Sarah Harmer Complete Lyrics Archive

B i o g r a p h y
(by Heather Phares)

Formerly the driving force behind Weeping Tile, Canadian singer/songwriter Sarah Harmer began her solo career in 1999 playing dates with the Indigo Girls, Great Big Sea, and Moxy Fruvous. Harmer's first album outside of Weeping Tile was a tribute to her father titled Songs for Clem. Credited to Harmer and Jason Euringer, the folksy album was released independently by Harmer, but was eventually given wider release by Universal Canada. Her proper debut album, You Were Here, was released in mid-2000 by Zoe Records, and showed a polished, more mature side to her music than her work with her former band. It wasn't until 2004 that Harmer returned with a follow-up, All of Our Names, while in 2006 she explored her country and bluegrass side in I'm a Mountain, which garnered the singer three Juno Award nominations. 2010 saw the release of her fifth album, Oh Little Fire, which features guest appearances from Neko Case, Julie Fader and James Shaw (Metric).

Songs for Clem

Blue Moon Of Kentucky

Blue moon
Blue moon
Blue moon, keep shining bright
Blue moon, keep on shining bright

You're gonna bring me back my baby tonight
Blue moon, keep shining bright

I said blue moon of Kentucky keep on shining
Shine on the one that's gone and left me blue
I said blue moon of Kentucky keep on shining
Shine on the one that's gone and left me blue

Well it was on a moonlit nigh, stars shining bright
Whisper on high, love said goodbye
Blue moon of Kentucky keep on shining
Shine on the one that's gone and left me blue
Shine on the one that's gone and left me blue

Tennessee Waltz

I was waltzing with my darling to the Tennessee Waltz
When an old friend I happened to see
Introduced him to my loved one
And while they were dancing
My friend stole my sweetheart from me

I remember the night and the Tennessee Waltz
Now I know just how much I have lost
Yes, I lost my little darling the night they were playing
That beautiful Tennessee Waltz
That beautiful Tennessee Waltz

Black Coffee

I'm feeling mighty lonesome
Haven't slept a wink
I walk the floor and watch the door
And in between I drink

Black coffee
Love's a hand-me-down brew
I'll never know a Sunday in this weekday room

I'm talking to the shadows
One o'clock to four
And, Lord, how slow the moments go
When all I do is pour

Black coffee
Since the blues caught my eye
I'm hanging out on Monday
My Sunday dream's too dry

Now a man is born to go a-lovin'
A woman's born to weep and fret
To stay at home and tend her oven
And drown her past regrets
In coffee and cigarettes

I'm moody all the morning
And I'm mourning all the night
And in between it's nicotine
And not much heart to fight

Black coffee
Feeling low as the ground
It's driving me crazy
This waiting for my baby
To maybe come around

Stormy Weather

Don't know why there's no sun up in the sky
Stormy weather
Since my man and I ain't together
Keeps raining all the time
Life is bare
Gloom and misery everywhere
Stormy weather
I just can't get my poor self together
So weary all the time

Since he went away the blues walked in and met me
If he stays away, old rockin' chair's gonna get me
All I do is pray the Lord above will let me walk in the sun once more

I can't go on
Everything I had is gone
Stormy weather
Since my man and I ain't together
Keeps raining all the time

Since he went away the blues walked in and met me
If he stays away, old rockin' chair's gonna get me
All I do is pray the Lord above will let me walk in the sun once more

I can't go on
Everything I had is gone
Stormy weather
Since my man and I ain't together
Keeps raining all the time
Keeps raining all the time

Oh Bury Me Not

Oh bury me not on the lone prairie
Where the wild coyotes will howl over me
Where the rattlesnakes hiss and the wind blows free
Oh bury me not on the lone prairie

They heeded not his dying prayer and they buried him there, on the lone prairie

In a little box just six by three, his bones now rot on the lone prairie

Just a closer walk with Thee

( Traditional )

Just a closer walk with Thee
Grant it, Jesus, is my plea
Daily walking close to Thee
Let it be, dear Lord, let it be

I am weak and Thou art strong
Jesus keep me from all wrong
I'll be satisfied as long
As I walk, let me walk close to Thee

Just a closer walk with Thee
Grant it, Jesus, is my plea
Daily walking close to Thee
Let it be, dear Lord, let it be

Through this world of toil and snare
If I falter Lord who cares
Who will be my burdens bear
None but Thee dear Lord none but Thee

Just a closer walk with Thee
Grant it, Jesus, is my plea
Grant it, Jesus, Grant it, Jesus
Daily walking close to Thee
Let it be, dear Lord, let it be
Let it be, dear Lord, let it be

Shine On Harvest Moon

The night was mighty dark so you could hardly see
For the moon refused to shine
Couple sitting underneath the willow tree
For love, they pined

Little May was kinda 'fraid of darkness
So she says "I guess i'll go."
Boy began to sigh, looked up to the sky
Told the sky his little tale of woe

So shine on
Shine on harvest moon
Up in the sky

I ain't had no lovin' since January, February, June or July

Snow time ain't no time to stay outdoors and spoon
So shine on
Shine on harvest moon for me and my gal

Snow time ain't no time to stay outdoors and spoon
So shine on
Shine on harvest moon for me and my gal

Trouble In The Fields

Baby, I know that we got trouble in the fields
And the bankers swarm like locusts out there, turning away our yields
And the trains roll by our silo, silver in the rain
Leave our pockets full of nothing but these dreams of the golden grain

I can see the folks lined up downtown at the station
They're all buying their tickets out and they're talking a Great Depression
Our parents had their hard times fifty years ago
When they stood out in these empty fields, in dust as deep as snow

And all this trouble in our fields
If this rain can fall these wounds can heal
They'll never take our native soil
And if we sell that new John Deere then we'll work these crops with sweat and tears

You'll be the mule, i'll be the plow
Come harvest time, we'll work it out
There's still a lot of love here in these troubled fields

There's a book up on the shelf about the dust bowl days
There's a little bit of you and a little bit of me in the photos on every page
Our children live in the city and they rest upon our shoulders
They don't want the rain to fall or the weather to get colder

And all this trouble in our fields
If this rain can fall these wounds can heal
They'll never take our native soil
And if we sell that new John Deere and then we'll work these crops with sweat and tears
You'll be the mule, i'll be the plow
Come harvest time we'll work it out
There's still a lot of love here in these troubled fields

You'll be the mule, i'll be the plow
Come harvest time we'll work it out
There's still a lot of love here in these troubled fields

Your Cheatin' Heart

Your cheatin' heart
Will make you weep
You'll cry and cry and try to sleep
But sleep won't come the whole night through
Your cheatin' heart
Will tell on you

When tears come down like falling rain
You'll toss around and call my name
You'll walk the floor the way I do
Your cheatin' heart
Will tell on you

Your cheatin' heart
Will pine someday
You'll crave the love you threw awa
The time will come when you'll be blue
Your cheatin' heart
Will tell on you

When tears come down like falling rain
You'll toss around and call my name
You'll walk the floor the way I do
Your cheatin' heart
Will tell on you

Summertime

Summertime and the living is easy
Fish are jumping and the cotton is high
Oh, your Daddy's rich and your Momma's good looking
So hush, little baby, don't you cry

One of these mornings, you're gonna rise up singing
Then you'll spread your wings and you'll take the sky
But till that morning there's nothing can harm you
With Daddy and Mommy standing by

Sentimental Journey

Gonna take a sentimental journey
Gonna set my heart at ease
Gonna take a sentimental journey
To renew old memories

Got a bag, I got my reservation
Spent each dime I could afford
Like a child in wild anticipation
Long to hear that "All aboard!"

Seven, that's the time we leave, at seven
I'll be waiting up for heaven
Counting every mile of railroad track that takes me back
Never thought my heart could be so yearning

Why did I decide to roam
Gotta take a sentimental journey
Sentimental journey home
You Were Here

Around This Corner

I'll be coming around this corner
I know one day we'll meet
I'll look in your eyes
And i'll look up the street
And i'll cover my heart
So you can't see it beat
And i'll struggle
'Cause how can I say
When I don't know
If i'll feel loving
Or if i'll feel low
I may wind up and get into trouble

Knowing that you've been bad
Is one of the worst feelings I ever had
Knowing that you been bad
Did it mean much to you
I thought I knew you
Now I wish I had

I'll be coming round this corner
One day real slow
And i'll see myself reflected
In someone I used to know
And I may look away
And keep going home
And try to forget it before
I get to the door
But how can I say
When I don't know
If i'll feel loving
Or if i'll feel low
I may wind up
And cry a big puddle

Knowing that you've been bad
Is one of the worst feelings I ever had
Knowing that you been bad
Did it mean much to you
I thought I knew you
Now I wish I had

How can you forgive that fast
Why do they call it the past
When nothing has passed

Basement Apartment

You live out where the street ends
In a basement apt. With one of your friends
And the tap drips all night
Water torture in the sink
The furnace is burning
But it's still cold i think

I can smell the bleach
That they use in the hall
But it can't clean the dirt off of me
It's seeping under the door
In across the floor
It's starting to hurt

Everytime I breathe
Everytime I try to leave
Everytime I breathe

Now the toaster sticks
And the empties are piled
I haven't been up the stairs in awhile now
I gotta wash the sheets on my bed
Gotta watch the things that go unsaid
God I wish we'd leave it at this

And every evening you open the door
You come down
There's nothing like watching tv all night underground
And no one is watching me slide
Below street level
Barely alive

Now we live out where the street ends
In a basement apt. Just like our friends
We always said that we were different
But you know now that we weren't
'Cause there's holes in all the bottles
And my lungs hurt

Hideout

Look at that green
Out through the screen
After a quick rain came
So fast that
There wasn't time
To roll up the windows
And pull the clothes down off the line
But i don't care
It was so dry
And the grass is happy
And i think 'so am i'
'Cause i'm through thinking about you

For now i'm out at the hideout
Far enough outside of town
You can come
You can stay
If there's something you need
To get away from

Look at the day dropping away
Hear the traffic pass along
A distant sideroad down the way
I think the dust has settled on me
But i don't care, it was so calm
I knew i wouldn't stay forever
Knew i'd get some things together
And move on

But for now i'm out at the hideout
Far enough outside of town
You can come, you can stay
If there's something you need
To get away from

I just thought of you
And what you said
Laid out on the pullout
Did you forget
You said you wouldn't forget

Look at that green
Out through the screen
After a quick rain came
So fast that
There wasn't time to roll up the window
And pull the clothes down off the line
But i don't care
It was so dry
The grass is happy and i think 'so am i'
'Cause i'm through thinking about you

And for now i'm out at the hideout
Far enough outside of town
You can come out
You can come out
When there is no one around
All out at the hideout
Far enough from being found
You can come, you can stay
If there's something you need
To get away from

Capsized

When i heard about the coming day
Wish i could wake up from this dream
In it i see a family photographed
And there you are, tucked in the scene
And theres a jealous net inside my chest
Theres a hurt and sadness there
Maybe i'd tell you all about it
If i thought you'd care

Heavy heart gets lighter by your side
But there are thoughts i'd wish i'd heard
If they ask you how i'm holding up
Say i'm holding out for the words

Whats the sense in being so sensitive
Can i trade this thin skin for a shell
There are somethings i've got no feeling about
But there are some things i can tell

Heavy heart get lighter by yourself
It's been so long since you capsized
And you've been lying out there in the sun
Has it begun, has it begun

Heavy heart, have you heard
That i could use the words

Lodestar

Out of the night, into the water
We push the boat from shore
Breaking the air and the stillness of the bay

Intensity of stars reflected in the harbour
Silently ignite
The oar dips into oil like water
And we are away

Your hand won't write
Not tonight
But your mind may wander
Into those deep lagoons that you know
And your boat will go by starlight alone
Da da da da da da da da
You sang to the moon
In the great black night
With no lodestar in sight

Out of the night
Out of the water
We pull the boat back to shore
Breathe in the air and the stillness of the bay
Intensity of stars reflected in the water
Silently ignite
The oar dips into oil like water
And we are away

Under the moon in the great black night
With no lodestar in sight

And wait for it
There are only two things now
This great black night
And the fireglow

And listen! The darkness rings
The darkness....

Listen! The darkness rings

And wait for it
There are only two of us now
This great black night, scooped out
And this fireglow

Listen! The darkness rings
The darkness...
Listen! The darkness rings
Take off your things

And listen!
The darkness rings

Weakened State

From the minute you saw it
By the time it left my mouth
I know you wouldn't want it
But I had to have it out
I saw your smile
I felt it
Now I just can't believe
There was no knowing deception underneath

All that time
Did it pass while you were looking back waiting

I asked for the truth everytime
And now the ugly details
Are stuck in my mind
And there's a preminition
I keep putting off
And the more time passes
The more I get soft
I'm standing up there
In a weakened state
And it's not great

All that time
Did it pass while you were looking back waiting
Often I'm waiting on the one
That maybe won't come
Waiting

And I'm not saying anything
You think that I forgot
I'm not saying anything
But I'm thinking a lot

Don't Get Your Back Up

Baby, if I could keep it together
Don't you think I'd try
And maybe if I could make something of this
Why wouldn't I

You say I close a blind eye
That I don't put up the time
But what you see as goodbye
I don't see as a crime
I'm tired of the blame
Being put on my head
You're breathing fire
But you're not bringing back what's dead

Don't get your back up over this
If I'm so wrong and you're so right
You really got your mind made up I guess
Won't you let me get some sleep tonight

It's late now
And there's only four hours 'til I get up again
You know I'd wait somehow
If I thought this was something
That a little time would mend
You, you're dragging this misery on
Let's leave this thing for a while
It's too far gone
Too far gone

Don't get your back up over this
If I'm so wrong and you're so right
You really got your mind made up I guess
Won't you let me get some sleep
Won't you let me get some sleep
Won't you let me get some sleep tonight

Don't get your back up over this
If I'm so wrong and you're so right
You really got your mind made up I guess
Won't you let me get some sleep
Won't you let me get some sleep
Won't you let me get some sleep tonight

Tonight...
Tonight...

Open Window

Love, i see you there
Adrift on the air
Floating by the open window
Ah, the sentiment of love
Reflections that speak of
What can enter when our hearts are open
Here, witnesses appear
And recognize
How sacred love can be when stated
Shared, shown for al to know
The beauty that can grow
When love is cultivated

Our love is a sacred thing
Like the mysterieis of the night
In the darkness unwavering
And still so strong come the light
Our love is an infinite thing
Like the sun's last ray on the sea
As it sets low in the west
And the moon rises

Uniform Grey

It's perfectly suited
This uniform grey
There are no bearings
To the day

I came down from the air
And i'll leave by boat
I'm down with your rainy town
Out on the spit
With the biggest port around
My friend is on the way
He's bringing my coat

Oh you don't do, what I want you to
But I haven't been
Through what you've been through
And we could use that
As an excuse
If that's what you choose
If that's what you choose

Well it was kinda hard
To pull away
He said "Buck up baby,
It's okay
The sunlight on the floor will always fall."

And I meant to write it on the plane
High above my earthly pain
But I slept right through the flight
And that was all

Oh you don't do, what I want you to
But I haven't been
Through what you've been through
And we could use that
As an excuse
If that's what you choose
If that's what you choose

Coffee Stain

There's a coffee stain
Around your eye
And lines that I don't recognize
Everything changed
From being okay
The night that you came home
So late

And I know by the time
On the stove
That you were no longer
Mine alone
I guess we're all
Just out on loan
And everybody is only
Their own

Oh i loved you
And i guess i still do
Everything was going so good
That I thought something bad might happen
And then it did
If you know the difference
Bettween bad and good
Thought that I'd know
But I cross my toes
And thats how it goes

Maybe I'm a fatalist
To let it all go at this
Like some balloon
I'll probably miss
Lost in a treetop

You Were Here

Are there no blinders on lights that glare
White noise on the eyes
From gas station lights and reflected ice glare
So that i can walk home by moonlight
Alone

Or can we go out to where the wind howls and stand to lean up against the trees
They've grown up so tall that you can't see the house
It's a fortress now but you know how it used to be
I can lie to myself
And say i like it
But i would love it if you were here

These words on paper smell like you
Associated in random thought
On my lips the words turn blue
Evidence i'm feeling lost
I can lie to myself
And say i like it
But i would love it if you were here
I'm just sad for myself
Cause i know you're clear
But i would love it if you were here

I can just see you show me your garden
I thought you'd grow roses and grapes on low vines
I wanted to know you when we were both older
I thought there'd be more of those wonderful times
I can lie to myslef
And say i like it
But i would love it if you were here
I'm just sad for myself
Cause i know you're clear
But i would love it if you were here
You were here
Yes you were
Yes you were

Everytime

I can throw away my fears
Up into the atmosphere
They race away at the rate
Of the smoke and rust

Look at all the poor bastards
Gotta go to work while I sleep
Steel town's light keep on glowing
From smokestacks that keep blowing
In my eyes so I don't see it
Close my heart so I don't feel it
Everytime

I can see it in your eyes
I can feel it on your sighs
They're not like either of us
At all

Look at all the poor drivers
Gotta go to work everytime

Streams of headlights come flashing
On the hills that we used for crashing
In my mind, I don't see it
Close my eyes or I'd believe it

Streams of headlights go shining
On wheels that we used for grinding
In my mind, I don't see it
Close my eyes or I'd believe it
Everytime

All of our names

Pendulums

We are like pendulums
Our arms swinging at our sides
And I am a good little clock
Walking along power lines

I'm thinking like a swinging door
Hinging on these changing thoughts
Between the pull up to the shore
And the push off

In the lines of footprints in the snow
All along the edges of the road
I haven't even walked my block
Since I moved out here years ago

The secret lives of twist ties
The hidden story in one line

In the lines of footprints in the snow
All along the edges of the road
I haven't even walked my block
Since I moved out here years ago

We are like pendulums
Our arms swinging at our sides
And I am a good little clock
I'm ticking off the time

The distant lights are twinkling
It means there is a wind
That blows the trees against themselves
And hard into this house I'm sleeping in
I'm sleeping in

Almost

I almost dialed your number
When I thought the coast was clear
'Cause it's looked up at me for so long at me
And said "Call me please."

But the place was closing
And the counter girl turned the sign
The cooks were getting their coats and I got mine
And said "Goodnight" to the sea of empty seats.

And if I am a sailor
You are the warm gulf wind
And you've blow into this little port
And roused my dreams again.

I see my mouith moving when I talk to you
I do
I see my lips and I feel like a kid
Who can't keep something hid.

And if I am a sailor
You are the warm gulf wind
And you've blow into this little port
And roused my dreams again.
When we say sometime later
You know that we can't say when
You have blown into this little port
And roused my dreams again.

I almost dialed your number
When I thought the coast was clear
'Cause it's looked up at me for so long at me
And said "Call me please."

And if I am a sailor
You are the warm gulf wind
And you've blow into this little port
And roused my dreams again.
When we say sometime later
You know that we can't say when
You have blown into this little port
And roused my dreams again.

Sailor to wind

Greeting Card Aisle

Icy twinkling in the window,
It's a sparkle on the snow,
Hovering to see if I can see you come and go.
I came down the dark road,
Arms under my coat,
And my breath is nearly freezing my eyes closed.

The car that dropped me off,
Did it turn around,
And watch me walk the long way down
Past the glow of town,
Like a setting sun,
Horizon's alive with electric light
And hum.

Were you standing in the greeting card aisle
When you called me up, and
Held me to the end of your long line
Have you got me in your bleeding heart file
Next to Lady Luck
Well this Light of your Life has drawn the blind.

There was something about the handwriting that
Made me keep every scrap,
Something about the way the eyes
Looked away at the last.
I kept something burning on the sill real low,
But now I don't know.

Were you standing in the greeting card aisle
When you called me up, and
Held me to the end of your long line
Have you got me in your bleeding heart file
Next to Lady Luck
Well this Light of your Life has drawn the blind.

The wind from the river will swirl like a scream
And wrap itself around you.
There may be a friend somewhere down the road,
But from here you have to walk it out alone.

'Cause you were standing in the greeting card aisle
When you called me up, and
Held me to the end of your long line.
And you've got me in your bleeding heart file
Next to Lady Luck.
And this Light of your Life will not shine twice,
This Light has drawn the blind.

New Enemy

"When you find yourself a new enemy
Can you take me down off the hook
That you've been hangin' me on," he said
With almost all the love gone

Will the time soon come when you see fit
The light will change
Will you just lok at it and stare
And wonder, ad the traffic moves,
Why you're still sitting there

All eyes are waiting for it
The wind is at your back and it'll blow
Without even having to know what you know
We're waving our white flags
We're hanging our heads out the high windows
Just to see you make your way to the starting gate and go

"Maybe you could find a way to be nice
See me coming up in a line
And let a smile creep out"
He swears that would be all it would be about
He said, "Just a peace to settle over us
No more words, no orme making it up
No victory
No up and leave"

All eyes are waiting for it
The wind is at your back and it'll blow
Without even having to know what you know
We're waving our white flags
We're hanging our heads out the high window
Just to see you make your way to the starting gate and go

You're seven numbers away
From never having to say
Anything more

"When you find yourself a new enemy
Can you take me down off the hook
That you've been hangin' me on," he said
With almost all the love gone

Silver Road

I'll be way down a silver road, i'll go
Where the moon has it lit up
Turn off your headlights and go slowly
I don't want it to let up.

Have you been thinking that you were all alone
But i still thought of you
Word every once in a while forgetting that
Some of it could be true
Held in the beam of a light i thought we shared
Shone between two shores
And wants to be traveled like the gravel that
Runs from my door to yours

I'll be way down the silver road, i'll go
Where the moon has it lit up
Turn off your headlights and go slowly
I don't want it to let up.

Way down a silver road, i'll go
Where the moon has it lit up
Turn off your headlights and go slowly
I don't want it to let up.

Da da da...
Held in the beam of a light i thought we shared
Shone between two shores
And wants to be traveled like the gravel that
Runs from my door to yours

I'll be way down a silver road, i'll go
Where the moon has it lit up
Turn off your headlights and go slow
I don't want it to let up.

Way down a silver road, i'll go
Where the moon has it lit up
Turn off your headlights and go slowly
I don't want it to let up.

Dandelions in Bullet Holes

Kaleidoscope,
Wheel of hope.
Place to start out from,
Although it started long ago,
The world's work has begun.

A hula hope,
A human chain.
To warm our hands,
And find our way,
When all the lights go out.
A raincoat and a French beret.
The rolling hills of past mistakes,
Like quiet under cloud.
And I will long look to the chruning sea,
This call to arms means wrap them,
Around the first person you see.

Dandelions in bullet holes,
We stand in our civilian clothes,
On blankets laid out on a lawn,
Clouds of rain will all move on.
And when the mist clears we will see,
Both of our names on a marquee,
Across the ocean the same day,
And then washed ashore a block away.

The windwill is waiting for the same thing,
As the slackened sail,
As the core withing like the wind,
Is blowing at the veil.
And I will long go on this inner sight,
This call to arms means hold to it,
And hold tight.

Dandelions in bullet holes,
We stand in our civilian clothes,
On blankets laid out on a lawn,
Clouds of rain will all move on.
And when the mist clears we will see,
Both of our names on a marquee,
Across the ocean the same day,
And then washed ashore a block away.
Ah come on, these streams of light are not so subtle,
All along the ditch signs of like in sinking puddles.

Dandelions in bullet holes,
We stand in our civilian clothes,
On blankets laid out on a lawn,
Clouds of rain will all move on.
And when the mist clears we will see,
All of our names on a marquee,
Across the ocean the same day,
And then washed ashore a block away.

Things To Forget

I got to put some things in the ground
Even with this season coming around
It's green's last gasp
And leaves brown
And autumn days are winding down

I got to get it out of my head
And make good on some things i've said
In case you overheard my plans
And find me out as the talker that I am

But holidays are made for reading
And remembering things that are worth repeating
In the clatter of the afternoon
In the sunlight that is left
We can make a list of things to forget

Maybe the drive was a little too long
Can we pull over to the shoulder so I can write this song
The carpet they laid out is a grey shade of red
Road work ahead
That's what we said

But holidays are made for reading
And remembering things that are worth repeating
In the clatter of the afternoon
In the sunlight that is left
We can make a list of things
To forget the false starts
And the loose strings
The feelings of regret that ring
On a day when you haven't done much of anything

Came on Lion

Closer than a girl can get to trouble
If she hasn't yet got in it

It started out like any show
Up from the dark to the light's warm glow
Did you hear the dedication
When I came up on the stage
And you came on lion
All courageous
And I stepped up to your cage
Just to see if we would go
I crossed the bridge
I thought you'd know

Now my sun is up
Already hot
With two rays on
Two straying thoughts
But each one warm to make me glow
Or burn me if I'm not careful
It's not hard
It's too easy
I get it and I get to be
Closer than a girl can get to trouble
If she hasn't yet got in it

So now can I step lightly bakc between
Where you are and where i've been
Back inot that thing we do
Where it's me and it's jst you
And it's not hard
It's to easy
I get it and I get to be
Close than a girl can get to trouble
Without getting in it

Took It All

You said I could have it all
You said it to me
With your eyes so wide, excited
I stop to see what you mean

In the drone of afternoon traffic
On a slope that's slippery
In the relative fear, invited
That keeps us company

We took it all
Without taking it away
We shook it
It didn't blow up in our face
This life's abundancy came clear to me

These hands are holding a kite of worry
That floats high and circles a pivot of fear
In the wind are the words that say "There's no time! Hurry!"
So we grab what we can
We think The End is near

We took it all
Without taking it away
We shook it
It didn't blow up in our face
This life's abundancy came clear

We can get back up
We can move from this ground
To where there is enough of everything
What has opened up this crevice at our feet
Has created a new sense of urgency

Without taking it away
We shook it
It didn't blow up in our face
This life's abundancy came clear

Tether

Living this close to the road
You'll question your vulnerability
Got the curtains closed and there's nothing
For those bold coyotes to see
Just an airplane in the sky
That I hear high up the chimney
And the lonely cold coming up
To find a warmer place to be

After that Christmas I think that I might sleep
The whole new year
Maybe see if in the spring
I come in for an afternoon glass of beer
You know I always thought
That there'd be lots to talk about
But I never see you and I still look when I go out

Alays so much that feels undone and waiting
A pocket that's gaping threads to weave
On the top of a pile another melody is aching
For a few pretty words to let it be
Simple tether hold this together
At least to one place
So the feelings can't escape into the air
'Cause if they do we won't remember that they were even there
And filled a moment that we had to spare

Go To Sleep

Go to sleep
At least lie here awhile
Best to look straight through your eyelids
Count or listen to the voices
But don't go out and down to the landing

Give it time enough
I'll check the clock
And you'l be still until I leave
The living room is on
And lights are blaring
With the T.V.

And you say
"Clap once for me and i'll know
I'll be watching on my pillow
Clap twice i'll see what you mean
It was one for the other team"

Go to sleep or at least keep the light off
I'll see it shining through the cracks
You may be missing some things
But if you leave it open
Some of them might come back

You thank me all the time
But now it's my turn
Cause truly a word of gratitude so due
Can't go unheard
And it made me feel better
To have you there in my corner
My eyes cast so low
My face could not have been
Drawn longer

I know you've been impressed
You've seen me at my best
But oh, how it hurts
When I can't hide my worst
Well thank-you for carrying on
For playing with me and this song
It made me feel better
We sat it out like some passing bad weather

My mind was like kid's boxing gloves
The kind blown up with air
That are put away after play
And get limp just lying there
But you knew they'd fill up again
And you gave me your shoulder
And I got up in the ring
Because I had you there
In my corner
And I got up in the ring
Because I had you there
In my corner

I am Aglow

I am aglow with thoughts of you
Are the stories that you told me true?
It doesn't matter if they are
They are to me
I am aglow

Some might say these thoughts are wrong
That you might see yourself in this song
I hope that you don't mind if you do
I am aglow with thoughts of you

Does it matter that what I remember might be
Just my own imagination painting scenes more pretty
Is it obvious? Does it show?
With thoughts of you I am aglow

Some might say I'm thinking in sin
So I'll just sit back and take you in
You're a map of a place; maybe someday I'll go
With thoughts of you I am aglow

Does it matter that what I remember is not true
Does it matter that all I can think of is you
Does it matter that what I remember might be
Just my own imagination painting scenes more pretty
Is it obvious? Does it show?
With thoughts of you I am aglow.

Oleander

Oleander, Oleander
Will you bloom again this spring?
I adored you
Then I ignored you
And now to me you're everything
And those white blossoms that you gave freely
Are now just twinkles in your eye
Oh behold her
Oleander grows on the inside

She will forgive me
For I bring water
A sunny window to sit by
Oleander, I understand her
She's just waiting for the time
To say it's all right
Another season has brought us another chance
We're together in this hot weather to dance

Oleander, I think you're better
I think you made it through another winter.

Nothing has ended
It's all been mended
It's the way that it should be
You're coming back
You're coming back
It was so lonely here just me
This time no promises of what's to come
We'll just live it for the day
Oleander I see you stand there and I know you'll be ok

Oleander I think you're better
I think you made it through another winter

I'm a Mountain

Well now how did they get that lady on TV
Laughing so naturally
For a Wal-Mart ad
Is it not as bad as I thought?

There's a woman sending poisonous mail
And they caught her now she's sitting in jail
While the weather station forecasts hail
From the tropics

Oh I spent the day in a shopping mall
Through the biggest storm of the century
I'm a mountain
I'm a mountain like you said to be

The sports man and his double chin
Don't listen to me in this state I'm in
Saying things about people that I don't know

Well it's just that way when you get hurt
And the things you need you're made to work
You must decide if you will die or grow

Oh I spent the day in a shopping mall
Through the biggest storm of the century
I'm a mountain
I'm a mountain
Like you said to be

Goin' Out

When the days close on the memories that you've acquired
And your body cannot hold your soul inspired
You are here and not alone
Everybody has come home
There's a bed made up upstairs
If you get tired

All the heaviness around you will get light
And your worry lifted up into the night
Left with nothing but pure love
Left with all you are made of
Can I stay around awhile
Is that all right?

Oh lives don't end
Goin' out to be brought back again
Our lives don't end

Will he be waiting for me

(lyrics by Dolly Parton)

I can still see that lonesome road stretched out before me
The road that led me out of his life
I can still feel the tears he cried on my shoulder
The day that I told him goodbye
I never should've left him
Never should've gone
Oh what a crazy fool I've been
Will he be waiting for me?
He will be, won't he?
And will he take me back again?

He will be waiting for me
He will be won't he?
Or will I find his love for me has faded and has died
He will be waiting for me
He will be won't he?
Or will I find that this time
I'll be the one to cry?

Shadows from the trees
Shade the path that I am walking
As I make my way up that winding road again
The smell of Mountain Laurel fills the air with sweet perfume
My heart beats faster as I reach my journey's end
I wonder if he missed me
Wonder if he wants me
O wonder does he love me still
Will he be waiting for me?
He will be won't he?
Oh how I hope he will

He will be waiting for me
He will be won't he?
Or will I find his love for me has faded and had died
He will be waiting for me
He will be won't he?
Or will I find that this time
I'll be the one to cry?

Escarpment Blues

If they blow a hole in my backyard
Everyone is gonna run away
The creeks won't flow to the Great Lake below
Will the water in the wells still be ok?

We'll need to build some new apartments
And I know we're gonna have to fix the roads
But if we blow a hole in the escarpment
The wild ones won't have anywhere to go

If they blow a hole in the backbone
The one that runs cross the muscles of the land
We might get a load of stone for the road
But I don't know how much longer we can stand

We'll keep driving on the Blind Line
If we don't know where we want to go
Even knowledge that's sound can get watered down
Truth can get sucked out the car window

We're two-thirds water
What do we really need?
But sun, showers, soil and seed
We're two-thirds water
The aquifers provide
Deep down in the rock
There's a pearl inside

If they blow a hole in the backbone
The one that runs across the muscles of the land
We might get a load of stone for the road
But I don't know how much longer we can stand.

The Phoenix

It was a late-in-the-summer night
Nearing the end of a bumpy ride
Through the backstage parking lots of the country
We went past the cars at the fray
The cops on bikes
The security gate
Into the trees where the dark comes easy
See the light of the Venus shining
High over the mid-western plains
Is it telling you you gotta go?
That your heart's been burning way to slow
I guess I'm the last to know again

But I will rise up, I will
Who was the Phoenix anyway?
Just some bird that flew away
And flies still

It was a late-in-the-summer day
The breeze had blown the clouds away
The fluttering ones were covering the fields
I've been walking by myself
I've been thinking about you again
Maybe one day I'll tell you how I feel
See the light of the satellite tower
The only thing that's blocking our view
Is it telling you what's on my mind
That I think about you all the time
That I wish for it even thought I know not to.

I will rise up, I will
Who was that Phoenix anyway?
Just some bird that flew away
And flies still
Flies still
You know I will

Salamandre

(lyrics by Luther Wright)

I hate the city it brings me down
I'm a country boy I'm new to town
But I never really thought it was gonna be like that
Spent all my money, I'm busted flat

So I'm eating my dinners at the Sally Ann
Met a fellow named Charlie there, a fellow named Stan
And they laugh at my clothes and the way that I talk
Eight a.m. comes and I hit the streets and walk
And the bus stops, the doughnut shops
It's raining out today like it's never gonna stop

And I got the blues
I got nothing left to lose

There's a hole in my shoe and my foot's getting wet
And Nick at the arcade made me a bet
That by Saturday noon when my money's all gone
I'll be heading out of town like another sad, hard luck song
And all the faces on the streets got a look of fear
I can't go home but I hate it here
Oh why'd I ever go and leave the farm anyway?
Thought the city my help me take my blues away
But the cars go by
Tonight I'll stay dry
Sleeping underneath an awning and trying not to cry

I got the blues
I got nothing left to lose

My pappy used to have a little problem drinking scotch
He did a lot of stupid things
We used to hate to watch
But he's cleaned up his act as a matter of fact
Although there's something there we lost
We're never going back

And I got the blues
I got nothing left to lose

And the concrete beneath my feet
Has got inside my soul and it's sucking out the heat.

How deep in the valley

How deep in the valley must you go
To find what your footsteps already know
The way on is the way out
There are signs to follow
There is deep in the valley
And I'm bound to go

How deep in the valley must you stay
To know why your footsteps led you that way
The way on may be truly to stand in one place
And let the deep of the valley
Fill you will grace

And treat yourself lightly
Treat yourself kind
You've got nothing to worry on
You will be fine
You will leave this place laughing
And somebody will cry
There is deep in the valley
Wonder not why

Wonder not why go
Wonder not to stay
If it takes me and I follow
Or if I lead the way
It can come when it wants to
But it might have to wait
There is deep in the valley
I don't hesitate

I don't take it too lightly
But it don't weigh down too low
There is high on the cliff top
And there are deep creeks below
There's a green shade you can't miss
Where the spring water flows
There is deep in the valley
And I'm bound to go

How deep in the valley must you go
To find what your footsteps already know
The way on is the way out
There are signs to follow
There is deep in the valley
And I'm bound to go

The Thief

A new wind will blow
Through everything
Through everything I know

I was looking into every car
Hoping that someone might see and look back
I knew I let it out too far, I watched it go
I couldn't get it all back

Slowed it down below a waltz
Where there was hardly any sway or grace left
It was so slow you could see my faults
Every solitary step and misstep

Down like a leaf in the long grass I lay for hours
The thief made off but not with everything
There was a glow still under the ashes
The past was getting ready to let go
If a new wind would blow

Walking into every room
In the aftermath the place felt haunted
By all the things we didn't do
And the memory of what we wanted

Slowed it down below a waltz
Where there was hardly any sway or grace left
It was so slow you could see all my faults
Every solitary step and misstep

Down like a leaf in the long grass I lay for hours
The thief made off but not with everything
There was a glow still under the ashes
The past was getting ready to let go
If a new wind would blow

A new wind
A new wind would blow

Through everything
Through everything I know
Through everything
Through everything I know

Through everything
A new wind would blow
Through everything
Through everything I know

Captive

I wanna be held captive
Forget the way I acted
It's just I'm out of practice
And distracted

Hold me to this thing darling
And bring a ladder we'll climb to the rafters
As long as there's a view to look to
Fence me in and keep me close to you

I wandered for a long time
I forgot my light
You threw me a lifeline
Pulled me out of the dark night

Hold me to this thing darling
And bring a ladder we'll climb to the rafters
As long as there's a view to look to
Fence me in and keep me close to you

There will always be a lamp lit
Look how far the light is casting
In the soft and steady you can see it
Glowing with a feeling
This feeling

I wanna be held captive
Look at the way I acted
I'm just so out of practice
And distracted

Hold me to this thing darling
And bring a ladder we'll climb to the rafters
As long as there's a view to look to
Fence me in and keep me

Hold me to this thing darling
And bring a ladder we'll climb to the rafters
As long as there's a view to look to
Fence me in and keep me close
Fence me in and keep me close to you

New Loneliness

There is just one apple on the tree
It isn't like I hoped it'd be
Yesterday when there was still you
I looked and I swear that I saw two
Maybe a wandering white-tailed deer
Came in the night to make it even more clear
And left me just one, a Spartan no less
To remind me of my new loneliness

There is just one oar leaning against the wall
What of our plans for paddles in the Fall
With the reeds grown high in a winding maze
We were to follow old waterways
Maybe a hovering dragonfly
Will rest on a cattail and wonder why
There is no clamouring at the shore
Of two in a canoe with each an oar

There is just one pillow on the bed
Where a solitary someone lays her head
And a stack of books meant to be read aloud
Closed and dusty, awaiting a crowd
Maybe a spider in a high corner
Keeps his tiny eye on the still mourner
And waits for the other to slip under the cover
And relight the dark candle lit between lovers
And replay the melody made by two lovers

One Match

If I only had one match left
Would I try to light a fire under you
If I could only say one thing
Would it be what I've been wanting to

Every time I close the gate
I wonder if this is enough
If I only had one match left
I would try to light it between us

If we only spoke with our minds
I would never look you in the eye
‘Cause I think I might've heard somethings
You told me even if you didn't try

All the thoughts that we've been pondering
I think that they'd add up to be enough
If we only spoke with our minds
Our lips might find a way to say so much

Oh little fire sleepy in the coals
Open up the door see a flame unfold
Stoke with words you say and the way you say them
Little fire awaits for you to get close to him

If you only want to stay safe
And tucked under the covers of your bed
I would tell you that I knew what it was like
And of the dreams that I've been living in instead

And those times I close my eyes and wonder
What we could do with this love

If I only had one match left
If I only had one match left
If I only had one match left
I would try to light the fire between us

Careless

Woke up
In my head I heard your voice saying something
Deep in the fog that was covering me
You said, “Why don't you call or at least call back sometime?”
And I fell back to the past and the grace that I lacked
Blind in the praise that was smothering me
Now I've left it so long, coasting along
I know I was wrong

Maybe my carefree has been careless
Maybe the story was half true
All the words that I've held too close to my chest
Are calling on me now to get through

So I thought maybe I'd call and that would be all
Clear out regrets that were hovering here
But how could I get to a place that's so distant now
Back then I knew right away and still I didn't say
Under my breath I was muttering
And from the start I gave just part of my heart
And now I see what I did
What I did

Maybe my carefree has been careless
Maybe the story was half true
All the words that I've held too close to my chest
Are calling on me now to, to get through

Maybe my carefree has been careless
Maybe the story was half true
All the words that I've held too close to my chest
Are calling on me now to get through
To get through

I'll be hollering out the words
That I meant to use
I'll be hollering out the words
That I meant to use

Maybe my carefree has been careless
Maybe the story was half true
All the words that I've held too close to my chest
Are calling on me now to, to get through

Maybe my carefree has been careless
Maybe the story was half true
All the words that I've held too close to my chest
Are calling on me now to, to get through
To get through, to get through, to get through

Washington

I didn't go to Washington instead I swept the floor
The only things I've ever done you can't see anymore
I knew there would be magic but I turned at the last chance
These idle hands are staying scared of making any plans

‘Cause the fire needed tending and the windows are so wide
Sometimes I feel I'm in the world when I'm looking from inside
I will pack down the snow, make a path to the road, and I'll think of the long ride
I hope you don't need snow tires through the Pennsylvania night

I didn't go, I said no, I said no when you asked
The only things I'm feeling are the empty minutes pass
The sun came up and moved around it's down behind a cloud
I didn't go to Washington and you'll be almost there by now

Late Bloomer

Oh late bloomer the rumours were true
You know I checked your ID when you left the room
I didn't want to see it coming, I showed off my heart
Now there's a scar in the shape of a question mark
Oh late bloomer the rumours were true
Scattered leaves are all that's left of you

I never thought I'd be the marrying kind
It was nothing to be always left behind
From the ship that would sail with everyone on it
I said ‘give me the land, I know what I want and where I'm wanted'
But you came in whistling ‘I'll go if you'll go'
And I was waiting around to play like an old piano

And honey I couldn't see the trouble sleeping down deep
Where these lights won't go
I couldn't see the trouble underneath
I set my sights on what was alright
My will didn't know, where these lights won't go
I couldn't see the trouble underneath

Who knew it would be you through the wall
Listening in to a voice on a call
And hearing the strings and a shoot ‘em up show
Little did I know then what little did I know
Long before listening forever
Was shot down before it was ever delivered

And honey I couldn't see the trouble sleeping down deep
Where these lights won't go
I couldn't see the trouble underneath
I set my sights on what was alright
My will didn't know, where these lights won't go
I couldn't see the trouble

Oh late bloomer the rumours were true
You know I checked your ID what was it I knew
I didn't want to see it coming, I showed off my heart
Now there's a scar in the shape of a question mark
Oh late bloomer the rumours were true
And scattered leaves are all that's left of you

And honey I couldn't see the trouble sleeping down deep
Where these lights won't go
I couldn't see the trouble underneath
I set my sights on what was alright
My will didn't know, where these lights won't go
I couldn't see the trouble
I couldn't see the trouble
Oh late bloomer the rumours were true

The City

The city was too late for us
I got there and you wanted to get away
The city was too grey for us
We slept through the blue skies under clouds of the duvet
And the streets were all to straight for us
A parade of nobility seen from above
But the city is to blame for us and what was our love

The city makes you make a fuss
It's places to meet up under the light
The city's got its stake in us
It's keeping receipts of our hello's and our hi's
And everything is made of dust
From the backs of the comets to the little street mice
The city takes so long to get quiet and lust wasn't sleeping that night

Before we knew it we knew it was right
Before we blew it I didn't know that we might
And now it's somebody's story and I'm not sorry that it's mine
Before we knew it we were out of time

The city says ‘oh if I could'
But the rain-soaked battered view makes you not sure
Am I walking in your neighbourhood?
I was just driving by the rained-out streets where we once were
And even though it's way too late
Time seems to have stopped still where we stood
You ran back in and you're somewhere in the city
You're somewhere in the city and I hope you're good

Silverado

(Trevor Henderson)

Hey what about me
When can I tumble like old Neil, ass over heels
When can I float above the road to see how that feels
Who made these promises to raise the hopes of dopes like us
We should know by now but when it comes to dreams we're suckers still
When it comes to dreams we're suckers still

Hey what about me
When can I skip across the dust of my own moon
When can I wave goodbye to a planet laying in ruin
When they're handing out the start command
I'll be an old confused earth bound man
The price was right but it came too late
This engine's fuelled on sour grapes
My engine's fuelled on sour grapes

Hey what about me
When can I tumble like old Neil, ass over heels
When can I float above the road to see how that feels
Who made these promises to raise the hopes of dopes like us
We should know by now but when it comes to dreams we're suckers still
When it comes to dreams we're suckers still

The Marble In Your Eye

You said ‘everything sounds right'
I say ‘everything is beautiful
I'll get to see you tonight
And wake up to your smile'

You said ‘everything sounds right'
And it made me more in love with you
And I think that we just might
Watch this grow awhile

And in your deepest sighs
That say ‘words cannot do justice to the way I feel inside'
A golden light is coming through
The marble in your eye

In the morning sun will rise
The first light hits a disco ball
And we'll try to tell the time
By the scattered patterns on the wall

And I've never been so scared
I never cared that it could get away
Are we gonna do this baby
Say ‘everything sounds right' again ok?

In your deepest sighs
That say ‘words cannot do justice to the way I feel inside'
A golden light is coming through
The marble in your eye
Let it make its way around the room
And we'll try to tell the time

It Will Sail

I think it'll float
I think it'll sail
We may take on waves
Hit a gale
But considering this love
Most everything
Says I think it'll fly
And I think it'll sing

There's a cat on the bed
And a leak in the roof
And I'm pretty sure now
That we don't need more proof
We'll patch it with credit
And we'll pay it on time
Take the helm from me sailor
Take us out of here tonight

Never, never, never
Give up on it
You never know
Wherever you are
You‘ll always be
Surrounded by love

Can we get the ocean to freeze over
Sandy banks of snow across the road
Keep the full moon high over your shoulder
But keep the puck low
We don’t want to go looking for it

In the headlight’s glow
We played til frozen
Until the battery ran low
Until the call of home came calling, calling
Across the air on the wires of wood smoke

Oh I miss you tonight in St Peter’s Bay
And I’ll miss you in the morning
Still we had a good skate, didn’t we babe

I couldn’t get the fire
Of my faith in us
Warm enough to comfort your cold feet
Every little crack in the ice
Seemed to be enough
To make you think you might go under

So stay to the shore
Wonder some more
Reconsider every direction
The ice out here’s black
Only thing looking back
Is my own reflection

Oh I miss you tonight in St Peter’s Bay
And I’ll miss you in the morning
Still we had a good skate, didn’t we babe

Tides will shift
And ice will lift
And creeks will run again with their thundering
And no more I’ll be an island
An island adrift
In an ocean of endless wondering

Oh I miss you tonight in St Peter’s Bay
And I’ll miss you in the morning
Still we had a good skate, didn’t we babe

Oh I miss you tonight in St Peter’s Bay
And I’ll miss you in the morning
Still we had a good skate, didn’t we babe

New Low

I wanna ride this feeling into the night
I wanna see how far
Nights are fleeting, you know they are

I wanna see if we can take this
From flame to fire
Heat is fleeting but hearts are beating hard

Out in the streets three times this week
New threats, new lows
If this gets us to our feet and grows
Who knows

Hey did you stand on side lines
I didn't show up
How did you sleep so long
How many hours 'til doubt moves on

And while we wait in our house slippers
And read about the war
Boiling over
Coming under the door

Out in the streets three times this week
New threats, new lows
If this gets us to our feet and grows
Who knows

New lows, will rise

Look, look, look, look
Look, look, look at your feet
It's a grey area
Somewhere in the fine print buried deep
It's a grey area
Where all the excuses come to meet
It's a grey area
School's betting on fossil fuel
Black and white

Out in the streets three times this week
New threats, new lows
If this gets us to our feet and grows
Who knows

Just Get Here

If I was a crow I'd fly the roads
that wind between these places
Over back lanes and weathered veins
Where creeks have left their traces

Fruit trees planted long ago
Still bloom every other season
Fence won't keep the rabbits out
Gate's always open for some damn reason

Follow and trace the coastline's lace
To a place that's worn and storied
At the end of their chain the Great Lakes drain
Into the old St Lawrence

Oh we've held party or two
Slept a million dreamers
Who woke to find the coffee on
Though the smoke is gone the poetry lingers

If you're too tucked away and you can't see the sun
If you've something to say but you ain't got no one
Whatever you do if you have to use your thumb
Just get here, just come

If you come out at night you'll see the light
And where to make the turn off
But do call ahead we might be in bed
Or writing with our clothes off

Writing under wallpaper
Writing on the womb
Though poets die a lullaby
Still whispers faintly in the room

If you're too tucked away and you can't see the sun
If you've something to say but you ain't got no one
What ever you do if you have to use your thumb
Just get here, just come

If your too tucked away and you can't see the sun
If you've something to say but you ain't got no one
If your hands are getting cold
And you don't know what you've become

If I was a crow I'd fly the roads
That wind between these places
Where poems were read and hungers fed
And hearts were warm and gracious

Did we keep a guestbook somewhere
Or are the records fading
We'll make a vow to start one now
There is still time but it's not waiting

Take Me Out

When it first started the light dimmed in the sky
I saw the look on your face
You will have doubts
And they will all leak out

You started blaming
Aiming things
At anyone in the place
Words you said
I might need help to forget

Take me out in a roaring wind
We'll get lost
We'll throw away the old day

I'm in a dream and I'm searching for something that
I might habe been before I lost my might
Animated light

Take me out in a roaring wind
We'll get lost
We'll throw away the old day

So it's this again
This is when you say
I thought of quitting it
Been thinking it all day

On the sea the lights
They will follow you
Like the lies you told
'Cause you had to

Take me out in a roaring wind
We'll get lost
We'll throw away the old day

Take me out
I mean it, I mean it when I said
Let's get lost
We'll throw away the old day

Squeaking Voices

I'll be on the side of anyone who hides their pain
Standing by the trees waiting on an easier thing

Out of the corner of my eye
I'm waiting for bats to fly
Out of the corner of my ear
I hear squeaking voices

I'll be on the side of anyone who makes a stand
Even if they don't know I'm on their side I am

Out of the corner of your mind
Fallen far behind
Out of the corner of your ear
You'll hear squeaking voices

I'll be on the side of anyone who tries again
And then when they know there is no more go again

Out of the corner of this night
A whistling train going by
Out of the corner of your ear
You know what you'll hear

What I was To You

Are you gone
Good for you to go
I hardly know what that took
So long
I’ll be walking with you if you happen to look
If you look

Back then
You got me on the door
I was too young to get in
Old friend
We'll get you to it now
The show is out of this world
And it's about to begin

I was hoping that we'd get more
We were holding something we'd lose
Except how it felt to know
How much you were loved
And what I was to you
I always knew

First week of school
You came to take me out
We had some drinks on the town
You said
"If they tell you this is the best time in your life
Don't let it get you down"
I know what you've been around

I was hoping that we'd get more
We were holding something we'd lose
Except how it felt to know
How much you were loved
And what I was to you
What I was

Rolling over waves of song and dance
Ride between the wedges and the amps
Tune after tune
And hot afternoons
Under perfect summer moons
Tune after tune

I was hoping that we'd get more
We were holding something we'd lose
Except how it felt to know
How much you were loved
And what I was to you
What I was
What I was to you
I always knew
What I was to you

Rolling over waves of song and dance
Ride between the wedges and the amps
Tune after tune

The Lookout

Wake up every day I wonder what you're thinkin' about the weather
Later in the night I wonder if it's ever gonna clear
If it's raining here I hope that you're not doing any better

I heard it on the wind from some place that I've been and won't go back to
It rattled the lock on an old thought that I was attached to

I heard it in the way, I could hear you saying you might show up
And stand in some back row keeping your head low
There's nowhere I should go with you now
Knowing what I know

(Lookout)
It was something to see and something to be warned about
(Lookout)
Over his shoulder the sign said "Lookout"
(Lookout)
And I climbed blind for the view
Just wanting to be out on the edge with you

I heard it on the wind from some place that I've been and won't go back to
It rattled the lock on an old thought, on an old thought that I was attached to

(Lookout)
It was something to see and something to be warned about
(Lookout)
Over his shoulder the sign said "Lookout"
(Lookout)
And I climbed blind for the view
Just wanting to be out on the edge with you

The beauty of the place was blocked by the way
I held you too close
The beauty of the place was blocked by the way
I held you too close

The beauty of the place was blocked by the way
I held you too close
The beauty of the place was blocked by the way
I held you too close

And you looked alright in that old light
You looked alright in that old light
You looked alright in that old light
You looked alright

Wildlife

Night is lonesome with company
And there's a whirlwind kicking around coming after me
Did I become this way slowly row by row
Or was I always this way but didn't know

My upper canines grew like this one week
Wild hair grew thicker on my brow and on my cheek
I've got special needs not filled by day
I'm scaring all the wildlife away

I am not here at the bar
Because I want to be
I sweep up the mess and lock up the door
Of these memories

Lately I've not been myself
I could go out and seek help
It'd just do more harm than good that way
I'm scaring all the wildlife away

Mine's an adventure just like a child's
Rode out the wind til Martini Henry drove me wild
The stars stared back at me again today
I'm scaring all the wildlife away

I did not force my way
Into this unlocked car
Wholeheartedly

If it was my own I'd take you out
To look at the stars
If they weren't after me

Heaven be silent
Heaven it takes too long to get back
And I know that I'd miss my ride

Cowbirds

He didn't want you to see him there
Standing in the middle of the road
Flags were up on mailboxes
But he didn't know where to go

She didn't want you to see her like that
Anything at all she could explain
Some would say she was a con all the way
And you were her latest campaign

Who knew
How low they flew
Cowbirds in the neighbourhood
Start with a loan
They'll take your home eventually

He knows he shouldn't but he kinda misses them
I almost said "You heard of Stockholm Syndrome?"
But it's a bit too soon for that

He didn't want to get pushed around
But he couldn't seem to find the words to say it
Thought he was doing a favour when the chips were down
And they would be good to repay it

We didn't want to get too involved
Booze was in the air when he'd come over
He would knock on the door with some nothing to ask
He was just needing a shoulder

Who knew
How low they flew
Cowbirds in the neighbourhood
Start with a loan
They'll take your home eventually

He knows he shouldn't but he kinda misses them
I almost said "You heard of Stockholm Syndrome?"
But it's a bit too soon for that

Now they're in another city
And they're down another road
You think this place looks sleepy
But it's wilder than you know

They'll be out looking for a new home
You should know
They'll be out looking for a new home
You should know

Now you know
Now you know
Now you know

Little frogs

One, two, three

Pink fingerlings and Yukon Golds dug up and drying on the floor
Little frogs on the front lawn I didn't kill in the mower
Phoebe back to build again above the basement door
Dry owl wings and other things I'm wildly grateful for

September sun and weekday fun and being up when cars aren't cruising
Morning mist that slowly lifts and the daylight that we're losing
'Cause there's more time with the stars that way
I'll hang on conversations
Between the Queen of Ethiopia and some of her relations

All that I love Rain at night
Shadows that fall in the backyard moonlight
Whatever it was we heard in the woods
That we may never see
Who doesn't love a mystery

Unexpected lunch dates with my sweetheart in the townships
Hardly even noticing these depressing surroundings
'Cause there's more time with his eyes that way
I'm lost in their affections
The warmest brown is eiderdown
It's sacred ground to rest in

All that I love Rain at night
Shadows that fall in the backyard moonlight
Whatever it was we heard in the woods
That we may never see
Who doesn't love a mystery

Pink fingerlings and Yukon Golds dug up and drying on the floor
Little frogs on the front lawn I didn't kill in the mower
Phoebe back to build again above the basement door
Dry owl wings and other things I'm wildly grateful for

Shoemaker

What did it take to take all of your things
At least what you could carry
Full of promise and grim thoughts that you could crown in the water

Just the special things
Your wool, a ring, a book you bring for guidance
In a box that someone will watch as you push past the safety
Of home islands

A lonely sky
A shoemaker's eye
Had never seen a horizon
So wide

In the closet there's pioneer pages
Passed along, I'm him and I'm her
Who thinks of them now, their far asay gazes
Just a face sent to the future

I was late to see it coming
It's been hard to watch it go
And I miss that way of knowing
I'll never know

So long this time
It's the end of a line
It's the end of a line that we're coming to

So long this time
It's the end of a line
It's the end of a line that we're coming to

So long this time
It's the end of a line
It's the end of a line that we're coming to

So long this time
It's the end of a line
It's the end of a line that we come to
That we come to
We're coming to

See Her Wave (For Jacqui)

See her sailing
Hold the rigging
She is stronger than you're thinking
Smiles as wide as waves that break
See her wave, she's on her way

Her galley holds a treat or two
Labrador Caribou
"Happy, happy, happy dead
That's the kind you want" she said

I'll see you high in the hills
I can imagine you there
But I knew you most at the shore
At a bar or a show
In Bonne Bay on a roll

"All the hours you spend on him
His every doubt, his every whim
React, react, react and then no time for yourself"
She said

I'll see you high in the hills
I can imagine you there
I knew you most at the shore
At a bar or a show
In Bonne Bay on a roll

See her sailing, hold the rigging
Looking out at water gleaming
Eyes as wide as waves that break
See her wave, she's on her way