Long Way to California
She landed New York City with ragged company
bent on California with a baby on her knee
but caught in the shirt works, saw more than she had seen
The hawks, the hookers, gamblers far cry from Aberdeen
it's a long way to California
It's a long, long way to California
Late one day for work
she never will regret
saw smoke from duffers jumping she never will forget
Young girls were burnt to cinders while caught in the rush
to find the exits locked while the bosses rode the plush
It's a long way to California
It's a long long way to California
"Those skirts were meant for dancing"
men called up from the cut
no time to make correction she tripped up on a rut
when Molly hit the trolly, the newsboys stood and stared
now she's bound for California, with flowers in her hair
Chorus
Pine Boxes
I't's such a fine day
I hope you mean what you say
I've fallen in love with a far away plan
We'll make two pine boxes
steal away like foxes
we'll float down that river 'til they call out our names
They've got our wildness treed
we're shaking hands with the lead
and it wont be long for soon we'll be tame
And I'm hungry
are you hungering?
To feed your heart to the wind
Right or wrong
It's night before long
and the road knows a friend
I"m Taking my.. rambling ways
to lift my eyes from the maze
there's more to believe than what life can see
there's more to believe than one life can see
Hurricane Rain
I have seen the sound of the wind in the trees
giving heaves like breathing
bending the trees down to their knees
'til theres no believin
Hurricane Rain drivin and freezing in the wild sky
a brisk and bright refrain
like you have heard the rain
have you heard the sound of a distant freedom
that you have never known for we are barely grown
waiting to be shown
Roads that stretch out
veins through the heart of endless ramblin
were fighting to be lost
were finding to be tossed
into a sea of ever changing faces
Hurricane rain driving and freezing in the wild sky
a brisk and bright refrain
like you have heard the rain
have you heard the sound of a distant freedom
Dont take me down to that river town
where things are slowly fading
there waiting to grow old
gimme a new skin and a true chin
I'm brazen to be bold
I'm begging to be told
for we are barely born
Grace Ain't Easy
When I was lost, I was so blind
Roller coasting in my mind
had far to fall, from such a climb
Said I believed, I had no time
Said i believed, but I was lying
I had no time
And now I see that grace ain't easy
but its all... I want to feel
before the dark
And I will run away from dying
just like a child
Bring out your heart like its on fire
and let it bleed, under the sun
a lion's child don't think it's simple
to find his place up on the throne
'cause you could be headstrung with reason
and give it up, before the gun
like your'e the only one
don't think yourself as
as any better
for humankind is just a letter
in this tome
Time taking time to feel the placement
of your two feet upon this land
not being bogged down in your basement
with your demise at your command
and though I thought I
had met a wiseman
well he went scared
just like the rest
just like the rest
though there's one thing
to be sure of
just as minutes rule the day
time slips away
time slips away
Blind and Lowly
I don't want you feeling bad. Forgetting all the friends you had
An I don't want your reasons to be go write the book or shoot the movie.
I don't want your feelings bad. To spite on all the fun we had.
We work so hard to feel this glad.
It's not for two
I don't want your golden cart. Tethered to your leaden heart.
It's taking more than words to move me.
I listen when the sun shines to me.
I don't have to feel so old. It's better for my heart I'm told
But not for you.
Sunshine will deliver us from the cold and restless rain.
Someday we'll be better off for the pain. For the pain.
Don't forget to fall in love with the benedictions of everything that's right and holy
Imagine you were blind and lowly and the only sound you heard was a single morning bird
Singing songs to the sun
(chorus)
Rolling Jungle
I was lost, I was so blind. Roller coasting in my mind
I was a rolling jungle. I was a rolling jungle.
Like a leopard low on a limb. Sergeant Pepper from Gunga-Din
I was a rolling jungle. I was a rolling Jungle.
I had a penchant for losing my mind from time to time
Dusted away to the blue lines roar
Hours were accidents waiting to find a rolling stone
Please put me back like I was before.
King's Corner to Kalamazoo Straight as the tail of a kinkajou
I was a rolling jungle. I was a rolling jungle.
Like a leopard low on a limb. Sergeant Pepper from Gunga-Din
I was a rolling jungle. I was a rolling jungle.
Capitol Crow
You done your living and you seen it all
You quit the cigarettes and the alcohol
Have you learned that you can only rely on you own free will
Rebuilding bridges you burned It's the roads that connect us that always will
Keep us from swallowing those bitter pills
We all want to believe
I've seen you hammering that two ton wall
I've seen one hopeless case I've seen 'em all
Goes to show, that when you're tired of believing it becomes God's will
You got to get up yer go
Cause when you're down in the bottom land it's all up holl
So keep a shovel for those bitter pills
We all want to believe
(yep everybody does)
Ooh sweet life. Beat life. From all the lessons you learned
Ooh sweet life. Beat life. Just like the wings of a bird
(beat 'em out)
I was a monkey with a man on my back. I didn't think that i could make it back
Goes to show That when you're tired of believing it becomes God's will
Caw Caw the Capitol crow. We're all pecking out a living off the seeds they sow
We take a licking but we let it go
We all want to believe
(Chorus)
Sunday Song
This is the street where you were born
This is the tree whose branches bore you a child into a man
And all the people that you know
All the family whose blood courses through your veins through the age of time
Live Hallelujah, give Hallelujah. The peace you make is yours
Find your way and let it be
Ride your wave into the sea and try, try, try, try, try, try, try,
try to take it home with you, roam with you now
When you were born you felt a pulse
When did that beat become the ticking of the clock upon the wall
When you were young we had it all
When was it taken from you? Who was it deciding to let go?
(chorus)
Bitterness
When I'm dry, I can't take the pain
Gotta stay high just to sustain
I'm in the sky like a cloud filled up with rain
That's what bitterness gets you
A house full of rain
The doors are locked the windows are too
I couldn't stand the sun since I've lost you
I cannot lie I could not be true
And that's what bitterness gets you
A house full of blue
(repeat)
Big Berkie
Big Berkie was a butcher 'til Jim come and took her now he's just a family man
He was working for the Gottis driving black maseratis and closing on a ten year plan
He was chopin' up a chisler, chewin' on a twizzler when Tony T called on the phone
He said "I know the street I can make the meat but you better well come alone".
When Tony T cracked wise he stabbed him in the eyes, and sat back to savor his steak
He said "I'm sick of these goons and these motel rooms an it's high time I made my break".
Yeah, I'm gonna make some time back to my home town
I'm gonna fix them wheels that keep spinning around
Sometimes you see the light when you can't hear a sound
I'm gonna fix them wheels back in my hometown
He wasn't looking for Loretta but in time he met her
She came to town to pick up some things
said "Lo, you never looked finer but I see you got a Shiner, I ain't talkin' 'bout that diamond ring".
She said " Well Jimmy gets moody never takes me to the movies, but you know I can't complain".
He said "When you see Jim tell Jim I'm coming for him just like them black clouds coming with rain".
Yeah
I'm gonna have a time back in my home town
I'm gonna fix them wheels that keep spinning around
Some times you see the light when you can't hear a sound
I'm gonna fix them wheels back in my hometown
It was half past eight at the town dump gate when Berkie met with old man Slim
He said "Well here's ten grand make sure you cut off them hands. There ain't that much left of Jim".
They were stacked like brothers one bag upon the other in the back of Berkies beat up Ford
When ol' Slimmy looked nervous Berkie knew him from the service he said a quick prayer to the Lord
Then the gate slapped to there was nothing left to do. The Feds come in from miles around
Her cried "Dear Lord pleas as he fell to his knees. I see the light and now I hear the sound". yeah
I'm gonna do some time back in my home town
I'll never fix them wheels that keep spinning around
Sometimes you see the light and sometimes you hear the sound
Well I'll never fix them wheels back in my hometown
Side of Town
Imagine seeing you on this side of town
I thought the people just dragged you down
all you gotta do is look around for the faces that you forgot
So you spent your time up on solid ground
but your roots never found the ground
You're pretty sure they were left behind in the places that you forgot
It's been a long time in coming around to it
and you should know
Such a strange place to be coming around to in
and you should know ooh oh
Imagine being lost after all this time
Still find meaning in this divide
Where all you gotta do is to try whats been tried just to keep ya from falling below
Pretty good reason for holding on
Withe every new season the old one is gone
Pretty good reason if it keeps us hanging on it could keep us from falling below
Mine Was the Devil
Mine was the devil on a road straight to hell
But he didn't need to hang me from the window sill
To dry, dry me out, hanging miles above the street and sinking claws into my feet
I'm a bigger fool than you can tell me to ask, ask for more
and when he turned me out, I could see and feel defeat
I had to turn my head to hide the tears, tears on my cheek
Mine was the devil X4
Ooh mine was the devil in a world made of stone
All you hypocrites and heathens cannot still me in a bed I made my own
Golden rain falls around my open arms and what light remains comes to me in the dark
Now I laugh for fear of crying better live like we are dying
Mine was the devil
Shadow's Edge
Sometimes the sweetest grass grows on shadow's edge
and sometimes the shadow's edge swallows everything
The rain that falls whites out the mountain tops
Loneliness calls leaving shadows on the wall
We get so lost that we can't even hear the words the birds are singing
Sometimes the shadow's edge swallows everything
and sometimes the sweetest grass grows on shadow's edge
(repeat chorus)