SEARCHIN' FOR THE HEART OF SOUL
There was light all around you the day you were born
But when you’re raised by robots, home is never very warm
So ya did it the hard way, confused and afraid
But strong in your instincts, you were strong in the friends you made
When you’re searchin’ for the heart of soul
When you’re searchin’ for the heart of soul
When you’re searchin’ for the heart of soul
You travel a road nobody knows
When you reach the river, all your friends will be there
and The Loved Ones will embrace you
and you’ll meet the girl with golden hair
And in a springtime meadow she’ll lay you down
She might say somethin’ like,
“Good job, Socko, all your fightin’s over now
When you’re searchin’ for the heart of soul
When you’re searchin’ for the heart of soul
When you’re searchin’ for the heart of soul
You travel a road nobody knows
And we went down to the river, and then we marched ourselves in
And we were cleansed and were bidden to go out sinnin’ again
When you’re searchin’ for the heart of soul
When you’re searchin’ for the heart of soul
When you’re searchin’ for the heart of soul
You travel a road nobody knows
I SHOULD’VE NEVER LEFT TEXAS
I was drawed on by some drunk, belligerent cowboy
Who drew too slow and so he hit the ground
I hopped in the saddle and galloped away for the boarder
When they told me the kid I’d just killed was the son of judge Porter
Instead of tryin’ to be brave, I should’ve just walked away
I should’ve never left Texas
I should’ve never left Texas
I rode out the sun, I rode down the moon, then in the sun again
I ran out of luck and rode into a truck of Poncho Villa men
And the sergeant told me in Mexican that I was a spy
He said, “We’ll feed you some beans and tortillas, but tomorrow you die”
Is this a bad dream? Is this really happening?
I should’ve never left Texas
I should’ve never left Texas
I should’ve never left Texas
You can take my pistol, take my pony, take my Worlds Fair ring
But you can’t take my heart, it’s with a girl up in Abilene
Wolves and coyotes will carry me back to the border
They’ll swim with my bones in their teeth back over the water
Then I’ll never leave Texas
I should’ve never left Texas
I should’ve never left Texas
WHEN GOOD MEN DO NOTHING
Come up to me baby, come up to me quick,
be the flame atop my candlestick
Your body is amazing and I’m ready to dissolve
to where there’s no time or problems to resolve
Darkness is descending, it’s happening right now,
the wind is bright, the moon begins to howl
Oh, Jesus come save us from religion’s icy grip,
the dice are cast, the balance has been tipped
Evil flourishes when good men do nothing
I stopped to see a flower when I heard the Captain say,
“They’re easily controlled when they’re afraid.”
Using bullets and blackmail and bribes to chambermaids,
explosions hide the sound of locking gates.
I dreamed of old Abe Lincoln standing with Tom Paine,
stranded on a back road in the rain.
They were angry and disconsolate,
flummoxed and confused at how their precious plan
for freedom’s been misused.
Evil flourishes when good men do nothing
They kiss the boots that kick them, it’s stupid and it’s sad,
they salute whatever’s wrapped up in a flag.
And news is entertainment ‘til it crashes down your door
and you’re eaten by the beast that you adore.
Ya’ better get your back up and ya’ better do it fast,
ya’ better get yourself up off your ass.
‘Cuz it’s the old familiar story; the rulers and the serfs,
do nothing at that’s all that you deserve.
Evil flourishes when good men do nothing
RICH MAN BLUES
Rich people never have to wait, stand in line or clean their plate
You’ll never see a governor at the DMV,
that’s just for common folk like you and me
It’s a luxurious life rich folks live;
while chumps like us sweat it out on the grid
I got the Rich Man Blues
Rich people don’t understand that everybody doesn’t want to be like them
They think they’re smarter, prettier, better
When they go swimmin’ they think they get a little wetter
Born to the country club they never gotta pay dues
but this gives rich folks
The Rich Man Blues
Well bein’ rich can be a curse,
but give me half a second and I’ll think of somethin’ worse
Like a mama and a daddy livin’ out on the street,
cryin’ baby’s got nothin’ to eat
Home is a shopping cart down by the ditch
while rich politicians slide more tax cuts to the rich
I got the Rich Man Blues
One if by land, two if by sea,
three if our world is bein’ torn apart by greed
Look above the television and you’ll find,
what we got is just about what King George the Third had in mind.
Lords and Commons are the terms they use,
but here in America it’s just the Rich Man Blues
(I got the Rich Man Blues)
Sometimes a rich guy will go the righteous way,
like Franklin D. Roosevelt in his day
He did the right thing; he kept it real…
toppled monopolies and made The New Deal
So if you’re a rich guy lookin’ to make it right,
cut me a check, the address is on my website
My address is on my website,
I got the Rich Man Blues,
Poor folks get ‘em too
Even r
ich folks do
WINDMILL HILLS
On 580 headin’ east, you’ll pass through ‘em goin’ for the San Joaquin
And in the spring, they’re lush and lovely rollin’ in a deep dark green
It makes ya wanna stop and climb up ‘em and roll down ‘em from the top
And in the summer heat, they look like giant ladies layin’ naked in a heap, asleep
Brown from the sun, and so inviting that ya wanna lay on one (or some)
And I still get the chills every time that I ride by those windmill hills
Windmill Hills, I still get the chills
every time that I ride by those windmill hills
Up there long ago, they gave a concert starring The Rolling Stones
And people came from near and far,
like a half a million ants come to a hunk a’ candy bar
And I’ll never forget that Hells Angel with the buffalo head hat
From on top of a beat up bus, he took a leak on one of us (not me)
About a half a mile away you could just make out little Mick up there hoppin’ around on the stage
He must’ve been afraid, well I’ll admit that I was on that day
Windmill Hills, something’ in me thrills,
every time that I ride by those windmill hills
Longer still ago, the coach’s axle broke
and we all went skiddin’ off the road
We tumbled down a hill and I knew for certain that some of us were killed
But everybody lived, they patched us up and set our bones
and sent us home
And that championship is still lyin’ at the bottom of those windmill hills
Windmill Hills, I still get the chills,
every time that I ride by those windmill hills
Well, everything I’ve sung about so far in this song
happened way before those windmills came along
Enterprising speculators stuck ‘em up,
and when the wind is blowin’ now it’s blowin’ bucks
There’s money in the wind; there’s power in those hills in electricity bills
But I still get the chills, every time that I ride by those windmill hills
Windmill hills, somethin’ in me thrills
every time that I ride by those windmill hills
DEAN DON DAN
About a thousand songs and a million miles ago
I was just a kid growin’ up in Sacramento, California
Where I met a guy named Dean who played a mean guitar
He came from Houston, Texas
and he was the best as I’d seen close up so far
So I started writin’ songs and decided to make a band
He knew a guy named Don who knew a guy named Dan
Well, Don played drums and Dan’s dad owned a bass
We were just rowdy boys, makin’ noise and chasin’ the female race
And we were Dean Don Dan
Dean Don Dan
Dean Don Dan and me, we were a band
Dean Don Dan
Dean Don Dan
Dean Don Dan and me, we were a band
We were The Templars, The Regeants, The Peersonic Peer People too
‘til we traded in our surfboards for suits and high heel boots
‘Cuz it was The Stones, The Beatles, Dylan, Them with Van
We became music musical brothers, goofin’ on each other
and livin’ off the land
In our van was Dean Don Dan
Dean Don Dan
Dean Don Dan and me, we were a band
Dean Don Dan
Dean Don Dan
Dean Don Dan and me, we were a band
Dean went to Viet Nam and he never came back
I’m still writin’ songs, I got everything but cash
Don’s now a dentist gettin’ right up inside your face
Dan got married, he’s now a dad, a dad that owns a bass
And it was Dean Don Dan
Dean Don Dan
Dean Don Dan and me, we were a band
Dean Don Dan
Dean Don Dan
Dean Don Dan and me, I’m Dirk
(I still pretend this is work)
HARDBALL IN THE HOLY LAND
The people we’re fighting are all bottom feeders,
pawns of religion and lying leaders
We’ve said all our prayers, our sins are forgiven,
somebody gets killed now they’ll go straight to heaven
Hardball in the Holy Land, Armageddon Ball Park’s fillin’ up with fans
Hardball in the Holy Land
Hardball in the Holy Land, it’s a swing and a miss on a field of sand
Hardball in the Holy Land
Yep, we’re playin’ Hardball in the Holy Land
The weapons they’re using were invented by us
They’re very good weapons so think positive thoughts
Commanders in armor will lead from behind sayin’,
“Go ahead attack now, everything’ll be fine”
Hardball in the Holy Land, Armageddon Ball Park’s fillin’ up with fans
Hardball in the Holy Land
Hardball in the Holy Land,
Mr. Death is up to bat and the pitcher’s pitchin’ underhand
in the Holy Land, yes we’re playin’ Hard Ball in the Holy Land
Hardball in the Holy Land, Armageddon Ball Park’s fillin’ up with fans
Hardball in the Holy Land
Hardball in the Holy Land, we kill and get killed and we don’t quite understand
in the Holy Land, yeah we’re playin’ Hardball in the Holy Land
We’re Playin’ Hardball in the Holy Land
FEATHER
Her mother married Hank then Lloyd in smoke and alcohol
Her daddy’s got his trophy panties pinned up on a wall
And at these broken family digs I make myself real small
But Feather’s in her comfort zone; half-sisters, half-brothers
Stepfathers, stepmothers, full Ex’s, ex-inlaws and all…
She’s sweet and nice but made of ice beneath her winter coat
Her heart is like a castle surrounded by a mote
And only for the children will she let the drawbridge down
‘cuz every man reminds her of her daddy and must drown
Feather Fair Weather not forever
Well, it’s ‘I do’ for me and you, but for her ‘I do’ just means; ‘until I don’t’
Feather Fair Weather, not forever
She taught me how to be a king then took away my crown
So I invented clever things to say to put her down
I wasn’t always good to her, I didn’t do my best
but we could rock the universe at night, alone, undressed
Feather Fair Weather, very clever
She’s got a secret side and I was blind sided when she said good bye
It’s tragic when loves magic princess turns to witch
But let me pull this curtain back and flip the get real switch
Feather see this family here in sunlight clean and true
Love’s a word, it can be a verb; something you can DO
Feather Fair Weather not forever
Well, it’s ‘I do’ for me and you, but for her ‘I do’ just means; ‘until I don’t’
Feather Fair Weather, not forever
Feather Fair Weather, very clever
She’s got a secret side and I was blind sided when she said good bye
I said Feather Fair Weather, not forever
ALL THE PEOPLE IN THIS WORLD
My little daughter came up to ask me, “What’s kidnapping,
I wanna know?”
I had to tell her all about anger and evil people, it hurt me so
And I will never forget the look on her face,
the gesture and the way she stood
When she said, “Huh… I thought all the people in this world were good!”
God and the devil, good and evil, light and darkness, I understand
But how could anyone hurt a little one?
It could make me get a gun and kill a man
And I will never forget the look on her face,
the gesture and the way she stood
When she said, “Huh… I thought all the people in this world were good!”
You know it seems to me that most of history
was shaped and written by crazy men
Men who are greedy and seem to need to be some kind of god,
not just a man
And as the teeter-totter tips between the flower and the shrouded hood
I’m thinkin’, “Huh… most of the people in this world are good”
BROKEN
The place is a wreck, she’s out on the back porch smokin’
When he tells her it looks like a crack house, she laughs like he’s jokin’
She can’t see what’s in front of her face with both eyes open
She’s locked up inside of her mind, she’s broken
She keeps sending him memos that lack in specifics
He leaves her a poem in hieroglyphics
She tells him a secret but it’s just a token
Their love’s no good anymore, it’s broken
In her crystal hall lights are reflecting
Lines in kaleidoscope logic intersecting
But from the house of cards that she’d been making
comes the sorrowful sound of breaking
You can trust someone, but they may betray you
Leave it all in the hands of some god, believe what you need to
Go down to the house of mirrors, choose the one that’s the real you
And if you can get that done, pick one out for me too
Ah, you tried so hard at love and devotion
Ya put all your hopes in a bottle but it shattered on a wave in the ocean
Ah, give me a whiskey and a tube full of lotion
and I’ll flash you the high sign when you hit the right motion
In your crystal hall, lights are reflecting
Lines is kaleidoscope colors, intersecting
But from the house of cards that you’d been making
Comes the sickening sound of breaking
Boot up the computer; turn on the television and every appliance
Start all the cars; open all the bars, close only silence
Leave no song unsung, no word unspoken
This world’s no good anymore, it’s broken
COMING TO LIGHT
Take a gentle sunrise and smack him in the face,
hit him so hard that it gets sun dust every place
try and wipe it off with all your might, but you’ve come to light
I was once an angry young two-fisted fool.
My offense was my defense and I danced quick and cool,
‘til Life threw a left and then a right, and I came to light
Ignorance and Fear both went out for a walk,
Love stepped in and the three began to talk
when Fear disappeared into the night…
“Life is an illusion”, the condemned man sighed
His family left the prison with tears in their eyes,
the demonstrators demonstrated, “Kill this guy!”
the protestors protested, “Killin’s not right”
The prisoner took the chair without a fight, and he came to light
Ah love, Oh soul, on we go
Every generation is better than the last,
but the evidence will testify we’re going nowhere fast
The king’s still in the castle, the peasant’s in the mud
and the sheik’s jet fighters fly on poor folk’s blood,
we travel through a long dark night, coming to light
Hey, little song up there I’m waiting here for you,
I’ve tried to reach you but I can’t get through
so I’ll just wish you well, knowing when the time is right...
Let a gentle sunset sock you in the face,
hit you so hard that it gets moon dust everyplace
It can happen right now, or it’ll happen when you die,
you’ll come to light
TIME TO CLOSE
There’s somethin’ stupid going on here,
and all the waiters here are rude
Candlelight distorts their faces and creates an ominous mood,
like someone’s poisoning the food
Curling ‘round the town the dirty weather,
crawling out the TVs come the clowns
Cyborg battalions comb the county, ballerina parachutes float down
When people unexpectedly explode, soon it will be time to close
Nothing here is ever what it seems to be,
the future’s fixed by things nobody saw
A paper cut becomes a mortal wound sometimes,
poke a gyroscope and it will fall
It is a natural law, you can wait and watch or take an overdose
Whatever you do it’s time to close
Smoke from burning lessons yet unlearned,
hides the fact that the tide has turned
Every sentence said rings out in rhyme
and the poets are heard for the first time
And every song is spontaneously composed,
and every illusion exposed
When the god that they invented blows his nose,
the cosmos cracks and it all implodes
And everything is nothin’ now you know,
so just laugh and say it’s time to close |
