TITLE:Songs by Alastair Moock: TITLE:What is a Leader? What is a leader? What does a leader do? What is a leader? What does leading mean to you? If a leader walked into the room Would you know it right away? What would they look like? What would they talk like? What would a leader say? Who are the leaders you’ve heard of? Where did you learn their names? Does a leader need to be famous? Can you lead if you don’t have fame? Is a leader a man or a woman? Are they LGBTQ? What color would their skin be? Could a leader look like you? Should a leader do what they’re told to do If what they’re told to do’s not right? If a leader sees a wrong somewhere Should they run or stay and fight? What is a leader? What does a leader do? What is a leader? Could a leader be you? TITLE:Be a Pain If you see something that’s wrong, raise your hand and say that’s wrong Point it out and name that thing by its name Don’t stand by and stare — if it’s wrong, it’s your affair Don’t be quiet, make a riot, be a pain Be a pain, be a pain, shout about it and complain Ignore the crowd and go against the grain Don’t be polite, raise your voice and do what’s right Be a pain, be a pain, be a pain When Rosa Parks sat on that bus, she chose to make a fuss She chose to break the rules and take the blame Her choice to sit and fight helped to bring on Civil Rights Because one strong woman chose to be a pain Be a pain, be a pain, shout about it and complain If they say, “You have to move,” say, “I’ll remain” Don’t be polite, raise your voice and do what’s right Be a pain, be a pain, be a pain Harvey Milk, he chose to run for the council board and won Even though folks said, “You can’t because you’re gay” One brave LGBTQ elected leader ran and knew You can change things if you choose to be a pain Be a pain, be a pain, shout about it and complain Tell ‘em, “I won’t let you make me feel ashamed” Don’t be polite, raise your voice and do what’s right Be a pain, be a pain, be a pain A tennis star named Billy Jean told the world she had a dream That men and women would be paid the same She refused to hit the ball ‘til there was equal pay for all She was a King because she was a royal pain Be a pain, be a pain, shout about it and complain If they refuse to pay, refuse to play the game Don’t be polite, raise your voice and do what’s right Be a pain, be a pain, be a pain Kids from Parkland led the fight for something they all knew was right They said, “It’s time for us to finally make a change If adults can’t compromise, we must go march for our lives” They spoke out and led the charge, they all were pains Be a pain, be a pain, shout about it and complain When you’re faced with laws you know are just insane Don’t be polite, raise your voice and do what’s right Be a pain, be a pain, be a pain Be a pain, be a pain, shout about it and complain Ignore the crowd and go against the grain Don’t be polite, raise your voice and do what’s right Be a pain, be a pain, be a pain TITLE:Everybody Was a Kid Two little eyes staring from a crib A tiny little mouth drooling on a bib A tiny little fist with a tiny little grip Before they grew up, everybody was a kid Malcom X was a kid and Dr. King was a kid Mahatma Gandhi was a kid, the Dalai Lama was a kid Before they got tall, before they grew big They used to be small, everybody was a kid You are a kid, you got dirt on your hands You wipe ‘em on your shirt, you wipe ‘em on your pants But one of these days you’re gonna get real big How do I know? ‘Cuz everybody was a kid So where you gonna go? What you gonna do? Who you gonna be? We’re waiting on you We’re holding our breath and our lips are all bit Because we all know everybody was a kid Oprah Winfrey was a kid and Angelina Jolie Even Bill Gates and Muhammad Ali Before they got known, before we knew what they did Before they got grown, everybody was a kid Two little eyes staring from a crib A tiny little mouth drooling on a bib A tiny little fist with a tiny little grip Before they grew up, everybody was a kid So where you gonna go? What you gonna do? Who you gonna be? We’re waiting on you We’re biting our nails though we keep it well hid Because we all know everybody was a kid TITLE:Get to Work People, get to work, people, get to work Roll your sleeves up, knuckle down, people get to work A boulder won’t just move itself, shoulder up and start to help People, get to work, people, get to work Children, gather round, children, gather round Put your hands in, pick your tools out, children gather round You can’t get no building done when your hammer isn’t swung Children, gather round, children, gather round People, get to work, people, get to work Roll your sleeves up, knuckle down, people get to work That boulder won’t just move itself, shoulder up and start to help People, get to work, people, get to work Children, love’ll win, children, love’ll win Pick your chin up, plant your seeds now, children love’ll win Put your muscle in this fight, what is wrong, you make it right Children, love’ll win, children, love’ll win People, get to work, people, get to work Roll your sleeves up, knuckle down, people get to work Put your shoulder to that boulder, one, two, three, now, roll it over People, get to work, people, get to work People, get to work, people, get to work TITLE:Go Pete Go (Grab Your Hammer) ‘Ol Pete Seeger was a man, a banjo in his hand He spread his messages of justice all throughout the land ‘Ol Pete Seeger fought for fairness, peace, and civil rights For working folks of every color, brown and black and white Round and round, go Pete go, round and round I say Planting seeds, fighting wrong until your dying day Round and round, we’re up next, time to take our turn ‘Tis the season, grab your hammer, show ‘em what we’ve learned ‘Ol Pete Seeger went to Harvard for a couple years But he dropped out and rode the rails, still wet behind the ears He studied in the migrant camps and down inside the mines He struck and stood for stronger unions on that picket line Round and round, go Pete go, round and round I say Planting seeds, fighting wrong until your dying day ‘Ol Pete Seeger sang a song, from labor rights it come He helped to shape and turn it into “We Shall Overcome” ‘Ol Pete Seeger sang another that’s a real fine jammer He and Lee Hayes wrote and called it “If I Had a Hammer” ‘Ol Pete Seeger had a wife, Toshi was her name Toshi worked as hard as Pete and kept him on his game Toshi stood with Pete in Congress, 1955 He wouldn’t name no names or plead the fifth ‘gainst all advice ‘Ol Pete Seeger was blacklisted all throughout the fifties But ‘Ol Pete still found ways to play because ‘Ol Pete was sneaky Pete would go to schools and sing for kids of every age Inspired them to join the fight, some even took the stage ‘Ol Pete Seeger stood against the war in Vietnam He didn’t think we should’ve sent them soldiers to Saigon He sang, “Lay down your sword and shield, no more war you’ll study” He went on the TV, sang, “We’re waist deep in the big muddy” ‘Ol Pete Seeger saw pollution up and down the Hudson His solution was to oversee a boat’s construction Pete and others sailed that boat, they sang and gathered cash They helped to clean the river up by getting new laws passed ‘Ol Pete Seeger marched with Martin, stood with Cesar Chavez Rode with Woody, mentored Dylan, Springsteen, and Joan Baez ‘Ol Pete Seeger sang and fought ‘til he was 94 There’s never been another like him, since then or before TITLE:One Foot / Lead with Love You got to put one foot in front of the other And lead with love Put one foot in front of the other And lead with love Don’t give up hope (Don’t give up hope) You’re not alone (You’re not alone) Don’t you give up (Don’t you give up) Keep movin’ on Lift up your eyes (Lift up your eyes) Don’t you despair (Don’t you despair) Look up ahead (Look up ahead) The path is there I know you’re scared (I know you’re scared) And I’m scared too (And I’m scared too) But here I am (But here I am) Right next to you TITLE:No Wall (Ninguna Pared) There’s no wall between the branches of a tree There’s no wall between the river and the sea There’s no wall around the heart that can set one life apart There’s no wall between you and me We are marching toward tomorrow all together We are making for a distant shining shore We are walking hand in hand ‘til we reach that promised land Where no wall separates us any more There’s no wall between an ending and a start There’s no wall between the sunshine and the dark There’s no us, there’s no them All walls fall down in the end Todos juntos vamos hacia el porvenir Hacia una orilla lejana y feliz Codo a codo caminamos hasta que por fin llegamos Donde los muros no nos puedan dividir No hay muro entre lo antigüo y lo de hoy Entre élites y masas, muro no hay Por distintos que seamos, el mismo aire respiramos No hay muralla entre tú y yo We are marching toward tomorrow all together We are making for a distant shining shore We are walking hand in hand ‘til we reach that promised land Where no wall separates us any more Codo a codo caminamos hasta que por fin llegamos Donde los muros no nos puedan dividir Where no wall separates us any more TITLE:I Am Malala ‘Til every child can go to school I am Malala, you are Malala too ‘Til freedom peace and justice rule I am Malala, you are Malala too I am Malala ‘til the sun has shone ‘Til dignity and truth are known I am Malala ‘til the day is new I am Malala, you are Malala too One among many raising up my voice I am Malala, you are Malala too Speaking for all the girls and boys I am Malala, you are Malala too I raise up my voice for an equal chance To live and learn and grow To be who I want to be and explore The things I want to know Malalalala Malalala I am Malala, you are Malala too Malalalala Malalala I am Malala, you are Malala too Malala Malala Malala Malala Malala Malala Malala Malala TITLE:Go Shine (Song for Elm) You are who you choose to be When you choose to be who you are The world may be confused by you But you know who you are That face there in the mirror Has the sleep wiped from its eyes As the sun rises, so do you my dear Go shine, go shine You are who you choose to be When you choose to be who you are The world’s not quite like it used to be Thank God we’ve made it this far But this journey’s just beginning And your finding your own way I’ll follow right behind you Whatever road you might take Here’s my vow to you, I’m so proud of you And I will be for all of my days Astounded and amazed by you You’re a rocket, you’re ablaze You are who you choose to be When you choose to be who you are This world is yours to move and change To shape with your hands and your heart That face there in the mirror Doesn’t need to wear a disguise As the sun rises, so do you my dear Go shine, go shine, go shine TITLE:Kids Can Do Great Things Kids can do great things You can fly a long, long way on little wings Figure out the answers only you can bring Believe me when I sing Kids can do great things Kids can open doors Lead us through a world of undiscovered shores Show us what you notice when it’s all brand new Step on through, we can go explore Kids can open doors You can be strong enough to face something you fear You can be kind enough to pull somebody near You can be brave enough to stand up for what’s right Even in the darkest hour, you can shine a light Kids can do great things You can fly a long, long way on little wings I’m thinking of tomorrow and what time may bring When I sing, “kids can do great things” Oh, kids can do great things TITLE:Planting Seeds November was cold, as cold as cold can be It left me bare and windblown as a Maple tree I see the look on your face and I recognize that place I know you feel about the same as me But I’m picking up a shovel in the morning Hand my old overalls to me I’m putting seeds in the ground and the world keeps spinnin’ round There’s sunshine coming, just look up and see I know the wind’ll blow but that January snow Is gonna bring up something good behind It’s holding in the heat deep down below our feet And now it’s just a matter of time Spring is coming on and the days are getting long The wintertime will be a memory soon That snow is gonna melt and the water that it held Is gonna bring up something new TITLE:What We Tell Our Children Be kind, be fair, do right Cooperate, do the dishes, be nice Don’t pull your sister’s hair Don’t bully, remember to share When we tell our children something matters Do we listen to ourselves? Who are we? We are them Who are they? They are us Be kind, be fair, do right Cooperate, be nice Don’t pull anybody’s people’s hair Don’t bully, remember to share TITLE:Dream Walk on down the street, follow your own feet Listen to your heartbeat and forget the things you know Breathe on in the air, the evening is your prayer Just let yourself be there – walking down the road This world is just a dream floating down a stream The moment is the only thing you need Stop fighting ‘gainst the current, the things that you’ve determined They aren’t and they weren’t and they’re never gonna be Think about the fact that you’re just a little speck A fleck upon an acorn in an ocean’s raging storm In the scheme of time and space you leave no lasting trace The troubles that you face have no gravity or form The simplicity of Darwin, the flowers in the garden The molecules of carbon and the things you never see Are just below the surface of this agitated circus Stop searching for a purpose when the point is just to be TITLE:Hallelujah (I Ain’t Dead) Hallelujah if I make it up this morning Hallelujah if I leave my bed Hallelujah, Lord, if you hear me call Hallelujah I ain’t dead Hallelujah If I feel the sun shine Hallelujah if it warms my skin Hallelujah If I’m feeling half fine It’s a miracle the shape I’m in Hallelujah for a cup of coffee Hallelujah if I write 2 lines Hallelujah if I ain’t too off-key Hallelujah if them 2 lines rhyme Hallelujah for my toes and fingers Hallelujah for my big ‘ol feet Hallelujah for a time, a rhythm and a roll Lord, help a white man keep the beat Hallelujah, Lord, I’m in my forties Hallelujah, Lord, I’m middle age Hallelujah if I found my car keys And made it up here on this stage Hallelujah for one more evening Hallelujah for another night Hallelujah if my heart’s still beating In the morning, Lord, praise the light Hallelujah if I make it up this morning Hallelujah if I leave my bed Hallelujah, Lord, if you hear me call Hallelujah I ain’t dead TITLE:Morning Every morning ‘fore the birds are calling And the first light is falling on the lines of her face I embrace her and try not to wake her As I thank the maker for good fortune and fate In that stillness it feels just like Christmas How’d I get to witness all the beauty and grace Of a morning ‘fore the birds are calling And the first light is falling on the lines of her face How’d it happen that this life could happen I ought to be saddened by the world in its state But the vision of her there ‘fore she’s risen Takes the bars from my prison and opens the gate And I wonder ‘fore I fall back a’ slumber How I managed to wander into such a sweet place As a morning ‘fore the birds are calling And the first light is falling on the lines of her face TITLE:Off They Go Late night Lizard Lounge, miles of music in the round Hold your ground in harmony, sing your songs and set them free Bye bye, off they go, up above and down below Listen to the rhythms run, where do songs go once they’re sung? Open skies of melody, memory, endlessly Everybody sings the blues once the bloom of youth is through Bye bye off they go, up above and down below Listen to the rhythms run, where go blooms once winter comes? Off into the great divide Out upon some ocean wide Tie a note upon a string, hoping for one wondrous thing A song, a sign from off beyond, a hook to hang our lives upon Bye bye off we go, up above and down below Listen to the rhythms run, where go lives once living’s done? Bye bye, off they go, up above and down below Listen to the rhythms run, where do songs go once they’re sung? TITLE:Something’s Changed I know every line, every bend, every curve Every circle completed, each stone overturned The old sloping hill, the fall and the lift The arc of the oak, the slant and the twist But wasn’t the sky just a little more blue? And what was that scent on the wind blowing through? And didn’t we know more or thought that we knew? Something’s changed I’ve been through the seasons, the warmth and the rain The pulse of the evening, the storm and the strain The claws of desire, the cloak and the mask You pause for a moment, your future’s the past But weren’t the curtains a little more open? And whose were the hands that were pulling the rope in? And what was that thing that we all kept on hoping? Something’s changed Oh the colors may fade But in every lighter shade There’s something’s revealed As the layers are peeled back Disguise is disposed The heart more exposed I’ve studied the grid lines, the charts and the maps Mercurial motions, the grooves in the tracks The height of each mountain, the depth of each sea No matter the measure, the gauge points to me Cuz all of the years and the struggling stretches Have sharpened the senses and softened the edges And after all this time, the only truth left is Something’s changed And maybe the sky was a little more blue then The road takes you places uncharted and new When you look in the mirror you find the one thing that’s true Something’s changed TITLE:Let’s Make a Family I hear a tick, I hear a tock Must be your biological clock You’re ready, Oh, you’re ready You got the itch I wanna scratch I can’t resist that’s a natural fact I’m ready, I think I’m ready We’ve had plenty of practice, so how hard can it be? Baby, let’s make a family Some say we’re in need of a reality check But is there ever a good time so what the heck If you’re ready, Oh you’re ready Though the money we got ain’t going far You can’t make a lot with an acoustic guitar But I’m ready, I hope I’m ready ‘Cause even fools are born with all the tools they need Oh baby, let’s make a family I felt a kick I can’t wait I know that’s easy for me to say You’re ready, you’re ready Eight months down, one to go We’re gonna add another ring to this big top show And I’m ready, I better be ready So honey cross your fingers and hope it don’t look like me Oh baby, let’s make a family Baby, you know I’ve been thinkin’ We can start one out on the drums the other on the bass We’d just need a couple more sets of twins And before too long I’d have me a band for free Oh baby, let’s make a fam Oh baby, let’s make a fam Let’s make a family TITLE:Big Thoughts I remember when my grandmother died I guess I’s about 4 or 5 Wondering, “where did she go?” And “Will I find her somewhere down the road” Kids think big thoughts Bigger than we ever could know How did we get to this place? Where in the world will I go? Libby Cotton was just about eleven Heard that whistle blow, wondered “where’s it headin’?” “Those tracks are gonna take me awful far” She wrote Freight Train on her brother’s old guitar Kids think big thoughts Thoughts so big, they’re pulling at the seams Big as freight trains running down the track Piled high with the biggest kinds of dreams There’s a little kid lying in his bed With a million thoughts running through his head Where will I find my next friend? Where does the universe end? Kids think big thoughts Big as the universe is wide Where did we come from and when? What are we made of and why? Kids think big thoughts Bigger than we ever could know How did we get to this place? Where in the world will I go? TITLE:Graveyard Down in the old graveyard I guess that’s where I’ll be Someday, I don’t know when But it’s gonna catch up with me You can save your money, save your soul Eventually you got to pay the toll Down in the old graveyard I guess that’s where I’ll be Down in the old graveyard I guess that’s where I’ll go Save my spot, pick my plot And write on my headstone “Husband, father, rest in peace Let this bastard get some sleep” Down in the old graveyard I guess that’s where I’ll go Even Shakespeare had to shake this mortal coil Not even Prince could play his way out of the soil Down in the old graveyard Down about 6 feet deep Dress me in my Sunday best And lay me down to sleep Goodnight Gracie, goodnight moon Goodnight Irene, Lord, make some room Down in the old graveyard Down about 6 feet deep own in the old graveyard I guess that’s where I’ll be Someday, I don’t know when But it’s gonna catch up with me So ring the bell, grab your coat Blow your horn, that’s all she wrote Down in the old graveyard I guess that’s where I’ll be TITLE:Make it Great Love it or leave it, it’s us against them We’re gonna make it great once again This once was the land of the free and the brave We all had it good here (except for the slaves) When we came here, this country was pure and pristine The skies were all blue and the trees were all green We fought for the rights of the nation we’d build And all here rejoiced (‘cept the natives we killed) Then we built cities and roads and great ports Protected by brave men aloft in great forts And then came the railroads that stretched to the seas We all had it good (unless you were Chinese) Then Abraham Lincoln, the guy with the beard Said “no more” to slavery so that disappeared And that was the end of race problems, we know Black people were equal (except for Jim Crow) The late 1800s were elegant, grand Victorian houses and trust in the land The right to your income and vote you possessed For all of us here (barring those who had breasts) Then Depression and war kinda soured some years But we all pulled together and got back in gear Freedom secured in the home of the champs (Offer not valid in internment camps) The fifties, that’s when things really improved The GI Bill and your mortgage approved Employment was high and the future was bright For everyone, all of us (if you were white) And that’s what we mean by “Be great again” Let’s get ourselves back to where we were then When freedom, prosperity, peace all prevailed (For the Caucasian, Christian, straight, middle-class male) Love it or leave it, it’s us against them We’re gonna make it great once again This once was the home of the brave and the free The world’s greatest nation (if you looked like me) TITLE:Dear Dr. King Dear Dr. King, we’re still working To live your words down here on earth That dream of yours a distant shore We struggle forward, we pull the oar ‘Tween black and white, we’ve made some strides ‘Tween rich and poor, the gap’s more wide The current’s strong, we’re struggling To move along, Dear Dr. King Dear Mrs. Parks, Dear Malcolm too How far’ve we come? We ask of you A president through what you’ve done But voting rights now on the run The drum still beats, the flag still waves But where’s the peace? The living wage? The city streets, the vacant lots The empty hands, how far’ve we got? Dear Dr. King, your dream still lives In the wide eyes of all our kids We ask of them to carry on Past where we’ve been and far beyond The march is slow, the arc is long But it bends towards that ancient song Words echoing, words still to sing We’re free at last, Dear Dr. King TITLE:Almost There We’re almost there, sign’s on the post Not sure where but we’re getting close It’s been a bumpy ride but we’re alright And we’re almost there We’re almost there, the last patch was rough But the roads looking clear coming up It’s been a bumpy ride but we’re alright And we’re almost there Look at these kids asleep in the back Been through a lot but they’re back on track It’s been a bumpy ride but they’re alright And we’re almost there We’re almost there, we’ll be there soon Look at the stars, that big old moon It’s been a bumpy ride but the sky is wide And we’re almost there You’re looking good, got a healthy glow I know it’s been a hard row to hoe It’s been a bumpy ride but I’m by your side And we’re almost there We’re almost there, sign’s on the post Not sure where but we’re getting close It’s been a bumpy ride but we’re alright And we’re almost there TITLE:It Takes All Kinds I know a boy who feels his best In a big pink hat and a blue sundress Pouring tea for his good friend, Jess Laughing a lot, making a mess I know a girl who climbs tall trees Falls a lot and scrapes her knees Runs as fast as the fastest breeze Loves worms but she’s scared of bees It’s me, It’s you, It’s us, It’s true It’s life, it’s fine, it takes all kinds I know a cat who loves to ski Stares for hours at a blank tv Cares for pears and a nice Chablis Lifts her leg when she has to pee I know a dog who oinks like a pig Wears thick glasses and a curly wig Won’t sit or beg or fetch a twig Say “come,” he’ll stay, say “zag,” he’ll zig I know a plant who wears tap shoes Can’t find her feet but I swear she moves The other plants all disapprove They say dancing is plant taboo But you’ve gotta be who you’ve gotta be A dancing plant or a cat who skis A boy in a dress, a girl in a tree You be you, I’ll be me We live, we love, we laugh, we cry We sleep, we shout, we wonder why We hurry, worry, sit and sigh We never notice life go by We come in every shape and size We live all different kinds of lives We’re seldom wise to criticize Cuz every life’s a kind of prize TITLE:People People, people, people you meet Look at all the people walking down the street Some are grumpy, some are sweet Some like bananas, others like beets People people everywhere Tall people, bald people, people with hair People who ride in a big wheelchair So many different people, it’s hard not to stare Cuz some are big, some are tiny Some are dirty and some are shiny Some people think they’re better than most Some like to eat peanut butter and toast Some have a bird they like to feed Some like to help other people in need And some like to make up songs about People, people, people you meet Look at all the people walking down the street Everybody’s different and that’s pretty neat We’re all just people walking People talking People walking down the street Some people walk in a very straight line Some people swerve and take their time Some people dance to the beat of a drum Some sing the lyrics, others just hum Some walk goofy, some walk proud Some walk softly, some walk loud And some like to sing out songs about People, people, people you meet Look at all the people walking down the street Everybody’s different and that’s pretty neat We’re all just people walking People talking People walking down the street TITLE:You Might Be a Girl Are you messy? Are you clean? Are you somewhere in between? Are there grass stains on your pants or on your skirt? Do you pour tea for your dolls? Do you prefer to throw a ball? Are there spaceships on your very favorite shirt? Are you really good at math? Do you hate to take a bath? Is your favorite thing to dance around and twirl? If some of this is true It’s possible that you might be a girl Do you like horses or fast trains furry kittens, air-o-planes? Do you want to be a doctor or a nurse? Do you really love to sing? Is your very favorite thing A pinecone that you keep inside your purse? Are you tougher than a nail? Is there beach sand in your pail? Do you like your hair cut short or kept in curls? If your clothes are pink or blue It’s possible that you might be a girl Let’s say it loud Let’s say it clear There’s nothing wrong with liking what you like Or what you have to say Somebody mean Might call you weird But people only say those things because they are afraid of… Young women who are brave Who like soccer and ballet Who like to have their say and to be heard Of girls who think its cool To like books and costume jewels Who’ll be athletes, mothers and computer nerds Who can play any instrument Or be the president Who’ll show us how to make a better world No matter what you want to do It’s possible for you when you’re a girl TITLE:The Bright Side of Me My parents don’t like how I eat Cuz there’s food all over my face And the floor and the cat, but I’m working on that I’m improving at a gradual pace And my parents don’t like how I talk Cuz I tend to say things quite loud I may yell and shout but, hey, what about Those things I do you should be proud of I haven’t jumped off of the roof yet I haven’t drawn on the walls now in days My lack of tattoos should come as good news But it never seems to get any praise The fires I’ve caused have been small ones And most of them quickly extinguished And though you may not care for the mud in my hair I think it makes me look distinguished Oh, why can’t you look at the good stuff There are so many good things I do If you would look on the bright side of me I’d look on the bright side of you Sure, my face is a mess when I’m eating But my napkin is always quite clean And why not use my pants to wipe my hands? They’re going in the washing machine There are many things that I haven’t broken Including this part of my arm That box of eggs, my sister’s legs And the cat’s come to no major harm (yet) There are two sides to every coin and story There’s a right side and a left side of the street The bright side of the moon is the side that we all see Why not look on the bright side of me? I’ve never attacked a foreign country Or caused the spread of a major disease In fact, if you remember, one time last December I covered my mouth when I sneezed I know that I haven’t been perfect But let’s just agree to agree That I will look on the bright side of you And you’ll look on the bright side of me Oh, let’s all look at the good stuff There are so many good things we do If you would look on the bright side of me I’d look on the bright side of you TITLE:Every Day’s a Holiday In July I start to make my list for Christmas And of course I make my plans for New Year’s Day October’s when I dye my eggs for Easter My whole year is a great big holiday August means it’s time to find my dreidel It takes practice if you’re gonna get that gelt And I go outside to make myself a snowman But the snowballs I’ve been saving always melt Every day’s a holiday, at least it could be Every day’s a holiday, I wish it would be Every day’s a holiday, I think it should be Every day’s a holiday for me In December, May Day’s just around the corner And Flag Day’s gonna be here awfully soon Flag Day means it’s time to pick my costume Cuz Halloween, for me, begins in June A holiday for me – oowee! A holiday for you – woohoo! When the party’s over don’t be so blue There’s always one around the bend You can look forward to Some grownups live like every day’s a burden They look forward to when holidays are done I think that they could learn something from children Who know that holidays make life more fun TITLE:My Life Is a Lot Like Yours My dads are loving, my dads are kind My dads get on my nerves sometimes My life is a lot like yours My dads are good huggers, they kiss me good night They read me a story, then they turn out the light My life is a lot like yours My life is a lot like yours I laugh and cry and sometimes slam the door But I can feel the love surrounding me I’m part of a loving family My moms are loving, my moms are kind My moms get on my nerves sometimes My life is a lot like yours My moms are good huggers, they kiss me good night They read me a story, then they turn out the light My life is a lot like yours My life is a lot like yours I laugh and cry and sometimes slam the door But I can feel the love surrounding me I’m part of a loving family My mom and dad are loving, my mom and dad are kind My mom and dad get on my nerves sometimes My life is a lot like yours My parents are good huggers, they kiss me good night They read me a story, then they turn out the light My life is a lot like yours My life is a lot like yours I laugh and cry and sometimes slam the door But I can feel the love surrounding me I’m part of a loving family TITLE:Kenya Imagine? People in China and South Sudan Ecuador, East Timor, Pakistan South of the Equator and up above Everybody needs to feel some love Vietnam, Swaziland, Greece, Bahrain Everybody, everywhere feels the same Russia, Ukraine, and the U.S.A. Everybody needs some love today Take a little look around this great big globe People aren’t so different anywhere you go Everywhere you travel ’round this place we live There’s love to take and love to give Kenya, maybe, yes you can Imagine somebody in a foreign land Look in their eyes and you’ll see with your own That nobody nowhere wants to be alone Iran, Iraq, I know for a fact There’s love in everybody: white, brown or black Whether Uruguay or you’re a girl People need love all around the world Take a little look up at the evening stars It’s helpful to remember just how small we are What on earth are we here to do If not to feel some love and to spread some too? Everywhere the story is about the same Whatever you call it, the name of the game Is love, love, love, love Love, love, love, love, love, love, love, love Everybody, everybody needs to love Everybody wants to feels some love So Bangladesh, bang the drum Feel the love wherever you’re from Congo, let’s go, come on Qatar Spread some love wherever you are Kuwait, don’t wait Hey Fiji, feel me Georgia, on my mind Come on India water’s fine Jah love Jamaica Oman, c’mon Malaysia U.S. and Russia There’s Norway this love won’t touch ya Arriba, Arriba, Aruba Make a Congo line in Cuba Feel the love, love, love, love, love, love, love Everybody, Everybody wants to love TITLE:Everything’s Upside-Down But Me There’s something different about today Everything’s upside-down but me If I didn’t know better, I’d have to say Everything’s upside-down but me I’m lying here in this easy chair Everything’s upside-down but me Wondering how the floor got way down thereEverything’s upside-down but me Wondering how this chair came to cling Everything’s upside-down but me Upside down from the ceiling Oh everything I can see Is defying the laws of gravity How’m I gonna get around When the world’s turned upside down? Well I obviously can’t take a bath Everything’s upside-down but me I shouldn’t have to say why, please don’t ask Everything’s upside-down but me And it’s gonna get messy when we eat Everything’s upside-down but me I’ve never held a fork between my feet Everything’s upside-down but me And when you say clean-up that mess Everything’s upside-down but me I’ll have to clean it down I guess Oh everything I can see Is defying the laws of gravity Can I be the only one looking down to see the sun? When I jump down and cross the floor Everything’s upside-down but me I better watch out when I reach the door Everything’s upside-down but me ‘Cuz the drop outside there’s pretty steep Everything’s upside-down but me ‘Fact you’ve never seen a drop that deep Everything’s upside-down but me If you step out there you’d disappear Everything’s upside-down but me Hmm… On second thought, I’ll stay right here Oh everything I can see Is defying the laws of gravity Sure is a mystery Everything’s upside-down but me TITLE:You and Me When I was a kid my parents gave to me An album called Free to Be… You and Me A long title, no doubt But it was worthy The album was all about Boys and girls and me and you It said we could do what we wanted to A girl could be a doctor or drive a fire truck A girl could be bold And if a boy needed to cry, he could More than that, he should Just let it flow Said Rosie Grier with his guitar A football star You believed it when he told you so I loved that album It was funny and true Full of stories and skits Songs that spoke to me Maybe your parents too It reminded me of another song I knew That said this land was made for you And me A song about our country It was written by Woody Guthrie Woody believed this country is ours Its mountains and its prairie flowers But with its beauty, he believed Comes responsibility To fix what we know is wrong To stand up for what we know is right To fight Poverty and bigotry And make this country better Every day You see, I believe that too With all my soul There’s so much you and I can do To make this world a better place To open up the gates And let our love shine through Woody, Pete Seeger, Dr. King They showed us all a path And every generation brings New energy, new songs to sing To walk the trail and guide em Gloria Steinem, Harvey Milk, Cesar Chavez This country was built By leaders, dreamers, Foolish believers People who saw a better day ahead We learn from them and pass it on And maybe go a bit beyond For, as we climb the ladder The truth becomes more plain each day What matters Is not the color of your skin Or the body you were born in It’s not what you look like or your religion Or whether you’re a man or woman It’s not who you may love That’s up to you Because This land was made for you And me And each of us is free to be Ourselves TITLE:I Am the Light C is for cancer, that’s growing in me. A is for able, that’s what I will be — Able to bend like a tree in the wind; My branches are strong even though they are thin. N is for nothing can make me afraid For I am the kid who leads the parade. I march down the street and I wave as I go And people wave back and they smile. Even though My hair may be gone they can see me for me For I am the light and the light is in me. Then C once again, this time is for comfort The people who love me will give me when I hurt, Which I will now and then and I know they will too But we’ll huddle together and the storm will pass through. And then E, we’ll emerge, and we’ll smile and dry Ourselves in the sun that’s now bright in the sky. And R, I will rest and get ready again For the struggle that’s waiting around the next bend. It’s a long journey this cancer, an unwanted trip That I didn’t sign up for and I’d rather have skipped. But I’m on it now, traveling, and making the best Of each mile that passes, each step that I step. And I’m showing the world that I’m strong as that tree With the wind blowing through it — the wind bends for me. For I am the kid who shines ever bright The light is in me and I am the light. TITLE:When I Get Bald When I get bald, there I’ll be Out in the world, flying free Walking around with my head held high When I get bald, I won’t be shy Might use my hair to make a nest For all the birds to take a rest The birds’ll sing, they’ll squawk and squall Yes I’ll be loved when I get bald When I get bald gonna have a ball Gonna wear big boots, wear overalls Gonna draw a face on the back of my head Gonna call that face Back Head Fred And me and Fred gonna look so sweet Gonna look both ways when we cross the street Me and Fred gonna stand real tall Gonna look real cool when I get bald When I get bald gonna laugh with dad Gonna reminisce ‘bout the hair we had Course I’ll laugh more ‘cuz it’s understood Mine will be back, his is gone for good When I get bald I’ll prove I can Show the world just who I am Let em look, let em stare At one brave kid who’s got no hair TITLE:I’m a Little Monkey Ooh ooh, aah aah, eee eee I feel fine I’m a little monkey, swinging on a monkey vine Swinging from the branches of every jungle tree Swinging and jumping underneath the canopy Swing so low, swing so high Swinging right up to the sky Eating nanas from the nana tree All them nanas grew there just for me Swing so high, swing so low Don’t stop now, go go go! Little monkeys never put on a tie Little monkeys they don’t work nine to five A monkey’s job is to swing all day It’s monkey business to play that way Ooh ooh, aah aah, eee eee I feel fine I feel fine TITLE:Take a Little Walk with Me Come with me where the air is clean Take a little walk with me Hold my hand, feel the breeze Take a little walk with me Let’s go down to the ocean’s shore Take a little walk with me The sun our roof, the sand our floor Take a little walk with me Come with me where the air is clean Take a little walk with me Let’s go down to the ocean’s shore Take a little walk with me Come with me to the slides and swings Take a little walk with me Stretch our legs and spread our wings Take a little walk with me Let’s go down to a sunny zoo Take a little walk with me The monkeys there all look like you Take a little walk with me Come with me where the sky is blue Take a little walk with me The sun up there shines bright like you Take a little walk with me Come with me, take my hand Take a little walk with me Let’s walk right across this land Take a little walk with me Hills and mountains, ponds and streams Take a little walk with me We’ll tell the wind our hopes and dreams Take a little walk with me Come with me where the air is clean Take a little walk with me Hold my hand, feel the breeze Take a little walk with me Hold my hand, feel the breeze Take a little walk with me TITLE:Have You Ever Been Jealous? Have you ever been jealous of a sister or a brother For getting more attention from your father or your mother? Have you ever been jealous of your brother or sister Cuz of something they got and it ain’t fair, mister? Have you ever been jealous? The feeling’s so real Have you ever been jealous? I know how you feel Have you ever wanted something that you just couldn’t have? Did you want it so much that it made you feel bad? Have you ever wanted something that you just couldn’t get? Did it make you upset? It’s a pretty good bet That the feeling you had was that life is unfair Let me tell you something, brother, I’ve been there Have you ever been jealous? (Have you ever been jealous?) Have you ever been jealous? (Have you ever been jealous?) Have you ever been jealous? (Have you ever been jealous?) Have you ever been jealous? I know how you feel Have you ever had a sister or a brother who’s ill? Have you ever wished that you could be the one with the pills? Have you ever had a brother or a sister who’s sick? Did you wish you could switch so you’d get more gifts? Have you ever kinda wished you could be someone else? I know how you feel, I’ve been there myself Envious, covetous, and dissatisfied Moping around with the big green eyes Resentful, unhappy, bitter and mean Feeling so angry that you want to scream Dragging around a great big gripe Listen up sister, I know what that’s like TITLE:B-R-A-V-E B-R-A-V-E, I’m brave I’m brave, I’m brave I will not be afraid I’ll let the nurses put me on a scale And then I’m weighed I’m weighed, I’m weighed I’ll also give my height And if you ask me nice To take my blood pressure, I might I might, I might I might just be all right If I can B-R-A-V-E I think I’ll be all right It’s fine, OK I’ll let you take my temp If you would ask to stick it in my ear Then I’ll ascent Or underneath my arm Or even ‘neath my tongue But let’s just leave it there Before this whole thing comes undone Undone, Undone This song’s been almost sung But now we’re getting to the point Where things get way less fun A needle’s meant for sewing A needle’s meant for thread But when you say That needle’s meant for me, I lose my head I’m gonna have to yell I’m gonna have to scream And the volume of this scream I’m warning you will be obscene What’s that? You’re done? You got just what you need? But I didn’t get to scream I barely got to beg or plead You know? Guess what? I think that I’m ok I’m walking out of here With just a tiny round band-aid I guess I’m brave That is what it must be We’re done, I’m fine, I did my time I’m B-R-A-V-E TITLE:Take Care of Your Grownups Children, take care of your grownups They’re not quite as sure as they seem They’re quickly confused and easily bruised And come right apart at the seams Children, take care of your grownups Who’ve been there since your life began They stumble and plod and their techniques are flawed But they’re doing the best that they can Hey now we’re doing our best, we’re doing the best that we can Children, take care of your grownups These weird looking people you know They’re slow on the uptake and make lots of mistakes But sometimes their brighter lights glow Children, take care of your grownups Even when you know that they’re wrong They stress and they guess and they’re not that well dressed But they’re trying so hard to be strong Hey now, we’re trying so hard, we’re trying so hard to be strong It’s a big, big world And we are so small Sometimes even grownups feel Like they’re not so tall So children, take care of your grownups Sometimes they’re still just like kids Little girls and boys grasping for poise Just like their own parents did Children, take care of your grownups These disheveled women and men Hold them and keep them, love them and teach them They need you just like you need them Hey now, we need you, we need you just like you need us TITLE:Home When I Hold You You’re home when I hold you honey Home when I hold you dear Home in your daddy’s arms tonight Home when I hold you near You’re safe in your mommy’s arms Safe when she holds you tight Safe when your mommy holds you close Safe all through the night You’re loved my sweet, so loved Loved as you can be There’s more love for you darling Then water in the sea You’re home when I hold you honey Home when I hold you dear Home in our loving arms tonight Home when we hold you near TITLE:These Are My Friends Hello, come meet Loretta, she was once a Barbie Doll But she got tired of the lifestyle, moved to East Nepal And here’s my little paper clip, I call him Lazy Jim He’s just headed off to bed now, would you like to tuck him in? I’ve got a puffy plush toy penguin with a purple pompadour I call him Pesky Panda, don’t ask why, I’m not sure And now look, here comes Lucy, who I doubt that you can see That’s because she’s invisible to everyone but me These are my friends, these are my friends On whom I always can depend They may look like odds and ends to you But these are my friends I’ve got a special paper airplane that runs on hopes and dreams I filled it up with staples and a shot of shaving cream A rubber ball named David who lives under my bed I never throw or bounce him cuz it hurts his little head If you look under my dresser, you’ll be in for a surprise That’s right, it’s my collection of one hundred stale french fries Each one has got his own name and they’re such great little guys They sleep with me when I’m lonely — and so do all these flies I guess you’re probably wondering, are these all the friends I’ve got No, I’ve got plenty more — some are people, some are not I don’t think that it matters if they’re real or they’re pretend If they’re someone I can count on then they’re what I’d call a friend TITLE:Feets Up It’s time to kick your feets up, your feets up, your feets up Time to kick your feets up, gonna get ready today It’s time to raise your arms up, your arms up, your arms up Time to raise your arms up, gonna get ready today Got to get your arms up, your feets up, now keep up Keep your arms and feets up, gonna get ready today Everybody kick your feets up, your feets up, your feets up Everybody kick your feets up, gonna get ready today It’s time to wake your head up, your head up, your head up Time to wake your head up, gonna get ready today It’s time to make your mind up your mind up, your mind up Time to make your mind up, gonna get ready today We’re gonna make our minds up to wake up, shake up Shake up the day that shapes up, gonna get ready today Everybody wake your head up, your head up, your head up Everybody wake your head up up, gonna get ready today It’s time to pick your chin up, your chin up, your chin up Time to pick your chin up, gonna get ready today It’s time to put your face on, your face on, your face on Time to put your face on, gonna get ready today We’re gonna smell the bacon, we’re wakin’, takin’ Takin’ the day we’re facin’, gonna get ready today Everybody pick your chin up, your chin up, your chin up Everybody pick your chin up, gonna get ready today This life was made for livin’ So live the life you’re given Ain’t no time for wastin’, wastin’, wastin’ Ain’t no time for wastin’, gonna get ready today Feets was made for racin’, racin’, racin’ Feets was made for racin’, gonna get ready today On your mark, get set now, ain’t no time to rest now Shoulder to the plow now, gonna get ready today So everybody kick your feets up, your feets up, your feets up Everybody kick your feets up, gonna get ready today TITLE:Didn’t Know What I Was Missing I thought that I’d tasted tomatoes I’d picked one straight off the shelf But I didn’t know what I was missing ‘Til I’d tasted one I’d grown myself I thought that I’d eaten a green bean How good could a green bean be? But the greenest bean that you’ve ever seen Was the one that was grown by me I didn’t know what I was missing I didn’t know what I could do ‘Til I got my very own garden That I put some seeds into Carrots that come in a carton Berries that come in a box Eat em after some stuff from your garden And they taste like your old grey socks Cabbage that comes in a can Garlic that comes in a jar If the label didn’t tell me their names I wouldn’t be sure what they are The juiciest grapes in the world The crunchiest cukes in the land They were right there under the soil Just waiting for a helping hand Some water I sprayed in the evening Some sun that just shone in the day Some dirt on my pants from kneeling And now I can honestly say (that) TITLE:CBAs Me with sing you won’t time next C B As my know I now Z and Y X U-Double V U T S R Q P O N M L K J I H G F E D C B A TITLE:Born to Dance You ought to see my little girl when she spins and she twirls Leapin’ and a-jumpin’ like she’s covered in squirrels Shouting out, “Hey Daddy, look at me I’m a top I can’t stop, I can’t stop, watch me Pop, watch me Pop” Oh yes she rocks in her socks and she rolls Lord knows once she starts she just goes and she goes She’s got the beats in her feets and the ants in her pants She’s the girl who was born to dance I got a little boy who’s bonkers, and he loves to dance too He does it with one foot bare and one in a shoe He’s tilted to the ground like he’s gonna fall down But he don’t, then he does, then he jumps up and bows He shakes his head and he’s flapping his arms Looking like a turkey running loose on the farm He fell under the spell, he’s deep in the trance He’s the boy who was born to dance You ought to see that little girl when she bucks and she grooves He shucks and he jives, man the kid loves to move She spins around in circles like a tiny cyclone When they spin around each other you can feel the wind blow You got to be young to shake it that loose You think we used to move like that in our youth? There’s a chance, I don’t know, I don’t think we had that flow They’re the kids who were born to dance They got the beats in their feets and the ants in their pants They’re the kids who were born to dance They fell under the spell and they’re deep in the trance They’re the kids who were born to dance TITLE:Three Like Me I used daddy’s wallet to make a little boat But it’s sinking in the toilet, so I guess it doesn’t float I throw mommy’s earrings in to save the little men Now suddenly there’s shouting in my house again How come people always yell at me? I’m just being who I’m s’posed to be New ideas come so easily When you’re full of life and three like me The car keys are up there upon the shelf And I can reach that high now by myself These buttons on the keys look pretty neat Say, what’s that loud sound coming from the street? Mommy said it’s time to cut my hair But I hate to sit there in that barber’s chair I cut my own and saved her fifteen bucks So how come mommy’s making such a fuss? Two year olds are still just little guys And four year olds have learned to compromise But when you’re three, you’re wise as wise can be So how come people always yell at me? TITLE:RePete When you meet two Petes walking down the street With their hands in their pockets and their shoes on their feet RePete (RePete) When you meet two Petes you must RePete There’s a Pete on the corner and a Pete on the street When they meet in the middle you must RePete When you meet two Petes that’s pretty sweet ‘Cause one Pete’s neat but two Pete’s a treat When you meet two Petes you cannot retreat You gotta tell the world, you gotta send a tweet RePete (RePete) My favorite actress is Amanda Peet RePete (RePete) I believe her father was named Pete Peet TITLE:A Scary Song When you turn off your lights and you lie in your bed And you start getting goosebumps and a feeling of dread You look to the left, you look to the right You pull up your covers to hide from the night You creep to the edge and you peek underneath And, oh my Lord, what could that be? It’s a slipper! It’s a slipper! TITLE:From Me to You I wrote you a letter ‘cuz you weren’t here today And I missed you very much and I had some things to say I borrowed mom’s computer and I wrote from her account And, if you didn’t know before, well now you’ll have no doubt ‘Cuz I wrote: TSdv dsad kad bhjdvd 21g127 iwqueg8219 e 219e e o2e h2oe 29 And I didn’t have no help, I wrote that by myself I put a T before an S and the rest just kind of flowed Those letters came like water, filling up row after row I typed for ten straight minutes and I told you how I felt And I think I said I love you, but I’m not sure how it’s spelt ‘Cuz I wrote: Sdkjfdbaskj ff as fbkjafd w d w 989d9d! cje fc8*djskD And I hope you know that’s true ‘cuz it’s how I feel about you Well, I hope you like this message ‘cuz that’s what I had to say I could’ve written more, but mom took her pc away I put my whole self in it, and the effort was complete And I mean that literally ‘cuz I wrote parts with my feet Yes I wrote: Dscjahb kjla jdlifcakjj 382 3293 jhv VKhh K,B kj HSDKVBKC And that’s from me to you! TITLE:A Twinkle Baa A B C D little star How I wonder have you any wool? The wheels on the baby, don’t say a word Old McDonald had a mocking bird Row, row, row your little lamb Polly wolly muffin man TITLE:A Cow Says Moo I once met a cow who was standing in the mud With its mouth wide open, just chewing its cud I went up and told her it was rude to do The cow looked up and she just said moo A cow says moo, a cow says moo Can anybody tell me why a cow says moo A cow says moo, a cow says moo Can anybody tell me why a cow says moo A lion says roar, a mouse says eek An owl says hmm when it’s scratching its beak A zebra says nothing and a rabbit does too But can anybody tell me why a cow says moo A pig says oink, a horse says neigh Old men say bring me some soup on a tray This parrot I know says he plays the kazoo But can anybody tell me why a cow says moo A snake says hiss, your brother says no A gerbil says ouch if you step on its toe I never have spoken with a kangaroo But can anybody tell me why a cow says moo Hyenas will laugh, donkeys will bray They love a good joke if it’s told the right way I once met a turtle said he lived in a shoe But can anybody tell me why a cow says moo Grandma says sweetie, grandpa calls out the scores Your aunt says Earl! but your uncle still snores Your mom and your dad say we sure love you But can anybody tell me why a cow says moo TITLE:Twins Are Twice as Fun Twins are twice as fun Two is two times one One times two is two Twins are twice as cool Two little babies will drive you twice as crazy Make you half as lazy, leave you twice as hazy Two little yelpers need twice as many helpers Twins are twice as fun When you’re a twin you can sneak up on your mother When she’s got her back turned and she’s talking to your brother Have your brother hold her just before you knock her over Twins are twice as fun When you’re a twin you can sometimes fool your teacher If you look enough alike and you’re wearing the same t-shirt If you enlist your peers you can do this every year Twins are twice as fun When you’re a twin they say you gotta share Which means that nothing’s yours, which proves that life’s unfair There ain’t no use to fight it, if you want something just hide it Twins are twice as fun I’ve got two twin daughters who look just like their father Their luck is just as bad as their funny looking dad’s We gang up on their mother cuz the three of us all love her Twins are twice as fun TITLE:Two Mommies Some kids have got two mommies They got two mommies, they got two mommies Some kids have got two mommies And that’s alright by me Some kids have got two daddies… Some kids have got a mommy and a daddy… As long as you got someone To hold you tight when the night is long As long as you got someone To make things better when they’re going wrong Everybody is different They got their own style and they got their own way Everybody is different There’s no right thing and there’s no right way Some kids have got one mommy… Some kids have got one daddy… As long as you got someone To hold you tight when the night is long As long as you got someone To make things better when they’re going wrong Everybody is different They got their own style and they got their own way Everybody is different I only got one more thing to say Everybody needs somebody They need somebody, they need somebody Everybody needs somebody To call their family TITLE:Spaghetti in My Shoe There’s some spaghetti in my shoe and I don’t know what to do What’s really unfair is I don’t know how it got there It’s sliding when I walk, slipping into my sock It’s such a big shock that I barely can talk about it What can I say, this doesn’t happen every day I don’t know what to do, there’s spaghetti in my shoe There’s some pasta in my loafer and I’m trying to think it over As I sit here on the sofa, was it put there by a gopher? Or my older brother Stu, that’s the kinda thing he’d do An errant kangaroo, it coulda been you But I doubt that that’s the case cuz you got a sweet face Still, I don’t know what to do, there’s spaghetti in my shoe There’s some stellini in my sneaker, spiralini in my slipper Cannelloni in my kicker, fusillini in my flipper Conchiglie in my cleat, which I wear upon my feet Bucatoni in my boot, which I wear upon my foot Gramigna in my gaiter and trenne in my tainer I don’t know what to do, there’s spaghetti in my shoe Well, it rubs me wrong when it’s under my toe It annoys my arch, it bothers my sole I tell you boys that it ain’t ideal Spaghetti in my shoe is my Achilles’ heel There’s some linguini in my high top, fettucini in my flip flop A spiral in my sandal, which is more than I can handle There’s gigli in my gillie, which is really kind of silly Pizzoccheri in my pump, which makes it hard to jump This wiggler in my wedge has got me on the edge I don’t know what to do, there’s spaghetti in my shoe No, I don’t know what to do, there’s spaghetti in my shoe TITLE:Yballul Go to sleep my little angel Let the night just drift into your eyes You’ve been running all day, looking for another adventure Ease your weary head, lay yourself down for a while You’ve been at it all day, ever since the sun rose this morning Grabbing this world and pulling it hard by the tail Chasing down your dreams, now let ’em come and chase after you You’ll wake up tomorrow with a good, strong wind at your sail There’s a million different thoughts running all around in your head now A million different things another new tomorrow could bring Put ’em all to rest, you’ll pick ’em up again in the morning When you open your eyes, another new day will begin TITLE:Fortune Street China doll in Chinatown Gets knocked up and settles down Staring out the window at what might’ve been Downstairs on the street below A woman’s walking by soft and slow She’d give anything for a child of her own Troubles meet on Fortune Street All together all alone A suited man in a subway car Riding today ’cause someone stole his car Looks around at the people he’s riding with Homeless men and working stiffs A teenage girl with two young kids And he can’t remember where it was he was going Lost and found on a train downtown All together all alone Pastures of plenty when we played the tunes Pastures are empty now the fields are ruined And every man goes home to his own house But I hear the song of the whippoorwill The cuckoo calls I follow still I never could shut that door so well Fertile land one man band All together all alone There’s a space between your heart and mine A little breach along the borderline That can’t be crossed by anyone The private smile the secret stare The moving lips of a silent prayer Everyone keeps something for themselves Bound and free you and me All together all alone TITLE: Yin Yang Blues I love you baby no I don’t I need you now I surely won’t Miss you if you ever go away I wish I’d never met you babe please stay These times we’ve had the time I’ve lost I’ll treasure dear man what a cost I’ve paid since we first met please baby go And come back right away I need you so I tell you that misery loves company And baby you’re the one for me I thought I wanted happiness I want you even more I guess I changed the locks on my front door ‘Cause I can’t take you any more This afternoon I’m gonna make a second key And ask you to come spend your life with me It’s a cosmic joke on man That we should love who we can’t stand I’m stuck with you and babe you’re stuck with me Honey there’s no place I’d rather be I tell you that company loves misery And you’ve got lots in store for me I thought I wanted happiness I want you even more I guess TITLE:Woody’s Lament The lights were dark on the night that I left I didn’t leave no note no forwarding address I didn’t tell them nothing there was nothing to say When you tail it to the depot you’re headed on your way I never felt at ease when I stayed in one place The dust starts to settle in the lines of your face And the smile starts to fade when you stare at the wall This world is full of people I was born to love them all Oklahoma never was my home And California never failed to put me on the road I was chasing down the pages of my story Bound to ride that train that’s bound for glory My sweet Mary Jennings was as pretty as a rose And I loved to watch my Teeny reach and grab her little toes But I felt the road a pulling and I didn’t have the strength To turn my back on history so on the road I went Marjorie you were the one who almost felt like home You dug under the dirt and you turned over the stone I could shoulder the injustices that all the world could bring Why was it so hard for me to wear your wedding ring I fought a million battles and I never lost a one It was union to the table or strike until we won And kids still sing my songs today they know them as they breathe It’s a sacred truth to know this land was made for you and me But don’t think that I don’t have regrets I own them wide and deep A family’s ’bout the only thing a man can have and keep I loved all my children more than I can say But tell me when fate calls you how’re you supposed to turn away TITLE:Swing That Axe I got to get myself up and out of this seat I got to chop me something to burn The night is closing in there ain’t no time to relax Come on baby swing that axe Bill collector says you owe me money this week Landlord says you’re late with the rent Taxman says you got to pay me that tax Come on baby swing that axe I go out last night to try to win a few bucks I catch a pair of kings over queens The guy next to me turns two pair of jacks Come on baby swing that axe I’m just walking round looking for some kind of luck It’s a black cat crossing again Every time I look in a mirror it cracks Come on baby swing that axe My mother says you got to make some choices my son You got to find something better to do You’re broke because folk doesn’t pay that’s the facts Come on baby swing that axe My baby says you got to get some dough or we’re done I can’t keep carrying you You tried but you’re tired and the world’s full of hacks Come on baby swing that axe But I don’t care what anyone says I know my ship is coming in soon And they’ll be bringing me cash in great big stacks Come on baby swing that axe I’m gonna swing that thing to the front of the room I’m gonna swing that thing to the back I’m gonna swing that thing ’til I drown out the sax Come on baby swing that axe TITLE:God Saw Fit to Make Tears Everybody is living just this side of the drain You’re either parched in the desert or you’re drowned in the rain You ride the rails for a while you keep your hands close to your sides But God saw fit to make tears so go on and cry Your mother will love you whatever you do And that’s worth what it costs you ’cause she’s one of the few You look around for a lifeline you turn your head up to the sky But God saw fit to make tears so go on and cry Pride hangs around on the corners showing its legs to the crowd And wisdom’s hailing a taxi trying to get out of this town Mercy’s begging for spare change as the rest of us keep walking by But God saw fit to make tears so go on and cry This life is a quilt of trouble but it’s all that you own And it’s better than none when you’re cold and alone Everybody’s a soldier everybody’s a rock Everybody is living with whatever they got You close the gates to wherever you’ve been you try to leave tomorrows behind But God saw fit to make tears so go on and cry TITLE:Cloudsplitter A father farmer far out in the hills Rich in family poor in dollar bills Struggling with the call of heaven’s host Fighting off the demons and the ghosts Heard a cry from far off in the south Turned his gaze away from his own house Found the battle he was born to fight Took his sons and left that very night The current conflict raging in the west Lawrence, Kansas next to face the test The father and the sons come overland Within a year there’s blood on all their hands Every man’s affected when he kills Death’s a mighty bitter-tasting pill But John Brown heard the whisper in his ear Now bring to the South what you’ve done here Cloudsplitter open up the skies Make this country open up its eyes Cloudsplitter what’s it gonna take How’s a nation fix a great mistake October sixteenth, eighteen fifty-nine Twenty-one men waiting for his sign To cross the wide Potomac to a shore Where slavery’s hold was cold as it was sure Harpers Ferry fell without a fight And sixty prisoners taken on the night A fully loaded federal armory But no slaves came to claim the weaponry By next day’s end the army’d shot them down They captured some including old John Brown Dragged them to a local court in chains Where two months later all of them was hanged On the stand John Brown addressed the court His right hand on the bible for support: Remember those in bonds as bound with them I’m bound by laws of God not laws of men Within two years the Civil War’d begun Many reasons John Brown being one And though Abe Lincoln never did intend He finished what Brown started in the end Washington is on my dollar bill Jefferson’s memorial on the hill John Brown gave his life for our great sin The textbooks almost never mention him Racial fear still fuels this nation’s fire The smoke is thick and always getting higher And up in Heaven John Brown sits and cries Come back John and open up our eyes TITLE:Roll On (Song for Anne Marie) Pocket of pennies Mother of pearl Keeper of secrets Lost in the world Hands to your hips Feet to the floor Heart in your throat Head for the door Roll on sweet Anne Marie roll on roll on Roll on sweet Anne Marie roll on roll on What have you done Left him for good Everyone’s said For years that you should It’s easy to talk Harder to leave Everything that you’ve known Everything you believed Plenty of fish Left in the sea Don’t know if I’ve got Any bait left in me And what do I tell My sweet little one How do you say Your daddy is gone Head on your hands Arms on your knees Slow summer night Cool evening breeze Star in the sky Ash on the ground One life is lost A new life is found TITLE:Own Way to Heaven Peter Piper picked a peck of useless good intentions A pack of broken promises a pile of busted dreams You can’t get down the road when you’re headed all directions You better pick a path because you’re busting at the seams Everybody’s got to find their own way to heaven There ain’t nobody gonna show you the way The sun’ll keep on rising and the sun’ll keep on setting There ain’t no tomorrow better live for today You’re talking in your sleep and you’re sleeping when you’re walking You’re wishful when you’re waking and you’re waiting for a sign Open up the door can’t you hear the future knocking It’s saying better live because you’re running out of time The universe was born without a father or a mother There wasn’t a beginning and there’ll never be an end But you and I were born to die we’re headed for the gutter Better get your shit together ‘fore you wake up and you’re dead I’ve written many songs about the many ways I love you I can’t say nothing new because there’s nothing new to say The feeling just gets deeper so I’m thinking you’re a keeper And if there’s no tomorrow then I’m glad you’re here today TITLE:Fishing Tales Hello little man can you tell me who I am I’ve been waiting all my life to touch your little hand The twinkle in your eyes I haven’t seen The twinkle in your father’s eye emerging on the scene Will you look a lot like me If you do don’t make a scene and cry It’s alright I got by you can do the same Hello little boy or could you be a girl A fumbler’s little princess an oyster’s little pearl You push your head out I pull mine in And look over my shoulder at the person who I’ve been It won’t be long before we meet I’m gonna grab your little feet it’s bittersweet To feel the whole world turning under me Oh don’t be too slow I’m standing here holding in my breath Oh don’t be too fast You’ve got time and we’ll both need our rest A cloud of smoke and there you’ll be Avatar of beauty come to be Heaven makes an angel just for me Hello my old friend I guess I left you to the end You and I have lived a life I’d gladly live again And now we’re jumping blind into the rush A little step for mankind but a great big leap for us Ah the miracle of life My fertile little wife I guess it worked this time It took a while but practicing was fun Oh don’t be too slow We’re standing here holding in our breath Oh don’t be too fast You’ve got time and we’ll all need our rest TITLE:My Famous Leaving Song Everybody wants to know where I’ll be tonight I won’t tell them anything at all They’ll hear a clap of thunder and see a flash of light I’m gone, they’re staring at the wall That’s right, I’m going That’s right, I’m gone And another verse is added To my famous leaving song Order me a taxi, won’t you put me on a train Take me to the nearest outbound bus Any way I go, I’ll be gone this very day Leaving’s how I keep from gathering dust Love is such a fleeting thing, your eyes upon the door How’s a person ever really know? When you’re on that platform, you’ve never been so sure You’re leaving when you hear that whistle blow If you see my shadow, won’t you say hello for me We haven’t seen each other in a while He used to follow close wherever I might be But company has always cramped my style When I die the lord will come to take my body home But he won’t find me anywhere in sight My ashes scattered to the wind, I’ll leave no tooth or bone And vanish like a whisper in the night TITLE:Standing at Five Corners Somebody waiting in a kitchen Somebody waiting by a phone Ever since you left there’s something missing Ever since you left me on my own Clothes are out there waiting for the sunshine Wind is out there waiting for the fall I’ve been out there waiting all my lifetime The more I wait, the more you never call When you gonna turn to face the morning? When you gonna know what you can’t see? How long ’til you hear your senses calling Come back to yourself, come back to me You’ve been looking for a new beginning And I’ve been searching for a single friend Can’t you hear that distant church bell ringing? Everybody settles in the end A tiny planet spinning in a system Tiny people stand on every shore I don’t stake a claim to any wisdom But maybe waiting’s not what life is for Baby, when you look behind the curtain Maybe I’ll have already moved on Nothing in this life is ever certain You have your chance and then your chance is gone TITLE:Everybody’s Wondering Everybody’s wondering how it’s gonna be Honey, when they’re called back home Everybody’s wondering what they’re gonna see When they leave the life they’ve known Will I be in heaven? Will I be in hell? After living in this world could I really even tell? Everybody’s wondering how it’s gonna be Honey, when they’re called back home Everybody’s wondering how they’re gonna go Honey, when they’re called back home Everybody’s wondering how the wind will blow On the day their dice are thrown Will I be in the shower? Will I be fast asleep? Are the clothes that I am wearing the ones I get to keep? Everybody’s wondering how they’re gonna go Honey, when they’re called back home I don’t how the system works It sometimes haunts my mind To think that I might leave this earth With most of me left behind Everybody’s wondering if they did it right Honey, when they’re called back home Everybody’s wondering if how they lived their life Prepared them for the great unknown Should I have been a Muslim? Should I have been a Sikh? If I picked the wrong religion could I get another week? Everybody’s wondering if they did it right Honey, when they’re called back home I don’t know why we spend our time Thinking ’bout what’s coming next When all of us are bound to find The answer when we’re laid to rest Everybody’s wondering how it’s gonna be Honey, when they’re called back home TITLE:Unwanted Guest You came to me when I was on the floor You never even knocked upon my door You slipped by like a sin, I had to let you in You came to me when I was on the floor I’d never been so lonely or so cold The moon is just the sunshine that it holds You came and held my head, we slept in the same bed I’d never been so lonely or so cold No more of you, unwanted guest It’s time for me to finally take a rest I like to play the host but I’m done, unholy ghost No more of you, unwanted guest Happiness was always in the stars You said that I would never get that far But you’re further from me now, a dark and distant cloud Happiness was always in the stars Ever since you left, the air’s more clean The world’s more bright than I thought it could be Although I never sought the darkness that you brought I think that in the end it helped me see TITLE:Red Ribbon Waltz I see you way over there A red ribbon tied in your hair I’m longing for you Are you longing too? Longing for me over there? The music is sweet and smooth And there’s some sort of tilt in this room That’s bringing me close To what I want the most Closer, my darling, to you Maybe it’s how we first meet Or only a moment to keep But if I take a chance And ask you to dance Would you dance with me? There’s something about this floor That makes me want to dance more Than I thought I would I dance pretty good I never liked dancing before And there’s something about these lights That makes me think my whole life Was just leading to Whether I would ask you To dance with me tonight My dear, if I walk over there Would you allow me to share One moment, one space One cheek to my face One dance to move as a pair? TITLE:Love Me True I know you love me And you know I love you too But when the seas get rough Will our love be tough enough? Baby, will you love me true? I’ve made my mistakes And you’ve strayed from the good path too Our senses of direction Are in need of some correction But, baby, will you love me true? My bed is cold when you’re not around So won’t you stay and go another round And the only question I would ask of you Is, baby, will you love me true? I will do my best Not to second guess The promises you make me When you say you won’t forsake me But, baby, will you love me true? And you can ask the same Of me, I won’t complain I’ll obey the Golden Rule Just don’t make me the fool And, baby, will you love me true? The summer sun don’t shine and the winter moon don’t glow And I can’t see my own face in the mirror when you go But even without vision, I can see I’m missing you Baby, will you love me true? My bed is cold when you’re not around So won’t you stay and go another round And the only question I would ask of you Is, baby, will you love me true? TITLE:Lovely Day The bed is warm, the house is cold We were young, now we’re old See the sun, it’s rising quick The wheel is spun, the sky is lit And it’s a fast-paced life Death’s a breath away And I’m so glad you could stay On such a lovely day Down the hall, still breathing deep Two kids who look like you and me Their lives are made of smoke and ice The greatest gift and sacrifice The morning creeps across the floor And separates now from before The promise of a rising sun A lovely day has just begun TITLE:Let it Go I’ve been thinking ’bout last evening ‘Bout the things I should’ve said I should’ve said I’m leaving But I said I’ll stay instead I’ve been thinking ’bout last evening ‘Bout the things I should’ve said Last night’s out of my control Man, you’ve got to let it go I knew a kid whose brother Used to stuff him in a sack And to this day he blames His luck with women on that fact Yeah, I knew a kid whose brother Used to stuff him in a sack That was thirty years ago Man, you’ve got to let it go Moses split the ocean Let the migrant children through When Pharaoh’s army followed The waters ’round them grew Pharaoh shook his fist Muttered to himself, Damn Jew Moses called across the flow, Man, you’ve got to let it go Darwin told the people That all living things evolve The people said, That’s heresy, The bible is the law Charles said, Open up your eyes, Where you think you got that jaw? You’re a monkey in a coat Good God, you’ve got to let it go Saddam Hussein took potshots At the presidential dad Now the presidential son Wants to drop bombs on Baghdad That’d be fine if you could drop a bomb On just a single head But there’s kids down there, you know Man, you should’ve let it go Take me, Jesus, take me Yes, and take me to the sky This world has been my home But it won’t be when I die Oh, take me Jesus, take me Won’t you take me by and by When the body leaves the soul That’s when you’ve got to let it go TITLE:When the Moon Comes Out Everything’s gonna look better Than it did this afternoon Everything’s gonna seem simpler When I see the evening moon It may not last forever It may not change my life But everything’s gonna look better When that moon comes out tonight The thoughts that I’ve been thinking And the lines around my face The reasons I’m not sleeping Tonight will be erased It could be just illusion The lure of fractured light But everything’s gonna look better When that moon comes out tonight Most folks think it’s easier To see things in bright light To me, the world’s much clearer When that moon comes out at night It may not solve my problems It may be just time borrowed The world may not have changed at all When the sun comes up tomorrow But I’ll take just an evening To feel like things are right ‘Cuz everything’s gonna look better When that moon comes out tonight I know the stars will all be shining And I’ll find that second sight ‘Cuz everything’s gonna look better When that moon comes out tonight TITLE: I Got a Friend I got a friend who thinks he’s victimized The world’s been out to get him from the first day of his life He’s always on the road ‘cuz he doesn’t trust his wife I got a friend who thinks he’s victimized I got a friend who thinks he runs the show No one’s ever told him nothing that he didn’t know He’ll never ask directions anywhere we might go I got a friend who thinks he runs the show I got a friend who always thinks he’s ill He plans his life around his little pills Anywhere he goes, he’s always going down hill I got a friend who always thinks he’s ill And when I stop and list them end to end I start to think it’s time to get new friends When I stop and really think it through The only friend I really have is you I got a friend who thinks he isn’t bright He reads all day and sometimes through the night He’s always on the left cuz he never thinks he’s in the right I got a friend who thinks he isn’t bright I got a friend who thinks he’s going bald He hasn’t lost a hair but he’s sure that he’s going bald We all try to tell him he isn’t going bald But I got a friend who thinks he’s going bald When I stop and really think it through The only friend I ever had is you TITLE:Home is Where the Heart Is Listen, honey, do we have to go tonight It’s been a real long week and my back feels kind of tight Tell ’em that I’m sorry and I’d be there if I could Those people drive me crazy even when I’m feeling good Hon I said we’d be there, we can go for just for an hour It’s the least that we could do after you threw up in their shower We’ll just go say hello and have a little bit of wine You’ll have a chance to show ’em you can keep it down this time Home is where the heart is, I read it in a book And if you see Loretta won’t you tell her that I’m took Honey, do you have to leave your shoes right by the door When I came home tonight I almost fell down on the floor I’d put them in the closet if your clothes was on the rack All right, just leave them by the door, I’ll come in through the back Baby when you use a check you’ve got to right it down We’re bouncing them like rubber balls, they’ll run us out of town You’re the one withdrawing like we own the ATM All right we’ll pay the mortgage with the credit card again When you gonna wake up and go home? This road is so much longer on your own How’s about you put your hand in mine Both of us are walking down the line Who was it who said that you can never go back home? They haven’t met my husband, he’s a mess when he’s alone Home is where you hang your hat, that’s what they used to say I had a hat that said that but my wife threw it away TITLE:Somewhere Elseward Blown I had a friend named Jack, wore his life on his back And where the road did jag, something else went in his bag He walked right out of sight, I lost him in the night And I wonder if he’ll ever wander back into my life Old friends I’ve lost along the way I wish it wasn’t so, but sometimes that’s how it goes Sometimes the rope just slips away And that someone that I’ve known becomes somewhere elseward blown I had a friend named Jess who slanted to her left Her angle to the ground didn’t match others around One day she slanted off and I lost her in the toss I still think about her angle, that’s a cute friend that I lost My aunt just passed away and I ain’t too proud to say That her death wasn’t the start of our slow drifting apart And when her death came on, I was many miles gone And it’s hard to fight the feeling that there’s something I did wrong My friend Jack went away and I miss him every day His memory’s all I got, but even memories get forgot Life’s a big typhoon, people come and go too soon They appear just like the moon, then they’re gone like Brigadoon TITLE:The Bottom of a River The bottom of a river sounds pretty good to me The bottom of a river sounds pretty good to me That’s one way to leave this life of misery The bottom of a river sounds pretty good to me The deeper in the water, the less there is to see And seeing you leaving just kills me more painfully At the bottom of a river there’s nothing much to hear The voices saying that you’re leaving wouldn’t come through so clear There’d be nothing but bubbles and waves ringing in my ears The bottom of a river is bound to be more soft Than the bed that we’ve been sharing for the love life that we lost A river’s bound to be calmer than the troubled seas we’ve crossed The bottom of a river really don’t sound that bad The bottom of a river really don’t sound that bad I could lie there at the bottom and think back on the love we had TITLE:Never Left the Road Behind I’ve traveled ’round this country, up and down both coasts The view from out my car window’s the view I like the most New York or San Francisco, anywhere I go’s just fine Miami or Mount Kisco, anywhere I go’s just fine I’ve left a thousand towns, but I’ve never left the road behind I’ve traveled on the highways and I’ve traveled on the streets I’ve traveled on the back roads through the fields and county seats The back roads are my favorite though, I like the way they wind But whatever path I’ve followed, I’ve never left the road behind I’ve gone Boston to Tuscon and back around again I’ve gone it on my own and I’ve gone it with a friend A companion can be nice if they’re not talking all the time Companionship is fine if they’re not yakking you blind But friends will come and go, I’ve never left the road behind Life can get confusing, you look up and find you’re lost I always find I’m burning bridges I still haven’t crossed With driving it’s so easy, every mile there’s a sign I just watch the dotted lines and I’ve never left the road behind People say it’s running to be traveling all the time They say if you don’t settle you can’t find your peace of mind But I’m settled in my traveling and my head’s just feeling fine Yes, I’ve traveled in all settings and my head’s just feeling fine My peace is in my car seat and I’ve never left the road behind And that’s the reason why I’ve never left the road behind TITLE:Smoke and Flowers There’s nothing in this world for me without you I’m just swimming in an unknown sea And the sky doesn’t seem so blue When I’m seeing it without you That’s true For me Without you There’s nothing in this world to do When I’m doing it without you And there’s nothing in this world to be If you can’t be with me Time just drags along And the days seem much too long Without you There’s nothing for a guy like me In the other fishes in the sea I can’t even cast my line When you’ve left me behind There’s nothing in this world for me without you I’m just swimming in an unknown sea And the sky doesn’t seem so blue When I’m seeing it without you That’s true For me For me, it’s true Without you TITLE: The Word I Said (or The Slut Poem) I called her a slut yesterday When she wasn’t there Because it was so quiet in the carpool after Hebrew class. I heard David use the word during lunchtime at school on Monday And it sounded grown-up Like mixed drinks or blow job. So I said it. I liked the way it rolled on my tongue on the way out And then rang in my ears — Sllllllllutt. I thought it meant someone who wears too much makeup But it must mean something worse because I’ve been ratted on And now here comes this girl, fast and angry looking. She reaches me at the basketball hoop And she roars, I heard you called me a slut, You little shit. Well, this quiets the whole playground. And standing in the hushed morning wind, Surrounded by the piercing quiet of 10,000 smirking mouths I respond the only way I know how, You are a double slut. This is a big mistake. Now she has me by the throat and she’s tossing me around the three-point line. As my head pounds into the tarmac, It occurs to me That I am no longer in control of this situation. No, I am definitely not in control. In fact, I am being beaten down to my essential elements And every kid in the universe is watching. What a disgrace. I’ll never be allowed to laugh With the boys again. I’ll never be allowed to kiss Any of those girls’ mouths when I’m older. I’ll grow to be an old man In an old chair Without ever finding happiness. TITLE:Put Your Foot in Your Mouth Don’t hold back what you say If it comes to mind just let yourself obey And don’t hold back what you think Just loosen up and have yourself another drink I never thought I’d ever hear those words come out of you And from the look on your face, I guess you didn’t too But you can’t take it back, you might as well just accept that fact Stick your front leg out and put your foot in your mouth Don’t be smart and well-behaved Every party needs someone who’s brave And don’t be quiet and reserved Just shout on out any thought that might have just occurred Those little things you swore you’d never tell anyone you do Are now the common knowledge of everyone you ever knew But don’t be dignified, just open up real wide Stick your front leg out and put your foot in your mouth Don’t keep secrets to yourself Solitude is dangerous to your health Share your secrets with your friends Your meaning well will justify the ends Those longings that you feel are probably best laid out to air Despite the fact the person that you’re longing for is standing right there Just open up the drain, share your pleasure and your pain Stick your front leg out and put your foot in your mouth TITLE:The Best Thing I’ll Ever Know There’s times in this life when I’m hungry And there’s times in this life when I’m sad But my time with you is the very Best times that I’ve ever had You talk in your sleep, that’s the truth And there’s times when you’re miles away But the feeling I have in my heart Is more than the words I can say Friends come and go And the cold winds will always blow But whatever it is that you do to me Is the best thing I’ll ever know When I was a kid I was lonely Like only kids know how to be And I dreamed of meeting a woman Like the ones I saw on TV With blond hair down to her waist And short skirts up to her thighs But I never dreamed I could love Like I do when I look in your eyes There’s times in this life when I’m jumping And there’s times when I just sit and moan But these last six years that I’ve spent with you Are the best six years I’ve known TITLE:John Lee I miss you, Boom Boom John Lee I miss you, Boom Boom John Lee I miss you and your beat and the stomping of your feet I miss you, Boom Boom John Lee I miss you, Mississippi John Hurt I miss you, Mississippi John Hurt I missed you cast your spell when you played that Creolle Belle I miss you, Mississippi John Hurt I miss you, Ms. Elizabeth C. I miss you, Ms. Elizabeth C. Your Freight Train set me free, but I can’t shake sugaree I miss you, Ms. Elizabeth C. I miss you, Woody Wilson Guthrie I miss you, Woody Wilson Guthrie I miss the way you write and the way you fought your fight I miss you, Woody I never heard that Singing Brakeman sing I never heard that Singing Brakeman sing Now cowboy songs are dead, we got TNN instead And I never heard that Singing Brakeman sing History is slipping through the cracks History is slipping through the cracks The heroes of the past are dying way too fast History is slipping through the cracks Soon they will have all passed on Soon they will have all passed on Soon they will be gone and all we’ll have is tribute songs Soon they will have all passed on I miss you, Boom Boom John Lee I miss you, Boom Boom John Lee I miss you and your beat and the stomping of your feet I miss you, Boom Boom John Lee TITLE: Nothing in This World There’s nothing in this world to be afraid of now There’s nothing in this world to be afraid of now Ever since I found you, there’s nothing that can keep me down When you’re on your own, the world is such a lonely place When you’re on your own, the world is such a lonely place When you’ve got someone, you can always keep a smile on your face Long before I met you, I was shaking in my boots Long before I met you, I was shaking in my boots Now that we’re together, we’re dancing in our birthday suits I hope that I can be as good a friend to you I hope that I can be as good a friend to you I’d lie down in the tracks, kiss a monkey if you want me to TITLE:A Life I Never Had Thank you, thank you, lord, for this life you’ve given me I wouldn’t call it perfect, but it’s not all misery And even if it was, well, it wouldn’t be that bad At least I’ll never look back on a life I never had Thank you, thank you, lord, for this world in which we live I couldn’t call it perfect, but these things are relative There’s beauty in the mountains and there’s beauty in the sea And there’s beauty out my window when I turn off my TV Thank you, thank you, lord, that I might live one more day ‘Cuz I’d give two to one tomorrow’s better than today And even if it’s not, I’d still like to stick around ‘Cuz I think I like it here more than I would under the ground Thank you, thank you, lord, for blessing my soul I haven’t been perfect, but I’m improving as I go Thank you for this life that I see with second sight And thank you for the darkness that led me to that light TITLE:Woman Like The Wind She rests upon her pillows with my future in her hands And my whole life in the secret way she smiles When she turns her face up to me I can tell with just one kiss That I’d follow her in inches or in miles I’ve got wonder in my heart, I’ve got nothing left to lose There’s an aching in my ears when I hear those old jazz tunes I’ve fallen in love with a woman like the wind She whispers softly and she blows my cold ship in Her hair is made of summer and her eyes are young boys’ dreams Her hands are soft and smaller than the rain And every time she’s near me I feel closer to my god And I hear Miles Davis sketch the sounds of Spain She’s an angel from Montgomery even though she’s from up north And she’s sweeter than the purest edelweiss And even if she asked me if I’d watch The Sound of Music with her I’d say that’s alright, babe, don’t think twice TITLE: Here’s a Latte and My Middle Finger Over-educated motherfucker You’re an under-thinking pasta-sucker Talking too much bullshit coffee-drinker Here’s a latte and my middle finger And here’s a penny for the thoughts you think Put it towards another coffee drink On second thought, here, have a couple quarters Put them towards that PhD you ordered ‘Cuz you can’t see the forest for the trees Perspective isn’t measured in degrees Maybe you should go explore a thicket See if you can find a place to stick it And every time that gentle north wind blows You’d better stick your fingers up your nose That wind that softly blows right through your head Will be cleaner coming out your ears instead And the cold wind that comes breezing out your ears Will be the best thing that’s come from your head in years You should save it in a bottle or balloon You monkey-looking pompous-ass buffoon TITLE:You’re Good (For a Man Like Me) You’re tall for your height And you’re wise for your age You’re fast for your speed Sometimes too fast to gage And you’re good, you’re so good For a man like me You’re as fast as a mouse You fly like a bird The way that you look Can’t be defined by a word ‘Cuz you’re good, you’re so good For a man like me You’ve got love in your heart That’s a good place to start And you’re good, so good For a man like me You’re the head of your class You’re ahead of your time You’re a wonder of nature I’m amazed that you’re mine ‘Cuz you’re good, you’re so good For a man like me I’m large for my size But I’m short for my weight I’m late for my time But I’m still feeling great ‘Cuz you’re good, you’re so good For a man like me You’ve got love in your heart That’s a good place to start But there’s something else in you From some secret body part That makes you like you are You’re a bright shining star Tall and strong Fast and free And good, so good For a man like me TITLE:Economist John Economist John fell in love But he wanted to make sure it was real So he devised a graph to test over time The change in the way he did feel He set to work with rulers and different colored pencils And he drew his lines real straight And he made a color code of his variable emotions With red for love and a swampy brown for hate Then John began to transfer all his feelings into numbers To calculate his love And so he wouldn’t smudge the lines on his heartfelt chart He always wore a special glove His woman wanted cuddling And his parents wanted marriage But John told them all to wait He said he’d stick to slow precision and an economic vision To determine his romantic fate John spent every minute from December to November Filling in his graph He adorned it with color and very subtle shading And humble yet, oh, so brilliant math And he spent his year locked in his office with his shiny papers And his woman he refused to see So she went off and dated a lonely sociologist While John still sat with data on his knee It was in the month of May, on a cold sunny day When John was told the current news That his woman was engaged now to a balding preacher With lots of cash and a church with crowded pews But John didn’t care for he’d found his answer That same day while studying in the bath That the one he really loved in his heart, in his soul Was not his girl but his very lovely graph TITLE:Take Me When You Go Take me when you go, don’t leave me behind I don’t want to stay here with you swimming in my mind I got thoughts enough to think, I’ve had drinks enough to drink Time without you’s much too slow, take me with you when you go And take me when you leave, I can’t stand to be alone There’s nothing I hate worse than loving you by telephone ‘Cuz the TV’s not my friend and I’ve got no fax to send Even music’s got no tone when you leave me all alone Take me when you go ‘cuz there’s nothing here for me I don’t want to stay here writing tearful poetry I don’t want to think on you from a lonesome window view ‘Cuz there’s nothing I can see can bring you faster home to me No, there’s nothing I can see can bring you faster home to me So take me with you, friend, I’ll just ask you one more time I know that you’re a woman who can make up your own mind But I’ve got one small request and I hope you won’t say no ‘Cuz I think it’s for the best — take me with you when you go Take me with you when you go TITLE: January The days are getting short and the nights are getting cold And I’ve been lying in this bed since dawn January comes and January goes I think I’ll just lie here ’til it’s gone Don’t you know the winter dark and cold Holds me back from who I am Don’t you know this happens every year And when it’s over, I’ll be back again The darkness pushes up against the light Even ‘fore the working day is done And I would give my hands and the eyes that let me see For one more hour looking at the sun And when the night has come and I’m resting in my house You might call or I might ring your phone Please don’t be alarmed if I sound far away I’m still here, it’s just that I’m not home The spring’s not just a time, it’s the time I’m looking toward The spring and you are all that keep me going And until I find you both I’ll just keep on lying here ‘Cuz I’m not going outside while it’s snowing TITLE:Me and My Friend We don’t wanna soar like two birds upon the night Or be two shining lightbulbs and be a source of light Or take safari game walks and risk a lion bite Or look like Patrick Ewing, we don’t want that height We don’t wanna battle with the racist at the gate Or have to be his teachers and teach him not to hate Don’t wanna spout our morals or either let them bend We just wanna walk, me and my friend Don’t wanna lead the buddhists like the Dala Lami Or box with rhyming masters like Muhammad Ali Or starve ourselves in protest like Mahatma Gandhi Or wear black leather jackets like, hey, fonzy And we don’t wanna shout from the mountains in the air Or fight a million battles with those who never care We don’t wanna gender fight with earless, eyeless men We just wanna walk, me and my friend We don’t wanna blaze like the sun up in the sky Or sing May the Circle Be Unbroken By and By Or be the Grateful Dead and always getting high Or be like Kirk Cobaine, committing suicide Or wear big wooden shoes like the traditional Dutch Or be two police coppers like Starsky and Hutch Or be a guy from Sweden with a Swedish name like Sven We just wanna walk, me and my friend Don’t wanna fiddle from the rooftops like Zero Mostel Or be a sports newscaster like Howard Cossell Or sing ’bout Coffee Crumbcakes riding my coattail Or sleep at Clinton’s White House, his big fundraising hotel And we don’t wanna drench the fire in the hills Or fight a four year battle like the Buffalo Bills Or even win the battle which we always must defend We just wanna walk, me and my friend Don’t wanna write no classics like Pearl S. Buck Or run on rafts from slavery like Tom and Huck Or be like blonde Savannah, a well paid fuck Or be like Donald Trump, another well paid fuck Or be apartheid’s symbol like F.W. de Klerk Or a revolutionary who turns out to be a jerk Don’t wanna follow leaders or either any trends We just wanna walk, me and my friend So pack your shit together and get out of our sight And don’t even mention your newest awful fright Don’t count us in on your newest protest fight ‘Cuz we’ll be disappeared like two shadows in the night And don’t come searching for us with your big liberal flashlight ‘Cuz we’ll be disappeared like two shadows in the night And we won’t be calling soon, we’ve got no message to send We just wanna walk, me and my friend TITLE:What if Love Came Too Soon What if love came too soon It just walked right in the room And it wasn’t even noon What if love came too soon What if love came too soon Made you faint and start to swoon Left you howling at the moon What if love came too soon What if you just weren’t ready And marriage thoughts just made you sweaty Left you clinging to your teddy What if you just weren’t ready What if you just weren’t sure So you headed for the door But life without her just her more Than life together hurt before What if love came too soon It could happen to you But you wouldn’t want it to ‘Cuz the pain would destroy you What if love came too soon It just walked right in the room Made you float like a balloon What if love came too soon What if love came too soon Drained the soul out of your tune Left you singing like Pat Boone What if love came too soon It could happen to you Like it happened to me And you’d wish you never knew Just how painful life could be It’s better to have love Than to have loved and lost ‘Cuz it isn’t worth the pain And it isn’t worth the cost But if love comes to you And you don’t know what to do ‘Cuz it feels like it’s too soon TITLE:Dance in the Night Mama, oh mama, let’s dance in the night I’ve been left here since the dawn’s early light Closing my eyes till I don’t have no sight Waiting for you to come dance in the night I’m waiting for you all alone here tonight Writing these words by the night’s own dark light Trying to woo you with art that’s not trite But left in the rain with the pain of my plight Mama, oh mama, let’s dance in the night I’m hanging my jaw like a dog with no bite I love you so much even though and despite You’re not in my arms so something’s not right I love you, I love you, down deep in my bones A violent love like a film by the Coens I’m riding your train like the Dead’s Casey Jones And climbing your rocks like Sylvester Stallone Mama, oh mama, let’s dance in the night Your presense’s almost but my hurt is just quite I’ve dropped to my knees and I smell kryptonite My heart’s bleeding blood and my skin’s turning white I’ve dropped to my knees and there isn’t much left Lost all my weight so there isn’t much heft I can’t really see and my hearing’s gone deaf My olfactory’s gone and my lip’s become cleft Mama, oh mama, let’s dance in the night I’m searching for you like a lost parasite Standing on corners like a whore transvestite Waiting in caves like a good troglodyte I’ll write you this poem ‘cuz, man, can I write Like an A student, baby, I’m so erudite I may not look smart but I’m really quite bright I didn’t even look up the word troglodyte Mama, oh mama, let’s dance in the night I’m standing out here with my key and my kite Standing as tall as I can for my height Waiting to shake by your electric light I’m standing and waiting and going insane Searching for you, but I’m searching in vain There’s tears in my eyes and my heart cloth is stained From the ache of the pain and the drops of the rain Mama, oh mama, let’s dance in the night If only you’d show up, I’d be in delight Like North Carolina, I’d be first into flight And we’d dance in the sky till the dawn’s early light But mama oh mama, let’s come to the end I can’t make you mine by the strokes of my pen And I can’t make you love me if that’s not your trend But let’s dance in the night and at least we’ll pretend TITLE:Don’t Let Her Strength Make Me Weak She stood in the field with the skies in her eyes While her black, curly hair fought the wind Her muscles were tense as her hand held the fence And her breath drew the whole world in I hid behind glass with her breasts in my brain Casting myself as the geek Losing the strength in the tone of my voice And singing like a bird with no beak And the moon melted down and the rain ceased its sound And the blackness stood still on the hills The mountains shivered in the cold of the night And the fishes drew breath through their gills The trees drew their leaves and their chlorophyll heaved And the rivers began to leak As I mumbled the words with a slip of my tongue Don’t let her strength make me weak In society she sat with her feet on her desk And she left when she felt she was done And her gaze burned a hole in my cultured forehead With a blaze that darkened the sun And her mouth uttered words like I never have heard With a force that made its own wake Like the sound of a storm on the roof of a home Or a drum beating for its own sake When an expert looked at her and laid down the facts Her brown eyes never did blink She would stare down his words ’till they started to cry And history began to sink The questions she answered were not the ones asked ‘Cuz correctness was not what she seeked And the minds of the people all wished the same thought Don’t let her strength make me weak She walked down the street in a white man’s town And she planted each step with her feet Humming a song that was not from this place And moving to a personal beat And knowledge in her eyes knew an unknown life Memories I did not understand Memories that women with dark colored skin Were unwelcome on American land So the tears of her past, now a furious howl Moved passer-bys out of the way And the force of her smile and the sway of her hips Could change the course of this day She stood in the town and the buildings fell down And she wore her pride like a crown And my mind felt her body and I yelled for a week, Don’t let her strength make me weak TITLE:Give Me Love My mama told me when I was young She said, Son, go out and have yourself some fun Don’t live your life like you’re on the run But find some love, honey, when you’re done So give me love, baby, just one time Love, baby, just one time ‘Cuz I got friends to wish me well But I want love, baby, just one time And I got friends all around my door Friends, they don’t know me any more I got my dog sleeping on my floor But without love, baby, I want more I got girls sending me flowers I got girls around me draining all my powers Damsels in distress up in their towers But without love, somehow it all turns sour TITLE:I’ve Seen Your Mother Naked in the Tub I’ve seen your mother naked in the tub She got them big ‘ol nasty thighs I’ve seen your mother naked in the tub That big ‘ol mole between her eyes Oh no, I’ve seen her nude And now I’m in a real bad mood I’ve also seen your father naked too He got them big ‘ol fatty thighs I’ve also seen your father naked too That guy ate one too many pies Oh no, I’ve seen him nude People that ugly should be sued I’ve seen your mother naked in the tub And she wasn’t very hot I’ve seen your mother naked in the tub But I wish that I did not Oh no, I’ve seen her nude And she’s one ugly mama, dude TITLE:Walking to the End of the World I’m walking to the end of the world I’m walking to the end of the world I’m walking to the end of the world My future ain’t been told And my soul ain’t been sold I’m just walking to the end of the world I’m taking my time as I go Taking my time, moving slow I’m taking my time as I go ‘Cuz taking time’s the only way I know You can’t borrow time When you ain’t got a dime So I’m just taking my time as I go And I’m trying to keep my head out of the sand As I’m walking to the end of the land Trying to be a quiet, decent man Trying to keep my head out of the sand Most talking is cheap and the sand is always deep As I’m walking to the end of the land And I’m searching for a fine looking girl As I’m walking to the end of the world Looking for a fine searching girl As I’m walking to the end of the world Most them girls are cute, but I want me a beaut ‘Cuz I’m walking to the end of the world There ain’t nobody living that could stop me No, there ain’t no one could ever make me turn back There ain’t nobody living that could stop me ‘Til God or fate or both decide to drop me My walking is one way, that’s all I’ve got to say If you’re smart, then you’ll stay out of my way TITLE:When Rain Turns Into Snow We are sitting in my bedroom and my bedside light is on You are looking in my eyes and there is something there that’s gone It’s early in the morning, just a moment’s space past dawn But it’s late enough to realize that there’s clearly something wrong And I can’t fix it even with this song A cloud drifts past my window as I turn to say your name And the motion makes me hesitate, distracted from my pain And when I start to speak again, the cloud begins to snow As these words come falling out and freezing wind begins to blow And we’re caught in winter’s icy undertow Let the wind take you where it goes You can’t fight forever when those cold airs start to blow Loneliness is everywhere like any child knows And love turns into memories when rain turns into snow I remember when we lay down on the grass under a tree With a river running past us and the feeling we were free The tree could barely hide the endless kiss of you and me And the ground just started shaking from our electricity Our kiss freed ions molecularly But this coldness came between us now, we have to walk away Even if we’re still not sure and even if we want to stay Love is just a feeling that sometimes comes and goes And rain is just a water that sometimes just gets froze And walking keeps you healthy, I suppose Now I’m sitting on a snow drift with my wool hat in my hand Waiting for a future that seems frigidly unplanned Wondering if this winter cold will ever leave this land Or if some off-duty god just left the weather room unmanned If he can’t do his job he should be canned I rise to catch a bus that’s traveling somewhere out of here And I pay my fare in nickels and I sit down in the rear The land starts moving backwards and the view goes drifting by As my wakeness fades into the bus’s motor lullaby And the wind blows on against the bus’s side Oh, meet me by the ocean when the evening sun goes down Hold me when the waves come up and let my memories drown Let the sound of coldness fade away into the night And let the rain come down on me under the sky’s starlight And make it all seem real and all feel right Make the starlight’s shine look extra bright Then let it rain ’till rain has blurred my sight And make me not feel lonely for tonight