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

In the time of my confession, in the hour of my deepest need
When the pool of tears beneath my feet flood every newborn seed
There's a dyin' voice within me reaching out somewhere,
Toiling in the danger and in the morals of despair.

Don't have the inclination to look back on any mistake,
Like cain, i now behold this chain of events that i must break.
In the fury of the moment i can see the master's hand
In every leaf that trembles, in every grain of sand.

Oh, the flowers of indulgence and the weeds of yesteryear,
Like criminals, they have choked the breath of conscience and good cheer.
The sun beat down upon the steps of time to light the way
To ease the pain of idleness and the memory of decay.

I gaze into the doorway of temptation's angry flame
And every time i pass that way i always hear my name.
Then onward in my journey i come to understand
That every hair is numbered like every grain of sand.

I have gone from rags to riches in the sorrow of the night
In the violence of a summer's dream, in the chill of a wintry light,
In the bitter dance of loneliness fading into space,
In the broken mirror of innocence on each forgotten face.

I hear the ancient footsteps like the motion of the sea
Sometimes i turn, there's someone there, other times it's only me.
I am hanging in the balance of the reality of man
Like every sparrow falling, like every grain of sand.

Well, i walked all night long
Listenin' to them church bells tone
Yes, i walked all night long
Listenin' to them church bells tone
Either someone needing mercy
Or maybe something i've done wrong

Well, your friends come by for you
I don't know what to say
Well, your friends come by for you
I don't know what to say
I just can't face up to tell 'em
Honey, you just went away

Well, children cry for mother
I tell them, "mother took a trip"
Well, children cry for mother
I tell them, "mother took a trip"
Well, i walk on pins and needles
I hope my tongue don't slip

Well, i gaze at passing strangers
In case i might see you
Yes, i gaze at passing strangers
In case i might see you
But the sun goes around the heavens
And another day just drives on through

Way out in the distance
I know you're with some other man
Way out in the distance
I know you're with some other man
But that's alright, baby
You know i always understand

Call girls in the doorway
All giving me the eye
Call girls in the doorway
All giving me the eye
But my heart's just not in it
I might as well pass right on by

My ears are ringin'
Ringin' like empty shells
My ears are ringin'
Ringin' like empty shells
Well, it can't be no guitar player
It must be convent bells

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.

No more auction block for me
No more, no more
No more auction block for me
Many thousand gone

No more driver's lash for me
No more, no more
No more driver's lash for me
Many thousand gone

No more whiplash for me
No more, no more
No more pound of salt for me
Many thousand gone

No more auction block for me
No more, no more
No more auction block for me
Many thousand gone

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.

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.

Well met, well met, my own true love
Well met, well met, cried she
I've just returned from the salt, salt sea
And it's all for the love of thee

I could have married a king's daughter there
She would have married me
But i have forsaken my king's daughter there
It's all for the love of thee

Well, if you could have married a king's daughter there
I'm sure you're the one to blame
For i am married to a house carpenter
And i'm sure he's a fine young man

Forsake, forsake your house carpenter
And come away with me
I'll take you where the green grass grows
On the shores of sunny italy

So up she picked her babies three
And gave them kisses, one, two, three
Saying "take good care of your daddy while i'm gone
And keep him good company."

Well, they were sailin' about two weeks
I'm sure it was not three
When the younger of the girls, she came on deck
Sayin' she wants company

"well, are you weepin' for your house and home?
Or are you weepin' for your babies three?"
"well, i'm not weepin' for my house carpenter
I'm weepin' for my babies three."

Oh what are those hills yonder, my love
They look as white as snow
Those are the hill of heaven, my love
You and i'll never know

Oh what are those hills yonder, my love
They look as dark as night
Those are the hills of hell-fire my love
Where you and i will unite

Oh twice around went the gallant ship
I'm sure it was not three
When the ship all of a sudden, it sprung a leak
And it drifted to the bottom of the sea

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.

Seven days, seven more days she'll be comin'
I'll be waiting at the station for her to arrive
Seven more days, all i gotta do is survive.

She been gone ever since i been a child
Ever since i seen her smile, i ain't forgotten her eyes.
She had a face that could outshine the sun in the skies.

I been good, i been good while i been waitin'
Maybe guilty of hesitatin', i just been holdin' on
Seven more days, all that'll be gone.

There's kissing in the valley,
Thieving in the alley,
Fighting every inch of the way.
Trying to be tender
With somebody i remember
In a night that's always brighter'n the day.

Seven days, seven more days that are connected
Just like i expected, she'll be comin' on forth,
My beautiful comrade from the north.

There's kissing in the valley,
Thieving in the alley,
Fighting every inch of the way.
Trying to be tender
With somebody i remember
In a night that's always brighter'n the day.

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.

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.

They say "drink and be merry,
Take the bull by the horns."
I keep seeing visions of you, a lily among thorns
Everything looks a little far away to me

Gettin' harder and harder to recognize the trap
Too much information about nothin'
Too much educated rap
It's just like you told me, just like you said it would be

The moon rising like wildfire
I feel the breath of a storm
Something i got to do tonight
You go inside and stay warm

Someone's got a hold of my heart
Someone's got a hold of my heart
Someone's got a hold of my heart
You-
Yeah, you got a hold of my heart

Just got back from a city of powder blue skies
Everybody thinks with their stomach
There's plenty of spies
Every street is crooked, they just wind around till they disappear

Madame butterfly, she lulls me to sleep
Like an ancient river
So wide and deep
She said, "be easy, baby, ain't nothin' worth stealin' here"

You're the one i've been waitin' for
You're the one i desire
But you must first realize
I'm not another man for hire

Someone's got a hold of my heart
Someone's got a hold of my heart
Someone's got a hold of my heart
You, you, you, you
Yeah, you got a hold of my heart

I hear the hot-blooded singer
On the bandstand croon
September song, memphis in june
While they're beating the devil out of a guy who's wearing a flaming red wig

I been to babylon
I gotta confess
I can still hear that voice crying in the wilderness
What looks large from a distance, close up is never that big
Never could learn to drink that blood and call it wine
Never could learn to look at your face and call it mine.

Someone's got a hold of my heart
Someone's got a hold of my heart
Someone's got a hold of my heart
You-
Yeah, you got a hold of my heart

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.

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.

Here's a foreign song i learned in utah?br> ha-va-ne-gei-lah
O-de-ley-e-e-oo-

Tell me, i've got to know.
Tell me, tell me before i go.
Does that flame still burn? does that fire still glow?
Or has it died out and melted like the snow.
Tell me.
Tell me.

Tell me, what are you focused upon?
Tell me what i'll know better when you're gone.
Tell me quick with a glance on the side.
Shall i hold you close?
Or shall i let you go by?
Tell me.
Tell me.

Are you looking at me and thinking of somebody else?
Can you feel the heat and the beat of my pulse?
Do you have any secrets that will come out in time?
Do you lie in bed and stare at the stars?
Is your main friend an acquaintance of ours?
Tell me.
Tell me.

Tell me, do those neon lights blind your eyes?
Tell me, behind what door your treasure lies.
Ever gone broke in a big way?
Ever gone the opposite of what the experts say?
Tell me.
Tell me.

Is it some kind of game that you're playin' with me.
Am i imagining something that never can be?
Do you have any morals?
Do you have any point of view?
Do you long to ride on that old ship of zion?
What means more to you, a lap dog or a dead lion?
Tell me.
Tell me.

Tell me, is my name in your book?
Tell me, should i come back and take another look?
Tell me the truth, tell me no lies.
Are you someone, anyone?
Tell me.
Tell me.

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!

You harbor resentment
You know there ain't too much of a thrill
You wish for contentment
But you got an emptiness that can't be filled
You've had enough hatred
Your bones are breaking (and you) can't find nothing sacred, (but)

Ye shall be changed, ye shall be changed
In a twinkling of an eye, when the last trumpet blows
The dead will arise and burst out of your cloths
And ye shall be changed

Everything you've gotten
You've gotten by sweat, blood and muscle
From early in the morning 'til way past dark
All you ever do is hustle
All your loved ones have walked out the door
You're not even sure 'bout your wife and kids no more, but

Ye shall be changed, ye shall be changed
In a twinkling of an eye, when the last trumpet blows
The dead will arise and burst out of your cloths
And ye shall be changed

(now) the past don't control you
But the future's like a roulette wheel spinning
(and) deep down inside
You know you need a whole new beginning
Don't have to go to russia or iran
Just surrender to god and he'll move you right here where you stand, and

Ye shall be changed, ye shall be changed
In a twinkling of an eye, when the last trumpet blows
The dead will arise and burst out of your cloths
And ye shall be changed

You drink bitter water
And you been eating the bread of sorrow
You can't live for today
When all you're ever thinking of is tomorrow
The path you've endured has been rough
And when you've decided that you've had enough, then

Ye shall be changed, ye shall be changed
In a twinkling of an eye, when the last trumpet blows
The dead will arise and burst out of your cloths
And ye shall be changed

It's been raining in the trenches all day long, dripping down to my clothes,
My patience is wearing thin, got a fire inside my nose.
Searching for the truth the way god designed it,
The truth is i might drown before i find it.

Well i need a woman, yes i do
Need a woman, yes i do.
Someone who can see me as i am,
Somebody who just don't give a damn.
And i want you to be that woman every night,
Be that woman.

I've had my eyes on you baby for about five long years,
You probably don't know me at all, but i have seen your laughter and tears.
Now you don't frighten me, my heart is jumping
And you look like it wouldn't hurt you none to have a man who could give ya something.

Well i need a woman, oh don't i
Need a woman, bring it home safe at last.
Seen you turn the corner, seen your bootheels spark,
Seen you in the daylight, and watched you in the dark.
And i want you to be that woman, all right
Be that woman every night.

Well, if you believe in something long enough you just naturally come to think it's true.
There ain't no wall you can't cross over, ain't no fire you can't walk through.
Well, believing is all right, just don't let the wrong people know what it's all about.
They might put the evil eye on you, use their hidden powers to try to turn you out.

Well i need a woman, just to be my queen.
Need a woman, know what i mean?

Look out across the fields, see me returning,
Smoke is in your eye, you draw a smile.
From the fireplace where my letters to you are burning,
You've had time to think about it for a while.

Well, i've walked two hundred miles, now look me over,
It's the end of the chase and the moon is high.
It won't matter who loves who,
You'll love me or i'll love you
When the night comes falling from the sky.

I can see through your walls and i know you're hurting,
Sorrow covers you up like a cape.
Only yesterday i know that you've been flirting
With disaster that you managed to escape.

I can't provide for you no easy answers,
Who are you that i should have to lie?
You'll know all about it, love,
It'll fit you like a glove
When the night comes falling from the sky.

I can hear your trembling heart beat like a river,
You must have been protecting someone last time i called.
I've never asked you for nothing you couldn't deliver,
I've never asked you to set yourself up for a fall.

I saw thousands who could have overcome the darkness,
For the love of a lousy buck, i've watched them die.
Stick around, baby, we're not through,
Don't look for me, i'll see you
When the night comes falling from the sky.

In your teardrops, i can see my own reflection,
It was on the northern border of texas where i crossed the line.
I don't want to be a fool starving for affection,
I don't want to drown in someone else's wine.

For all eternity i think i will remember
That icy wind that's howling in your eye.
You will seek me and you'll find me in the wasteland of your mind
When the night comes falling from the sky.

Well, i sent you my feelings in a letter
But you were gambling for support.
This time tomorrow i'll know you better
When my memory is not so short.

This time i'm asking for freedom,
Freedom from a world which you deny.
And you'll give it to me now,
I'll take it anyhow
When the night comes falling from the sky.

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.

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.

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

He was a friend of mine
He was a friend of mine
Every time i think about him now
Lord i just can't keep from cryin'
'cause he was a friend of mine

He died on the road
He died on the road
He never had enough money
To pay his room or board
And he was a friend of mine

I stole away and cried
I stole away and cried
'cause i never had too much money
And i never been quite satisfied
And he was a friend of mine

He never done no wrong
He never done no wrong
A thousand miles from home
And he never harmed no one
And he was a friend of mine

He was a friend of mine
He was a friend of mine
Every time i hear his name
Lord i just can't keep from cryin'
'cause he was a friend of mine.

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

As i was out walking on a corner one day,
I spied an old hobo, in a doorway he lay.
His face was all grounded in the cold sidewalk floor
And i guess he'd been there for the whole night or more.

Only a hobo, but one more is gone
Leavin' nobody to sing his sad song
Leavin' nobody to carry him home
Only a hobo, but one more is gone

A blanket of newspaper covered his head,
As the curb was his pillow, the street was his bed.
One look at his face showed the hard road he'd come
And a fistful of coins showed the money he bummed.

Only a hobo, but one more is gone
Leavin' nobody to sing his sad song
Leavin' nobody to carry him home
Only a hobo, but one more is gone

Does it take much of a man to see his whole life go down,
To look up on the world from a hole in the ground,
To wait for your future like a horse that's gone lame,
To lie in the gutter and die with no name?

Only a hobo, but one more is gone
Leavin' nobody to sing his sad song
Leavin' nobody to carry him home
Only a hobo, but one more is gone

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?