Joni Mitchell Album

At the far end of the midway
by the double ferris wheel
There's a band that plays so snakey
You can't help how you feel
Emmie Mae ran away
With a man as dark as night
You can see him, if you go there
Second trumpet to the right

They play "Night Train"
So snakey
Black girls dancing
Long and lanky
Barkers barking
Step right up, folks!
The show is about to begin
It's Harlem in Havana time
Step right in!
Silver spangles
See 'em dangle in the farm boy's eyes
Hootchie kootchie
Auntie Ruthie would've cried
If she knew we were on the inside.

When Emmie Mae ran away
She came back a bottle blonde
God! The gossips had a gourmet feast
Chomping on how she was born
But miracle of miracles
Cuz we were underage
She got us nearly front row seats
To the right side of the stage
See that tall girl?
That's a man
That one, too
Big yellow feather fan
Barkers barking
Step right up, folks!
The show is about to begin
It's Harlem in Havana time
Step right in!
Silver spangles
See 'em dangle in the farm boy's eyes
Hootchie kootchie
Auntie Ruthie would've died
If she knew we were on the inside.

Since I lost you
I can't get through the day
Without at least one big boo-hoo
The pain won't go away
What am I gonna do?
Man from Mars
This time you went too far

I fall apart
Everytime I think of you
Swallowed by the dark
There is no center to my life now
No grace in my heart
Man from Mars
This time you went too far

I call and call
The silence is so full of sounds
You're in them all
I hear you in the water
And the wiring in the walls
Man from Mars
This time you went too far

He said "You think you're a lady
But I know you're a woman
We are as young as the night"
I said "No telephones ringing
No company coming
Just the lap of the lake and the firelight"
And the lonely loon and the crescent moon
What a pocket of heavenly grace
But in France they say
Everyday
Love puts on a new face
Love has many faces

About a month or so later he said
"Why can't you be happy
You make me feel helpless when you get this way"
I said "I'm up to my neck in alligators
Jaws gnashing at me
Each one trying to pull a piece away"
Darling, you can't slay these beasts of prey
Some bad dreams even love can't erase
But in France they say
Everyday
Love puts on a new face
Love has many faces

He said "I wish you were with me here
The leaves are electric
They burn on the river bank
Countless heatless flames"
I said "Send me some pictures then
And I'll paint pyrotechnic
Explosions of your autumn till we meet again
I miss your touch and your lips so much
I long for our next embrace"
But in France they say
Everyday
Love puts on a new face
Love puts on a new face
Love has many faces
Many many faces

"Kiss my ass!" I said
and I threw my drink
Tequila trickling
Down his business suit
Must be the Irish blood
Fight before you think
Turn it now
You can't cowtow
You can't undo it
It's his town
And that went down
Like a lead balloon
Lead lead lead lead balloon
He said "Sic her, Rover"
That went over
Like a lead balloon
Lead lead lead lead balloon
Lead balloon

An angry man is just an angry man
But an angry woman
Bitch!
I had to ask him for a helping hand
It came with the heart
Of a Bonaparte
Of a frozen fish
It's his town
And that went down
Like a lead balloon
Lead lead lead lead balloon
He said "Sic her, Rover"
That went over
Like a lead balloon
Lead lead lead lead balloon
Lead balloon

Lead balloon, lead lead lead lead balloon
Lead balloon, lead lead lead lead balloon
Lead balloon, lead lead lead lead balloon
Lead balloon

It's his town
and that went down
Like a lead balloon
Lead lead lead balloon
He said "Sic her, Rover"
That went over
Like a lead balloon
Lead lead lead lead balloon
Lead balloon
Lead lead lead lead balloon
Lead lead lead lead balloon
Lead balloon

The general offered
No apologies
He said "The soldiers erred in judgement
They should have hired a hooker"
No apologies
to the outraged Japanese
No "Sorry little girl"
The pigs just took her
Tireskids and teethmarks
What happened to this place?
Lawyers and loan sharks
Are laying America to waste

Freddie said that "Juan thinks, I think
He's the devil"
What a lofty title
For such a petty little tyrant
Bigger beasts abound
And they kick this world around
At this crazy speed
With violence and greed
Tireskids and teethmarks
What happened to this place?
Lawyers and loan sharks
Are laying America to waste

So what makes a man a man
In these tough times
As druglords buy up the banks
And warlords radiate the oceans
Ecosystems fail
Snakes and snails and puppy tails
Are wagging in the womb
Beneath the trampled moon
Tireskids and teethmarks
What happened to this place?
Lawyers and loan sharks
Are laying America to waste

The general offered
No apologies

I stepped outside to breathe the air
And stare up at the stars
Big dipper hanging there
Over the rented car
Over the rented car
I'm a runaway from the record biz
From the hoods in the hood and the whiny white kids
Boring!
The old man is snoring
And I'm taming the tiger
(You can't tame the tiger)
Tiger, tiger burning bright
Nice, kitty kitty
Tiger, tiger burning bright

Sophia says "It's hard to catch
And harder still to ride
The time to watch the beast the best
Is when it's purring at your side"
Purring at your side
Accolades and honors
One false move and you're a goner
Boring!
The old man is snoring
And I'm taming the tiger
(You can't tame the tiger)
Tiger, tiger burning bright
Nice, kitty kitty
Tiger, tiger burning bright
In the forest of the night

The moon shed light
On my hopeless plight
As the radio blared so bland
Every disc, a poker chip
Every song just a one night stand
Formula music, girly guile
Genuine junkfood for juveniles
Up and down the dial
Mercenary style

I watched the stars chuck down their spears
And a plane went blinking by
And I thought of Anna
Wild and dear
Like fireworks in the sky
Fireworks in the sky
I'm so sick of this game
It's hip, it's hot
Life's too short, the whole thing's gotten
Boring!
The old man is snoring
And I'm taming the tiger
(You can't tame the tiger)
Tiger, tiger burning bright
Nice, kitty kitty
(Boring!)
Tiger, tiger burning bright
(You can't tame the tiger)
Oh, be nice, kitty kitty
(Boring!)
Tiger, tiger burning bright
Nice, kitty kitty
(Boring, boring!)
Tiger, tiger burning bright
(Fight to the light, fight to the light)
In the forest of the night

It was a dark and a stormy night
Everyone was at the wing-ding
They weren't the wing-ding type
So they went up on the train bridge
Where the weather was howling
And oh, oh, my my
When that train comes rolling by
No paper thin walls, no folks above
No one else can hear
The crazy cries of love

They were laughing, they were dancing in the rain
They knew their love was a strong one
When they heard the far off whistle of a train
They were hoping it was going to be a long one
Cuz oh, oh, my my
When that train comes rolling by
No paper thin walls, no folks above
No one else can hear
The crazy cries of love

In the back booth of an all night cafe
Two dripping raincoats are hanging
Outside in the weather
The shade on the streetlight is clanging
And they smile ear to ear and eye to eye
Ice cream is melting on a piece of pie
Oh, my my
No one else can hear
The cries of love

Every kiss was sweet and strong
Every touch was totally tandem
As the train come a-rumbling along
They sang a lover's song of wild abandon
And oh, oh, my my
When that train comes rolling by
No paper thin walls, no folks above
No one else can hear
The crazy cries of love
No paper thin walls, no folks above
No one else can hear
The crazy cries of love

This is really something
People will be envious
But our roles aren't clear
So we musn't rush
Still, we're burning brightly
Clinging like fire to fuel
I'm grinning like a fool
Stay in touch
We should stay in touch
Oh! Stay in touch
In touch

Part of this is permanent
Part of this is passing
So we must be loyal and wary
Not to give away too much
Til we build a firm foundation
And empty out old habits
Old habits
Stay in touch
We should stay in touch
Oh! Stay in touch
In touch

During times like these
The wise or influential
They can bear the imperfections
They can keep the money
No doubt about it
No doubt that's essential
No doubt that's always been a tricky one for me
So, we should just surrender
Let fate and duty shape us
Let light hearts remake us
Let the worries hush
In the middle of this continent
In the middle of our time on Earth
We perceive one another
Stay in touch
We should stay in touch
Oh! Stay in touch
In touch

I went so numb on Christmas day
I couldn't feel my hands or feet
I shouldn't have come
She made me pay
For gleaming with Donald down her street
She put blame on him
And shame on me
She made it all seem so tawdry and cheap
"Oh, let's be nice, Mama, open up your gifts
You know, happiness is the best facelift"

I mean, after all, she introduced us
Oh, but she regrets that now
Shacked up downtown
Making love without a license
Same old sacred cow
She said, "Did you come home to disgrace us?"
I said, "Why is this joy not allowed?
For God's sake, I'm middle-aged, Mama
And time moves swift
And you know happiness is the best facelift"

Oh, love takes so much courage
Love takes so much shit
He said "You've seen too many movies, Joni"
She said "Snap out of it!"
Oh, the cold winds blew at our room with a view
All helpful and hopeful and candlelit
We kissed the angels and the moon eclipsed
You know, Happiness is the best facelift

We pushed the bed up to the window
To see the Christmas lights
On the east bank across the steaming river
Between the bridges lit up Paris-like
This river has run through both our lives
Between these banks of our continuing delights
Bless us, don't let us lose the drift
You know, Happiness is the best facelift.

(Isham Jones and Gene Willaden)

So here's to you
May your dreams come true
May old father time
Never be unkind
And through the years
Save your smiles and your tears
They're just souvenirs
They'll make music in your heart
Remember this
Each new day is a kiss
Sent from up above
With an angel's love
So here's to you
May your skies be blue
And your love blessed
That's my best to you

Remember this
Each new day is a kiss
Sent from up above
With an angel's love
So here's to you
May your skies be blue
And your love blessed
That's my very best to you

(Instrumental)