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Lyrics

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Let It Rain

 

It was on a stormy night

Things had gotten worse

We were sitting in a bar

Trying to quench our thirst

A man was on the TV

Talking about some voodoo land

He said when it rains now children

You got to let it rain

 

Well I could never blame you

For doing what ya done

Everybody gets the urge

Sometimes to run

You do what you do

There’s really nothing to explain

When it rains now baby 

You got to let it rain

 

Well there was no denying him

Yea that’s a fact

I knew I lost you baby

When you didn’t look back

He had the kind of smile

That could charm a locket from a chain

When it rains now baby

You got to let it rain

 

Well it was in a motel

Down in Jacksonville

He left you with a fever 

And a bottle of pills

You waited for him

Until only your addiction remained

When it rains now baby 

You got to let it rain

 

You know it’s always been

A mystery to me

The way things are

The way people got to be

The older I get

The more or less I feel the same

When it rains now baby

You got to let it rain

Well I can still see that church

In the candle light

Can still hear Sister Catherine

Praying through the night

And I can still see you laying there

With that crucifix in your hand

When it rains now baby 

You got to let it rain

 

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Mr. Blue

 

Early in the morning late at night

Can’t get her out of my sight

Do you know what I mean

Mr. Blue

 

Soft summer rain on the city street

I can still feel my heart skipping a beat

Ah you should have seen her

Mr. Blue

 

How can you paint the colors of the rainbow

Where do you begin to try

How can you predict which way the wind blows

When the smoke gets in your eyes

 

Hanging around this old neighborhood

Ain’t nobody here never come to no good

Well I almost did

Mr. Blue

 

How can you paint the colors of the rainbow

Where do you begin to try

How can you predict which way the wind blows

When the smoke gets in your eyes

 

The joint’s empty it’s time to go

Guess I better have me one more for the road

Well here’s to you 

Mr. Blue

 

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Uncle Joe

 

He sits on the front porch

With his hat and dark glasses on

Picking on a flat top

He can sing and play five hundred songs

From Jimmy Rodgers

Leadbelly to that good old rock and roll

From miles around

People come to hear my Uncle Joe

 

As a young man

He use to ride on those freight trains

‘Til god took his sight

Now me and ma take good care of him

From early morning

Until that weary sun sets

You can hear my Uncle Joe

Fingers sliding down his guitar neck

 

This little town

It ain’t much to look at

One main street

A lot of rundown old wooden shacks

Someday I’ll leave

Cause that’s what a young man got to do

But I could spend my whole life

Listening to Uncle Joe sing the blues

 

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Dance With Me Girl

 

The sun is on the highway

The moon sitting sideways

Dance with me girl

I’ve been in the headlines

Another man out of time

Dance with me girl

 

Don’t turn a cold shoulder

I can’t get much older

Dance with me girl

Amuse me for awhile

I’ve come a ragged mile

Dance with me girl

 

I was born inland

Just another victim

Grew up on the backstreets

Running from the heat

Hands on the trigger

“Til one day I pulled her

Now I’m in the bright lights

Fighting for my life

 

I know the man is coming

But I’m tired of this running

Dance with me girl

Just a song on the jukebox

Come on let’s make it rock

Dance with me girl

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The Sailor

 

Well I told that girl right before I left

We all do things in this life we regret

With sadness she watched me from her door

Walk down that path along that rocky shore

 

Now many a year has passed and gone

And like all good people I’m sure she’s pushed on

And I’ve sailed these oceans far and wide

Well I guess I’m bound to sail them til I die

 

So gather ‘round boys the night is young

And there’s still a lot of drinking to be done

Let’s raise a glass to all these memories

And one for her wherever she may be

 

 

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Angelou

 

There’s an ill wind blowing

Across the plain

I mean somewhere down near Texas

Towards a town with no name

Where the vultures prey

Upon the broken wheel

Where the terminally ill 

Come to get healed

Where the graves are dug

With names already marked

Where Jesus Christ

Waits glowing in the dark

Where they take dead aim

When they get you in their sights

Where they drop you like a stone 

In the middle of the night

Angelou

Angelou

 

Them good ole boys

In their pickup trucks

Drinking on their beer

And pissing on their luck

While the latest mandate

Rolls across the land

Where the science of control

Has gotten out of hand

Where the air is rotten

Where the kingsnake crawls

Where the minimum wage

Has made slaves of us all

Where a kid is taught

Not to think too much

Where a girl is betrayed 

By a lovers touch

Angelou

Angelou

 

I was standing in line

When I heard the news

A girl of nineteen

With a couple of tattoos

I grabbed my gun

I hit the interstate

I drove all night 

But I arrived too late

I stood on the hill

And watched the battle below

While the media gathered

And the souvenirs sold

And I watched with horror

When the flames touched the sky

Couldn’t believe my ears

Couldn’t believe my eyes

Angelou

Angelou

 

Now the desert is cold

The sun has set

I’m stoned on peyote

And there’s liquor on my breath

Don’t know what I’m saying

Barely know what I’m doing

Seems like everything here

Has fallen down in ruins

From the lines on my face

To all the tears I’ve cried

From a few lousy good deeds

To a lifetime of lies

Never felt so helpless

Never felt so torn

Thinking about you baby

And the day you were born

Angelou

Angelou

 

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Echoes Of The Fall

 

Well maybe I should stay here

Or maybe I should go

But tell me what does it matter

What happened years ago

It was down in that federal city

When springtime was in bloom

But corruption reigned without pity

Condemning us to this doom

 

Once I had a girl so pretty

You should’ve seen me then

But now it all seems silly

You look at the shape I’m in

Friend how can I tell you

How can I explain

The way time passes quickly

What it does to a man

 

Now this land is dying

The stars are falling down

You can hear the guns exploding

All over this town

And down these dirty streets

The curfew whistle blows

What’s gonna happen next my friend

Why even the feds don’t know

 

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Lucky To Be Alive

 

Break out your credit card now buddy

Let’s have a drink somewhere

A bottle of wine if you could afford it

Or maybe we could just have us a beer

It’s been a long time since I’ve seen you buddy

How many years don’t lie

After all we’ve been through

I guess we’re just lucky to be alive

 

Did you ever get over what’s her name

Did you ever sit down and finished your book

Well me I’m still playing those clubs downtown

But lately it ain’t been going so good

How the times they change so quickly

You’re over the hill before you realize

Sometimes I just got to shake my head

I guess we’re just lucky to be alive

 

Did you hear what happened to Davy

He died about a year ago

I heard his Mama cry “Oh my baby

Somebody tell me how this could be so”

Remember when we were young men buddy

How that fire burned in our eyes

Well some things just ain’t right I’ll tell you

I guess we’re just lucky to be alive

 

You got to go I understand

I got to go and meet somebody too

Well maybe we can get together sometime

Buddy it’s sure been good to see you

Oh take good care of yourself now

You know it’s hard to survive

Well the way this deal is goin’ down lately

I guess we’re just lucky to be alive

 

 

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Brakeman’s Blues

 

They’re fighting in the Middle East

Fighting in Ireland

Fighting on the streets

Tomorrow they’ll be fighting again

You know it ain’t easy 

To be somebody’s son

You think I’m guilty

You can shoot me in the morning sun

 

Well they crucified Jesus

Shot Joe Hill

Murdered King, Kennedy

Now look at poor Phil

You know it ain’t easy

To be somebody’s son

You think I’m guilty

You can shoot me in the morning sun

 

Little girls and little needles

Big men in big suits

People ducking around

Trying to get a piece of the loot

You know it ain’t easy

To be somebody’s son

You think I’m guilty

You can shoot me in the morning sun

 

Now I got myself a job

On a bankrupt railroad line

At night I chase the women

And I’m drunk all the time

You know it ain’t easy

To be somebody’s son

You think I’m guilty

You can shoot me in the morning sun

 

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The Real Bono

 

Footsteps, city streets

Eyes gazing upon the granite tomb

The howling trucks, the highways

Wind blowing up the backroads, the avenues

Dust kicking up in the desert

Drunks in the alleys, panhandlers on the street

Signs, neon signs, protest signs, billboard signs 

Bumper stickers, running shoes, t-shirts, slogans branded on kids’ foreheads

The talk, the walk, radios, stereos, videos blasting, cars shaking, rumbling, crashing

Words, music, rhythm, image, voices, anger, hate, paranoia

Broken people jumping off of rusting bridges aiming Ak-47’s you better duck man

Right wing, left wing, rapper, hip hopper, rocker 

Hillbilly singer, teen idol, love song crooner

Available all at the latest greatest shopping mall

Bad movies, bad TV, bad talk shows

The naked truth being spread across this mighty deranged land

Like butter, like margarine, like so much fake butter, like so much fake margarine

Give me some coffee man, some beer, some smoke, a shot of heroin, some rubbing alcohol

Give me a sign, somebody to picket, somebody to hate, somebody to kill

Has anybody out there seen John Lennon

How about Louis Armstrong

Freddie Prinze

Judy Garland

How about Senator Joe McCarthy and the house of Un-American activities

You can stand on your head, juggle twenty swords cut your wrist while playing guitar but it ain’t enough, it’s never been enough

The crowd wants more they want the universe 

They want distraction and more distraction, they want oblivion and more oblivion

They want you to take their pain and make it go away

Has anybody seen the guy whole stole my car radio

Has anybody seen the guy who killed my mother, my father, my sister, my brother

Has anybody received a good word lately

Hey Joey good luck with your trial man

I know you’re not guilty, you know you’re not guilty

The judge, the jury, the D.A. they all know you’re not guilty

But it don’t matter man they’re going to convict you anyway cause it’s the law 

They need the money and everybody is so goddamn righteously afraid

Does anybody out there remember Sony Bono?

You know the real Bono

Well he said it all man. 

Remember?

He said “The Beat Goes On”

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Nine Below Zero

 

Cars are stuck on the avenue

Ain’t nobody getting through

Lord, lord it’s nine below zero

 

Rumors flying back and forth

Debts are due but the money’s short

Lord, lord it’s nine below zero

 

Footsteps above my head

Somebody’s trying to stay warm

Another drink another cigarette

But it’s still a long way until the dawn

 

Airport’s closed snowed in again

Ain’t heard a word from any friend

Lord, lord it’s nine below zero

 

How low can this mercury fall

How long must this winter last

You can pace the rooms you can climb the walls

But nothing’s gonna change what’s already past

 

Frost on the window ice on the street

I wish somebody’d turn up the heat

Lord, lord it’s nine below zero

 

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Waiting On You

 

Well I’ve been run and I’ve been walk

Heard a lot of noise heard a lot of talk

Hanging down on this avenue

Honey babe 

I’m waiting on you

 

Bank’s are closed the crowds are fast

Running hard don’t want to be last

A man with a phone a man with no shoes

Honey babe

I’m waiting on you

 

Got your note the other day

Seems so close yet so far away

Right or wrong win or lose

Honey babe 

I’m waiting on you

 

Well look around yonder comes the night

Big city town big city lights

You can’t say I ain’t paid my dues

Honey babe

I’m waiting on you