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MusicAmericana

ALL I COULD DO

Can you give me a reason

Why you treat me this way

I'm standing here disbelieving

Everything that you say

It was all I could do to keep from laughing till I'm blue

It was all I could

Walking into the barroom

I catch you playing your game

Grinding up on your side dude

You didn't see me wave

It was all I could do to keep from lashing out at you

It was all I could do

Can you give me a reason

Why you're walking my way

When your coquettish vibe is so pleasing

But your vibe is not just for me

It was all I could do. You simply tear my heart in two.

It was all I could do.

LA AZTECA

La Azteca

Mas cervesa

You won't leave dry

Elizabeta

The Bartenda

Won't let me drive

That's wise

I can walk from here, you know

I don't mind the wind and the cold

La Azteca

Esta mas lejos

De lo que pensaba

Pensaba!

Pensaba!

I can walk from here, you know

I can moonwalk out the door

IT'S REALLY ME

She's got me wrapped around her knees

I don't ever, ever want her to leave

And I'll have you know, yes it's true

All the shit I put you through

It's really me

Teardrops roll down her face

I made her cry, my great disgrace

And I'll have you know, yes it's true

All the shit I put you through

It's really me

She's the one, to me, she's all that matters and

I'm the one, to her, do I matter at all?

She's the sun and waves on my shore

 I long and long and long for the love before

She's the one, to me, she's all that matters and

I'm the one, to her, do I matter? And

She's the one, to me, she's all that matters and

I'm the one, to her, do I matter at all?

UMBRELLA PARADE

I see you wearing your shades

But it's not sunny today

We used to be sweet honey, what changed?

You're soaked from all this rain

Why don't you join the Umbrella Parade?

We used to be sweet money, what changed?

I see it's raining today.

Come along with the Umbrella Parade

It used to be bright sunny, what changed?

It used to be bright, sonny, what changed?

LONG TIME GONE

She told me I had to go

But I was long time gone

She told me what I come to know

I was long time gone

She hollered and said we're through

I hollered back, "That's nothing new!"

I had one foot stuck out the door

I was long time gone

Whatever happened to the way things used to be?

Whatever happened to the thing that was you and me?

She told me I had to go

But I was long time gone

I had both foot stuck out the door

I was long time gone

Whatever happened to the way thing used to be?

Whatever happened to the thing that was you and me?

She told me I had to go

But I was long time gone

I had both foot stuck out the door

But I was long time gone, long time gone

SPARED REMORSE

I knew at once you were my man

My big mistake: telling you my plan

I'd spend the rest of my days

At the depot counting the trains

Looking for a lost soul nobody'd miss anyway

Now I suppose you could say

This was effective discourse

And I maintain, if I may,

We spared remorse

I'll have you know, I may have lied

I stepped from that train just to pass some time

The romance of village ways

Find time for a needed break

Looking for some excitement within the mundane

Now I suppose you could say

This was effective discourse

And I maintain, if I may

We spared remorse

ALL THE JUNES AND JULYS THAT EVER WERE

Mean ol' Mrs. Finch looked sad setting by the attic door

Nice ol' Mr. Finch left her earlier that morn

It's time to go to the store

Stock up nineteen twelve de-cor

Brought the icebox to the attic, Mrs. Finch, you seem to be losing it

Filled it up with sarsaparilla, left them open, Mr. Finch might catch a whiff

Leave open the window some more

A scent of summer in November

Asleep, mean ol' Mrs. Finch tried to stay awake

Could have swore she heard a brass band and a chorus singing "Moonlight Bay"

Wake up, I've returned, by dear.

Brought supper from Hannihan's Pier

Wake up! I've returned!

THIRD SHIFT BLUES

Woke up on a Sunday

Five post meridian

Gotta work later on Monday

Before Monday begin

I swear to god I can't take it

I swear to god I'm gonna quit this nowhere town

The world is mine, I'll take it

Woke up on a Sunday

Then again it was a Thursday

Days and nights, I can't keep them straight

I swear to god I can't take it

I swear to god I'm gonna quit this nowhere town

The world is mine, I'll take it

THE WORLD IN THE MIRROR

I'm driving alone with nowhere to go

Despite the storm I don't want to go home

The radio's on. I'm waiting to hear a sad song.

Catch myself in the rearview. I don't look long.

The world in the mirror sometimes looks so clear

But you gotta look past yourself

The reflection shows what everyone knows

You got to be true to yourself

Still driving along waiting to hear that sad song

Despite the storm I don't want to go home.

The world in the mirror sometimes looks so clear

But you gotta look past yourself

The reflection shows what everyone knows

You gotta be true to yourself

GAS STATION GIRL

She sold me cigarettes before I was eighteen

We went on secret dates

She didn't want to be seen with me

I'm in love with a gas station girl

She had a boyfriend that no one else liked

We went on secret dates

I don't want to get knifed by him

I'm in love with a gas station girl

She didn't have a car, but I didn't care.

She listened to Acid Bath - that was really weird to me

It felt precarious

Girls never really spent time with me

I'm in love

She finally got a car but instead learned to fly

She spoke Ojibwa, she travels through dreams

She wore a little makeup

She printed lipstick on me

I'm in love

I'm in love

MEDICINE FOR YOUR SADS

When life doesn't happen as you plan

High tide erased your drawing in the sand

You know what to do

Medicine for your sads

When the clock got you by both gams

Father Time playing catch-me-if-you-can

You know what to do

Medicine selectedyour sads

When you're down to your last lance

Stike the dragon, man, and strike it fast and strike it while you can

When life doesn't come out like you plan

You know what to do

Medicine for your sads

MANULO SINGS SO SWEET

Manulo sings so sweet

Sang the girl away from me

What can I do with magic ice cream clothes?

The door to her heart will open for me

Manulo makes money

Custom made guitar, you see

The only thing that can do the same for me: clothes.

The door to her heart will open for me

Manulo likes to drink

Spends time like it grows on trees

What will ten get for me? Clothes, clothes, clothes.

The door to her heart will open for me.

LET'S BE COMPANY

Hey there Mr. Fancypants

I see you shooting me a glance

From the other side of the room

There's no need to use a comb

Falsetto hair atop your dome

My man, you'll make one fine groom

And what a sad tale

Poor wife was unwell

With a hammer she left a hole in my head

One good whack, and off she went

So let's be company

You're the one for me

I need you like I need another hole in my head

My man, let me get you a drink

A toast, a song to you we sing

Good sir, I say, can you hear

That lovely little philly right down the hall?

Promenade! Make our call!

We'll be married by this time next year

Tell her our sad tale

Poor wife was unwell

No reason for leaving this hole in my head

One good whack and off she went

So let's be company

You're the one for me

I need you like I need another hole in my head

STRAWBERRY WINDOW

Strawberry window

Rectangle

Red glass in the door

Turns the world from rust to red

Immerse yourself

Forget you're on Mars

Cast the view in warm glow

Soft rose

Five feet from the floor

Sunlight don't come through the same

Through the pane

Since we're twice as far away from home.

Build the house step-by-step

Pane-by-pane

Brick-by-brick

Some assembly needed

Contingent

On a rocket ship

Soon we'll have our earthly house

Old front porch

It will be our home away from home.

Strawberry window

Rectangle

Red glass in the door

Sunlight don't come through the same

Through the pane

Since we're twice as far away,

Away from home

CHICKEN

She was tall, good looking, with long black hair

Probably didn't see me just sitting there

So I stood up, lit another cigarette

Try to get that attention

Could have made my way over with a wink and smile

Could have asked her dance, maybe talked for awhile

But instead I chose to just sit and stare like a chicken with my chances hanging in the air

I didn't lose my nerve

You can't lose what you never had

And I never had her

Let's talk about confidence

The opportunity that it presents

But you gotta have nerve

That long legged lassie in the satin dress

The way she walked put me in such a mess

She moved around in those high-heel shoes

What in the hell have I got to lose?

Made my way over with a wink and smile

Didn't ask her to dance, didn't talk for awhile

Instead, I chose to just walk on by like a chicken with my chances hanging in the air

I didn't lose my nerve

You can't lose what you never had

And I never had her

Let's talk about confidence

The opportunity that it presents

But you gotta have nerve

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