Iris DeMent Album

(Iris DeMent)

Sweet is the melody, so hard to come by
It's so hard to make every note bend just right
You lay down the hours and leave not one trace
but a tune for the dancing is there in it's place

The dance floor's for gliding and not jumping over ponies
where boots and gold bracelets come and meet as they should
It's for celebrating a Friday night romance
forgetting the bad stuff and just feeling good

Sweet is the melody, so hard to come by
It's so hard to make every note bend just right
You lay down the hours and leave not one trace
but a tune for the dancing is there in it's place

An arm's just an arm 'til it's wrapped 'round a shoulder
looped side by side they go stepping out together
A note's just a note 'til you wake from your slumber
and dare to discover the new melody

Sweet is the melody, so hard to come by
It's so hard to make every note bend just right
You lay down the hours and leave not one trace

(Iris DeMent)

You told me that you wished that things had not turned out this way
You never thought there'd come a time when you would go away
But you stayed right there beside me even when the love was gone
and just because I'm hurting
that don't mean that you've done something wrong

You said that you were sorry and you'd take all the blame
but we both shared the gamble so let's both share the pain
Like a breeze that blew across us, love just moved along
and just because I'm hurting
that don't mean that you've done something wrong

We were happy for awhile dear, but that's all over now
I'll pick up the pieces and I'll get along somehow
But it all came back too clearly in my bed, alone, tonight
as I was lying here just waiting for that early morning light

Now you've gone so far away, dear, and these words I cannot say
I cursed at you for leaving, slammed the door and ran away
In your face I saw the sadness, but I've waited now too long
to tell you, "I still love you, and you've done nothing wrong"

We were happy for awhile dear, but that's all over now
I'll pick up the pieces and I'll get along somehow
But it all came back too clearly in my bed, alone, tonight

(Iris DeMent)

I woke up this morning without you
Don't ask me how but I go t through
The floor of this room I've been pacing
trying to drown out the sound my heart's making
It's calling for you

We said, "It looks like we won't make it.
You hurt me, I hurt you, and we can't take it".
so we fixed it, we thought, just by leaving
but the heart, it's too wise for deceiving
and it's calling for you

You've had enough, I know I've had enough
and we don't know what else now to do
We could both walk away but there's too much at stake
you love me and I know I love you

I walked over and I opened the curtain
It's pouring down rain and, man, it's hurting
The phone on the table is ringing
and I knew before I heard you speaking
you were calling for me

You've had enough, I know I've had enough
and we don't know what else now to do
We could both walk away but there's too much at stake
you love me and I know I love you

I woke up this morning without you
Don't ask me how but I go t through
The floor of this room I've been pacing
trying to drown out the sound my heart's making

(Iris DeMent)

Fireflies inside of a mason jar
acting big behind the wheel of daddy's car
Playing church around the old piano stand,
you were quite a preacher and we sang so grand
I remember every night what we would say and do
"If you've forgiven me, then I've forgiven you".
And now when life begins to get the best of me
I reminisce these childhood memories

We built a raft and traveled all around the world
and stopped for penny candy at the corner store
You let me fly your kite but when I dropped the string
I thought my life was over, but Mama rescued me
When I was just a kid you taught my prayers to me
then you turned around and you told me about those birds and bees
Come what may, you've been endeared to me
because we share these childhood memories

Time, it moved so fast, those days are over now
We've all gone our separate ways, but still somehow
I often need to telephone and talk to you
to see if you remember things the way I do
It won't be too much longer 'til we'll be old and gray
winding up our travels here on life's highway,
but no matter where I roam I've got you here with me

(Iris DeMent)

My father died a year ago today,
the rooster started crowing when they carried Dad away
There beside my mother, in the living room, I stood
with my brothers and my sisters knowing Dad was gone for good

Well, I stayed at home just long enough to lay him in the ground
and then I caught a plane to do a show up north in Detroit town
because I'm older now and I've got no time to cry

I've got no time to look back, I've got no time to see
the pieces of my heart that have been ripped away from me
and if the feeling starts to coming, I've learned to stop 'em fast
`cause I don't know, if I let them go, they might not wanna pass
And there's just so many people trying to get me on the phone
and there's bills to pay, and songs to play, and a house to make a home
I guess I'm older now and I've got no time to cry

I can still remember when I was a girl
but so many things have changed so much here in my world
I remember sitting on the front porch when an ambulance went by
and just listening to those sirens I would breakdown and cry

But now I'm walking and I'm talking doing just what I'm supposed to do
working overtime to make sure that I don't come unglued
I guess I'm older now and I've got no time to cry

I've got no time to look back, I've got no time to see
the pieces of my heart that have been ripped away from me
and if the feeling starts to coming, I've learned to stop 'em fast
`cause I don't know, if I let them go, they might not wanna pass
And there's just so many people trying to get me on the phone
and there's bills to pay, and songs to play, and a house to make a home
I guess I'm older now and I've got no time to cry

Now I sit down on the sofa and I watch the evening news
there's a half a dozen tragedies from which to pick and choose
The baby that was missing was found in a ditch today
and there's bombs a-flying and people dying not so far away
I'll take a beer from the 'fridgerator and go sit out in the yard
and with a cold one in my hand I'm gonna bite down and swallow hard

(Maybelle Carter/E.J. Carter/Dixie Deen)

Troublesome waters, much blacker than night,
are hiding from view the harbour's bright light
Tossed on the turmoil of life's troubled sea
I cried to my Saviour, "Have mercy on me".

Then gently I'm feeling the touch of his hand
guiding my boat in safely to land
Leading the way to heaven's bright shore
where troublesome waters I'm fearing no more

Troublesome waters around me do roll
They're rocking my boat and wrecking my soul
Loved ones are drifting and living in sin
the treacherous whirlpools are pulling them in

Then gently I'm feeling the touch of his hand
guiding my boat in safely to land
Leading the way to heaven's bright shore
where troublesome waters I'm fearing no more

When troublesome waters are rolling so high
I lift up my voice and to heaven and cry
Lord, I am trusting, give guidance to me
and steady my boat on life's troubled sea

Then gently I'm feeling the touch of his hand
guiding my boat in safely to land
Leading the way to heaven's bright shore

(Lefty Frizzell)

I'd walk for miles, cry and smile for my Mama and Daddy
I want them, I want them to know how I feel
My love is real for my Mama and Daddy
I want them to know I love them so

And in my heart, joy tears start `cause I'm happy
and I pray every day for Ma and Pappy
and each night I'd walk for miles, cry and smile
for my Mama and Daddy

(Iris DeMent)

Standing barefoot on a cold wood floor
Looking out the window of my back door
If it keeps on raining I think the whole damn house is gonna float away
The alarm was buzzing at the break of dawn
My husband asking "Is the coffee on?"
and easy's gettin' harder every day

I'll drop the baby off at school at nine
and bust the lights to get to work on time
where I'll be staring at the clock just waiting to knock off another day
When supper's done we'll watch some TV show
of a bunch of folks who've never heard of Idaho
where easy's gettin' harder every day

I had a garden but my flowers died
There ain't much living here inside
Lately I don't know what I'm holding on to
Wish I could run away to Couer d'Alene
take nothing with me, not even my name
'cause easy's gettin' harder every day

We make love and we kiss goodnight,
he rolls over and he's out like a light
But I ain't mad about it, we got nothing to talk about anyway
The lights are blinking on the radio tower
I lie awake and stare at them for hours and hours
'cause easy's gettin' harder every day

I had a garden but my flowers died
There ain't much living here inside
Lately I don't know what I'm holding on to
I'll never make it up to Couer d'Alene
There ain't no chance of me forgetting my name
and easy, it keeps on gettin' harder every day

(Iris DeMent)

I looked up into heaven, I thought I'd solve life's mysteries
I observed the constellations for a clue to my destiny
but the rhyme of life confounds me,
things will be as things will be
so I'll just dance the shores of Jordan 'til the angels carry me

I traveled to a prison, saw my share of shattered dreams
Were the tables slightly tilted?
I could be bound, they could be free
but I believe no tear goes wasted and so I fell there on my knees
and vowed I'd dance the shores of Jordan 'til the angels carried me

I'm gonna let my feet go dancing to my very favourite songs
'cause I know the time for leaving is bound to come before too long
and there ain't no way of me knowing how tomorrow's gonna be
so I'll just dance the shores of Jordan 'til the angels carry me

I saw a weary traveler heading down a dusty road
I said "Friend, please may I help you,
it seems you haul a heavy load"
and he said "Though my burden's heavy,
in my heart I'm travelling light
so I can cross old river Jordan when I'm called to the other side"

I'm gonna let my feet go dancing to my very favourite songs
'cause I know the time for leaving is bound to come before too long
and there ain't no way of me knowing how tomorrow's gonna be

(Iris DeMent)

My life, it don't count for nothing
when I look at this world I feel so small
My life, it's only a season
a passing September that no one will recall

But I gave joy to my mother and I made my lover smile
and I can give comfort to my friends when they're hurting
and I can make it seem better for a while

My life, it's half the way traveled
and still I have not found my way out of this night
My life, it's tangled in wishes
and so many things that just never turned out right

But I gave joy to my mother and I made my lover smile
and I can give comfort to my friends when they're hurting