Nichols
Lyrics
Shelter
Cold Plunge
Old cold
river flow
Icy plunge
clean my soul
High tide
lunar bride
Give and take
like the bread and wine
Grey day
misty haze
Hold her hand
Share her pain
Rain rain
come and play
Forgive the ones who sent you away
Sent you away…
Smoke rise
fireflies
Stories live
stories die
New grave
everyday
Another born to play the game
Drip drop
mountain top
Pool of thought cannot be stopped
Jail break
all escape
Respect the ones who show you the way
Show you the way…
Wild mile
tired smile
mind begins to spin
Heart rush
breath hushed
fear creeping in
Trees change
colors strange
whisper in the wind
Calm dream
hidden spring
awaken from within
Star light, star bright
Muddy shore
Muddy life
Stay still
Stay chill
Smell the woods
Free the will
Two loons
Eating shrooms
Beat the odds
With a wooden spoon
Bird nest
Vision quest
You can’t do better
Than your best…
Than your best…
Wild mile
tired smile
mind begins to spin
Heart rush
breath hushed
fear creeping in
Trees change
colors strange
whisper in the wind
Calm dream
hidden spring
awaken from within
Stay Around
Don’t know if I love you
Don’t know if I don’t
Sometimes I get to thinking
Thinking too slow
But your eyes make me wonder
Your heart makes me smile
Please stay around
For awhile
Don’t know if I’m dreaming
Don’t know if I’m woke
Bet you can’t name a season
When love doesn’t grow
Sometimes I get to thinking
I’ve walked enough miles
Please stay around
For awhile
Waves on the ocean
Wind in your hair
Got the strength of a soldier
And you share more than your share
Please stay around
For awhile
The clocks are all broken
And time can’t stand still
You’re the last to the table
And first up the hill
Your ways make me wonder
Your love makes me smile
Please stay around
For awhile
Please
Stay around
For awhile
Best Outta Me
How can you walk it out
If you keep running?
Why do you hold your breath
When you can breathe?
Loving just to hate
Racing just to wait
Being pushed by something
You can’t see
Your silence is
louder than your yelling
distance are the lies
in between
the bridge to get across
comes with a cost
be thankful
for what your garden brings
and sunshine
keep shining
in the morning
rainfall
keep raining
on the stream
I’m walking in the mud
I was born it
Wondering how the hell
You get the best outta me
How can you walk a mile
If you keep kneeling?
How do you hear a thought
When you can’t think?
Living just to die
Breathing just to cry
Like getting on a boat
You know will sink
Footprints in the snow
Slowly melting
Smell of the pines
Will hit you deep
Feeling like a child
Peacefully wild
But there’s no time
For going back to sleep
and sunshine
keep shining
in the morning
rainfall
keep raining
on the stream
I’m walking in the mud
I was born it
Wondering how the hell
You get the best outta me
How can you walk the line
If it keeps moving?
How do you say goodbye
When you can’t speak?
I’m dying just to live
You’re taking just to give
And dreams seem so
Far out of reach
Somewhere in your heart
There’s an answer
Off the trail and hidden
In a tree
What you can live without
Is what it’s all about
How many dresses does
A flower need?
and sunshine
keep shining
in the moring
rainfail
keep raining
on the stream
I’m walking in the blood
I was born in
Wondering how the hell
You get the best outta me
Gone
Never wanted to say I’m sorry
Never wanted to be free
The answer and the problem
I guess the problem was me
Didn’t need to be wealthy
Didn’t need to be fair
If losing is an option
If you haven’t got a care
The sun’ll shine towards the evening
Worlds will spin towards their dawn
Seasons seem to keep on changing
Wish my love for you was gone
Don’t know why I’m still holding
Can’t learn how to let go
Like a riddle with no reason
That the devil only knows
The sun’ll shine towards the evening
Worlds will spin towards their dawn
Seasons seem to keep on changing
Wish my love for you was gone
Underneath a thousand candles
Forgotten prayers can tell the tale
If I wish you seven curses
I’ll throw my heart right back in jail
If you know what I’m feeling
If you think you can tell
Throw your stones in my direction
Help me break this witch’s spell
The sun’ll shine towards the evening
Worlds will spin towards their dawn
Seasons seem to keep on changing
Wish my love for you was gone
Skeleton of Sin
Frosted dew
Muddy shoes
Fishing in the rain
How I love the weather
When my mood feels the same way
As cloudy skies
Misty eyes
Lies people tell
Bringing ruins to ruin
What to buy
What to sell
But the best times
Don’t cost a dime
Always low
If you want the highs
Living as restless as the wind
And hard times
Can lead to crimes
Broken hearts
And broken minds
I’ll be leaving this skeleton full of sin
Sunday news
New bad news
Awake at 3am
Slowly dragging anchor
In this old aquarium
Ocean waves
Sandy days
Memories heating up
Pulling on your heartstrings
Till you ‘ve finally had enough
Cuz the best times
Don’t cost a dime
Always low
If you want the highs
Living as restless as the wind
And hard times
Can lead to crimes
Broken hearts
And broken minds
I’ll be leaving this skeleton full of sin
Dreams will come
Dreams will go
Some might me nightmares
Walking the road
Wandering and wondering
Where to turn
Too many times
Too many lines
Lost myself in a bucket of rhymes
Wishing someday I’d finally learn
That the best times
Don’t cost a dime
Always low
If you want the highs
Living as restless as the wind
And hard times
Can lead to crimes
Broken hearts
And broken minds
I’ll be leaving this skeleton full of sin
Day and Time
There will come a day and a time
When I will leave this world behind
And I’ll lay myself down to die
But until then I wanna see
Everything I can and in-between
With my own eyes and at my own speed
And you say,
You can’t keep racing
headfirst into the grave
I know that you’re tired
we’re all tired these days
maybe someday
we can find
a place to stay
one of these days and it won’t be long
I won’t have to sing them lonesome songs
And carry a guitar case full of blues
But as for now all that I can see
Is a bunch of clouds heading straight for me
And I don’t know what I’m gonna do
And you say,
You can’t keep racing
headfirst into the grave
I know that you’re tired
we’re all tired these days
maybe someday
we can find
a place to stay
there will come a day and a time
when I will leave this world behind
and I lay myself down to die
for all I know all I’ve seen
all I’ve heard and all I’ve dreamed
I’ll end up somewhere in-between…
And you say,
You can’t keep racing
headfirst into the grave
I know that you’re tired
we’re all tired these days
maybe someday
we can find
a place to stay
Good Days
Don’t tell me what time it is
Don’t worry ‘bout the shape I’m in
I’ll leave when I can find the door
Could you help me get off the floor?
Don’t worry ‘bout the way I look
Don’t worry ‘bout the path I took
Tomorrow’s just another day
Rise and shine and light a jay
Always wondering where to walk
Take a plunge or make a stop
We’ll see you on the other side
Five hours ain’t much of a ride
We’ll be rolling up around the bend
Singing songs and making friends
Wash our worries out with the tide
Being grateful for being alive
So don’t tell me what time it is
Don’t worry about where I been
Maybe downtown drinking gin
Not quite sure where to begin
Don’t worry about where I go
Don’t ask me ‘bout who I know
Everything is one in the same
We’re all a part of this big ol’ game
Smelling flowers blooming in the spring
Bee will get you with a bit of a sting
Laugh it off with a little whiskey
A long walk can be a magical thing
Sinking deeper thoughts with every step
In a maze looking for yourself
Hard lesson being somebody else
Help me get back to myself
But don’t tell me what time it is
Don’t worry about all my friends
On the trail feeling free again
Probably be back probably when
Stop talking about what you know
Start looking for a way to grow
New money is as bad as the old
When’s the last time you talked with your soul
Sitting underneath a big ol’ tree
Mossy rocks and memories
Sunbeams under canopies
Cold bear near the fire ring
Country cooking blowing in the breeze
Moss Hopper mixing up some tea
Gotta a cousin rolling up some leaves
Resting peacefully in a dream
So don’t tell me what time it is
Don’t worry about the shape I’m in
I’ll leave when I can find the door
Could you help me up off the floor?
Don’t worry ‘bout the way I look
Don’t worry ‘bout the path I took
Tomorrow’s just another day
Like the one we had today
My Cup of Tea
Seems like today
I’m in everyone’s way
And I can’t get my bad luck to change
Stubborn as a mule
Crazy as a loon
Looking for that home on the range
But I forgot
What I got
And hell it ain’t a lot
It’s a lot more than some people I see
They’re living on the street
Only family poverty
And a cold wind to hold them in their sleep
Well they’re fighting for their lives
While I sit here hating mine
As ungrateful as the devil with his wings
Taking paradise for granted
Don’t try to understand it
Just forgive me for the way that I be
Cuz two shots of whiskey
Is my Cup of Tea
On the rocks
With a little bit of weed
Making my own struggle
Soul stuck in a bubble
Of an old whale who’s lost out at sea
Well he sings a long song
No one sings along
Too busy being part of the scene
But the curtain is closing
The audience has awoken
To learn that they’ve lost everything
And the journeyman yells
You can all go to hell
In cold voice that echoes through the cave
But who lights the fire?
Creates the desire
Allowing my mind to walk away
Wayward and spinning
Unhappy and grinning
Always knowing and not knowing what to say
Making friends with a spider
Who says, “everyone’s a liar”
So save your judging for that great judgment day
Cuz two shots of whiskey
Is my Cup of Tea
On the rocks
With a little bit of weed
Making my own trouble
Swept up in the hustle
Now I’m waiting for this big ‘ol beast to breathe
Get back to the surface
Move out with a purpose
And land on some beach in the east
Where the natives explain
Everyone is the same
One love, one vision, world peace
But there’s groups within groups
Lies and half-truths
And the people always love to complain
Scaring the little children
Telling ‘em they all different
And wonder why the world is full of pain
But dig a little deeper
Question every teacher
Play the game but play it your own way
What the hell do I know
Find out on your own
and leave me to sing this refrain
Two shots of whiskey
Is my Cup of Tea
On the rocks
With a little bit of weed
Making my own puzzle
With a pail and a shovel
As the sand is swept-up by the breeze
Remembering old friends
Some alive, some dead
Some holding to the thread of a dream
If you let go
Who’ll have control
Who holds the ends of your strings?
It’s too late for me
Going back out to sea
To link up with a whale I once knew
She sings a long song
And I’d like to sing along
And maybe add a chorus or two
Simple abide
With the low and high tides
And live by the light of the moon
Give thanks for what I got
Be grateful on the spot
And excuse me if I sound out of tune
Cuz two shots of whiskey
Is my Cup of Tea
On the rocks
With a little bit of weed
Can the people be united?
I’m tired of all the fighting,
Weren’t you taught to love your enemies?
Patience within patience
Let the train leave the station
Taking you desires far away
When they return
Don’t go running with the herd
Always looking for that home on the range
And if you’re in the way
And you luck hasn’t changed
And you forgot what you wanted to say
I’ve said to much already
My eyes are getting heavy
While I’m drinking with one foot in the grave
Cuz two shots of whiskey
Is my Cup of Tea
On the rocks
With a little bit of weed
After the Flood
He asked how I was doing
Said better than I deserve
But the world keeps changing faster
Than dying man’s last words
The moral of every story
Is morally half insane
They asked where I was going
Said no place I’d rather be
Thank standing on the doorstep
Of the 21st century
Where time is an allusion
Love is mostly pain
Anger’s spawned from jealousy
And sadness, she knows my name
So, David grab your slingshot
Abraham your knife
Knock, knock Noah were coming aboard
Cause the waters getting high
Hear Jonah over yonder
Giving a mighty call
A faith that’s untested boys
Is really no faith at all
She asked why I was drinking
I said hell you oughtta know
Or you forget who you was talking to
That’s ok I’m kinda slow
I’ll just float her for a minute
Trying not to think
When you threw me in the ocean babe
I bet you thought I’d sink
So, David grab your slingshot
Abraham your knife
Knock, knock Noah were coming aboard
Cause the waters getting high
Hear Jonah over yonder
Giving a mighty call
A faith that’s untested boys
Is really no faith at all
They asked what I was doing
I said less and less each day
Cause yesterday is tomorrow
And tomorrow is today
You see chaos everywhere
When old nature turns her page
And these blues are so old
I believe they’re turning grey
So, David grab your slingshot
Abraham your knife
Knock, knock Noah were coming aboard
Cause the waters getting high
Hear Jonah over yonder
Giving a mighty call
A faith that’s untested boys
Is really no faith at all
Sad Days
Weather cools at sundown
Whether north or south
Joey left the army
Returned to his hometown
Tried his luck at college
Tried to have some fun
A sad day in September
The game changed for everyone
A dried-up old river
Still has something to say
A family can make their plans
But plans can quickly change
He said, “it ain’t just money,
You don’t understand…”
She understood damn well
And let go of his hand
And the war keeps getting hotter
Missions never end
One arm holding a rifle
The other holding up a friend
Darkest hours lonely
When it’s quiet as can be
Every minute is an hour
Every hour eternity
Most days are forgotten
Others you can’t forget
Like words spoken with anger
Are the ones you most regret
Joey cursed the evening
As the ground began to shake
They were waiting on them choppers
Them choppers were running late
Thunder from the mortars
Beating the old war drums
Hearing the change of orders
Exfill on the ground
And the war keeps getting hotter
Missions never end
One arm holding a rifle
The other holding up a friend
He keeps thinking about his daughter
Cuz she always brings him strength
Hoping that her brother
Can learn from his mistakes
War is like the ocean
It never seems to end
The people on the shoreline
Pretending they’re your friends
But they ain’t out there swimming
They don’t know the pain
How often you hear it mentioned
We lose 22 vets a day
Weather cools at sundown
Whether north or south
Joey left the army
Returned to his hometown
Tried to find his family
His family had moved away
Now he’s standing at the crossroads
Looking to make a trade
And the war keeps getting hotter
Nightmares never end
One arm holding a bottle
The other one needs a friend
Most times a drowning soldier
Won’t cry out for help
So I’ll say a quiet prayer
And stop thinking about myself
Most times a drowning soldier
Won’t cry out for help
So I’ll say a quiet prayer
And stop thinking about myself
Words Left Unsaid
I won’t tell you
How much that I miss you
No I won’t
No I won’t
Won’t tell you
How much I wanna be with you
No I won’t
No I won’t
They say words are cheap
And I’d probably agree
Though sometimes
They can cost you everything
And words left unsaid
Are remembered by the dead
And whispered to the earth
Every spring
Helping the new grow
And restoring the old
To harmony
I won’t tell you
How much I wanna see you
No I won’t
No I won’t
Wont’ tell you
How much that I need you
No I won’t
No I won’t
They say words are cheap
And I’d probably agree
Though sometimes
They can cost you everything
And words left unsaid
Are remembered by the dead
And whispered to the earth
Every spring
Helping the new grow
And restoring the old
To harmony
Silently
It don’t mean
I don’t care
Silently
Hearts were meant
To be shared
I won’t tell you
How much that I love you
No I won’t
No I won’t
I won’t tell you
How much I’m thinking of you
No I won’t
No I won’t
They say words are cheap
And I’d probably agree
Though sometimes
They can cost you everything
And words left unsaid
Are remembered by the dead
And whispered to the earth
Every spring
Helping the new grow
And restoring the old
To harmony
Fallin’ Love
There’s water in the ashtray
Smoke in her eyes
Each time I understand her
I don’t understand why
Some call it a feeling that grows from inside
Are beggars really choosers up to you to decide
Hear the whistle blowing don’t miss your ride
My heart’ll still be here long after I die
And the rain keeps falling falling on down
It’s about to let up don’t make a sound
And you can hear the dogs thinking on the far side of town
Her love’s an old fire that’ll warm the whole crowd
There’s mud on the tables
Mud on the chairs
You can ask her for answer but she really don’t care
Left here last August no one know where
You can always tell the truth and make your own dares
And the train keeps rolling rolling on bye
Don’t get too close she don’t compromise
Every hello is just a goodbye
Every mistake a coin with two sides
There’s water in the ashtray
Smoke in her eyes
Each time I understand her
I don’t understand why
I don’t understand why
Lil’-bit-o-whiskey
Some days i
Want to cry
But I know
it wouldn’t do me no good
here’s a little secret
on how to get through it
but let me make myself
well understood
you see that whiskey
why don’t you get busy?
And pour us both
A couple of shots
Cuz this little story
Gets a little boring
But you know
It’s all I got.
Well, she left me
And it upset me
But what was I supposed
To do man, lay down and die?
Nah, the answer is easy
And quite ordinary
All you have to do
Is find a new life
Without her in it
Ain’t all that different
Why don’t you take
A look around?
Cuz you’ll always have
Your friends
Who’ll be there until the end
So there’s no reason
To be down.
Moving’ On
When there’s peace on the mountain
When there’s kindness in your heart
When gentle ways
Bring pleasant days
And the loneliness
Doesn’t seem so dark
When there’s wood for the fire
When your pain’s walked away
When hidden scars
Turn into stars
And shine down like minnows
At the bottom of the lake
When there’s peace in the valley
When there’s mercy on the trail
When quiet streams
Awake with spring
Singing like a mother
Who helps you when you fail
And you find what you needed
And you forget what you want
And those you love
Is just enough
To keep you moving
When your loved ones
Move on
Nichols II
Alone
I want someone to watch the sunset
Wipe away these tears
Cuz I feel that I’m wasting
Too many precious years
Want someone to watch the stars shine
hold me when I’m cold
Put fire to my casket
When I finally go
I’m as lonesome as a heart-beat
In intensive care
Been living in a city
That’s got nothing but cold stares
Don’t mean to be complaining
Don’t mean to be rude
And if I’ve offended
It’s got nothing to do with you
The leaves are changing color
The bass is changing strings
And I’m tired of crying in my dreams
Didn’t mean to be different
Not sure I had a choice
Like the call of the wild
You’ll hear an inner-voice
Most likely its subconscious
Though we’ll never really know
But I’d rather have an unmarked trail
Than precious streets of gold
There’s clouds up in the Cascades
And sunshine on the Sound
Trying to play this game of love
With the brains of a clown
My canteen keeps leaking
All the water of my life
40 years and counting
And still ain’t found a wife
The leaves are changing colors
The bass changing strings
And I’m tired of crying
My friends keep disappearing
I’d follow if I could
Lead a peaceful life
In a peaceful neighborhood
But a question keeps ringing
Like and old fashioned phone
How’d I become so alone?
Been to different countries
Different cities, different states
Funny when you find out love
Quickly turns to hate
Over-analyzing who right?
Who’s wrong?
Don’t make a damn bit of difference
When you sing a lonesome song
And the years keep on rolling
Like the waves on the beach
Searching for an answer
That’s always out of reach
Be thankful for each day
Whether good
Weather bad
Cuz you can’t have the happy
Without the sad
The leaves are changing colors
The bass is changing strings
And I’m tired of crying in my dreams
Friends keep disappearing
I’d follow if I could
Lead a peaceful life
In a peaceful neighborhood
But a question keeps ringing
Like and old fashioned phone
How I’d become so alone?
Paddie go easy
Paddie go easy
Paddie go slow
Walking on the mountains
Chillin’ in the snow
Summer in the valley
Eating at the pass
Smoking at the switchback
Whiskey in the flask
There’s red on the horizon
Trouble on the sea
Early in the morning
Learning how to breathe
Stronger than the ocean
Calmer than the breeze
The center and the circle
The oneness and the peace
Paddie go easy
Paddie go slow
Walking on the mountains
Chillin’ in the snow
Summer in the valley
Eating at the pass
Smoking at the switchback
Whiskey in the flask
If my days are numbered
Don’t tell me what to do
And if I learn the hard way
Then I’ll have a better view
So ignite another fire
Put it by the lake
Settle by an old tree
And thank all your mistakes
Paddie go easy
Paddie go free
Through the rusted chains on the shore by the sea
Let me go easy
Let me go free
Cause if I never stop for death he’ll kindly stop for me
Deep blue in the water
Pale blue in the sky
The blues in my heart
are telling me goodbye
Wander down a lost trail
leaves made of gold
cast away your sorrows
and bring your spirit home
Paddie go easy
Paddie go slow
Walking on the mountains
Chillin’ in the snow
Summer in the valley
Eating at the pass
Smoking at the switchback
Whiskey in the flask
Bag of Cement
Can you carry me baby?
Like a bag of cement
But don’t come knocking
If you’re afraid to get wet
Stare across the desert
The new old west
One to the head
And two to the chest…
Can you cover me mama?
Like a blanket of snow
My bodies burning
My feet are in coals
Hold on to my rifle
And a couple of rounds
We’ll rock this city
When the sun goes down…
Can you carry me mama?
Like your favorite pet
Or carry my casket
Without regret
Can you love me mama
And never forget
When I’m gone
It’s your heart that I’m with…
Caterpillar
The painting’s crying softly
The plants begin to pray
The caterpillar keeps moving
And the raccoons want to play
The painting’s crying softly
Missing the artists touch
The passion of her colors
The spirit of her touch
He’s got no one but himself
And the wind on the trees
Beneath the weeping willows
Beneath the evergreens
He’s got no one but himself
And a shadow of a dream
Alone on the mountains
Mother Nature begins to sing
To never have met
May have spared both some pain
But a heart needs a lover
Like the fires need the rain
Like the clouds need an ocean
Like the night needs the day
Like the sun needs the moon
Like the actors need a stage
Like the snow needs the coldness
Like a candle needs a flame
He never saw it coming
Though it came from far away
Like a mirage on the highway
A tornado on the plain
She was everything he wanted
When there was nothing left to say
So now he keeps on climbing
Northern wind in his face
If love ever makes you cry
Make sure its love to blame
How ’bout You?
Sun
Going down
Half a quart of water
And one last point to be found
Wrestling with the vines
Struggling through the streams
Wondering how I landed in this tri-color dream
You piss where you want to
Dig a hole if you shit
But companies won’t call you
And televisions they don’t exist
All you have are your friends
You’ll remember for life
Probably why I’m not too concerned
With finding me a wife
Cause I’ve been lost in the woods a time or two
Found my piece of mind in jungle boots
I have been inside
Where there ain’t no place to hide
But I know that I’m going to make it through
How ‘bout you?
Moon
On the rise
How the world looks different
When God turns out the lights
He paints the sky full of stars
For all to see
When you out there sucking
In negative 30 degrees
Yea, I’ve been lost in the woods a time or two
Found my piece of mind in jungle boots
I have been inside
Where there ain’t no place to hide
But I know that I’m going to make it through
How ‘bout you?
Prison with no name
The muse is bemusing
You can’t run out of love
Never wasted
Never make it
A deathbed from above
The queen is convincing
What lies behind her eyes
Can she fake it?
Don’t mistake it
And lose all of your pride
And lose all of your pride
The king is becoming
Starting another war
Open season, no good reason
While feasting on the poor
Alone and sometimes lonely
Like a soldier left behind
Undertaker, old grave-maker
He needs some love tonight
He needs some love tonight
Don’t cry about getting older
Don’t complain about the rain
Don’t cry to just be crying
Shedding tears ain’t a game
Love and keep on loving
Even if you still lose
As long as I keep breathing
I’ll love you too
The sage is always ageless
Sitting with sad eyes
Like her mother, little tougher
Smile hard to find
Unknown and always knowing
This gift we call life
Falling in love
Feeling no love
The years just roll on by
The years just roll on by
Don’t cry about getting older
Don’t complain about the rain
Don’t cry to just be crying
Shedding tears ain’t a game
Live and keep on living
Cause our days are so few
And when I reach the next world
I’ll look for you
Love is always lovely
Laughing off the tears
Living alone, looking for home
All seem to disappear
Hate is always hateful
Anger leads to blame
Keep it inside
It’ll eat you alive
In a prison with no name
In a prison with no name
She’s a Woman
She’s deserves much more than I can give her
And I can’t give her much anymore
My heart’s been torn into pieces
The scraps brushed onto the floor
But,
She’s prettier than the snowfall on the mountain
With more beauty than a walk upon the shore
Of an island where no foot has ever tread on
She’s a woman you can’t help but adore
Thought time was something I could give her
Found out time is something I can’t afford
If I haven’t sung enough of her praises
Then I hope this song settles the score
Cuz,
She’s prettier than the snowfall on the mountain
With more beauty than a walk upon the shore
Of an island where no foot has ever tread on
She’s a woman you can’t help but adore
Like an angel she’s a saint and a sinner
Her kindness takes it shape in many forms
She’ll tell you exactly what you’re thinking
You’ll feel like a babe that’s been reborn
And,
She’s prettier than the snowfall on the mountain
With more beauty than a walk upon the shore
Of an island where no foot has ever tread on
She’s a woman you can’t help but adore
Don’t Want
I try not to cry when I leave her
I wish for a kiss when I see her
She makes me smile for a mile
Like relax and stay awhile
Then I remember,
She don’t want my love
It hurts the worst in the morning
My heart’s broke apart without warning
Thought I had a chance
Getting ready for the dance
Then I remember,
She don’t want my love
I was a big April Fool
She used me like a tool
But my heart’s got a mind of its own
He had to place that bet
Cause he didn’t want a regret
And now,
We both sit here alone
I try to hide from her seeing
The pain and fear I’m a feeling
Stumbling through the dark
Hoping for a spark
Then I remember,
She don’t want my love
Old Guns
Got the fire of a lightning bug
Deep in his heart
And the strength of a soldier in his eyes
Been missing his family,
Midwestern farms
And the stars of an October sky
It’s been raining like tears
Leaving puddles of fear
As the news was brought back by the sergeant
Couldn’t get worse
He smiles with a curse
Wake-up the ‘ol guns and get ‘em talking
Didn’t want war
Knocked on the door
Destroying the illusion of peace
Dealing with the change
Of the enemies new name
Still stuck in the damn middle-east
The cowards keep speaking
At the town hall meetings
Their plans don’t seem to be working
Across the big pond
The warrior carries on
Wake-up the ‘ol guns and get ‘em talking
Breathing the free air
In a world of despair
Away from his friends and his foes
His own country divided
The rich are united
Sends shivers and chills through his bones
It’s always the same
They keep passing the blame
Removing the blindfold off Justice
Push her too far
And they’ll be singing in the bars
Wake-up the ‘ol guns and get ‘em talking
Got Played
Hurting again
Losing a friend
And you don’t care about tomorrow
And you don’t care about today
Pain is the same
Lost in the shade
And time’s not washing out the sorrow
Time’s not helping in anyway
Try not to think
Caught in the drink
And all your words were just borrowed
And all your ways were just games
Floating away
Out into space
Where there’s no sun left to follow
And there’s no stars to obey
You hear a voice whisper from a shadow
You weren’t the one who got played
Nichols I
Slow is Smooth
I see an old house on the prairie
Where a man’s sitting still with a cane
He beckons, I reckon not to tarry
For I’ve traveled such a long, long way
He says, “Kid, it looks like you’ve rambled,”
And “gambled the last of your heart,”
“Well play me a song on that guitar,
Cause every wildfire starts with a spark.”
Then he swigs from a bottle of whiskey
Saying, “Don’t hold too tight to the past,”
“Like the moon changing her faces,
Slow is smooth and smooth is fast.”
So I pass on these words of wisdom
That I heard on a porch far away
Cause they always give me sunshine
On the rainiest of cloudiest days
And I don’t want to sound like some preacher
Or a teacher who’s lost half his mind
But if you’re ever worried about the future
Then remember this riddle of time
And I’ll swig from a bottle of whiskey
Saying don’t hold too tight to the past
Like the moon changing her faces
Slow is smooth and smooth is fast
Always Something
God only knows where you’re going
And the Devil can tell exactly where you’ve been
Sitting all alone
like a beggar on a throne
Wondering where in the hell are all your friends
Angry in the morning when you wake-up
Angry in the evening to hide the tears
Seems like a twisted fate,
maybe born a little late
But the root of the problem is in the mirror
Cause there’s always something to worry about
So you walk up a mountain to work it out
Looking for some peace with the rivers and the trees
Learning to love the world from above the clouds
Moonshine reflects sadly on the ocean
Thinking love quickly leads to pain
Living in the darkness
cause that’s where your heart is
Like lying on the track waiting for the train
Cause there’s always something to worry about
So you walk up a mountain to work it out
Looking for some peace with the
rivers and the trees
Learning to love the world from
above the clouds
Above the clouds always sunny
Above the clouds don’t need money
Learning to love the world from
above the clouds…what’s that?
Above the clouds always sunny
Above the clouds don’t need money
Learning to love the world from
above the clouds
On your way to where the sidewalk ends
The ending now the beginning of the tale
The hero always wins
you tell me with a grin
While leaving a few tears on the trail
Cause there’s always something to worry about
So you walk up a mountain to work it out
Looking for some peace with the
rivers and the trees
Learning to love th
In my Eyes
Wake up in the morning
Like I always do
Tired and alone
It’s how I’ve been
Without you
But what the hell
I’ll try, try to survive
And I hope
That I die
With the sunshine
In my eyes
Walk across a cold floor
Light a cigarette
Try to remember
What not to forget
Standing on the sidewalk
Feeling like a like
But I hope
That I die
With the sunshine
In my eyes
Please don’t send you rainclouds
Or take me in the night
It’s a moment I wish to remember
For the rest of my life
I know your snow is beautiful
But I think I’d rather see
That big orange ball
Looking back at me
Maybe there’s an answer
But I ain’t got a clue
Just a bunch of old riddles
Making me feel like a fool
And along comes a dark cloud
And I try not to cry
And I hope
That I die
With the sunshine
In my eyes
Borrowed Cigarettes
Tuxedos and tennis shoes
Wander through my mind
Like careless ancient footsteps
Wandering back through time
There’s lawyers in the juke box
Playing all them hits
The moon is spinning back
And I’m dizzier than shit
‘Cuz my cup never empty
My liver never rests
Got my heart on double-time
I might seem out of breath
Look’into the mirror
Just see’in if I’ve changed
What a ya know
My whiskers have grown
But I can’t complain
Cause I’m a long way from Georgia
Left Kentucky far behind
I might pass through Chicago
On my way to the Carolines
I’m living by the ocean
Where the mountains don’t pay rent
Getting by a day at a time on
Borrowed cigarettes
Patience and his partner
Mosy through the door
And order up another round
Cause they think that I looked bored
Now they never ask about women
Cuz I never got good news
If it weren’t so damn expensive
I’d buy me one or two
Well if that’s wrong if that’s right
I don’t really care
Cuz a girl can go out any night
Get laid almost anywhere
Call me crazy it seems unfair
How nice guys finish last
And you always see the prettiest girl
Hangin’ with the biggest ass
But I’m a long way from Georgia
Left Kentucky far behind
I might pass through Chicago
On my way to the Carolines
I’m living by the ocean
Where the mountains don’t pay rent
Getting by a day at a time on
Borrowed cigarettes
My daddy once told me
The secret to life
When you gotta find work boy
Find work that you like
Well daddy what I like is music
And chasing all them dreams
But society will shoot ‘em down
Just as fast as you can scream
Conformity, conformity
You hear the people shout
Just look at all those uniforms
Playing on our old playgrounds
So I’ll take that shot, you just bought
And then be on my way
Walking down the road
Singing another old, old refrain
Like I’m a long way from Georgia
Left Kentucky far behind
I might pass through Chicago
On my way to the Carolines
I’m living by the ocean
Where the mountains don’t pay rent
Getting by a day at a time on
Borrowed cigarettes
Shadow of a Mountain
I’ve been living under the shadow of a mountain
Planting cedars where they used to grow
I’ve been swimming under the shadow of a fountain
With frogs croaking like they’s Sherlock Holmes
And I’ve been dreaming under the shadow of a mountain
About a girl I used to know
And I’ve been wishing under the roar of an ocean
For a wave to pick me up and take me home
Take me home
Take me…
Home is where the clouds are drifting
The rivers roll by
Slugs marching across the moss that’s glistening
As the sun burst through the sky
As the sun burst through the sky
I saw a rainbow on a mountain
One lounging over a lake
Half-way between rain and sunshine
There’s a beautiful place
Under the mountain
Under the mountain
Under the mountain
Under the…
I’ve been dancing under the shadow of a mountain
With a girl I used to know
I’ve been dreaming under the roar of an ocean
For peace within myself within this world
I’ve been hoping for a ray of sunshine
Northwest living, Pacific coast
I’ve been watching waterfalls in the moonshine
Mother Nature’s one hell of a show
There’s a hell of a show
Under the mountain
Under the mountain
Under the mountain
Crosses on the Highway
Sun sets in the evening
Like a lifetime that’s run its course
Like an answer without any reason
Like a spirit who’s crashed on your floor
There are times I believe in
Friends who believe in me more
Beware of what is deceiving
Knowing full-well you’ve been warned before
But the children keep dancing on headstones
With a wisdom of why angels never cry
Like the crosses on the highway
There’s a love that won’t ever die
Leaves fall in the forest
As jealous as jealous can be
Till the needles are taken for treason
And the evergreen is brought to his knee
Mother please forgive them
Though they treat you like some prostitute
Using your world like a trashcan
Wasting big truckloads of food
But the children keep dancing on headstones
With a wisdom of why angels never cry
Like the crosses on the highway
There’s a love that won’t ever die
For the spirit is back on his feet now
While the mourning hold hands with the dawn
When you lose your king in battle
You learn he’s no better than a pawn
But the children keep dancing on headstones
With a wisdom of why angels never cry
Like the crosses on the highway
There’s a love that won’t ever die
Talkin” Ft. Polk Blues
It wasn’t very long ago
That I was stuck in ‘ol Ft. Polk
With a cloud of mosquitoes by my head
Lying in some poison sumac
Leaning on my dirty rucksack
Ain’t exactly what I’d call a bed
But the leader of this damn patrol
Always put us in where the waters cold
And I find myself wishing I was dead
But there’s not much you can do
You cannot quit and you cannot sue
Just take back them stories for your friends
Leaning up against a bar-rail
Drinking with all your friends
Trying to forget how much time you got left
And how long you’ve been in
Didn’t care for Dahlonega
Didn’t have my harmonica
Too tired to even sing the blues
Couldn’t find a place to hide
That mountain side was a wall of ice
My water and my food were frozen too
I never had a sunny day
In January’s mountain phase
looking for some way to make it through
The cracks were growing on my fingers
I should have been a folk singing
Than freezing my ass off at this school
Leaning up against a bar-rail
Drinking with all your friends
Trying to forget how much time you got left
And how long you’ve been in
Walking the hills of Germany
Shooting the shit with drunken Poysky
Getting blisters on my feet and toes
Machine-gun slung across my back
Trail of spit left in my tracks
Underneath that big orange ball we go
And drinking beer in Grafenwohr
And Nuremburg was pretty near
Oktoberfest one helluva show
But still felt good to get back home
Turning up that rock-n-roll
And rendezvous later at Malone’s
Leaning up against a bar-rail
Drinking with all your friends
Trying to forget how much time you got left
And how long you’ve been in
Down in the jungles of Panama
Where the bats fly and the ants crawl
And the monkeys throw shit at your face
Coming off that zodiac
With a hundred pounds strapped to my back
Hoping to get bitten by a snake
Cuz if you ain’t never felt that pain
Then I’m not gonna try an’ explain
The way of life that we lived each day
Well, I’ve never had to go to war,
Or kill a man with my M-4, but
I’ve seen a lot of prices that have been paid
Leaning up against a bar-rail
Drinking with all your friends
Trying to forget how much time you got left
And how long you’ve been in
When love’s all you got
What will you say?
When you’re up on the stage
And ten thousand eyes
Are looking your way
What will you know?
After the show
Will there be more than memories
On their way home
Hooray, hooray
Live for the day
Feast on the happiness
Complain about the pain
Okay, it’s cool
Have you ever played the fool?
Or thought about which side
Of the mirror you rule?
Some days are good
Others not so
People will fail you
Wherever you go
And forget to thank you
When you help them out
The anger will boil
The devil will shout
But pray, pray
Or whatever you say
I know how it feels
to take all the blame
and make the mistakes
that punch in your gut
to love’s the best answer
when love’s all you got
people will die
it’s the circle of life
it doesn’t take war
it seems like a crime
the young and the old
the good and the bad
but Shakespeare’ll tell you
there’s no reason to be sad
so no longer mourn me
when I am gone
and forget all these words
to the songs I’ve sung wrong
for death cannot conquer
or master your soul
if you know how to love
than know how to let go
Harold & Emma
Harold was riding in his pick-up truck
Passed his exit running out of luck
Needle on empty ain’t got a buck
Gas and go cause he don’t give a fu…
Always the same at the wishing well
Forgot how to pray mama can’t you tell
Skipping them coins like they was shells
Got some gas but still feel like hell
It’ll be alright, through another night
There was Emma sitting on a bench
Hand in her pocket looking for some rent
Billboard sign says, “Time to Repent”
She’ll be alright if she can get back west
Cut her losses in Tennessee
From working dirty jobs on dirty knees
She calls collect between two and three
You tell her hon, “You don’t have to say please.”
It’ll be alright, through another night
Again,
And again
Got a devil on your shoulder
Big ol’ monkey on your back
Start to think it ain’t never over
Then your train runs out of track
Turn your heart into a soldier
Don’t forget to bring it back
Love will grow as you grow older
Don’t forget to just relax
Stories roll on like they always do
Two young kids looking for some food
Stuck in an exit in Kalamazoo
He needed love, you know, she needed it too
Harold and Emma sitting on a porch
Grand-kid running with the family torch
Father off fighting in some new war
Family dog knocking on heaven’s door
It’ll be alright, through another night
Again,
And again
Got a devil on your shoulder
Big ol’ monkey on your back
Start to think it ain’t never over
Then your train runs out of track
Turn your heart into a soldier
Don’t forget to bring it back
Love will grow as you grow older
Don’t forget to just relax
Love will grow as you grow older…
Don’t forget to just relax…
Dirty Hands
You can’t buy a rock-n-roll education
Or a folk singer’s degree
There’s no scholarship to Bluegrass Mountain
And the blues ain’t nothing but free
Got a million babies in the promise land
Got a million mothers won’t quit
I’ll be the first to tell your precious ones
That they ain’t entitled to shit
So instant gratify my ass
And excuse me if I worry
But it seems too many people
Are afraid to get their hands dirty
Get their hands dirty
Get their hands dirty
Next time you see a soldier standing
With food stamps in his hand
Think of those fucks passing the buck
A politician’s half a man
Like the spoiled college student
Sitting at the local open mic
Singing some bullshit, gutless crap
Just beggin’ for a fight
And all these hacks with their constant whining
Can the jury agree?
And find them all guilty
of being afraid to get their hands dirty
Get their hands dirty
Get their hands dirty
Next time you’re sitting there
Looking for someone to blame
Take a look into the mirror
And curse my name
Get their hands dirty
Get their hands dirty
Get their hands dirty
Cool Hand
Down to my last dollar again
I’ve been beat down but I’ll get up again
Wouldn’t have made it without my friends
They help me out when things turn bad
Sometimes nothing can be a real cool hand
See the world in different way
Like finishing a puzzle of a maze
Or swimming in a mountain stream
Remembering every detail to a dream
Sometimes nothing is exactly what you need
Have you been to the bottom
Stared way on down the line
Move your way across this country
Or gambled away your last dime
Pawned a banjo the other day
Remembering how easy love can fade
Drowning my sorrows in a can
Knowing every life has got to end
Sometimes nothing can be a real cool hand
Far from home
Bird goes down like a tree in the forest
Building lit up like the fourth of July
Tribal lands with their tribal warfare
Stuck in the middle is the lonely G.I.
Far from home and the walls of Congress
Radio crackles a song of death
Some are taken some are chosen
To live with the guilt buried deep in their chests
Please don’t ask ‘em if they killed anyone
They fought all night till the fighting was done
Please don’t ask ‘em ‘bout the places they’ve been
They’ve been around the world and back again
