Jim Croce Album

Like the pine trees lining the winding road
I got a name, I got a name
Like the singing bird and the croaking toad
I got a name, I got a name
And I carry it with me like my daddy did
But I'm living the dream that he kept hid

Moving me down the highway
Rolling me down the highway
Moving ahead so life won't pass me by

Like the north wind whistling down the sky
I've got a song, I've got a song
Like the whippoorwill and the baby's cry
I've got a song, I've got a song
And I carry it with me and I sing it loud
If it gets me nowhere, I go there proud

Moving me down the highway
Rolling me down the highway
Moving ahead so life won't pass me by

And I'm gonna go there free

Like the fool I am and I'll always be
I've got a dream, I've got a dream
They can change their minds but they can't change me
I've got a dream, I've got a dream
Well, I know I can share it if you want me to
If you're going my way, I'll go with you

Moving me down the highway
Rolling me down the highway
Moving ahead so life won't pass me by
Moving me down the highway
Rolling me down the highway
Moving ahead so life won't pass me by

I guess that it was bound to happen
Was just a matter of time
Now I've come to my decision
And its a-one of the painful kind
'Cause now it seems that you wanted a martyr
Just a regular guy wouldn't do
But baby I can't hang upon no lover's cross for you

You really gotta hand it to ya
'Cause girl you really tried
But for ev'ry time that we spent laughin'
There were two times that I cried
And you were tryin' to make me your martyr
And that's the one thing I just couldn't do
'Cause baby I can't hang upon no lover's cross for you

'Cause tables are meant for turnin'
And people are bound to change
And bridges are meant for burnin'
When the people and mem'ries they join aren't the same

Still I hope that you can find another
Who can take what I could not
He'll have to be a super guy
Or maybe a super god
'Cause I never was much of a martyr before
And I ain't 'bout to start nothin' new
And baby I can't hang upon no lover's cross for you

'Cause tables are meant for turnin'
And people are bound to change
And bridges are meant for burnin'
When the people and mem'ries they join aren't the same

But I hope that you can find another
Who can take what I could not
He'll have to be a super guy
Or maybe a super god
'Cause I never was much of a martyr before
And I ain't 'bout to start nothin' new
And baby I can't hang upon no lover's cross for you

Well, she was standing by my dressing room after the show
Asking for my autograph and asked if she could go
Back to my motel room
But the rest is just a tragic tale
Because five short minutes of lovin'
Done brought me twenty long years in jail

Well, like a fool in a hurry I took her to my room
She casted me in plaster while I sang her a tune
Then I said, 'Ooh, ooee! Sure was a tragic tale
Because five short minutes of lovin'
Done brought me twenty long years in jail'

Well, then a judge and a jury sat me in a room
They say that robbin' the cradle is worse than robbin' the tomb

Then I said "Ooh, ooee! Sure was a tragic tale'
(Wasn't worth it, wasn't worth it!)
'Because five short minutes of lovin'
Done brought me twenty long years in jail'

And when I get out of this prison gonna be forty-five
I'll know I used to like to do it but I won't remember why
(Wasn't worth it, wasn't worth it!)
I'll say, 'Ooh, ooee! Sure was a tragic tale
Because five short minutes of lovin'
Done brought me twenty long years in jail'

'Because five short minutes of lovin'
Done brought me twenty long years in jail'

I've been up and down and around and 'round and back again,
I've been so many places I can't remember where or when.
And my only boss was the clock on the wall and my only friend
Never really was a friend at all.

I've traded love for pennies, sold my soul for less,
Lost my ideals in that long tunnel of time.
I've turned inside out and around about and back and then
Found myself right back where I started again.

Once I had myself a million, now I've only got a dime,
The diff'rence don't seem quite as bad today.
With a nickel or a million, I was searching all the time
For something that I never lost or left behind.

I've traded love for pennies, sold my soul for less,
Lost my ideals in that long tunnel of time.
I've turned inside out and around about and back and then
Found myself right back where I started again.

And Now I'm in my second circle and I'm headin' for the top,
I've learned a lot of things along the way.
I'll be careful while I'm climbin' 'cause it hurts a lot to drop,
When you're down nobody gives a damn anyway.

I've traded love for pennies, sold my soul for less,
Lost my ideals in that long tunnel of time.
I've turned inside out and around about and back and then
Found myself right back where I started again.

Well, I had just got out from the county prison
Doin ninety days for non-support
Tried to find me an executive position
But no matter how smooth I talked
They wouldnt listen to the fact that I was a genius
The man say, we got all that we can use.
Now i got them steadily depressin, low down mind messin
Working at the car wash blues

Well, I should be sittin in an air conditioned office in a swivel chair
Talkin some trash to the secretaries
Sayin, here, now mama, come on over here.
Instead, Im stuck here rubbin these fenders with a rag
And walkin home in soggy old shoes
With them steadily depressin, low down mind messin
Workin at the car wash blues

You know a man of my ability
He should be smokin on a big cigar
But till I get myself straight I guess Ill just have to wait
In my rubber suit a-rubbin these cars

Well, all I can do is a shake my head
You might not believe that its true
For workin at this end of niagara falls
Is an undiscovered howard hughes
So baby, dont expect to see me
With no double martini in any high-brow society news
Cause I got them steadily depressin, low down mind messin
Workin at the car wash blues
So baby, dont expect to see me
With no double martini in any high-brow society news
Cause I got them steadily depressin, low down mind messin
Workin at the car wash blues
Yeah I got them steadily depressin, low down mind messin
Workin at the car wash blues

Well, I know it's kinda late.
I hope I didn't wake you.
But what I gotta say can't wait,
I know you'd understand.

Every time I tried to tell you,
The words just came out wrong,
So I'll have to say I love you in a song.

Yeah, I know it's kinda strange.
Every time I'm near you,
I just run out of things to say.
I know you'd understand.

Every time I tried to tell you,
The words just came out wrong,
So I'll have to say I love you in a song.

Every time the time was right,
All the words just came out wrong,
So I'll have to say I love you in a song

Yeah, I know it's kinda late.
Hope I didn't wake you,
But there's something I just gotta say.
Know you'd understand.

Every time I tried to tell you,
The words just came out wrong
So I'll have to say I love you in a song.

Sometimes I think about our good old high school days
You would always kid about my adolescent ways
Oh, Mary, Mary, good to see you too
Haven't seen to many of the old crew
The time just flew, and how are you?

Strange we should meet here
Seeing off our friends

It's hard to draw the line between
Beginnings and ends
Oh, Mary, Mary, must you go so soon?
We must be a sight to see
Salon and Saloon
I'll look you up soon
Maybe sing you a tune

Well it started out just like a dream
And like a dream I knew that what we had,
Would have to end
Cuz I was lookin' for a,
Lifetime lover and,
You were lookin' for a friend
Someone to be there
After all your night time lovers had gone,
The way they came
Someone who knew the way
And helped to play your daytime game
It's not the same

Well I started out pretending that I'd,
Come to mean enough to you to make,
You want to change
Then I came to realize that
There was just too much of you you'd have,
To rearrange
And I couldn't bear to wait around
For all your night time lovers to go,
The way they came
And it came to hurt too much for me
To have to play your daytime games
No one's to blame

Well it started out just like a dream
And like a dream I knew that what we had,
Would have to end
Cuz I was lookin' for a,
Lifetime lover and,
You were lookin' for a friend
I was lookin' for a,
Lifetime lover and,
You were lookin' for a friend

Well, if you're lookin' for a good time
Look hard as you want but you ain't gonna find
The kind of good times you will
Come every Friday and Saturday evening at the Top Hat Bar and Grill

Well, at the Top Hat Bar and Grill
There is a waitress name of Lil
Well, she's a honky tonky, little bit chunky, divorcee

She wears the tight hippy hugger slacks
You can believe me when I tell you jack
That she's a dancin', prancin', hard romancin',
P-I-E-C-E

And she can do the boogie woogie
She can do the boogaloo
And she can do the hoochie coochie
And she knows how to nasty too

So, if you're lookin' for a good time
Look hard as you want but you ain't gonna find
The kind of good times you will
Come every Friday and Saturday evening at the Top Hat Bar and Grill

Well, at the Top Hat Bar and Grill
They've got this bouncer name of Gil

Well, he's a honky tonky heavily funky ex-Marine

He wears the skin-tight body builder shirts
And jack he'll knock you out into the dirt
But, if you got you no money or you try to get funny
Then, brother you gonna see

That man's gonna do the boogie woogie
He gonna do the boogaloo
He gonna do the hoochie coochie
And he'll be doin' all his dancin' on you

So, if you're lookin' for a good time
Look hard as you want but you ain't gonna find
The kind of bad times you will
Come every Friday and Saturday evening at the Top Hat Bar and Grill

Lookin' for a good time

Lookin' for a bad time

So, if you're lookin' for a good time
The parties you want but you ain't gonna find
The kind of good times you will
Come every Friday and Saturday evening at the Top Hat Bar and Grill

Used to be that I could see
A reason to be happy
'Cause I was free
But then, recently it seems
I've been lettin' your mem'ry get to me

Used to be that I could pretend
That I wasn't really hurt back then
But then, recently it seems
I've been lettin' your mem'ry get to me
'Cause

Mem'ries can be friends
Mem'ries can be friends

Or they can take you to a place
That you never thought you'd be again
And take you to a place
That you never ever thought
That you would see again

Doesn't matter now who was wrong
The future is tomorrow
'Cause the past is gone
And I'm findin' that I'm not as strong
As I thought that I used to be
'Cause, recently it seems
I've been lettin' your mem'ry get to me

Yeah, I've had my share of broken dreams
And more than a couple of falls
And in chasin' what I thought were moonbeams
I have run into a couple of walls
But in looking back at the places I've been
The changes that I've left behind
I just look at myself to find
I've learned the hard way every time

'Cause I've had my share of good intentions
And I've made my share of mistakes
And I've learned at times it's best to bend
'Cause if you don't well those are the breaks
Should have listened to all the things I was told
But I was young and too proud at the time
Now I look at myself to find
I learn the hard way ev'ry time

But in looking back at the lessons I've learned
And the mountains I wanted to climb
I just look at myself to find
I've learned the hard way ev'ry time

'Cause I've had my share of broken dreams
And more than a couple of falls
And in chasin' what I thought were moonbeams
I have run into a couple of walls
But in looking back at the faces I've been
I would sure be the first one to say
When I look at myself today
Wouldn'ta done it any other way