The Band Album

Now it's so cold in your doorway that I can hardly breathe
You know I wanna lay down but I'm afraid I'll freeze.
I've spent my last lone dollar getting in the shape that I'm in
And runnin' from the border just as fast as they can.
Well, last September I was on a roll
Now I'm out here trying to save my soul.

You've got the cure, you hold the key,
You've got the remedy.
Once I was blind, now I see
You got the remedy.

I believe you got in something just like a stingray
And when you turn on your moves you put the hurt on me.
Well, I might get better but I won't get well
Until I'm over the line and I'm under your spell.
I'm like a spider crawlin' up your wall,
Hear something funny, it's my matin' call.

You've got the cure, you hold the key,
You've got the remedy.
Once I was blind, now I see
You got the remedy.

Been knocking on your window, a-peeking through the blinds
Honey, come here a-runnin', won't you take your time.
And now I ain't no preacher man, I ain't no preacher's son
But I'll be singing hallelujah when I see you come.
I left my mind at the fork in the road
I' m out here haulin' a heavy load.

You've got the cure, you hold the key,
You've got the remedy.
Once I was blind, now I see
You got the remedy.

You've got the cure, you hold the key,
You've got the remedy.
It goes to show
It's plain to see
You got the remedy.

Seen the arrow on the door post saying "This land is condemned"
All the way from New Orleans to Jerusalem
I traveled through East Texas where many martyrs fell
And I know one thing, nobody can sing them blues like Blind Willie McTell

Well, I heard the hoot-owl singing as they were taking down the tents
The stars above all the barren trees were his only audience
Yeah, them charcoal gypsy maidens can strut their feathers well
And I know one thing, nobody can sing them blues like Blind Willie McTell

See them big plantations a-burning, can't you hear the cracking of the whips
Smell that sweet magnolia blossom blooming, see the ghosts of the slavery ships
Well, I can hear them tribes a-moanin', I can hear the undertaker's bell
And I know one thing, nobody can sing them blues like Blind Willie McTell

There's a woman she's standing by the river, she is with some fine young handsome man
See he's all dressed just like a squire, he's got bootleg whiskey in his hand
Yeah, there's a chain-gang out on the highway and I can hear them rebels yell
And I know one thing, nobody can sing them blues like Blind Willie McTell

God, oh God is in Heaven and we all want what is His
But the power and greed, the corruptible seed seems to be all that there is
Hey, hey, I'm a-gazing out the window of the St. James Hotel
And I know one thing, nobody can sing them blues like Blind Willie McTell
Hey, hey, I know one thing, nobody can sing them blues like Blind Willie McTell

They should have known that trouble was brewing
They should have seen what the old men knew
They should have shut us down
When the hail fell to the ground
From a cloudy sky of baby blue

Three o'clock on a cold, cold morning
The big bell wailed as if on cue
A woman's scream was heard
And the news came afterwards
"It's a blow out down in Number Two!"

Down in Jericho Kentucky
The mines have all caved in
Down in Jericho
Broken hearts don't mend
Tear stained eyes of kin
Never ever seen what the future might have been

The hat lamps burned with a flame like lightning
The coal dust blanketed the morning dew
The young ones looked for kin
And the blind man, he looks grim
'Cause he sees there's nothing that he can do

They pumped up the mud and they chunked out water
They scratched the earth till it turned to sand
And a half mile down below
It's a lost cause the miners know
Meet your maker, boys, the time's at hand

Down in Jericho, Kentucky
The mines have all caved in
Down in Jericho
Broken hearts don't mend
Tears stained eyes of kin
Never ever seen
What their future might have been

The fire boss's hands are clean as a whistle
The fat cat knows he's a company man
But he should have bowed down his head
When they hauled out all the dead
But it's business, boys, start 'em up again

Down in Jericho, Kentucky
The mines have all caved in
Down in Jericho.
Broken hearts don't mend
Tears stained eyes of kin
Never ever seen
What their future might have been

Broken hearts don't mend
Tears stained eyes of kin
Never ever seen
What their future might have been

Well, they blew up the Chicken Man in Philly last night
And they blew up his house, too
Down on the boardwalk they're ready for a fight
Gonna see what them racket boys can do

Now there's trouble busin' in from outta state
And the D.A. can't get no relief
Gonna be a rumble on the promenade
And the gamblin' commissioner's hangin' on by the skin of his teeth

Everything dies, baby, that's a fact
But maybe everything that dies some day comes back
Put your makeup on, fix your hair up pretty
And meet me tonight in Atlantic City

Well, I got a job and I put my money away
But I got the kind of debts that no honest man can pay
So I drew out what I had from the Central Trust
And I bought us two tickets on that Coast City bus

Everything dies, baby, that's a fact
But maybe everything that dies some day comes back
Put your makeup on, fix your hair up pretty
And meet me tonight in Atlantic City

Now our luck may have died and our love may be cold
But with you forever I'll stay
We'll be goin' out where the sand turn to gold
But put your stockings on 'cause it might get cold

Oh, everything dies, baby, that's a fact
But maybe everything that dies some day comes back
Put your makeup on, fix your hair up pretty
And meet me tonight in Atlantic City

Now I've been a-lookin' for a job, but it's hard to find
There's winners and there's losers
And I am south of the line
Well, I'm tired of gettin' caught out on the losin' end
But I talked to a man last night
Gonna do a little favor for him

Well, everything dies, baby that's a fact
But maybe everything that dies some day comes back
Put your makeup on, fix your hair up pretty
And meet me tonight in Atlantic City

Oh, meet me tonight in Atlantic City
Oh, meet me tonight in Atlantic City

Last night the constellations
Watched me walk at half past twelve
With some people you don't see the whole picture all at once
Like you fill in the gaps in the stars all by yourself

And who has time in this world of worries
Drives you crazy makes you mad,
When you make the mistake just a little too late
You're missing something now that you never knew you had

So how do I answer these blues you say I've got
Too soon gone, too soon gone
Time makes me pay for these memories I've bought
Too soon gone, too soon gone

No one lives forever
Who would want to
But you're too soon gone, too soon gone
Too soon gone, too soon gone

Pretty soon now all this ice will melt
And buds will get ready to break
But every leaf that grows
In the language that it knows
Says that winter will return now and these trees are gonna shake

So how do I answer these blues you say I've got?
Too soon gone, too soon gone

Time sweeps me forward, as memory is caught
Too soon gone, too soon gone
Too soon gone, too soon gone

Never gonna kiss those ruby red lips
Of the sweetest girl in town.
I'm never gonna ask her if she'll marry me
'Cause I know she'll turn me down.

Because I'm just a country boy
And money have I none
Oh, but I've got silver, silver in the stars
And gold in the morning sun

Never could afford no store-bought ring
With a sparkly diamond stone.
All I have to offer is a love that's true,
It's the only one I own.

And I'm just a country boy
And money, money have I none.
Oh, but I've got silver, silver in the stars
And gold in the morning sun.

Ain't gonna marry in the fall,
Never gonna marry in the spring
'Cause I am in love with a pretty little girl
That wears a diamond ring.

And I'm, I'm just a country boy
And money, money have I none.
Oh, but I've got silver, silver in the stars
And gold in the morning sun

Well, I'm starin' at my Sony, a-drinkin' Kirun beer.
I had a nickel in my pocket when it all came clear.
I hopped into my Honda, it's a little bitty car.
And I'm drivin' down to meet you at the Sushi Bar.
But don't tell me I'm crazy until you hear my plan.
I'm gonna buy two tickets and move to Japan.

I'm gonna move to Japan,
I'm gonna move to Japan.

So if you've got no job and runnin' out of dough,
And they moved the factory down to Mexico,
Just pack your bags and don't forget your Kimona,
And you'll be followin' me, honey, all the way to Yokohama.

We're gonna move to Japan,
We're gonna move to Japan.

Tokyo's got the neon.
I put a pot of green tea on.
Akira Kurosawa,
Sapporo Okinawa.
Girls with almond eyes,
Eatin' seaweed and rice.
It's the land of tradition,
But I'm a man on a mission.

When we get to Japan we're gonna do our part,
We're gonna love Japan with all of our heart.

From the unemployment line I see lots to be done
And they're taking all hands in the land of the risin' sun.
And I love my mom and my apple pie,
But sayonara Uncle Sam, hello Samurai.

We're gonna move to Japan,
We're gonna move to Japan,
We're gonna move to Japan,
Hey, we're gonna move to Japan,
The home of the working man.

It's rolling.

I went on the river for money, I sold my old rotten shack
For a rusty tanker leaking oil, and the burning sun was on my back
Traveled up the ragin' river, I watched the jungle burn
And in the reddenin' twilight, I wondered would I ever return.

Ridin' on a river of dreams,
Broken dreams.
I'm ridin' on a river of dreams.
Amazon, Amazon,
Is it heaven or hell?
Amazon.

An eagle flew above us, I felt the breezes blow.
Fish with teeth like ivory, waited down below.
On shore they cut and hammered, and fenced them in with wire.
While ancient fires in the jungle, burned our souls like fire.

Ridin' on a river of dreams,
Somebody's dreams.
I'm ridin' on a river of dreams.
Amazon, Amazon,
Is it Heaven or hell ?
Amazon.

What kind of creature's gonna rise up from these ashes?
What's gonna fly in the moonlight feathers aglow?
What kind of rain could come in from these sorrows?
Nobody knows, nobody knows.

At dawn we crossed the rapids, a place where few men go.
I felt the desolation, where nothing seemed to grow.
When I got my wages, I hung my head and cried.
I could not stop these visions, that swept in like the tide.

Ridin' on a river of dreams,
Broken dreams.
I'm ridin' on a river of dreams.
Amazon, Amazon,
Is it Heaven or hell ?
Amazon.

Oh, Amazon, Amazon, Amazon, Amazon.

You know the girl you love she don't treat you right sometimes
You know the girl you love she don't treat you right sometimes
Well, that's the stuff you gotta watch because your girl is a liar.

You know, the girl you love stays out all night long,
Yeah, the girl you love, she stays out all night long.
That's the stuff you gotta watch because your girl's treatin' you wrong.

I need my hat, go get my coat,
Uncle Zak found out baby you don't want it anymore.
That's the stuff you gotta watch
That's the stuff you gotta watch
That's the stuff you gotta watch if you don't wanna lose your girl.

You know the girl's no good but don't you make no change.
Oh, the girl's no good but don't you make no change.
That's the stuff you gotta watch 'cause you're justified all the same.

She spends your dough, she drinks your gin
And if she rode round the corner then she's ready to go again.
That's the stuff you gotta watch
That's the stuff you gotta watch
That's the stuff you gotta watch if you don't wanna lose your girl.

Well, that's the stuff you gotta watch if you don't wanna lose your girl.
Yeah, that's the stuff you gotta watch if you don't wanna lose your girl.
Well, that's the stuff you gotta watch if you don't wanna lose your girl.

Dixon

Why do men go crazy when a woman wears her dress so tight?
Why do men go crazy when a woman wears her dress so tight?
Well, it must be the same old thing that makes a tomcat fight all night.

Why do all of the men try to run a big legged woman down?
Why do all of the men try to run a big legged woman down?
Well, it must be the same old thing that makes a bulldog love a hound.

Chorus:
Well, it's the same thing
Well, it's the same old thing
Better tell me who is to blame
Well, the whole world is a-fighting all about that same thing.

What makes you feel so good when your baby gets down her evening gown?
What makes you feel so good when your baby gets down her evening gown?
Well, it must be the same old thing that makes a preacherman lay his Bible down.

Chorus

From outside the open window
How the faithful was gathered to sing
As the tears swelled up inside me
Still down in a mournful rain.

And all sands of time stood still
As the procession climbed the hill
And off in the distance it's a mother run away
The father turned to say

Somebody shine a light, show me the way
Take me through the night to the break of day.
Won't you shine a light so I can see,
Lift up these chains of darkness and set me free.

Lookin' through the open window
I can see where I went wrong.
I quit searching for the rainbow,
I forgot where I belong.

Then the darkness dips around me
And I have no strength to fight
Though I'll search for those who love me
I'll search for the one above me
Just like I said

Somebody shine a light, show me the way,
Take me through the night to the break of day.
Won't you shine a light so I can see,
Lift up these chains of darkness and set me free.

And all sands of time stood still
As the echo crossed my window sill.
I heard it plain as day, I could hear 'em sing,
I'm trying to find the way,

Somebody shine a light, show me the way
Make it through the night to the break of day.
Won't you shine a light so I can see,
Lift up these chains of darkness and set me free.

Shine a light, show me the way
Take me through the night to the break of day.
Shine a light so I can see
Lift up these chains of darkness and set me free.

Shine a light so I can see
Lift up these chains of darkness and set me free.

Blues stay away from me
Uh-uh-uh, blues why don't you let me be
I don't know why you keep a-hauntin' me.

True love was never meant for me.
True love was never meant for me.
It seems somehow we never can agree.

My life is full of misery
And dreams are like a memory,
They're bringing back your love that used to be.

I got teardrops so many I can't see
And years don't mean a thing to me
But time goes by and still I can't be free.

Uh-uh-uh, blues stay away from me,
You hear me, blues why don't you let me be,
I don't know why you keep a-haunting me,
No, I don't know why you keep a-haunting me,
Oh, I don't know why you keep a-haunting me.