Bootleg Series, Vols. 1-3: Rare & Unreleased, 1961-1991

Trails of troubles,
Roads of battles,
Paths of victory,
I shall walk.

The trail is dusty
And my road it might be rough,
But the better roads are waiting
And boys it ain't far off.

Trails of troubles,
Roads of battles,
Paths of victory,
We shall walk.

I walked down by the river,
I turned my head up high.
I saw that silver linin'
That was hangin' in the sky.

Trails of troubles,
Roads of battles,
Paths of victory,
We shall walk.

The evenin' dusk was rollin',
I was walking down the track.
There was a one-way wind a-blowin'
And it was blowin' at my back.

Trails of troubles,
Roads of battles,
Paths of victory,
We shall walk.

The gravel road is bumpy,
It's a hard road to ride,
But there's a clearer road a-waitin'
With the cinders on the side.

Trails of troubles,
Roads of battles,
Paths of victory,
We shall walk.

That evening train was rollin',
The hummin' of its wheels,
My eyes they saw a better day
As i looked across the fields.

Trails of troubles,
Roads of battles,
Paths of victory,
We shall walk.

The trail is dusty,
The road it might be rough,
But the good road is a-waitin'
And boys it ain't far off.

Trails of troubles,
Roads of battles,
Paths of victory,
We shall walk.

Well, it's always been my nature to take chances
My right hand drawing back while my left hand advances
Where the current is strong and the monkey dances
To the tune of a concertina

Blood dryin' in my yellow hair as i go from shore to shore
I know what it is that has drawn me to your door
But whatever it could be, makes you think you've seen me before
Angelina

Oh, angelina. oh, angelina

His eyes were two slits that would make a snake proud
With a face that any painter would paint as he walked through the crowd
Worshipping a god with the body of a woman well endowed
And the head of a hyena

Do i need your permission to turn the other cheek?
If you can read my mind, why must i speak?
No, i have heard nothing about the man that you seek
Angelina

Oh, angelina. oh, angelina

In the valley of the giants where the stars and stripes explode
The peaches they were sweet and the milk and honey flowed
I was only following instructions when the judge sent me down the road
With your subpoena

When you cease to exist, then who will you blame?
I've tried my best to love you, but i cannot play this game
Your best friend and my worst enemy is one and the same
Angelina

Oh, angelina. oh, angelina

There's a black mercedes rollin' through the combat zone
Your servants are half dead; you're down to the bone
Tell me, tall man, where would you like to be overthrown
Maybe down in jerusalem or argentina?

She was stolen from her mother when she was three days old
Now her vengeance has been satisfied and her possessions have been sold
He's surrounded by god's angels and she's wearin' a blindfold
And so are you, angelina

Oh, angelina. oh, angelina

I see pieces of men marching; trying to take heaven by force
I can see the unknown rider, i can see the pale white horse
In god's truth tell me what you want, and you'll have it of course
Just step into the arena

Beat a path of retreat up them spiral staircases
Pass the tree of smoke, pass the angel with four faces
Begging god for mercy and weepin' in unholy places
Angelina

Oh, angelina. oh, angelina

I paid fifteen million dollars, twelve hundred and seventy-two cents
I paid one thousand two hundred twenty-seven dollars and fifty-five cents
See my hound dog bite a rabbit
And my football's sittin' on a barbed-wire fence

Well, my temperature rises and my feet don't walk so fast
Yes, my temperature rises and my feet don't walk so fast
Well, this arabian doctor came in, gave me a shot
But wouldn't tell me if what i had would last

Well, this woman i've got, she's filling me with her drive
Yes, this woman i've got, she's thrillin' me with her hive
She's calling me stan
Or else she calls me mister clive

Of course, you're gonna think this song is a riff
I know you're gonna think this song is a cliff
Unless you've been inside a tunnel
And fell down 69, 70 feet over a barbed-wire fence

All night!

I was thinking of a series of dreams
Where nothing comes up to the top
Everything stays down where it's wounded
And comes to a permanent stop
Wasn't thinking of anything specific
Like in a dream, when someone wakes up and screams
Nothing too very scientific
Just thinking of a series of dreams

Thinking of a series of dreams
Where the time and the tempo fly
And there's no exit in any direction
'cept the one that you can't see with your eyes
Wasn't making any great connection
Wasn't falling for any intricate scheme
Nothing that would pass inspection
Just thinking of a series of dreams

Dreams where the umbrella is folded
Into the path you are hurled
And the cards are no good that you're holding
Unless they're from another world

In one, numbers were burning
In another, i witnessed a crime
In one, i was running, and in another
All i seemed to be doing was climb
Wasn't looking for any special assistance
Not going to any great extremes
I'd already gone the distance
Just thinking of a series of dreams

Smoky autumn night, stars up in the sky,
I see the sailin' boats across the bay go by.
Eucalyptus trees hang above the street
And then i turn my head, for you're approachin' me.
Moonlight on the water, fisherman's daughter, floatin' in to my room
With a golden loom.

First we wash our feet near the immortal shrine
And then our shadows meet and then we drink the wine.
I see the hungry clouds up above your face
And then the tears roll down, what a bitter taste.
And then you drift away on a summer's day where the wildflowers bloom
With your golden loom.

I walk across the bridge in the dismal light
Where all the cars are stripped between the gates of night.
I see the trembling lion with the lotus flower tail
And then i kiss your lips as i lift your veil.
But you're gone and then all i seem to recall is the smell of perfume
And your golden loom.

You will search, babe,
At any cost.
But how long, babe,
Can you search for what's not lost?
Ev'rybody will help you,
Some people are very kind.
But if i can save you any time,
Come on, give it to me,
I'll keep it with mine.

I can't help it
If you might think i'm odd,
If i say i'm not loving you for what you are
But for what you're not.
Everybody will help you
Discover what you set out to find.
But if i can save you any time,
Come on, give it to me,
I'll keep it with mine.

The train leaves
At half past ten,
But it'll be back tomorrow,
Same time again.
The conductor he's weary,
He's still stuck on the line.
But if i can save you any time,
Come on, give it to me,
I'll keep it with mine.

Instrumental

Perhaps it's the color of the sun cut flat
An' cov'rin' the crossroads i'm standing at,
Or maybe it's the weather or something like that,
But mama, you been on my mind.

I don't mean trouble, please don't put me down or get upset,
I am not pleadin' or sayin', "i can't forget."
I do not walk the floor bowed down an' bent, but yet,
Mama, you been on my mind.

Even though my mind is hazy an' my thoughts they might be narrow,
Where you been don't bother me nor bring me down in sorrow.
It don't even matter to me where you're wakin' up tomorrow,
But mama, you're just on my mind.

I am not askin' you to say words like "yes" or "no,"
Please understand me, i got no place for you t' go.
I'm just breathin' to myself, pretendin' not that i don't know,
Mama, you been on my mind.

When you wake up in the mornin', baby, look inside your mirror.
You know i won't be next to you, you know i won't be near.
I'd just be curious to know if you can see yourself as clear
As someone who has had you on his mind.

Oh, you can read out your bible,
You can fall down on your knees, pretty mama,
And pray to the lord
But it ain't gonna do no good.

You're gonna need
You're gonna need my help someday
Well, if you can't quit your sinnin'
Please quit your low down ways.

Well, you can run down to the white house,
You can gaze at the capitol dome, pretty mama,
You can pound on the president's gate
But you oughta know by now it's gonna be too late.

You're gonna need
You're gonna need my help someday
Well, if you can't quit your sinnin'
Please quit your low down ways.

Well, you can run down to the desert,
Throw yourself on the burning sand.
You can raise up your right hand, pretty mama,
But you better understand you done lost your one good man.

You're gonna need
You're gonna need my help someday
Well, if you can't quit your sinnin'
Please quit your low down ways.

And you can hitchhike on the highway,
You can stand all alone by the side of the road.
You can try to flag a ride back home, pretty mama,
But you can't ride in my car no more.

You're gonna need
You're gonna need my help someday
Well, if you can't quit your sinnin'
Please quit your low down ways.

Oh, you can read out your bible,
You can fall down on your knees, pretty mama,
And pray to the lord
But it ain't gonna do no good.

You're gonna need
You're gonna need my help someday
Well, if you can't quit your sinnin'
Please quit your low down ways.

Oh the time will come up
When the winds will stop
And the breeze will cease to be breathin'.
Like the stillness in the wind
'fore the hurricane begins,
The hour when the ship comes in.

Oh the seas will split
And the ship will hit
And the sands on the shoreline will be shaking.
Then the tide will sound
And the wind will pound
And the morning will be breaking.

Oh the fishes will laugh
As they swim out of the path
And the seagulls they'll be smiling.
And the rocks on the sand
Will proudly stand,
The hour that the ship comes in.

And the words that are used
For to get the ship confused
Will not be understood as they're spoken.
For the chains of the sea
Will have busted in the night
And will be buried at the bottom of the ocean.

A song will lift
As the mainsail shifts
And the boat drifts on to the shoreline.
And the sun will respect
Every face on the deck,
The hour that the ship comes in.

Then the sands will roll
Out a carpet of gold
For your weary toes to be a-touchin'.
And the ship's wise men
Will remind you once again
That the whole wide world is watchin'.

Oh the foes will rise
With the sleep still in their eyes
And they'll jerk from their beds and think they're dreamin'.
But they'll pinch themselves and squeal
And know that it's for real,
The hour when the ship comes in.

Then they'll raise their hands,
Sayin' we'll meet all your demands,
But we'll shout from the bow your days are numbered.
And like pharaoh's tribe,
They'll be drownded in the tide,
And like goliath, they'll be conquered.

Old reilly stole a stallion
But they caught him and they brought him back
And they laid him down on the jailhouse ground
With an iron chain around his neck.

Old reilly's daughter got a message
That her father was goin' to hang.
She rode by night and came by morning
With gold and silver in her hand.

When the judge he saw reilly's daughter
His old eyes deepened in his head,
Sayin', "gold will never free your father,
The price, my dear, is you instead."

"oh i'm as good as dead," cried reilly,
"it's only you that he does crave
And my skin will surely crawl if he touches you at all.
Get on your horse and ride away."

"oh father you will surely die
If i don't take the chance to try
And pay the price and not take your advice.
For that reason i will have to stay."

The gallows shadows shook the evening,
In the night a hound dog bayed,
In the night the grounds were groanin',
In the night the price was paid.

The next mornin' she had awoken
To know that the judge had never spoken.
She saw that hangin' branch a-bendin',
She saw her father's body broken.

These be seven curses on a judge so cruel:
That one doctor will not save him,
That two healers will not heal him,
That three eyes will not see him.

That four ears will not hear him,
That five walls will not hide him,
That six diggers will not bury him
And that seven deaths shall never kill him.

I sang the song slowly
As she stood in the shadows
She stepped to the light
As my silver strings spun
She called with her eyes
To the tune i's a-playin'
But the song it was long
And i'd only begun

Through a bullet of light
Her face was reflectin'
The fast fading words
That rolled from my tongue
With a long-distance look
Her eyes was on fire
But the song it was long
And there was more to be sung.

My eyes danced a circle
Across her clear outline
With her head tilted sideways
She called me again
As the tune drifted out
She breathed hard through the echo
But the song it was long
And it was far to the end

I glanced at my guitar
And played it pretendin'
That of all the eyes out there
I could see none
As her thoughts pounded hard
Like the pierce of an arrow
But the song it was long
And it had to get done

As the tune finally folded
I laid down the guitar
Then looked for the girl
Who'd stayed for so long
But her shadow was missin'
For all of my searchin'
So i picked up my guitar
And began the next song

I'll sing you a song, ain't very long,
'bout an old man who never done wrong.
How he died nobody can say,
They found him dead in the street one day.

Well, the crowd, they gathered one fine morn,
At the man whose clothes 'n' shoes were torn.
There on the sidewalk he did lay,
They stopped 'n' stared 'n' walked their way.

Well, the p'liceman come and he looked around,
"get up, old man, or i'm a-takin' you down."
He jabbed him once with his billy club
And the old man then rolled off the curb.

Well, he jabbed him again and loudly said,
"call the wagon; this man is dead."
The wagon come, they loaded him in,
I never saw the man again.

I've sung you my song, it ain't very long,
'bout an old man who never done wrong.
How he died no one can say,
They found him dead in the street one day.

Well, i ride on a mailtrain, baby,
Can't buy a thrill.
Well, i've been up all night, baby,
Leanin' on the window sill.
Well, if i die
On top of the hill
And if i don't make it,
You know my baby will.

Don't the moon look good, mama,
Shinin' through the trees?
Don't the brakeman look good, mama,
Flagging down the "double e"?
Don't the sun look good
Goin' down over the sea?
Don't my gal look fine
When she's comin' after me?

Now the wintertime is coming,
The windows are filled with frost.
I went to tell everybody,
But i could not get across.
Well, i wanna be your lover, baby,
I don't wanna be your boss.
Don't say i never warned you
When your train gets lost.

Wallflower, wallflower
Won't you dance with me?
I'm sad and lonely too.
Wallflower, wallflower
Won't you dance with me?
I'm fallin' in love with you.

Just like you i'm wondrin' what i'm doin' here.
Just like you i'm wondrin' what's goin' on.

Wallflower, wallflower
Won't you dance with me?
The night will soon be gone.

I have seen you standing in the smoky haze
And i know that you're gonna be mine one of these days,
Mine alone.

Wallflower, wallflower
Take a chance on me.
Please let me ride you home.

If not for you,
Babe, i couldn't find the door,
Couldn't even see the floor,
I'd be sad and blue,
If not for you.

If not for you,
Babe, i'd lay awake all night,
Wait for the mornin' light
To shine in through,
But it would not be new,
If not for you.

If not for you
My sky would fall,
Rain would gather too.
Without your love i'd be nowhere at all,
I'd be lost if not for you,
And you know it's true.

If not for you
My sky would fall,
Rain would gather too.
Without your love i'd be nowhere at all,
Oh! what would i do
If not for you.

If not for you,
Winter would have no spring,
Couldn't hear the robin sing,
I just wouldn't have a clue,
Anyway it wouldn't ring true,
If not for you.

Seen the arrow on the doorpost
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 no one can sing the blues
Like blind willie mctell

Well, i heard the hoot owl singing
As they were taking down the tents
The stars above the barren trees
Were his only audience
Them charcoal gypsy maidens
Can strut their feathers well
But nobody can sing the blues
Like blind willie mctell

See them big plantations burning
Hear the cracking of the whips
Smell that sweet magnolia blooming
(and) see the ghosts of slavery ships
I can hear them tribes a-moaning
(i can) hear the undertaker's bell
(yeah), nobody can sing the blues
Like blind willie mctell

There's a woman by the river
With some fine young handsome man
He's dressed up like a squire
Bootlegged whiskey in his hand
There's a chain gang on the highway
I can hear them rebels yell
And i know no one can sing the blues
Like blind willie mctell

Well, god is in heaven
And we all want what's his
But power and greed and corruptible seed
Seem to be all that there is
I'm gazing out the window
Of the st. james hotel
And i know no one can sing the blues
Like blind willie mctell

Well, i was feelin' sad and feelin' blue,
I didn't know what in the world i was gonna do,
Them communists they wus comin' around,
They wus in the air,
They wus on the ground.
They wouldn't gimme no peace. . .

So i run down most hurriedly
And joined up with the john birch society,
I got me a secret membership card
And started off a-walkin' down the road.
Yee-hoo, i'm a real john bircher now!
Look out you commies!

Now we all agree with hitlers' views,
Although he killed six million jews.
It don't matter too much that he was a fascist,
At least you can't say he was a communist!
That's to say like if you got a cold you take a shot of malaria.

Well, i wus lookin' everywhere for them gol-darned reds.
I got up in the mornin' 'n' looked under my bed,
Looked in the sink, behind the door,
Looked in the glove compartment of my car.
Couldn't find 'em . . .

I wus lookin' high an' low for them reds everywhere,
I wus lookin' in the sink an' underneath the chair.
I looked way up my chimney hole,
I even looked deep inside my toilet bowl.
They got away . . .

Well, i wus sittin' home alone an' started to sweat,
Figured they wus in my t.v. set.
Peeked behind the picture frame,
Got a shock from my feet, hittin' right up in the brain.
Them reds caused it!
I know they did . . . them hard-core ones.

Well, i quit my job so i could work alone,
Then i changed my name to sherlock holmes.
Followed some clues from my detective bag
And discovered they wus red stripes on the american flag!
That ol' betty ross . . .

Well, i investigated all the books in the library,
Ninety percent of 'em gotta be burned away.
I investigated all the people that i knowed,
Ninety-eight percent of them gotta go.
The other two percent are fellow birchers . . . just like me.

Now eisenhower, he's a russian spy,
Lincoln, jefferson and that roosevelt guy.
To my knowledge there's just one man
That's really a true american: george lincoln rockwell.
I know for a fact he hates commies cus he picketed the movie exodus.

Well, i fin'ly started thinkin' straight
When i run outa things to investigate.
Couldn't imagine doin' anything else,
So now i'm sittin' home investigatin' myself!
Hope i don't find out anything . . . hmm, great god!

Listen to me, baby,
There's something you must see.
I want to be with you, gal,
If you want to be with me.

But if you got to go,
It's all right.
But if you got to go, go now,
Or else you gotta stay all night.

It ain't that i'm questionin' you.
To take part in any quiz.
It's just that i ain't got no watch
An' you keep askin' me what time it is.

But if you got to go,
It's all right.
But if you got to go, go now,
Or else you gotta stay all night.

I am just a poor boy, baby,
Lookin' to connect.
But i certainly don't want you thinkin'
That i ain't got any respect.

But if you got to go,
It's all right.
But if you got to go, go now,
Or else you gotta stay all night.

You know i'd have nightmares
And a guilty conscience, too,
If i kept you from anything
That you really wanted to do.

But if you got to go,
It's all right.
But if you got to go, go now,
Or else you gotta stay all night.

It ain't that i'm wantin'
Anything you never gave before.
It's just that i'll be sleepin' soon,
It'll be too dark for you to find the door.

But if you got to go,
It's all right.
But if you got to go, go now,
Or else you gotta stay all night.

Come around you rovin' gamblers and a story i will tell
About the greatest gambler, you all should know him well.
His name was will o' conley and he gambled all his life,
He had twenty-seven children, yet he never had a wife.
And it's ride, willie, ride,
Roll, willie, roll,
Wherever you are a-gamblin' now, nobody really knows.

He gambled in the white house and in the railroad yards,
Wherever there was people, there was willie and his cards.
He had a reputation as the gamblin'est man around,
Wives would keep their husbands home when willie came to town.
And it's ride, willie, ride,
Roll, willie, roll,
Wherever you are a-gamblin' now, nobody really knows.

Sailin' down the mississippi to a town called new orleans,
They're still talkin' about their card game on that jackson river queen.
"i've come to win some money," gamblin' willie says,
When the game finally ended up, the whole damn boat was his.
And it's ride, willie, ride,
Roll, willie, roll,
Wherever you are a-gamblin' now, nobody really knows.

Up in the rocky mountains in a town called cripple creek,
There was an all-night poker game, lasted about a week.
Nine hundred miners had laid their money down,
When willie finally left the room, he owned the whole damn town.
And it's ride, willie, ride,
Roll, willie, roll,
Wherever you are a-gamblin' now, nobody really knows.

But willie had a heart of gold and this i know is true,
He supported all his children, and all their mothers too.
He wore no rings or fancy things, like other gamblers wore,
He spread his money far and wide, to help the sick and the poor.
And it's ride, willie, ride,
Roll, willie, roll,
Wherever you are a-gamblin' now, nobody really knows.

When you played your cards with willie, you never really knew
Whether he was bluffin' or whether he was true.
He won a fortune from a man who folded in his chair.
The man, he left a diamond flush, willie didn't even have a pair.
And it's ride, willie, ride,
Roll, willie, roll,
Wherever you are a-gamblin' now, nobody really knows.

It was late one evenin' during a poker game,
A man lost all his money, he said willie was to blame.
He shot poor willie through the head, which was a tragic fate,
When willie's cards fell on the floor, they were aces backed with eights.
And it's ride, willie, ride,
Roll, willie, roll,
Wherever you are a-gamblin' now, nobody really knows.

So all you rovin' gamblers, wherever you might be,
The moral of this story is very plain to see.
Make your money while you can, before you have to stop,
For when you pull that dead man's hand, your gamblin' days are up.
And it's ride, willie, ride,
Roll, willie, roll,
Wherever you are a-gamblin' now, nobody really knows.

Lazy stadium night
Catfish on the mound.
"strike three," the umpire said,
Batter have to go back and sit down.

Catfish, million-dollar-man,
Nobody can throw the ball like catfish can.

Used to work on mr. finley's farm
But the old man wouldn't pay
So he packed his glove and took his arm
An' one day he just ran away.

Catfish, million-dollar-man,
Nobody can throw the ball like catfish can.

Come up where the yankees are,
Dress up in a pinstripe suit,
Smoke a custom-made cigar,
Wear an alligator boot.

Catfish, million-dollar-man,
Nobody can throw the ball like catfish can.

Carolina born and bred,
Love to hunt the little quail.
Got a hundred-acre spread,
Got some huntin' dogs for sale.

Catfish, million-dollar-man,
Nobody can throw the ball like catfish can.

Reggie jackson at the plate
Seein' nothin' but the curve,
Swing too early or too late
Got to eat what catfish serve.

Catfish, million-dollar-man,
Nobody can throw the ball like catfish can.

Even billy martin grins
When the fish is in the game.
Every season twenty wins
Gonna make the hall of fame.

Catfish, million-dollar-man,
Nobody can throw the ball like catfish can.

johnny's in the basement
Mixing up the medicine
I'm on the pavement
Thinking about the government
The man in the trench coat
Badge out, laid off
Says he's got a bad cough
Wants to get it paid off
Look out kid
It's somethin' you did
God knows when
But you're doin' it again
You better duck down the alley way
Lookin' for a new friend
The man in the coon-skin cap
In the big pen
Wants eleven dollar bills
You only got ten

Maggie comes fleet foot
Face full of black soot
Talkin' that the heat put
Plants in the bed but
The phone's tapped anyway
Maggie says that many say
They must bust in early may
Orders from the d. a.
Look out kid
Don't matter what you did
Walk on your tip toes
Don't try "no doz"
Better stay away from those
That carry around a fire hose
Keep a clean nose
Watch the plain clothes
You don't need a weather man
To know which way the wind blows

Get sick, get well
Hang around a ink well
Ring bell, hard to tell
If anything is goin' to sell
Try hard, get barred
Get back, write braille
Get jailed, jump bail
Join the army, if you fail
Look out kid
You're gonna get hit
But losers, cheaters
Six-time users
Hang around the theaters
Girl by the whirlpool
Lookin' for a new fool
Don't follow leaders
Watch the parkin' meters

Ah get born, keep warm
Short pants, romance, learn to dance
Get dressed, get blessed
Try to be a success
Please her, please him, buy gifts
Don't steal, don't lift
Twenty years of schoolin'
And they put you on the day shift
Look out kid
They keep it all hid
Better jump down a manhole
Light yourself a candle
Don't wear sandals
Try to avoid the scandals
Don't wanna be a bum
You better chew gum
The pump don't work
'cause the vandals took the handles

For his age, he's wise
He's got his mother's eyes
There's gladness in his heart
He's young and he's wild
My only prayer is, if i can't be there,
Lord, protect my child

As his youth now unfolds
He is centuries old
Just to see him at play makes me smile
No matter what happens to me
No matter what my destiny
Lord, protect my child

While the world is asleep
You can look at it and weep
Few things you find are worthwhile
And though i don't ask for much
No material things to touch
Lord, protect my child

He's young and on fire
Full of hope and desire
In a world that's been raped, raped and defiled
If i fall along the way
And can't see another day
Lord, protect my child

There'll be a time i hear tell
When all will be well
When god and man will be reconciled
But until men lose their chains
And righteousness reigns
Lord, protect my child

Like the lion tears the flesh off of a man
So can a woman who passes herself off as a male
They sang "danny boy" at his funeral and the lord's prayer
Preacher talking 'bout christ betrayed
It's like the earth just opened and swallowed him up
He reached too high, was thrown back to the ground
You know what they say about bein' nice to the right people on the way up
Sooner or later you gonna meet them comin' down

Well, there ain't no goin' back when your foot of pride come down
Ain't no goin' back

Hear ya got a brother named james, don't forget faces or names
Sunken cheeks and his blood is mixed
He looked straight into the sun and said revenge is mine
But he drinks, and drinks can be fixed
Sing me one more song, about ya love me to the moon and the stranger
And your fall by the sword love affair with erroll flynn
In these times of compassion when conformity's in fashion
Say one more stupid thing to me before the final nail is driven in.

Well, there ain't no goin' back when your foot of pride come down
Ain't no goin' back

There's a retired businessman named red, cast down from heaven and he's out of his head
He feeds off of everyone that he can touch
He said he only deals in cash or sells tickets to a plane crash
He's not somebody that you play around with much
Miss delilah is his, a philistine is what she is
She'll do wondrous works with your fate
Feed you coconut bread, spice buns in your bed
If you don't mind sleepin' with your head face down in a grave.

Well, there ain't no goin' back when your foot of pride come down
Ain't no goin' back

Well they'll choose a man for you to meet tonight
You'll play the fool and learn how to walk through doors
How to enter into the gates of paradise
No, how to carry a burden too heavy to be yours
Yeah, from the stage they'll be tryin' to get water outta rocks
A whore will pass the hat, collect a hundred grand and say thanks
They like to take all this money from sin, build big universities to study in
Sing "amazing grace" all the way to the swiss banks

Well, there ain't no goin' back when your foot of pride come down
Ain't no goin' back

They got some beautiful people out there, man
They can be a terror to your mind and show you how to hold your tongue
They got mystery written all over their forehead
They kill babies in the crib and say only the good die young
They don't believe in mercy
Judgment on them is something that you'll never see
They can exalt you up or bring you down main route
Turn you into anything that they want you to be

Well, there ain't no goin' back when your foot of pride come down
Ain't no goin' back

Yes, i guess i loved him too
I can still see him in my mind climbin' that hill
Did he make it to the top, well he probably did and dropped
Struck down by the strength of the will
Ain't nothin' left here partner, just the dust of a plague that has left this whole town afraid
From now on, this'll be where you're from
Let the dead bury the dead. your time will come
Let hot iron blow as he raised the shade

Well, there ain't no goin' back when your foot of pride come down
Ain't no goin' back

Come you ladies and you gentlemen, a-listen to my song.
Sing it to you right, but you might think it's wrong.
Just a little glimpse of a story i'll tell
"bout an east coast city that you all know well.
It's hard times in the city,
Livin' down in new york town.

Old new york city is a friendly old town,
From washington heights to harlem on down.
There's a-mighty many people all millin' all around,
They'll kick you when you're up and knock you when you're down.
It's hard times in the city,
Livin' down in new york town.

It's a mighty long ways from the golden gate
To rockefeller plaza n' the empire state.
Mister rockefeller sets up as high as a bird,
Old mister empire never says a word.
It's hard times from the country,
Livin' down in new york town.

Well, it's up in the mornin' tryin' to fins a job of work.
Stand in one place till your feet begin to hurt.
If you go a lot o' money you can make yourself merry,
If you only got a nickel, it's the staten island ferry.
And it's hard times in the city,
Livin' down in new york town.

Mister hudson come a-sailin' down the stream
And old mister minuet paid for his dream.
Bought your city on a one-way track,
'f i had my way i'd sell it right back.
And it's hard times in the city,
Livin' down in new york town.

I'll take all the smog in cal-i-for-ne-ay,
'n' every bit of dust in the oklahoma plains,
'n' the dirt in the caves of the rocky mountain mines.
It's all much cleaner than the new york kind.
And it's hard times in the city,
Livin' down in new york town.

So all you newsy people, spread the news around,
You c'n listen to m' story, listen to m' song.
You c'n step on my name, you c'n try 'n' get me beat,
When i leave new york, i'll be standin' on my feet.
And it's hard times in the city,
Livin' down in new york town.

When yer head gets twisted and yer mind grows numb
When you think you're too old, too young, too smart or too dumb
When yer laggin' behind an' losin' yer pace
In a slow-motion crawl of life's busy race
No matter what yer doing if you start givin' up
If the wine don't come to the top of yer cup
If the wind's got you sideways with with one hand holdin' on
And the other starts slipping and the feeling is gone
And yer train engine fire needs a new spark to catch it
And the wood's easy findin' but yer lazy to fetch it
And yer sidewalk starts curlin' and the street gets too long
And you start walkin' backwards though you know its wrong
And lonesome comes up as down goes the day
And tomorrow's mornin' seems so far away
And you feel the reins from yer pony are slippin'
And yer rope is a-slidin' 'cause yer hands are a-drippin'
And yer sun-decked desert and evergreen valleys
Turn to broken down slums and trash-can alleys
And yer sky cries water and yer drain pipe's a-pourin'
And the lightnin's a-flashing and the thunder's a-crashin'
And the windows are rattlin' and breakin' and the roof tops a-shakin'
And yer whole world's a-slammin' and bangin'
And yer minutes of sun turn to hours of storm
And to yourself you sometimes say
"i never knew it was gonna be this way
Why didn't they tell me the day i was born"
And you start gettin' chills and yer jumping from sweat
And you're lookin' for somethin' you ain't quite found yet
And yer knee-deep in the dark water with yer hands in the air
And the whole world's a-watchin' with a window peek stare
And yer good gal leaves and she's long gone a-flying
And yer heart feels sick like fish when they're fryin'
And yer jackhammer falls from yer hand to yer feet
And you need it badly but it lays on the street
And yer bell's bangin' loudly but you can't hear its beat
And you think yer ears might a been hurt
Or yer eyes've turned filthy from the sight-blindin' dirt
And you figured you failed in yesterdays rush
When you were faked out an' fooled white facing a four flush
And all the time you were holdin' three queens
And it's makin you mad, it's makin' you mean
Like in the middle of life magazine
Bouncin' around a pinball machine
And there's something on yer mind you wanna be saying
That somebody someplace oughta be hearin'
But it's trapped on yer tongue and sealed in yer head
And it bothers you badly when your layin' in bed
And no matter how you try you just can't say it
And yer scared to yer soul you just might forget it
And yer eyes get swimmy from the tears in yer head
And yer pillows of feathers turn to blankets of lead
And the lion's mouth opens and yer staring at his teeth
And his jaws start closin with you underneath
And yer flat on your belly with yer hands tied behind
And you wish you'd never taken that last detour sign
And you say to yourself just what am i doin'
On this road i'm walkin', on this trail i'm turnin'
On this curve i'm hanging
On this pathway i'm strolling, in the space i'm taking
In this air i'm inhaling
Am i mixed up too much, am i mixed up too hard
Why am i walking, where am i running
What am i saying, what am i knowing
On this guitar i'm playing, on this banjo i'm frailin'
On this mandolin i'm strummin', in the song i'm singin'
In the tune i'm hummin', in the words i'm writin'
In the words that i'm thinkin'
In this ocean of hours i'm all the time drinkin'
Who am i helping, what am i breaking
What am i giving, what am i taking
But you try with your whole soul best
Never to think these thoughts and never to let
Them kind of thoughts gain ground
Or make yer heart pound
But then again you know why they're around
Just waiting for a chance to slip and drop down
"cause sometimes you hear'em when the night times comes creeping
And you fear that they might catch you a-sleeping
And you jump from yer bed, from yer last chapter of dreamin'
And you can't remember for the best of yer thinking
If that was you in the dream that was screaming
And you know that it's something special you're needin'
And you know that there's no drug that'll do for the healin'
And no liquor in the land to stop yer brain from bleeding
And you need something special
Yeah, you need something special all right
You need a fast flyin' train on a tornado track
To shoot you someplace and shoot you back
You need a cyclone wind on a stream engine howler
That's been banging and booming and blowing forever
That knows yer troubles a hundred times over
You need a greyhound bus that don't bar no race
That won't laugh at yer looks
Your voice or your face
And by any number of bets in the book
Will be rollin' long after the bubblegum craze
You need something to open up a new door
To show you something you seen before
But overlooked a hundred times or more
You need something to open your eyes
You need something to make it known
That it's you and no one else that owns
That spot that yer standing, that space that you're sitting
That the world ain't got you beat
That it ain't got you licked
It can't get you crazy no matter how many
Times you might get kicked
You need something special all right
You need something special to give you hope
But hope's just a word
That maybe you said or maybe you heard
On some windy corner 'round a wide-angled curve

But that's what you need man, and you need it bad
And yer trouble is you know it too good
"cause you look an' you start getting the chills

"cause you can't find it on a dollar bill
And it ain't on macy's window sill
And it ain't on no rich kid's road map
And it ain't in no fat kid's fraternity house
And it ain't made in no hollywood wheat germ
And it ain't on that dimlit stage
With that half-wit comedian on it
Ranting and raving and taking yer money
And you thinks it's funny
No you can't find it in no night club or no yacht club
And it ain't in the seats of a supper club
And sure as hell you're bound to tell
That no matter how hard you rub
You just ain't a-gonna find it on yer ticket stub
No, and it ain't in the rumors people're tellin' you
And it ain't in the pimple-lotion people are sellin' you
And it ain't in no cardboard-box house
Or down any movie star's blouse
And you can't find it on the golf course
And uncle remus can't tell you and neither can santa claus
And it ain't in the cream puff hair-do or cotton candy clothes
And it ain't in the dime store dummies or bubblegum goons
And it ain't in the marshmallow noises of the chocolate cake voices
That come knockin' and tappin' in christmas wrappin'
Sayin' ain't i pretty and ain't i cute and look at my skin
Look at my skin shine, look at my skin glow
Look at my skin laugh, look at my skin cry
When you can't even sense if they got any insides
These people so pretty in their ribbons and bows
No you'll not now or no other day
Find it on the doorsteps made out-a paper mache?br> and inside it the people made of molasses
That every other day buy a new pair of sunglasses
And it ain't in the fifty-star generals and flipped-out phonies
Who'd turn yuh in for a tenth of a penny
Who breathe and burp and bend and crack
And before you can count from one to ten
Do it all over again but this time behind yer back
My friend
The ones that wheel and deal and whirl and twirl
And play games with each other in their sand-box world
And you can't find it either in the no-talent fools
That run around gallant
And make all rules for the ones that got talent
And it ain't in the ones that ain't got any talent but think they do
And think they're foolin' you
The ones who jump on the wagon
Just for a while 'cause they know it's in style
To get their kicks, get out of it quick
And make all kinds of rnoney and chicks
And you yell to yourself and you throw down yer hat
Sayin', "christ do i gotta be like that
Ain't there no one here that knows where i'm at
Ain't there no one here that knows how i feel
Good god almighty
That stuff ain't real"

No but that ain't yer game, it ain't even yer race
You can't hear yer name, you can't see yer face
You gotta look some other place
And where do you look for this hope that yer seekin'
Where do you look for this lamp that's a-burnin'
Where do you look for this oil well gushin'
Where do you look for this candle that's glowin'
Where do you look for this hope that you know is there
And out there somewhere
And your feet can only walk down two kinds of roads
Your eyes can only look through two kinds of windows
Your nose can only smell two kinds of hallways
You can touch and twist
And turn two kinds of doorknobs
You can either go to the church of your choice
Or you can go to brooklyn state hospital
You'll find god in the church of your choice
You'll find woody guthrie in brooklyn state hospital

And though it's only my opinion
I may be right or wrong
You'll find them both
In the grand canyon
At sundown

Well, i'm walkin' down the line,
I'm walkin' down the line
An' i'm walkin' down the line.
My feet'll be a-flyin'
To tell about my troubled mind.

I got a heavy-headed gal
I got a heavy-headed gal
I got a heavy-headed gal
She ain't feelin' well
When she's better only time will tell

Well, i'm walkin' down the line,
I'm walkin' down the line
An' i'm walkin' down the line.
My feet'll be a-flyin'
To tell about my troubled mind.

My money comes and goes
My money comes and goes
My money comes and goes
And rolls and flows and rolls and flows
Through the holes in the pockets in my clothes

Well, i'm walkin' down the line,
I'm walkin' down the line
An' i'm walkin' down the line.
My feet'll be a-flyin'
To tell about my troubled mind.

I see the morning light
I see the morning light
Well it's not because
I'm an early riser
I didn't go to sleep last night

Well, i'm walkin' down the line,
I'm walkin' down the line
An' i'm walkin' down the line.
My feet'll be a-flyin'
To tell about my troubled mind.

I got my walkin' shoes
I got my walkin' shoes
I got my walkin' shoes
An' i ain't a-gonna lose
I believe i got the walkin' blues

Well, i'm walkin' down the line,
I'm walkin' down the line
An' i'm walkin' down the line.
My feet'll be a-flyin'
To tell about my troubled mind.

Who killed davey moore,
Why an' what's the reason for?

"not i," says the referee,
"don't point your finger at me.
I could've stopped it in the eighth
An' maybe kept him from his fate,
But the crowd would've booed, i'm sure,
At not gettin' their money's worth.
It's too bad he had to go,
But there was a pressure on me too, you know.
It wasn't me that made him fall.
No, you can't blame me at all."

Who killed davey moore,
Why an' what's the reason for?

"not us," says the angry crowd,
Whose screams filled the arena loud.
"it's too bad he died that night
But we just like to see a fight.
We didn't mean for him t' meet his death,
We just meant to see some sweat,
There ain't nothing wrong in that.
It wasn't us that made him fall.
No, you can't blame us at all."

Who killed davey moore,
Why an' what's the reason for?

"not me," says his manager,
Puffing on a big cigar.
"it's hard to say, it's hard to tell,
I always thought that he was well.
It's too bad for his wife an' kids he's dead,
But if he was sick, he should've said.
It wasn't me that made him fall.
No, you can't blame me at all."

Who killed davey moore,
Why an' what's the reason for?


"not me," says the gambling man,
With his ticket stub still in his hand.
"it wasn't me that knocked him down,
My hands never touched him none.
I didn't commit no ugly sin,
Anyway, i put money on him to win.
It wasn't me that made him fall.
No, you can't blame me at all."

Who killed davey moore,
Why an' what's the reason for?

"not me," says the boxing writer,
Pounding print on his old typewriter,
Sayin', "boxing ain't to blame,
There's just as much danger in a football game."
Sayin', "fist fighting is here to stay,
It's just the old american way.
It wasn't me that made him fall.
No, you can't blame me at all."

Who killed davey moore,
Why an' what's the reason for?

"not me," says the man whose fists
Laid him low in a cloud of mist,
Who came here from cuba's door
Where boxing ain't allowed no more.
"i hit him, yes, it's true,
But that's what i am paid to do.
Don't say 'murder,' don't say 'kill.'
It was destiny, it was god's will."

Who killed davey moore,
Why an' what's the reason for?