Live At Newport

pre>
E - a b7
And the ship sets the sail
G#m
They've lived the tale
C#m f#m
To carry to the shore
A6 e
Straining at the oars
G#7 c#m
Or staring from the rail
E -a b7
And the sea bids farewell
G#m
She waves in swells
C#m f#m
And sends them on their way
A6 e
Time has been her pay
G#7 c#m
And time will have to tell
A g#m
Soon your sailing will be over
D e b c#m
Come and take the pleasures of the har - bor

And the anchor hits the sand
The hungry hands
Have tied them to the port
The hour will be short
For leisure on the land
And the girls scent the air
They seem so fair
With paint on their face
Soft is their embrace
To lead them up the stairs
Soon your sailing will be over
Come and take the pleasures of the harbor

In the room dark and dim
Touch of skin
He asks her of her name
She answers with no shame
And not a sense of sin
Until the fingers draw the blinds
Sip of wine
The cigarette of doubt
The candle is blown out
The darkness is so kind
Soon your sailing will be over
Come and take the pleasures of the harbor

And the shadows frame the light
Same old sight
Thrill has blown away
Now all alone they lay
Two strangers in the night
Till his heart skips a beat
He's on his feet
To shipmates he must join
She's counting up the coins
He's swallowed by the street
Soon your sailing will be over
Come and take the pleasures of the harbor

In the bar hangs a cloud
The whiskey's loud
There's laughter in their eyes
The lonely in disguse
Are clinging to the crowd
And the bottle fills the glass
The haze is fast
He's trembling for the taste
Of passion gone to waste
In memories of the past
Soon your sailing will be over
Come and take the pleasures of the harbor

In the alley, red with rain
Cry of pain
For love was but a smile
Teasing all the while
Now dancing down the drain
'till the boys reach the dock
They gently mock
Lift him on their backs
Lay him on his rack
And leave beneath the light
Soon your sailing will be over
Come and take the pleasures of the harbor

And the ship sets the sail
They've lived the tale
To carry from the shore
Straining at the oars
Or staring from the rail
And the sea bids farewell
She waves in swells
And sends them on their way
Time has been her pay
And time will have to tell
Soon your sailing will be over
Come and take the pleasures of the harbor

/pre>

pre>
G c g
In the tube where i was born
C bm
I could have sworn
C d
There was so much to see
C d
There was so little to be
G c g
But i was free
B7
World at my command
Em
Through the dots i ran
Am d g
Looking for a man who looked like me
Em d
And now it can be told
Em d
I'm a quarter of a century old
G f g f g
But i'm half a century high

In the tube where i was raised
I was amazed
On the pictures i would lean
That went flashing on the screen
Oh, i was dazed
But then my eyes were made
Hypnotized insane (?)
Buried in my brain
In a blinding blaze
And now it can be told
I'm a quarter of a century old
But i'm half a century high

In the tube where i was grown
I was alone
The figure on the floor (laying on the floor)
The dream behind the door (i'd lock the closet door)
The sound was low
Ballgames on the street
Disappeared behind my feet
Out of breath my heart would be
To see another show
And now it can be told
I'm a quarter of a century old
But i'm half a century high

In the tube where i was made
I was afraid
Spinning through the space
Another scene, another face,
Another shade
Mirror of my mind
On electric wheels of wine
Living on the lines that were displayed
And now it can be told
I'm a quarter of a century old
But i'm half a century high

In the tube where i was fed
I lost my head
I watch the lives they led
Watch them to the end
And then again
An open kind of laugh
I gave all the mind i had
And whenever i was sad
I had my friends
And now it can be told
I'm a quarter of a century old
But i'm half a century high

In the tube where i was killed
I was fulfiled
Such an easy way to win
Talking to my twin
No sign of sin
The sacrifice was small
Fascination was the fall
I was extended by the wall that held me in
And now it can be told
I'm a quarter of a century old
But i'm half a century high

In the tube where i was killed
I was fulfilled
The lies of light would bend
I'd stare until the end
And then again
Faded and the fad
I gave all the mind i had
And whenever i was sad
I had my friends
And now it can be told
I'm a quarter of a century old
But i'm half a century high

In the tube where i was born
I could have sworn
There was so much to see
There was so little to be
But i was free
World at my command
Through the dots i ran
Looking for a man who looked like me
And now it can be told
I'm a quarter of a century old
But i'm half a century high

/pre>

pre>
G c g
The fire breathing rebels arrive at the party early,
C d
Their khaki coats are hung in the closet near the fur.
C d g -em
Asking handouts from the ladies, while they criticize the lords.
E d g em
Boasting of the murder of the very hands that pour.
C d g em
And the victims learn to giggle, for at least they are not bored.
Am d
And my shoulders had to shrug
Am
As i crawl beneath the rug
D g
And retune my piano.

The hostess is enormous, she fills the room with perfume,
She meets the guests and smothers them with greetings.
And she asks "how are you" as she offers them a drink,
The countess of the social grace, who never seems to blink.
And she promises to talk to you, if you promise not to think.
And my shoulders had to shrug, as i crawled beneath the rug
And retuned my piano.

The beauty of the hour is blazing in the present,
She surrounds herself with those who would surrender.
Floating in the flattery she's a trophy-prize, caressed.
Protected by a pretty face, sometimes cursed, sometimes blessed.
And she's staring down their desires, while they're staring down her dress.
And my shoulders had to shrug, etc.

The egos shine like lightbulbs, so bright you cannot see them,
Blind each other blinder than a sandbox.
All the fury of an argument, holding back their yawns,
A challenge shakes the chandliers, the selfish swords are drawn.
To the loser go the hangups, to the victor go the hangers on.
And my shoulders had to shrug, etc.

They travel to the table, the host is served for supper,
And they pass each other for salt and pepper.
And the conversation sparkles as their wits are dipped in wine,
Dinosaurs on a diet, on each other they will dine.
Then they pick their teeth and they squelch a belch saying:
"darling you tasted divine."
And my shoulders had to shrug, etc.

The wallflower is waiting, she hides behind composure.
She'd love to dance and prays that no one asks her.
Then she steals a glance at lovers while her fingers tease her hair.
And she marvels at the confidence of those who hide their fears.
Then her eyes are closed as she rides away with a foreign legionaire.
And my shoulders had to shrug, etc.

Romeo is reeling, counting notches on his thighbone,
Searching for one hundred and eleven.
And he's charming as a child as he leads them to the web,
Seducing queens and gypsy girls in the boudoir of his head.
Then he wraps himself with a tablecloth and pretends he is a bed.
And my shoulders had to shrug, etc.

The party must be over, even the losers are leaving.
But just one doubt is nagging at my caustic mind:
So i snuck up close behind me and i gave myself a kiss,
And i led myself to the mirror to expose what i had missed.
There i saw a laughing maniac who was writing songs like this.
And my shoulders had to shrug, etc.

/pre>

pre>
G g#/a
I'm just a typical american boy from a typical american town
D7 g
I believe in god and senator dodd and keeping old castro down
G# a
And when it came my time to serve i knew better dead than red
D7 g
But when i got to my old draft board, buddy, this is what i said:

G
Sarge, i'm only eighteen, i got a ruptured spleen
G#/a
And i always carry a purse
D7
I got eyes like a bat, my feet are flat, and my asthma's
G
Getting worse
G# a
O think of my career, my sweetheart dear, and my poor old
Invalid aunt
D7
Besides, i ain't no fool, i'm a goin' to school, and i'm
G
Working in a defense plant

I've got a dislocated disc and a racked up back
I'm allergic to flowers and bugs
And when the bombshell hits, i get epileptic fits
And i'm addicted to a thousand drugs
I got the weakness woes, and i can't touch my toes
I can hardly reach my knees
And if the enemy came close to me
I'd probably start to sneeze

(chorus)

I hate chou en lai, and i hope he dies,
But one thing you gotta see
That someone's gotta go over there
And that someone isn't me
So i wish you well, sarge, give 'em hell
Yeah, kill me a thousand or so
And if you ever get a war without blood and gore
Well i'll be the first to go

(chorus)
/pre>

Sailing over to vietnam,
Southeast asian birmingham.
Well training is the word we use,
Nice word to have in case we lose.
Training a million vietnamese
To fight for the wrong government and the american way.

Well they put me in a barracks house
Just across the way from laos.
They said you're pretty safe when the troops deploy
But don't turn your back on your house boy
When they ring the gong, watch out for the viet-cong.

Well the sergeant said it's time to train
So i climbed aboard my helicopter plane.
We flew above the battle ground
A sniper tried to shoot us down.
He must have forgotten, we're only trainees.
Them commies never fight fair.

Friends the very next day we trained some more
We burned some villages down to the floor.
Yes we burned out the jungles far and wide,
Made sure those red apes had no place left to hide.
Threw all the people in relocation camps,
Under lock and key, made damn sure they're free.

Well i walked through the jungle and around the bend
Who should i meet but president diem.
Said you're fighting to keep vietnam free
For good old de-em-moc-ra-cy (diem-ocracy).
That means rule by one family
And 15,000 american troops, give or take a few
Thousand.
American.
Troops.

He said: "i was a fine old christian man
Ruling this backward buddhist land.
Well it ain't much but what the heck
It sure beats hell out of chiang kai-shek
I'm the power elite. me and the 7th fleet."

He said: "meet my sister, madam nhu
The sweetheart of dien bien phu"
He said: "meet my brothers, meet my aunts
With the government that doesn't take a chance.
Families that slay together, stay together."

Said: "if you want to stay you'll have to pay
Over a million dollars a day.
But it's worth it all, don't you see?
If you loose the country you'll still have me.
Me and syngman rhee, chiang kai-shek, madam nhu.
Like i said on _meet the press_
'i regret that i have but one country to give for my life.'"

Well now old dien is gone and dead
All the new leaders are anti-red.
Yes they're pro-american, freedom sensations
Against red china, the united nations.
Now all the news commentators and the cia
Are saying, "thank god for coincidence."

Walkin' down to birmingham,
Way down south in dixieland.
I thought that i would stop a while
Take a vacation southern style
Got some southern hospitality...down there in a southern hospital.

Well, all the signs said welcome in,
Welcome if you're white my friend.
Come along and watch the fights
While we feed our dogs on civil rights.
We believe in segregation...negroes in one mob...
Policemen, politicians, dogs in the other

Well i've seen travel in many ways
I've traveled in cars and old subways
But in birmingham some people chose
To fly down the street from a fire hose.
Doin' some hard travelin'...from hydrants of plenty.

Well a pack of dogs was standin' by
I walked up to them and i said "hi"
Well i asked one dog what they all were doin'
He walked up to me and started chewin'
It was a black dog...seems everybody down there is prejudiced.

Well i said there must be some men around
There can't be only you dogs in town
They said "sure we have old bull conner
There he goes, walkin' yonder
Throwin' some raw meat to the mayor...feedin' bones to the city council"

Well i said "there's still something missing here,
You must have a governor somewhere."
Sure, he's doin' his duty, he ain't no fool
He's blocking out kids from our schools
Standin' in the doorway...crackin' jokes...gettin' re-elected.

So, i asked em' how they spend their time
With segregation on their mind.
They said if you don't like to live this way
Get outta here, go back to the u.s.a.
Live with all them russians...new york agitatiors...yeah.

Some say they've passed their darkest hour
Those moderates are back in power.
But listen close with open ears
They'll help us out in a couple a hundred years.
But don't push 'em...whatever you do...
Or else you get those extremists back in.

You see alabama is a soveriegn state
With soveriegn dogs and soveriegn hate
They stand for the bible, for the constitution
They stand against communist revolution.
They say: "it's pinkos like you that freed the slaves."