The Basement Tapes

(r. danko and j.r. robertson)


Bessie was more than just a friend of mine
We shared the good times with the bad
Now many a year has passed me by
I still recall the best thing i ever had

I'm just goin' down the road t' see bessie
Oh, see her soon
Goin' down the road t' see bessie smith
When i get there i wonder what she'll do

Now all the crazy things i had to try
Well i tried them all and then some
But if you're lucky one day you find out
Where it is you're really comin' from

I'm just goin' down the road t' see bessie
Oh, see her soon
Goin' down the road t' see bessie smith
When i get there i wonder what she'll do

Now in my day i've made some foolish moves
But back then, i didn't worry 'bout a thing
And now again i still wonder to myself
Was it her sweet love or the way that she could sing

I'm just goin' down the road t' see bessie
Oh, see her soon
Goin' down the road t' see bessie smith
When i get there i wonder what she'll do

There's so much time has gone right on by
I didn't think one could be so wrong
And then one night i was drinkin' and a-thinkin'
In the bottom of the glass i could see bessie's face so strong

I'm just goin' down the road t' see bessie
Oh, see her soon
Goin' down the road t' see bessie smith
When i get there i wonder what she'll do

When she sees me will she know what i've been through?
Will old times start to feelin' like new?
When i get there will our love still feel so true?
Yet all i have, i'll be a-bringin' it to you
Oh bessie, sing them old-time blues

Clouds so swift
Rain won't lift
Gate won't close
Railings froze
Get your mind off wintertime
You ain't goin' nowhere
Whoo-ee! ride me high
Tomorrow's the day
My bride's gonna come
Oh, oh, are we gonna fly
Down in the easy chair!

I don't care
How many letters they sent
Morning came and morning went
Pick up your money
And pack up your tent
You ain't goin' nowhere
Whoo-ee! ride me high
Tomorrow's the day
My bride's gonna come
Oh, oh, are we gonna fly
Down in the easy chair!

Buy me a flute
And a gun that shoots
Tailgates and substitutes
Strap yourself
To the tree with roots
You ain't goin' nowhere
Whoo-ee! ride me high
Tomorrow's the day
My bride's gonna come
Oh, oh, are we gonna fly
Down in the easy chair!


Genghis khan
He could not keep
All his kings
Supplied with sleep
We'll climb that hill no matter how steep
When we get up to it
Whoo-ee! ride me high
Tomorrow's the day
My bride's gonna come
Oh, oh, are we gonna fly
Down in the easy chair!

(by j. r. robertson and r. manuel)

Katie's been gone since the spring time;
She wrote one time'n sent her love.
Katie's been gone for such a long time now.
I wonder what kind of love she's thinkin' of.

Dear katie,
If you can hear me,
I can't wait to have ya near me.

Oh, katie, since ya caught that bus,
Well, i just don't know how things are with us.
I'm still here and you're out there.

Katie laughed when i said i was lonely.
She said, there's no need t'feel that way.
Katie said that i was her only one,
But then i wonder why she didn't wanna stay.

Dear katie, if i'm the only one,
How much longer will you be gone?
Oh, katie, won't ya tell me straight:
How much longer do i have to wait?

I'll believe you,
But please come through.
I know it's wrong to be apart this long;
You should be here, near me.

Katie's been gone and now her face is slowly fading from my mind.
She's gone to find some newer places,
Left the old life far behind.
Dear katie, dont ya miss your home?
I dont see why you had to roam.

Dear katie, since you've been away
I lose a little something every day
I need you here, but you're still out there.
Dear katie, please drop me a line,
Just write, love, to tell me you're fine.

Oh, katie, if you can hear me,
I just cant wait to have you near me.
I can only think
Where are you,
What ya do, may be there's someone new.

Well you can tell ev'rybody
Down in ol' frisco
Tell 'em
Tiny montgomery says hello

Now ev'ry boy and girl's
Gonna get their bang
'cause tiny montgomery's
Gonna shake that thing
Tell ev'rybody
Down in ol' frisco
That tiny montgomery's comin'
Down to say hello

Skinny moo and
Half-track frank
They're gonna both be gettin'
Outa the tank
One bird book
And a buzzard and a crow
Tell 'em all
That tiny's gonna say hello

Scratch your dad
Do that bird
Suck that pig
And bring it on home
Pick that drip
And bake that dough
Tell 'em all
That tiny says hello

Now he's king of the drunks
An' he squeezes, too
Watch out, lester
Take it, lou
Join the monks
The c.i.o.
Tell 'em all
That tiny montgomery says hello

Now grease that pig
And sing praise
Go on out
And gas that dog
Trick on in
Honk that stink
Take it on down
And watch it grow
Play it low
And pick it up
Take it on in
In a plucking cup
Three-legged man
And a hot-lipped hoe
Tell 'em all
Montgomery says hello

Well you can tell ev'rybody
Down in ol' frisco
Tell 'em all
Montgomery says hello

Well, i've already had two beers
I'm ready for the broom
Please, missus henry, won't you
Take me to my room?
I'm a good ol' boy
But i've been sniffin' too many eggs
Talkin' to too many people
Drinkin' too many kegs
Please, missus henry, missus henry, please!
Please, missus henry, missus henry, please!
I'm down on my knees
An' i ain't got a dime

Well, i'm groanin' in a hallway
Pretty soon i'll be mad
Please, missus henry, won't you
Take me to your dad?
I can drink like a fish
I can crawl like a snake
I can bite like a turkey
I can slam like a drake
Please, missus henry, missus henry, please!
Please, missus henry, missus henry, please!
I'm down on my knees
An' i ain't got a dime

Now, don't crowd me, lady
Or i'll fill up your shoe
I'm a sweet bourbon daddy
An' tonight i am blue
I'm a thousand years old
And i'm a generous bomb
I'm t-boned and punctured
But i'm known to be calm
Please, missus henry, missus henry, please!
Please, missus henry, missus henry, please!
I'm down on my knees
An' i ain't got a dime

Now, i'm startin' to drain
My stool's gonna squeak
If i walk too much farther
My crane's gonna leak
Look, missus henry
There's only so much i can do
Why don't you look my way
An' pump me a few?
Please, missus henry, missus henry, please!
Please, missus henry, missus henry, please!
I'm down on my knees
An' i ain't got a dime

I'm going down to rose marie's
She never does me wrong.
She puts it to me plain as day
And gives it to me for a song.

It's a wicked life but what the hell
The stars ain't falling down.
I'm standing outside the taj mahal
I don't see no one around.

Goin' to acapulco
Goin' on the run.
Goin' down to see fat gut
Goin' to have some fun.
Yeah goin' to have some fun.

Now, whenever i get up
And i ain't got what i see
I just make it down to rose marie's
'bout a quarter after three.

There are worse ways of getting there
And i ain't complainin' none.
If the clouds don't drop and the train don't stop
I'm bound to meet the sun.

Goin' to acapulco
Goin' on the run.
Goin' down to see some girl
Goin' to have some fun.
Yeah goin' to have some fun.

Now, if someone offers me a joke
I just say no thanks.
I try to tell it like it is
And keep away from pranks.

Well, sometime you know when the well breaks down
I just go pump on it some.
Rose marie, she likes to go to big places
And just set there waitin' for me to come.

Goin' to acapulco
Goin' on the run.
Goin' down to see some girl
Goin' to have some fun.
Yeah goin' to have some fun.

Crash on the levee, mama,
Water's gonna overflow,
Swamp's gonna rise,
No boat's gonna row.
Now, you can train on down
To williams point,
You can bust your feet,
You can rock this joint.
But oh mama, ain't you gonna miss your best friend now?
You're gonna have to find yourself
Another best friend, somehow.

Now, don't you try an' move me,
You're just gonna lose.
There's a crash on the levee
And, mama, you've been refused.
Well, it's sugar for sugar
And salt for salt,
If you go down in the flood,
It's gonna be your own fault.
Oh mama, ain't you gonna miss your best friend now?
You're gonna have to find yourself
Another best friend, somehow.

Well, that high tide's risin',
Mama, don't you let me down.
Pack up your suitcase,
Mama, don't you make a sound.
Now, it's king for king,
Queen for queen,
It's gonna be the meanest flood
That anybody's seen.
Oh mama, ain't you gonna miss your best friend now?
Yes, you're gonna have to find yourself
Another best friend, somehow.

If your mem'ry serves you well,
We were goin' to meet again and wait,
So i'm goin' to unpack all my things
And sit before it gets too late.
No man alive will come to you
With another tale to tell,
But you know that we shall meet again
If your mem'ry serves you well.
This wheel's on fire,
Rolling down the road,
Best notify my next of kin,
This wheel shall explode!

If your mem'ry serves you well,
I was goin' to confiscate your lace,
And wrap it up in a sailor's knot
And hide it in your case.
If i knew for sure that it was yours . . .
But it was oh so hard to tell.
But you knew that we would meet again,
If your mem'ry serves you well.
This wheel's on fire,
Rolling down the road,
Best notify my next of kin,
This wheel shall explode!

If your mem'ry serves you well,
You'll remember you're the one
That called on me to call on them
To get you your favors done.
And after ev'ry plan had failed
And there was nothing more to tell,
You knew that we would meet again,
If your mem'ry served you well.
This wheel's on fire,
Rolling down the road,
Best notify my next of kin,
This wheel shall explode

I plan it all and i take my place
You break your promise all over the place
You promised to love me, but what do i see
Just you comin' and spillin' juice over me
Odds and ends, odds and ends
Lost time is not found again

Now, you take your file and you bend my head
I never can remember anything that you said
You promised to love me, but what do i know
You're always spillin' juice on me like you got someplace to go
Odds and ends, odds and ends
Lost time is not found again

Now, i've had enough, my box is clean
You know what i'm sayin' and you know what i mean
From now on you'd best get on someone else
While you're doin' it, keep that juice to yourself
Odds and ends, odds and ends
Lost time is not found again

Nothing was delivered
And i tell this truth to you,
Not out of spite or anger
But simply because it's true.
Now, i hope you won't object to this,
Giving back all of what you owe,
The fewer words you have to waste on this,
The sooner you can go.

Nothing is better, nothing is best,
Take heed of this and get plenty of rest.

Nothing was delivered
But i can't say i sympathize
With what your fate is going to be,
Yes, for telling all those lies.
Now you must provide some answers
For what you sell has not been received,
And the sooner you come up with them,
The sooner you can leave.

Nothing is better, nothing is best,
Take heed of this and get plenty rest.

(now you know)
Nothing was delivered
And it's up to you to say
Just what you had in mind
When you made ev'rybody pay.
No, nothing was delivered,
Yes, 'n' someone must explain
That as long as it takes to do this
Then that's how long that you'll remain.

Nothing is better, nothing is best,
Take heed of this and get plenty rest.

We carried you in our arms
On independence day,
And now you'd throw us all aside
And put us on our way.
Oh what dear daughter 'neath the sun
Would treat a father so,
To wait upon him hand and foot
And always tell him, "no"?
Tears of rage, tears of grief,
Why must i always be the thief?
Come to me now, you know
We're so alone
And life is brief.

We pointed out the way to go
And scratched your name in sand,
Though you just thought it was nothing more
Than a place for you to stand.
Now, i want you to know that while we watched,
You discover there was no one true.
Most ev'rybody really thought
It was a childish thing to do.
Tears of rage, tears of grief,
Must i always be the thief?
Come to me now, you know
We're so low
And life is brief.

It was all very painless
When you went out to receive
All that false instruction
Which we never could believe.
And now the heart is filled with gold
As if it was a purse.
But, oh, what kind of love is this
Which goes from bad to worse?
Tears of rage, tears of grief,
Must i always be the thief?
Come to me now, you know
We're so low
And life is brief.

I pulled out for san anton',
I never felt so good.
My woman said she'd meet me there
And of course, i knew she would.
The coachman, he hit me for my hook
And he asked me my name.
I give it to him right away,
Then i hung my head in shame.
Lo and behold! lo and behold!
Lookin' for my lo and behold,
Get me outa here, my dear man!

I come into pittsburgh
At six-thirty flat.
I found myself a vacant seat
An' i put down my hat.
"what's the matter, molly, dear,
What's the matter with your mound?"
"what's it to ya, moby dick?
This is chicken town!"
Lo and behold! lo and behold!
Lookin' for my lo and behold,
Get me outa here, my dear man!

I bought my girl
A herd of moose,
One she could call her own.
Well, she came out the very next day
To see where they had flown.
I'm goin' down to tennessee,
Get me a truck 'r somethin'.
Gonna save my money and rip it up!
Lo and behold! lo and behold!
Lookin' for my lo and behold,
Get me outa here, my dear man!

Now, i come in on a ferris wheel
An' boys, i sure was slick.
I come in like a ton of bricks,
Laid a few tricks on 'em.
Goin' back to pittsburgh,
Count up to thirty,
Round that horn and ride that herd,
Gonna thread up!
Lo and behold! lo and behold!
Lookin' for my lo and behold,
Get me outa here, my dear man!