B i o g r a p h y (by Jason Ankeny)
After rising to fame at the helm of the popular folk-rock band 10,000 Maniacs, Natalie Merchant enjoyed even greater success as a solo artist during the mid-'90s. Her literate, socially conscious songs established her among the preeminent women in pop music, while her solo debut -- 1995's Tigerlily -- helped pave the way for a number of female performers in a pre-Lilith Fair market. She continued releasing albums well into the 2000s, often examining specific genres or subjects, although Tigerlily remained her biggest-selling record. Born October 26, 1963, in Jamestown, New York, Merchant joined 10,000 Maniacs at the age of 17 and became the band's driving artistic force. After a pair of successful independent releases, they signed to Elektra in 1985 and briefly became one of the most popular acts in alternative rock, shooting into the Top 40 with 1987's In My Tribe and charting even higher with their follow-up effort, Blind Man's Zoo. Merchant's desire to launch a solo career increased alongside the band's growing reputation, however, and by the time the group sat down to record 1992's Our Time in Eden, she gave her bandmates two years' notice. Following the release of MTV Unplugged in 1994, she publicly announced she was leaving the group's ranks. Merchant made her solo debut with 1995's Tigerlily, a self-produced album that debuted at number 13 and scored a Top Ten single with "Carnival." Two additional singles, "Wonder" and "Jealousy," also cracked the Top 40, prompting Tigerlily to sell over five million copies in the U.S. alone. It was followed in 1998 by Ophelia, another platinum-selling effort that was supported by Merchant's inclusion in the second Lilith Fair tour. Live in Concert, recorded at New York's Neil Simon Theatre, appeared a year later. A prominent social activist, Merchant also drew notice by campaigning in the name of such hot-button issues as animal rights, domestic violence, and homelessness. Merchant launched a folk tour in 2000, with members of progressive folk band the Horse Flies joining her on the road. She then returned to her solo career with Motherland. Two years later, Merchant left Elektra's roster and formed her own independent label, Myth America, in order to issue House Carpenter's Daughter, a collection of traditional and contemporary folk music inspired by the 2000 tour. A long period of silence followed, during which a pair of greatest-hits releases -- the 10,000 Maniacs collection Campfire Songs and Merchant's own Retrospective: 1995-2005 -- kept fans relatively sated. As the decade drew to a close, though, Merchant signed with Nonesuch Records and began making plans for a new album, which eventually arrived in the form of the ambitious, double-disc neo-children's album, 2010's Leave Your Sleep. Merchant returned to straight-ahead pop music with a self-titled album in May 2014.
Tigerlily - 1995-06-20 -
San Andreas Fault Wonder Beloved Wife River Carnival I May Know The Word The Letter Cowboy Romance Jealousy Where I Go Seven Years
This House Is On Fire Motherland Saint Judas Put The Law On You Build A Levee Golden Boy The Ballad Of Henry Darger The Worst Thing Tell Yourself Just Can't Last Not In This Life I'm Not Gonna Beg
After The Gold Rush All I Want Baby I Love You Because I could not stop for death (From) Both Sides Now Bread & Circuses But not for me Children Go Where I Send Thee Come Take A Trip In My Airship Hey Baby Boy I Know How To Do It In the ghetto Last Goodbye Ode To Billy Joe One fine day Party of god Photograph She Devil Son Of A Preacher Man Space Oddity Sympathy For The Devil Take A Look
Tigerlily
San Andreas Fault
Go west Paradise is there You'll have all that you can eat Of milk & honey over there You'll be the brightest star The world has ever seen Sun-baked slender heroine Of film & magazine Go west Paradise is there You'll have all that you can eat Of milk & honey over there You'll be the brightest light The world has ever seen The dizzy height of a jet-set life You could never dream Your pale blue eyes Strawberry hair Lips so sweet Skin so fair Your future bright Beyond compare It's rags to riches Over there San andreas fault Moved its fingers Through the ground Earth divided Plates collided Such an awful sound San andreas fault Moved its fingers Through the ground Terra cotta shattered And the walls came Tumbling down O, promised land O, wicked ground Build a dream Tear it down O, promised land What a wicked ground Build a dream Watch it all fall down
Doctors have come From distant cities Just to see me Stand over my bed Disbelieving what they're seeing They say I must be one of the wonders Of god's own creation And as far as they can see they can offer No explanation Newspapers ask Intimate questions Want confessions They reach into my head To steal the glory Of my story They say I must be one of the wonders Of god's own creation And as far as they can see they can offer No explanation I believe Fate smiled and destiny Laughed as she came to my cradle "Know this child will be able" Laughed as my body she lifted "Know this child will be gifted With love, with patience And with faith She'll make her way" People see me I'm a challenge To your balance I'm over your heads How I confound you And astound you To know I must be one of the wonders Of god's own creation And as far as you can see you can offer me No explanation I believe Fate smiled and destiny Laughed as she came to my cradle "Know this child will be able" Laughed as she came to my mother "Know this child will not suffer" Laughed as my body she lifted "Know this child will be gifted With love, with patience And with faith She'll make her way"
*** Thanx a lot to Dillon who corrected this one ***
You were the love For certain of my life You were simply my beloved wife I don't know for certain How I'll live my life Now alone without my beloved wife My beloved wife I can't believe I've lost the very best of me You were the love For certain of my life You were simply my beloved wife I don't know for certain How I'll live my life Now alone without my beloved wife My beloved wife I can't believe I've lost the very best of me You were the love For certain of my life For 50 years simply my beloved wife With another love I'll never lye again It's you I can't deny It''s you I can't defy A depth so deep Into my grief Without my beloved soul I renounce my life As my right Now alone without my beloved wife My beloved wife My beloved wife My love is gone she suffered long In hours of pain My love is gone Now my suffering begins My love is gone Would it be wrong if I should Surrender all the joy in my life Go with her tonight My love is gone she suffered long In hours of pain My love is gone Would it be wrong if I should Just turn my face away from the light Go with her tonight River
Young and strong Hollywood son In the early morning light This star fell down On Sunset Boulevard Young and strong beautiful one We embraced so close Is gone Was torn away Let the youth of America mourn Include him in their prayers Let his image linger on Repeat it everywhere With candles, with flowers He was one of ours One of ours Why don't you let him be He's gone We know Give his mother and his father peace Your vulture's candor Your casual slander You murder his memory He's gone We know It's nothing but a tragedy Lay to rest your soul and body Lay beside your name Lay to rest your rage Your hunger and amazing grace With candles, with flowers You were one of ours One of ours I saw cameras expose your life I heard rumors explode with lies I saw children in tears Cry and crowd around the sight Of where you had collapsed that day Where your last breath and word Had been sighed Where your heart had burst Where you had died I saw how they were lost in grieving All half believing you were gone The loss and pain of it Crime and shame of it You were gone It was such a nightmare raving, "How could we save him from himself?"
I've walked these streets A virtual stage It seemed to me Make up on their faces Actors took their Places next to me I've walked these streets In a carnival Of sights to see All the cheap thrill seekers The vendors and the dealers They crowded around me Have I been blind Have I been lost Inside my self and My own mind Hypnotized Mesmerized By what my eyes have seen I've walked these streets In a spectacle of wealth and poverty In the diamond markets The scarlet welcome carpet That they just rolled out for me I've walked these streets In the mad house asylum They can be Where a wild eyed misfit prophet On a traffic island stopped And he raved of saving me Have I been blind Have I been lost Inside my self and My own mind Hypnotized Mesmerized By what my eyes have seen Have I been wrong Have I been wise To shut my eyes And play along Hypnotized Paralyzed By what my eyes have found By what my eyes have seen What they have seen Have I been blind Have I been lost Inside my self and My own mind Hypnotized Mesmerized By what my eyes have found In that great street carnival In that carnival
I may know the word But not say it I may know the truth But not face it I may hear a sound A whisper sacred and profound But turn my head Indifferent I may know the word But not say it I may love the fruit But not taste it I may know the way To comfort and to soothe A worried face But fold my hands Indifferent If I'm on my knees I'm begging now If I'm on my knees Groping in the dark I'd be paying for deliverance From the night into day But it's all grey here It's all grey to me I may know the word But not say it This may be the time But I might waste it This may be the hour Something move me Someone prove me wrong Before the night comes With indifference If I'm on my knees I'm begging now If I'm on my knees Groping in the dark I'd be praying for deliverance From the night into the day But it's all grey here But it's all grey to me I recognize the walls inside me I recognize them all I've paced between them Chasing demons down Until they fall In fitful sleep Enough to keep their strength Enough to crawl Into my head With tangled threads They riddle me to solve Again and again and again The Letter
If I ever write this letter The pages I could write But I don't know where to send it You have vanished Heaven knows where you live Heaven only knows If I ever write this letter Bitter words it would contain Just and unrequited lover Wishing she had never Spoken your name Had never known your name But if I ever write this letter The truth it would reveal Knowing you brought me pleasure How I'll often treasure Moments that we knew The precious, the few
It's a Saturday afternoon romance Between a cowboy and a fool A drunken meet up In a crude saloon A poor Rocky Mountain town He's a scoundrel and She's no pearl Together they are two lovers cruel Got her balanced on his knee He knows exactly what to say "You ain't been born 'Til you get out of town And honey, You might come with me" "If you do... Spare the innocent ones I'll take you with me Together we will be drifters free" Got her tangled in his arm She's a lusting, trusting fool "No man born can rule me That I've sworn But stranger if you do I'll belong to you" "If you do... Would you spare the innocent ones Would you take me with you? Can you love the land And love me too?" As he grows sober Sees his love anew In morning light so true He gets on the move On the move
O, jealousy Is she fine So well bred The perfect girl A social deb? Is she the sort You've always thought Could make you What you're not? O, jealousy Is she bright So well read Are there novels By here bed? Is the sort You've always said Could satisfy Your head? O, my jealousy Does she talk The way I do Is her voice reminding you Of the promises The little white lies too Sometimes, tell me While she's touching you Just by mistake Accidentally do you say my name?
Climbing under A barbed wire fence By the railroad ties Climbing over The old stone wall I am bound for the riverside Well I go to the river To soothe my mind Ponder over The crazy days of my life Just sit and watch the river flow Find a place On the riverbank Where the green rushes grow See the wind In the willow tree In the branches hanging low Well I go to the river To soothe my mind To ponder over The crazy days of my life Watch the river flow Ease my mind and my soul Where I go Well I will go to the river From time to time Wander over These crazy days in my mind Watch the river flow Where the willow branches grow By the cool rolling waters Moving gracefully and slow Child it's lovely Let the river take it all away The mad pace, the hurry The troubles, the worries Just the river take them all away Flow away
How did I love you? There was no measuring Far above this dirty world Far above everything In your tower over it You were clean So warm and insightful Were you in my eyes I was sure the rightful Guardian of my life Damn you betrayer How you lied But for seven years You were loved I laid golden orchid crowns Around your feet For seven years I bowed down To touch the ground So wholly your devotee You were All I could see I've got my sight now I see everything you hid So don't you try to right now All the wrong you did I might forget you But never forgive But for seven years You were loved I laid golden orchid crowns Around your feet For seven years I bowed down To touch the ground So wholly your devotee For seven years You were so revered I made offerings of Anything and everything I had You were All I could see
Ophelia Ophelia Ophelia was a bride of god A novice Carmelite In sister cells the cloister bells Tolled on her wedding night Ophelia was a rebel girl A blue stocking suffragette Who remedied society Between her cigarettes Ophelia was a sweetheart To the nation overnight Curvaceous thighs Vivacious eyes Love was at first sight... Ophelia was a demigoddess In pre-war Babylon So statuesque a silhouette In black satin evening gowns Ophelia was the mistress to a Vegas gambling man Signora Ophelia Maraschina Mafia courtesan Ophelia was a circus queen The female cannonball Projected through five flaming hoops To wild and shocked applause... Ophelia was a cyclone, tempest A god damned hurricane Your common sense Your best defense Lay wasted and in vain Ophelia'd know your every woe And pain you'd ever had She'd sympathize And dry your eyes And help you to forget... Ophelia's mind went wandering You'd wonder where she'd gone Through secret doors Down corridors She'd wander them alone All alone... fade to different spoken languages Life is Sweet It's a pity It's a crying shame Who pulled you down again? How painful it must be To bruise so easily inside It's a pity It's a downright crime But it happens all the time You wanna stay little daddy's girl Wanna hide from the vicious world outside But don't cry Know the tears'll do no good So dry your eyes Your daddy he's the iron man A battleship wrecked on dry land Your mama she's a bitter bride She'll never be satisfied, And you know That's not right But don't cry Know the tears'll do no good So dry your eyes They told you life is hard It's misery from the start It's dull and slow and painful I tell you life is sweet In spite of the misery There's so much more Be grateful Who do you believe? Who will you listen to Who will it be? It's high time that you decide In your own mind Tried to comfort you Tried to tell you to be patient They are blind They can't see Fortune gonna come some day All gonna fade away Your daddy the war machine and Your mama the long and suffering Prisoner of what she cannot see They told you life is hard It's misery from the start It's dull and slow and painful I tell you life is sweet In spite of the misery There's so much more Be grateful Who do you believe? Who will you listen to Who will it be? It's high time you decide It's time you make up your own sweet little mind They told you life is long Be thankful when it's done Don't ask for more You should be grateful But i tell you life is short Be thankful because before you know It will be over Cause life is sweet And life is also very short Your life is sweet Kind and Generous You've been so kind and generous I don't know how you keep on giving For your kindness i'm in debt to you For your selflessness, my admiration And for everything you've done You know i'm bound... I'm bound to thank you for it You've been so kind and generous I don't know how you keep on giving For your kindness i'm in debt to you And i never could have come this far without you So for everything you've done You know i'm bound... I'm bound to thank you for it I want to thank you For so many gifts You gave with love and tenderness I want to thank you I want to thank you For your generosity The love and the honesty That you gave me I want to thank you Show my gratitude My love and my respect for you I want to thank you I want to... Thank you Thank you Thank you Thank you Thank you Thank you Frozen Charlotte Blue like the winter snow in this full moon Black like the silhouettes of the trees Late blooming flowers lye frozen underneath the stars I want you to remember me that way Far away I''ll be gone Will you wait for me here? How long? I don't know But wait for me here Still as the river grows in december Silent and perfect blinding ice Spring keeps her promises No cold can keep her back I want you to remember me that way Far away I'll be gone Will you wait for me here? How long? I don't know But wait for me here Follow Don't follow me to where i'll go Far away I'll be gone Will you wait for me here? How long? I don't know But wait for me here Follow Don't follow me to where i've gone Someday you'll take my place And i'll wait for you herea My Skin Take a look at my body Look at my hands There's so much here that I don't understand Your face-saving promises Whispered like prayers I don't need them Because I've been treated so wrong I've been treated so long As if I'm becoming untouchable Well, contempt loves the silence It thrives in the dark With fine winding tendrils That strangle the heart They say that promises sweeten the blow But I don't need them, no I don't need them I've been treated so wrong I've been treated so long As if I'm becoming untouchable I'm the slow dying flower In the frost killing hour Sweet turning sour and untouchable Oh, I need the darkness The sweetness The sadness The weakness Oh, I need this I need a lullaby A kiss goodnight Angel sweet love of my life Oh, I need this I'm the slow dying flower In the frost killing hour Sweet turning sour and untouchable Do you remember the way that you touched me before All the trembling sweetness I loved and adored Your face-saving promises whispered like prayers I don't need them I need the darkness The sweetness The sadness The weakness Oh, I need this I need a lullaby A kiss good night Angel sweet love of my life Oh, I need this Well is it dark enough Can you see me Do you want me Can you reach me Or I'm leaving You better shut your mouth And hold your breath And kiss me now And catch your death Oh, I mean this Oh, I mean this
*** Thanx a lot to Charlotte who corrected me for this one *** Break Your Heart Oh, people downcast in despair See the disillusion everywhere Hoping that their luck will change It's a little harder every day People struggle, people fight For the simple pleasures in their lives The trouble comes from everywhere It's a little more than you can bear I know it will be hurt I know it will break your heart the way things are And the way they've been And the way they've always been People shallow self absorbed See the push and shove for their rewards With nothing nice on their minds You can read about it in their eyes People ruthless, people cruel The damage that some people do Full of hatred, full of pride It's enough to make you lose your mind I know that it will hurt I know that it will break your heart the way things are And the way they've been Yeah I know that it will hurt I know it will hurt I know that it will break your heart The way things are and the way they've been Don't spread discontent, don't spread the lies Don't make the same mistakes with your own life You know it will always came back Yeah, I know that it will hurt I know that it will hurt I know that it will break your heart The way things are and the way they've been Don't spread discontent, don't spread the lies Don't make the same mistakes with your own life And don't disrespect yourself, don't lose your pride And don't think everybody is gonna chose your side Oh no... Oh no... no.. King of May Farewell today Travel on now Be on your way Go safely there And never worry, never care Beyond this day Farewell tonight To all joy and to all the life Go on, go peacefully We can't keep your majesty Be on your way Make may for the last king of May And make a cardboard crown for him And make your voices one Praise the crazy mother's son, who loved his life Farewell today Travel on now Be on your way Can't bear the very thought that we That we could keep your majesty Be on your way Make way for the last king of May And make a hole in the cloud for him Raise your voices up Drink your loving cup To his long life To his long life Make way for the last king of May Make a hole in the sky for him And raise your voices up Lift your loving cup To his long life His long life And raise your voices up Lift you loving cup To his long life To his long life His long life His long life Thick as Thieves Remember how it all began The apple and the fall of man The price we paid So the people say Down a path of shame it led us Dared to bite the hand that fed us The fairy tale The moral end The wheel of fortune Never turns again The worst of it has come and gone In the chaos of millennium In the falling out of the doomsday crowd Their last retreat is moving slow They burn their bridges as they go The heretic is beatified He'll teach the harlot's child to smile Wracked again by indecision Should we make that small incision Testify to the bleeding heart inside? We cut, we scratched We rent, we slashed And when he opened up at last Found a cul-de-sac Deep and black Of smoke and ash The wicked king of parody Is kissing all his enemies On the seventh day Of the seventh week The tyrant's voice is softer now But just for one forgiving hour Before the rise of his Iron fist again I've come tonight I've come to know The way we are The way we'll go Come to measure this The width of the wide abyss I come to you in restless sleep Where all your dreams turn bittersweet With voodoo doll philosophies And day-glow holy trinities The crooked raft that leaves the shore Ferries drunken souls aboard Pilgrims march to compestela Visions of their saint in yellow All follow deep in trance Lost in a catatonic dance Know no future Damn the past Blind, warm, ecstatic Safe at last...
*** Thanx a lot to Mia & TheGoodbyeGirl who corrected a mistake *** Effigy I'm an effigy A parody of Who I appear to be Put your flaming torches under me I'm an effigy A parody of Who I appear to be Put your flaming torches under me I'm an effigy A parody of Who I appear to be Put your flaming torches under me Endless so far in myself, follow me fade to Tibetan singer, Yungchen Lhamo The Living What's it like there outside With the living, with the living Here I've found a place I can hide From the living, from the living Because I don't care to stay with the living Oh, the bottle has been to me My closest friend, my worst enemy For a flavor I walked a fine life Squandered it all and wasted my time And I don't stand a chance among the living For the lovers I've gambled and lost Count my mistakes whatever the cost I'll go off, I'll make myself scarce Oh, come tomorrow You won't find me here Because I don't care to stay with the living I don't think I'll remain with the living And I don't care to stay with the living No, I don't care to stay When They Ring the Golden Bells There's a land beyond the river That they call the sweet forever And we only reach that shore by faith's decree One by one we'll gain the portals There to dwell with the immortals When they ring the golden bells for you and me Don't you hear the bells now ringing Don't you hear the angels singing 'Tis the glory hallelujah Jubilee In that far off sweet forever, Just beyond the shining river When they ring the golden bells for you and me We shall know no sin or sorrow In that heaven of tomorrow When our hearts shall sail beyond the silvery sea We shall only know the blessing Of our Father's sweet caressing When they ring the golden bells for you and me Don't you hear the bells now ringing Don't you hear the angels singing 'Tis the glory hallelujah Jubilee In that far off sweet forever Just beyond the shining river When they ring the golden bells for you and me When our days shall know their number When in death we sweetly slumber When the King commands the spirit to be free Nevermore with anguish laden We shall reach that lovely Eden When they ring the golden bells for you and me When they ring the golden bells for you and me
Motherland
*** Thanx a lot to Stan & John Conari for all the lyrics of Motherland ***
This House Is On Fire
This house is on fire! Kick off your boots, come sit a spell. Listen to me worry, come and listen well. All you better best come and lean in boys I don't dare raise my voice I've been sitting here for the longest time Reading all the warning and the danger signs I don't have the gift of the prophecy Telling everybody how it's going to be Soon come, soon come the day This tinderbox is gonna blow in your face. Your face, your face I don't have the gift of the prophesy Telling everybody how it's going to be. You go passing wrong for right and right for wrong People only stand for that for just so long. It's all gonna catch like a house on fire Spark an evil blaze and burn higher Well, I don't have the gift of the prophesy Telling everybody how it's going to be You go passing wrong for right and right for wrong People only stand for that for just so long I don't have the gift of the prophesy Telling everybody how it's going to be. There's a wild fire catching in the whip of the wind That could start a conflagration like there has never been This house is on fire This house is on fire
Where in the hell can you go Far from the things that you know Far from the sprawl of concrete that keeps crawling its way About 1,000 miles a day Take one last look behind Commit this to memory and mind Don't miss this wasteland, this terrible place When you leave Keep your heart off your sleeve. Motherland cradle me Close my eyes, lullaby me to sleep Keep me safe, lie with me Stay beside me don't go Don't you go Oh, my five & dime queen Tell me what have you seen The lust and the avarice The bottomless, cavernous greed Is that what you see? Oh Motherland cradle me Close my eyes, lullaby me to sleep Keep me safe, lie with me, stay beside me don't go. It's your happiness I want most of all And for that I'd do anything at all Oh mercy me! If you want the best of it Or the most of all If there's anything I can do at all. Now come on shot gun bride What makes me envy your life? Faceless, nameless, innocent, blameless and free What's that like to be? Oh Motherland Cradle me Close my eyes, lullaby me to sleep Keep me safe, lie with me Stay beside me don't go Don't go, don't go Motherland Cradle me Close my eyes, lullaby me to sleep Keep me safe, lie with me Stay beside me don't go Don't go, don't go Saint Judas
Saddle up the horses and wear your Sunday best Sing your Sacred Harp, you be holier than the rest Fill up the room with a grand and thunderous song Let it rattle out the windows Let it spill out on the lawn Shout, shout your praises to the man who kissed the Lord To the back stabbing brother that betrayed all of this world, your Judas! Yeah, though you may walk in the valley in the dark There's no greater evil than the darkness in your heart With your stun guns, bloodhounds Needle and your razor wire Your nylon shackle whipping post And your high tech burning tire, your Judas, Judas, Judas. Whiplash crack across the back, across the arms Although you bound his feet, he running fast he running hard Through them crickets in the corn And them horses in the field Hear the "caw, caw" of the crows See the devil at the wheel y'all, Judas, Judas, Judas, Judas... Go on down to Alabama, Mississippi, Arkansas Oklahoma, Texas, Kentucky, Florida Louisiana and Tennessee Georgia, Carolina, Carolina. There's no greater evil Than the darkness in your heart Put The Law On You
Do I have to put the law on you baby For all the wicked things you do Am I gonna have to put the law on you baby That was not what I wanted to do Do I have to put the law on you baby To try and make you come out clean for every evil deed You're just about the lowest and the dirtiest thing I've ever seen Did you really think you could pull it off The perfect crime, crime of the heart Do you really think that you'll get away Do the crime and never ever pay Do I have to put the law out on you baby Lock you up and throw away the key For the countless counts of low down double-cross You've been about have you no decency Did you really think that you could pull it off The perfect crime, crime of the heart Did you really think that you'll get away Escape my justice until you're dying day Though you made it clear from the very start There was no trusting you in my foolish heart Though you maybe made it clear that didn't make it right Now my mind is set on it Do you really really think you'll get away You can't escape my justice 'til my dying day Build A Levee
When I was just a little girl My mama said to me "Beware of the devil my child in the dark rocky places he'll keep. Beware of the devil my child. Beware of his charming ways. You'll fall under a spell just looking at his beautiful face. You gotta build yourself a levee deep inside You gotta build yourself a levee deep inside." "Don't go walking by the riverside alone in the pale moonlight He'll come up upon you girl with no earthly body in sight Come up on you girl and and he'll whisper something sweet And take you where the waters rise so high and run so deep." "You gotta build yourself a levee deep inside Gotta build yourself a levee deep inside Build yourself a levee girl when the waters run high." Now when I was just a little girl my mama said to me "Beware of the the devil my child but if by chance you should meet Beware his cold dark eyes full of bold and unholy deceit He'll tempt you with a whirling pool of lies And promises he'll deny or that he will never keep." "You gotta build yourself a levee deep inside Build yourself a levee deep inside Build yourself a levee deep inside Build yourself a levee girl when the waters run high." Golden Boy
Top of the fold Toast of the town Everyone stops when you come around They hold their breath for you Heroes are born Idols are made We're all fools for this factory fame And you've got the brand new face And you've got the brand new face Golden boy Beauty untamed Stupid and wild poster boy you're society's child Cut your teeth, cut your mouth, cut it out Meteor rise from obscurity All it took was a killing spree And the whole world was lying at your feet Golden boy, golden boy I know my place, stick to my lines Stay in your shadow, don't block your light So you can shine divine So you can shine divine Golden boy, golden boy, golden boy The Ballad of Henry Darger
Who'll save the poor little girl? Henry Darger, Henry Darger Who'll save the poor little girl? Henry, Henry Oh Henry Oh Henry, Henry Who'll tell the story of her? Henry Darger, Henry Darger Who'll tell it to all the world? Henry, Henry Oh Henry Oh Henry, Henry Who'll buy the carbon paper now? Henry Darger, Henry Darger Who'll trace the lines of her mouth? Henry, Henry Oh Henry Oh Henry, Henry Who will conquer foreign worlds searching for the stolen girls? Princesses you'll never fear the patron saint of girls is here! Who will draw the cavalry in and risk his very own precious skin To make our Angelina a free and beautiful land again? Henry Who'll love a poor orphan child Henry Darger, Henry Darger Lost, growing savage and wild? Henry, Henry Oh Henry Oh Henry, Henry.. The Worst Thing
So you're in love, it's so good for you Live it up girl 'cause it never lasted long It's heaven for now but not for long It's gonna hurt you It's gonna make you feel so bad. Once I could love, I could trust, I could not doubt But that was just about the worst thing that I could do It was just about the worst thing that I could do. Maybe not now But it won't take long before it's Gonna hurt you Truly do you some harm. Once I was open, could hope, I had no doubt But that was the worst thing that I could do It was just about the worst thing that I could do. It was just about the worst thing that I could do. Once I came close to that most elusive fire Burning with hopeless love and desire but It was just about the worst thing that I could do It was just about the worst thing that I could do It was just about the worst thing that I could do It was just about the worst thing that I could do En el pasado estuve ciega como tu (In the past I was blind as you) Atrapada y perdida como tu (Trapped and lost like you) Embelesada y suspendida en mi jaula de plata (With no escape, suspended in my silver cage) Esos recuerdos te acompanaran toda la vida (These memories will remain with you forever) Tell Yourself
I know what you tell yourself you tell yourself I know what you tell yourself you tell yourself Look in the mirror Look in the mirror what does it show? I hear you counting I know you're adding up the score I know, oh yes I know What you tell yourself, you tell yourself. I know what you tell yourself, you tell yourself. Ever since Eden We're built for pleasing everyone knows Ever since Adam Cracked his ribs and let us go I know, oh yes I know What you tell yourself, you tell yourself. I know what you tell yourself, you tell yourself. I know what you tell yourself, you tell yourself. Who taught you how to lie So well and to believe In each and every word you say? Who told you that nothing about you is alright It's just no use, it's just no good you'll never be ok? Well I know, I know that wrong's been done to you "It's such a tough world," That's what you say And I know, I know it's easier said than done But that's enough girl Give it away Give it, give it all away Tell yourself that you're not pretty Look at you, you're beautiful. Tell yourself that no one sees Plain Jane invisible to me Just tell yourself Tell yourself Tell yourself you'll never be like the anorexic beauties in the magazines Like a bargain basement Barbie doll, no belle du jour, no femme fatale Just tell yourself, tell yourself Tell yourself there's nothing worse than the pain inside and the way it hurts But tell yourself it's nothing new cause everybody feels it too They feel it too And there's just no getting 'round the fact that you're thirteen right now. Just Can't Last
Well I know I Swear I know your face I wish I knew your name I wish I could take you by the hand If I could name it, if I could just explain it If I could only help you, help you understand Well I can I can see that you're hurting Weighed down like a beast of burden about to break your back God only knows that you're human So what are they trying to do then? Believe me, they don't understand That you have the weight of the world today It's on your back A heavy load like that is gonna hold you back It's gonna drag you down You know it just can't last It just can You know it just can't last. You know it just can't last It just can You know it just can't last. Well they thought they could use you Push you down and abuse you and what's so sad Is you've decided to hide all your feelings Got more pain than you can deal with but ask yourself, how can this last? I know you have the weight of the world today It's on your back A heavy load like that is gonna hold you back It's gonna drag you down You know it just can't last It just can You know it just can't last. You know it just can't last It just can You know it just can't last... Not In This Life
Oh lately i've been walking all alone Through the wind and through the rain Been walking through the streets Finding sweet relief in knowing that it won't be long Lately it's occurred to me That i've had enough of that And lately i've been satisfied by simple things Like breathing in and breathing out Never again, not in this life Will I be taken twice Never again, not on your life Will I make that same mistake I can't make it twice Lately it's occurred to me Exactly what went wrong I realized I compromised, I sacrificed Far too much for far too long Never again, not in this life Will I be taken twice Never again, not on your life Will I make that same mistake I can't make it twice Starting out from here today Swear I'm gonna change my ways Once mistaken in this life But never twice Never again, not in this life Will I be taken twice Never again, not on your life Will I make that same mistake Never again, not on your life Will I make that same mistake Can't make it twice Starting out from here today... I'm Not Gonna Beg
I'm not gonna beg you for nothing I'm not gonna beg you for love. Straight talk, give me the straight talk Tell me what's on your mind if it ain't love I'm not gonna beg you for nothing I'm not gonna beg you for your love. Scared now, what are you scared of ? Afraid I might fall on my knees and break down? I'm not gonna beg you for nothing. I'm not gonna beg you for your love. Don't you think you can take me for pretty little ride I know "once upon a time" and "ever after" is a lie I'm not gonna beg you for nothing at all There's nothing I want from you, nothing you can say or do There is nothing I want for you to say anyway. I'm not gonna beg you for nothing I'm not gonna beg you for your love
The house carpenter's daughter
Sally Ann
A woman of beauty A woman of pain In France or Jakarta Her shadow�s the same You go home with Sally Ann You go home with Sally Ann You go home A woman of kindness With bracelets of jade In China, in Japan Choices are made You go home with Sally Ann You go home with Sally Ann You go home A woman of chances With no family or friends In Argentina She knows only men You go home with Sally Ann You go home with Sally Ann You go home A woman of color With debts to be paid In Trenton or Detroit She lives by the blade You go home with Sally Ann You go home with Sally Ann You go home Which side are you on
Come all you good workers Good news to you i'll tell Of how the good old union Has come in here to dwell Which side are you on boys? Which side are you on? My daddy was a miner He's now in the air and sun He'll be with you fellow workers Until the battle's won Which side are you on boys? Which side are you on? They say in Harlan County There are no neutrals there You'll either be a union man Or a thug for J. H. Claire Which side are you on boys? Which side are you on? Oh workers can you stand it? Oh tell me how you can Will you be a lousy scab Or will you be a man? Which side are you on boys? Which side are you on? Don't scab for the bosses Don't listen to their lies Poor folks ain't got a chance Unless they organize Which side are you on boys? Which side are you on? Crazy man Michael
Within the fire And out upon the sea Crazy man Michael was walking He met with a raven With eyes black as coal And shortly they were talking "your future, your future I will tell to you Your future You often have asked me Your true love will die By your own right hand And crazy man Michael Will cursed be" Michael he ranted And Michael he raved And he beat at the four winds With his fists-o He laughed and he cried He shouted and he swore For his mad mind Entrapped him with a fist-hold "you speak with an evil You speak with a hate You speak for the devil That haunts me For is she not the fairest In all the broad land? Your sorcerer's words Are to taunt me" He took out his dagger Of fine and broad steel And he struck down the raven Through the heart-o The bird fluttered long And the sky it did spin And this cold earth did Wander ‘round startled Oh where is the raven That I struck down dead And here did lye On the ground-o? I see my true love With a wound so red Where her lover's heart It did pound-o Crazy man Michael He wanders I'm told And he talks through The night and the day-o But his eyes they are sane And his speech is plain But he longs to be far away-o Michael he whistles The simplest of tunes As he asks of the wild wolves Their pardon But his true love has flown Into every flower grown And he must be keeper Of the garden Diver boy
Young Emily was fair lady bright She loved her diver boy Who sailed over the ocean To gather up some gold Seven long years returning, His money for to show He'd been sailing over the main Down in the low land, low "my father runs a big hotel Down by the river side You go there go for to stay And I shall be your bride Meet me early morning Don't let my parents know You have been the diver boy Down in the low land, low" Young Henry taking a drink That night before he went to bed Not thinking of the danger That crowned all over his head Young Edward said to his father, "let's take his money sure And send his body sinking fast Down in the low land, low" Young Emily went to be that night She dreamed an awful dream She dreamed she saw Her true love's blood Go flowing down the stream Waking early morning To parents she did say, "where could be that stranger boy Who came here for to stay?" "oh, father you're a robber You robbed me of my wren! Oh brother you have murdered The one that I loved best! The trees on yonder mountain Are bending to and fro They remind me of my diver boy Down in the low land, low" Weeping pilgrim
If you see them father Please tell them I'm a poor mourning pilgrim Bound for Canaan land Well I weep and I moan And I move slowly on I'm a poor mourning pilgrim Bound for Canaan land If you see them sister Please tell them I'm a poor mourning pilgrim Bound for Canaan land Well I weep and I moan And I move slowly on I'm a poor mourning pilgrim Bound for Canaan land If you see them brother Please tell them I'm a poor mourning pilgrim Bound for Canaan land Well I weep and I moan And I move slowly on I'm a poor mourning pilgrim Bound for Canaan land If you see them mother Please tell them I'm a poor mourning pilgrim Bound for Canaan land Well I weep and I moan And I move slowly on I'm a poor mourning pilgrim Bound for Canaan land Soldier, Soldier
Said, "soldier, now soldier Would you marry me Before the fight comes on?" "how can I marry Such a pretty little girl When I got no suit to put on?" Well she went to the dry goods store Hard as she could run She bought the finest Little suit in the store, "come on soldier put this on" Said, "soldier, now soldier Would you marry me Before the fight comes on?" "how can I marry Such a pretty little girl When I got no shoes to put on" Well she went to the dry goods store Hard as she could run She bought the finest Little shoes in the store "come on soldier put these on" Said, "soldier, now soldier Would you marry me Before the fight comes on?" "how can I marry Such a pretty little girl When I got no hat to put on?" Well she went to the dry goods store Hard as she could run She bought the finest Little hat in the store "come on soldier put this on" Said, "soldier, now soldier Would you marry me Before the fight comes on?" "how can I marry Such an ugly little girl When I got a pretty wife at home?" Bury me under the weeping willow
Well, my heart is sad And I am lonesome For the only one I love When shall we meet? Oh no never Till we meet in heaven above So bury me underneath the willow Under the weeping willow tree So that he may know Where I am sleeping And perhaps he'll weep for me Well, he told me that He dearly loved me Oh how could it be untrue? Until the angels softly whispered, "he will prove untrue to you" So bury me underneath the willow Under the weeping willow tree So that he may know Where I am sleeping And perhaps he'll weep for me Well, tomorrow was to be Our wedding day But oh my god Where can he be? He's out a courting with another And no longer cares for me So bury me underneath the willow Under the weeping willow tree So that he may know Where I am sleeping And perhaps he'll weep for me House Carpenter
"Well met, well met And I know true love Well met, well met", said he "I'm just returning from the salt, salt sea And it's all for the love of thee" "come in, come in My own true love And have a seat with me It's been three-fourths Of a long, long year Since together we have been" "no I can't come in And I can't sit down For I have but a moment's time They say that you're married To a house carpenter And your heart shall never be mine" "well I could have married The king's daughter fair She would have married me But I forsaked upon Her crowns of gold And it's all for the love of thee" "now will you forsake on Your house carpenter And go along with me? I'll take you where The grass grows green On the banks of the bitter reeds" She pick'd up her wee little babe And kisses, gave it three saying, "stay right here my darling little one Keep your papa company" Now they had not been On the ship two weeks I swear it was not three When his true love began To weep and moan And she wept most bitterly "are you weeping For my silver and gold Are you weeping for my store or are You weeping for that house carpenter That you ne'er shall see no more?" "a curse on the sailor she swore A curse, a curse she swore You robbed me of my sweet little babe That I never shall see no more!" Well, they had not been On the ship three weeks I swear it was not four Until there came a leak in the ship And she sank To rise no more… Owensboro
Well, I lived in a town Way down south By the name of Owensboro And I worked in a mill With the rest of the "trash" As we're often called As you know Well, we rise up early In the morning And we work all day real hard To buy our little meat and bread Buy sugar, tea, and lard Well, our children Grow up unlearned With no time to go to school Almost before they learn to walk They learn to spin and spoon Well, the folks in town They dress so fine And spend their money free But they would hardly look At a factory hand Who dresses like you or me Would you let them wear Their watches fine Let them wear their gems And pearly strings But when that day Of judgement comes They'll have to share Their pretty things Down on Penny's farm
Come here ladies and gentleman Listen to my song Play it to you right But you may think it wrong May make you mad But I mean no harm It's just about the renters On Penny's farm It's a hard time in the country Down on Penny's farm Go into the fields And you work all day Deep into the night But you get no pay Promise you some meat Or a little bucket of lard It's hard to make a living On Penny's farm It's a hard time in the country Down on Penny's farm Hear George Penny He'll be coming into town With a wagon load of peaches Not a one of them sound Gotta get his money Gotta get a check Pay you for a bushel But you never get a peck It's a hard time in the country Down on Penny's farm George Penny's renters They be coming into town With their hands in their pockets And their heads hanging down Go to the merchant And the merchant he'll say, "your mortgage it is due And I'm looking for my pay" It's a hard time in the country Down on Penny's farm Deep into his pocket With a trembling hand, "can't pay you what I owe But i'll pay you what I can" Down to the merchant And the merchant make a call Put you on the chain gang Don't pay at all It's a hard time in the country Down on Penny's farm Poor Wayfaring Stranger
I am a poor wayfaring stranger Travelling through this world of woe But there's no sickness, toil or danger In that bright land to which I go Well I'm going there To meet my mother Said she'd meet me when I come I'm only going over Jordan I'm only going over home I know dark clouds Will gather ‘round me I know my way Will be rough and steep But beautiful fields lie just before me Where God's redeemed Their vigils keep Well I'm going there To meet my loved ones Gone on before me, one by one I'm only going over Jordan I'm only going over home I'll soon be free of earthy trials My body rest in the old church yard I'll drop this cross of self-denial And i'll go singing home to God Well I'm going there To meet my Savior Dwell with Him and never roam I'm only going over Jordan I'm only going over home
Leave Your Sleep
Nursery Rhyme of Innocence and Experience ( Charles Causley ) I had a silver penny and an apricot tree And I said to the sailor on the white quay Sailor O' sailor, will you bring me If I give you my penny and my apricot tree A fez from Algeria, an Arab drum to beat A little gilt sword and a parakeet Well he smiled and he kissed me as strong as death And I saw his red tongue and I felt his sweet breath You may keep your penny and your apricot tree And I'll bring your presents back from sea From over the sea O' the ship dipped down on the rim of the sky And I waited while three long summers went by Three long summers went by Then one morning on the white quay I saw a grey ship come in from sea Slowly she came across the bay For her flashing rigging was shot away And all round her wake the seabirds cried And flew in and out of the hole in her side Slowly she came into the path of the sun I heard the sound of a distant gun Of a distant gun Then a stranger came running up to me From the deck of the ship and he said, said he O' are you the boy who would wait by the quay With the silver penny and an apricot tree But I've a plum-coloured fez and a drum for thee I've got a sword and a parakeet from over the sea Where is the sailor with bold red hair? And what is that volley on the bright air And where are the other girls and boys And why have you brought me children's toys Brought me children's toys Equestrienne ( Rachel Field ) See, they are clearing the sawdust course For the girl in pink on the milk-white horse For the girl in pink on the milk-white horse Cantering over the sawdust course Her spangles twinkle his pale flanks shine Every hair of his tail is fine See the girl in pink on the milk-white horse Cantering over the sawdust course While his hoofbeats fall like rain Over and over and over again And bright as a comet's his mane blows free And she points a toe, bends a knee Nothing that moves on land or sea Will seem so beautiful to me As the girl in pink on the milk-white horse Cantering over the sawdust course As the girl in pink on the milk-white horse Cantering over the sawdust course As the girl on the milk-white horse Cantering over the sawdust course Calico Pie ( Edward Lear ) Calico Pie The little Birds fly Down to the calico tree Their wings were blue Singing 'Tilly-tilly-loo!' Till away they flew And they never came back to me Calico Jam The little Fish swam Over the syllabub sea He took off his hat To the Sole and the Sprat And the Willeby-Wat But he never came back to me He never came back He never came back He never came He never came back to me He never came back He never came back He never came He never came back to me Oh he never came back Calico Ban The little Mice ran To be ready in time for tea Flippity flup They drank it all up And danced in the cup But they never came back to me Well he never came back He never came back He never came He never came back to me He never came back He never came back He never came He never came back to me Oh he never came back Calico Drum The Grasshoppers come The Butterfly, Beetle, and Bee Over the ground Around and around With a hop and a bound But they never came back to me Oh he never came back He never came back He never came He never came back to me He never came back He never came back He never came He never came back to me... Bleezer's Ice-Cream ( Jack Prelutsky ) I am ebenezer bleezer I run bleezer's ice-cream store There are flavors in my freezer You have never seen before Twenty-eight divine creations Too delicious to resist Come on, do yourself a favor Try the flavors on my list I've got cocoa mocha macaroni Tapioca smoked boloney Checkerberry cheddar chew Chicken cherry honeydew Tutti-frutti stewed tomato Tuna taco baked potato Lobster litchi lima bean Mozzarella mangosteen I am ebenezer bleezer I run bleezer's ice-cream store Taste a flavor from my freezer You will surely ask for more Twenty-eight divine creations Too delicious to resist Come on, do yourself a favor Try the flavors on my list I've got almond ham meringue salami Yam anchovy prune pastrami Sassafras souvlaki hash Sukiyaki succotash I've got butter brickle pepper pickle Pomegranate pumpernickel Peach pimento pizza plum Peanut pumpkin bubblegum Avocado brussels sprout I've got periwinkle sauerkraut I've got broccoli banana bluster Chocolate chop suey cluster Cotton candy carrot custard Cauliflower cola mustard Onion dumpling double dip Turnip truffle triple flip Garlic gumbo gravy guava Lentil lemon liver lava Orange olive bagel beet I've got watermelon waffle wheat I am ebenezer bleezer I run bleezer's ice-cream store Now taste a flavor from my freezer You will surely ask for more Twenty-eight divine creations Too delicious to resist Come on, do yourself a favor Try the flavors on my list Come on, come on... Ebenezer bleezer... It Makes a Change ( Mervyn Peake ) There's nothing makes a Greenland whale Feel half so high and mighty As sitting on a mantelpiece In Aunty Mabel's nighty As sitting on a mantelpiece In Aunty Mabel's nighty It makes a change from Freezing Seas Of which a whale can tire To warm his weary tail at ease Before an English fire There's nothing makes a Greenland whale Feel half so high and mighty As sitting on a mantelpiece In Aunty Mabel's nighty It makes a change from Freezing Seas Of which a whale can tire To warm his weary tail at ease Before an English fire For this delight he leaves the seas Unknown to Aunty Mabel Returning only when the dawn Lights up the Breakfast Table When the dawn Lights up the Breakfast Table Returning only when the dawn Lights up the Breakfast Table When the dawn, when the dawn... The king of China's daughter ( Edith Sitwell ) The king of China's daughter So beautiful to see With her face like yellow water Left her nutmeg tree Her little rope for skipping She kissed and gave it me Made of painted notes of singing-birds Among the fields of tea I skipped across the nutmeg grove I skipped across the sea But neither sun or moon, my dear Has yet caught me The Dancing Bear ( Albert Bigelow Paine ) Oh, it's fiddle-de-dum and fiddle-de-dee The dancing bear ran away with me And the organ-grinder he came to town With a jolly old bear in a coat of brown And the funny old chap joined hands with me While I cut a caper and so did he With the fiddle-de-dum and fiddle-de-dee I looked at him, and he looked at me I whispered a word in his shaggy ear I said, "I will go with you, my dear" Oh, it's fiddle-de-dum and fiddle-de-dee The dancing bear ran away with me And the organ-grinder he came to town With a jolly old bear in a coat of brown And the dancing bear he smiled and said Well, he didn't say much, but he nodded his head And the organ-grinder he began to play "Over the hills and far away" With a fiddle-de-dum and a fiddle-de-dee I looked at him and he winked at me And my heart was light and the day was fair I went away with the dancing bear Oh, it's fiddle-de-dum and fiddle-de-dee The dancing bear came back with me For the sugar-plum trees were all stripped and bare And we couldn't find a sugar cookie anywhere And the solemn old fellow he sighed and said Well, he didn't say much, but he shook his head I looked at him and he blinked at me I shed a tear and so did he And we both thought of our supper that lay Over the hills and far away Then the dancing bear he took my hand We hurried away through the twilight land Then the fiddle-de-dum and fiddle-de-dee When the dancing bear came back with me The Man in the Wilderness The Man in the wilderness He asked of me How many strawberries grow in the salt sea And I answered him, as I thought good As many a ship sails in the wood The Man in the wilderness He asked me why His hare could swim and his pig could fly And I answered him, as I thought best They were both born in a cuckoo's nest The Man in the wilderness Asked me to tell All the sands in the sea and I counted them well Said with the grain, well, not one more I answered him, you go make sure Said with the grain, and not one more I answered him, you go make sure Said with the grain, and not one more I answered him, you go make sure I answered him, now you, you go make sure Maggie and Milly and Molly and May ( E.E. Cummings ) Maggie and Milly and Molly and May Went down to the beach one day to play Maggie and Milly, Molly and May Went down to the beach one day to play And Maggie discovered a shell that sang So sweetly she couldn't remember her troubles Maggie and Milly, Molly and May Maggie and Milly, Molly and May Milly befriended a stranded star Whose rays, whose rays, five languid fingers were Maggie and Milly and Molly and May Maggie and Milly, Molly and May And Molly was chased by a horrible thing Which raced sideways while blowing, blowing, blowing May came home with a smooth round stone As small as a world and as large as alone For whatever we lose like a you or a me It's always ourselves that we find at the sea If No One Ever Marries Me ( Laurence Alma-Tadema ) Well if no one ever marries me And I don't see why they should Nurse says I'm not pretty And you know I'm seldom good, seldom good Well if no one ever marries me I shan't mind very much Buy a squirrel in a cage And a little rabbit-hutch No one marries me If no one marries me No one marries me If no one marries me Well if no one marries me I'll have a cottage near a wood And a pony all my own A little lamb quite clean and tame That I can take to town When I'm getting really old At twenty-eight or nine I'll buy a little orphan-girl And bring her up as mine No one marries me If no one marries me No one marries me If no one marries me If no one marries me Marries me Well if no one marries me Marries me If no one marries me The Sleepy Giant ( Charles E. Carryl ) My age is three hundred and seventy-two I think, with the deepest regret How I used to pick up and voraciously chew The dear little boys that I met I've eaten them raw, in their holiday suits Eaten them curried with rice I've eaten them baked, in their jackets and boots And found them exceedingly nice But now that my jaws are too weak for such fare I think it exceedingly rude To do such a thing, when I'm quite well aware Little boys do not like being chewed Little boys do not like being chewed So now I contentedly live upon eels And try to do nothing amiss And I pass all the time I can spare from my meals In innocent slumber like this Innocent slumber like this ... So now I contentedly live upon eels And try to do nothing amiss And I pass all the time I can spare from my meals In innocent slumber like this Innocent slumber like this The Peppery Man ( Arthur Macy ) Oh the Peppery Man was cross and thin He scolded out and he scolded in He shook his fist, his hair he tore He stamped his feet and slammed the door Heigh ho, the Peppery Man The rabid, crabbed Peppery Man His ugly temper was so sour He often scolded for an hour He gnashed his teeth and stormed and scowled He snapped, snarled, yelled and howled Heigh ho, the Peppery Man The rabid, crabbed Peppery Man He wore a fierce and savage frown He scolded up and he scolded down He scolded over field and glen And then he scolded back again Heigh ho, the Peppery Man The rabid, crabbed Peppery Man Well his neighbors, when they heard his roars They closed their blinds and locked their doors Shut their windows, sought their beds Stopped their ears and covered their heads He fretted, chaffed, and boiled and fumed With fiery rage he was consumed And no one knew, when he was vexed What in the world would happen next Heigh ho, the Peppery Man The rabid, crabbed Peppery Man Oh, never since the world began Was any one, any one, like the Peppery Man The Blind Men and the Elephant ( John Godfry Saxe ) It was six men of Indostan To learning much inclined Who went to see the Elephant Though all of them were blind That each by observation Might satisfy his mind Satisfy his mind, satisfy his mind Six men of Indostan To learning much inclined The First approached the Elephant And happening to fall Against his broad and sturdy side At once began to bawl "God bless me! But this Elephant is very like a wall!" The Second, feeling of the tusk Cried, "Ho! what have we here So very round and smooth and sharp To me 'tis mighty clear This wonder of an Elephant is very like a spear!" All of them were blind All of them were blind Six men of Indostan To learning much inclined The Third approached the animal And happening to take The squirming trunk within his hands Thus boldly up and spake "I see," quoth he "The Elephant is very like a snake!" Then the Fourth reached out an eager hand And felt about the knee "What most this wondrous beast is like Is mighty plain," quoth he "'Tis clear enough the Elephant is very like a tree!" And the Fifth who chanced to touch the ear Said: "Even the blindest man Can tell what this resembles most Deny the fact who can This marvel of an Elephant is very like a fan!" And the Sixth no sooner had begun About the beast to grope Seizing on the swinging tail That fell within his scope "I see," quoth he, "the Elephant is very like a rope!" All of them were blind All of them were blind Six men of Indostan To learning much inclined To learning much inclined And so these men of Indostan Disputed loud and long Each in his opinion Exceeding stiff and strong Each was partly in the right And all were in the wrong So oft in theologic wars, The disputants, I ween Rail on in utter ignorance Of what each other mean And prate about an Elephant Not one of them has seen! Adventures Of Isabel ( Ogden Nash ) Isabel met an enormous bear Isabel, Isabel, she didn't care The bear was hungry, the bear was ravenous The bear's big mouth was cruel and cavernous The bear said, Isabel, glad to meet you How do, Isabel, now I'll eat you Isabel, Isabel, she didn't worry Isabel didn't scream or scurry Washed her hands and she straightened her hair up Then Isabel quietly ate the bear up Once in a night black as pitch Isabel met a wicked old witch The witch's face was cross and wrinkled The witch's gums with teeth were sprinkled Ho, ho, Isabel! the old witch crowed I'll turn you into an ugly toad Isabel, Isabel, didn't worry Isabel didn't scream or scurry She showed no rage, she showed no rancor She turned the witch into milk and drank her Oh yeah, Isabel Isabel met a hideous giant Isabel so self reliant The giant was hairy, the giant was horrid One eye in the middle of his forhead G'Morning, Isabel, the giant said I'll grind your bones to make my bread Isabel, Isabel, she didn't worry Isabel didn't scream or scurry She nibled the zwieback that she fed off When it was gone, she cut the giant's head off Isabel Isabel met a troublesome doctor He punched and poked till he really shocked her The doctor's talk was of coughs and chills The doctor's satchel bulged with pills The doctor said wow Isabel Swallow this, it will make you well Isabel, Isabel, didn't worry Isabel didn't scream or scurry She took those pills from the pill concocter Then Isabel cured the doctor, yeah, oh yeah The Walloping Window Blind ( Charles E. Carryl ) A capital ship for an ocean trip Was the Walloping Window Blind No gale that blew dismayed her crew Or troubled the captain's mind The man at the wheel was taught to feel Contempt for the wildest blow But it often appeared when the weather had cleared That he'd been in his bunk below The boatswain's mate was very sedate Yet fond of amusement too He played hopscotch with the starboard watch While the captain tickled the crew And the gunner we had was apparently mad For he stood on the cannon's tail Fired salutes in the captain's boots In the teeth of a booming gale The captain sat in a commodore's hat And dined in a royal way On toasted pigs and pickles and figs And gummery bread each day But the rest of us ate from an odious plate For the food that was given the crew Was a number of tons of hot cross buns Chopped up with sugar and glue And we all felt ill as mariners will On a diet that's cheap and rude And the poop deck shook when we dipped the cook In a tub of his gluesome food Then nautical pride we laid aside And we cast the vessel ashore On the Gulliby Isles, where the Poohpooh smiles And the Anagzanders roar Composed of sand was that favored land And trimmed in cinnamon straws And pink and blue was the pleasing hue Of the Tickletoeteasers claws We sat on the edge of a sandy ledge And shot at the whistling bee The Binnacle-bats wore waterproof hats As they danced in the sounding sea On rubagub bark, from dawn to dark We fed, till we all had grown Uncommonly shrunk when a Chinese junk Came by from the torriby zone She was stubby and square, but we didn�t much care And we cheerily put to sea And we left the crew of the junk to chew On the bark of the rubagub tree Topsyturvey-World ( William Brighty Rands ) If the butterfly courted the bee And the owl the porcupine If churches were built in the sea And the three times one was nine Then the world would be Upside-Down, yes The world would be Upside-Down What a topsy turvy world this would be The world would be Upside-Down, yeah The world would be Upside-Down If the pony rode his master And if buttercups ate the cows If the cat had the dire disaster To be worried by the mouse Then the world would be Upside-Down, yes The world would be Upside-Down What a topsy turvy world this would be The world would be Upside-Down, yeah The world would be Upside-Down The world would be Upside-Down, yeah The world would be Upside-Down If mama sold the baby To a gypsy for half a crown If a gentleman was a lady Then the world would be Upside-Down And the world would be Upside-Down, yes The world would be Upside-Down What a topsy turvy world this would be The world would be Upside-Down, yeah The world would be Upside-Down The world would be Upside-Down, yeah The world would be Upside-Down And if any or all of these wonders Should ever come about I consider them blunders, no I should be Inside-Out Yeah I should be Inside-Out The world would be Upside-Down, yeah The world would be Upside-Down The world would be Upside-Down, yeah The world would be Upside-Down The world would be Upside-Down, yeah The world would be Upside-Down The world would be Upside-Down, yeah The world would be Upside-Down Just imagine The owl and the porcupine Churches were built in the sea If the butterfly courted the bee The owl and the porcupine If churches were built in the sea The three times one was nine Just imagine Three times one was nine If the butterfly courted the bee The owl and the porcupine If churches were built in the sea The three times one was nine If the pony rode his master Then the world would be Upside-Down Upside-Down I mean really Upside-Down The Janitor's Boy ( Nathalia Crane ) Oh I'm in love With the janitor's boy And the janitor's boy He's in love with me Oh I'm in love With the janitor's boy And the janitor's boy He's in love with me He's going to hunt For a desert isle In our geography A desert isle With spicy trees Somewhere near Sheepshead Bay A right nice place Just fit for two Where we can live always Oh I'm in love With the janitor's boy And the janitor's boy He's busy as he can be And down in the cellar He's making a raft Out of an old settee He'll carry me off I know that he will For his hair is exceedingly red And the only thing that occurs to me Is to dutifully shiver in bed And on the day that we sail I will leave a little note For my parents I hate to annoy "I have flown til an isle in the bay With the janitor's red-haired boy" Janitor's red-haired boy Janitor's red-haired boy Janitor's red-haired boy Janitor's red-haired boy I'm going to sail away Gone to Sheepshead Bay With the janitor's red-haired boy I'm an old settee My red-haired boy and me Janitor's red-haired boy Janitor's red-haired boy Janitor's red-haired boy...
Griselda Griselda is greedy I'm sorry to say She isn't contented With four meals a day Like breakfast and dinner And supper and tea Griselda is greedy As greedy can be Oh she snoops about the larder for sundry small supplies She breaks the little crusty bits off rims of apple pies She pokes the roast-potato-dish when Sunday dinner's done If there are two left in it then Griselda snitches one Cold chicken and cold cauliflower She pulls in little chunks And when Cook calls "What are you doing there?" Griselda bunks Oh Griselda is greedy That's how she feels She simply can't help eating In-between meals And she always forgets what it's leading to Though the Doctor has told her "You know why, don't you?" And when the stomach-ache starts Griselda says "Oh!" And when she slips down to the dining-room when everyone's in bed For cheese-rind on the supper-tray and buttered crusts of bread A biscuit from the biscuit-box and lump sugar from the bowl A gherkin from the pickle-jar, are all Griselda's toll She tastes the salted almonds And she tries the candied fruits And when Dad shouts "Who is it down below?" Griselda scoots Oh Griselda is greedy Her relatives scold And tell her she will sorry When she's old She will lose her complexion She's sure to grow fat She will spoil her inside Does she know what she's at Some people are greedy Leave it at that The Land of Nod ( Robert Louis Stevenson ) From breakfast on through all the day At home among my friends I stay, But every night I go abroad Into afar of land of Nod All alone I must go No one to tell me what to do All alone beside the streams And up the mountain-sides of dreams In the land of Nod All the strangest things are there for me Things to eat and things to see So many frightening sights abroad Till morning in the land of Nod In the land of Nod Try as I like to find the way Never can get back there by day Nor can remember plain and clear The curious music that I hear In the land of Nod Vain And Careless ( Robert Graves ) Lady, lovely lady So careless and so vain Once when a beggar called She gave her child away The beggar took the baby And wrapped it in a shawl "Bring him back" the lady said "Next time you call" Hard by lived a man So vain and so proud He will walk on stilts to be seen To be seen by the crowd And up above the chimney pots Tall as a mast All the people ran about Shouting till he passed "Such a splendid match surely" Neighbours saw it plain "Although she is so careless Although he is so vain" But the lady played bobcherry Did not see or care As the vain man went by her Aloft in the air So this gentle-born couple Lived and died apart Water will not mix with oil Nor vain with careless heart Crying, My Little One ( Christina Georgina Rossetti ) Are you crying, my little one Footsore and weary I must tramp on through the winter night dreary Fall asleep, pretty baby, warm on my shoulder While the snow falls upon me colder and colder You are my dearest one, I have not another Sleep warm and soft in the arms of your mother, Sleep soft, my darling, my trouble and treasure Dream of pretty things, dream of your pleasure Sweet and a lullaby There's not a rose where I seek As comely as my baby's cheek There's not a comb of honey-bee, So full of sweets as babe to me And it's O! so sweet Sweet and a lullaby There's not a star that shines on high Brighter than my baby's eye Not a boat upon the sea Can dance like baby does to me And it's O! so sweet Sweet and a lullaby And it's O! so sweet Sweet and a lullaby No silk was ever spun so fine As the hair of baby mine My baby smells more sweet to me Than smells a spring in the elder tree And it's O! so sweet Sweet and a lullaby I saw a ship a-sailing Well I saw a ship a-sailing It was sailing on the sea It was full of pretty things For baby and for me There were sweetmeats in the cabin There were apples in the hold The sails were made of silk And the masts were made of gold I saw a ship a-sailing It was sailing on the sea It was full of pretty things For baby and for me The four-and-twenty sailors That stood between the decks Were four-and-twenty white mice With chains about their necks And the captain was a yellow duck With a packet on his back And when the ship began to move The captain cried, "Quack, quack!" I saw a ship a-sailing It was sailing on the sea It was full of pretty things For baby and for me Autumn Lullaby The sun has gone from the shining skies The dandelions have closed their eyes The stars are lighting their lamps to see See if babes and squirrels and birds and bees Are sound asleep as they should be The squirrel keeps warm in his furs of gray 'Neath feathers, birds are all tucked away In yellow jackets, the bees sleep tight And they cuddle close through the chilly night But my baby's snug in her gown of white The squirrel nests in a big oak tree He finds a hole in the trunk, you see The robin's home is in a nest overhead, And the bees, they nest in a hive instead But my baby's nest is her little bed Spring and Fall: to a young child ( Gerard Manley Hopkins ) Margaret, are you grieving Over Goldengrove unleaving By and by Leaves, like the things of man, you With your fresh thoughts care for, can you As the heart grows older It will come to such sights much colder By and by, nor spare a sigh By and by Though worlds of wanwood leafmeal lie And yet you will weep and know why No matter, child, the name Sorrow�s springs are all the same They're all the same Nor mouth had, no nor mind, expressed What heart heard of, ghost guessed It is the blight man was born for It is Margaret that you mourn for Indian Names ( Lydia Sigourney ) You say that they all have passed away That noble race and brave That their light canoes have vanished Off the crested wave That 'mid the forests where they roamed There rings no hunter's shout But their name is on your waters And you may not wash it out 'Tis where Ontario's billow Like Ocean's surge is curled Where strong Niagara's thunders wake The echo of the world Where red Missouri bringeth Rich tributes from the west And the Rappahannock sweetly sleeps On green Virginia's breast You say, their cone-like cabins That clustered over the vale Have fled away like withered leaves Before the autumn gale But their memory liveth on your hills Their baptism on your shore Your everlasting rivers speak Their dialect of yore Old Massachusetts wears it Within her lordly crown And broad Ohio bears it 'Mid all her young renown Connecticut hath wreathed it Where her quiet foliage waves And bold Kentucky breathed it hoarse Through all her ancient caves Wachuset hides its lingering voice Within its rocky heart And Alleghany graves its tone Throughout his lofty chart Monadnock on his forehead hoar Doth seal the sacred trust Your mountains build their monument Though you destroy their dust
Natalie Merchant
Ladybird Hey, Ladybird, ain't it just the way The way that love grows cold and then fades away Now when he touches you, make no mistake The fire's long gone out and the ash has blown away And you don't know how to leave And you don't know where to fly And you don't know what you feel But you know it's not satisfied today So many little ones, so many mouths You've got a lot to feed and you know you don't know how Making the best of it, somehow you're making do Making the best of the days that you stay And you wait in this cage they made for you And you don't know how to leave And you don't know where to fly And you've got a lot of things to lose So you've got a lot of things to hide And you know you don't believe But you know you've got to try today I'm always on the run and I hate copy paste for god's sake You know the sweetest wine, it's a witches' brew Pours like honey down and then burns a hole in you Yeah, you may think you're done but you're never through Spitting out the bitterness to get the little sweetness you do And you don't know how to leave And you don't know where to fly And you've got a lot of things to lose So you've got a lot of things to hide And you don't know what you feel But you know it's not satisfied And you know you don't believe But you know you've got to try today Feel the winter bitterness It's heavy on the wind Coming back again Maybe it's time to fly Time to fly away When you gonna spread your wings and fly When you gonna fly away When you gonna fly When you gonna fly away Maggie Said Maggie said "Dig one more shallow grave before I'm dead" Maggie said "I'm just looking for a place that I can lay my weary head There's no perfect end, just time to leave" Oh Maggie said "They rig the table at the game of love" Maggie said "It's just stupid luck if you rise above everybody sinking in debt Win or lose, my friend, it's so hard to leave" Holding back, what did I get for all of that What did it count for, tell me that Nothing, nothing, oh, nothing, that's a fact I'm always on the run and I hate copy paste for god's sake Oh Maggie said "It's so hard to find the golden fleece to spin my golden thread" And Maggie said "You're preaching to the choir girl now you're not sticking out your neck There's no risk in that, darling, please" Holding back, what did I get for all of that What did it count for, tell me that, tell me that Nothing, nothing, nothing that's a fact Maggie said "Don't let them take that halo from your head" Maggie said "I can see you turning hard now, girl, don't lose your tenderness. What's the use in that, Darling, please" Holding back, what did I get for all of that What did it count for, tell me that Count for, tell me that Nothing, nothing, nothing, oh, nothing, that's a fact Texas Gonna get what's mine and wild horses Couldn't keep it from me Papa says I'm a golden child And the whole world's gonna fall at my feet It's all coming to me Going down picking when it's harvest time Gonna get my share, gonna get what's mine for me Sun is a-blazing down but I don't mind I'm picking, I'm digging, it's harvest time for me When I get my little eye on it When I get my little mind on it, you best believe I'm always on the run and I hate copy paste for god's sake Ole sweet tooth aching in my head gonna fill my belly to the brim, oh yes indeed Hive is a-buzzing in a hollow tree And I don't care if I gotta kill a little honeybee 'Cause when I get my little eye on it When I get my little mind on it, you best believe Oh my, my, my, my, it's all coming to me Gonna get what's mine And wild horses couldn't keep it from me Papa says I'm a golden child And the whole world is gonna fall at my feet All coming to me Pumpin' and a-suckin' till the well is dry Nobody's booming in these busted times like me Down in Texas where the cattle don't roam oil is a-dripping and the savings and loans, they bleed When I get my little eye on it when I get my little mind on it, you best believe Oh my, my, my, my, it's all coming to me It's all coming to me Papa came along and he shook the tree Down came a bushel and a peck for me Papa shooed away all the honeybees Papa dug a well and it flowed for me Papa caught the mother-lode fish for me Papa set a fire and it burned for me Papa put a skillet in the flame to fry Papa filled this little silver spoon of mine Papa said the Lord took a shine to me Papa said I gotta set the whole world free Whole world free, whole world free Oh Papa said how it's gonna be Go Down, Moses Moving on, moving on Isn't that what I'm supposed to do Just hold it back and keep moving on Pushing on, pushing on Isn't that what I'm supposed to do But it's so hard to keep pushing on, pushing on I'm moving on, moving on Isn't that what everybody tells me I gotta do, oh yeah But it's so hard moving on without you Every morning waking in a fever wet and shaking My heart inside me pounding, muddy water all around me Cold, shocked and speechless, can't anybody reach us And why, oh God, why I'm always on the run and I hate copy paste for god's sake Go down, go down, Moses (go down Moses) Go down to the city of New Orleans (city of New Orleans) Go part the muddy water (go part the muddy water) Let your people cross over Go down I'm moving on, moving on Keep moving on That's what I'm trying to do Just holding back and moving on Keeping on, keeping on That's what I'm trying so hard to do, oh yeah But it's so hard keeping on without you Gone and lost my patience with this hopeless situation Oh yeah, I'm alive, I'm a lonely sole survivor Spared me for some reason so I'm picking up the pieces But why? Oh God, why Go down, go down, Moses (go down Moses) Go down to the city of New Orleans (city of New Orleans) Go part the muddy water (go part the muddy water) Let your people cross over Go down Go down Oh Lord just go down Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah Oh go down Moses Moses, Moses, Moses Sweet Moses Come on, come on, come on Yeah, yeah, yeah Sweet Moses Sweet Moses Seven Deadly Sins Well, of all those seven deadly sins I wore around my neck for him Hunger, Anger, Lust and Greed Envy, Pride and Jealousy There was one, I guess, that was the worst of all That gave a little push, started the fall From grace that I took so hard I took so long, so long and far But I just couldn't spend me another night In the cold, cold bed of the butcher's wife So afraid to fall asleep, afraid to wake And afraid to dream I'm always on the run and I hate copy paste for god's sake No, I just couldn't stay, I couldn't wait it out And bite my tongue for another hour One more endless day Day after night and night after day Well, it's been a two-year stint in no man's land Nobody here really gives a damn So why can't we call it a draw In the bloody war to end all wars In the bloody war, in the bloody war In the bloody bloody war, in the bloody bloody war Well, I'm far too quick with the poison pen Can't believe I'm writing again after all these goddamned years And someday when the ghosts have all gone home Far too late to be rattling bones Then will you lay me down, lay me down Oh, will you let it be Such a bloody war, such a bloody war Such a bloody bloody war Such a bloody war, such a bloody war Such a bloody bloody war Giving up Everything Giving up everything, My hungry ghost of hopefulness Giving up everything Not haunted by wanting this Giving up everything The fortune I was saving Giving up everything I mercy-killed my craving Giving up everything I've opened up my eyes for this Giving up everything See the whole magnificent emptiness Gave what I want for how it is For the stone inside and the bitterness For the sweetness at the core of it Giving up everything The master plan, the scheming Giving up everything, My cursed search for meaning Giving up everything The compass and the map I was reading The hinterlands I'm leaving I'm finally leaving behind I'm always on the run and I hate copy paste for god's sake Giving up everything The big to-do, the hullabaloo The tug-of-war for some twisted truth For the everlasting ache of it No longer slave, not chained to it No gate, no guard, no keeper No guru, master, teacher See the slow-receding faces Dissolve to black, no traces
Black Sheep Oh, it's no secret you know my every weakness Oh, haven't the strength now, not enough to waste tonight Oh, spark the fire, tinderbox of desire Oh, Lord have mercy, the thirst I feel tonight I can see that you can see my eyes Black sheep up on the fence You're a naughty little boy and you make me tense Prodigal son, won't you come on home The door's open wide, take a look inside Take a look inside, take a look inside I'm always on the run and I hate copy paste for god's sake Oh, my hands are tied now So you've gotta decide now See, I just can't take it Can't you see that I'm breaking and I I can see Black sheep up on the fence You make me tense Prodigal son, won't you come on home The door's open wide, take a look inside Take a look inside, take a look inside Bah, bah black sheep up on the fence You're a naughty little boy and you make me tense Prodigal son, won't you come on home The door's open wide, take a look inside Take a look inside, take a look inside Take a look inside, just take a look inside It's a-Coming It's a-coming Wild fires, dying lakes Landslides, hurricanes Apocalypse in store Like nothing ever seen before It's a-coming Third-generation refugees Street mob burning effigies Revolution, civil war Like nothing ever seen before Yeah, it's a-coming Pale-horse rider come Blistered by the morning sun Tell about what he can see Crystal ball of mercury It's a-coming It's gonna come Jungle slashed and jungle burned The monkeys and the painted birds Climb the vines, the limbs and leaves The lungs that let the whole world breathe I'm always on the run and I hate copy paste for god's sake It's a-coming All the ones that failed to thrive Starved out and buried alive Something evil, something free Calamity It's gonna come Space Race, the old Cold War Atom bomb was gonna settle the score You wait and see It's a long time coming But it's a-coming It's gonna come Third-generation refugees Street mob burning effigies Revolution, civil war Like, like nothing ever seen before Like nothing ever seen before Lulu They said that Hollywood was Never gonna be the same without you Still, you're gone How could we forget that face And all that silver, flickering grace That died with the silent age When everybody knew your name They all knew your name Born wild like a prairie flower She was sown by the wind and blown for miles Kansas couldn't keep the child Hell-bound for the Great White Way For the tawdry-bawdy burlesque stage And Wichita was miles and miles away I'm always on the run and I hate copy paste for god's sake Everybody knew your name Everybody knew your name They knew your name So you burned the candle Burned it at both ends So love ends in scandal You burned it brief, you burned it bright And the light in your immortal eyes Is the light that will never die Christened in straight-up gin Pandora was born in Weimar Berlin And that was the rise before the fall Everybody sat in the dark, dark, black as night Everybody wanted to go where the light was so bright And your shining face was gonna lead the way Homecoming like a heroine-bride But the honeymoon was over before you arrived And now they all cursed your name Everybody cursed your name Cold winds of Gotham howled And the princess pawned her celluloid crown In the glass castle walls Where nobody knew your name Nobody knew your name The End That'll be the end of the road When my battered, embittered Body and soul will go home That'll be the end of the war When we finally lay down The barrel and the blade and go home By the sea, so wide and treacherous By the land, so dark and dangerous How can we have so far to go I'm always on the run and I hate copy paste for god's sake That'll be the end of the law Of Bible, Koran, Torah, lost and gone And the sea, so wide and treacherous And the land, so dark and dangerous How can we have so far to go That'll be the end of arms stretched wide Of begging for bread, of emptiness inside And the sea, so wide and treacherous And the land, so dark and dangerous So far left behind That'll be the end of the war When we finally lay down The barrel and the blade and go home
RARITIES
The Village Green Preservation Society (Ray Davies) We are The Village Green Preservation Society God save Donald Duck, vaudeville and variety We are The Desperate Dan Appreciation Society God save strawberry jam and all the different varieties We are The Village Green Preservation Society God save Donald Duck, vaudeville and variety We are The Desperate Dan Appreciation Society God save strawberry jam and all the different varieties Preserving the old ways from being abused Protecting the new ways for me and for you What more can we do We are The Draught Beer Preservation Society God save Mrs. Mopps and good Old Mother Riley We are The Custard Pie Appreciation Consortium God save The George Cross and all those awarded them Preserving the old ways from being abused Protecting the new ways for me and for you What more can we do We are The Sherlock Holmes English Speaking Vernacular Help save Fu Manchu, Moriarty and Dracula We are The Office Block Persecution Affinity God save little shops, china cups and virginity We are The Skyscraper Condemnation Affiliates God save Tudor houses, antique tables and billiards Preserving the old ways from being abused Protecting the new ways for me and for you What more can we do God save the Village Green God save the Village Green Too Long at the Fair (Joel Zoss) Jesus cried, he wept and died I guess he went up to heaven I've been downtown such a long, long time I'll never make it home by seven Won't you come and take me home I've been too long at the fair And Lord I just can't stand it anymore I went down to Chasen's Walked till my feet were sore But I never knew what laughing was Till you walked out the door Oh could you come and take me home I've been too long at the fair And Lord I just can't stand it anymore Give my soul to Abraham Give my soul to Saul Give my bones to Canada My teeth they don't hurt at all I don't know who made the highway I guess it's just my pride But I have seen the Prince of Darkness On his charger ride The silver blade is gleaming The scales are in his hand I swear the night is falling Don't you lose another man Won't you come and take me home I've been too long at the fair Lord, I just can't stand it anymore Lord, I just can't stand it anymore Order 1081 (David Byrne & Fatboy Slim feat. Natalie Merchant / Here Lies Love LP) A bomb went off this morning raining bodies on TV They are blaming the insurgents; they are blocking off the streets And the smoke is rising slowly from the barrel of a gun The solution to disruption: Order 1081 Now the sunsets are incredible across Manila Bay You can hear the bombers landing at the U.S. Air Force base And somewhere in the distance, out beyond the setting sun They will sign a proclamation: Order 1081 Now, we live down by the water in a shack that's made of wood And the bankers need to huddle so they need some extra room We will find us somewhere better; there's enough for everyone Got a perfect explanation: Order 1081 I thought I ordered coffee, but they gave me 7-Up Got to clear away these shanties and these ugly nipa huts So the seeds of our great future, they can grow here when we're done And it's clearly all because of Order 1081 For thirty days the rain fell, we were nearly washed away The radio fell silent; nothing left to do but pray The senator, he told us the guerrillas are on the run And the reason they are hiding, Order 1081 They are planting plastic flowers on the seaside esplanade The Pope is speaking Spanish, but we can't hear what he says Got to stop all this confusion, got to wipe away this scum And the way to make it happen, Order 1081 It's amazing that the soldiers somehow all know how to dance It's amazing how the soldiers keep the creases in their pants Now it's safe to walk the streets at night, a new world has begun Everybody's sleeping soundly thanks to 1081 To Love Is to Bury (Michael and Margo Timmins) I buried him down by the river That's where he liked to be And every night when the moon's full and bright I go there and weep openly He and I were married By this river ‘neath this willow tree With God and friends witnessing it He pledged his life to me. Well to me he was earth and I rooted in his soil I to he was sky vast and free of the burdens from which he toiled Then one night a terrible fight, words spoken better left unsaid With his wedding vows ringing in my ears he gave his life to me. They say to love is to bury All the demons from which we hide But tonight by this river ‘neath this willow tree Becoming one of earth and sky Saint Judas Saddle up the horses and wear your Sunday best Sing your Sacred Harp, you be holier than the rest Fill up the room with a grand and a thunderous song Let it rattle out the windows, let it spill out on the lawn Shout, shout your praises To the man who kissed the Lord To the back-stabbing brother Who betrayed all of this world Judas, Judas Judas Yeah, though you may walk in the valley in the dark There's no greater evil than the darkness in your heart With your stun guns, bloodhounds, needle and your razor wire Nylon-shackle whipping-post and your high-tech burning tire Judas, Judas Judas Whiplash crack across the back, across the arms Although you bound his feet, he running fast he running hard Through them crickets in the corn and them horses in the field Hear the "caw, caw" of the crows, see the devil at the wheel, y'all Judas, Judas Judas, Judas Go on down to Alabama, Mississippi, Arkansas Oklahoma, Texas, Kentucky, Florida Judas Go on down to Louisiana and Tennessee Georgia, Carolina, Carolina Birds & Ships (Woody Guthrie & Billy Bragg) The birds are singing in your eyes today Sweet flowers blossom in your smile The wind and sun are in the words you say Where might your lonesome lover be Birds may be singing in my eyes this day Sweet flowers blossom when I smile But my soul is stormy and my heart blows wild My sweetheart rides a ship on the sea But my soul is stormy and my heart blows wild My sweetheart rides a ship on the sea The Lowlands of Holland (Traditional) On the night that I was married And upon my marriage bed There up came a bold sea captain And he stood at my bed head Saying "Arise, arise young wedded man And come along with me To the lowlands of Holland To fight the enemy" Now then, Holland is a lovely land And upon it grows fine grain Sure it is a place of residence For a soldier to remain Where the sugarcane is plentiful And the tea grows on each tree Well I never had but the one sweetheart And now he's gone far away from me I will wear no stays around my waist No combs all in my hair I will wear no scarf around my neck For to save my beauty fair And never will I marry Not until the day I die Since these four winds and these stormy seas Came between my love and I Sonnet 73 (William Shakespeare) That time of year That time of year thou may'st in me behold When yellow leaves, or none Or few do hang Upon the boughs Which shake against the cold Which shake against the cold Bare ruined choirs Where late the sweet birds sang In me thou see'st the twilight of such a day As after sunset fadeth in the west Which by and by black night doth take away Death's second self that seals up all in rest In me thou see'st the glowing of such fire In me thou see'st the glowing of such fire That on the ashes of his youth doth lie As the deathbed, whereon it must expire Consumed with that which it was nourished by This thou perceiv'st, which makes thy love more strong To love that well Which thou must leave Leave ere long Learning the Game (Buddy Holly) Hearts that are broken and love that's untrue These go with learning the game When you love him and he doesn't love you You're only learning the game When he says that you're the only one he'll ever love Then you find that you are not the one he's thinking of Feeling so sad when you're all alone and blue That's when you're learning the game Hearts that are broken and love that's untrue These go with learning the game When you love him and he doesn't love you You're only learning the game When he says that you're the only one he'll ever love Then you find that you are not the one he's thinking of Feeling so sad when you're all alone and blue That's when you're learning the game You're learning the game My Little Sweet Baby My little sweet baby, my comfort and joy Sing lullaby lully In beauty surpassing the princes of Troy Sing lullaby lully, sweet baby, lullaby lully Now hush child, and sleep child, thy mother's sweet boy Sing lullaby lully May gods bless and keep thee from cruel annoy Sing lullaby lully, sweet baby, lullaby lully My little sweet baby, my comfort and joy Sing lullaby lully In beauty surpassing the princes of Troy Sing lullaby lully, sweet baby, lullaby lully Now hush child, now sleep child, thy mother's sweet boy Sing lullaby lully May gods bless and keep thee from cruel annoy Sing lullaby lully, sweet baby, lullaby lully Sweet baby, lullaby lully Political Science (Randy Newman) No one likes us, I don't know why We may not be perfect but heaven knows we try But all around, even our old friends put us down Let's drop the big one and see what happens They give them money but are they grateful No, they're spiteful and they're hateful They don't respect us so let's surprise them We'll drop the big one and pulverize them Asia's crowded and Europe's too old Africa's far too hot and Canada's too cold And South America stole our name Let's drop the big one there'll be no one left to blame us We'll save Australia I wouldn't want to hurt no kangaroo Gonna build an all-American amusement park They've got surfing, too Boom! goes London Boom! Paris More room for you and more room for me And every city the whole world round Will just be another American town How peaceful it'll be We'll set everybody free You'll have Japanese kimonos There'll be Italian shoes for me They all hate us anyhow So let's drop the big one now Let's drop the big one now Build a Levee When I was just a little girl my mamma said to me "Beware of the devil my child in the dark rocky places he'll keep Beware of the devil my child, beware of his charming ways You'll fall under an evil spell just looking at his beautiful face You gotta build yourself a levee deep inside" You gotta build yourself a levee deep inside You gotta build yourself a levee deep inside Build yourself a levee girl "Don't go walking by the riverside alone in the pale moonlight He'll come up upon you girl with no earthly body in sight Come up upon you girl and he'll whisper something sweet Then take you where the waters rise so high and run so deep" You gotta build yourself a levee deep inside Gotta build yourself a levee deep inside You gotta build yourself a levee deep inside Build yourself a levee girl Build yourself a levee girl, oh when the waters run high Now, when I was just a little girl, my mama said to me "Beware of the devil my child but, but if by chance you should meet Beware of his cold dark eyes full of bold and unholy deceit He'll tempt you with a whirling pool of lies and promises he'll deny And he will never keep" You gotta build yourself a levee deep inside Gotta build yourself a levee deep inside You gotta build yourself a levee deep inside Build yourself a levee girl You gotta build yourself a levee deep inside Gotta build yourself a levee deep inside Build yourself a levee girl, oh when the waters run high Sit Down Sister (Traditional) Oh, won't you sit down sister I can't sit down Oh, won't you sit down sister I can't sit down Oh, won't you sit down sister I can't sit down Because I just got to heaven And I'm gonna look around Who's that yonder dressed in red Must be the children that Moses led Who's that yonder dressed in white Must be the children of the Israelite Sit down sister I can't sit down Oh, don't you sit down sister I can't sit down Oh, won't you sit down sister I can't sit down Because I just got to heaven And I'm gonna look around Who's that yonder dressed in white Must be the children of the Israelite Who's that yonder dressed in black Must be the hypocrites all turning back Must be the hypocrites all turning back Must be the hypocrites all turning back The Gulf of Araby (Katell Keineg) If you could fill a vale with shells from Killiney's shore And sweet-talk in a tongue that is no more And if wishful thoughts could bridge the gulf of Araby between What is, what is, what is and what can never be If you could hold the frozen flow of New Hope Creek And hide out from the one they said you might meet And if you could unlearn all the words that you never wanted heard If you could stall the southern wind that's whistling in your ears you could take What is, what is, what is to what can never be One man of seventy whispers free at last Two neighbours who are proud of their massacres Three tyrants torn away in a winter's month Four prisoners framed by a dirty judge Five burned with tyres Six men still inside and seven more days to shake at the great divide The gulf, the gulf of Araby The gulf, the gulf of Araby Well, we would plough and part the earth to bring you home We would harvest every miracle ever known And if they laid out all the things that these ten years want to bring We would gladly give them up to bring you back to us There is nothing we would not give to kiss you and to believe we could take What is, what is, what is to what can never be One man of seventy whispers not free yet Two neighbours who make up, knee-deep in their dead Three tyrants grab the reins in the summer's heat And four prisoners lost in the fallacy Five, on my life and six, I'm dead inside And seven more days to shake at the great divide The gulf, the gulf of Araby The gulf, the gulf of Araby
Butterfly Butterfly I saw a butterfly lift in the wind Drift for a while And come back again Sweet, aching labor Hour after hour Tasting the nectar of every flower Over and over, she plays the game So many times but it's always the same Poor Butterfly I saw a web in the limbs of a tree The whole deadly trap Covered in leaves Pale, bloodless mourning Cloak waits for the kill Cold, empty spindle, patient and still Over and over, she plays the game So many times but it's always the same Over and over, they do the dance They move at the whim of fate, of chance But if only some long lost God at last Could come along and erase all the past Over and over, she plays the game Over and over, they do the dance Over and over, the wind beating wild And the sweet scented breeze blows on and on She Devil Look out she's coming at you Big dark eyes like Cleopatra The eyes of a femme fatale Bet you get the ominous feeling There's a cold-blooded creature in the dark She's stealing toward you You best beware, take care She's better than a work of fiction She's half ingénue, half a vixen your Your little paper doll But brother she's a wicked sister Subtle and sly Watch it mister and take my advice Stay away or number your days Opiate clouds surround you An addiction to love has found you out Half out of your mind Fool, when I think about you I want to wrap my arms around you And tell you more than words can say She devil, she conquer, she devil, you want her You're unaware Tonight of the danger everywhere My poor little sleeping giant Dreaming warm and silent Where has your Delilah gone Why don't you wake and see through Every way that she's deceived you How she moves within See, everything the woman touches It withers and dies in her clutches Why, why should your fate be any different from these Oh, yes I've heard about you Every word that's said about you The man in the silvery web He fell for the sweet persuasion Of a black widow spider, now Nothing can save him It's just a matter of time She devil, she conquer, she devil, you want her, unaware Tonight of the danger everywhere She devil, she conquer, she devil, you want her, you're well aware Tonight of the danger everywhere but you don't care Baby Mine Oh, little bird, tiny wing Small, quivering thing Cupped in my hands to keep you warm Safe from the banging thunderstorm Baby pay no mind Sleep now baby mine Don't be afraid of the wind Don't start when it blows It's only a broken willow branch Scratching against the window sash Baby pay no mind Sleep now baby mine There're so many things you've got to fear It's making me ache to see so clear So many things you've got to know It's making me ache, you've got to grow You've got to grow He'd got to grow You've got to grow You've got to grow You've got to grow Frozen Charlotte Blue like the winter snow in a full moon Black like the silhouettes of the trees Late-blooming flowers lie frozen underneath the stars I want you to remember me that way Far away I'll be gone, will you wait for me here How long I don't know but wait for me here Still as the river grows in December Silent and perfect blinding ice Spring keeps her promises and no cold can keep her back And I want you to remember me that way Far away I'll be gone, will you wait for me here How long I don't know but wait for me here Follow, don't follow me to where To where I go Far away I'll be gone, will you wait for me here How long I don't know but wait for me here Follow, don't follow me to where To where I go Follow, don't follow me to where To where I go Someday you'll take my place And I'll wait for you here Ophelia Ophelia was a bride of God, a novice Carmelite In sister cells the cloister bells tolled on her wedding night Ophelia was a rebel girl, a bluestocking suffragette Who remedied society between her cigarettes Ophelia was the sweetheart to a nation overnight Curvaceous thighs, vivacious eyes, love was at first sight Love was at first sight Love, love, love, love Ophelia was a demigoddess in prewar Babylon So statuesque a silhouette in black satin evening gowns And Ophelia was the mistress to a Vegas gambling man Signora Ophelia Maraschina, mafia courtesan Ophelia was a circus queen, a female cannonball Projected through five flaming hoops to wild and shocked applause To wild and shocked applause Ophelia was a cyclone, tempest, a goddamned hurricane Your common sense, your best defense lay wasted and in vain For Ophelia'd know your every woe, every pain you'd ever had She'd sympathize and dry your eyes and help you to forget And help you to forget Ophelia's mind went wandering, you'd wonder where she'd gone Through secret doors, down corridors she'd wander them alone Wander all alone The Worst Thing So you're in love, that's so good for you Live it up girl 'cause it never lasts for long It's heaven for now, but not for long before It's gonna hurt you, iIt's gonna make you feel so bad Once I could love, I could trust, I could not doubt But that was just about the worst thing that I could do It was just about the worst thing I could do Well maybe not now, but it won't take long before It's gonna hurt you and it's gonna truly do you some harm Once I was open, could hope, I had no doubt But that was the worst thing that I could do It was just about the worst thing I could do It was just about the worst thing I could do Once I came close to that most elusive fire Burning with hopeless love and desire but It was just about the worst thing I could do It was just about the worst thing that I could do It was just about the worst thing that I could do En el pasado que estuve ciega como tu Atrapada y perdida, como tu Embelesada y suspendida en mi jaula de plata The Man in the Wilderness The man in the wilderness, he asked of me "How many strawberries grow in the salt sea" I answered him, as I thought good As many a ship as sails in the wood The man in the wilderness, he asked me why His hen could swim and his pig could fly I answered him as I thought best "They were both born in a cuckoo's nest" The man in the wilderness, he asked me to tell All the sands in the sea and I counted them well He said he with a grin "And not one more" I answered him "Now you go make sure" He said he with a grin "And not one more" I answered him "Now you go make sure" I answered him "Now you, you go make sure" My Skin Take a look at my body, look at my hands There's so much here that I don't understand Your face-saving promises whispered like prayers I don't need them I've been treated so wrong, I've been treated so long As if I'm becoming untouchable Contempt loves the silence, it thrives in the dark With fine winding tendrils that strangle the heart They say that promises sweeten the blow But I don't need them No, I don't need them I've been treated so wrong, I've been treated so long As if I'm becoming untouchable I'm the slow dying flower, frost-killing hour The sweet turning sour and untouchable Oh, I need the darkness, the sweetness The sadness, the weakness Oh, I need this I need a lullaby, a kiss goodnight Angel sweet love of my life Oh, I need this I'm a slow dying flower, frost-killing hour Sweet turning sour, I'm untouchable Do you remember the way you touched me before The trembling sweetness I loved and adored They say that promises sweeten the blow But I don't need them I don't need them Oh, I need the darkness, the sweetness The sadness, the weakness Oh, I need this I need a lullaby, a kiss goodnight Angel sweet love of my life Oh, I need this Is it dark enough, can you see me Do you want me, can you reach me I'm leaving You better shut your mouth, hold your breath You kiss me now, you'll catch my death Oh, I mean it. Vain & Careless (Robert Graves, 1895–1985) Lady, lovely lady Careless and gay Once, when a beggar called She gave her child away The beggar took the baby And wrapped it in a shawl "Bring her back" the lady said "Next time you call" Hard by lived a vain man So vain and so proud He would walk on stilts to be seen To be seen by the crowd And up above the chimney pots Tall, tall as a mast All the people ran about Shouting till he passed Such a splendid match surely Neighbours saw it plain Although she is so careless Although he is so vain But the lady played bobcherry Did not see or care As the vain man went by her Aloft in the air So this gentle-born couple Lived and died apart Water will not mix with oil Nor vain with careless heart Andalucia Damned, feel my sudden fall from grace Veil can't hide my face Dream, how I dream but I always wake Try, but there's no escape Sigh, under Thy celestial dome Lost, miles from home on a sapphire golden coast below Andalucía, Andalucía Dry, Virgin Mother dry your tears Cried for two thousand years Stone of Gibraltar guards the sea Africa, alchemy—the gold you cull from suffering Andalucía, Andalucía Drink a cup of sweet Andalusian wine Taste of that twisted vine Sour, from all the days that came before Why, why crave it more Andalucía
Keep Your Courage
Big Girls Always thought the game came easy You never thought about it twice Your luck was leaving, so, you just threw the dice And time was on your side Time, was always on your side But times got tough and life got even So, you told yourself some lies And now you truly do believe that There's only one way to survive: you hold on to your pride Big girls, they don't cry Heart of stone, gone cold as ice They close the door, they keep it all inside You trusted love but lovе's deceiving Now you know that it's unfair, you know love is so unfair But it hurts thе worst, believe me When you show them that you care; so, never show that you care Big girls, they don't cry Heart of stone, gone cold as ice They close the door, they keep it all inside Know when to hide, know when to fight Tell the lies, that's how they survive Don't let them see, don't give yourself away Hold on, hold on! Keep your head girl, there's so much more at stake Hold on, hold on! You took a hit and the ship is going down Hold on, hold on! A spark is lit and the fire is spreading fast Hold on, hold on! See clouds are bursting and the water's rising fast Hold on, hold on! Stop the wrecking ball or the walls are coming down Hold on, hold on! Come on, Aphrodite Come on Aphrodite, you goddess of love Come on Aphrodite, from that mountain above Come on Aphrodite, I'm begging you, begging you I'm begging you please Come on Aphrodite, can't you see that I've been patient Come on Aphrodite, can't you see how long I've waited Come on Aphrodite, can't you see that I'm wasting I'm wasting away Won't you come from the sea? (Won't you come from the sea?) Oh, appear to me! Won't you come from the sea? (Won't you come from the sea?) Oh, appear to me! Come on Aphrodite, see me down on my knees (down on my knees) Come on Aphrodite, part the waves for me (part the waves for me) Come on Aphrodite, I'm begging you, begging you I'm begging you please Come on Aphrodite, I've been nothing but true Come on Aphrodite, I believe in you Come on Aphrodite, from the mountain, from the sea Gather up your secrets, come on, bring them to me Won't you come from the sea? (Won't you come from the sea?) Oh, appear to me! Won't you come from the sea? (Won't you come from the sea?) Oh, appear to me! Appear to me! Appear to me! Appear to me, oh Come on! Come on, queen of the garden of earthly delight Goddess of passion and giver of life Oh, come to me Oh, come to me Come with your rapture, come with your pain Come if you hear me; I'm calling your name Oh, come to me Oh, come to me Make me head over heels, make me drunk, make me blind Over the moon, half out of my mind Oh make me weak in the knees; tremble inside Give up easy and swallow my pride Oh, make me, make me love Oh, make me, make me love Oh make me...can you make me love Flower of the ocean, pearl of the sea Daughter immortal, come to me Oh, come to me Oh, come to me Come and rise from the water, walk on the sand Goddess of beauty, take my hand Oh, come to me Oh, come to me Oh, come to me Sister Tilly Oh, Miss Tilly, I think you should know everyone's missing you here With your hair a mess in your outdated dress When Halston was all the rage back in your Chelsea Girl days Oh, Miss Tilly, I think you should know everyone's missing you here Your bright yellow walls and your pashmina shawls Crystals, chimes and your moonflower vines Tinctures, teas and your secret remedies And your voice like Buffy Sainte Marie I just can't believe that you're gone That you've gone so far away Oh, Miss Tilly, I think you should know everyonе's missing you here Fortune tеlling cards, prayer flags in the yard Rilke poems and your stacks of Mother Jones Your feminist raves in your Didion shades And your Zeppelin so loud and so proud Here's to your days at the barricades Here's to the girls in the fray Oh, how we wish you could stay But you're gone; you've gone so far away Sister Tilly, you go on without us Sister Tilly, you don't think about us now Everything fades away Sister Tilly, you're a superpower Sister Tilly, you're a lotus flower now Everything fades away Sister Tilly, you're a constellation Sister Tilly, you're a white light vibration now Everything fades away No craving for sensation No want, and no temptation now Tears fall down like rain No fear and no delusion No doubt and no confusion now Tears fall down like rain There's nothing but the big forever There's nothing but a sweet surrender now Narcissus Made me love you, made me love you You made me feel the way I do without you now Bewitched my mind, took possession of my very soul, enchanted me I was drawn to you like those ships of fools that had come before Drawn by your haunting voice but never, never reached the shore Made love you, made me love you You made me feel the way I do without you now Convinced that I was your reflection Poor Narcissus aching for perfect love I went blindly through the fire for you, I burned it all Made ashes of everything that I'd ever seen and ever known I'm nothing but living, breathing flesh and blood Alive, can you feel me I'm nothing but clear and empty sky above I'm light, can you see me Look how I'm fading away Look, how you've wasted away Let me take you home I was drawn to you like those ships of fools that had come before Drawn by your haunting voice but never, never reached the shore I'm nothing but living, breathing flesh and blood Alive, can you feel me I'm nothing but the clear and empty sky above I'm light, can you see me I'm cursed repeating words have no sense or meaning Lies, can you hear me Look, how you're wasting away Look how I'm fading away Look how I'm fading away Let me take you home Will you let me take you home Will you let me take you Hunting the Wren Sharp is the wind Cold is the rain Harsh is the livelong day Upon the wide open plain By Donnelly's hollow Under sod gorse and furze There lies a young wren oh By the saints she was cursed The wren is a small bird So pretty she sings She bested the eagle When she hid in its wings With sticks and with stones All among the small mounds They come from all over To hunt the wren on the wide open ground They flock round the soldiers In jackets so red For barrack room favours Pennies and bread The soldier is rough In anger or fun He causes much bloodshed With his big musket gun The birds of the earth The beasts of the field By spite and by fury Are people revealed Attacked in the village Spat on in town They come from all over To hunt the wren on the wide open ground The wren is a small bird Though blamed for much woe Her form is derided Wherever she goes With cold want and whiskey She soon is run down Her body paraded On a staff through the town A rag for her ceiling The sod was her floor She chose the cold open plain o'er The dark workhouse door With two broken wings And feathers so brown They come from all over To hunt the wren on the wide open ground Guardian Angel Guardian Angel, I've heard you laugh Kicking stones, breaking branches in your path Thought I felt your hand Saw your shadow pass Guardian Angel, I'm begging you Please forgive these things I do I never meant to harm; I know you see me through You take my breath away Take my breath away You take my breath away Guardian Angel, I'm at your feet Where's the love you promised me Where's your tender heart full of sympathy Guardian Angel, I don't believe You could ever takе from me All the love had еver belonged to me You'd take my breath away Take my breath away Take my breath away Guardian Angel, I'll track you down There's no place on earth you can't be found Woe be unto the soul that harbors you I'll take your breath away Take your breath away I'll take your breath away Eye of the Storm You swept over me like a raging sea Lashing and crashing my side ‘til I just gave way You were the tempest-tossed, given up for dead and lost You sailed on, the eye of the storm, you were the eye of the storm You left me behind when you severed all ties Sworn lone drifter you'd be, but you'll never be free Oblivion bound, you'll never bе found You sail on, the eye of thе storm, you're the eye of the storm High on the seas you roam, a sack of skull & bone All plunder & pillage inside, the roving-roughish kind And if time hasn't touched you at all; you're the same as before Still plowing and cursing the deep in your man-of-war With all the whiskey and rye and a curse on your mind You sail on, the eye of the storm—you're the eye of the storm From time to time, you still crawl across my mind Just a mumbling, stumbling thief in the black of night You're a tree with a broken limb, picked up and thrown by the wind You're the gale's deafening pound, you're the boom and you're the howl You're hail stoning the deck and the ship about to wreck! You're Blackbeard on the bow with a fuse in your mouth! And you sail on, the eye of the storm, you're the eye of the storm Tower of Babel See, this house is divided See how we're broken in two It's just a Tower of Babel And everybody's so confused Everybody feeling the danger Nobody dare to make a move It's just a Tower of Babel Everybody's so confused Everybody's spellbound and waiting Everybody roped and tied It's just a Tower of Babel Nobody gets out alive Everybody's so confused Everybody's so confused Everybody's so confused Song of Himself How time does gambol on With countless comings of the dawn With the banishing of night By transcendent rays of light Sing a song of gilded golden sun Of the dawning of a day begun That will never, never come—won't come again Who knew the blossom and the swelling seed? Who named the numberless shades of green? Who stopped to linger in the path? Who saw the world in a blade of grass? Come, sing your song son, native born and bred In a mother tongue so long unsung, unsaid Set us free, with of love above all causes, laws and creeds Your song it will be sung—and sung again Electric surgе of words that ebbed and flowed Thе likes of which, the world had never known And will never, never come—won't come again All the fools and all the thieves All the cursed and the diseased Fallen daughters and wayward sons Your arms embracing everyone Come sing your song of love bold, brave and proud Love that has no shame that knows no doubt Set us free, with words conferred by ghost, by poetry At the dawning of the sun You multitude of one Your song, it will be sung and sung again The Feast of Saint Valentine In the deep and darkest night of your soul When you curse and rue the day That you did dare to give your heart away Take courage in the thought that you belong Good comrade, you're not alone We're here to give you shelter from the storm In the blindness and confusion of the fight When the blood is soaking through We'll come to you; we'll come to bind the wound March on, march on you soldiers of the heart You ragged, weary crowd You retreat in your defеat but you move on Such a vast uncharted wildernеss to see Strange lands, strange beasts But I'll go where you lead And on the feast day of Saint Valentine In the bleak mid-winter cold Come lay your blood red roses in the snow Don't stop your search now Go, by the grace of God Keep your courage, keep your faith And take this paper heart to keep you safe Keep you safe, keep your hope and faith Love will lead you safely on Love will leave you wounded Love will bring you harm Love will be the curse and be the charm Love will be the bruising and be the balm Love will set you free and love will be your bonds Love will win Love will conquer all
Non Albums Tracks
After The Gold Rush (Neil Young / Live) Well, I dreamed I saw the knights In armor coming, Saying something about a queen. There were peasants singing and Drummers drumming And the archer split the tree. There was a fanfare blowing To the sun That was floating on the breeze. Look at Mother Nature on the run In the nineteen seventies. Look at Mother Nature on the run In the nineteen seventies. I was lying in a burned out basement With the full moon in my eyes. I was hoping for replacement When the sun burst thru the sky. There was a band playing in my head And I felt like getting high. I was thinking about what a Friend had said I was hoping it was a lie. Thinking about what a Friend had said I was hoping it was a lie. Well, I dreamed I saw the silver Space ships flying In the yellow haze of the sun, There were children crying And colors flying All around the chosen ones. All in a dream, all in a dream The loading had begun. They were flying Mother Nature's Silver seed to a new home in the sun. Flying Mother Nature's Silver seed to a new home.
All I Want (Joni Mitchell) I'm on a lonely road and I'm traveling, traveling, traveling, traveling, looking for something, what can it be Oh I hate you some, I hate you some, I love you some, Oh I love you, when I forget about me, I wanna be strong, I wanna to laugh along, I wanna belong to the living, alive, alive, I wanna get up and jive I want to wreck my stockings in some juke box dive Do you want? Do you want? Do you want to dance with me, baby? Do you want to take a chance on maybe finding some sweet romance with me baby? Well, come on. All I really, really want our love to do is to bring out the best in me and in you too All I really, really want our love to do is to bring out the best in me and in you I want to talk to you, I want to shampoo you, I want to renew you again and again, Applause, Applause, life is our cause When I think of your kisses, my mind see-saws, do you see, do you see, do you see, how you hurt me, baby so I hurt you too, and we both get so blue I am on a lonely road and I am traveling looking for the key to set me free oh the jealousy, the greed is the unraveling, it's the unraveling and it undoes all the joy that could be I want to have fun, I want to shine like the sun I want to be the one that you want to see I want to knit you a sweater, I want to write you a love letter, I want to make you feel better, I want to make you feel free oh oh oh, I want to make you feel free, I want to make you feel free
Baby I Love You (Ronnie Shannon) If you want my lovin' If you really do Don't be afraid, just ask me And you know I'm gonna give it to you Oh I do declare (I do), wanna see ya willing Stretch out your arms and boy you're gonna get it 'Cause I love you Baby baby baby I love you Now ain't no doubt about it Baby I love you Baby baby baby I love you I love you, I love you, I love you, I love you If you feel you wanna kiss me Go right ahead, I don't mind All you got to do is snap your fingers And I'll come runnin', I ain't lyin' O what'cha want little boy, ya know ya got it I'll deny myself before I see you without it 'Cause I love you Baby baby baby I love you Now ain't no doubt about it Baby I love you Baby baby baby I love you I love you, I love you, I love you, I love you Some day you might wanna run away? Leave me standin' here and cryin' But if it's all the same to you baby I'm gonna stop you from sayin' goodbye Baby I love you (baby, baby) Baby I need ya (baby, baby) Baby I want ya (baby, baby) Baby I love you (baby, baby) Don't let your neighbors tell you that I don't love you Don't let your low down friends tell you I don't need you
Because I could not stop for death
(Emily Dickinson / with Susan McKeown)
Because I could not stop for Death, He kindly stopped for me The carriage held but just ourselves And Immortality We slowly drove, he knew no haste, And I had put away My labor, and my leisure too, For his civility We passed the school where children played At wrestling in a ring We passed the fields of gazing grain, We passed the setting sun We paused before a house that seemed A swelling in the ground The roof was scarcely visible, The cornice but a mound Since then �tis centuries but each Feels shorter than the day I first surmised the horses� heads Were toward eternity Because I could not stop for Death, He kindly stopped for me The carriage held but just ourselves And Immortality
(From) Both Sides Now (Joni Mitchell) Bows and flows of angel hair And ice cream castles in the air And feather canyons everywhere I've looked at clouds that way But now they only block the sun They rain and snow on everyone So many things I would have done But clouds got in my way I've looked at clouds from both sides now From up and down and still somehow It's cloud illusions I recall I really don't know clouds at all Moons and Junes and ferris wheels The dizzy, dancing way you feel As every fairy tale comes real I've looked at love that way But now it's just another show You leave them laughing when you go And if you care, don't let them know Don't give yourself away I've looked at love from both sides now From give and take and still somehow It's love's illusions I recall I really don't know love at all Tears and fears and feeling proud To say "I love you" right out loud Dreams and schemes and circus crowds I've looked at life that way But now old friends are acting strange They shake their heads, they say I've changed But something's lost and something's gained In living every day I've looked at life from both sides now From win and lose and still somehow It's life's illusions I recall I really don't know life at all
Bread and circuses
( With Billy Bragg / Utilitarian music 1991 )
Crowds gather round Kneeling at the feet of common thieves Hungry for the word but God would never speak through such as these Such as these Who offer healing hands and balms And redemption if you would cross their palms They'll tell your troubles to the lord For how ever much you can afford Hands holding hands in the circle Of the sinners and the saved Memories that linger from the cradle Placing puzzles in the grave In the grave No mortal skin and bone Can live on bread and circuses alone The spirit needs must drive The mystery of why we are alive They look in their book and they read But their cold hearts say, "follow me" Dance in the dust In the frenzy of the desperately in need Led by the voices of the men Who invoke ritual to hide their greed Hide their greed Come every tongue, every eye Across the crumbling earth and cracking sky The gates of hell stand open wide but The path of glory you walk single file They look in their book and they read But their cold hearts say, "follow me" These men make a cage For the very souls that came here to be free Then they turn off their lights, fold their tents They're fixing to leave They look in their book and they read But their cold hearts say, "follow me" They'll close their book and leave But you'll remain Still in pain
But Not For Me (George & Ira Gershwin)
They're writing songs of love, but not for me A lucky star's above, but not for me With love to lead the way, i'll have more clouds of gray Than any russian play could guarantee I was a fool to fall and get that way Heigh-ho, a-las, and also lack-a-day Although i can't dismiss the memory of his kiss, I guess he's not for me I know that love's a game; i'm puzzled just the same Was i the moth or the flame? I'm all at sea It all began so well, but what an end This time a gal could sure use a friend When every happy plot ends with a marriage knot And there's no knot for me
*** Thanx a lot to Trey for this one ***
Children Go Where I Send Thee ( From the album "A Very Happy Christmas" ) Children go where I send thee How shall I send thee? Well, I'm gonna send thee one by one One for the iddy biddy baby Wrapped in swaddling clothing Lying in a manger He was born, born, born in Bethlehem Children go where I send thee How shall I send thee? Well, I'm gonna send thee two by two Two for Paul and Silas One for the iddy biddy baby Wrapped in swaddling clothing Lying in a manger He was born, born, born in Bethlehem Children go where I send thee How shall I send thee? Well, I'm gonna send thee three by three Three for the Hebrew children Two for Paul and Silas One for the iddy biddy baby Wrapped in swaddling clothing Lying in a manger He was born, born, born in Bethlehem Children go where I send thee How shall I send thee? Well, I'm gonna send thee four by four Four for the four knocking at my door Three for the Hebrew children Two for Paul and Silas One for the iddy biddy baby Wrapped in swaddling clothing Lying in a manger He was born, born, born in Bethlehem Children go where I send thee How shall I send thee? Well, I'm gonna send thee five by five Five for the gospel preachers Four for the four knocking at my door Three for the Hebrew children Two for Paul and Silas One for the iddy biddy baby Wrapped in swaddling clothing And lying in a manger He was born, born, born in Bethlehem
*** Great thanx to Rafet For this one ***
Come Take A Trip In My Airship ( George Evans & Honeyboy Shields / With Jay Ungar )
Once, I loved a sailor Once, a sailor loved me But he was not a sailor That sailed on the wide blue sea He, sailed in an airship Sailed like a bird on the wind And every evening at midnight He would come to my window and sing Come take a Trip in my Airship Come sail away to the stars We'll travel to Venus We'll sail away to Mars No one will see while we're kissing No one will know as we swoon So come take a Trip in my Airship And we'll visit the Man in the Moon One night while sailing away from the crowds We passed by the Milky White Way While idly drifting, watching the stars He asked if I'd name the day Just by the Dipper, I gave him my heart The sun shone on our honeymoon We swore to each other, we never would part And we'd teach all the babies this tune
Hey Baby Boy (Hopes & Dreams: The Lullaby Project LP) Hey baby boy My baby boy Hey baby boy My baby boy Hey baby boy My baby boy When they gave you into my arms It was a feeling I can't explain You opened your eyes You looked into mine And I thank God for helping me To bring you into this world What a beautiful baby we've made Hey baby boy My baby boy When I heard your first cry It was a feeling I just can't explain I held you close And you looked at me And I thank God for helping me To bring you into this world What a beautiful baby we've made Oh what a beautiful baby we've made Hey baby boy My baby boy Hey baby boy My baby boy Hey baby boy My baby boy
I Know How To Do It
( Leonard Feather / with Dr. John with Booker T. & The MG's )
Everybody needs practice in the art of love Twenty years of practice and Lord above I know how to do it, I know how to do it I know how to do it good enough for anyone If you love your man you better take good care You'll wake one morning and he won't be there Cause I know how to do it, I know how to do it I know how to do it good enough for anyone I may be old fashioned, I may be dumb May be a square and I may be a bum But I know how to do it, I know how to do it I know how to do it and I dish it out with ease So don't encourage me daddy or I'll go too far When you say, "please me mama, eight to the bar" Cause I know how to do it, I know how to do it I know how to do it good So if you see a fella who's mellow and fine Tell him to come and see me any old time Cause I know how to do it, I know how to do it I know how to do it good enough for anyone
In the Ghetto
( Mac Scott Davis Cover ) As the snow flies On a cold and gray Chicago mornin' Another little baby child is born In the ghetto And his mama cries 'Cause if there's one thing that she don't need It's another hungry mouth to feed In the ghetto Oh, well People, don't you understand The child needs a helping hand O-or he'll grow to be an angry young man some day Oh, people look at you and me, Are we too blind to see, Do we simply turn our heads And look the other way As the world turns And a hungry little boy with a runny nose Plays in the street as the cold wind blows In the ghetto (in the ghetto) And his hunger burns So he starts to roam the streets at night Where he learns how to steal And he learns how to fight In the ghetto Oh, People, don't you understand This child needs a helping hand O-or he'll grow to be an angry young man some day People look at you and me, Are we too blind to see, Do we simply turn our heads And look the other way As the world turns Then one night in desperation A young man breaks away He buys a gun, steals a car, Tries to run, but he don't get far And his mama cries As a crowd gathers 'round an angry young man Face down on the street with a gun in his hand In the ghetto (In the ghetto) As her young man dies, On a cold and gray Chicago mornin', Another little baby child is born In the ghetto x 2 (In the ghetto x 2)
*** Thanx a lot to Stan for this one ***
Last goodbye
( Jeff Buckley / Cover live )
This is our last goodbye I hate to feel the love between us die But it's over Just hear this and then I'll go You gave me more to live for More than you'll ever know This is our last embrace Must I dream and always see your face Why can't we overcome this wall Ouh, maybe baby it's just because I didn't know you at all Kiss me, please kiss me Oh kiss me out of desire, babe, and not consolation Oh you know it makes me so angry 'cause i know that in time I'll only make you cry This is our last goodbye Did you say "no, this can't happen to me," Did you rush to the phone to call Was there a voice unkind in the back of your mind Saying maybe You didn't know him at all You didn't know him at all You didn't know, you didn't know Well, the bells out in the church tower chime Burning clues into this heart of mine Thinking so hard on her soft eyes and the memories Offer signs that it's over... it's over
Ode To Billy Joe It was the 3rd of june another sleepy dusty delta day I was out choppin' cotton and my brother was bailin' hay. At dinner time we stopped off on down to the house to eat And mama hollered out the backdoor y'all remember to wipe your feet. She said i heard bit of news this mornin' from choctaw ridge Seems that billy joe macallister's jumped off the tallahatchee bridge. Well papa said to mama as he passed around the black eyed peas Billy joe never had a lick of sense, pass the biscuits please There's 5 more acres in the lower 40 i got to plow Mama said was a shame about billy joe anyhow Seems that nothin' never comes to no good up on choctaw ridge and now you Tell me billy joe has jumped off the tallahatchee bridge. Brother recollected when he and tom and billy joe Put a frog down my back at the carol couty picture show And wasnt i talkin' to him after church last sunday night I'll have another peice of apple pie but oh it dont seem right Saw him at the sawmill yesterday up on choctaw ridge And now you tell me billy joe has jumped off the tallahatchee bridge Mama said to me child what's happened to your appetite? I've been cooking all morning and you havent touched a single bite That nice young preacher brother taylor dropped by today, Said he'd be pleased have dinner on sunday, Oh by the way Said he saw a girl who looked alot like you up on choctaw ridge And she and billy joe was throwin' something off the tallahatchee bridge. A year's come and gone since we heard the news about billy joe Brother married becky thompson and they bought a store in tupelo Was a virus goin round and papa caught and he died last spring Now mama doesnt seem to wanto do much of anything Me i spend alot of my time pickin flowers up on choctaw ridge And throw 'em into the muddy water off the tallahatchee bridge.
One Fine Day
( The Chiffons / Carole King and Gerry Goffin ) One fine day, you'll look at me And you will know our love was, meant to be One fine day, you're gonna want me for your girl The arms I long for, will open wide And you'll be proud to have me, right by your side One fine day, you're gonna want me for your girl Though I know you're the kind of boy Who only wants to run around I'll keep waiting, and, someday darling You'll come to me when you want to settle down One fine day, we'll meet once more And then you'll want the love you threw away before One fine day, you're gonna want me for your girl One fine day, you're gonna want me for your girl
Party of god
( With Billy Bragg / christian burial music 1990 ) In a busy street A man sits down Oblivious to the traffic sounds No chaos, no frenzied shrieking crowd They guard their silence Walking heads bent down Count the hours in their lethargy The treadmill turns There down below their feet Should i pray for an end to come quickly? Or cross the waves of an angry sea Risking and braving The shipwreck and the mutiny assailing In a haunted doorway Hid from the light of day See another life fall to ruin and pain False smiles from even children it seems A landlocked ground for empty and lost dreams "A league against me", i hear him say It's not worth half the effort Or the price you pay Should i pray for an end to come quickly? Or should i raise my face To the heavens above and tell god, "Stop jeering at all our human frailties and our failings" Are we failing? Pound, pound on an endless street Again and again the nightmare scene All strained against the tightened rope Not one with a lasting lingering hope There's evidence everywhere you see Put a quarter down at the newsstand So that you can read Should i pray for an end to come quickly? Or should i raise my face To the clouds above Entreating their mercy But as clouds will do they'll rain down First gently and sweetly until they silence me With a burst of thunder and lightning Helpless landlocked screaming I know god must be agreeing It's the worst part of watching It's the worst part of watching It's the worst part of watching It's the worst part Landlocked and screaming God must be agreeing To be helpless is the worst Must be the worst part of watching The worst part of watching
Photograph ( With Michael Stipe / night garden music 1993 ) I found this photograph Underneath broken picture glass Tender face of black & white Beautiful, a haunting sight Looked into an angel's smile Captivated all the while From her hair and clothes she wore I'd have placed her in between the wars Was she willing when she sat And posed a pretty photograph To save her flowering and fair For days to come For days to share A big smile for the camera How did she know The moment could be lost forever Forever more I found this photograph In stacks between the old joist walls In a place where time is lost Lost behind where all things fall Broken books and calendars, Letters script in careful hand, The music to a standard tune by Some forgotten big brass band From the thresh hold what's to see Of our brave new century Television's just a dream Of radio and silver screen A big smile for the camera How did she know The moment could be lost forever Forever more Was her childhood filled with rhyme Or stolen books of passion crimes Was she innocent or blind to the cruelty of her time Was she fearful in her day Was she hopeful Did she pray Were there skeletons inside Family secrets sworn to hide Did she feel the heat that stirs The fall from grace of wayward girls Was she tempted to pretend In love and laughter until the end
She devil (out-take from "ophelia") Look out she's coming at ya Big dark eyes like cleopatra The eyes of a femme fatale Bet you get the ominous feeling A cold blooded creature in the Dark is stealing toward you You best beware, take care She's better than a work of fiction Half ing�nue, half a vixen Your little paper doll But brother she's a wicked sister Subtle and sly, watch it mister And take my advice, stay away Or number your days Opiate clouds surround you An addiction to love has found you out Half out of your mind Fool, when i think about you I want to wrap my arms around you And tell you more than words can say She devil, she conquer She devil, you want her You're unaware tonight Of the danger everywhere My poor little sleeping giant Dreaming warm and silent Where has your delilah gone? Why don't you wake and see through Every way that she's deceived you How she moves within? See, everything the woman touches It withers and dies in her clutches Why should your fate be Any different from these? Oh, well i've heard about you Every word that's said about you The man in the silvery web He fell for the sweet persuasion Of a black widow spider Now nothing can save him It's just a matter of time She devil, she conquer She devil, you want her You're unaware tonight Of the danger everywhere She devil, she conquer She devil, you want her You're well aware tonight Of the danger everywhere But you don't care
Son Of A Preacher Man (John Hurley/Ronnie Wilkins) Billy Ray was a preacher's son And when his daddy'd visit he'd come along When they gathered round and started talking That's when Billy would take me walking, All through the backyard we'd go walking, Then he'd looked into my eyes, Lord knows to my surprise The only one who could ever reach me Was the son of a preacher man And the only boy who could ever teach me Was the son of a preacher man Yes he was, was, yes he was Bein' good isn't always easy, No matter hard I try, When he started sweet talking to me, He'd come and tell my everything is allright He'd kiss it down and everything's allright Can I get away again tonight ? The only one who could ever reach me Was the son of a preacher man And the only boy who could ever teach me Was the son of a preacher man Yes he was, was, yes he was Oh yes he was How will I remember The look within his eyes Stealin' kisses from me on the sly Takin' time to make time Tellin' me that he's all mine Learnin' from each other's knowin' Looking to see how much we've grown And the only one who could ever reach me was the son of a preacher man The only boy who could ever teach me Was the son of a preacher man Yes he was, he was, oh yes he was The only boy who could ever reach me Was the sweet-talkin' son of a preacher man
Space Oddity (David Bowie) Ground Control to Major Tom Ground Control to Major Tom Take your protein pills and put your helmet on Ground Control to Major Tom Commencing countdown, engines on Check ignition and may God's love be with you (spoken) Ten, Nine, Eight, Seven, Six, Five, Four, Three, Two, One, Liftoff This is Ground Control to Major Tom You've really made the grade And the papers want to know whose shirts you wear Now it's time to leave the capsule if you dare "This is Major Tom to Ground Control I'm stepping through the door And I'm floating in a most peculiar way And the stars look very different today For here Am I sitting in a tin can Far above the world Planet Earth is blue And there's nothing I can do Though I'm past one hundred thousand miles I'm feeling very still And I think my spaceship knows which way to go Tell my wife I love her very much she knows" Ground Control to Major Tom Your circuit's dead, there's something wrong Can you hear me, Major Tom? Can you hear me, Major Tom? Can you hear me, Major Tom? Can you.... "Here am I floating round my tin can Far above the Moon Planet Earth is blue And there's nothing I can do." Sympathy For The Devil (Mick Jagger/Keith Richards) Yow! Yow! Yow! Umph, ca, umph, umph Please allow me to introduce myself I'm a man of wealth and taste I've been around for a long, long year Stole many a man's soul and fate And I was 'round when Jesus Christ Had his moment of doubt and pain Made damn sure that Pilate Washed his hands and sealed his fate Pleased to meet you Hope you guess my name But what's puzzling you Is the nature of my game Stuck around St. Petersberg When I saw it was a time for a change Killed the Czar and his ministers Anastasia screamed in vain I rode a tank In a general's rank When the Blitzkrieg raged And the bodies stank Pleased to meet you Hope you guess my name, oh yeah What's puzzling you Is the nature of my game, oh yeah I watched the gleam [Who, Who] While you kings and queens Fought for ten decades For the Goth they made I shouted out "Who killed the Kennedys?" When after all It was you and me Let me please introduce myself I'm a man of wealth and taste And I laid tracks for troubadors Who get killed before they reached Bombay Pleased to meet you Hope you guess my name, oh yeah But what's puzzling you Is the nature of my game, oh yeah, get down, baby Ma, oo Oooa Pleased to meet you Hope you guess my name, oh yeah But what's confusing you Is just the nature of my game Just as every cop is a criminal And all the sinners Saints As I end this tale Just call me Lucifer 'Cause I'm in need of some restraint So if you meet me Have some courtesy Have some sympathy, and some taste Use all your well learned qualities Or I'll lay your soul to waste, um yeah Pleased to meet you Hope you guess my name, um yeah But what's puzzling you Is the nature of my game, um baby, get down Woo, who Oh yeah, get on down Oh yeah Oh yeah! Tell me baby, what's my name Tell me honey, baby guess my name Tell me baby, what's my name I tell you one time, your to blame Ooo, who Ooo, who Ooo, who Ooo, who, who Ooo, who, who Ooo, who, who Ooo, who, who Oh, yeah What's me name Tell me, baby, what's my name Tell me, sweetie, what's my name Ooo, who, who Ooo, who, who Ooo, who, who Ooo, who, who Ooo, who, who Ooo, who, who Ooo, who, who Oh, yeah
Take A Look (Allen Toussaint) Take a look at this heart It's the one I'm gonna ust to love you Take a look at these arms These are the arms I'm gonna use to hug you Look at these eyes These are the eyes that will haunt you Ohhhh take a look at this girl She's the girl that wants you Take a look at my feet that are gonna walk up to your door Take a look at this head, Take a look at these hips, It's gonna knock(?) like n Look at these lips There gonna kiss you and I know they'll haunt you Ohhh Take a look at this girl I'm the girl that wants you Ohhh take a look at that reef That you see lying in the window Take a look at that poor little dimple spot on my third finger If you wanna see someone who's gonna be happy as can be Take a look at me Take a look at me Tame eeee Take a look at this heart It's the one I'm gonna ust to look at these arms There the ones I'm gonna use to hold you