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
