky above
If you ask me I'll tag along

Each and every bad dream will be hammered into dust
When we get back where we belong
If you ever turn that page again
And you need a friend
If you ask me I'll tag along

This time tomorrow we might all be packed and gone
I believe it's best we carry on
Smoke rings rising til they disappear
In the sky above
If you ask me I'll tag along

If it should please you, I have come to play
A glad or a sad tune, I wrote along the way
And a few good songs about the old highway
I been around so long Lord, I guess I'm here to stay

So I'm itching to please you, with a topical song
And a few golden oldies and a little hoedown
And I think I know how to make you feel
We're one and the same now, like a big flywheel

I have seen the best of all those things you can't explain
Wanderlust I did not trust but I never did complain

So if it should please you, put away those blues
Just settle on back now, I'll do my licks for you
It's my own way and that's the way it goes
You're a real good reason for a real good show

I have seen the best of all those things you don't forget
Wanderlust I did not trust and I ain't been done in yet

So if you got the dead end of the dealing shoe
This is your last chance man, we belong to you
It's my own way and that's the way I feel
We're one and the same now, like a big flywheel

So if it should please you, I have come to play
A glad or a sad tune, I wrote along the way
And a few good songs about the old highway
I been around so long Lord, I guess I'm here to stay
We're one and the same now, let's take it away
We're gonna take it real easy, let's take it away

I ain't got nothin' to hide
My mind is an endless wire
I got both feet on the ground
I ain't got no one for hire
I ain't got a thing to show
My lives have all expired
So don't go foolin' around
An' set my wheels afire

Down in the dark of a burnt out soul
There's a few good second hand dreams
Deep in the dark of a heavenly night with you
Down in the black of a bottomless hole
There's a few good second hand scenes
Deep in the dark of a heavenly blue
Where the sea runs green

I ain't got nothin' to give
My life is an endless climb
My love's a paperback dream
I don't have nothin' but time
I ain't got a thing to show
I don't know my own name
So don't go foolin' around
An' set my wheels aflame

Down in the dark of a beat out soul
There's a few good second hand dreams
Deep in the dark of a heavenly night with you
Down in the black of a bottomless hole
There's a few good second hand scenes
Deep in the dark of a heavenly blue
Where the sea runs green

I ain't got nothin' to hide
My mind is an endless wire
I got both feet on the ground
I don't have no one for hire
I ain't got a thing to show
My life is an endless rhyme
My love's a paperback dream
I ain't got nothin' but time

I go in for singing, I do it for my pay
But the kind of gig I can really dig is swiggin' at the break of day
With a few good friends and neighbors into playin' the nighttime tunes
So pass the jar and that old guitar in this hangdog hotel room

Oh Lord it feels so good to play a nighttime tune
So pass the jar and that old guitar in this hangdog hotel room

I believe in magic, a little monkeyshines
But the kind of row I can really hoe is playin' in tune on time
With rhythms all around us we're like weavers at the loom
So pass the jar and that old guitar in this hangdog hotel room

Oh Lord it feels so good to play a nighttime tune
So pass the jar and that old guitar in this hangdog hotel room

When it comes to mornin' and goin' out at night
Well the kind of test that I like the best is rubbin' the wrong girl right
And a few good friends and neighbors into playin' the nighttime tunes
So pass the jar and that old guitar in this hangdog hotel room

Oh Lord it feels so good to play a nighttime tune
So pass the jar and that old guitar in this hangdog hotel room
With rhythms all around us we're like weavers at the loom
So pass the jar and that old guitar in this hangdog hotel room

I think you have somebody waiting outside in the rain to take you away
You got places to go, you got people to see still I'm gonna miss you
but anyway
I wish you good spaces in the far away places you go
If it rains or it snows may you be safe and warm and never grow old
And if you need somebody some time, you know I will always be there
I'll do it although I'm not supposed to care

I'll give you the keys to my flying machine if you'd like
I will show you the light and when you call I'm gonna come to you
And when you find someone who loves you, I'll know you would treat me the same
Just lie there, you're not supposed to care

I think you have somebody waiting outside in the rain to take you away.
That's some kind of a game still I'm glad it came down to the final round
but anyway

If you think you need someone who needs you, you know I will always be there
I'll do it although I'm not supposed to care
I'll do it although I'm not supposed to care

With ladylike devotion, she sails the bitter ocean,
if it wasn't for lovesick sailors,
there'd be nothin' left but flotsam.

Singin' why, me oh my, is there a better man than I?
I hope you find your way back home,
before you're lyin, high and dry,
I hope you find your way back home before you die.

Her sails below like bubbles,
while you sip your daily doubles,
if she wasn't so fond of the weather,
she might give the deckhands trouble,

Singin' why, me oh my, is there a better man than I?
I hope you find your way back home,
before you're lyin, high and dry,
I hope you find your way back home before you die.

One day when I grew older,
I found I could not hold her,
she took on a fine young skipper,
who soon ran her up on a boulder.

Singin' why, me oh my, is there a better man than I?
I hope you find your way back home,
before you're lyin, high and dry,
I hope you find your way back home before you die.

Now the pleasures of the harbor,
don't include a lady barber,
if it wasn't for Long John Silver,
all of us pirates would've been martyrs,

Singin' why, me oh my, is there a better man than I?
I hope you find your way back home,
before you're lyin, high and dry,
I hope you find your way back home,
before you're lyin, high and dry,
I hope you find your way back home before you die.

The legend lives on from the Chippewa on down
Of the big lake they called 'Gitche Gumee'
The lake, it is said, never gives up her dead
When the skies of November turn gloomy
With a load of iron ore twenty-six thousand tons more
Than the Edmund Fitzgerald weighed empty.
That good ship and crew was a bone to be chewed
When the gales of November came early.

The ship was the pride of the American side
Coming back from some mill in Wisconsin
As the big freighters go, it was bigger than most
With a crew and good captain well seasoned
Concluding some terms with a couple of steel firms
When they left fully loaded for Cleveland
And later that night when the ship's bell rang
Could it be the north wind they'd been feelin'?

The wind in the wires made a tattle-tale sound
And a wave broke over the railing
And every man knew, as the captain did too,
T'was the witch of November come stealin'.
The dawn came late and the breakfast had to wait
When the Gales of November came slashin'.
When afternoon came it was freezin' rain
In the face of a hurricane west wind.

When suppertime came, the old cook came on deck sayin'.
Fellas, it's too rough to feed ya.
At Seven P.M. a main hatchway caved in, he said
Fellas, it's been good t'know ya
The captain wired in he had water comin' in
And the good ship and crew was in peril.
And later that night when his lights went outta sight
Came the wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald.

Does any one know where the love of God goes
When the waves turn the minutes to hours?
The searches all say they'd have made Whitefish Bay
If they'd put fifteen more miles behind her.
They might have split up or they might have capsized;
May have broke deep and took water.
And all that remains is the faces and the names
Of the wives and the sons and the daughters.

Lake Huron rolls, Superior sings
In the rooms of her ice-water mansion.
Old Michigan steams like a young man's dreams;
The islands and bays are for sportsmen.
And farther below Lake Ontario
Takes in what Lake Erie can send her,
And the iron boats go as the mariners all know
With the Gales of November remembered.

In a musty old hall in Detroit they prayed,
In the Maritime Sailors' Cathedral.
The church bell chimed till it rang twenty-nine times
For each man on the Edmund Fitzgerald.
The legend lives on from the Chippewa on down
Of the big lake they call 'Gitche Gumee'.
Superior, they said, never gives up her dead
When the gales of November come early!

When it's midnight on the meadow
And the cats are in the shed
And the river tells a story
At the window by my bed
If you listen very closely
Be as quiet as you can
In the yard you'll hear him
It is the pony man
We're always there to greet him
When he tumbles into town
He leads a string of ponies
Some are white and some are brown
And they never seem to kick or bite
They only want to play
And they live on candy apples
Instead of oats and hay

And when we're all assembled
He gives a soft command
And we climb aboard our ponies
As in a row the stand
Then down the road we gallop
And across the fields we fly
And soon we all go sailing off
Into the midnight sky

And as we gaily rock along
Beside a ripplin' sea
There's Tom 'n Dick 'n Sally
And Mary Joe and me
And the pony man is leading
Cause he's travelled here before
And he gives a whoop and a holler
At Mr. Moon's front door

And as we stop to rest a while
Where the soda river glides
Up to the slip comes a pirate ship
To take us for a ride
And the pony man's the captain
And the children are the crew
And we go in search of treasure
And laugh the whole night through

And when the hold is filled with gold
And the sails begin to strain
And the deck's piled high with apple pie
We head for port again
And down the whirling starcase
So swift our ponies fly
And we're safely in our beds again
When the sunbeams kiss the sky

When it's midnight on the meadow
And the cats are in the shed
And the river tells a story
At the window by my bed
If you listen very closely
Be as quiet as you can
In the yard you'll hear him
It is the pony man

You think you had the last laugh
Now you know this can't be true
Even though the sun shines down upon you now
Sometimes you must feel blue
You make the best of each new day
You try not to be sad
Even though the sky falls down upon you
Call it midnight feelin' bad

When you wake up to the promise
Of your dream world comin' true
With one less friend to call on
Was it someone that I knew
Away you will go sailin'
In a race among the ruins
If you plan to face tomorrow
Do it soon

The road to love is littered
By the bones of other ones
Who by the magic of the moment
Were mysteriously undone
You try to understand it
But you never seem to find
Any kind of freedom comin' clean
Is just another state of mind

When you wake up to the promise
Of your dream world comin' true
With one less friend to call on
Was it someone that I knew
Away you will go sailin'
In a race among the ruins
If you plan to face tomorrow
Do it soon

So take the best of all that's left
You know this cannot last
Even though your mother was your maker
From her apron strings you pass
Just think about the fool
Who by his virtue can be found
In a most unusual situation
Playin' jester to the clown

When you wake up to the promise
Of your dream world comin' true
With one less friend to call on
Was it someone that I knew
Away you will go sailin'
In a race among the ruins
If you plan to face tomorrow
Do it soon

When you wake up to the promise
Of your dream world comin' true
With one less friend to call on
Was it someone that I knew
Away you will go sailin'
In a race among the ruins
If you plan to face tomorrow
Do it soon

I'm sailin' down the summer wind,
I got whiskers on my chin,
and I like the mood I'm in,
as I while away the time of day,
in the lee of Christian Island.

Tall and strong, she dips and reels,
I call her Silver Heels,
and she tells me how she feels.
She's a good old boat and she'll stay afloat,
through the toughest gail and keep smilin',
but for one more day she would like to stay,
in the lee of Christian Island.

I'm sailin' down the summer day,
where fish and seagulls play,
I put my troubles all away.
And when the gail comes up I'll fill me cup,
with the whiskey of the highlands.
She's a good old ship and she'll make the trip,
from the lee of Christian Island.

Tall and strong she slips along,
I sing for her a song,
and she leans into the wind.
She's a good old boat and she'll stay afloat,
through the toughest gail and keep smilin',
and when the summer ends we will rest again,
in the lee of Christian Island.

and when the summer ends we will rest again,
in the lee of Christian Island.

All the lovely ladies in their finery tonight
I wish that I could know them one by one
All the handsome gentlemen with loving on their minds
Strolling in to take the ladies home
Bless you all and keep you on the road to tenderness
Heaven can be yours just for now.

All the gentle strangers who by nature do not smile
To everyone who cannot hold a pen
To all you heavy rounders with a headache for your pains
Who dread the thought of going 'round the bend

Bless you all and keep you on the road to better things
Heaven can be yours just for now.

To all the lovely ladies in their finery tonight
I wish that I could kiss you while you knit
To all the ones who learn to live with bein' second-guessed
Whose job it is to give more then to get

Bless you all and keep you with the strength to understand
Heaven can be yours just for now.

To all the little dreamers with a dream that cannot last
To all the sleeping giants who must wake
To every man who answers to the letter of the law
And all the rest imprisoned by mistake

Bless you all and keep you with the faith to let it pass
Heaven can be yours just for now

To all the lonely sailors who have trouble beeing seen
To all of you with heartache that remains
Maybe sometime later you might swim back into shore
If someone could relieve you of your chains

Bless you all and keep you all on the land or on the sea
Heaven can be yours, just for now

Oh the prairie lights are burnin' bright
The Chinook wind is a-movin' in
Tomorrow night I'll be Alberta bound
Though I've done the best I could
My old luck ain't been so good and
Tomorrow night I'll be Alberta bound
No one-eyed man could e'er forget
The Rocky Mountain sunset
It's a pleasure just to be Alberta bound
I long to see my next of kin
To know what kind of shape they're in
Tomorrow night I'll be Alberta bound
Alberta bound, Alberta bound
It's good to be Alberta bound
Alberta bound, Alberta bound
It's good to be Alberta bound

Oh the skyline of Toronto
Is somethin' you'll get onto
But they say you've got to live there for a while
And if you got the money
You can get yourself a honey
A written guarantee ta make you smile
But it's snowin' in the city
And the streets and brown and gritty
And I know there's pretty girls all over town
But they never seem ta find me
And the one I left behind me
Is the reason that I'll be Alberta bound

Alberta bound, Alberta bound
It's good to be Alberta bound
Alberta bound, Alberta bound
It's good to be Alberta bound
It's good to be Alberta bound

His father was a man who could never understand,
the shame on the red man's face.
So they lived in the hills and they never came down,
but to trade in the white man's place.
Early in the spring when the snow had disappeared,
they came down with a bag of skins.
In the fall of the year of 1910,
daddy died by the rope down in Cherokee Bend.

Daddy didn't like what the white man said,
'bout the dirty little kid at his side.
Daddy didn't like what the white man did,
nor the deal or the way that he lied.
There was blood on the floor of the government store,
when the men took his daddy away,
but the boy stayed back till he'd come to his end,
then he run like the wind from Cherokee Bend.

Now the mother was alone and the winter was at hand,
and she prayed to her spirit kin.
It was warm in the lodge in the Kentucky hills,
on the day when the boy came in.
Then a blizzard came down and it covered up the door,
till they thought that it never would end,
and he told her the tale of the terrible affair,
in the government store down in Cherokee Bend.

Daddy didn't like what the white man said,
'bout the dirty little kid at his side,
daddy didn't like what the white man did,
nor the deal or the way that he lied.
For three long days and three long nights,
they wept and they mourned and then,
she returned to her work and her weavin',
and they tried to forget about Cherokee Bend.

Now the boy wasn't big but he hunted what he could,
and they lived for a time that way,
but the food run low and the meat went bad,
and she said to the boy one day.
"I'm leavin' tonight and I never will return,
from the land of my spirit kin,
you must take what you need and trade what you can,
for a red man's grave down in Cherokee Bend".

It wasn't very long till she closed her eyes,
and he wrapped her in a robe,
he found her a place on the side of a hill,
and he buried her in the snow.
Early in the spring he was seen comin' down,
with his load lookin' ragged and thin.
Not a year had gone by till he stood once again,
in the government store down in Cherokee Bend.

He was ten years tall and a redskin too,
so he hadn't much face to save,
and the men sat around and they laughed and they clowned,
at the talk of a criminal's grave.
Then a man from the east didn't smile when he said,
"you're the son of that indian scum,
if you value your hide then you better abide,
by the white man's rules here in Cherokee Bend".

Daddy didn't like what the white man said,
'bout the dirty little kid at his side.
Daddy didn't like what the white man did,
nor the deal or the way that he lied.
And he spit on the floor of the government store,
and it served him to no good end,
at the close of the day they had taken him away,
to the white man's school down in Cherokee Bend.

It's been twenty one years since the boy disappeared,
where he run to nobody knows,
but they say he fell in with a man named Jim,
and he rides in the rodeos,
and they say he returns all alone to a place,
hidden deep in the Kentucky glen,
and it's pretty well known who hauled up the stone,
to the grave on the hill above Cherokee Bend.

Daddy didn't like what the white man said,
'bout the dirty little kid at his side.
Daddy didn't like what the white man did,
nor the deal or the way that he lied.
There was blood on the floor of the government store,
when the men took his daddy away,
it was 1910 and they never had a friend,
when he died by the rope down in Cherokee Bend.
It was 1910 and they never had a friend,
when he died by the rope down in Cherokee Bend.

Oh the gist of it all is the first day of fall is the day when my ship will set sail
The best of all friends will say good-bye again there's still time for one last glass of ale
We'll sail away proudly, our backs to the wall on a southwind and lots of good cheer
And when we've looked over the white cliffs of Dover, We'll be in Bahama next year
From Bermuda on down the Triangle around us will teach us a lesson or two
There's many a mate who unevenyly stated the course he had charted was true
"Don't worry 'bout me," he said "Go down below, give a certified sailor a turn,
Just sip on your rum or I'll give you my thumb and say, son you got something t' learn!"
It's a mighty hard way to come down
And a mighty fine way to be found
So hand me my grip from an old sailing ship
Put the kiss of the dawn on my lips
With some luck tonight I might have her at my fingertips

Oh the best of all things is the first day of spring when when the water runs heavy and fast
The mermaids have all gone to Davy Jones' Ball
And it seems their first trip was their last
They had so much fun
They don't wish to return
to the beach where they lay all day long
They'd rather stay under
And boy it's no wonder
When all the rock lobsters roll on
It's a mighty fine way to be found

Triangle Triangle
Oh see my ship dangle
We're bound for Bahama my friend
Like lovers like danger
Like babies like mangers
But that's where my storybook ends
Like soldiers of fortune, believers in God
And all kings without crosses to bear
All sweepers and cleaners
with no misdemeanors
Should try the triangle out there

It's a mighty hard way to come down
And a mighty fine way to be found
So hand me my grip
From an old sailing ship
Put the kiss of dawn on my lips
With some luck tonight
I might have her at my fingertips

When she took her last tumble
The sea bottom rumbled
There was no confusion or blame
The captain said "Men we must answer again to the sea so ye may not complain"
And as they lay sleeping down there in the deep
With their faces turned up to the stars
A tuna fish turned
To a mermaid in bed and said
"There goes another sandbar"

It's a mighty hard way to come down
And a mighty fine way to be found
So hand me my grip
From an old sailing ship
Put the kiss of the dawn on my lips
With some luck tonight
I might have her at my fingertips

Let me reach out love and touch you
Let me hold you for a while
I've been all around the world
Oh, how I long to see you smile
There's a shadow on the moon
And the waters here below
Do not shine the way they should
And I love you, just in case you didn't know

Let it go
Let it happen like it happened once before
It's a wicked wind and it chills me to the bone
And if you do not believe me
Come and gaze upon the shadow at your door

Won't you lie down by me baby
Run your fingers through my hands
I've been all around the town
And still I do not understand
Is it me or is it you
Or the shadow of a dream
Is it wrong to be in love
Could it be the finest love I've ever seen

Set it free
Let it happen like it happened once before
It's a wicked wind and it chills me to the bone
And if you do not believe me
Come and gaze upon the shadow at your door

Please kiss me gently, darlin'
Where the river runs away
From the mountains in the springtime
On a blue and windy day
Where there's beauty all around
As the shades of night grow deep
As the morning stars grow dim
They will find us in the shadows fast asleep

Let it go
Let it happen like it happened once before
It's a wicked wind and it chills me to the bone
And if you do not believe me
Come and gaze upon the shadow at your door

Some life I've been livin'
Like a song in the night
Good sounds every moment
Good news and bright lights
Anytime I get lonesome
I just got to do the things right
Make way for the lady
You can do it my son
Makin' hay with no gravy
Brings the good folk down
Anytime you get lonely
You just got to turn it around

This life I've bin given
It don't tell you no lies
Could've been somewhat wasted
How could it be otherwise
When the sound of the laughter
Brought the tears in to my eyes

Make way for the lady
You can do it my son
Makin' hay with no gravy
Gets the day's work done
When a blue mood gets rollin'
You just got to turn it around
Turn it around

Shake hands with the father
The son and the holy ghost
The impossible believers
And the heavenly host
If you must do it better
You just got to do it the most

Make way for the lady
You can do it my son
Makin' hay with no gravy
Brings all the good folks down
When a blue moon starts risin'
You just got to turn it around
Turn it around
Turn it around

Make way for the lady
And turn it around

All around old Cape Horn
Ships of the line, ships of the morn
Some who wish they'd never been born
They are the ghosts of Cape Horn

Fal deral dal riddle de rum
With a rim dim diddy
And a rum dum dum
Sailing away at the break of dawn
They are the ghosts of Cape Horn

See them all in sad repair
Demons dance everywhere
Southern gales, tattered sails
And none to tell the tales

Come all of you rustic old sea dogs
Who follow the bright Southern Cross
You were rounding the Horn
In the eye of a storm
When you lost her one day
And you read all your letters
From oceans away
Then you took them to the bottom of the sea

All around old Cape Horn
Ships of the line, ships of the morn
Some who wish they'd never been born
They are the ghosts of Cape Horn

Fal deral dal riddle de rum
With a rim dim diddy
And a rum dum dum
Sailing away at the break of dawn
They are the ghosts of Cape Horn

Come all you old sea dogs from Devon
Southampton, Penzance, and Kinsale
You were caught by the chance
Of a sailor's last dance
It was not meant to be
And you read all your letters
Cried anchors aweigh
Then you took them to the bottom of the sea

All around old Cape Horn
Ships of the line, ships of the morn
Some who wish they'd never been born
They are the ghosts of Cape Horn

Fal deral dal riddle de rum
With a rim dim diddy
And a rum dum dum
Sailing away at the break of dawn
They are the ghosts of Cape Horn

Now it looks to me like the same old place,
in the sky it looks like rain.
The same old town with the same old streets,
my address has not changed.
You can find me there with the door shut tight,
and the one wish that remains.

Baby step back, baby step back,
either step up or step back.

Now you know I don't write no bad checks,
I have no wish to repent.
I've seen a few but whatever I do,
I don't cause no accidents.
Whiskey and wine help me pass the time,
I don't leave no evidence.

Baby step back, baby step back,
either step up or step back.
Baby step back, baby step back,
either step up or step back.

(inst.)

Still I don't kneel down I was born to fight,
so you best leave me alone.
Maybe I'll get much more than I need,
or much less than I should own,
last of all let me say it again,
either step up or step on.

Baby step back, baby step back,
either step up or step back.
Baby walk back, baby walk back,
either walk on or walk back.

(inst.)

Baby step back, baby step back,
either step up or step back.
Baby walk back, baby walk back,
either walk on or walk back.
Baby step back, baby step back,
either step up or step back.

(fade)

There's a warm wind tonight
And the moon turns the tide
When the stars take their ride
She'll be leavin'
Where she goes, I don't know
She won't tell me what it is
That makes her act like this
But I've got a funny feelin' that it's me
It's worth believin'
Should I ask
Do you like to go walking on the shore
And listen to the sea
Or could it be someone kind
Could it be that I'm the fool
There's somethin' wrong with you
And I've got a funny feelin' that it's me
It's worth believin'

There's a breeze from the shore
And the waves overlap
When I've called in the cat
She'll go walkin'
And she cries to herself
In the night when I'm asleep
She lies awake and weeps
Could it be someone new
Some old who has returned
Or is it just a game
But I've got a funny feelin' that it's me
It's worth believin'

There's a warm wind tonight
And the moon turns the tide
When the stars take their ride
She'll be leavin'
Where she goes, I don't know
She won't tell me what it is
That makes her act like this
But I've got a funny feelin' that it's me
It's worth believin'

There's a kind of a restless feeling and it pulls me from within
It sets my senses reeling and my wheels begin to spin
In the quietude of winter you can hear the wild geese cry
And I will always love that sound until the day I die

There's a plain and a simple answer to each and every quest
>From every quiet dance who might be a special guest
In a movie made for TV or a late night interview
You might even find them on the Young and the Restless too

Do ya get that restless feelin' when you hear a whistle blast
Like an echo from the past
Of an old engine flyin' down a road that's ironcast

The lake is blue, the sky is gray, the leaves have turned to gold
The wild goose will be on her way, the weather's much too cold
When the muskie and the old trout too have all gone down to rest
We will be returning to the things that we love best

Do ya get that restless yearning when you think about your dad
And the scrimshaw that he had
Of an old schooner rovin' 'neath a sky that's ironclad

There's a kind of a restless feeling and it catches you off guard
As we gaze off at the distance through the trees in my back yard
I can feel that restless yearning of those geese as off they roam
Then trade that for a warm bed and a place I can call home

Will ya get that restless yearning when you hear the wicked blast
Of a spectre from the past
Of a cold diesel rollin' down a road that's built to last

Still I get that restless feelin' when I hear a whistle blast
See an image from the past
Of an old schooner flyin' down a sky that's overcast

Ring them bells ye heathen from the city that dreams
Ring them bell from the sanctuaries, 'cross the valleys and streams
For they're deep and they're wide, and the world's on its side
And time is a-runnin' backwards and so is the bride
Ring them bells St. Peter where the four winds blow
Ring them bells with an iron hand so the people will know
Oh it's rush hour now. on the wheel of the plow
And the sun is a-goin' down upon the sacred cow

Ring them bells sweet Martha for the poor man's son
Ring them bells so the world will know that God is one
For the shepherd is asleep where the willow weep
And the mountain is filled with lost sheep

Ring them bells - for the blind and the deaf
Ring them bells - all those who are left
Ring them bells - for the chosen few
Who'll judge the many when the game is through
Ring them bells - for the time that flies
For the child who cries when innocence dies

Ring them bells St. Catherine from the top of the roof
Ring the bells from the fortress for the lilies that bloom
For the lines are long and the fighting is strong
And they're breakin' down the distance between right and wrong

I was at the breakwall, I was lookin' at the sea
In back of the eight ball in some misery
There on the horizon stood a mighty ship of fools
They were headin' into the harbor with all their broken rules
Whenever I'm feelin' lonely I can just pick up the phone
Or I can go to the movies or just stay at home alone
They're better off to be someplace that's a good long way from home
Any way I can lose myself
Dawn is breakin', I'm hesitatin', I'm
Fading away, fading away

They sailed right to meet me, I said what's it all about
Please try to excuse me, we can work things out
If you've ever wondered if that mighty ship is real
Let me tell ya 'bout it brother, it was somethin' you could feel

Whenever I'm feelin' lonely I let twilight set the tone
Or I can go to the movies or just stay at home alone
They're better off to be someplace that's a good long way to roam
Ain't livin' high on the hog right now
Time is wastin', I'm hesitatin', I'm
Fading away, fading away

One more day on the calendar on my mind
I am down around the breakwall puttin' in some time
The whole ship of fools has gotten safely under way
And I was proud to be a part of what it was they had to say

Whenever I'm feelin' lonely I can just pick up the phone
Or I can go to the movies or just stay at home alone
They're better off to be someplace that's a good long piece from home
Any way I can lose myself
Dawn is breakin', I'm hesitatin', I'm
Fading away, fading away
Fading away, fading away

Does the light of passion still burn bright
Only love would know, my imagination
Tells me I'm a pent-up fool
In the deep end of the pool
Is the light of passion burnin' bright
Only love would know, only love would know
She lives on the other side, you wanna know the reason why
She arrives at promises and you believe in what she says
Everywhere you go

Is the light of passion burnin' bright
Everywhere you go, only love would know
You think you've been wronged again
Oh what a way to treat a friend
She belongs to other eyes and surely you must realize
She ain't the kind who would soon step aside
Pay any dues at the expense of her pride
Everywhere she goes, only love would know

In the days gone by I came to believe
Everything is trust, all the rest is dust
Mother nature, mother dear, listen to us over here
Are the sounds of laughter ringing true
Only love would know, only love would do
She lives on another plane away from the drivin' rain
She says no, you say yes, and that's how it should be I guess
Only love would know

May the light of love surround you tonight
Everywhere you go, only love would know
You think you were wrong until
You learned once and for all it's still
Once more lesson on the way
Or that is what it seemed to say
She's not the kind who would soon step down
Not the kind you would try to walk around
When only a thought would go very well
You can tell by the touch
Ah but only love would know

Passion burnin' bright
Tears of passion late at night
Is the light of passion burning bright
Everywhereyou go, only love would know

I have been down in the valley of tears
I have stood on the highest peak
For the best part of a week
Battered and bruised I had pulled myself through
Every seen I would never repeat
I have hung out with the beasts of the field
And with them I've spent many long nights
Got in some awful bad fights
I came unstuck, I was down on my luck
And I'm still gettin' over the bites

Sounds of my own heart breaking, not to mention my mind
Nothing can hurt me, a small voice said into a mike, take a hike
No one will lead me astray anymore
You are welcome to try if you like
Welcome to try if you like

I had been down in the valley so long
I had almost run out of respect
Got in right up to my neck
Battered but wise to the truth and the lies
That no layman would ever accept

Reaching for all of the good things in life
Can provide some suprises I guess
It may be the way we are dressed
These threads that you see mean so little to me
They don't count when they put us to rest

Late about dusk I would start to feel
One more day had been lost
Nothing I'd say ever seemed to convey
How I felt with that I have dealt
All of my children are healthy and sane
They may say anything that they like
Say anything that they like

Sitting alone in the Blue Ridge Saloon
Is no place for an angel to be
Ladies make faces at me
Battered but clean I had pulled my machine
Off the road, I was too tired to see

Wearing a smile like the rim of a cup
I will get down to my final point
There is no one left to annoint
And the sowing of seed was it good, yes indeed
It thrills me but only to a point

Use your imagination, try every trick in the book
My mother said with the life that I led I'd be broke
Holy smoke
All of my children are healthy and wise
They may say anything that they like
If they want ta preach and are not within reach
They may say anything that they like
Say anything that they like

Any way the wind may blow
Any way the creek may flow
Any way the crow may fly
Within the confines of the sky
I will prove my love to you
In everything I say and in all I do
Anywhere the song is king
Anywhere the robin sings
Anywhere the lake is cold
Anywhere the bell is tolled
I will prove my love to you
In everything I say and in all I do

Anytime our paths don't cross
And the losin' dice are tossed
Anytime you know what's best
Anytime I can't care less
I'll make it up to you
In everything I say and in all I do

Any way the wind may blow
Any way I stub my toe
Any way the tree might bend
Any way the day might end
I will prove my love to you
In everything I say and in all I do
I will make it up to you
In everything I say and in all I do

Say what you will, I will miss you my friends
Let me move along for the road never ends
Vowing to live till the end of all time
All the way to the ends of the earth because I'm
Waiting for you to say you will be mine
Many long days, many long years
Many wrong plays, many wrong fears
I could be tossed in the arms of the sea
I could be caught between decks eternally
Waiting for you to ask what's keeping me

What would we do at the end of the day
When the hours are asleep and the time slips away
Children are all that the earth has to show
Children are all that the earth wants to know
Up here in the northland, up here in the snow

Up in the wilderness, land of our birth
Land of our toil, land of our worth
I could stay healthy and wealthy and wise
For I love the snow other snowbirds criticize
Tell that to a wife and you'll get a surprise

The skies of North America are covered in stars
Over factories and farms, over hamlets and bars
The breeze of North America is breathless at night
Out there in the distance some souls are in flight
Some soft-hearted lovers whose goals are in sight

Here in my on-again, off-again style
Here in my on-again, off-again smile
Here in my off-again, on-again grin
Here in my off-again, on-again skin
Waiting for you to say let us begin

If I had a dollar, if I had a cent
I would play most anywhere if it would pay my rent
I'd be livin' on the downside in my old apartment
For the rest of my days
People always ask why the world is on the run
People like you and like me
Is it really true you can really never win
Movin' to the upside, tell me when does the fun begin

Deep as the see and as wild as the weather
We will go just you and me to pick wild strawberries together
Or be livin' on our own, in a cabin in a meadow
Or meanderin' alone, we can face the world forever or we'll
Hit the bounding main or be on a railroad train
Hit the boundless tide or be on a steamboat ride
Hit the bounding main or be on a midnight plane
Hit the pounding tide or be on a rainbow ride

People often ask me just the way it must feel
To be standing up here with you down there
Let it now be known that throughout all of these years
I have been wearing polka dot underwear

Deep as the sea and as wild as the weather
We will go just you and me to gather crabapples together
And be wandering along toward a cabin in the meadow
Or meandering alone, we can face the world together or we'll
Hit the bounding main or be on a railroad train
Hit the boundless tide or be on a steamboat ride
Hit the bounding main or be on a midnight plane
Hit the pounding tide or be on a rainbow ride

People always ask why the world is on the slide
People like you and like me
Is it really true there will be no peace left to hide
Turning to the upside, when does the fun begin

Deep as the sea and as wild as the weather
We might go just you and me to pick wild strawberries together
Or be livin' on our own in a cabin in a meadow
And the cows will come home
They can face the world forever and we'll
Hit the bounding main or be on a railroad train
Hit the boundless tide or be on a steamboat ride
Hit the bounding main or be on a midnight plane
Hit the pounding tide or be on a rainbow ride
Hit the bounding main or be on a midnight plane

Is it my imagination or is it my iron pride
I wonder if it matters much if time is on my side
I'd rather press on, I don't wanna rest easy
Anywhere I stray, I will make it a brand new day
Anyway, that's all I've got to say
I'd rather be by the seaside, than be playin' a one night stand
I've been too wrapped up in my own dreams, I will change things if I can
I gotta press on, don't wanna rest easy
Wouldn't it feel fine to return to the women and the wine
And all of the sunshine that we knew

You will never know what blue is until you have played the game
Till you live life in solitare where no one knows your name
I'd rather press on, I don't want to rest easy
Have it anyway you will, I will be with you right up until
The spell is broken and all is well

If you'd rather be by the seashore, well I sure can understand
Are you too wrapped up in your own scene, I would change things if I can
I'd rather press on, don't wanna rest easy
Wouldn't it feel fine, but remembering the rhythm and the rhymes
And all of the good times makes me blue

Wouldn't it feel fine to return to the women and the wine
And all of the sunshine that we knew

Listen up and I'll tell you what you'll do
Forget about music and alcohol to
Forget about yer baby, we've got other work for you
Better drink yer glasses empty now, it's time to rise 'n shine
There's one less cause in the world to be leavin' for
It was back in '39 when I was one year old
Sitting by the backyard fence and the world had turned to cold
Drink yer glasses empty now was all that they were told
Drink yer glasses girls and boys, it's time to hit the sky
To the tune of thunder, there's no time to wonder why

We'd love to take life over, that is plain
Forget about sorrow, forget about pain
And watch a John Wayne movie to remind us once again
Better drink yer glasses empty now, it's time to hit the line
You got one less cause in the world to be leavin' for
Drink yer glasses girls and boys, it's time to hit the sky
To the tune of thunder, there's a tear in every eye

I'd like to take things one at a time
Forget about reason, forget about rhyme
Because beg, steal, or borrow you got another hill to climb
So drink yer glasses empty now, it's time to hit the road
There's one less cause in the world to be leavin' for
Drink yer glasses girls and boys, it's time to hit the sky
To the tune of thunder, there's no time to wonder why

We'd like to take life over again
When time of war had passed away into the rain
And watch a John Wayne movie to remind us of the planes
Just drink yer glasses empty now, it's time to rise 'n shine
There's one less cause in the world to be leavin' for

Come on Pearl, come on Kitty, if you feel inclined
Down around the bend in the water, bring your fishin' line
Come on Pearl, I'm rough and ready, got my fishin' pole
Down around the bend in the water to the fishin' hole
It's a fine July on a beautiful night
With a heavenly sky and moonlight on the bay

Down around the bend in the water, if you feel inclined
Come on Pearl, come on Kitty, I'm gonna make you mine

All around the world tonight
What a beautiful scene below
Too fine a time to stand in line
I'm gonna take my love to go
It's a fine July and a beautiful way
For a boy and a girl to pass the time of day

Come on Pearl, come on Kitty, if you feel inclined
Down around the bend in the water, bring your fishin' line

All around the world tonight
What a beautiful sight below
Too fine a time to stand in line
I'm gonna take my love to go
It's a fine July on a beautiful light
With a heavenly sky and moonlight on the bay

Down around the bend in the water, if you feel inclined
Come on Pearl, come on Kitty, bring your fishin' line
Come on Pearl, I'm rough and ready, got my fishin' pole
Down around the bend in the water to the fishin' hole

Rainy day people always seem to know when it's time to call
Rainy day people don't talk, they just listen till they've heard it all
Rainy day lovers don't lie when they tell 'ya they've been down like you
Rainy day people don't mind if you're cryin' a tear or two

If you get lonely, all you really need is that rainy day love
Rainy day people all know there's no sorrow they can't rise above
Rainy day lovers don't love any others, that would not be kind
Rainy day people all know how it hangs on a piece of mind

Rainy day lovers don't lie when they tell you, they've been down there too
Rainy day people don't mind if you're cryin' a tear or two.

Rainy day people always seem to know when you're feeling blue
High stepping strutters who land in the gutters sometimes need one too
Take it or leave it, or try to believe it
If you've been down too long

Rainy day lovers don't hide love inside they just pass it on
Rainy day lovers don't hide love inside they just pass it on

All you need is time
All you need is time, time, time to make me bend
Give it a try, don't be rude
Put it to the test and I'll give it right back to you

It's cold on the shoulder
And you know that we get a little older every day

Kick it around, take it to town
Try to defy what you feel inside
You better be strong
Your love belongs to us

It's cold on the shoulder
And you know that we get a little older every day

All I need is trust
All I need is trust, trust, trust to make it show
I don't want to know everything you done
If you get a tip then tell it to the eskimos

It's cold on the shoulder
And you know that we get a little older every day
It's cold on the shoulder
And you know that we get a little older every day

All we need is faith
All we need is faith, faith, faith to make it nice
Kick it around, don't be rude
If you're gonna make a mistake don't you make it twice

It's cold on the shoulder
And you know that we get a little older every day
It's cold on the shoulder
And you know that we get a little older every day
It's cold on the shoulder
And you know that we get a little older every day
It's cold on the shoulder
And you know that we get a little older every day

The soul is the rock and the rock will not be moved
Nothing is disputed, yet nothing is disproved
And the seeds of the earth that were planted long ago
Still yield a better harvest than the rock was prone to grow
Say what you like to, do what you do
Everyone's sleeping now two by two
Bats in the roof, cats in the hall
Dust on the stairway, gnats on the wall

Big rain comin'
Big rain comin' this way
Rain on the rock
Rain on the rock
Rain on the rock

The sea is the space which the rock has displaced
The mind is some stranger that some soul has embraced
And somewhere between, in a no-man's land of dreams
The heart becomes the soldier yet the rock is not redeemed

Say what you like to, do what you can
Live like a sheep, die like a lamb
Bats in the roof, cats in the hall
Dust on the stairway, gnats on the wall

Big rain comin'
Big rain comin' this way
Rain on the rock
Rain on the rock
Rain on the rock

The soul is the rock and the rock will always roll
In circles 'round the sun doing rings around the pole
When the mind is not sure what the heart will do next
The rock becomes the master and the road becomes what's left

Late one night when the moon shone down
We went to the mill on the edge of the town
She wore white, I wore black
The town was sleeping when we got back

Big rain comin'
Big rain comin' this way
Rain on the rock
Rain on the rock
Rain on the rock

The soul is the rock and the rock will not be harmed
Though man must be cheated just as women must be charmed
And the mind is the light for the heart which cannot see
The soul becomes the stranger but the rock will always be

Say what you like to, do what you do
Everyone's sleeping now two by two
Bats in the roof, cats in the hall
Dust on the stairway, gnats on the wall

Oh.. Big rain comin'
Big rain comin' this way
Rain on the rock
Rain on the rock
Rain on the rock

The soul is the rock and the rock will not be moved
Nothing is disputed yet nothing is disproved
And the seeds of the earth that were planted long ago
Still yield a better harvest than the rock was prone to grow

And the seeds of the earth that were planted long ago
Still yield a better harvest than the rock was prone to grow

Bells of the evening, O sing to my love
Tell her I miss her, my own turtledove
The streets of the old town are covered with rain
I think I might never know true love again
I'm lost with no road signs to guide me
A slave to my whiskey and dreams
Bells of the evening, O bells that I love
I've got some feelings I long to be rid of

I'm not one to ramble; I'm not one to boast
Though I had one lover more lovely than most
She was a country girl born to be free
Who took to the city by chance there to find me

Bells of the evening go pealin'
I'm down here listenin' to you
Bells of the evening, O bells of the sea
Tell her that I love her, that I'm lost and so lonely

Bells of the evening, your sweet Sunday sound
Reminds me of the redwoods and moss covered ground
So if I should wander on back to the coast
Tell her to remember it's her I need the most

I'm caught by the minstrel's misfortune
Of being forever displaced
Bells of the evening, O bells of the sea
Tell her that I love her; That I'm lost I'm so lonely

In the name of love she came
This foolish winsome girl
She was all decked out like a rainbow trout
Swimmin' up stream in the world
And she said "Please, please, I've lost my way
The current is too strong
In the name of love, kind sir I pray, in the name of love"
So I took her by the hand, she took me by the will
She was all dolled up like a blue eyed pup
Looking for something to spill
And she said "Please, please, I've lost my way
The current is too strong
In the name of love, kind sir I pray, in the name of love"

In the name of love she came
This foolish winsome girl
She was all decked out like a rainbow trout
Swimmin' upstream in the world
And she gave one flip of the rainbow tip of her tail
And she swam back down

And she said "Please, please, I've lost my way
The current is too strong
In the name of love, kind sir I pray, in the name of love"

All the lovely ladies in their finery tonight
I wish that I could know them one by one
All the handsome gentlemen with loving on their minds
Strolling in to take the ladies home
Bless you all and keep you on the road to tenderness
Heaven can be yours just for now.

All the gentle strangers who by nature do not smile
To everyone who cannot hold a pen
To all you heavy rounders with a headache for your pains
Who dread the thought of going 'round the bend

Bless you all and keep you on the road to better things
Heaven can be yours just for now.

To all the lovely ladies in their finery tonight
I wish that I could kiss you while you knit
To all the ones who learn to live with bein' second-guessed
Whose job it is to give more then to get

Bless you all and keep you with the strength to understand
Heaven can be yours just for now.

To all the little dreamers with a dream that cannot last
To all the sleeping giants who must wake
To every man who answers to the letter of the law
And all the rest imprisoned by mistake

Bless you all and keep you with the faith to let it pass
Heaven can be yours just for now

To all the lonely sailors who have trouble beeing seen
To all of you with heartache that remains
Maybe sometime later you might swim back into shore
If someone could relieve you of your chains

Bless you all and keep you all on the land or on the sea
Heaven can be yours, just for now

You're as soft as the rose
You're as sweet as the honey
You're as warm as the bright morning sun
You're as cool as the breeze on the last days of April
You're as fine as fine can be
You're like time is to space
You're like faith is to trustin'
You're like blue is to feelin' unkind
You're like joy is for love,
You're like dreams are for chasin'
You're as fine as fine can be

And when I am gone my thoughts are all with you
You're my little angel you see
You're as bright as the moon
You're as light as a feather
You're as fine as fine can be

Like the rain is for the crops
You're like food for my thoughts
You're like true is for knowin' what's not
You're like leaves are for trees
You're like bees are for buzzin'
You're as fine as fine can be

You're as bright as the moon
You're as light as a feather
You're as fine as fine can be

His father was a man who could never understand,
the shame on the red man's face.
So they lived in the hills and they never came down,
but to trade in the white man's place.
Early in the spring when the snow had disappeared,
they came down with a bag of skins.
In the fall of the year of 1910,
daddy died by the rope down in Cherokee Bend.

Daddy didn't like what the white man said,
'bout the dirty little kid at his side.
Daddy didn't like what the white man did,
nor the deal or the way that he lied.
There was blood on the floor of the government store,
when the men took his daddy away,
but the boy stayed back till he'd come to his end,
then he run like the wind from Cherokee Bend.

Now the mother was alone and the winter was at hand,
and she prayed to her spirit kin.
It was warm in the lodge in the Kentucky hills,
on the day when the boy came in.
Then a blizzard came down and it covered up the door,
till they thought that it never would end,
and he told her the tale of the terrible affair,
in the government store down in Cherokee Bend.

Daddy didn't like what the white man said,
'bout the dirty little kid at his side,
daddy didn't like what the white man did,
nor the deal or the way that he lied.
For three long days and three long nights,
they wept and they mourned and then,
she returned to her work and her weavin',
and they tried to forget about Cherokee Bend.

Now the boy wasn't big but he hunted what he could,
and they lived for a time that way,
but the food run low and the meat went bad,
and she said to the boy one day.
"I'm leavin' tonight and I never will return,
from the land of my spirit kin,
you must take what you need and trade what you can,
for a red man's grave down in Cherokee Bend".

It wasn't very long till she closed her eyes,
and he wrapped her in a robe,
he found her a place on the side of a hill,
and he buried her in the snow.
Early in the spring he was seen comin' down,
with his load lookin' ragged and thin.
Not a year had gone by till he stood once again,
in the government store down in Cherokee Bend.

He was ten years tall and a redskin too,
so he hadn't much face to save,
and the men sat around and they laughed and they clowned,
at the talk of a criminal's grave.
Then a man from the east didn't smile when he said,
"you're the son of that indian scum,
if you value your hide then you better abide,
by the white man's rules here in Cherokee Bend".

Daddy didn't like what the white man said,
'bout the dirty little kid at his side.
Daddy didn't like what the white man did,
nor the deal or the way that he lied.
And he spit on the floor of the government store,
and it served him to no good end,
at the close of the day they had taken him away,
to the white man's school down in Cherokee Bend.

It's been twenty one years since the boy disappeared,
where he run to nobody knows,
but they say he fell in with a man named Jim,
and he rides in the rodeos,
and they say he returns all alone to a place,
hidden deep in the Kentucky glen,
and it's pretty well known who hauled up the stone,
to the grave on the hill above Cherokee Bend.

Daddy didn't like what the white man said,
'bout the dirty little kid at his side.
Daddy didn't like what the white man did,
nor the deal or the way that he lied.
There was blood on the floor of the government store,
when the men took his daddy away,
it was 1910 and they never had a friend,
when he died by the rope down in Cherokee Bend.
It was 1910 and they never had a friend,
when he died by the rope down in Cherokee Bend.