sss
Includes all Barlow songs recorded before 1990
(in chronological order, most recent first)
Well, there ain't nobody safer than someone who doesn't care.
And it isn't even lonely when no one's ever there.
I had a lot of dreams once, but some of them came true...
The honey's sometimes bitter when fortune falls on you.
So you know I've been a soldier in the armies of the night.
And I'll find the fatal error in what's otherwise alright.
But here you're trembling like a sparrow, I will try with all my might
To give you just a little sweetness...
Just a little sweetness...
Just a little light.
I have always heard that virtue ought be its own reward,
But it never comes so easy when you're living by the sword.
It's even harder to be heartless when you look at me that way.
You're as mighty as the flower that will grow the stones away.
Even though I been a stranger, full of irony and spite
Holding little but contempt for all things beautiful and bright,
Something shines around you and it seems, to my delight
To give me just a little sweetness...
Just a little sweetness...
Just a little sweetness...
Just a little light.
Bridge:
This could be just another highway, coiled up in the night.
You could be just another white-tail, baby, stranded on my brights,
There's a tingling recognition
Like the sound of distant thunder
And I begin to wonder
If the love I've driven under
Won't ignite.
Instrumental
So you know I've been a soldier in the armies of the night.
And I'll find the fatal error in what's otherwise alright.
Something shines around you that seems, to my delight
To give me just a little sweetness...
Just a little sweetness...
Just a little sweetness...
Just a little light.
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A man and a woman come together as strangers. When they part they're usually strangers still. It's like a practical joke played on us by our Maker. Empty bottles, that can't be filled. You fancy me to be the master of your feelings. You barely bruise me with your looks to kill. Though I admit we were sometimes brutal in our dealings, I never held you against your will. Chorus: Baby, who's to say it coulda been different Now that it's done. Baby, who's to say.... Baby, who's to say that it shoulda been Anyway. Baby, who's to say.... Baby, who's to say That it even matters in the long run. Who's to say. Give it just a minute. And it'll blow away. It'll blow away. Your case against me is so Very clearly stated I plead no contest, I turn and shrug. I've come to figure all importance overestimated. You must mean water when you beg for blood.
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We don't own this place, though we act as if we did, It's a loan from the children of our children's kids. The actual owners haven't even been born yet. But we never tend the garden and rarely we pay the rent, Some of it is broken and the rest of it is bent Put it all on plastic and I wonder where we'll be when the bills hit. Chorus: We can run, But we can't hide from it. Of all possible worlds, We only got one: We gotta to ride on it. Whatever we've done, We'll never get far from what we leave behind, Baby, we can run, run, run, but we can't hide. Oh no, we can't hide. I'm dumpin' my trash in your back yard Makin' certain you don't notice really isn't so hard You're so busy with your guns and all of your excuses to use them. Well, it's oil for the rich and babies for the poor, We got everyone believin' that more is more, If a reckoning comes, maybe we will know what to do then. Bridge: All these complications seem to leave no choice, I heard the tongues of billions speak with just one voice, Saying, "Just leave all the rest to me, I need it worse than you, you see." And then I heard... The sound of one child crying. Today I went walking in the amber wind, There's a hole in the sky where the light pours in I remembered the days when I wasn't afraid of the sunshine. But now it beats down on the asphalt land Like a hammering blow from God's left hand What little still grows cringes in the shade like a bad vine.
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First verse: South of Market in the land of ruin You get all manner of action Tinsel tigers in The Metal Room Stalking satisfaction. They got 'em packaged up for love and money Tattooed tots and chrome spike bunnies Check my conscience at the DMZ And roll on in, gonna roll in it, honey But I get a feelin like when big things collide Like the crack before the thunder, like I really ought to hide And here comes Metal Angel, she looks ready to ride; & What's that she's tryin' to show me..? What's that you're tryin' to show me..? Chorus: Picasso Moon, shattered light Diamond bullets ripping up the night Picasso Moon, liberate me, >From the middle of eternity, Something hooks her little finger at me, An' it's bigger than a drive-in movie, ooooo-eeee. Bigger than a drive-in movie, ooooo-eeee. Second verse: Hangin' ten out on space and time Redefining distance. The next skull on your necklace is mine: Cheap for such assistance I had a job trading bits for pieces We'd make wrinkles, advertise them as creases Please, find my resignation enclosed, Roll with it, roll with it, we gonna roll in it, honey.., Dark Angel, What's botherin' you? So strange, you'll do me all that you do Dark Angel, you're makin' me blue.., I guess it doesn't matter.., I guess it doesn't matter... Second chorus: Picasso Moon, blinding ball, Spinning fire, the lightning calls Picasso Moon, fall into the sky Rarin' out, I'm gonna testify And stare a shout into that burning eye, Bigger than a drive-in movie, oh my. Bigger than a drive-in movie, oh my. Third verse: Strikes morning; the atomic dawn, Scramble back to cover. Quick, pop your mirrored sunglasses on, My little leather-winged lover. I see your face printed on my money, Your blazin' ways really move me, honey..! Heart of darkness, Yea-e-yea-e-e-hoo.., Why'm I laughing? This ain't funny Dark Angel, now just don't start.., You'll break my spirit, wreck my heart You must have a license for practisin' that art. I don't presume to imagine. I don't presume to imagine. Chorus: Picasso Moon, fractal flame Blazing lace filling every frame Picasso Moon, wheels within wheels What's true when everything's real? It's all new, I'm gonna scatter the seals Bigger than a drive-in movie, for real. Bigger than a drive-in movie, for real. Picasso Moon, etc.
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Little girl lost In a forest of dreams. It's a dark old wood And it's damp with dew. Hoot owl hoots For a moment it seems Something big and cold Got ahold of you. Just when everything gets scary, Daddy's come 'round for his darlin' again. Hold my hand with your little fingers. Daddy's loving arms gonna gather you in. Ain't no way the Bogeyman can get you, You can close your eyes, the world is gonna let you, Your daddy's here and never will forget you, I will take you home. I will take you home. Gonna carry you back home In my arms. I will take you home. Long is the road We must travel on down. Short are the legs That will struggle behind. I wish I knew for sure Just where we're bound, What we will be doin' And what we're gonna find. Wherever we go, there will be birds to cheer you Flowers to color in the fields around. Wherever we go, I'll be right here near you You can't get lost when you're always found. Ain't no fog that's thick enough to hide you Your daddy's gonna be right here beside you If your fears should start to get inside you. I will take you home. I will take you home. Gonna carry you back home In my arms. I will take you home.
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It's three AM in the combat zone. Gentlemen start your engines! They can close this bar, but baby I ain't going. Gentlemen start your engines! If you lock up the whiskey, give me gasoline. I got a seven grand redline on the black machine. The dead can do my sleepin', if you know what I mean. Gentlemen start your engines! Ge-Ge-Ge-Gentlemen start your engines! Gentlemen start Gentlemen start Ge-Ge-Ge-Gentlemen start your engines! Got a little girl here in a pinafore dress. Gentlemen start your engines! She's got more tricks than you can guess. Gentlemen start your engines! It's dark outside, but it's darker within. Check the back of my jacket just to see my grin. They don't write poems about the state that I'm in. Gentlemen start your engines! Ge-Ge-Ge-Gentlemen start your engines! Gentlemen start Gentlemen start Ge-Ge-Ge-Gentlemen start your engines! Bridge 1: One of these days I've gonna pull myself together. Soon as I finish tearin' myself apart Like the Devil's Mustangs, I've been ridden hell for leather, Put away wet and angry in the dark. When the police come you better let'em in, Gentlemen start your engines! Don't forget to tell'em what a sport I've been. Gentlemen start your engines! I got a head full of vintage TNT, They're gonna blow me up'stead of burying me. If you're lookin' for trouble, come here and sit with me. Gentlemen start your engines! Ge-Ge-Ge-Gentlemen start your engines! Gentlemen start Gentlemen start Ge-Ge-Ge-Gentlemen start your engines! Bridge 2 : One of these days I've gonna pull myself together. Soon as I finish tearin' myself apart Let me tell you, honey, There's some mighty stormy weather Howlin' round the caverns of my heart.
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Well, I was drinking last night with a biker And I showed him a picture of you I said, "Pal, get to know her. You'll like her." Seemed like the least I could do... 'Cause when he's driving his chopper Up and down your carpeted halls, You will think me by contrast quite proper. Never mind how I stumble and fall. Never mind how I stumble and fall. Chorus: You imagine me sipping champagne from your boot For a taste of your elegant pride I may be going to Hell In A Bucket, babe, But at least I'm enjoying the ride. At least I'm enjoying the ride. At least I'm enjoying the ride. Now miss sweet little soft-core pretender, Somehow baby got hard as it gets. With her black leather chrome spiked suspenders, Her chair and her whip and her pets. Well we know you're the reincarnation Of the ravenous Catherine the Great. And we know how you love your ovations For the Z-rated scenes you create. The Z-rated scenes you create. Bridge: You analyze me, pretend to despise me, You laugh when I stumble and fall. There may come a day I will dance on your grave If unable to dance, I will crawl across it Unable to dance, I'll still crawl. You must really consider the circus 'Cause it just might be your kind of zoo I can't think of a place that's more perfect For a person as perfect as you. And it's not like I'm leaving you lonely 'Cause I wouldn't know where to begin But I know that you'll think of me only When the snakes come marching in When the snakes come marching in
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Picture a bright blue ball, just spinning, spinnin free, Dizzy with eternity. Paint it with a skin of sky, Brush in some clouds and sea, Call it home for you and me. A peaceful place or so it looks from space, A closer look reveals the human race. Full of hope, full of grace Is the human face, But afraid we may lay our home to waste. There's a fear down here we can't forget. Hasn't got a name just yet. Always awake, always around, Singing ashes, ashes, all fall down. Ashes, ashes, all fall down. Now watch as the ball revolves And the nighttime falls. Again the hunt begins, Again the bloodwind calls. By and by, the morning sun will rise, But the darkness never goes >From some men's eyes. It strolls the sidewalks and it rolls the streets, Staking turf, dividing up meat. Nightmare spook, piece of heat, It's you and me. You and me. Click flash blade in Ghetto night, Rudies looking for a fight. Rat cat alley, roll them bones. Need that cash to feed that jones. And the politicians throwin' stones, Singing ashes, ashes, all fall down. Ashes, ashes, all fall down. Bridge: Commissars and pin-stripe bosses Roll the dice. Any way they fall, Guess who gets to pay the price. Money green or proletarian gray, Selling guns 'stead of food today. So the kids they dance And shake their bones, And the politicians throwin' stones, Singing ashes, ashes, all fall down. Ashes, ashes, all fall down. Heartless powers try to tell us What to think. If the spirit's sleeping, Then the flesh is ink. History's page will thus be carved in stone. And we are here, and we are on our own. On our own. On our own. On our own. (Instrumental) If the game is lost, Then we're all the same. No one left to place or take the blame. We can leave this place and empty stone Or that shinin' ball we used to call our home. So the kids they dance And shake their bones, And the politicians throwin' stones, Singing ashes, ashes, all fall down. Ashes, ashes, all fall down. Bridge two: Shipping powders back and forth, Singing black goes south and white comes north. In a whole world full of petty wars, Singing I got mine and you got yours. And the current fashion sets the pace, Lose your step, fall out of grace. And the radical, he rant and rage, Singing someone's got to turn the page. And the rich man in his summer home, Singing just leave well enough alone. But his pants are down, his cover's blown... And the politicians throwin' stones, So the kids they dance And shake their bones, And it's all too clear we're on our own. Singing ashes, ashes, all fall down. Ashes, ashes, all fall down. Picture a bright blue ball, Just spinnin', spinnin, free. Dizzy with the possibilities. Ashes, ashes, all fall down. Ashes, ashes, all fall down. Ashes, ashes, all fall down. Ashes, ashes, all fall down. Ashes, ashes, all fall down.
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My brother Esau killed a hunter Back in 1969. And before the killing was done, His inheritance was mine. But his birthright was a wand to wave Before a weary band. Esau gave me sleeplessness And a piece of moral land. My father favored Esau, Who was eager to obey All the bloody wild commandments The Old Man shot his way. But all this favor ended When my brother failed at war. He staggered home And found me in the door. Chorus: Esau skates on mirrors anymore... He meets his pale reflection at the door. Yet sometimes at night I dream He's still that hairy man, Shadowboxing the Apocalypse And wandering the land. Shadowboxing the Apocalypse And wandering the land. Esau holds a blessing; Brother Esau bears a curse. I would say that the blame is mine But I suspect it's something worse. The more my brother looks like me, The less I understand The silent war that bloodied both our hands. Sometimes at night, I think I understand. It's brother to brother and it's man to man And it's face to face and it's hand to hand... We shadowdance the silent war within. The shadowdance, it never ends... Never ends, never ends. Shadowboxing the Apocalypse, yet again... Yet again. Shadowboxing the Apocalypse, And wandering the land.
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With Bob Weir Recorded on Go to Heaven (Arista Records, 1980) Mill Valley, California January, 1980 Inside you're burnin'. I can see clear through. Your eyes tell more than you mean them to: Lit up and flashing, like the reds and blues Out there on the neon avenue. Still I feel like a stranger. Feel like a stranger. Well, the music's thundering, Restless and hot. You shoot glances across the room, And I can't stop wondering, Just what you got. Get the feeling I'm gonna find out real soon. Still I feel like a stranger Feel like a stranger Well you know, it's gonna get stranger, So let's get on with the show. Let's go. Yes and the wheels get smokin' 'round midnight. You showed me a look that says, "Let's go." Yes and it feels 'bout like runnin' a red light. Ain't no point in lookin' behind us, no. Still, I feel like a stranger, feel like a stranger. You know it's gonna get stranger. If it's love then how would I know? Let's get on with the show. Feel like a stranger. Feel like a stranger. Feel like a stranger. Gonna be a long long crazy crazy night. Gonna be a long long crazy crazy night. Silky silky crazy crazy night. It's gonna be a long long crazy crazy night. Silky silky crazy crazy night.
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With Bob Weir
Recorded on Go to Heaven (Arista Records, 1980)
Mill Valley, California
July, 1979
The compass card is spinnin'.
The helm is swingin' to and fro.
Ooh, where's the Dog Star?
Ooh, where's the moon?
You're a lost sailor. You've been too long at sea.
Now the shore lights beckon. Yeah, there's a price for bein' free.
Some days the gales are howlin'. Some days the sea is still as glass.
Ooh, reef the mainsail.
Ooh, lash the mast.
You're a lost sailor. You've been too long at sea.
Now the shore lights beckon. Yeah, there's a price for bein' free.
Yeah, the sea bird's cryin',
And there's a ghost wind blowin'.
It's callin' you to that misty swirlin' sea.
Till the chains of your dreams are broken,
No place in the world you can be.
You're a lost sailor. You've been too long at sea.
Now the shore lights beckon. Yeah, there's a price for bein' free.
Driftin'. Yeah, driftin'. Yeah, driftin' and dreamin'.
There's a place you've never been.
Maybe a face you've never seen.
You can hear 'em callin' on the wind.
Go on and drift your life away, driftin' and dreamin'.
Drift your life away, maybe goin' on a dream.
Maybe goin' for a feelin', goin' for a feelin' --
Drift your life away.
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With Bob Weir Recorded on Go to Heaven (Arista Records, 1980) Mill Valley, California July, 1979 This must be heaven -- Tonight I crossed the line. You must be the angel I thought I'd never find. Was it you I heard singin' While I was chasin' dreams? Driven by the wind, Like the dust that blows around And the rain fallin' down... Well I never know, Sure don't know, Never know, Never know, Sure don't know. This must be heaven -- This is where the rainbow ends. At last it's the real thing... At least I can pretend. When that wind blows, And the darkness starts to fall, I can hear the sirens call. It's a certain sort of sound In the rain fallin' down, Rain fallin down... Rain fallin down... Rain fallin down... Rain fallin down... Bridge: Holes in what's left of my reason, Holes in the knees of my blues, Odds against me been increasin' But I'll pull through. Never could read no road map And I don't know what the weather might do, But hear that witch wind whinin' See that Dog Star's shinin', I've got a feelin' there's no time to lose, No time to lose! Maybe goin' on a feelin' maybe goin' on a dream Maybe goin' on a feelin' Well I never know, Sure don't know, Never know, Never know, Sure don't know. Well it's been heaven But even rainbows end. Now my sails are fillin' And the wind's so willin' That I'm good as gone again. I'm still walkin', so I'm sure that I can dance Just a saint of circumstance, Like a tiger in a trance, In the rain fallin down Rain fallin down... Rain fallin down... Rain fallin down... Rain fallin down... Well I never know just don't know just don't know Well, I sure don't know What I'm goin' for But I'm gonna go for it, That's for sure. Maybe goin' on a feelin' Maybe goin' on a dream Maybe goin' on a feelin'
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With Brent Mydland Recorded on Go to Heaven (Arista Records, 1980) Mill Valley, California January, 1980 Good, good morning. So good to see you Weren't just a dream of mine. Real as a raven. Real as thunder. Real as the sun shining. But still so very undefined Can't imagine what's behind Those sleepy eyes. Ooooo.. Little stranger, don't try to hide now. You look so young when you're afraid. There is no danger but from the devil. He may want you, but I'm in his way. You don't know how easy it is. You don't know how easy it is to love you. Ooooo.. And comes the moonrise, when the dew falls. Don't be the sun that fades away. Don't leave me darkness. She is no lover. She hides the day. You don't know how easy it is. You don't know how easy it is to love you. You don't know how easy it is. You don't know how easy it is to love you. Ooooo..
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With Bob Weir Recorded on Shakedown Street (Arista Records, 1978) Mill Valley, California July, 1978 I need a woman 'bout twice my age, A lady of nobility, gentility and rage -- A splendor in the dark -- lightnin' on the draw. We'll go right through the book, and break each and every law. I got a feeling, and it won't go away. oh, no. Just one thing, then I'll be okay. I need a miracle every day. I need a woman 'bout twice my height -- Statuesque, raven-tressed, a goddess of the night With a secret incantations, candles burning blue. We consult the spirits. Maybe they'll know what to do. And it's real, and it won't go away. Oh, no. Can't get around it, and I can't run away. I need a miracle every day. I need a woman 'bout twice my weight -- A ton of fun, who packs a gun with all that other freight. Find her in a sideshow. Leave her in L.A. Ride her like a surfer riding on a tidal wave. And it's real. Believe what I say, oh yeah. Just one thing that I got to say: I need a miracle every day. It takes dynamite to get me up. Too much of everything is just enough. One more thing: I just got to say, I need a miracle every day!
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With Bob Weir Recorded on Heaven Help The Fool (Arista Records, 1977) Los Angeles, California July, 1977 I was born in Flatland, U.S.A. And all my dreams led me to L.A. Another case of rags to riches: I learned to throw some fancy pitches, And I found out what ain't, and which is, Just exactly cool. Heaven help the fool -- Guess I showed the sons of bitches. Heaven help the fool -- Got a place in Malibu -- Like you've never seen. Pickin' out your lady friends -- >From Penthouse magazine. You ought to see the chrome gleam On my Mercedes, all shiny and new. Hey, I'm the jack of diamonds, The boy with all the clues. Lotta pretty vanity -- No, not me. Glorified insanity -- No, not me. Fool! I'm a hyper-survivor, fast driver, stardriver, Heaven help the fool -- Professional gimme-fiver. Heaven help the fool -- Anything that you want to be You can buy, even get it free. Make yourself a smoother dancer. Fill your head with easy answers. Never a backward glancer, It's you who make the rules. Heaven help the fool -- Never a backward glancer. Heaven help the fool -- Heaven help the fool -- Heart of a star That's what you are -- You can trade your soul for an electric guitar. Fool! Lotta pretty vanity-- No, not me. Fool! Glorified insanity-- No, not me. When they offer golden apples, Are you sure you'll refuse? Heaven help the fool -- Just like a deaf man dancin', Like a blind man shootin' pool. Heaven help the fool --
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With Bob Weir Recorded on Terrapin Station (Arista Records, 1977) Cora, Wyoming -Mill Valley, California January, 1977 My time comin' any day -- don't worry 'bout me, no. Been so long I felt this way -- I'm in no hurry, no. Rainbow's end down that highway, Where ocean breezes blow. My time comin', the voices say. They tell me where to go. Don't worry 'bout me; No, no, don't worry 'bout me, no. And I'm in no hurry, no, no, no. I know where to go. California! Preaching on the burning shore. California! I'll be knocking on the golden door. Like an angel, standing in a shaft of light Rising up to paradise, I know I'm gonna shine. My time comin' any day -- don't worry 'bout me, no. ... It's goin' to be just like they say. Them voices tell me so. Seems so long I felt this way, and time sure passes slow. Still I know I'll lead the way. They tell me where to go. California! A prophet on the burning shore. California! I'll be knocking on the golden door. Like an angel, standing in a shaft of light Rising up to paradise, I know I'm gonna shine. You've all been asleep. You would not believe me, Fire wheel burnin' in the air. Them voices telling me: You will soon receive me. Way up, in the middle of the air. Standing on the beach -- the sea will part before me, Fire wheel burnin' in the air. You will follow me, and we will ride to glory, Way up, in the middle of the air. And I'll call down thunder and speak the same. As my words fill the sky with flame. Might and Glory's gonna be my name. They gonna light my way. My time comin' any day -- don't worry 'bout me, no. It's gonna be just like they say--them voices tell me so. Afternoon, the streets turn grey and I watch the crowds below My time comin', voices saying. They tell me where to go. Don't worry 'bout me; no, no, don't worry 'bout me, no. And I'm in no hurry, no, no, no. I know where to go. My time comin' any day. Don't worry 'bout me, no. It's gonna be just like they say. Them voices tell me so. Seems so long I felt this way, and time sure passin' slow. My time comin' any day. Don't worry 'bout me, no. Don't worry 'bout me; no, no, don't worry 'bout me, no. And I'm in no hurry, no, no, no. I know where to go. And I'm in no hurry, no, no, no. Don't worry 'bout me, no. ...
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With Bob Weir Recorded on Kingfish (Round Records, 1975) Mill Valley, California October, 1975 Lazy lightning. Sleepy fire in your eyes. Is it desire in disguise? I keep on tryin' but I-- I can't get through Lazy lightning. I'd like to find the proper potion To kinda capture your emotion. You're right beside me but I-- I can't get through. You're a loop of lazy lightning, Liquid loop of lazy lightning, Must admit you're kinda fright'ning, But you really get me high. So exciting, When I hear your velvet thunder. Seems so near I start to wonder, Would you come closer if I-- I asked you to? So inviting, The way you're messin' with my reason. It's an obsession but it's pleasin' Tell me a lie and I will swear I'll swear it's true. You're a loop of lazy lightning, Liquid loop of lazy lightning, Must admit you're kinda fright'ning, Liquid loop of lazy lightning. Rope of fire 'round my heart, Rope of fire ever tight'nin', Rope of fire 'round my heart, It's either lunacy or lightnin'. Lazy lightning The way you always 'lectrify me Someday I know you'll satisfy me And all that lightning will be my lightning too My lightning too.
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With Bob Weir Recorded on Blues for Allah (Grateful Dead Records, 1975) Cora, Wyoming -Mill Valley, California June, 1975 There's mosquitoes on the river. Fish are rising up like birds. It's been hot for seven weeks now, Too hot to even speak now. Did you hear what I just heard? Say, it might have been a fiddle, Or it could have been the wind. But there seems to be a beat, now. I can feel it in my feet, now. Listen, here it comes again! There's a band out on the highway. They're high-steppin' into town. They're a rainbow full of sound. It's fireworks, calliopes and clowns -- Everybody's dancing. Come on, children. Come on, children, Come on clap your hands. Sun went down in honey. Moon came up in wine. Stars were spinnin' dizzy, Lord, the band kept us so busy We forgot about the time. They're a band beyond description Like Jehovah's favorite choir. People joinin' hand in hand While the music plays the band. Lord, they're setting us on fire. Crazy rooster crowin' midnight. Balls of lightning roll along. Old men sing about their dreams. Women laugh and children scream, And the band keeps playin' on. Keep on dancin' through to daylight. Greet the morning air with song. No one's noticed, but the band's all packed and gone. Was it ever here at all? But they keep on dancing. C'mon, children. C'mon, children, Come on clap your hands. Well, the cool breeze came on Tuesday, And the corn's a bumper crop. The fields are full of dancing, Full of singing and romancing, 'Cause the music never stopped.
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With Bob Weir Recorded on Mars Hotel (Grateful Dead Records, 1974) Cora, Wyoming -Mill Valley, California February, 1974 My baby gives me them finance blues. She tax me to the limit of my revenues. Here she comes finger-poppin', clickety-click. She says furs or diamonds, you can take your pick. Chorus: She wants money. ( -- what she wants, ) She wants money. ( -- what she wants, ) She wants money. ( -- what she wants, ) She wants money. ( -- what she wants, ) Money money money money money Money money money money money. She says "Money, honey" . I'd rob a bank. I just load my gun and mosey down to the bank. Knockin' off my neighborhood savings & loan, Keep my sweet Chiquita in eau de cologne. Mama don't send me down to rob that bank again. I got a notion you're leadin' me to sin. Won't you relax? Won't you lay back? Don't you bug your honey 'bout no Cadillac. It's only bucks. You don't need no jack. So won't you please relax, and lay 'way back. My baby's lovin' gives me such a thrill, Give me inspiration makin' counterfeit bills. Now some folks say the best things in life are free. I sure don't get no lovin' livin' honestly. The Lord made a lady out of Adam's rib. Next thing you know you got wimmen's lib. Lovely to look upon, heaven to touch. It's a real shame they got to cost so much.
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With Bob Weir Recorded on Wake of the Flood (Grateful Dead Records, 1973) Salt Lake City, Utah February, 1973 Morning comes, she follows the path to the river shore. Lightly sung, her song is the latch on the morning's door . See the sun sparkle in the reeds, Silver beads, passing to the sea She comes from a town where they call her the woodcutter's daughter, She's brown as the bank where she kneels down to gather her water, And she bears it away with a love that the river has taught her. Let it flow, Greatly flow, Bright and clear. Round and round, the cut of the plow in the furrowed field. Seasons 'round, the bushels of corn in the barley meal, Broken ground, open and beckoning to the spring; Black dirt live again! The plowman is broad as the back of the land he is sowing , And he dances the circular track of the plow, ever knowing That the work of his day measures more than the planting and growing . Let it grow, Let it grow, Greatly yield! What shall we say, shall we call it by a name? As well to count the angels dancing on a pin Water bright as the sky from which it came, And the name is on the earth that takes it in. We will not speak but stand inside the rain And listen to the thunder shout: I am. I am. I am. I AM. So it goes, we make what we've made since the world began: Nothing more, the love of the women, the work of men Seasons 'round, creatures great and small, up and down, As we rise and fall. What shall we say, shall we call it by a name? As well to count the angels dancing on a pin Water bright as the sky from which it came, And the name is on the earth that takes it in. We will not speak but stand inside the rain And listen to the thunder shout: I am. I am. I am. I AM.
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With Bob Weir Recorded on Ace (Warner Brothers, 1972) Cora, Wyoming -San Anselmo, California February, 1972 Bringing me down, I'm running aground Blind in the light of the interstate cars. Passing me by, The busses and semis, Plunging like stones from a slingshot on Mars. But I'm here by the road, Bound to the load That I picked up in ten thousand cafes and bars. Alone with the rush of the drivers who won't pick me up, The highway, the moon, the clouds, and the stars. The black-throated wind keeps on pouring in With its words of a life where nothing is new. Ah, Mother American Night, I'm lost from the light. Ohhh, I'm drowning in you. I left St. Louis, the City of Blues, In the midst of a storm I'd rather forget. I tried to pretend it came to an end Cause you weren't the woman I thought I once met. But I can't deny that times have gone by When I never had doubts or thoughts of regret And I was a man when all this began Who wouldn't think twice about being there yet. The black-throated wind keeps on pouring in. And it speaks of a life that passes like dew. It's forced me to see that you've done better by me, Better by me than I've done by you. What's to be found, racing around, You carry your pain wherever you go. Full of the blues and trying to lose You ain't gonna learn what you don't want to know. So I give you my eyes, and all of their lies Please help them to learn as well as to see Capture a glance and make it a dance Of looking at you looking at me. The black-throated wind keeps on pouring in With its words of a lie that could almost be true. Ah, Mother American Night, here comes the light. I'm turning around, that's what I'm gonna do Goin back home that's what I'm gonna do Turnin' around, That's what I'm gonna do 'Cause you've done better by me Than I've done by you. . .
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With Bob Weir Recorded on Ace (Warner Brothers, 1972) Forest Knolls, California February, 1972 ''Look out, folks,' cause here comes some free advice..." Walk in the sunshine, Watch for the bright sign. Be all those things you're able to be. You got to listen to the heavens, You got to try and understand, The greatness of their movement Is just as small as it is grand. Try not to hurry, It's just your worry. Leave it to those all caught up in time. You got to deep-six your wristwatch You got to try and understand The time it seems to capture Is just the movement of its hands. I ain't preaching, cause I don't know How to make fast things move along slow I can't stop it. I can't make it go. Just cause I say it, that don't mean it's so. Watch what you hear now Make sure it's clear now Just cause it's said that don't mean that it's true 'Cause people say: "You got to make a revolution You got to help me with my cause You got to burn down all the buildings You got to rub out all the laws." But I ain't burning Lord, I'm only learning How to become a man of my own. I ain't crazy Nor am I lazy Just want to find out what's right and what's wrong I ain't crazy, the world keeps on turnin' Just want to find out what's right and what's wrong I ain't crazy.
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With Bob Weir Recorded on Ace (Warner Brothers, 1972). Cora, Wyoming January, 1972 I woke today... And felt your side of bed The covers were still warm where you'd been layin'. You were gone... My heart was filled with dread. You might not be sleepin' here again Chorus: It's alright, 'cause I love you. And that's not gonna change. Run me round, make me hurt again and again. But I'll still sing you love songs Written in the letters of your name. And brave the storm to come, For it surely looks like rain. Did you ever waken to the sound Of street cats makin' love And guess from their cries You were listenin' to a fight? Well, you know... Hate's just the last thing they're thinkin' of. They're only trying to make it through the night. Chorus: I only want to hold you. I don't want to tie you down. Or fence you in the lines I might have drawn. It's just that I've gotten used to Havin' you around. My landscape would be empty If you were gone.
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With Bob Weir Recorded on Ace (Warner Brothers, 1972) Cora, Wyoming February, 1972 I have seen where the wolf has slept by the silver stream. I can tell by the mark he left you were in his dream. Ah, child of countless trees. Ah, child of boundless seas. What you are, what you're meant to be Speaks his name, though you were born to me, Born to me, Cassidy... Lost now on the country miles in his Cadillac. I can tell by the way you smile he's rolling back. Come wash the nighttime clean, Come grow this scorched ground green, Blow the horn, tap the tambourine Close the gap of the dark years in between You and me, Cassidy... Quick beats in an icy heart. Catch-colt draws a coffin cart. There he goes now, here she starts: Hear her cry. Flight of the seabirds, scattered like lost words Wheel to the storm and fly. Faring thee well now. Let your life proceed by its own design. Nothing to tell now. Let the words be yours, I'm done with mine. (Repeat)
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With Bob Weir Recorded on Ace (Warner Brothers, 1972). Middletown, Connecticut February 1971 Laid back in an old saloon with a peso in my hand, Just watchin' flies and children on the street. I catch a glimpse of black-eyed girls who giggle when I smile. There's a little boy who wants to shine my feet. And It's three days ride from Bakersfield, And I don't know why I came. I guess I came to keep from payin' dues. So, instead, I've got a bottle and a girl who's just fourteen, And a damned good case of the Mexicali Blues. Yeh! Is there anything a man don't stand to lose If the Devil wants to take it all away? Cherish well your thoughts and keep a tight grip on your booze Cause thinkin' and drinkin' are all I have today. She said her name was Billy Jean and she was fresh in town. I didn't know a stage-line ran from Hell. She had raven hair, a ruffled dress, a necklace made of gold, And all the french perfume you'd care to smell. She took me up into her room and whispered in my ear, Go on, my friend, do anything you choose..." Now I'm payin' for those happy hours I spent there in her arms With a life-time's worth of Mexicali Blues. Is there anything a man don't stand to lose When he lets a woman hold him in her hand? You just might find yourself out there on horseback in the dark Just ridin' and runnin' across those desert sands. Then a man rode into town some thought he was the law. But Billy Jean was waitin' when he came. She told me he would take her if I didn't use my gun And I'd have no one but myself to blame. I went down to those dusty streets--blood was on my mind. I guess that stranger hadn't heard the news. Cause I shot first and killed him. Lord, he didn't even draw. And he made me trade the gallows for the Mexicali Blues.
performed by Bobby and the Midnights & The Bob Weir Band
Songs for the Un-Dead
Falling
With Bob Weir. Recorded on Where the Beat Meets the Street (Arista Records, 1984). Los Angeles, California December, 1983 Twilight. The sun is setting again. Street lights Are blinking on in the rain. Waiting Where I have waited before Knowing that you Will never come to catch me, 'cause I'm falling, Catch me. I'm falling For your heartbreak, Calling, Never an answer 'cause I'm falling alone. Blue moon. And I'm so blue that it shows. It's your tune And now I know just how it goes. Somewhere The night is hot with your love. Melt into him And feel me tumbling freely 'cause I'm falling, Catch me. I'm falling For your heartbreak, Calling, Never an answer 'cause I'm falling alone.Return to the Table of Contents
Gloria Monday
With Bob Weir. Recorded on Where the Beat Meets the Street (Arista Records, 1984). Los Angeles, California December, 1983 Gloria Monday came to my house Last Tuesday afternoon She is wearing my resistance to the bone. She wrote me a letter, sent me a card And a singing telegram, Why, she called so much I had to disconnect the phone. When she's in town, I'll never be alone. Chorus: Gloria Monday, Gloria Monday She whispers in my ear In a voice so sweet and clear, "You are the greatest." Yeh, yeh and Gloria Monday Has gotten my name on every major list Of the hottest and the coolest and the latest. Gloria Monday sits down front In the auditorium Where she hands on every number that I play. She dances and wiggles, bounces and giggles And leaves me with no doubt That with half and ounce of effort, I'd get laid. Gloria Monday has lately been seen With a writer from L.A. Who has written a book About all of the new positions. And it isn't just him, there's a fella named Jim Who's an actor on TV: There's a photographer and a couple of hip physicians. Yes, I believe she's a lady with a mission.Return to the Table of Contents
Fly Away
With Bob Weir Recorded on Bobby and the Midnights (Arista Records, 1981) Cora, Wyoming July, 1981 Fly away, I want to fly away Right now, right here, tonight. High away, way up high away Hey, we all got a right. Fallen Angels of earth have forgotten the sky. We're afraid of our dreams, we're afraid or too blind. But blindness holds better than chains, And chains are always too tight. Fly away, yeah, ride the sky away, Kingdom come tonight. Mighty day, yeah the stone rolls away, Chains will melt in the light. They will tell you your wings have lost the power of flight, Flew too close to the sun, fell back into the night. But if we open our eyes, we can open our wings Hey, and sail out of sight. Higher and higher, goin' straight for the light. Feel the fire, or you'll feel the fright. Hey tonight, fly away tonight. Fly away tonight. Fly away, yeah, fly away Right now, right here, tonight. Light of day, I want to see light of day Way up over this night. Well, this old ball of blue will go on spinning around. If you're staying behind, take good care of the ground. Just let go of my wings, don't lock up our dreams, Don't deny us the sky, hey, we'll see you around. Master of fire, Roll 'em up high, roll 'em up high To master the fire, remember that you can fly.Return to the Table of Contents
Me, Without You
With Alphonso Johnson Recorded on Bobby and the Midnights (Arista Records, 1981). Mill Valley, California July, 1981 Me, just a face I see, A motel mirror lookin' back at me, It comes and goes with the flash of a neon light. You, another fantasy, Another replica of ecstasy, A broken promise I will break again tonight, just Me, without you, without me, me without We are just a state of mind, feeding needs that are always blind, Sightless armies in the battleground of night, the Sheets become an angry sea, tossed by bodies that just gotta be Something more for trying to unite, more than Me, without you without me Me, without you without me Me, without you without me Me, without you and me The light of morning will dissolve us away Nothing said, 'cause there's nothing to say Sending post cards from places we've never been, deep within. Other voices heard in some other room, Another planet lit by some other moon, We'll meet strangers and be, together again and again, yeah, Me, without you without me Me, without you without me Me, without you without me Yeah, that's the way it must be, the way it must be It's the song we're playin' Gonna take a lot of love, gonna take a lot of love But maybe some day...Return to the Table of Contents
Bombs Away
With Bob Weir Recorded on Heaven Help The Fool (Arista Records, 1977) Los Angeles, California - Salt Lake City, Utah July, 1977 Bombs away. Well, I guess I'm back in love again. And around we go. This will bring me ruin, but I s'pose it's pleasin'. I've changed the eyes I gaze in, But she's just another girl. I need more than a trade-in. Guess I'll have to change the world. Strike up the band. I believe I have this dance. Hey, raise that glass again, my friend. Yes, I know I'm charming. But she's so easy. I've changed the tune I dance to In this gay ol' social whirl. But if I get a chance to, I just might change the world. It's just the same old movie. Been playin' here for years. I could use a change of scenery. But when I get there I'm still here... Coming soon: Another day in paradise, At a theater near you And they'll be showing it forever. So let them keep parading. Give them all batons to twirl. For me the splendor's fading. Yeah, I'll have to change the world. Yes, it's still the same ol' movie. And I've seen it all before. Guess one more run-through won't undo me. Hell, I'll just watch the show some more. Hey some more, yeah, some more. Sit back and watch it some more. Guess I'll just watch the show some more. Hey some more, yeah, some more. But I'd like to know what for. Hey, don't you worry 'bout what for. Bombs away, Well I guess I'm back in love again. Hey round and round we go, etc.Return to the Table of Contents
Salt Lake City
With Bob Weir Recorded on Heaven Help The Fool (Arista Records, 1977) Los Angeles, California - Salt Lake City, Utah July, 1977 It was a paradise for lizards when young Brigham saw it first He said, "I've seen some nasty deserts, Lord, but this one here's the worst." Then the Lord called down to Brigham, said, "I got a great idea -- I want a mighty city and I think I want it here." Salt Lake City, that town of righteousness and fame Salt Lake City, don't sound like much but hell, what's in a name? Nobody ever sings about it, But Lord I be goin' there just the same. Salt Lake City, where it's so easy keepin' straight. Salt Lake City, really makes Des Moines look second-rate. Ain't makin' no big deal about it, But I hear the Mormon girls are really great. Salt Lake City, hey, dig that tabernacle choir. Salt Lake City, yeah, they're bound to take you higher. There ain't no two ways about it... Yes Lord, they really light my fire. Well, Brigham kicked a prairie dog and muttered in his beard He said, "You've put me through some changes, Lord, but this one's really weird." The Lord just laughed at Brigham, said, "You'd better get to work -- The next time I check in here, I want Paradise on Earth." Salt Lake City, where Brigham made the desert bloom, Salt Lake City, put a color TV in every room, And they got them crazy little Mormon chicks Yes I'll be goin' there really soon. Salt Lake City, hey feel that magic in the air ...Return to the Table of Contents
Shade of Gray
With Bob Weir Recorded on Heaven Help The Fool (Arista Records, 1977) Salt Lake City, Utah July, 1977 Guess it's just a shade of grey... When my head clears I might realize, just might realize But those grey eyes gonna stay with me awhile Chorus: But out in the streets Well it's night time on Broadway. Out in the streets, They just don't even know. But seven stories high All their dreams have been realized, are being realized And those grey eyes just light up and shine When I touch her face with mine. Out on the streets, It's a whole other number. Out on the streets, It's on with the show. Too well I know that crowd of strangers. I've played my part in that lovely show. Out in the streets, Hear them racing their engines. Out in the streets, They got nowhere to go. I know it's just a shade of grey And these peaceful moments never last, They're gone so fast, But those grey eyes beckon me once more And we're ridin' out the storm. Out in the streets, They're all waitin' for mornin' Out in the streets, It just may never show. Out in the streets, Night flows like a river. Out in the streets, Time sits like a stone Out in the streets, They've all got each another. Out in the streets, How come they're always alone? It's too late to find a lover, It's too early to go home... But up here in the sky, all their dreams are being realized...Return to the Table of Contents
This Time Forever
With Bob Weir Recorded on Heaven Help The Fool (Arista Records, 1977) Cora, Wyoming July, 1977 We'd had plenty of lovers. We had put in our time. We were anything but blind. As certain as angels Of perpetual flight, When we met, we saw the light. Chorus: This one for sure. This time forever. But it turned to sand, Slipping through our hands... As time slipped away. She was a stranger when I woke and saw her face. She moved in for the winter. Made a garden in May. Summer came, then the cold autumn grey. I was gone when she left me. There was nothing to leave -- Swept away on a breeze. This one for sure. This time forever. But it turned to sand, Slipping through our hands... As time slipped away. She was a stranger when I woke and saw her face.Return to the Table of Contents
Wrong Way Feelin'
With Bob Weir Recorded on Heaven Help The Fool (Arista Records, 1977) Los Angeles, California July, 1977 Girl, you make me suspect there are certain delights That might be news to me, And I know at a glance you could show me all the sights I'd ever care to see. You're a queen of the elite, and a treat between the sheets, But I wonder if it's all for free... It's that wrong-way feelin'. Oooooo, hooo. Wrong-way feelin'. Oooooo, hooo. Go back says the sign way back in my mind... But I can't get away from you. Honey, you're comin' on just like Pharaoh's daughter -- All silk and style and class. And down I go, like a lamb to the slaughter. Honey, here's my ass. I already seen this show, you know I'm gonna go. But ain't we takin' this a bit too fast? It's that wrong-way feelin'. Oooooo, hooo. Wrong-way feelin'. Oooooo, hooo. Go back says the sign way back in my mind... But I can't get away from you. We all know the story about Helen of Troy, And her thousand ships: Well, she didn't have a thing that could get to this boy, Like a shake of your hips. What you're doing to me now I know my mama don't allow, And there's trouble painted on your lips. It's that wrong-way feelin'. Oooooo, hooo. Wrong-way feelin'. Oooooo, hooo. Go back says the sign way back in my mind... But I can't get away from you. Ooooo, sweet siren.... Come on 'n' hit my switch! Ooooo, sweet siren.... I never could resist a bitch!Return to the Table of Contents