Lincoln Town
what i feel is like an old freight train
five miles long in the pouring rain
rolling out of detroit, loaded up with shiny cars
and i'm sitting in a cadillac
smoking on a big cigar
 
what i feel is like an engine room
open my door, get a whiff of perfume
love that diesel, burning up the atmosphere
when you hear me blow
honey, babe you know i'm near
 
i'm going down to lincoln town
turn your pretty little head around
take the next train outward bound
carry you out of lincoln town
 
babe, you know my home is with you
ain't no town or city will do
i need a rolling partner, carry me down the line
now i'm coming into lincoln town
baby right on time
 
because love is like an automobile
or maybe a freight train, depend on how you feel
big wheels rolling, baby Ôtill that engine whines
on rubber or steel
honey, baby i don't mind
'cause
 
i'm going down to lincoln town
turn your pretty little head around
take the next train outward bound
carry you out of lincoln town
 
when you see that ol' black smoke
you'll know it's time to pack you a poke
meet me at the station, about a quarter to nine
you can ride in my cadillac
or baby you can ride the blinds, i don't mind
'cause
 
i'm going down to lincoln town
turn your pretty little head around
take the next train southward bound
carry you out of lincoln town
 
repeat
 
i'm coming to get you baby

Crossing Muddy Waters
My baby's gone and I don't know why
She let out this morning
Like a rusty shot in a hollow sky
Left me without warning
Sooner than the dogs could bark
And faster than the sun rose
Down to the banks in an old mule car
She took a flatboat across the shallow

CHORUS:
Left me in my tears to drown
she left a baby daughter
Now the water's wide and deep and brown
She's crossing muddy waters

Tobacco standing in the fields
Be rotten come November
And a bitter heart will not reveal
A spring that love remembers
When that sweet brown girl of mine
Her black eyes are ravens
We broke the bread and drank the wine
From a jug that she'd been saving
 
CHORUS
 
Baby's crying and the daylight's gone
That big oak tree is groaning
In rush of wind and river of song
I can hear my sweetheart moaning
Crying for her baby child
Or crying for her husband
Crying for that river's wild
To take her from her loved ones
 
CHORUS TWICE

What Do We Do Now?
What do we do now
What do we do now
What do we do now
What do we do now

When it's lying there with a busted heart
Like a piece of glass where do you start
Do we pick it up or say goodbye
Is there one tear left for us to cry
 
What do we do now
What do we do now
What do we do now
What do we do now

What if I can't stay
What if you can't stay
What if I can't leave
What if you can't leave

What if i believed
Every word you say
What if you believed
Until today
Do we call the kids
Or call the cops
Can you hold me till
This howling stops
 
What do we do now
What do we do now
What do we do now
What do we do now
 
Gimme back my steel,
Gimme back my nerve
Gimme back my youth
For the dead man's curve
For that icy feel when
You start to swerve
Give us back the love
We don't deserve
 
'Cause we rode it long,
We drove it hard
And we wrecked it
In our own backyard

What do we do now
What do we do now
What do we do now
What do we do now

Only The Song Survives
i woke her up twice in the middle of the night
asked what her name is and where she might live
to ask how many fingers she saw in this light
to ask if she might know what gives
 
she said, "we rolled that camaro like a cowboy cigarette
out on the highway in a puddle of beer."
"that's just about how close to death you gonna get
Ôtill the only thing standing is fear."
 
oh darling, the faces will change
the names of the innocent
the story at five
oh darling, the places get strange
but only the song survives
 
she said "well don't you remember
they put a patch on your eye
like dread pirate roberts,
you looked so unplanned."
"they cut off my wedding ring
and you started to cry
a one eyed niagara falls man."
crying
 
oh darling, the faces will change
the names of the innocent
the story at five
oh darling, the places get strange
but only the song survives
 
"well i never married", i said with surprise.
"is this the diamond you said that you lost?"
"it was under my eyelids
when they flushed out my eyes
and i don't know what the thing cost."
singing
 
oh darling, the faces will change
the names of the innocent
the story at five
oh darling, the places get strange
but only the song survives
singing
 
oh darling, the faces will change
the names of the innocent
the story at five
oh darling, the places get strange
but only the song survives

Lift Up Every Stone
you gotta lift up every stone now sister
gotta lift up every stone now sister
gotta lift up every stone now sister
gotta clear this field and build that wall
 
he was the prince of the county to the manor born
the sheets were bloody and dirty and torn
nobody saw nothing, not out this way
and they probably won't until the judgement day
 
you gotta lift up every stone now sister
gotta lift up every stone now sister
gotta lift up every stone now sister
gotta clear this field and build that wall
 
there was a mighty whispering down at the church
about the son of the father of a woman got hurt
they were looking all over for somebody to pay
and that's you and me sister now every day
 
you gotta lift up every stone now sister
gotta lift up every stone now sister
gotta lift up every stone now sister
gotta clear this field and build that wall
 
now the sun is bloody red
and when it's gone somebody'll be dead
don't you cry a tear for me
because i did what i could just to be free yeah
you gotta lift up every stone now sister
'cause one is the truth and the other's a lie
you gotta lift up every stone now sister
till they tear down the wall to make you cry
 
you gotta lift up every stone now sister
gotta lift up every stone now sister
gotta lift up every stone now sister
gotta clear this field and build that wall
 
repeat
 
we gotta clear this field and build that wall
we gotta...

Take It Down
take everything that we have
take it and burn it to the ground
some things were never meant to last
 
take it down, down, down
take it down
take it down, down, down
take it down
 
i'm still married to it all
that ain't no place to hang around
my love is 50 feet tall
 
take it down, down, down
take it down
take it down, down, down
take it down
 
i've grown accustomed to the way
you hurled us into space
i'll never make that trip
 
tears all rusted on my face
and i'm just an empty place
where your love used to fit
 
south carolina where are you
we were once lost and now we're found
the war is over, the battle's through
 
take it down, down, down
take it down
take it down, down, down
take it down
 
repeat

Gone
gone
like my last paycheck
gone, gone away
 
gone
like the car i wrecked
gone, gone away
 
gone
like a fifth of gin
gone, gone away
 
gone
like the shape i'm in
gone, gone away
my baby's gone away
 
gone
like a nixon file
gone, gone away
 
gone
like my landlord's smile
gone, gone away
 
gone
like the furniture
gone, gone away
 
gone
like the rest of her
gone, gone away
my baby's gone away
 
gone like the silhouette
there by the bed
where she undressed
 
gone like the candlelight
where we made love
so sweet and bright
 
gone like the one last turn
she took before atlanta burned
gone like everything i learned
gone, gone away
 
gone
like my last paycheck
gone, gone away

gone
like the car i wrecked
gone, gone away

gone
like a fifth of gin
gone, gone away
 
gone
like the shape i'm in
gone, gone away
my baby's gone away
 
repeat

Take It Back
take back all those kisses that you stole from me
take back mister and misses to your family
can't take broken dishes when we fight all day, hey
take back all best wishes, did i hear you say
 
we were shooting for the sun
i guess the darkness finally won
 
take it back, take it back
all that love has done
 
take back the sweetest memories i have ever known
take back the blood you let me get out of this stone
i can't take another minute of this misery, no
take back what we got in it, lord it's killing me
 
we were shooting for the sun
i guess the darkness finally won
 
take it back, take it back
all that love has done
 
we were shooting for the sun
i guess the darkness finally won
 
take back, take it back
all that love has done
 
take it back, take it back
all that love has done
take it back, take it back
take it back baby
well...
we were shooting for the sun

Mr Stanley
mr. stanley
loved me just like a son
mr. stanley
loved me just like a son
 
now he's gone
i ain't got no one
 
daddy died
when i wasn't half a man
oh my daddy died
when i wasn't half a man
 
mr. stanley took me in
raised me the best he can
 
mr. stanley
loved me just like a son
mr. stanley
loved me just like a son
 
now he's gone
i ain't got no one
 
six white horses
coming down to tennessee
six white horses
coming down to tennessee
 
in the middle of the night
to take mr. stanley away from me

God's Golden Eyes
we came through the forrest
of jealousy and greed
all our loved ones before us
gave us everything we need
 
to cross that great river
of every tear was ever cried
till we find ourselves staring in
god's golden eyes
 
in the desert love waited
licking salt water from her skin
we could have been sedated
for all that we put in
 
we thought it was some devil
who put the crying in goodbye
till we found ourselves staring in
god's golden eyes
we found ourselves staring in
god's golden eyes
 
and we did all we could do
we couldn't run from me and you
we did the best we could
no matter how hard we tried
 
like babes we come whining
for some forgotten sin
surprised to be shining
just like diamonds in the wind
 
every facet so perfect
and every cut the proper size
when we find ourselves staring in
god's golden eyes

we find ourselves staring in
god's golden eyes

Before I Go
i've been sleeping for some hours
just woke up and you were there
like the morning, like the flowers
sunlight whispering in my ears
red tail hawk shooting down the canyon
put me on that wind he rides
i will be your true companion
when we reach the other side
 
i will try, i will stumble
but i will fly, he told me so
proud and high or low and humble
many miles before i go
many miles before i go
 
can't decide which way to travel
on the ground or in the sky
all my schemes have come unraveled
all that's left is you and i
 
and i will try, but i will stumble
and i will fly, he told me so
proud and high or low and humble
many miles before i go
many miles before i go
here i go
 
ghosts on the trees, there's
ghosts on the wires
asking questions and showing signs
shivering with truth, they're lighting fires
lighting fires all down the line
 
and i will try, and i will stumble
but i will fly, he told me so
proud and high or low and humble
many miles before i go
many miles before i go
 
proud and high or low and humble
many miles before i go
many miles before i go

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