100 Songs Read online

  MISSISSIPPI

  Every step of the way we walk the line

  Your days are numbered, so are mine

  Time is pilin’ up, we struggle and we scrape

  We’re all boxed in, nowhere to escape

  City’s just a jungle, more games to play

  Trapped in the heart of it, trying to get away

  I was raised in the country, I been workin’ in the town

  I been in trouble ever since I set my suitcase down

  Got nothing for you, I had nothing before

  Don’t even have anything for myself anymore

  Sky full of fire, pain pourin’ down

  Nothing you can sell me, I’ll see you around

  All my powers of expression and thoughts so sublime

  Could never do you justice in reason or rhyme

  Only one thing I did wrong

  Stayed in Mississippi a day too long

  Well, the devil’s in the alley, mule’s in the stall

  Say anything you wanna, I have heard it all

  I was thinkin’ about the things that Rosie said

  I was dreaming I was sleeping in Rosie’s bed

  Walking through the leaves, falling from the trees

  Feeling like a stranger nobody sees

  So many things that we never will undo

  I know you’re sorry, I’m sorry too

  Some people will offer you their hand and some won’t

  Last night I knew you, tonight I don’t

  I need somethin’ strong to distract my mind

  I’m gonna look at you ‘til my eyes go blind

  Well I got here following the southern star

  I crossed that river just to be where you are

  Only one thing I did wrong

  Stayed in Mississippi a day too long

  Well my ship’s been split to splinters and it’s sinking fast

  I’m drownin’ in the poison, got no future, got no past

  But my heart is not weary, it’s light and it’s free

  I’ve got nothin’ but affection for all those who’ve sailed with me

  Everybody movin’ if they ain’t already there

  Everybody got to move somewhere

  Stick with me baby, stick with me anyhow

  Things should start to get interesting right about now

  My clothes are wet, tight on my skin

  Not as tight as the corner that I painted myself in

  I know that fortune is waitin’ to be kind

  So give me your hand and say you’ll be mine

  Well, the emptiness is endless, cold as the clay

  You can always come back, but you can’t come back all the way

  Only one thing I did wrong

  Stayed in Mississippi a day too long

  FLOATER (TOO MUCH TO ASK)

  Down over the window

  Comes the dazzling sunlit rays

  Through the back alleys—through the blinds

  Another one of them endless days

  Honey bees are buzzin’

  Leaves begin to stir

  I’m in love with my second cousin

  I tell myself I could be happy forever with her

  I keep listenin’ for footsteps

  But I ain’t hearing any

  From the boat I fish for bullheads

  I catch a lot, sometimes too many

  A summer breeze is blowing

  A squall is settin’ in

  Sometimes it’s just plain stupid

  To get into any kind of wind

  The old men ’round here, sometimes they get

  On bad terms with the younger men

  But old, young, age don’t carry weight

  It doesn’t matter in the end

  One of the boss’ hangers-on

  Comes to call at times you least expect

  Try to bully ya—strong arm you—inspire you with fear

  It has the opposite effect

  There’s a new grove of trees on the outskirts of town

  The old one is long gone

  Timber two-foot six across

  Burns with the bark still on

  They say times are hard, if you don’t believe it

  You can just follow your nose

  It don’t bother me—times are hard everywhere

  We’ll just have to see how it goes

  My old man, he’s like some feudal lord

  Got more lives than a cat

  Never seen him quarrel with my mother even once

  Things come alive or they fall flat

  You can smell the pinewood burnin’

  You can hear the school bell ring

  Gotta get up near the teacher if you can

  If you wanna learn anything

  Romeo, he said to Juliet, “You got a poor complexion.

  It doesn’t give your appearance a very youthful touch!”

  Juliet said back to Romeo, “Why don’t you just shove off

  If it bothers you so much.”

  They all got out of here any way they could

  The cold rain can give you the shivers

  They went down the Ohio, the Cumberland, the Tennessee

  All the rest of them rebel rivers

  If you ever try to interfere with me or cross my path again

  You do so at the peril of your own life

  I’m not quite as cool or forgiving as I sound

  I’ve seen enough heartaches and strife

  My grandfather was a duck trapper

  He could do it with just dragnets and ropes

  My grandmother could sew new dresses out of old cloth

  I don’t know if they had any dreams or hopes

  I had ’em once though, I suppose, to go along

  With all the ring dancin’ Christmas carols on all of the Christmas Eves

  I left all my dreams and hopes

  Buried under tobacco leaves

  It’s not always easy kicking someone out

  Gotta wait a while—it can be an unpleasant task

  Sometimes somebody wants you to give something up

  And tears or not, it’s too much to ask

  HIGH WATER (FOR CHARLEY PATTON)

  High water risin’—risin’ night and day

  All the gold and silver are being stolen away

  Big Joe Turner lookin’ east and west

  From the dark room of his mind

  He made it to Kansas City

  Twelfth Street and Vine

  Nothing standing there

  High water everywhere

  High water risin’, the shacks are slidin’ down

  Folks lose their possessions—folks are leaving town

  Bertha Mason shook it—broke it

  Then she hung it on a wall

  Says, “You’re dancin’ with whom they tell you to

  Or you don’t dance at all.”

  It’s tough out there

  High water everywhere

  I got a cravin’ love for blazing speed

  Got a hopped up Mustang Ford

  Jump into the wagon, love, throw your panties overboard

  I can write you poems, make a strong man lose his mind

  I’m no pig without a wig

  I hope you treat me kind

  Things are breakin’ up out there

  High water everywhere

  High water risin’, six inches ’bove my head

  Coffins droppin’ in the street

  Like balloons made out of lead

  Water pourin’ into Vicksburg, don’t know what I’m going to do

  “Don’t reach out for me,” she said

  “Can’t you see I’m drownin’ too?”

  It’s rough out there

  High water everywhere

  Well, George Lewis told the Englishman, the Italian and the Jew

  “Don’t open up your mind, boys,

  To every conceivable point of view.”

  They got Charles Darwin trapped out there on Highway Five
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  Judge says to the High Sheriff

  “I want him dead or alive

  Either one, I don’t care.”

  High water everywhere

  The Cuckoo is a pretty bird, she warbles as she flies

  I’m preachin’ the word of God

  I’m puttin’ out your eyes

  I asked Fat Nancy for something to eat, she said, “Take it off the shelf—

  As great as you are, man,

  You’ll never be greater than yourself.”

  I told her I didn’t really care

  High water everywhere

  I’m gettin’ up in the morning—I believe I’ll dust my broom

  Keeping away from the women

  I’m givin’ ’em lots of room

  Thunder rolling over Clarksdale, everything is looking blue

  I just can’t be happy, love

  Unless you’re happy too

  It’s bad out there

  High water everywhere

  ’CROSS THE GREEN MOUNTAIN

  (from the film Gods and Generals)

  I crossed the green mountain, I slept by the stream

  Heaven blazin’ in my head, I dreamt a monstrous dream

  Something came up out of the sea

  Swept through the land of the rich and the free

  I look into the eyes of my merciful friend

  And then I ask myself, is this the end?

  Memories linger, sad yet sweet

  And I think of the souls in heaven who will meet

  Altars are burning with flames falling wide

  The foe has crossed over from the other side

  They tip their caps from the top of the hill

  You can feel them come, more brave blood to spill

  Along the dim Atlantic line

  The ravaged land lies for miles behind

  The light’s comin’ forward and the streets are broad

  All must yield to the avenging God

  The world is old, the world is gray

  Lessons of life can’t be learned in a day

  I watch and I wait and I listen while I stand

  To the music that comes from a far better land

  Close the eyes of our Captain, peace may he know

  His long night is done, the great leader is laid low

  He was ready to fall, he was quick to defend

  Killed outright he was by his own men

  It’s the last day’s last hour of the last happy year

  I feel that the unknown world is so near

  Pride will vanish and glory will rot

  But virtue lives and cannot be forgot

  The bells of evening have rung

  There’s blasphemy on every tongue

  Let them say that I walked in fair nature’s light

  And that I was loyal to truth and to right

  Serve God and be cheerful, look upward beyond

  Beyond the darkness that masks the surprises of dawn

  In the deep green grasses of the blood stained wood

  They never dreamed of surrendering. They fell where they stood

  Stars fell over Alabama, I saw each star

  You’re walkin’ in dreams whoever you are

  Chilled are the skies, keen is the frost

  The ground’s froze hard and the morning is lost

  A letter to mother came today

  Gunshot wound to the breast is what it did say

  But he’ll be better soon he’s in a hospital bed

  But he’ll never be better, he’s already dead

  I’m ten miles outside the city and I’m lifted away

  In an ancient light that is not of day

  They were calm, they were blunt, we knew ’em all too well

  We loved each other more than we ever dared to tell

  THUNDER ON THE MOUNTAIN

  Thunder on the mountain, fires on the moon

  There’s a ruckus in the alley and the sun will be here soon

  Today’s the day, gonna grab my trombone and blow

  Well, there’s hot stuff here and it’s everywhere I go

  I was thinkin’ ’bout Alicia Keys, couldn’t keep from crying

  When she was born in Hell’s Kitchen, I was living down the line

  I’m wondering where in the world Alicia Keys could be

  I been looking for her even clear through Tennessee

  Feel like my soul is beginning to expand

  Look into my heart and you will sort of understand

  You brought me here, now you’re trying to run me away

  The writing’s on the wall, come read it, come see what it say

  Thunder on the mountain, rolling like a drum

  Gonna sleep over there, that’s where the music coming from

  I don’t need any guide, I already know the way

  Remember this, I’m your servant both night and day

  The pistols are poppin’ and the power is down

  I’d like to try somethin’ but I’m so far from town

  The sun keeps shinin’ and the North Wind keeps picking up speed

  Gonna forget about myself for a while, gonna go out and see what others need

  I’ve been sitting down studying the art of love

  I think it will fit me like a glove

  I want some real good woman to do just what I say

  Everybody got to wonder what’s the matter with this cruel world today

  Thunder on the mountain rolling to the ground

  Gonna get up in the morning walk the hard road down

  Some sweet day I’ll stand beside my king

  I wouldn’t betray your love or any other thing

  Gonna raise me an army, some tough sons of bitches

  I’ll recruit my army from the orphanages

  I been to St. Herman’s church and I’ve said my religious vows

  I’ve sucked the milk out of a thousand cows

  I got the porkchops, she got the pie

  She ain’t no angel and neither am I

  Shame on your greed, shame on your wicked schemes

  I’ll say this, I don’t give a damn about your dreams

  Thunder on the mountain heavy as can be

  Mean old twister bearing down on me

  All the ladies of Washington scrambling to get out of town

  Looks like something bad gonna happen, better roll your airplane down

  Everybody’s going and I want to go too

  Don’t wanna take a chance with somebody new

  I did all I could and I did it right there and then

  I’ve already confessed—no need to confess again

  Gonna make a lot of money, gonna go up north

  I’ll plant and I’ll harvest what the earth brings forth

  The hammer’s on the table, the pitchfork’s on the shelf

  For the love of God, you ought to take pity on yourself

  WHEN THE DEAL GOES DOWN

  In the still of the night, in the world’s ancient light

  Where wisdom grows up in strife

  My bewildering brain, toils in vain

  Through the darkness on the pathways of life

  Each invisible prayer is like a cloud in the air

  Tomorrow keeps turning around

  We live and we die, we know not why

  But I’ll be with you when the deal goes down

  We eat and we drink, we feel and we think

  Far down the street we stray

  I laugh and I cry and I’m haunted by

  Things I never meant nor wished to say

  The midnight rain follows the train

  We all wear the same thorny crown

  Soul to soul, our shadows roll

  And I’ll be with you when the deal goes down

  The moon gives light and shines by night

  I scarcely feel the glow

  We learn to live and then we forgive

  O’er the road we’re bound to go

  More frailer than the flowers, these
precious hours

  That keep us so tightly bound

  You come to my eyes like a vision from the skies

  And I’ll be with you when the deal goes down

  I picked up a rose and it poked through my clothes

  I followed the winding stream

  I heard the deafening noise, I felt transient joys

  I know they’re not what they seem

  In this earthly domain, full of disappointment and pain

  You’ll never see me frown

  I owe my heart to you, and that’s sayin’ it true

  And I’ll be with you when the deal goes down

  WORKINGMAN’S BLUES #2

  There’s an evening’s haze settling over the town

  Starlight by the edge of the creek

  The buying power of the proletariat’s gone down

  Money’s getting shallow and weak

  The place I love best is a sweet memory

  It’s a new path that we trod

  They say low wages are a reality

  If we want to compete abroad

  My cruel weapons been laid back on the shelf

  Come and sit down on my knee

  You are dearer to me than myself

  As you yourself can see

  I’m listening to the steel rails hum

  Got both eyes tight shut

  I’m just trying to keep the hunger from

  Creepin’ its way into my gut

  Meet me at the bottom, don’t lag behind

  Bring me my boots and shoes

  You can hang back or fight your best on the front line

  Sing a little bit of these workingman’s blues

  I’m sailing on back getting ready for the long haul

  Leaving everything behind

  If I stay here I’ll lose it all

  The bandits will rob me blind

  I’m trying to feed my soul with thought

  Gonna sleep off the rest of the day

  Sometimes nobody wants what you got

  Sometimes you can’t give it away

  I woke up this morning and sprang to my feet

  Went into town on a whim

  I saw my father there in the street

  At least I think it was him

  In the dark I hear the night birds call

  The hills are rugged and steep

  I sleep in the kitchen with my feet in the hall

  If I told you my whole story you’d weep

  Meet me at the bottom, don’t lag behind

  Bring me my boots and shoes

  You can hang back or fight your best on the front line

  Sing a little bit of these workingman’s blues

  They burned my barn and they stole my horse

  I can’t save a dime