"Tracks" - Bruce Springsteen (1998)

Bishop danced with a thumbscrew woman 
Did a double-quick back flip and slid across the floor 
The Catholic traffic flowed freely 'cross the river 
And fiddlestick fiddled quick out the front door 
Oh baby dumpling, mama's in the back tree 
If the bow breaks, mama might fall 
Little sad and only baby don't be lonely 
Mama knows 'rithmatic, knows how to take a fall 
Mama knows 'rithmatic, knows how to take a fall

CHORUS: 
And the kids are crying "Flapjacks, make 'em fat, early in the morning" 
Little Jack, grab your hat, hear the breakfast call 
Muskrat, bat a cat, kick him in the fireplace 
There's someone in the kitchen blowing "Dinah" on their horn 
There's someone in the kitchen blowing "Dinah" like they're born

Well maverick daddy got a one-eyed bride  
She glides like a monkey-mule kicking on the back slide 
Over hill, over hill, daddy don't you spill now 
Papa got a switch stick, he's pumping little Bill 
Papa got a switch stick, he's pumping little Bill 
And Billy he's crying "Tomahawk, tomahawk, daddy better duck now" 
The Mohawks, the Mohawks, they're still out there  
in the woods 
Monatuk, Ocanuk, runnin' through my dreams now 
With fire on their fingertips and indian screams  
With fire on their fingertips and feathers made of moonbeams

Well early in the morning the cannoneer cried 
"I seen the sailor's warning in the western sky" 
Well mountain man, if you can, cut me down a fir tree 
Branches full of candlesticks for baby and me 
And my darling cried, she said "Honey the weathervane lately it's been pointing the way to heaven" 
Scatterbrains, scatterbrains, watch out where you fall 
Champagne, champagne, a round for all the old choir boys 
They're busting off the altar chasing Dinah through the hall 
They're busting off the altar chasing Dinah through the hall

(CHORUS)

From the tin rooftop the little boy did watch
The procession down through town
Through the museum where Daniel whupped the Devil
With them boys from the underground
Where the Giants of Science fight for tight control
Over the wildlands of New Mexico
Sam Houston's ghost's in Texas fighting for his soul
And the townsfolk rest uneasy beneath the guns of Kid Colt
And the kid says "Hey, where's Santa Ana?"
He who could romance the dumb into talking
Take a chance with me tonight, my contessa
If it don't work out I ain't lame, I can walk
Now some folks think cancer's taken to the streets of this town
Well Sandy eats her candy and then lays her money down
Them cats are in from the canyons to strut their stuff in town
But there's only secret sinners here
Lord, there's only secret thieves
Only a fool would try to save
What the desert chose to leave
And hey there senorita
With your playboys in their Spanish bandanas
French cream won't soften those boots, baby
French kisses will not break your heart

Oh painted night set free with light
Glows outside the Rainbow Saloon
Matching braces with a Spanish lady
'Neath a graduation moon
No more colleges, no more coronations
Some punk's idea of a teenage nation
Has forced Santa Ana to change his station 
From soldier to cartoon 
And the Giants of Science spend their days and nights
Not with wives, not with lovers, but searchin' for the lights
They spotted in the desert on their helicoptor flights
Just to be lost in the dust and the night
Hey my contessa, in your juke joint rags you always bring candy for the kids
Come waltz with me tonight senorita
'Cause only fools are alone on a night like this

Well Billy bought a Chevy '40 coupe deluxe
Chrome wheels, stick shift, give her gas, pop the clutch
Girls on the corner like a diamond they shine
Someday Billy I'm gonna make 'em all mine
Hey girl, you wanna ride in Daddy's Cadillac 
'Cause I love the way your long hair falls down your back
Bo Diddley, Bo Diddley's at the Seaside Bar
We'll run barefoot in the sand and listen to his guitar
You say your mama's gonna meet you when the morning comes
Yeah, papa's gonna beat you 'cause he knows you're out on the run
I'm gonna live a life of love and tonight you're the one
The highway is alive tonight so baby do not be frightened
There's something about a pretty girl on a sweet summer night
That gets this boy excited
The radio man finally understands and plays you something you can move to
You lay back, cut loose your drive power
Your girl leans over says, "Daddy can you turn that radio up any louder?" 
The juke joint's hummin', everybody came down
Little Willie and the Soul Brooms layin' all his stuff now
Well don't let that daylight steal your soul
Get in your wheels and roll, roll, roll, roll, roll, roll, roll
Oh that's alright now
Oh go on, go on, go on
Oh mama's gonna meet you when the morning comes
And your daddy's gonna beat you 'cause he knows you're out on the run
But I don't care, I wanna live a life of love while the night's still young

The Skulls met the Pythons
Down at the First Street station
Alliances have been made in alleyways
All across the nation
These boys live off the milk of a silver jet
And the love of sweet young women
Now the Pythons are down from old Englishtown
And they're lookin' to do some livin'
Well the leader of the Pythons
Is a kid they just call Zero
Now Terry's pop says these kids are some kind of monsters
But Terry says "No, pop, they're just plain heroes"

Zero and Terry they found a love that burns like wildfire
Now Terry's daddy understood that this Zero was no good
A child, a thief and a liar
Well from out of the darkness that breaks the dawn
Zero rode like twilight
He said "Tonight's the night, blind Terry, come on"
Terry come on, tonight is the night
Pack your bags, baby

And together they ran like reindeers through the street
Like tomorrow the earth was gonna catch on fire
Now Terry's dad hired some troopers to kill Zero and bring Terry back home
They crawled up in the night
Like firelight

Now snow-white troopers from the council of crime
Rode silver foxes through Terry's field
Oh they met the Pythons down on Route 9 but they refused to yield
The Pythons fought with buzz guns
And the troopers with swords like light
And Zero and Terry they ran away
As the gang fought all through the night

Well now some folks say Zero and Terry got away
Others said they were caught and brought back
But still them young pilgrims to this day
Go to that spot way down by the railroad track
Where the Troopers met the Pythons
Old timers cry on a hot August night
If you look hard enough, if you try
You'll catch Zero and Terry and all the Pythons

Oh just hiking the streets of the sky
Just walkin', hiking the streets of the sky
Just hiking the streets of the sky
Hey Zero

The midnight boys are outside
Scraping tears up off the street
Standin' guard beneath the window
Where only Linda sleeps
The leader is a kid named Eddie
Walkin' like an angel in defeat
He trashes her old man's car, slashes Linda's name in the seat
And calls out

CHORUS:
Linda will you let me be the one
Linda will you let me be the one
Linda will you let me be the one
Linda will you let me be the one

In a room full of contenders
Eddie spars till he drops to his bed and surrenders
Draped in the scarves
He stole from Linda's bedroom
The night he layed at her feet
When the midnight boys were stranded
Down on Cason Street 

(CHORUS)

In the basement of St. Mary's
Eddie hides from the rain
In with the stolen sisters 'til the streets are dry again
Talkin' fast cars and spare parts
Empty homes and broken hearts
Distant worlds with strange girls
And kneeling with Linda in the dark

(CHORUS)

Her brains they rattle and her bones they shake
Whoah, she's an angel from the Innerlake

Thundercrack, baby's back
This time she'll tell me how she really feels
Bring me down to her lightning shack
You can watch my partner reelin'

CHORUS:
She moves up, she moves back
Out on the floor there just is no one cleaner
She does this thing she calls the "Jump Back Jack"
She's got the heart of a ballerina

She's straight from the Bronx
Hung off the line
She slips, she slides, she slops, she bops, she bumps, she grinds
Even them dance hall hacks
From the west side of the tracks
Move in close to catch her timin'

(CHORUS)

She ain't no little girl, she ain't got no curls
Her hair ain't brown and her eyes ain't either
Round and round and round and round

My heart's wood, she's a carpenter
She's an angel in the night, what she does is alright
Dance with me, partner, dance with me, partner
Dance with me, partner, till the dawn

Thundercrack, baby's back
This time she'll tell me how she really feels
Bring me down to her lightning shack
You can watch my partner reelin'
(CHORUS)

She ain't no little girl, she ain't got no curls
Her hair ain't brown and her eyes ain't  either
Round and round and round and round

My heart's wood, she's a carpenter
She's an angel in the night, what she does is alright
Dance with me, partner, dance with me, partner
Dance with me, partner, all night

I had a dream our love would last forever
I had a dream tonight my dream comes true
Well if you'll hold me tight
We'll be riders, girl, on the night
Ooh, I want a rendezvous

Haven't I told you, girl, how much I like you
I got a feeling that you like me too
Well if you hold me tight
We'll be riders, girl, on the night
Ooh, I want a rendezvous

You deserve so much more than this, girl
Well I'm ridin' on the power and livin' on the promise in your last kiss
Because I had a dream our love would last forever
I had a dream tonight my dream comes true
And if you'll hold me tight
We'll be riders, girl, on the night
Ooh, ooh, rendezvous
I want a rendezvous
I want a rendezvous

I ain't lookin' for just excitement
Baby that's just a fact
If you want to get to her heart
You better let her know just where you're at

CHORUS:
It ain't written in the sky above
No fortune-teller told me this
You gotta tell her that you love her
Tell her that you need her
And give the girl a great big kiss
Give the girl a great big kiss
Now if you're such a fool you think
It don't matter, baby, what you say
Maybe you better tell her how you're feelin'
It ain't gonna happen any other way

(CHORUS)

Now baby all I wanna do
Is darlin' make sweet love to you

Now I don't know what the meanin' is
Why you wanna hide the things you feel and say
But baby it's just a natural fact
Love was never meant to be that way

(CHORUS)

Now baby all I wanna  do
Is darlin' make sweet love to you

Sleepy town ain't got the guts to budge
Baby, this emptiness has already been judged
I wanna go out tonight, I wanna find out what I got

You're a strange part of me, you're a preacher's girl
And I don't want no piece of this mechanical world
Got my arms open wide and my blood is runnin' hot

We'll take the midnight road right to the devil's door
And even the white angels of Eden with their flamin' swords
Won't be able to stop us from hittin' town in this dirty old Ford
Well it don't take no nerve when you got nothin to guard
I got tombstones in my eyes and I'm runnin' real hard
My baby was a lover and the world just blew her away

Once they tried to steal my heart, beat it right outta my head
But baby they didn't know that I was born dead
I am the Iceman, fightin' for the right to live
I say better than the glory roads of heaven, better off ridin'
Hellbound in the dirt, better than the bright lines of the freeway
Better than the shadows of your daddy's church
Better than the waiting, baby better off is the search

I lie in bed but baby I can't sleep no matter how hard I try
There's something bad, baby, wrong with me whenever I close my eyes
The dreams of Mary keep me awake with every little curve in place
When I walk home in the daybreak I pray come back home, baby, won't you give me
Darlin' bring on the night, oh yeah darlin', bring on the night
Oh now darlin', bring on the night

I walk the street, I'm lookin' for romance
I end up stumblin' in some stupid half-trance
As I watch the lovers mix with circumstance
We watch the disco dancers dance

I look for connection in some new eyes
But for protection they're tranquilized
Forbidding close inspection of who's tellin' who
Forbidding close inspection of who's tellin' who lies

Bring on the night, oh yeah darlin', bring on the night
Oh now darlin', bring on the night

Is it as simple as it seems
I don't know what I'm doin' here, is it as simple as it seems
Is it as simple as I fear, well if I'm right . . .

I look for connection in some new eyes
But for protection they're tranquilized
Forbidding close inspection of who's tellin' who
Forbidding close inspection of who's tellin' who
Baby of who's tellin' who lies

Bring on the night, oh yeah darlin', bring on the night
Oh now baby, bring on the night, oh now darlin' bring on the night
Come home darlin', bring on the night
Oh now darlin' bring on the night

There's flying angels on your fire escape
They lie to your mama for you, try to keep you safe
You're with them fire alley virgins on a midnight vamp
Lost your heart on Main Street to a beautiful tramp
You lost your mind
She's sent from above
You're so young and in love
So young and in love
So young and in love
So young and in love
So young and in love

Rat traps filled with soul crusaders
They're soppin' 'n' boppin' 'n' moppin' with Little Melvin and the Invaders
Missy's on the dance floor doin' her stuff
Leroy's dancin' doin' the continental strut
Sent from above
So young and in love
So young and in love
So young and in love
So young and in love

Everybody's reelin' when the band hits the ceilin'
Don't you know you wanna go
The kids start rockin' when the boys start knockin'
And everybody wants to go
Let's go!

Joint's shut down but you don't wanna go home
You're in the shady side of town and you're all alone
Papa's chewin' your ear off, you ain't got no cash
Mama's chewin' your ear off 'bout hangin' out with trash
So fine, sent from above
So young and in love
So young and in love
So young and in love
So young and in love

You stare in the mirror at the lines in your face
And you try to see, girl
The way things were when we were at your place
In the days it was just you and me, girl
And you cry because things ain't like before
Well don't you know they can't be that way anymore
But don't worry baby

CHORUS: 
I can't talk now, I'm not alone 
So put your ear close to the phone
'Cause this is the last dance
This is the last chance for hearts of stone

If there was something, baby, that I could do
Something that would last, honey, I would
But we all know, girl, especially you do
How you can't return to your past, no
So girl close your eyes and I'll be there 
Hold me once more and we can go anywhere
Ah, we could ...

(CHORUS)

And you cry because things ain't like before
Well don't you know they can't be like that anymore
Well I know it, baby

(CHORUS)

Cold rain runnin' down the front of my shirt
I'm flat on my back, wheels in the dirt
Angel makes her face up out on Baker Street
She's straddling the shifter in my front seat
There's nothing to lose, it's a heartbreak
The deck's stacked
So put your foot to the floor and darlin' don't look back

We're makin' night tracks through the blazin' rain
Blowin' pistons workin' the fast lane
Red line burnin', pocket's full of cash
Angel writes her name in lipstick on my dash
There's nothing to lose
It's a bad break but baby we're backed
Tonight we'll blow off their doors and honey we won't look back
We held it in our hearts in a pourin' rain
We made it through the heart of a hurricane
We tore it apart and put it together again
Well angel, won't you believe in love for me
C'mon and meet me tonight, darling, out in the street
We'll move with the city in the dark
You gotta walk it, talk it, in your heart
There's nothing to lose, it's a heartache
The deck's stacked
So put your foot to the floor, darlin'
Tonight we'll blow off their doors, baby
We're gonna even the score
And honey we won't look back

Once we ran and lived as one
In another world, my little one
Where whispering trees and dark rivers run
I told a dream to you
Now outside the streets are gray
And the childhood games we played
Have faded away

CHORUS:
My baby, she has restless nights
(She has restless nights) 
My baby, she has restless nights

On late-night movie screens
Young lovers look so sure 
Lost in wide-awake dreams
That they can't afford
Once I held you in my arms
On a bed of stone
Now we have grown

(CHORUS)

Once we ran and lived as one
In a different world, my little one
Where whispering trees and dark rivers run
I told a dream to you
Now I pray, darling, for the night
We'll dance down these darkened halls
Once again to fall
Into a dream

(CHORUS)

It's cloudy out in Pittsburgh
It's rainin' in Saigon
Snow's fallin' all across the Michigan line
Well she sits by the light of her Christmas tree
With the radio softly on
Thinkin' how a good man is so hard to find

Well once she had a fella
Once she was somebody's girl
And she gave all she had that one last time
Now there's a little girl asleep in the back room
She's gonna have to tell about the meanness in this world
And how a good man is so hard to find

Well there's pictures on the table by her bed
Him in his dress greens and her in her wedding white
She remembers how the world was the day he left
And now how that world is dead
And a good man is so hard to find

She got no time now for Casanovas
Yeah those days are gone
She don't want that anymore, she's made up her mind
Just somebody to hold her
As the night gets on
When a good man is so hard to find

Well she shuts off the TV
And without a word
Into bed she climbs
Well she thinks how it was all so wasted
And how expendable their dreams all were
When a good man was so hard to find
Well it's cloudy out in Pittsburgh

We left the toys out in the yard
I took my wife and kids and I left my home unguarded
We packed what we could into the car
No one here knows how it started
Suddenly everything was just so out of control
Now I want some answers, mister I need to know
I hear all the talk but I don't know what you re sayin'
But I think I got a good idea of the game that you're playin'

Roulette, that's the name
Roulette, that's the game now
Roulette, I don t believe what they're sayin'
Roulette, everybody's playin'

I grew up here on this street
Where nothing moves, just a strange breeze
In a town full of worthless memories
There's a shadow in my backyard
I got a house full of things that I can't touch
Well all those things they won't do me much good now
I was a fireman out at Riker's, I did my job
Mister I've been cheated, I feel like I've been robbed
I'm the big expendable, my life's just canceled null and void
Well what you gonna do about your new boy

Roulette, you re playin' with my life
Roulette, with my kids and my wife
Roulette, every day the stakes get bigger
Roulette, a different finger on the trigger

Down by the river that talks
The night speaks in searchlights
And shortwave radios squawk
The police patrol the streets
But I've left behind the man I used to be
Everything he believed and all that belonged to me
I tried to find my way out to somewhere where I thought it'd be safe
They stopped me at the roadblock they put up on the interstate
They put me in detention but I broke loose and then I ran
They said they just want to ask me a few questions but I think they had other plans
Now I don't know who to trust and I don't know what I can believe
They say they want to help me but with the stuff they keep on sayin'
I think those guys just wanna keep on playin'


Roulette, with my life
Roulette, with my kids and my wife
Roulette, the bullet's in the chamber
Roulette, who's the unlucky stranger
Roulette, surprise, you're dead
Roulette, the gun's to your head
Roulette, the bullet's spinning in the chamber
Roulette, pull the trigger, feel the click
No further danger

Well ever since you were a little girl
You set the rules in your little world
But girls grow up and throw their toys away
You're a big girl now but you still wanna play
(Girl we're living)
You dress them up the way you want to
(Girl we're living)
You make them do just what you want them to do
(Girl we're living)
Once I thought we had a love that was true
But I'm just another doll in your dollhouse to you
We're living in a dollhouse
We're living in a dollhouse
Girl we're living in a dollhouse
You may feel safe and sound
But your dollhouse, girl, is falling down

It's all been neatly arranged in your mind
Every detail fits your own design
Every room is perfectly in place
But I can see the sadness, baby, on your face
You had a plan and darling like a child
You thought it's down to fashion, down to style
But your little dreamhouse is runnin' wild
Before your very eyes we're shrinking down to size
We're living in a dollhouse
We're living in a dollhouse
Girl we're living in a dollhouse
We may feel safe and sound
But our dollhouse, girl, is falling down

Everything's as you dreamed it would be
But there's something wrong that you can't see
Room by room you keep looking for some little flaw
A crack somewhere in your dollhouse wall
Something, girl, that will explain away
The hurt you feel, darling, when we play

Your little dolls they got a grip on you
Until you're just another doll in your dollhouse too
We're living in a dollhouse
Girl, we're living in a dollhouse
Oh we're living in a dollhouse
We may feel safe and sound
But our dollhouse, girl, is falling down
Oh we're living in a dollhouse
Girl, we're living in a dollhouse
Yeah we're living in a dollhouse

I hear the guitars ringin' out
Ringin' out down Union Street
I hear the lead singer shoutin' out, girl
I wanna be a slave to the beat
Yeah, tonight I wanna break my chains
Somebody break my heart
Somebody shake my brains
Downtown there's something that I wanna hear
There's a sound, little girl, keeps ringing in my ear

CHORUS:
I wanna be where the bands are
I wanna be where the bands are
Where the bands are
I wanna be where the bands are
I get off from work and I grab something to eat
I turn the corner and I drive down your street
Little gray houses darling looks like nowhere
But hey I know you're hiding in there
Come on out for just a little while
You know that heart of stone, girl, it just ain't your style
Tonight I wanna feel the beat of the crowd
And when I tell you that I love you
I wanna have to shout it out loud
Shout it out loud

(CHORUS)

I hear the guitars ringin' out again
Ringin' on down Union Street
I hear the lead singer shoutin' out and girl
I wanna be a slave to the beat
And I want something that'll break my chains
Something to break my heart
Something to shake my brains
There's a rocker's special on tonight
So meet me on down
'Neath the neon lights 

(CHORUS)

We met out on open streets when we had no place to go
I remember how my heart beat when you said I love you so
Then little by little we choked out all the life that our love could hold
Oh no

CHORUS:
It's like we had a noose and baby without check
We pulled until it grew tighter around our necks
Each one waiting for the other, darlin', to say when
Well baby you can meet me tonight on the loose end

We didn't count tomorrows, we took what we could and baby we ran
There was no time for sorrow, every place we went I held your hand
And when the night closed in I was sure your kisses told me all I had to know
But oh no

(CHORUS)

Our love has fallen around us like we said it never could
We saw it happen to all the others but to us it never would
Well how could something so bad, darling, come from something that was so good
I don't know

(CHORUS)

Early North Jersey industrial skyline
I'm an all-set cobra jet creepin' through the night time
Gotta find a gas station, gotta find a pay phone
This turnpike sure is spooky at night when you're all alone
I'm living on the edge of the world
Tryin' to get my girl on the line
Livin' on the edge of the world
But I think it's just a waste of my time
Some jerk keeps breaking my connection, girl
'Cause I'm living on the edge of the world
Living on the edge of the world

Radio, radio, hear my tale of heartbreak
New Jersey in the morning like a lunar landscape
Got a counter girl at the Exit 24 HoJo
Down past the refinery towers where the great black river flows
I'm living on the edge of the world
Tryin' to get back to you, girl
Living on the edge of the world
Tryin' to get a message through
I gotta make a connection, girl
Because I'm living on the edge of the world
Living on the edge of the world

Radio's jammed with gospel stations
Lost souls callin' long distance salvation
Hey mister deejay gotta hear my last prayer
It's a hey ho rock and roll, deliver me from nowhere
I'm living on the edge of the world
Tryin' to get back to you, girl
Living on the edge of the world
Tryin' to get a message through
I gotta make some connection, girl
Because I'm living on the edge of the world
Living on the edge of the world

Now my boss don't dig me 'cause he put me on the night shift
It takes me two hours to get back to where my baby lives
In the wee wee hours my mind gets hazy
Relay towers, won't you lead me to my baby
'Neath the overpass the trooper hits his party lights switch

Good night, good luck, one, two powershift

When we fight and I wanna talk it out
You won't say nothing, nothing at all
You just sit there, you won't open that pretty mouth
I think you like keeping my back up against the wall
Wages of sin, you keep me paying
Wages of sin for wrongs that I've done
Wages of sin, you keep me paying
Wages of sin, one by one


I walk in the apartment, there's clothes thrown all over the place
You're crouched in the corner with makeup running down your face
I don't wanna believe what my heart keeps saying
You keep me on the line so you can keep me paying
Wages of sin, we keep paying
Wages of sin for the wrongs that we've done
Wages of sin, we keep paying
Wages of sin, that's how we have our fun

I remember when I was a little boy out where the cottonwoods grow tall
Trying to make it home through the forest before the darkness falls
Baby all the sounds I heard, even if they weren't real 
I was running down that broken path with the devil snapping at my heels
I tried so hard, so hard in every way
Swore someday I'd grow up, just throw it all away
Cried all the tears, baby, that I could cry
Stomached all my fears till they came rushin' up inside
Darlin' I'm losin' and it's a mean game
Still I play on and on just the same
Wages of sin, I keep paying
Wages of sin for some wrong that I've done
Wages of sin, well I keep paying
Wages of sin, one by one

Your scrapbook's filled with pictures of all your leading men
Well baby don't put my picture in there with them
Don't make us some little girl's dream that can't ever come true
That only serves to hurt and make you cry like you do
Well baby don't do it to me and I won't do it to you

You see all the romantic movies, you dream and take the boys home
But when the action fades you're left all aone
You deserve better than this, little girl can't you see you do
Do you need somebody to prove it to you
Well you prove it to me and I'll prove it to you

Now every night you go out looking for true love's satisfaction
But in the morning you end up settling for just lights, camera, action

And another cameo role with some bit player you're befriending
You're gonna go broken-hearted looking for that happy ending
Well girl you're gonna end up just another lonely ticket sold
Cryin' alone in the theater as the credits roll
You say I'll be like those other guys
Who filled your head with pretty lies
And dreams that can never come true
Well baby you be true to me
And I'll be true to you

Let the frozen cities crumble, crumble and fall
That's alright, I don't mind at all
Let 'em all tumble right into the sea
Well that's just fine, that's alright with me
Since you came down the line
I can't sleep at night, I got one thing on my mind
That's every day, every night
I wanna be with you
I wanna be with you, that's what I wanna do
'Cause you're just so out of sight
I wanna be with you, that's what I wanna do
Now I lost my job at the Texaco station
'Cause instead of pumping gas I'd dream of you
I got thrown out of my house, I got such a bad reputation
'Cause all I wanna do is be seen with you
They gave me my pay and said walk
I don't care what they say, go ahead let 'em all talk


Till the world falls apart
I wanna be with you
I wanna be with you
That's what I wanna do
Until they will rip out my heart
I wanna be with you, I wanna be with you
Well that's all I wanna do


Hold tight, love me just a little bit
Alright, a little bit more
Tonight, tonight give me just a little kiss
No, I don't know, I don't know, I don't
I just can't understand it, you're not pretty at all
But I come when you whisper, I run when you call
When I see you on the streets I fall on my face
I drop to my knees, I plead my case
Oh, oh, I wanna be with you
I wanna be with you, that's what I wanna do
Oh, oh, I wanna be with you
I wanna be with you, that's all I wanna do
Oh, oh, I wanna be with you
I wanna be with you, darlin', don't you know
Oh, oh, I wanna be with you
I wanna be with you because I love you so

You're scrapbook's filled with pictures of all your leading men
Well baby don't put my picture in there with them
Don't make us some little girl's dream that can never come true
Oh baby don't do it to me, I won't do it to you
Mary Lou, I'm not like all those other guys
Mary Lou, I won't fill your pretty head with their pretty lies
Mary Lou, and dreams that never, never, never, ever will come true
Mary Lou, that'd only serve to hurt and make you cry like you do
You've seen all the romantic movies, you dream and take the boys home
But when the action fades you're left all alone
You deserve better than this, a real love that can grow
And I ain't playin' outtakes, girl, from some late late show, no
Mary Lou, you're not like all those other girls
Mary Lou, so afraid to shake up that neat little world

Every night you go out looking for true love's satisfaction
But you always end up settling for just lights, camera, action
And another cameo role with some bit player you're befriending
You're gonna go broken-hearted looking for that happy ending
Mary Lou, I've seen all those movies too
Mary Lou, I know the hurt too much dreaming can do
Mary Lou, you're gonna end up just another lonely ticket sold
Mary Lou, crying alone in the theater as the credits roll
Let's go

Well I found me a girl and I settled down
In a pretty little house in a pretty little town
We got married and promised never to part
Then little by little we drifted from each other's hearts
Now I'm drivin' a stolen car on a pitch-black night
And I'm doin' my best to make it through

Well I'm just sittin' down here at the Stanton light
I wanna get caught but I never do
At first I thought it was just restlessness
That would fade as time went by and our love grew deep
But in the end it was something more, I guess
That tore us apart and made us weep
And I'm drivin' a stolen car waitin' on that little red light
I keep tellin' myself everything's gonna be alright
But I ride by night and I travel in fear
That in this darkness I might just disappear
She asked if I remembered the letters I wrote
When our love was young and we were bold
She said last night she read those letters
And they made her feel a hundred years old

There's a river runs by that little town
Down into the sea
It was there in the shade I lay my body down
As she flowed on so effortlessly
Now there's a party tonight out at County Line
There'll be dancing down at Seven Trees
From these banks I can see those party lights shine
Maybe she's there, maybe she's looking for me

Last night I dreamed I made the call
I swore to return and stay forevermore
Once again we stood on the wedding steps at Victory Hall
And walked arm in arm through the chapel door
I can remember how good I felt inside
When the preacher said "Son, you may kiss the bride"
But as I leaned over to touch her pretty lips
I felt it all slip away through my fingertips
And I'm drivin' a stolen car through a pitch-black night
I keep tellin' myself everything's gonna be alright
But I ride by night and I travel in fear
No matter what I do or where I drive
Nobody ever sees me when I ride by

She drew out all her money from the Southern Trust
And put her little boy on a Greyhound bus
Leaving Memphis with a guitar in his hand
On a one-way ticket to the promised land
Hey little girl with the red dress on
There's a party tonight down in Memphis town
I'll be going down there if you need a ride
The man on the radio says Elvis Presley's died

We drove down into Memphis, the sky was hard and black 
Up over the ridge came a white Cadillac
They'd drawn out all his money and they laid him in the back
A woman cried from the roadside "Ah he's gone, he's gone"
They found him slumped up against the drain
With a whole lot of trouble running through his veins
Bye-bye Johnny
Johnny bye-bye
You didn't have to die
You didn't have to die

The runway rushed up at him as he felt the wheels touch down
He stood out on the blacktop and took a taxi into town
He got out down on Main Street and went into a local bar
He bought a drink and he found a seat in a corner in the dark

Well she called up her mama to make sure the kids were out of the house
She checked herself out in the dining room mirror
And undid an extra button on her blouse
He felt her lying next to him, the clock said 4:00 a.m.
He was staring at the ceiling
He couldn't move his hands

CHORUS:
Oh mama mama mama come quick
I've got the shakes and I'm gonna be sick
Throw your arms around me in the cold dark night
Hey now mama don't shut out the light
Don't you shut out the light
Don't you shut out the light
Don't you shut out the light
Don't you shut out the light

Well on his porch they stretched a banner that said "Johnny welcome home"
Bobby pulled his Ford out of the garage and they polished up the chrome
His mama said "Johnny oh Johnny, I'm so glad to have you back with me"
His pa said he was sure they'd give him his job back down at the factory

(CHORUS)

Well deep in the dark forest, a forest filled with rain
Beyond a stretch of Maryland pines there's a river without a name
In the cold black water now Johnson Leneir stands
He stares across at the lights of the city and dreams of where he's been

(CHORUS)

Cynthia, when you come walkin' by you're an inspiring sight
Cynthia, you won't smile or say hi but baby that's alright
'Cause I don't need to hold you or taste your kiss
I just like knowin', Cynthia, you exist
In a world like this

Cynthia, when you pass it seems like this whole town drops
Cynthia, or maybe it s just me, baby, and these fools stuck here punchin' this clock
Well you give us a reason to stop just for a while
Stop, stand and salute your style


Well now you ain't the finest thing I'll never have
And when you go the hurt you leave, baby, it ain't so bad
There ain't a man in this whole town who'd say you ain't fine
You hear the guys talkin', tell me baby do you mind
Well you make us happy, honey, when we feel sad
To see something so good in a world gone bad
There's still Cynthia

Cynthia, no one knows your number, no one knows where you live
Cynthia, I wonder do you understand this strange thing you give
Well baby is it your style, the mystery in your smile
Or just how cool you walk in a world gone wild
Tell me if you will, Cynthia

Well I gotta be pretty naive to believe in you
I know you ain't ever gonna be my dream come true
That's alright, I got other dreams as good as you, Cynthia
Yeah now baby, now this ain't no come-on
Just walk on, Cynthia, walk on
You make me holler, yeah, yeah, alright
I said yeah, yeah, alright
Well she's a yeah, yeah, alright
I said yeah, yeah, alright

At night I go to bed but I just can't sleep
I got something running around my head
That just won't keep
In the silence I hear my heart beating, time slippin' away
I got a time bomb ticking deep inside of me
I gotta tell you what I wanna say
I keep searching for you, darling
Searching everywhere I go
And when I find you there's gonna be
Just one thing you gotta know
My love will not let you down
My love will not let you down


At night I walk the streets looking for romance
But I always end up stumbling in a half-trance
I search for connection in some new eyes
But they're hard for protection from too many dreams passed by
I see you standing across the room watching me without a sound
Well I'm gonna push my way through that crowd, I'm gonna tear all your walls down
Tear all your walls down
My love will not let you down
My love will not let you down

Well hold still now darling, hold still for God's sake
'Cause I got me a promise I ain't afraid to make
My love will not let you down
My love will not let you down

Dark weekends in the sun out on Chelsea Road
Descending the stairs, Frankie, my one
Check your makeup in the mirror, c'mon babe let's go
We'll dance 'round this dirty town till the night is all done
Let all the finer things sleep alone tonight
Let all the minor kings lose their thrones tonight
Don't worry about us, baby, we'll be alright

Well everybody's dying, this town's closing down
Their all sittin' down at the courthouse waiting for 'em to take the flag down
I see strange flashes in the sky up above
Gonna spend the night at the drive-in with the one that I love
At dusk the stars all appear on the screen
Yeah, just like they do each night in my dreams
But tonight's no dream, Frankie, I can feel myself too
Well now and forever my love is for you

Walk softly tonight, little stranger
Yeah into these shadows we're passing through
Talk softly tonight, little angel
You make all my dream worlds come true
Well lately I've been standing out in the freezing rain
Readin' them want ads out on Chelsea Road
I'm winging down the street in search of new games
Hustling through these nightlights' diamond glow
Well Frankie I don't know what I m gonna find
Maybe nothing at all, maybe a world I can call mine
Shining like these streetlights down here on the strand
Bright as the rain in the palm of your hand

Walk softly tonight, little stranger
Into these shadows where lovers go
Talk softly to me, little angel
Whisper your secrets so soft and low

I woke up last night shaking from a dream
For in that dream I died
My wife rolled over and told me
That my life would be immortalized
Not in some major motion picture 
Or great American novel, you see
No, they're gonna make a TV movie out of me

CHORUS:
Well now, it's one two three you take the money
Yeah it's as easy as A B C
Yeah they're gonna make a TV movie out of me

Well they can change my name or they can leave it
They can change my story too 
Or they can make me black or Chinese
And do things that I never did do
They're gonna give my life a whole new ending
And put me in prime time first-run 
And when it's over, what I did there will be what I done

Now I don't want my name in a history book
Nobody's ever gonna see
No, they're gonna make a TV movie out of me

(CHORUS)

Well I'm a shoe-in for a sponsor
Goodyear blimp and radial wheels
Somebody had a meeting somewhere
Somehow somebody made a deal
Well I was one of them kinds of stories
That everybody liked to see
Yeah they're gonna make a TV movie out of me
Now I don't want no inscription on my gravestone
No long soliloquy
No they're gonna make a TV movie out of me

(CHORUS)

Well Jimmy Lee was hookin' 'round the far turn of a funky southern Florida dirt track
He had mud caked on his goggles and a screamin' 350 stacked up on his back
Well as he passed the stands he was feelin' all tuckered out
When through the roar of his engine he heard somebody shout
"Stand on it, come on boy, stand on it"

Mary Beth started to drift, she hit the shift but she just couldn't get a hand on it
Racin' some Red Hill boys, she had the deed to the ranch and a grand on it
With eight grand blowin' hot on the red line
She blew past a hitchhiker out on Route 39
He hollered "Stand on it, go 'head, baby, stand on it"

CHORUS:
Well now when in doubt and you can't figure it out
Just stand on it
If your mind's confused, you don't know what you're gonna do
Well buddy, stand on it
Well if you've lost control of the situation at hand
Go grab a girl and go see a rock and roll band
And stand on it
Come on man, stand on it

Well now Columbus he discovered America even though he hadn't planned on it
He got lost and woke up one morning when he's about to land on it
He wouldn't of got out of Italy, man that's for sure
Without Queen Isabella standing on the shore
Shoutin' "Stand on it, go ahead man, stand on it"

(CHORUS)

Bobby was leadin' the pack, he settled back and he got ready for the long haul
Well fifty yards from the finish line somebody roared up and they blew him into the wall
Well he rolled over twice, lucky to survive
Layin' in the back of the ambulance more dead than alive
Somebody shouted "Man, you call that drivin'?
Why didn't you stand on it"

You broke my heart, tore it apart
Thought it was cute, thought it was smart
But now I'm back and I've got the strength of ten
So I got a message for you my friend

CHORUS:
I'm Daniel waitin' in the lion's den
Daniel waitin' for that lion to come
Daniel waitin' in the lion's den
Dum dum dee dum dum dee dee dum dum

That old lion's mean and long in the tooth
And like you, baby, he's out on the loose
Messin' hearts up time and time again
Well it's time for that messin' to end

(CHORUS)

At night I hear you out prowling around
Tearing guys up, scaring 'em down
Now all that growling's gonna come to no end
'Cause I m just biding my time, my little friend

(CHORUS)

Well my name is Catherine LeFevre
I work at the Astrowash on Sunset and Vine
I drop my kids at school in the morning
And I pick them up at Mary's just 'fore suppertime

CHORUS:
Well I work down at the car wash
For a dollar and a dime
And mister, I hate my boss
It's at the car wash I'm doing my time
Pick up my water bottle and my towel, sir
And I take 'em one by one
From Mercedes to VWs
I do 'em all and I don't favor none

(CHORUS)

Well someday I'll sing in a night club
I'll get a million-dollar break
A handsome man will come here with a contract in his hand
And say "Catherine, this has all been some mistake"

(CHORUS)

Billy got out of prison but he wasn't right
Some like to drink or gamble, Billy liked to fight
He tracked back to his home state of Maryland
Went to his mom's mobile home where she took him in, alright

CHORUS:
Rockaway the days, rockaway the nights
Gimme something to last me, baby, till the morning light
I ain't lookin' for trouble, I ain't looking for a fight
Honey rockaway these days, rockaway these nights


Well at a picnic one Sunday Billy met Mary Dove
Mary looked at Billy, Billy fell in love
Billy swore to Mary he'd always love her so
They were married in the valley where the river flows, alright

(CHORUS)

At a roadside bar Billy argued with a young man
And he settled that argument with a razor in his hand
With blood on his shirt back to Mary he did run
She sighed "Billy, oh Billy, what have you done?"

He ran to his ma's trailer but the lights were dim
He pounded on the door, she wouldn't let him in
Up the road to a neighbor's house he drew near
They said "Billy go away, we don't want no trouble 'round here"
Billy stole a car and headed out on the road
Pocketful of pills and his brain on overload
Seen some lights in his rearview mirror, panicked and gave her the gun
Wrapped himself 'round a telephone pole way out on 101

Well Billy got cut out by the highway patrol
Just lay there with the cars passing on slow
Sheriff told Billy's ma that Billy died
She buried his body by the riverside, alright

(CHORUS)

Well rich man want the power and the seat on the top
Poor man want the money that the rich man got
Honey tonight I'm feeling so tired and unsure
Come on in Mary, shut the light, close the door

(CHORUS)

Every spring when the weather gets warm
They come pourin' into town straight off of them farms
Driving 455s running hard and strong
They'd scratch built in them tool sheds all winter long
'Neath the trestles drinkin' the beer and the wine
Now some came to run, some just to pass the time
With the brothers under the bridges

Me and Tommy we was just fourteen, didn't have our licenses yet
Our walls were covered with pictures of cars we'd get
We'd listen and wait for that highway to rumble and quake
As they drove in through town when the weekend'd break
Bringin' girls with that distant look in their eyes
Now together 'neath the trestles they'd be laughing in the night
With the brothers under the bridges


Well me and my brother'd hitched a ride in Joey's pickup to the edge of town
And we watched from the tall grass as the challenges were made and the duels went down
We'd hitchhike back home, sneak in, get in bed before our mom'd come
And we'd lay there in the night talkin' about how we might someday be one
Yeah someday run with the brothers under the bridges
Well now I hear a cry in the distance and the sound of marching feet come and gone
Well I'm sittin down here by this highway figuring, figuring just where I belong
Tonight up here on Signal Hill
I watch a young man in a red shirt walking through a night so still
Put his jacket 'round his girl as the autumn wind sends a chill
Through the brothers under the bridges

Here comes a fireman, here comes a cop
Here comes a wrench, here comes a car hop
Been going on forever, it ain't ever gonna stop
Everybody wants to be the man at the top

CHORUS:
Everybody wants to be the man at the top
Everybody wants to be the man at the top
Aim your gun, son, and shoot your shot
Everybody wants to be the man at the top


Rich man, poor man, beggar man, thief
Doctor, lawyer, Indian chief
One thing in common they all got
Everybody wants to be the man at the top

(CHORUS)

Man at the top says its lonely up there
If it is, man, I don't care
From the big white house to the parking lot
Everybody wants to be the man at the top


Here comes a banker, here comes a businessman
Here comes a kid with a guitar in his hand
Dreaming of his record in the number-one spot
Everybody wants to be the man at the top

(CHORUS)

You may think I'm foolish
For the foolish things I do
You may wonder how come I love you
When you get on my nerves like you do
Well baby you know you bug me
There ain't no secret 'bout that
Well come on over here and hug me
Baby I'll spill the facts
Well honey it ain't your money
'Cause baby I got plenty of that
I love you for your pink Cadillac
Crushed velvet seats
Riding in the back
Oozing down the street
Waving to the girls
Feeling out of sight
Spending all my money
On a Saturday night
Honey I just wonder what you do there in the back
Of your pink Cadillac
Pink Cadillac

Well now way back in the Bible
Temptations always come along
There's always somebody tempting
Somebody into doing something they know is wrong
Well they tempt you, man, with silver
And they tempt you, sir, with gold
And they tempt you with the pleasure
That the flesh does surely hold
They say Eve tempted Adam with an apple
But man I ain't going for that
I know it was her pink Cadillac
Crushed velvet seats
Riding in the back
Oozing down the street
Waving to the girls
Feeling out of sight
Spending all my money
On a Saturday night
Honey I just wonder what it feels like in the back
Of your pink Cadillac
Now some folks say it's too big
And uses too much gas
Some folks say it's too old
And that it goes too fast
But my love is bigger than a Honda
It's bigger than a Subaru
Hey man there's only one thing
And one car that will do
Anyway we don't have to drive it
Honey we can park it out in back
And have a party in your pink Cadillac

It's one for the money and one for the show
I got one kiss for you honey so come on let's go
I didn't see it coming but girl now I know
It takes one for the running but two for the road

One thousand dreams whispered in the dark
But a dream's just a dream in one empty heart
It takes more than one to rev it up and go
So let's get it running, we're two for the road

Two one-way tickets and a diamond ring
Hell it don't matter what the rain might bring
When this world treats you hard and cold
I'll stand beside you, we're two for the road

When you're alone my love'll shine the light
Through the dark and starless night
I'll hold you close and never let you go
C'mon now girl 'cause we're two for the road
Well it's two to get ready, babe, c'mon let's go
Me and you, girl, we're two for the road

You got your book with all your fears
Let me, honey, and I'll catch your tears
I'll take your sorrow if you want me to
Come tomorrow that's what I'll do
Listen to me

CHORUS:
Janey don't you lose heart
Janey don't you lose heart
Janey don't you lose heart
Janey don't you lose heart

Well you say you got no new dreams to touch
You feel like a stranger who knows too much
Well you come home late and get undressed
You lie in bed, feel this emptiness
Well listen to me

(CHORUS)

Till every river runs dry
Until the sun honey's torn from the sky
Till every fear you've felt burst free
And's gone tumblin' down into the sea
Listen to me

(CHORUS)

When you need me call my name 
'Cause without you my life just wouldn't be the same
If you want me come sunny skies or rain
When you need me just call my name

If you miss me, I'll be there
To brush the sunlight from your hair
I'll be there to guide you when trouble walks beside you
If you need me I'll be there
And when this dirty world has been cold to you
I got two strong arms waitin' to hold you
And when those mean days come along
We'll stand together and we'll take 'em on
So if you need me just call my name

When you need me call my name
'Cause without you my life just isn't the same
'Cause when this world kicked me around
You picked me up off the ground
So if you need me I'll be there

Dirty old street all slushed up in the rain and snow
Little boy and his ma shivering outside a rundown music store window
That night on top of a Christmas tree shines one beautiful star
And lying underneath a brand-new Japanese guitar

I remember in the morning, ma, hearing your alarm clock ring
I'd lie in bed and listen to you gettin' ready for work
The sound of your makeup case on the sink
And the ladies at the office, all lipstick, perfume, and rustlin' skirts
And how proud and happy you always looked walking home from work

If pa's eyes were windows into a world so deadly and true
You couldn't stop me from looking but you kept me from crawlin' through
And if it's a funny old world, mama, where a little boy's wishes come true
Well I got a few left in my pocket and a special one just for you

It ain't no phone call on Sunday, flowers or a mother's day card
It ain't no house on a hill with a garden and a nice little yard
I got my hatred down on Bond Street, I'm older but you'll know me in a glance
We'll find us a little rock 'n' roll bar and baby we'll go out and dance

Well it was me in my Beatle boots, you in pink curlers and matador pants
Pullin' me up off the couch to do the twist for my uncles and aunts
Well I found a girl of my own now, ma, I popped the question on your birthday
She stood waiting on the front porch while you were telling me to get out there
And say what it was that I had to say

Last night we all sat around laughing at the things that guitar bought us
And I layed awake thinking 'bout the other things it's brought us
Well tonight I'm taking requests here in the kitchen
This one's for you, ma, let me come right out and say it
It's overdue, but baby, if you re looking for a sad song, well I ain't gonna play it

Two kids get married, same old thing
Folks congratulate you, church bells ring
Who's got the ring, who's gonna pay the priest
Get your name in the paper, picture or two at least

And at the reception all the old records play
"Where you gonna live, are you gonna take her away?"
In a corner my new nephew's showin' me his knife
You swore that you'd love her for the rest of your life

Went to kiss you at the altar we bumped heads
Honeymoon night we figured we best shake on it instead
Dressed kinda funny, laughin' we hop in bed
You can wear it on your feet, you can wear it on your head

Come mornin' my new family's sitting on the front porch swing
Smilin' kinda funny, nobody says a thing
My new brother-in-law's throwin' a football, he tosses me a pass
We all sit down on the front stoop, everybody happy at last

Runnin' down the highway half-past eleven
Waitin' for my odometer to roll straight sevens
I'm a lucky man
I went to see the gypsy the other night
She looked in my palm, looked me in the eye
And said "You're a lucky man"

"Some folks got fortune, some got eyes of blue
What you got will always see you through
You're a lucky man"
Pa went from the army to the factory to the killin' yard
I make my living with my hands 'hind the wheel of this car
I'm a lucky man

Messin' with me, man, it wouldn't be wise
Roll them dice, son . . . snake eyes
I'm a lucky man

Had a girl in Calgary, I gave her up
Man, that love thing was messin' with my luck
And I'm a lucky man
I'll wake up tomorrow morning in another state
Kiss me now, baby, before it's too late
If you wanna kiss a lucky man
I don't miss no girl, I don't miss no home
He travels fastest who travels alone
He's a lucky man
A man with the world in the palm of his hands

When I ask you if everything is alright
You whisper "Don't worry" and you shut out the light
Now black is black in this bed we're laying
And I wanna believe the words that you're saying

CHORUS:
But your eyes look like a leavin' train
They keep on dragging me down
Your eyes look like a leavin' train
They keep on draggin'
They keep on draggin'
They keep on draggin' me down

Well I did anything just to try to get close to you
I took it step by step like a man's supposed to
Tell me now, is this my
Is this my contrition
To have the love that I longed for fill me with suspicion

(CHORUS)

Now it's tellin' time, oh my little sister
Now can I believe the words, the words of love you whisper
Is my train in vain, has my soul gone to waste
Am I just a victim of, a victim of my lost faith

(CHORUS)

Seven angels got my number
Since I fell in love with you
Seven angels got my number
They're all telling me what to do
First angel says "Go on and love her"
Second angel says "Ain't you tired of being alone?"
Third angel says "Do the right thing, meat"
Fourth angel says "Check that other little angel walkin' on down the street"

Seven angels got my number
Since I fell in love with you
Seven angels got my number
They're all telling me what to do
Fifth angel says, "Don't worry
Love's waitin' 'round the corner for you, son"
Sixth angel says "You better hurry
It don't take long for the good to get gone"
Walkin' on wings all sexy and blue
Seventh angel says I'm a fool
I got seven angels calling on my pride
Seven devils crawling around inside
Seven angels tellin' me which way to turn
One kiss and my soul wanna burn

Seven angels got my number
Since I fell in love with you
Seven angels got my number
They're all telling me what to do
The earth's so lonely, sad and blue
And without love, your soul's dyin'
Sixth angel says to believe you
When you say you'll never leave me cryin'
Seventh angel says you're lyin'

In the fields of the lord
Stood Abel and Cain
Cain slew Abel 'neath the black rain
At night he couldn't stand the guilt or the blame
So he gave it a name
So he gave it a name
So he gave it a name

Billy got drunk, angry at his wife
He hit her once, he hit her twice
At night he'd lie in bed, he couldn't stand the shame
So he gave it a name
So he gave it a name
So he gave it a name

Pa told me "Son, one thing I know is true
Poison snake bites you, you're poison too"* 
At night I can feel that poison runnin' 'round my veins

*Pete Dexter, Paris Trout

Every day here you come walking
I hold my tongue, I don't do much talking
You say you're happy and you're doin' fine
Well go ahead, baby, I got plenty of time
Sad eyes never lie
Sad eyes never lie

Well for a while I've been watching you steady
Ain't gonna move 'til you're good and ready
You show up and then you shy away
But I know pretty soon you'll be walkin' this way
Sad eyes never lie
Sad eyes never lie

Baby don't you know I don't care
Don't you know that I've been there
Well if something in the air feels a little unkind 
Don't worry darling, it'll slip your mind

I know you think you'd never be mine
Well that's okay, baby, I don't mind
That shy smile's sweet, that's a fact
Go ahead, I don't mind the act
Here you come all dressed up for a date
Well one more step and it'll be too late
Blue blue ribbon in your hair
Like you're so sure I'll be standing here

You treated me hard and made my heart ache
I know you're only human, and men they make mistakes
Your life with her turned to black
And now you want our love back
Well come into my arms and fall, my lover man

Was it a gypsy's curse or a hex sign
Or was it just that simple thing that led you from these arms of mine
Oh yes, I've had the days
To grow used to your foolish ways
And what is it really, after all, my lover man

I can see the change in your eyes
There's no need to apologize
We stood at the wishing well
Our dreams like coins into the water fell
The water so cold and black
There was no going back

I don't mean to cause you hurt or cause you pain
Life is short and love's a dirty game
Now there's no need for our game to end
Come close and we'll begin
To find our beautiful selves again, my loverman
My loverman
My loverman

I walk along the levee to see the gypsy man
The dirt 'neath my feet baby's turnin' to quicksand
He looked into my palm, then looked me in the eye
And told me you were gone, gone over the rise 

Once we stood together at the wishing well
Our wishes like dreams, baby, into the water fell
Oh then I kissed your lips but when I looked into your eyes
They were gone, gone over the rise

Tonight the blackbirds fly low on the water's edge
Oh we walked this path not knowing where it led
Now at the bottom of the river deep lies something shiny and golden
Is a promise that love couldn't keep same as a promise broken*

Well I woke last night to the sound of rain
The wind rustling branches against the window pane
I searched the pillow beside me for the tears we cried
Baby they were gone, gone over the rise 

*Pauline Kael, I lost it at the movies

Now you say you have a best friend, you trust him with your life
You trust him with your money, you trust him with your kids
You'd even trust him with your wife
You better watch what's goin' on when the lights are out
When the night is dark, when there ain't nobody lookin' around
Yeah when the lights are out, down in this dirty little town

Well now the world is dark and funny, better listen up to what I say
You ain't gonna know what's going on by what you see in the light of day
You gotta watch what's goin' on when the lights are out
When the night is dark, when there ain't nobody lookin' around
Yeah when the lights are out down in this dirty little town
Now you swear that she trusted you 
Within reason I understand
But you kept slippin' in late at night 
And in the mornin' you had that smell on your hands

Well now the world is turning, Rome is burning
Me, I'm watching and I'm learning
They say sure as God's hand and the tickin' of the clock
The lord's light'll shine under every slimy rock
Well last night I slept the sleep of fear
And I heard God's voice whispering in my ear
He said you better watch what's going on when the lights are out
When the night is dark, when there ain't nobody lookin' around
Yeah when the lights are out down in this dirty little, down in this dirty little town

Met her at a friendly little bar down along the coast
She said it was her birthday so we had us a nice little toast
Drove around for a while, smoked a few cigarettes
Took her back to my place, she slipped off her party dress
She sat for a while on the edge of the bed just talkin'
Loose change in my pocket
Loose change in my pocket

Pint of gin in my boot cuff, I'm drivin' for a drink and a dance
Sittin' on the next stool, miss a little time on her hands
Yeah I knew she was trouble, but trouble sure was lookin' fine
And when I pulled her close what I knew kinda slipped my mind
We lay in bed and watched the moon come up crawling
Loose change in my pocket
Loose change in my pocket

I pour another drink, wait for the night to get through
Stars are burning in that black void so far away and blue

Now I'm sittin' at a red light I feel somethin' tickin' way down
The night's moving like a slow train crawling through this shithole town
Got my bags packed in the back and I'm tryin' to get going again
But red just goes to green and green goes red and then
Then all I hear's the clock on the dash tick-tocking
Loose change in my pocket
Loose change in my pocket

You do the drying, I'll do the dishes
Who'll do the crying when all the wishes don't come true
You do the washing, I'll do the folding
Whose heart is breaking
When whose arms are holding someone new
Sittin' on a peaceful lake sunnin'
Didn't hear the roar of the waterfall coming
When it's all a storybook story
When it's all so easy and nice
Here comes trouble in paradise

You did the dusting, I did the sweeping
You did the driving oh and I did the sleeping a little too long
On a picnic 'neath the sky so blue
We didn't see the rain and heartache coming through
When it's all an old black and white movie
And you're sure you've seen the ending twice
Here comes trouble in paradise

You said everything was fine
I'm sorry, baby, I didn't see the signs
Oh so beautifully you read your lines
But in a play where the hero has no vice
And love comes without a price
So does trouble in paradise

Don't matter who did the dusting or who did the sweeping
Who did the trusting or who did the cheating when it's all gone
Laying in a field on a summer's day
Waitin' for those gray skies to clear away
Knowing all love's glory and beauty
Can vanish before you think twice
Leaving trouble in paradise

Now we share the laughing, we share the joking
We do the sleeping with one eye open

Some need gold and some need diamond rings
Or a drug to take away the pain that living brings
A promise of a better world to come
When whatever here is done
I don't need that sky of blue
All I know's since I found you, I'm happy when I'm in your arms
Happy, darling, come the dark
Happy when I taste your kiss
I'm happy in a love like this

There's a house upon a distant hill
Where you can hear the laughter of children ring
Guardian angels, they watch from above
Watching over the love that they bring
But at night I feel the darkness near, I awake and I find you near
I'm happy with you in my arms
I'm happy with you in my heart
Happy when I taste your kiss
I'm happy in love like this

In a world of doubt and fear 
I wake at night and reach to find you near
Lost in a dream, you caught me as I fell
I want more than just a dream to tell

We're born in this world, darling, with few days and trouble never far behind
Man and woman circle each other in a cage
A cage that's been handed down the line
Lost and running 'neath a million dead stars
Tonight let's shed our skins and slip these bars
Happy in each other's arms
Happy baby, come the dark
Happy in each other's kiss
I'm happy in a love like this

They prosecuted some poor sucker in these United States
For teaching that man descended from the apes
They coulda settled that case without a fuss or fight
If they'd seen me chasin' you, sugar, through the jungle last night
They'da called in that jury and a one two three said
Part man, part monkey, definitely

Well the church bell rings from the corner steeple
Man in a monkey suit swears he'll do no evil
Offers his lover's prayer but his soul lies
Dark and driftin' and unsatisfied
Well hey bartender, tell me whaddaya see
Part man, part monkey, looks like to me

Well the night is dark, the moon is full
The flowers of romance exert their pull
We talk awhile, my fingers slip
I'm hard and crackling like a whip

Well did God make man in a breath of holy fire
Or did he crawl on up out of the muck and mire
Well the man on the street believes what the Bible tells him so
Well you can ask me, mister, because I know
Tell them soul-suckin' preachers to come on down and see
Part man, part monkey, baby that's me

Well he'd been hearing too many voices and feelin' a little off-track
Like there was something big pressing down on his back
So he called up his friends and they said come on out west
It's a place where a man can really feel his success

So he pulled his heart and soul down off the shelf
Packed them next to the faith that he'd lost in himself
Said his good-byes and when the dirty work was done
He turned his wheels into the fading sun

For seven days and nights like a black-top bird he sped
Maintained radio silence 'cept for in his head
And just like his folks did back in '69
He crossed the border at Needles and heard the promised land on the line

Now where the Transcontinental dumps into the sea
There's a bar made up to look like 1963
Girl in the corner eyed him like a hungry dog a bone
As he brushed the desert dust off that Mercedes chrome
Bartender said "Hey, how's it hangin', tiger?" 
He had a shot of tequila, smiled and whispered "lighter"

He went down to the desert city where the rattlesnakes play
And left his dead skin by the roadside in the noon of day
Sun got so hot it almost felt like friend
It could burn out every trace of where you been

There was a woman he'd met in a desert song
A little while later a son come along
Looked at that boy's smile and called it home
And that night as he lay in bed the only voice he heard was his own

In my dream our love was lost, I lived by luck and fate
I carried you inside of me, prayed it wouldn't be too late
Now I'm standin' on this empty road where nothin' moves but the wind
And honey I just wanna be back in your arms
Back in your arms again

Once I was your treasure and I saw your face in every star
But these promises we make at night, oh that's all they are
Unless we fill them with faith and love they're empty as the howlin' wind
And honey I just wanna be back in your arms
Back in your arms again

You came to me with love and kindness
But all my life I've been a prisoner of my own blindness
I met you with indifference and I don't know why
Now I wake from my dream, I wake from my dream to this world
Where all is shadow and darkness and above me a dark sky unfurls
And all the love I've thrown away and lost I'm longin' for again
Now darlin' I just wanna be back in your arms
Back in your arms again

Saigon, it was all gone
The same Coke machines
As the streets I grew on
Down a mesquite canyon
We come walking along the ridge
Me and the brothers under the bridge

Campsite's an hour's walk from the nearest road to town
Up here there's too much brush and canyon
For the CHP choppers to touch down
Ain't lookin' for nothin', just wanna live
Me and the brothers under the bridge
Come the Santa Ana's, man, that dry brush'll light
Billy Devon got burned up in his own campfire one winter night
We buried his body in the white stone high up along the ridge
Me and the brothers under the bridge

Had enough of town and the street life
Over nothing you end up on the wrong end of someone's knife
Now I don't want no trouble
And I ain't got none to give
Me and the brothers under the bridge

I come home in '72
You were just a beautiful light
In your mama's dark eyes of blue
I stood down on the tarmac, I was just a kid
Me and the brothers under the bridge

Come Veteran's Day I sat in the stands in my dress blues
I held your mother's hand 
When they passed with the red, white and blue
One minute you're right there...then something slips...