The Band Album

Standin' by your window in pain
A pistol in your hand
And I beg you, dear Molly, girl,
Try and understand your man the best you can

Across the Great Divide
Just grab your hat, and take that ride
Get yourself a bride
And bring your children down to the river side

I had a goal in my younger days
I nearly wrote my will
But I changed my mind for the better
I'm at the still, had my fill and I'm fit to kill

Across the Great Divide
Just grab your hat, and take that ride
Get yourself a bride
And bring your children down to the river side

Pinball machine and a queen
I nearly took the bus
Tried to keep my hands to myself
They say it's a must, but who can ya trust?
Harvest moon shinin' down from the sky
A weary sign for all
I'm gonna leave this one horse town
Had to stall 'til the fall, now I'm gonna crawl
Across the Great Divide

Now Molly dear, don't ya shed a tear
Your time will surely come
You'll feed your man chicken ev'ry Sunday
Now tell me, hon, what ya done with the gun?

Across the Great Divide
Just grab your hat, and take that ride
Get yourself a bride
And bring your children down to the river side

Rag Mama rag, I can't believe its true
Rag Mama rag, what did you do?
I crawled up to the railroad track
Let the 4:19 scratch my back

Sag Mama sag, what's come over you
Rag Mama rag, I'm pullin' out your gag
Gonna turn you loose like an old caboose
Got a tail I need to drag
I ask about your turtle
And you ask about the weather
I can't jump a hurdle and
We can't get together
We could be relaxin'
In my sleepin' bag
But all you want to do for me, Mama, is

Rag Mama rag, there's no where to go
Rag mama rag, come on, rosin up the bow

Rag Mama rag, where do you roam
Rag Mama rag, bring your skinny little body back home
It's dog eat dog and cat eat mouse
You can rag Mama rag all over my house

Hailstones beatin' on the roof
The bourbon is a hundred proof
And you and me and the telephone
Our destiny is quite well known
We don't need to sit and brag
All we gotta do is rag, Mama, rag, Mama, rag

Rag Mama rag, where do you roam
Rag Mama rag, bring your skinny little body back home

Virgil Kane is the name
And I served on the Danville train
'Till Stoneman's cavalry came
And tore up the tracks again

In the winter of '65
We were hungry, just barely alive
By May the 10th, Richmond had fell
It's a time I remember, oh so well

The night they drove old Dixie down
And the bells were ringing
The night they drove old Dixie down
And the people were singing
They went, "Na, na, la, na, na, la"

Back with my wife in Tennessee
When one day she called to me
"Virgil, quick, come see,
There goes Robert E. Lee!"

Now, I don't mind chopping wood
And I don't care if the money's no good
You take what you need
And you leave the rest
But they should never
Have taken the very best

The night they drove old Dixie down
And the bells were ringing
The night they drove old Dixie down
And all the people were singing
They went, "Na, na, la, na, na, la"

Like my father before me
I will work the land
And like my brother above me
Who took a rebel stand

He was just 18, proud and brave
But a Yankee laid him in his grave
I swear by the mud below my feet
You can't raise a Kane back up
When he's in defeat

The night they drove old Dixie down
And the bells were ringing
The night they drove old Dixie down
And all the people were singing
They went, "Na, na, la, na, na, la"

The night they drove old Dixie down
And all the bells were ringing
The night they drove old Dixie down
And the people were singing
They went, "Na, na, la, na, na, la"

Ole told me, I'm a fool
So I walked on down the road a mile
Went to the house that brings a smile
Sat upon my grandpa's knee
And what do you think he said to me?

(Chorus:)
When you awake you will remember everything
You will be hangin' on a string from your...
When you believe, you will relieve the only soul
That you were born with to grow old and never know

Ole showed me the fork in the road
You can take to the left or go straight to the right,
Use your days and save your nights
Be careful where you step, and watch what ya eat,
Sleep with a light and you got it beat

(Repeat Chorus)

Ole warned me, it's a mean old world,
The street don't greet ya, yes, it's true
But what am I supposed to do
Read the writing on the wall
I heard it when I was very small

(Repeat Chorus)

Wash my hands in lye water
I got a date with the Captain's daughter
You can go and tell your brother
We sure gonna love one another all night
You may be right and you might be wrong
I ain't gonna worry all day long
Snow's gonna come and the frost gonna bite
My old car froze up last night
Ain't no reason to hang my head
I could wake up in the mornin' dead
And if I thought it would do any good
I'd stand on the rock where Moses stood...

When I get off of this mountain, you know where I want to go?
Straight down the Mississippi river, to the Gulf of Mexico
To Lake Charles, Louisiana, little Bessie, girl that I once knew
She told me just to come on by, if there's anything she could do

Up on Cripple Creek she sends me
If I spring a leak she mends me
I don't have to speak, she defends me
A drunkard's dream if I ever did see one

Good luck had just stung me, to the race track I did go
She bet on one horse to win and I bet on another to show
The odds were in my favor, I had 'em five to one
When that nag to win came around the track, sure enough she had won

Up on Cripple Creek she sends me
If I spring a leak she mends me
I don't have to speak, she defends me
A drunkard's dream if I ever did see one

I took up all of my winnings, and I gave my little Bessie half
She tore it up and threw it in my face, just for a laugh
Now there's one thing in the whole wide world, I sure would like to see
That's when that little love of mine, dips her doughnut in my tea

Up on Cripple Creek she sends me
If I spring a leak she mends me
I don't have to speak, she defends me
A drunkard's dream if I ever did see one

Now me and my mate were back at the shack, we had Spike Jones on the box
She said, "I can't take the way he sings, but I love to hear him talk"
Now that just gave my heart a throb, to the bottom of my feet
And I swore as I took another pull, my Bessie can't be beat

Up on Cripple Creek she sends me
If I spring a leak she mends me
I don't have to speak, she defends me
A drunkard's dream if I ever did see one

Now there's a flood out in California and up north it's freezing cold
And this living on the road is getting pretty old
So I guess I'll call up my big mama, tell her I'll be rolling in
But you know, deep down, I'm kind of tempted to go and see my Bessie again

Up on Cripple Creek she sends me
If I spring a leak she mends me
I don't have to speak, she defends me
A drunkard's dream if I ever did see one

If you find me in a gloom, or catch me in a dream
Inside my lonely room, there is no in between
Whispering pines, rising of the tide
If only one star shines
That's just enough to get inside
I will wait until it all goes 'round
With you in sight, the lost are found
Foghorn through the night, calling out to sea
Protect my only light, 'cause she once belonged to me
Let the waves rush in, let the seagulls cry
For if I live again, these hopes will never die
I can feel you standing there
But I don't see you anywhere

Standing by the well, wishing for the rains
Reaching to the clouds, for nothing else remains
Drifting in a daze, when evening will be done
Try looking through a haze
At an empty house, in the cold, cold sun
I will wait until it all goes round
With you in sight, the lost are found

Jemima surrender, I'm gonna give it to you,
Ain't no pretender, gonna ride in my canoe
If I were a barker in a girly show,
Tell ya what I'd do,
I'd lock the door, tear my shirt and let my river flow
Oh, oh, sweet Jemima, wont'cha come out tonight?
The ground is so warm and the moon is so bright!

Jemima surrender, that's all you have to do
I'll bring over my Fender
And I'll play all night for you
There's a bird on my head
And his mouth won't talk (He won't talk-- he's in shock),
You know he laughs just like a goose,
But looks like a hawk
Jemima, you know what I'm tryin' to say,
Meet me in the front and we'll fly away

You can change your name
You can find a new walk
You can change your lock, it's all the same
You don't have to give out
If you'll only give in
You can jump and shout
But can't you see girl, that I'm bound to win

Jemima surrender, I'm gonna give it to you,
Ain't no pretender, wanna see my tattoo?
I hand you my rod and you hand me that line,
That's what you do
And now we ain't doin' much fishin'
Or drinkin' any wine
Sweet Jemima, if I were a king
I'd fix you up with a diamond ring

Hang around, Willie boy,
Don't you raise the sails anymore
It's for sure, I've spent my whole life at sea
And I'm pushin' age seventy-three
Now there's only one place that was meant for me:

Oh, to be home again,
Down in old Virginny,
With my very best friend,
They call him Ragtime Willie
We're gonna soothe away the rest of our years,
We're gonna put away all of our tears,
That big rockin' chair won't go nowhere

Slow down, Willie boy,
Your heart's gonna give right out on you
It's true, and I believe I know what we should do
Turn to stern and point to shore,
The seven seas won't carry us no more

Oh, to be home again,
Down in old Virginny,
With my very best friend,
They call him Ragtime Willie
I can't wait to sniff that air,
Dip that snuff, I won't have no care,
That big rockin' chair won't go nowhere

Hear the sound, Willie boy,
The Flyin' Dutchman's on the reef
It's my belief
We've used up all our time,
This hill's to steep to climb,
And the days that remain ain't worth a dime

Oh, to be home again,
Down in old Virginny,
With my very best friend,
They call him Ragtime Willie
Would'a been nice just to see the folks,
Listen once again to them stale old jokes,
That big rockin' chair won't go nowhere

I can hear something callin' on me
(And you know where I wanna be)
Oh Willie, can't you hear that sound?
(Down in old Virginny)
I just wanna get my feet back on the ground
(Down in old Virginny)
And I'd love to see my very best friend
They call him Ragtime Willie
(Oh, to be home again)
I believe old rockin' chair's got me again!

Chorus:)
Look Out, Cleveland, the storm is comin' through,
And it's runnin' right up on you.
Look out, Houston, There'll be thunder on the hill;
Bye-bye, baby, don't cha lie so still.

Was Wedn'sday evenin' when first we heard the word,
It did not come by train nor bird.
T'was when Ben Pike stepped down to say,
"This old town's gonna blow away."

Chain lightnin', frightnin' as it may seem,
Must not be mistaken for just another dream.
Justice of peace don't know his own fate,
But he'll go down in the shelter late.

(Chorus)

Hidin' your money won't do no good,
Build a big wall, you know you would if you could, yeah!
When clouds of warnin' come into view,
It'll get the ol' woman right outta her shoe.

(Chorus)

Oh, Jawbone, when did you first go wrong?
Oh, Jawbone, where is it you belong?
A three-time loser, you'll never learn,
Lay down your tools before you burn
Ya keep on runnin' and hidin' your face,
Spreadin' your heat all over the place

I'm a thief, and I dig it!
I'm up on a reef, I'm gonna rig it!
I'm a thief, and I dig it!

Oh, Jawbone, why don't ya sit and moan?
Oh, Jawbone, you know that it's stone for stone
Sneak through the night up on your toes,
To look in your eye, it never shows
Your name up on the post office wall,
Puts you on edge 'cause they wrote it too small!

Oh, Jawbone, revenge stays on your mind
Oh, Jawbone, you been doin' too much time
Pull off a job with an inside man,
Who needs the cash and likes your plan
Then you will know just who to thank,
When ya land right back in the tank!

Oh, Jawbone, why dont'cha go on home?
Oh, Jawbone, where is it you belong?
Boostin' and goin' out on the lam,
Ya know that you'll steal anything that you can
Temptation stands just behind that door,
So what you wanna go and open it for?

Unfaithful servant, I hear you're leavin' soon in the mornin'
What did you do to the lady, that she's gonna have to send you away?
Unfaithful servant, you don't have to say you're sorry,
If you done it just for the spite, or did you do it just for the glory?
Like a stranger you turned your back,
Left your keep and gone to pack
But bear in mind who's to blame for all the shame
She really cared
The time she spared
And the home you shared

Unfaithful servant, I can hear the whistle blowin',
Yes, that train is a-comin' and soon you'll be a-goin'
Need us not bow our heads, for we won't be complainin'
Life has been good to us all, even when that sky is rainin'
To take it like a grain of salt,
Is all I can do and it's no one's fault
It makes no diff'rence if we fade away
It's just as it was
And it's much to cold for me to stay

Goodbye to that country home, so long, lady I have known,
Farewell to my other side, I'd best just take it in stride
Unfaithful servant, you'll learn to find your place
I can see it in your smile, and, yes, I can see it in your face
The mem'ries will linger on,
But the good old days, they're all gone
Oh, lonesome servant, can't you see,
We're still one and the same
Just you and me

Corn in the fields.
Listen to the rice when the wind blows 'cross the water,
King Harvest has surely come

I work for the union 'cause she's so good to me;
And I'm bound to come out on top,
That's where she said I should be
I will hear every word the boss may say,
For he's the one who hands me down my pay
Looks like this time I'm gonna get to stay,
I'm a union man, now, all the way

The smell of the leaves,
From the magnolia trees in the meadow,
King Harvest has surely come

A dry summer, and then come fall,
Which I depend on most of all
Hey, rainmaker, can't you hear the call?
Please let these crops grow tall!
Long enough I've been up on Skid Row
And it's plain to see, I've nothin' to show
I'm glad to pay those union dues,
Just don't judge me by my shoes

A scarecrow in a yellow moon,
Pretty soon, the carnival on the edge of town,
King Harvest has surely come

Last year, this time, wasn't no joke,
My whole barn went up in smoke
My horse Jethro, well, he went mad
And I can't ever remember things bein' that bad
Now here comes a man with a paper and pen
Tellin' us our hard times are about to end
And then, if they don't give us what we like
He said, "Men, that's when you gotta go on strike!"

Corn in the fields
Listen to the rice when the wind blows 'cross the water,
King Harvest has surely come