Sailing To Philadelphia

We only knew each other by letter
I went to meet her off the train
When the smoke had cleared and the dust was still
She was standing there and speaking my name
I guarantee she looked like an angel
I couldn't think of what i should say
But when adam saw eve in the garden
I believe he felt the selfsame way

I handed her up on the wagon
And i loaded up her trunk behind
She was sitting up there with the gold in her hair
And i tried to get a hold of my mind

Do you think that you could love me mary
Do you think we got a chance of a life
Do you think that you could love me mary
Now you are to be my wife

We finally headed out of the station
And we drove up the home trail
And when we came on the farm she laid a hand on my arm
I thought my resolution would fail
And i froze as she stepped in the doorway
Stood there as still as could be
I said i know it ain't much, it needs a woman's touch
Lord she turned around and looked at me

Do you think that you could love me mary
Do you think we got a chance of a life
Do you think that you could love me mary
Now you are to be my wife

We had a prairie wedding
There was a preacher and a neighbor or two
I gave my golden thing a gold wedding ring
And the both of us said i do
When the sun's going down on the prairie
And the gold in her hair is aflame
I say do you really love me mary
And i hold her and i whisper her name

Do you think that you could love me mary
Do you think we got a chance of a life
Do you think that you could love me mary
Now you are to be my wife

Turnpike lane, turnpike lane
You spiked my arm
But you missed the vein
Now it's all gone
But the scars remain
Junkie doll, i was stuck on you
My junkie doll

Turnham green, turnham green
You took me high
As i've ever been
Now it's all gone
And now i'm clean
Junkie doll, i was stuck on you
My junkie doll

And a little bit of this'd get you up
And a little bit of that'd get you down
A little bit of this'd get you up
And a little bit of that'd get you down
And a little bit of this'd get you up
A little bit of that'd get you down
A little bit of this'd get you up
A little bit of that'd get you down

Turnpike lane, turnpike lane
You took my heart
Pan american
Now rain or shine
It's all the same
Junkie doll, i was stuck on you
My junkie doll

And a little bit of this'd get you up
A little bit of that'd get you down
A little bit of this'd get you up
A little bit of that'd get you down
And a little bit of this'd get you up
A little bit of that'd get you down
A little bit of this'd get you up
A little bit of that'd get you down

Big black cloud
On a yellow plain
Sure enough it
Looks like rain
Packin' up all our
Faith and trust
Me and the wanderlust

Open window
Empty bed and chair
Who's that callin'
Ain't nobody there
I look behind me
And i see there's just
Me and the wanderlust

Dead of night
I had a dream
Sky was bright yes and the
Fields were green
I was down the road
In a cloud of dust
Me and the wanderlust

And i'm on the egde
Of an endless fall
Sure enough
He's come to call
Got to go now
Get on that bus
Me and the wanderlust

what it is


The drinking dens are spilling out
There's staggering in the square
There's lads and lasses falling about
And a crackling in the air
Down around the dungeon doors
The shelters in the queues
Everybody's looking for
Somebody's arms to fall into
And it's what it is
It's what it is now

There's frost on the graves and the monuments
But the taverns are warm in town
People curse the government
And shovel hot food down
The lights are out in city hall
The castle and the keep
The moon shines down upon it all
The legless and asleep

And it's cold on a tollgate
With the wagons creeping through
Cold on a tollgate
God knows what i could do with you
And it's what it is
It's what it is now

The garrison sleeps and the citadel
With the ghosts and the ancient stones
High on a parapet (just take the "up" out of this
Line and substitute "a" for "the" , should be as shown)
A scottish piper stands alone
And high on the wind
The highland drums begin to roll
And something from the past just comes
And stares into my soul

And it's cold on a tollgate
Where the caledonian blues
Cold on a tollgate
God knows what i could do with you
And it's what it is
It's what it is now
What it is
It's what it is now

There's a chink of light
There's a burning wick
There's a lantern in the tower
Wee willie winkie with a candlestick
Still writing songs in the wee wee hours
On charlotte street i take
A walking stick from my hotel
The ghost of dirty dick
Is still in search of little nell
And it's what it is
It's what it is now
Oh it's what it is
What it is now


If you find some error in the lyrics,

These tables are haunted
By the ghost of las vegas
Their chips were once mountains
But they came here to play
They could take me if they wanted
But i have nothing worth counting
And like the sands of nevada
They go drifting away

Lady luck's still a mystery
With her head on my shoulder
And i don't know why
I still want her to dance
I guess that's all history
What it is is a i'm older
And i'm still a fool
For a one-way romance

Her dice were red rubies
They rolled and they tumbled
And i never saw time
Running out with my roll
And in the wasteland of cut glass
My dreams were crumbled
And i've paid with whatever
I had left for a soul

Now the dawn's broken even
On a empty horizon
No reason for folding
No reason to stay
It's too soon to be leaving
Too late for criticising
And the sands of nevada
They go drifting away

After two thousand came two thousand and one
To be the new champions, we were there for to run
From springtime in arizona, 'til the fall in monterey
And the raceways were the battlefields and we fought 'em all the way

Was at phoenix in the morning, i had a wake-up call
She went around without a warning put me in the wall
I drove long beach, california with three cracked vertebrae
And we went on to indianapolis, indiana in may

Well the brickyard's there to crucify anyone who will not learn
I climbed a mountain to qualify i went flat throught the turns
But i was down in the might-have-beens and an old pal good as died
And i sat down in gasoline alley and i cried

Well we were in at the kill again on the milwaukee mile
And in june up in michigan we were robbed at belle isle
Then it was on to portland oregon for the g.i. joe
And i'd blown off almost everyone when i my motor let go

New england, ontario we died in the dirt
Those walls from mid-ohio to toronto they hurt
So we came to road america where we burned up at the lake
But at the speedway at nazareth i made no mistake

I am jeremiah dixon
I am a geordie boy
A glass of wine with you, sir
And the ladies i'll enjoy
All durham and northumberland
Is measured up by my own hand
It was my fate from birth
To make my mark upon the earth...

He calls me charlie mason
A stargazer am i
It seems that i was born
To chart the evening sky
They'd cut me out for baking bread
But i had other dreams instead
This baker's boy from the west country
Would join the royal society...

We are sailing to philadelphia
A world away from the coaly tyne
Sailing to philadelphia
To draw the line
A mason-dixon line

Now you're a good surveyor, dixon
But i swear you'll make me mad
The west will kill us both
You gullible geordie lad
You talk of liberty
How can america be free
A geordie and a baker's boy
In the forests of the iroquois...

Now hold your head up, mason
See america lies there
The morning tide has raised
The capes of delaware
Come up and feel the sun
A new morning has begun
Another day will make it clear
Why your stars should guide us here...

We are sailing to philadelphia
A world away from the coaly tyne
Sailing to philadelphia
To draw the line
A mason-dixon line