LYRICS

Jim Croce Handwritten Lyrics2.JPG
 

Jim Croce carried around a small notebook and put his tape recorder in the cab of the truck he drove to record the material that later became his musical legacy. His mind was full of pictures, mental photographs and memories that he shared with us through his songs.

 
 

(Click Each Title To Expand)

 
 

+ And I Remember Her

Met her in the summer She was selling flowers In the streets of Paris And we passed away the hours Talking with our eyes and laughing 'Cause I spoke not her language Still I remember her

Still we understood completely That our love would last no longer Than the mornings early chime Still I cannot forget her And the hours we spent together And the time that she was mine And I remember her

At first I felt uneasy Cause she didn't care to know me Till our bodies introduced us And we cared to know no more In her softness warmth and giving In her selfless way of living She had taught me so much more

Still we understood completely That our love would last no longer Than the mornings early chime Still I cannot forget her And the hours we spent together And the time that she was mine And I remember her

We parted in the rainy streets of Paris She looked at me as though I'd never been Then disappeared into a crowd of strangers Her flowers in her hand To sell her life again

Still we understood completely That our love would last no longer Than the mornings early chime Still I cannot forget her And the hours we spent together And the time that she was mine And I remember her And I remember her…

+ A Long Time Ago

Seems like such a long time ago, I was walking on a lonely road. Getting tired of dreaming alone, Like all the lonely people I had known.

Seems like such a long time ago, There was no one who would share my song. I was just a boy far from home, But I became a man when you came along.

We spent the whole night talking. You said you’d like to see the sunrise. But in the gold of morning, There was nothing that I had not seen in your eyes.

I was so afraid to touch you, Thought you were too young, to know. So I just watched you sleeping. Then you woke and said to me, The night is cold, it frightens me. But I could sleep so easy next to you.

Wasn’t very long ago, You said that you would like to share my road. Then you started singing my song. Spent so many nights a-waiting, Let’s not spend a moments wasting time, Because we have very far to go. I will go if you will take me, I have never had a lover. I am young but I am so alone.

We spent the whole night talking. You said you’d like to see the sunrise. But in the gold of morning, Was nothing that I had not seen in your eyes.

+ Alabama Rain

Lazy days in mid-July, country Sunday mornings Dusty haze on summer highways, sweet magnolia calling Now and then I find myself thinking of the days That we were walking in the Alabama rain

Drive-in movies Friday night, drinking beer and laughin' Somehow things were always right, just don't know what happened Now and then I find myself thinking of the days That we were walking in the Alabama rain

We were only kids but then, I’ve never heard it said That kids can't fall in love and feel the same I can still remember the first time I told I loved you

On a dusty mid-July, country summer's evening A weeping willow sang its lullaby and shared our secrets Now and then I find myself thinking of the days That we were walking in the Alabama rain

+ Age

I've been up and down and round and 'round and back again I've been so many places I can't remember where or when And my only boss was the clock on the wall and my only friend Never really was a friend at all

I've traded love for pennies, sold my soul for less Lost my ideals in that long tunnel of time I've turned inside out and roundabout and back and then Found myself right back where I started again

Once I had myself a million, now I've only got a dime The difference don't seem quite as bad today With a nickel or a million, I was searching all the time For something that I never lost or left behind

I've traded love for pennies, sold my soul for less Lost my ideals in that long tunnel of time I've turned inside out and roundabout and back again Found myself right back where I started again

Now I'm in my second circle and I'm headin' for the top I've learned a lot of things along the way I'll be careful while I'm climbin' 'cause it hurts a lot to drop And when you’re down nobody gives a damn anyway

I've traded love for pennies, sold my soul for less Lost my ideals in that long tunnel of time I've turned inside out and roundabout and back and then Found myself right back where I started again.

+ Another Day, Another Town

My dusty feet have kicked the stones Between a thousand railroad ties From Boston down to New Orleans I left the girls a cryin’ But I’ve still got some ramblin’ in me Got some miles left on my shoes. Before I take a job again, I’ll have to be low down and cryin’ the blues

So it’s goodbye, baby, the whistle is a blowin’ If I miss the train, I’ll have to stay around. But as long as those railroad tracks go on unending, I’ll be off to another day in another town. Say you’d like to ramble with me, This ain’t no life for a girl, Too many people out to get you in a hobo’s world And it gets mighty cold when you’re on the road, Cause a boxcar never was a home, But you could join me if you want, I'm getting mighty tired of bein' alone So it’s goodbye, baby, the whistle is a blowin’ If we miss the train, we’ll have to stay around. But as long as those railroad tracks go on unending, We’ll be off to another day in another town.

We’ll be off to another day in another town.

+ A Good Time Man Like Me Ain't Got No Business (Singing The Blues)

I was born to sing a good time song, You know that nothing used to bring me down; ‘Til the day I fell in love with you, And baby, that’s the day I found You had me singin’ the blues, singin’ the blues, ya, But a good time man like me Ain’t got no bi’ness singin’ the blues.

Go on, woman, get out of here, You know that I don’t want a see your face; ‘Cause the things you’re doin’ to this boy’s mind, Is just an absolute disgrace. You got me singin’ the blues, singin’ the blues, ya, But a good time man like me Ain’t got no bi’ness singin’ the blues. Never gonna fall in love again, You know I learned my lesson well; I played the game of love and lost my heart, You can believe me when I tell ya That I’m singin’ the blues, singin’ the blues, ya But a good time man like me Ain’t got no bi’ness singin’ the blues. You got me singin’ the blues, singin’ the blues, ya, But a good time man like me Ain’t got no bi’ness singin’ the blues.

+ Bad, Bad Leroy Brown

Well the south side of Chicago Is the baddest part of town And if you go down there You better just beware Of a man name of Leroy Brown

Now Leroy more than trouble You see he stand ‘bout six foot four All the downtown ladies call him treetop lover All the mens just call him Sir

And it’s bad, bad Leroy Brown The baddest man in the whole damn town Badder than old King Kong And meaner than a junkyard dog

Now Leroy he’s a gambler And he like his fancy clothes And he like to wave his diamond rings In front of everybody’s nose

He’s got a custom continental He’s got an El Dorado too He’s got a thirty-two gun in his pocket for fun He’s got a razor in his shoe

And it’s bad, bad Leroy Brown The baddest man in the whole damn town Badder than old King Kong And meaner than a junkyard dog

Well Friday ‘bout a week ago Leroy shootin’ dice And at the edge of the bar Sat a girl named Doris And ooh that girl looked nice

Well he cast his eyes upon her And the trouble soon began And Leroy Brown learned a lesson ‘Bout messin’ with the wife of a jealous man

And it’s bad, bad Leroy Brown The baddest man in the whole damn town Badder than old King Kong And meaner than a junkyard dog

Well the two men took to fightin’ And when they pulled them from the floor Leroy looked like a jigsaw puzzle With a couple of pieces gone And it’s bad, bad Leroy Brown The baddest man in the whole damn town Badder than old King Kong And meaner than a junkyard dog And he was badder than old King Kong And meaner than a junkyard dog

+ Big Fat Woman

You big fat woman get your fat leg off of me You big fat woman get your fat leg off of me You feel so good Scare the hell out of me

You got a great big leg Got a whoppin' thigh Great big leg Got a whoppin' thigh Now oooh-ee! You got a great big leg Got a whoppin' thigh And every time you move make my temperature rise

That fine lookin' woman got a great big leg Fine lookin' woman got a great big leg Yeah big fat woman with a great big leg Big fat woman got a great big leg And every time she moves Moves like a soft boiled egg

So big fat woman get your fat leg off of me Now you obese woman get your fat leg off of me You feel so good Scare the hell out of me

+ Big Wheel

Big wheel, don't you roll Big diesel, don't you whine Through the night as I'm runnin' down the road Big semi, don't you stop, 'cause if you do I'm not Gonna make it back to Baltimore with my load

Well, the truckstop's warm and friendly And the coffee keeps me up And the waitress there would like to waste my time But I'll have to pass it by As it's down the road I fly Just a racin' with that pocket watch of mine

Smoke a-puffin', tires a-hummin' Burnin' up the road Countin' road signs and the miles to Baltimore One eye out for weighin' stations One for radar traps They can't stop me, 'cause my plans don't call for that Big wheel, don't you roll Big diesel, don't you whine Through the night as I'm runnin' down the road Big semi, don't you stop, 'cause if you do I'm not Gonna make it back to Baltimore with my load

+ Box #10

Well out of southern Illinois, come a down home country boy He’s gonna make it in the city, playin’ guitar in the studio Well he hadn’t been there an hour, when he met this Broadway flower You know she took him for his money and she left him in a cheap hotel

Well it’s easy for you to see that, that country boy is me I’m sayin’ how’m I gonna ever break the news to the folks back home Well I was gonna be a great success, things sure ended up a mess But in the process, I got messed up too

Well hello Momma and Dad I had to call collect ‘Cause I ain’t got a cent to my name Well I’m sleepin’ in the hotel doorway And tonight they say it’s gonna rain And if you’d only send me some money I’d be back on my feet again Send it in care of the Sunday Mission Box Number 10

Oh back in southern Illinois, they’re still worryin’ bout their boy But this boy’s goin’ home soon as he gets the fare Because as soon as I got my bread, I got a pipe upside my head You know they left me in an alley, took my money and my guitar too

Well hello Momma and Dad I had to call collect ‘Cause I ain’t got a cent to my name Well I’m sleepin’ in the hotel doorway And tonight they say it’s gonna rain And if you’d only send me some money I’d be back on my feet again Send it in care of the Sunday Mission Box Number 10

+ Careful Man

I don't gamble, I don't fight I don't be hangin' in the bars at night Yeah I used to be a fighter but Now I’m a wiser man

I don't drink much, I don't smoke I don't be hardly mess around with no dope Yeah I used to be a problem but Now I’m a careful man

But if you used to want to see a commotion You should’a seen the man that I used to be I was trouble in perpetual motion Trouble with a capital "T" Stayin' out late, havin' fun And shot off every single shot in my gun Yeah I used to be a lover but Now I'm an older man

But if you used to want to see a commotion You should’a seen the man that I used to be I was trouble in perpetual motion Trouble with a capital "T" Stayin' out late, havin' fun And shot off every single shot in my gun Yeah I used to be a terror but Now I’m a tired man Yeah I used to be a terror but Now I am a tired man

+ Chain Gang Medley

Written by: Sam Cooke

That's the sound of the men working on the chain gang That's the sound of the men working on the chain gang All day long they work so hard ‘til the sun is goin' down Working on the highways and byways and wearin', wearin' a frown Hear them moanin' their lives away Then you hear somebody say That's the sound of the men working on the chain gang That's the sound of the men working on the chain gang

+ He Don't Love You

Written by: J. Butler, C. Mayfield & C. Carter

He don't love you, like I love you If he did he wouldn't break your heart He don't love you, like I love you He's tryin’ to tear us apart

Searchin' Written by: Jerry Leiber & Mike Stoller

Gonna find her, I’m gonna find her, I'm gonna find her Oh, if I have to climb a mountain, you know I will And if I have to swim a river, you know I will And I might find her hidin' up on Blueberry Hill How am I gonna find her, child, you know I will

Cause I'm goin' searchin' I'm goin' searchin' Searchin' every which a’way Just like some Northwest Mountie

That's the sound of the men working on the chain gang That's the sound of the men working on the chain gang All day long they work so hard ‘til the sun is goin' down Working on the highways and byways and wearin', wearin' a frown Hear them moanin' their lives away Then you hear somebody say That's the sound of the men working on the chain gang That's the sound of the men working on the chain gang

That's the sound of the men working on the chain gang That's the sound of the men working on the chain gang That's the sound of the men working on the chain gang That's the sound of the men working on the chain gang That's the sound of the men working on the chain gang That's the sound of the men working on the chain gang

+ Charlie Green Play That Slide Trombone

I know a fool who blows a horn, He comes from way down South, oh yeah, And you ain’t seen such blowin’ since you been born, Like when a trombone’s to his mouth.

He wails and moans, grunts and groans, He can moan just like a cow; And you ain’t seen such blowin’, Since you been born, Cause he won’t show ‘em how.

Oh, Charlie, won’t you play that thing, I mean the slide trombone. Make it talk, Make it sing, I mean the slide trombone. If Gabriel knew how you could blow, He’d let you lead his band, I know. Oh, Charlie, won’t you play that thing, I mean the slide trombone.

Oh, Charlie, play that thing, I mean the slide trombone.

Make it talk, make it sing, I mean the slide trombone.

Now you ain’t seen such movin’ hips, Like when the trombone’s to his lips. Charlie Green, play that thing, I mean the slide trombone,

Oh, yeah, I mean the slide trombone, Mmhm.

+ Child of Midnight

She stood by the window and let down her hair Asked if I knew that I shouldn't be there Her lips said goodbye but her body said stay I knew I should go But I stayed anyway

And they called her Child of Midnight And they say she'd love whomever she'd find But when morning came I loved her And she stayed there in my mind

She stood by the window and let down her hair Asked if I thought that it was right That she'd give her body and I'd give my mind Looked for an answer through the night

And they called her Child of Midnight And they say she'd love whomever she'd find But when morning came I loved her And she stayed there in my mind

She stood by the window and tied up her hair Acted as if I had never been there Her lips said goodbye and her body said stay I knew I should go, but I stayed anyway

And they called her Child of Midnight And they say she'd love whomever she'd find But when morning came I loved her And she stayed there in my mind.

+ Cigarettes, Whiskey and Wild, Wild Women

Written By: Buck Owens

Cigarettes, whiskey and wild, wild women They'll drive you crazy, they'll drive you insane Cigarettes, whiskey and wild, wild women They'll drive you crazy, they'll drive you insane

Once I was happy and I had a good wife I had enough money to last me for life I met with a gal and we went on a spree She taught me to smoke and drink whiskey Write on the cross at the head of my grave For women and whiskey, here lies a poor slave Take warning, dear strangers, take warning, dear friends Then write in big letters these words at the end

Cigarettes, whiskey and wild, wild women They'll drive you crazy, they'll drive you insane Cigarettes, whiskey and wild, wild women They'll drive you crazy, they'll drive you insane

+ Coal Tattoo

Travelin' down that coal town road, Listenin’ to my steel wheels whine; Goodbye to Buckeye and White Sycamore, I'm leavin' you behind.

I’ve been a coal man all my life, Layin' down tracks in the hole, Got a back like an ironwood bent by the wind, Blood veins blue as the coals.

Somebody said, "That's a strange tattoo You have on the side of your head." I said, "That's the mark of the number nine coal A little more and I'd be dead."

But I love the rumble and I love the dark, I love the cool of the slate. But this goin’ down the road and lookin' for a job, Is travelin' and runnin' I hate. Is travelin’ and runnin’ I hate.

Someday when I die, And to Heaven I go, To Heaven, the land of my dreams. I won't have to worry about losin' my job, To bad times and big machines. Still I’ve got no job and I’ve got no pay, Just got a worried soul. And this blue tattoo on the side of my head, Left by the number nine coal. Left by the number nine coal. Left by the number nine coal.

+ Cotton Mouth River

Well, I know that I shouldn't have done it I know that it just wasn't right 'Cause they got me backed up to the Cotton Mouth River And I can't cross late at night

Yeah, there's lots of stories told about the Cotton Mouth River They tell them time and again About the men who tried to cross that river by moonlight And never were heard from again

If I had my life to live over I'd have gone to work that day Instead of goin' into town and shootin' him down For a thing I never heard him say

Yeah, there's lots of stories told about the Cotton Mouth River They tell them time and again About the men who tried to cross that river by moonlight And never was heard from again

Well, I just made it through the canebrake And I got one foot in the mud I can hear the hounds a-bayin' but the snake around my ankle Is tellin' me my running' days are done

Yeah, there's lots of stories told about the Cotton Mouth River They tell them time and again About the men who tried to cross that river by moonlight And never were heard from again

Yeah, there's lots of stories told about the Cotton Mouth River They tell them time and again About the men who tried to cross that river by moonlight And never were heard from again

+ Country Girl

She was just a country girl Didn't have those New York City ways When she hopped a bus in Ohio Headin' for the crowded streets where no one says a word

She was just a country girl Living in the lonely city Met a man who learned her name She became a woman on a rainy New York night There's a new day dawnin' in the city She calls her Mama collect Sayin', "Mama send bus fare back to Ohio Have somebody meet me at the depot!" She was just a country girl Spent some time in New York City Now she tells her friends about, Lonely New York City And her lonely New York nights

There's a new day dawnin' in the city She calls her Mama collect Sayin', "Mama send bus fare back to Ohio Have somebody meet me at the depot!"

She was just a country girl She was just a country girl

+ Dreamin' Again

Don't you know I had a dream last night, that you were here with me Lyin' by my side so soft and warm And we talked a while and shared a smile, then we shared the dawn But when I woke up, ah my dream, it was gone

Don't you know I had a dream last night, and you were here with me Lyin' by my side so soft and warm And you said that you'd thought it over, you said that you were comin' home But when I woke up, ah my dream, it was gone

I'm not the same, can you blame me Is it hard to understand I can't forget, you can't change me I am not that kind of man

Don't you know I had a dream last night, and everything was still You were by my side so soft and warm And I dreamed that we were lovers, in the lemon scented rain And when I woke up, oh I found it again I had been dreamin', dreamin' again I had been dreamin', dreamin' again

+ Five Short Minutes

Well, she was standing by my dressing room after the show Asking for my autograph and asked if she could go Back to my motel room But the rest is just a tragic tale Because five short minutes of lovin' Done brought me twenty long years in jail

Well, like a fool in a hurry I took her to my room She casted me in plaster while I sang her a tune Then I said, "Oooh-ee!" Sure was a tragic tale Because five short minutes of lovin' Done brought me twenty long years in jail

Well, then a judge and a jury sat me in a room They say that robbin' the cradle is worse than robbin' the tomb Then I said "Oooh-ee!" Sure was a tragic tale (Wasn't worth it, wasn't worth it!) Because five short minutes of lovin' Done brought me twenty long years in jail

And when I get out of this prison gonna be forty-five I'll know I used to like to do it but I won't remember why (Wasn't worth it, wasn't worth it!) I'll say "Oooh-ee!” Sure was a tragic tale Because five short minutes of lovin' Done brought me twenty long years in jail

Because five short minutes of lovin' Done brought me twenty long years in jail

+ Hard Hearted Hannah

Written by: Jack Yellen

In old Savannah, I said Savannah, The weather there is nice and warm! The climates of a Southern brand, But here's what I don't understand: They got a gal there, A pretty gal there, who's colder than an Arctic storm, Got a heart just like a stone, Even ice men leave her alone!

They call her Hard Hearted Hannah, The vamp of Savannah, The meanest gal in town; Leather is tough, but Hannah's heart is tougher, She's a gal who loves to see men suffer!

To tease 'em, and thrill 'em, to torture and kill 'em, Is her delight, they say, I saw her at the seashore with a great big pan, There was Hannah pouring water on a drowning man, She's Hard Hearted Hannah, the vamp of Savannah, GA!

They call her Hard Hearted Hannah, The vamp of Savannah, The meanest gal in town; Talk of your cold, refrigeratin' mamas, Brother, she's a polar bear's pajamas! To tease 'em, and thrill 'em, to torture and kill 'em, Is her delight, they say, An evening spent with Hannah sittin' on your knees, Is like travelin' through Alaska in your BVDs, She's Hard Hearted Hannah, the vamp of Savannah, GA!

Can you imagine a woman as cold as Hannah, She's got the right name, the vamp of Savannah; Any time a woman can take a great big pan, And start pouring water on a drownin' man, She's Hard Hearted Hannah The vamp of Savannah GA!

+ Hard Time Losin' Man

And you think you've seen trouble Well you're lookin' at the man ah ha Oh, the world's own original hard luck story And a hard time losin' man

Oh, sometimes skies are cloudy And sometimes skies are blue And sometimes they say that you eat the bear But sometimes the bear eats you And sometimes I feel like I should go Far far away and hide 'Cause I keep a waitin' for my ship to come in And all that ever comes is the tide

And you think you've seen trouble Well you're lookin' at the man ah ha Oh, the world's own original hard luck story And a hard time losin' man

Oh I saved up all my money I gonna buy me a flashy car So I go downtown to see the man And he smokin' on a big cigar Well he must'a thought I were Rockefeller Or an uptown man of wealth He said "Boy I got the car that's made for you And it's cleaner than the Board of Health" Then I got on the highway...oh, I feelin' fine...I hit a bump Then I found I bought a car held together By wire, and a couple a' hunks of twine

And you think you've seen trouble Well you're lookin' at the man ah ha Oh, the world's own original hard luck story And a hard time losin' man

Oh, Friday night, feelin' right I head out on the street Standin' in the doorway Was a dealer known as Pete Well he sold me a dime of some super fine Dynamite from Mexico I spent all that night Just tryin' to get right On an ounce of Oregano

And you think you've seen trouble Well you're lookin' at the man ah ha Oh, the world's own original hard luck story And a hard time losin' man

+ Hey Tomorrow

Hey tomorrow, where are you goin' Do you have some room for me 'Cause night is fallin' and the dawn is callin' I'll have a new day if she'll have me

Hey tomorrow, I can't show you nothin' You've seen it all pass by your door So many times I said I been changin' Then slipped into patterns of what happened before

"Cause I've been wasted and I've over-tasted All the things that life gave to me And I've been trusted, abused and busted And I've been taken by those close to me

Hey tomorrow you've gotta believe that I'm through wastin' whats left of me 'Cause night is fallin' and the dawn is callin' I'll have a new day if she'll have me

+ I Am Who I Am

Perhaps I'll never show this world All I could be: I just can't sing to any man The song he wants to hear. And I know that some won't like me, Others try to be my friend; But I'm all of me, And that's all that I am.

And if life is for the living, Then why can't men be real, 'Stead of hidin' in their costumes, Forgettin' how to feel, Forgettin' how to feel. We feel. We still live in a time when manners Cover what is real; There's a basic fact of life that The times cannot conceal.

That if some are masqueraders, Others live in their facade. But I'm what I am, I cannot be what I am not.

And if life is for the living, Then why can't men be real, 'Stead of hidin' in their costumes, Forgettin' how to feel, Forgettin' how to feel. We feel. I may be to honest And offend those who pretend; I don't claim I'm always right, That I'm ev'ry body's friend. Perhaps for them it's easier To be what they are not; But I'm what I am, And I just can't play that part.

And if life is for the living, then why can't men be real, 'Stead of hidin' in their costumes, forgettin' how to feel, forgettin' how to feel. We feel.

+ I Got A Name

Like the pine trees linin' the windin road I've got a name, I've got a name Like the singin bird and the croakin' toad I've got a name, I've got a name And I carry it with me like my Daddy did But I'm livin' the dream that he kept hid Movin' me down the highway Rollin' me down the highway Movin' ahead so life won't pass me by

Like the north wind whistlin' down the sky I've got a song, I've got a song Like the whippoorwill and the baby's cry I've got a song, I've got a song And I carry it with me and I sing it loud If it gets me nowhere, I'll go there proud Movin' me down the highway Rollin' me down the highway Movin' ahead so life wont pass me by

And I'm gonna go there free Like the fool I am and I'll always be I've got a dream, I've got a dream They can change their minds but they can't change me

I've got a dream, I've got a dream Oh, I know I could share it if you want me to If you're going my way, I'll go with you Movin' me down the highway Rollin' me down the highway Movin' ahead so life wont pass me by

+ I'll Have to Say I Love You In A Song

Well, I know its kind of late I hope I didnt wake you But what I got to say cant wait I know you'd understand Cause every time I tried to tell you The words just came out wrong So I'll have to say I love you in a song

Yeah, I know its kind of strange But every time I'm near you I just run out of things to say I know you'd understand Cause every time I tried to tell you The words just came out wrong So I'll have to say I love you in a song

Cause every time the time was right All the words just came out wrong So I'll have to say I love you in a song

Yeah, I know it's kind of late I hope I didn't wake you But there's something that I just got to say I know you'd understand Cause every time I tried to tell you The words just came out wrong So I'll have to say I love you in a song

+ I Remember Mary

I remember Mary, She was so hard to find, or was I blind. People said, "Be wary, She'll take your heart if you're kind, then she'll take your mind."

But she said "If you're lonely, you have only to come runnin' down to my place and see me; Just come runnin' down any time and see me, Come and see me, if you can."

I went down to Mary, She said, "You're spending your time, wasting mine." I went down to Mary, I got a long way to climb, for what i want to find. She said, "Lover, you touch just a bit too much of my world, you need someone you can be sure of; I know one thing you don't need more of, You don't need more of me."

Lord, I'm weary, I spend my life wastin' time, wastin' time. Lord, I'm ready, About to spend my last dime, my last dime. 'If you're lonely, you have only to come runnin' down to my place and see me; Just come runnin' down any time and see me, come and see me, if you can."

+ It Doesn't Have to Be That Way

Snowy nights and Christmas lights, Icy windowpanes, Make me wish that we could be Together again.

And the windy winter avenues, Just don't seem the same, And the Christmas carols sound like blues, But the choir is not to blame.

But it doesn't have to be that way. What we had should never have ended. I'll be dropping by today. We could easily get it together tonight. It's only right.

Crowded stores, the corner Santa Claus, Tinseled afternoons, And the sidewalk bands play their songs, Slightly out of tune.

Down the windy winter avenues, There walks a lonely man, And if I told you who he is, Well I think you'd understand.

But it doesn't have to be that way. What we had should never have ended. I'll be dropping by today. We could easily get it together tonight. It's only right.

No, it doesn't have to be that way. What we had should never have ended. I'll be dropping by today. We could easily get it together tonight. It's only right.

+ Just Another Day

If it were just another day, you know I might have stayed, But I couldn't hang around to be beaten to the ground. You asked me for something you know I couldn't lend you tired to make me break but it hurt too much to bend. And the more I see of what used to be our love, I find that we've just been going nowhere and we're never gonna get there and we're wastin' our time.

If I were just another guy you know I might have tried to fit into your schemes and to have a plastic dream. You asked me for something you know I couldn't lend you tried to make me break but it hurt too much to bend.

And the more I see of what used to be our love, I find that we've just been going nowhere and we're never gonna get there and we're wastin' our time.

It was just another lie I couldn't swallow when I tried just enough to realize I'd been pretendin' all the time. You asked me for something you know I couldn't lend you tried to make me break but it hurt too much to bend.

And the more I see of what used to be our love, I find that we've just been going nowhere and we're never gonna get there and we're wastin' our time.

You asked me for something you know I couldn't lend you tried to make me break but it hurt too much to bend.

And the more I see of what used to be our love, I find that we've just been going nowhere and we're never gonna get there and we're wastin' our time.

And the more I see of what used to be our love, I find that we've just been going nowhere and we're never gonna get there and we're wastin' our time.

And the more I see of what used to be our love, I find that we've just been going nowhere and we're never gonna get there and we're wastin' our time.

And the more I see of what used to be our love, I find that we've just been going nowhere and we're never gonna get there and we're wastin' our time.

+ King's Song

He struggled so hard to be king Working night and day Dreaming of only one thing Never a holiday Somewhere along the way He forgot she was only a girl Now his kingdom has fallen And it's really quite a tragic tale 'Cause he built a castle to harbor his queen But the queen claimed he built her a jail

He struggled so hard to be king He wanted everything He built her a house by the sea Just to keep her in Somewhere along the way He forgot she needed a friend Now his kingdom has fallen And it's really quite a tragic tale 'Cause he built a castle to harbor his queen And the queen claimed he built her a jail

It happened so quickly before he could know She was gone, far gone Far from the castle, the diamonds and things She had worn to the ball There was a note that she carefully wrote Signed it best wishes to all Oh you struggled so hard to be king Working night and day Dreaming of only one thing, never a holiday Somewhere along the way You forgot that I needed a man

When they found him they took him back where he belonged And his family and friends saw him annually And they say it's a shame what's become of the king

+ Lover's Cross

Guess that it was bound to happen Was just a matter of time But now I've come to my decision And its a-one of the painful kind 'Cause now it seems that you wanted a martyr Just a regular guy wouldn't do But baby, I can't hang upon no lover's cross for you

You really got to hand it to ya 'Cause girl you really tried But for every time that we spent laughin' There were two times that I cried And you were tryin' to make me your martyr And that's the one thing I just couldn't do 'Cause baby, I can't hang upon no lover's cross for you

'Cause tables are meant for turnin' And people are bound to change And bridges are meant for burnin' When the people and memories they join aren't the same

Still I hope that you can find Another who can take what I could not He'll have to be a super guy Or maybe a super god 'Cause I never was much of a martyr before And I ain't bout to start nothin' new And baby, I cant hang upon no lover's cross for you

+ The Edge of Your Day

Where there is a dream there is a hope for you, Where there is a love there is a way. Coming from the edges of the night to you, Coming from the edges of your day.

Waiting in your towers, keeping all my flowers, If you need me come close now and receive me.

While there is a moment there is time for you, Even though your time is far away. Deep within the night I send my love to you, Reaching from the edges of your day.

Spending all my hours, dreaming of your towers, If you need me come close now and receive me.

+ Mama Tried

The first thing I remember knowing, Was a lonesome whistle blowing, And a young un's dream of growing up to ride; On a freight train leaving town, Not knowing where I'm bound, No one could change my mind but Mama tried.

One and only rebel child, From a family, meek and mild: My Mama seemed to know what lay in store. Despite all my Sunday learning, Towards the bad, I kept on turning. 'Til Mama couldn't hold me anymore.

And I turned twenty-one in prison doing life without parole. No one could steer me right but Mama tried, Mama tried. Mama tried to raise me better, but her pleading, I denied. That leaves only me to blame 'cause Mama tried.

Dear old Daddy, rest his soul, Left my Mom a heavy load; She tried so very hard to fill his shoes. Working hours without rest, Wanted me to have the best. She tried to raise me right but I refused.

And I turned twenty-one in prison doing life without parole. No-one could steer me right but Mama tried, Mama tried. Mama tried to raise me better, but her pleading, I denied. That leaves only me to blame 'cause Mama tried.

+ Maybe Tomorrow

Smoke another cigarette, have another drink or two, Sit by the telephone 'til morning, She never tells me where she's goin', But I think it's mighty plain, Maybe tomorrow, She'll be back home again.

She wasn't like this when I met her, Whatever made her change? Now she never even says I love you, She just comes a-rollin' in, Never wanting to explain, Maybe tomorrow she'll be back home again.

Wish that I could meet him Just to tell him who I am I would like to find out what he has That I don't have

She never says a thing about him but it's plain as day, She's going somewhere every evening, Can't take it too much longer, I think I'm goin' insane, Maybe tomorrow she'll be back home again.

Wish that I could meet him, Just to tell him who I am, I would like to find out what he has, That I don't have.

She never says a thing about him but it's plain as day, She's going somewhere every evening, Can't take it too much longer, I think I'm goin' insane, Maybe tomorrow she'll be back home again.

+ Mississippi Lady

With just a sleeping bag and an old guitar, I left the band in New Orleans. I did some time with the bottle, some with the river queens. I never thought I would meet a girl, Who could turn my head around, 'Til I met that Mississippi Lady in a sleepy Gulfport town.

She was a Mississippi Lady, My lovin' Gulfport gal. She taught me how to love, And she really loved me well. She took me up to heaven, Then she brought me down. That Mississippi Lady, Sweet Cordelia Brown.

Hot July in Gulfport, And I was working in the bars. And she was working on the street, With the rest of the evening stars. She said, I never met a guy, Who could turn my head around. And that's really sayin' something, For Sweet Cordelia Brown.

+ More Than That Tomorrow

Hey love don't be afraid to stay until tomorrow Lover's dawn is waiting just this side of day If you thought I loved you yesterday I'll love you more than that tomorrow

Hey love don't be afraid to hear the songs of morning Birds will sing them as they're calling up the day If I sang to you yesterday I'll sing more than that tomorrow

If it should happen that you come to me In the night we share our hearts Whatever it is that you done to me Between you and me, can't be undone... If I should understand just why I need you by me

Then I would know the reasons for the songs of morning 'Cause if i wanted you yesterday And if in the night we shared our hearts Whatever it is that you done to me Between you and me, can't be undone...

Hey love don't be afraid to stay until tomorrow Lover's dawn is waiting just this side of day If you thought I loved you yesterday I'll love you more than that tomorrow

If you thought I loved you yesterday I'll love you more than that tomorrow

+ New York's Not My Home

Well things were spinnin' round me And all my thoughts were cloudy And I had begun to doubt all the things that were me Been in so many places You know I've run so many races And looked into the empty faces of the people of the night And something is just not right ... 'cause I know

That I gotta get out of here I'm so alone Don't you know that I gotta get out of here 'Cause New York's not my home

Though all the streets are crowded There's something strange about it Lived there 'bout a year and I never once felt at home I though I'd make the big time I learned a lot of lessons awful quick And now I'm tellin' you That they were not the nice kind And it's been so long since I have felt fine ... that's the reason

That I gotta get out of here I'm so alone Don't you know that I gotta get out of here 'Cause New York's not my home

+ Next Time, This Time

If you get to feelin' all alone When your good time friends Have all got up and gone Don't come knockin' around my door Because I've heard your lines before

'Cause there ain't gone be a next time, this time 'Cause woman startin' right now I'm gonna forget your name and your pretty face girl And write you off as a bad mistake You know that some women they are lovers And some just got no sense But a woman like you oughta be ashamed Of the things that you do to men

And if you get to feelin' all alone When you find that you can't make it on your own Don't come knockin' around my door You see I've seen your act before And there ain't gonna be a next time, this time 'Cause woman startin' right now I'm gonna forget your name and your pretty face girl And write you off as a bad mistake You know that some women they are lovers And some just got no sense But a woman like you oughta be ashamed Of the things that you do to men

And if you get to feel' you were wrong Don't go wastin' your good money on the phone 'Cause I can hang up as fast as you can call And that ain't all 'Cause there ain't gonna be a next time, this time 'Cause woman startin' right now I'm gonna forget your name and your pretty face girl And write you off as a complete disgrace You know that some women they are liars And some just got no sense But a woman like you oughta be ashamed Of the things that you do to men

Yeah a woman like you oughta be ashamed Of the things that you do to men

+ Nobody Loves A Fat Girl

Nobody loves a fat girl But oh, how a fat girl can love Nobody seems to want me I'm just a truck upon the highway of love

I'm all alone inside of my form When ev'ry ounce of me is dyin' to keep somebody warm Nobody loves a fat girl But oh, how a fat girl can love

Nobody loves a fat girl But oh, how a fat girl can love Nobody seems to want me I'm just a truck upon the highway of love The only game I can get the boys to play Is to have them sit around and try to guess how much I weigh Nobody loves a fat girl But oh, how a fat girl can love, pretty mama Oh how a fat girl can love

+ Ol' Man River

Written by: Jerome Kern & Oscar Hammerstein II

Ol' man river, that ol' man river He must know something, but he don't say nothing That ol' man river, he just keep rollin' along

He don't plant 'taters He don't plant cotton Cause them that plants them is soon forgotten And ol' man river, he just keeps rollin' along

Cause you and me, we sweat and strain Body all achin' and wracked with pain Tote that barge, lift that bale Get a little drunk and you land in jail But I get weary and sick of tryin' Cause I'm tired of livin' That ol' man river, he just keeps rollin' along

You and me, we sweat and strain Body all achin' and wracked with pain Tote that barge, lift that bale Get a little drunk and you land in jail But I get weary and sick of tryin' Cause I'm tired of livin' But I'm scared of dyin' That ol' man river, he just keeps rollin' along

+ One Less Set of Footsteps

We been runnin' away from Somethin' we both know Weve long run out of things to say And I think I better go

So don't be getting excited Oh when you hear that slammin' door Cause there'll be one less set of footsteps On your floor in the mornin'

And we've been hidin' from somethin' That should have never gone this far But after all it's what we've done That makes us what we are

And you been talkin' in silence But if it's silence you adore There'll be one less set of footsteps On your floor in the mornin'

Well baby one less set of footsteps on your floor One less man to walk in One less pair of jeans on your door One less voice a-talkin

But tomorrow's a dream away Today has turned to dust Your silver tongue has turned to clay And your golden rule to rust

If that's the way that you want it Oh that's the way I want it more Well they'll be one less set of footsteps On your floor in the mornin'

Well there'll be one less set of footsteps on your floor One less man to walk in One less pair of jeans on your door One less voice a-talkin

But tomorrow's a dream away And today has turned to dust Your silver tongue has turned to clay And your golden rule to rust

If that's the way that you want it Oh that's the way I want it more Cause baby one less set of footsteps On your floor in the mornin'

Oh baby one less set of footsteps On your floor in the mornin'

+ Operator (That's Not the Way It Feels)

Operator, oh could you help me place this call You see the number on the matchbook is old and faded She's livin' in LA With my best old ex-friend Ray A guy she said she knew well and sometimes hated

Isn't that the way they say it goes But let's forget all that And give me the number if you can find it So I can call just to tell them I'm fine and to show I've overcome the blow I've learned to take it well I only wish my words could just convince myself That it just wasn't real But that's not the way it feels

Operator, oh could you help me place this call 'Cause i can't read the number that you just gave me There's something in my eye's You know it happens every time I think about the love that I thought would save me

Isn't that the way they say it goes But let's forget all that And give me the number if you can find it So I can call just to tell them I'm fine and to show I've overcome the blow I've learned to take it well I only wish my words could just convince myself That it just wasn't real But that's not the way it feels

Operator, oh let's forget about this call There's no one there i really wanted to talk you Thank you for your time Oh you've been so much more than kind And you can keep the dime

Isn't that the way they say it goes But let's forget all that And give me the number if you can find it So I can call just to tell them i'm fine and to show I've overcome the blow I've learned to take it well I only wish my words could just convince myself That it just wasn't real But that's not the way it feels

+ Photographs and Memories

Photographs and memories Christmas cards you sent to me All that I have are these To remember you

Memories that come at night Take me to another time Back to a happier day When I called you mine

But we sure had a good time When we started way back when Morning walks and bedroom talks Oh how I loved you then

Summer skies and lullabies Nights we couldnt say good-bye And of all of the things that we knew Not a dream survived

Photographs and memories All the love you gave to me Somehow it just cant be true Thats all I've left of you

But we sure had a good time When we started way back when Morning walks and bedroom talks Oh how I loved you then

+ Pig's Song

It was early last September As near as I can remember While strolling down a lane in tipsy pride Not a word did I utter As I lay down in the gutter And this pig came up and lay there by my side Not a soul was I disturbing As I lay there by the curbing When this high toned lady come And I heard her say You can tell a man who boozes By the company he chooses And the pig got up and slowly walked away

+ Railroads and Riverboats

The railroads, and the riverboats, that bred the mighty man That we read about, and we dream about The men who built this land

And the farmers and the lumbermen and the men who worked the mills And the poor hard working miners Who died inside the hills While the rivers that flow Are the blood of our land

And the trucks they keep rumbling On the great concrete band And the railroads keep pushing To be all they once were And nature is calling No one's listening to her

And the immigrants, by the boat load, in a dozen different tones Sang of freedom, in the new land Climbed the ladder rung by rung Some to Boston, some to Pittsburg, Philadelphia, and St. Paul And the old ways, led to new days They were welcome one and all

While the rivers that flow Are the blood of our land And the trucks they keep rumbling On the great concrete band And the railroads keep pushing To be all they once were And nature is calling No one's listening to her

With the railroads, and the riverboats, and the bread lines far behind And the days we sang together Long gone but still in mind And the men who, came before us, men who brought us to today And the story, still unravels, from the dreams of yesterday

While the rivers that flow Are the blood of our land And the trucks they keep rumbling On the great concrete band And the railroads keep pushing To be all they once were And nature is calling No one's listening to her

And nature is calling, No one's listening to her

+ Railroad Song

When I was a boy in the days of the train I'd sit by the tracks on a long summer day And I'd wave at the brakesman And he'd wave back at me While the thunderclouds rolled Out of East Tennessee

But the dreams of a boy disappear when you're grown And though I may dream, the railroads are gone The ties they are rotten And the tracks shot to hell Along with my dreams and the old railroad bell

In my dreams I ride the rails to California Workin' diners and farms along the way Or I'd hop a ride to hide across the border With a black eyed girl beside me all the way

Now the mountains are silent And the railroads are gone And the coal towns no longer hear the miners at dawn But the train whistle shrills out her memories to me While the thunderclouds roll out of East Tennessee

In my dreams I ride the rails to California Workin' diners and farms along the way Or I'd hop a ride to hide across the border With a black eyed girl beside me all the way

Now the mountains are silent And the railroads are gone And the coal towns no longer hear the miners at dawn But the train whistle shrills out her memories to me While the thunderclouds roll out of East Tennessee

+ Rapid Roy (the Stock Car Boy)

Oh Rapid Roy, that stock car boy He's too much too believe You know he always got an extra pack of cigarettes Rolled up in his t-shirt sleeve He got a tattoo on his arm that say "baby" He got another one that just say "hey" But every Sunday afternoon he is a dirt track demon In a '57 chevrolet

Oh Rapid Roy, that stock car boy He's the best driver in the land He say that he learned to race a stock car By runnin' shine outta alabam' Oh the demolition derby And the figure eight Is easy money in the bank Compared to runnin' from the man In Oklahoma City With a 500 gallon tank

Oh Rapid Roy, that stock car boy He too much too believe You know he always got an extra pack of cigarettes Rolled up in his t-shirt sleeve He got a tattoo on his arm that say "baby" He got another one that just say "hey" And Sunday afternoon he is a dirt track demon In a '57 chevrolet

Yeah Roy so cool That racin' fool he don't know what fear's about He do a hundred thirty mile an hour Smilin' at the camera With a toothpick in his mouth He got a girl back home Name of dixie dawn But he got honeys all along the way And you oughta hear 'em screamin' For that dirt track demon In a '57 chevrolet

Oh rapid roy that stock car boy He too much too believe You know he always got an extra pack of cigarettes Rolled up in his t-shirt sleeve He got a tattoo on his arm that say "baby" He got another one that just say "hey" But every Sunday afternoon he is a dirt track demon In a '57 chevrolet

+ Recently

Used to be that I could see a reason to be happy cause I was free But then, recently it seems I've been lettin' your memory get to me

Used to be that I could pretend that I wasn't really hurt back then But then, recently it seems I've been lettin' your memory get to me

'Cause mem'ries can be friends or they can take you to a place That you never thought you'd be again And take you to a place that you never ever thought that you would see again. Memories can be friends or they can take you to a place That you never thought you'd be again And take you to a place that you never ever thought that you would see again

Doesn't matter now who was wrong The future is tomorrow cause the past is gone And I'm findin' that I'm not as strong as I thought that I used to be 'Cause recently it seems I've been lettin' your mem'ry get to me.

+ Roller Derby Queen

Gonna tell you a story that you won't believe But I fell in love last Friday evenin' With a girl I saw on a bar room TV screen

Well I was just gettin' ready to get my hat When she caught my eye and I put it back And I ordered myself a couple more shots and beers

The night that I fell in love with a roller derby queen Round and round, oh round and round The meanest hunk o' woman That anybody ever seen Down in the arena

She was five foot six and two fifteen A bleached-blonde mama With a streak of mean She knew how to knuckle And she knew how to scuffle and fight

And the roller derby program said That she was built like a fridgerator with a head Her fans call her "Tuffy" But all her buddies called her "Spike"

You know that I fell in love with a roller derby queen Round and round, oh round and round The meanest hunk o' woman That anybody ever seen Down in the arena

Round and round, go round and round Round and round, go round and round Round and round

Well I could not help it But to fall in love With this heavy-duty woman I been speakin' of Things looked kind of bad Until the day she skated into my life

Well she might be nasty She might be fat But I never met a person Who would tell her that She's my big blonde bomber My heavy handed hackensack mama

You know that I fell in love with a roller derby queen Round and round, oh round and round The meanest hunk o woman That anybody ever seen Down in the arena

Round and round, go round and round Round and round, go round and round Round and round

+ Salon and Saloon

Written by: Maury Muehleisen

Sometimes I think about our good old high school days You would always kid about my adolescent ways Oh, Mary, Mary, good to see you too Haven't seen too many of the old crew The time just flew, and how are you?

Strange we should meet here Seeing off our friends It's hard to draw the line between Beginnings and ends.

Oh, Mary, Mary, must you go so soon? We must be a sight to see Salon and Saloon I'll look you up soon Maybe sing you a tune

+ Speedball Tucker

I drive a broke-down rig on may-pop tires 40 foot of overload Lotta people say that I'm crazy because I don't know how to take it slow I got a broomstick on the throttle, I gotta rope it up and head right down Non-stop back to Dallas poppin' them west coast turnarounds

And they call me Speedball, Speedball Tucker, Terror of the highway and all them other truckers Will tell you that the boy is mad To be drivin' in a rig like that

You know the rain may blow, snow may snow, and the turnpikes they may freeze But that don't bother ol' Speedball, he goin' any damn way he please He got a broomstick on the throttle to keep his throttle foot a-dancin' 'round With a cupful of cold, black coffee, and a pocketful of West Coast turnarounds

And they call me Speedball, Speedball Tucker, Terror of the highway and all them other truckers Will tell you that the boy is mad To be drivin' in a rig like that

One day I looked into my rear-view mirror, and comin' up from behind Was a Georgia state policeman, and a hundred dollar fine Well, he looked me in the eye as he was writin' me up He said, driver you been flyin' And 95 was the route you was on, it was not the speed limit sign

And they call me Speedball, Speedball Tucker, Terror of the highway and all them other truckers Will tell you that the boy is mad To be drivin' in a rig like that

+ Spin Spin Spin

Spin around, spin around

The harlequin dances in a costume of green Spin around But under his makeup his age can't be seen Spin around

But where are you spinnin' When will you know That life is for livin' That it isn't a show?

Spin, spin, spin Spin around, spin around

You look out on the city from your penthouse so high Spin around But your pedestal's your prison and so is your high Spin around

But where are you spinnin' When will you know That life is for livin' That it isn't a show?

Spin, spin, spin Spin around, spin around

Your pills are you conscience They make ev'rything seem all right Spin around Take a white one go to sleep Take a red one to stay up all night To spin around

But where are you spinnin' When will you know That life is for livin' That it isn't a show?

Spin, spin, spin Spin around, spin around Spin, spin, spin Spin away, spin away Spin, spin, spin Spin around, spin around

+ Steel Rail Blues

Well, I got my mail late last night A letter from a girl who found the time to write To her lonesome boy somewhere in the night She sent me a railroad ticket too To take me to her loving arms And the big steel rail Gonna carry me home to the one I love

Well, I been out here many a long days I haven't found a place that I could call my own Not a two-bit bed to lay my body on I been stood up I been shook down I bin dragged into the sand And the big steel rail gonna carry me home to the one I love

Well, I been uptight most every night Walking along the streets of this old town Not a friend to tell my troubles to My good old car she done broke down 'Cause I drove it into the ground And the big steel rail gonna carry me home to the one I love

Well, look over yonder across the plain The big drive wheels a-pounding along the ground Gonna get on board and I'll be homeward bound Now I ain't had a home cooked meal And Lord I need one now And the big steel rail gonna carry me home to the one I love

Now here I am with my head in the sand Standing on the broad highway will you give a ride To a lonesome boy who missed the train last night I went in town for one last round And I gambled my ticket away And the big steel rail won't carry me home to the one I love

+ Stone Walls

It's been too many years inside this prison Too many years just for one little fight He got what was comin' And I think I served enough time I'm goin' home tonight

That stone looks mighty cold And the guard that walks that wall Is just waitin' to get a convict in his sights But if I can clear the top You can bet I'll never stop Cause I'm goin' home tonight

Because stone walls do a prison Make iron bars a cage Any man who says they don't Never been inside Cause in time the bars get closer And at night the walls grow tighter Do you feel like there's a shackle around your mind?

Now those guards are on my tail I can hear those sirens wail But I know that I'll get away and that I'll be alright Cause I'd rather live on the run Stand free in the morning sun Then to spend another lonely prison night

+ Sun Come Up

Written by: Jim and Richard Croce

Sun come up in the morning Blues round my head I've got a troubled mind and plenty of time to roam As I walk this crooked highway Never knowin' where to go You know the only life I know is bein' on the road

I've got holes in my shoes that I fill with paper When the sun's out they dry And when it rains well they get wet but I don't cry

Because the sun don't know no difference Between a rich man and a bum And the only life I know is movin' round the sky

See him grin down at you people I guess you don't know what his laughter's from But if you spend enough time on the road Maybe you'd find out Because the sun goes round in an endless circle Never knowin' the reason why Still there's something in the path that it traces round the sky It's like a circle with no ending But it's a race we all must run And it's the same bein' a rich man or a bum

+ The Ballad of Gunga Din

You may talk of gin and beer When you're stationed way out here An' you're sent to penny fights an' Aldershot it But when it comes to slaughter You will do your work for water An' you'll lick the bloomin' boots of 'im that's got it.

Now in Inja's sunny clime Where I used to spend my time Servin' her Majesty the Queen Of all the black faced crew The finest man I knew Was regimental bhisti, Gunga Din

The uniform he wore Was nothin' much before An' rather less than half of that behind But a piece of twisty rag An' a goatskin water bag Was all the field equipment he could find

When a sweatin' troop train lay In a sidin' through the day Where the heat would make you bloomin' eyebrows crawl We shouted, "Harry by" Till our throats were bricky-dry Then wopped him 'cause he couldn't serve us all.

He would dot an' carry one Till the longest day was done An' never seemed to know the use of fear If we charged a broke or cut You could bet your bloomin' nut He'd be waitin' fifty paces right flank rear.

With his mussick on his back He would skip to our attack An' watch us till the bugles made "Retire" An' for all his dirty hide He was white, clear white inside When he went to tend the wounded under fire.

It was Din, Din, Din With the bullets kickin' dust spots on the green And when the cartridges ran out You could hear the front files shout Send ammunition mules, and Gunga Din!

I shan't forget the night When I fell behind the fight With a bullet where my belt plate should a' been I was chokin' mad with thirst An' the man that spied me first Was our good old grinnin', gruntin' Gunga Din

He lifted up my head An' he plugged me where I bled An' he gave me half a pint of water green It was crawlin' and it stunk But of all the drinks I've drunk I'm most grateful to the one from Gunga Din

He carried me away To where a dooli lay An' a bullet came and drilled the beggar clean He carried me inside An' just before he died I hope you liked your drink said Gunga Din.

So I'll meet him later on In the place where he as gone Where it's always double drill and no canteen He'll be squattin' on the coals Givin' drinks to poor damned souls I'll catch a swig in hell from Gunga Din

It was Din, Din, Din You Lazarushian-leather Gunga Din Tho' I've belted you an' flayed you By the livin' God that made you You're a better man than I am, Gunga Din.

+ The Hard Way Every Time

Yeah, I've had my share of broken dreams And more than a couple of falls And in chasin' what I thought were moonbeams I have run into a couple of walls But in looking back at the places I've been The changes that I've left behind I just look at myself to find I've learned the hard way every time

'Cause I've had my share of good intentions And I've made my share of mistakes And I've learned at times it's best to bend 'Cause if you don't well those are the breaks Should have listened to all the things I was told But I was young and too proud at the time Now I look at myself to find I learn the hard way ev'ry time

But in looking back at the lessons I've learned And the mountains I wanted to climb I just look at myself to find I've learned the hard way ev'ry time

'Cause I've had my share of broken dreams And more than a couple of falls And in chasin' what I thought were moonbeams I have run into a couple of walls But in looking back at the faces I've been I would sure be the first one to say When I look at myself today Wouldn'ta done it any other way

+ The Man That is Me

I'm a dreamer by nature and I've always been Try'n' to dream myself out of this world that I'm in. In my dream I escape

all the troubles around, And it hasn't cost a penny for the pleasures I've found. What is the part that I'll play today, Beggar, a bus'ness man, king for a day? I've played many parts and I'm the first to agree

That I'm still looking 'round for the man that is me. I'm a rich man in dreams, but in real life I've hid From the fact that I've got me a wife and a kid. If I lose what I've got, then they lost it too, Tell me what in this world's a poor dreamer to do. What is the part that I'll play today, Beggar, a bus'ness man, king for a day? I've played many parts and I'm the first to agree

That I'm still looking 'round for the man that is me. I'm a me. I'm a dreamer by nature and I've always been looking for something no there;

My financial position don't bother my dreams 'Cause in fairy tale money I'm my own millionaire. What is the part that I'll play today, Beggar, a bus'ness man, king for a day?

I've played many parts and I'm the first to agree That I'm still looking 'round for the man that is me.

+ The Migrant Worker

Pickin’ wasn’t easy Kept me brown and thin Been a child for every season that the fruit was on the limb Pack the truck Maria, tell the kids we’re off again Cross a dozen states or more, we’ll teach em’ what we can.

Teach ‘em what we can’t do more The land is good but still the livin’s poor

Harvest in September, drought in mid-July January’s peekin’ through a white lace gypsy sky March rolls in to April, then plant and pray for rain Sweat like hell in August, run the Circle once again

Run the circle once again and then once more The land is good but still the livin’s poor

Oregon in August, Michigan in May Tryin’ to make enough to keep my family on its way Buy the pickin’ boss a drink, to keep workin’ every day You know it isn’t honest, but you do it anyway

Do it any way to keep alive Do it anyway to keep alive

The Next Man That I Marry

The last face that I looked on Can't recall too much about The image of it left me Each time the lights went out The last mind that I wandered I remember how I ran Just to find the road had ended Just where it began

The next man that I marry There ain't nothin' he won't do Most likely love me too much

The next hands that I hide in Will be warm and dry as smoke Just as satisfied to hold me As to dust my winter coat The next soul that I sleep in Will be soft as summer rain And when I need more lovin' He'll love me once again

The next man that I marry There ain't nothin' he won't do Most likely love me too much Just like you

+ These Dreams

Once we were lovers But somehow things have changed Now we're just lonely people Tryin to forget each others names Now we're just lonely people Tryin to forget each others names

What came between us? Maybe we were just too young to know But now and then I feel the same, And sometimes at night I think I hear you calling my name Mmm-hmm-mmm these dreams They keep me going these days

Once we were lovers But that was long ago We lived together then And now we do not even say hello We lived together then And now we do not even say hello

What came between us? Maybe we were just too young to know But now and then I feel the same, And sometimes at night I think I hear you calling my name Mmm-hmm-mmm these dreams They keep me going these days

+ The Way We Used To Be

How come we can't talk the way we used to do Nothing seems to be the same Have we forgotten all the things we knew Was it you or I who changed We got to find the answer, let the secrets fly Enough of telling stories and our well meaning lies

Things don't seem to be the same no matter how I tried There's no rhythm to the rain Wind still whispers, through the leaves on high But they no longer sing your name We got to find the answer, let the secrets fly Enough of telling stories and our well meaning lies We got to try to build what we had in the past Trying's half the battle if we lose it we can't last

I heard myself just say the things I could never say before And listen to the rhythm, of the rain Wind just whispered through the leaves on high And I thought I heard them sing your name We got to find the answer, let the secrets fly Enough of telling stories and our well meaning lies We got to try to build what we had in the past Trying's half the battle if we lose it we can't last

I heard myself just say the things I could never say before And listen to the rhythm of the rain Wind just whispered through the leaves on high And I thought I heard them sing your name And I thought I heard them sing your name

+ Thursday

Written by: Joe Salviuolo

Well it started out just like a dream and like a dream I knew that what we had would have to end. I was looking for a night time lover, you were looking for a friend.

Someone to be there after all your night time lovers Had gone to where they came. Someone who knew the way and help to play your day time games. It's not the same.

Well I started out pretending that I'd come to mean enough to you To make you want to change. Then I came to realise that there was just too much of you You had to rearrange

And I couldn't bear to wait around for all your Night time lovers to go to where they came And then it came to hurt too much to me To help to play your day time games No one's to blame

Well it started out just like a dream and like a dream I knew that What we had would have to end. I was looking for a night time lover, you were looking for a friend.

I was looking for a night time lover (And) you were looking for a friend.

+ Time in a Bottle

If I could save time in a bottle The first thing that I'd like to do Is to save every day Til' eternity passes away Just to spend them with you

If I could make days last forever If words could make wishes come true Id save every day like a treasure and then, Again, I would spend them with you

But there never seems to be enough time To do the things you want to do Once you find them I've looked around enough to know That you're the one I want to go Through time with

If I had a box just for wishes And dreams that had never come true The box would be empty Except for the memory Of how they were answered by you

But there never seems to be enough time To do the things you want to do Once you find them I've looked around enough to know That you're the one I want to go Through time with

+ Tomorrow's Gonna Be A Brighter Day

Well I'm sorry for the words that I told you But words only go so far And if I had my way, I'd reach into heaven And pull you down a star, for a present

And I'd make you a chain of diamonds And pearls from a summer sea, But all I can give you is a kiss in the morning And a sweet apology.

But tomorrow's gonna be a brighter day There's gonna be some changes Tomorrow's gonna be a brighter day This time you can believe me. No more cryin' in your lonely room, No more empty nights Tomorrow morning everything will be alright.

Now, I know that it hasnt been easy And I haven't always been around To say the right things and hold you in the morning And help you when you're down, and in trouble.

And I never showed you much of a good time, But baby, things are going to change. I'm going to make up for all of the hurt I cause, Gonna love away all your pain

And tomorrow's gonna be a brighter day There gonna be some changes Tomorrow's gonna be a brighter day This time you can believe me. No more cryin' in your lonely room, No more empty nights. Tomorrow morning everything will be alright

Come on tomorrow, come on tomorrow...

+ Top Hat Bar and Grille

Well if you're lookin' for a good time Look hard as you want but you ain't gonna find The kinda good time you will Come ev'ry Friday 'n' Saturday evening At the Top Hat Bar and Grille

Well, at the Top Hat Bar and Grille There is a waitress name of Lil Well, she's a honky tonky Little bit chunky divorcee She wear them tight hippy hugger slacks You can believe it when I tell you, Jack That she's a dancin', prancin', hard romancin' P-I-E-C-E And she can do the boogie woogie She can do the boogaloo And she can do the hootchie cootchie Oh, and she knows how to nasty, too

So if you're lookin' for a good time Look hard as you want but you ain't gonna find The kinda good time you will Come ev'ry Friday 'n' Saturday evening At the Top Hat Bar and Grille

Well, at the Top Hat Bar and Grille They got this bouncer name of Gil He is a honky tonky Heavily funky ex-marine He wear dem skintight body builder shirts And Jack, he'll knock you out into the dirt But if you got no money or you try to be funny Then mother you gonna see That man gonna do the boogie woogie He gonna do the boogaloo He gonna do the hootchie cootchie And he'll be doin' all his dancin' on you

So if you're lookin' for a good time Look hard as you want but you ain't gonna find The kinda good time you will Come ev'ry Friday 'n' Saturday evening At the Top Hat Bar and Grille Lookin' for a good time Lookin' for a bad time

So if you're lookin' for a good time Look hard as you want but you ain't gonna find The kinda good time you will Come ev'ry Friday 'n' Saturday evening At the Top Hat Bar and Grille

+ Vespers

I'd like to think about her And the way she used to love me But I just can't live without her 'Cause her arms are not around me And the season's getting later And my body's getting colder And the vespers ring and I'm all alone Without my love beside me

She'd call me in the evenin' And ask me to come over She'd be standing by the window With her hair down around her shoulder We'd talk a while and then she'd smile Then she'd lock the door And she would sit beside me And we would talk no more

The bells would ring at six o'clock And she'd be in my arms Her head upon my shoulder, gently resting And then she'd wake and look at me Not knowing I'd been watching Kiss me softly, then drift off to sleep

She'd call me in the evenin' And ask me to come over She'd be standing by the window With her hair down around her shoulder We'd talk a while and then she'd smile Then she'd lock the door And she would sit beside me And we would talk no more

+ Walkin' Back To Georgia

I'm walkin' back to Georgia And I hope she will take me back Nothin' in my pockets And all I own is upon my back

But she's the girl who said she loved me On that hot dusty Macon road And if she's still around I'm gonna settle down With that hard lovin' Georgia girl

I'm walkin' back to Georgia She's the only one who knows How it feels when you lose a dream And how it feels when you dream alone

Georgia can you hear me callin' Oh I'll be home in just a while And if I had to I'd be crawlin' Just to share another mornin' smile

But you're the girl who said you loved me On that hot dusty long ago And if you're still around I'm gonna settle down With you my hard lovin' Georgia girl...because

I'm walkin' back to Georgia And I hope she will take me back Nothin' in my pockets And all I own is upon my back

+ Wear Out The Turnpike

There's ice and snow on the northern roads And the Jersey Pike is closed Have to go and do some drivin' tonight They say I'd be a fool if I would ride those icy roads But a little storm ain't stoppin' me tonight

I'm gonna wear out the turnpike Rack up those miles Keep this rig a rollin', I'm in it every mile 'Cause she's in Oklahoma and I'm up in Maine So diesel sing a song that will bring me home again Doodle doo doo doo doo doo doo doo doo doo doo Doodle doo doo doo

There's a red light turnin' behind me There's a trooper on my tail I can tell I won't get to New York town on time If he decides to pull me over And if he get's me on the scale I'm gonna have to tell a tale or take a fine

I'm gonna wear out the turnpike Rack up those miles Keep this rig a rollin', I'm in it every mile 'Cause she's in Oklahoma and I'm up in Maine So diesel sing a song that will bring me home again Doodle doo doo doo doo doo doo doo doo doo doo Doodle doo doo doo

With the snow against my windshield I will run on through the night There's not stoppin' me once I hit the road Cause the turnpike's like my second home And I know it like my hand So diesel sing a song that'll bring me home again

+ What Do People Do?

Tell me, what do people do When there ain't nothin' to do? When there's nobody else around to do Nothin' with or to Have you ever been in that position in a small town motel room Where the diners all close at nine And the trucks keep a rollin' by And you just can't get to sleep Even though there's nothin' on your mind? Tell me what do people say When there ain't nothin' to say? When there's nobody else around to help you pass the time of day Have you ever stared at the ceiling Till you thought you'd lose your mind Looked for a wall that you could climb Still you just can't get to sleep Even tho' there's nothin' on your mind? Have you ever been stuck in a small town motel Lookin' all around but there ain't nothin' to see In a never endin' mind bendin', troublin' position Sayin' why did it happen to me? Tell me, what do people do When there ain't nothin' to do? When there's nobody else around to do Nothin' with or to Have you ever been in that position in a small town motel room Where the diners all close at nine And the trucks keep a rollin' by And you just can't get to sleep Even though there's nothin' on your mind? Tell me, what do people do When there ain't nothin' to do? When there's nobody else around to do Nothin' with or to Hope you never in that position in a small town motel room Where the diners all close at nine And the trucks keep a rollin' by Till you just can't get to sleep Even though there's nothin' on your mind?

+ What The Hell?

Oh my room will always have some people You see Johnny Carson is a friend of mine And my music box will always play me something If something's what I need to ease my mind Take what you want I'll feel much better

Don't hang around Till I get myself together You can leave those pieces right there where they fell Someone else will come along and pick 'em up Say what the hell

If I don't see you in the morning Guess the sun might come up anyway And without you here to love and stand beside me Guess I just might make it thru' the day

If you should call from time to time Don't be surprised

If the voice that answers ain't mine 'Cause you left the pieces right there where they fell Someone else just came along and picked 'em up Say what the hell

If you should call from time to time Don't be surprised If the voice that answers ain't mine

'Cause you left those pieces right there where they fell Someone else just came along and picked 'em up

Say what the hell If she don't love me come tomorrow

If you can't get what you want, want what you got And I won't be drugged with words like joy and sorrow I won't feel one way or the other

Like as not I'll soon forget you Leave my life Guess you thought I'd never let you 'Cause you left those pieces right there where they fell Someone else just came along and picked 'em up Say what the hell

+ Which Way Are You Going?

Which way are you going, which side will you be on Will you stand and watch while, all the seeds of hate are sown Will you stand with those who say, let his will be done

One hand on the bible One hand on the gun One hand on the bible One hand on the gun

Which way are you looking, is it hard to see Do you say whats wrong for him, is not wrong for me You walk the streets, righteousness but you refuse to understand

You say you love the baby Then you crucify the man You say you love the baby Then you crucify the man

Everyday, things are changing, words once honored turned to lies People wondering, can you blame them Its to far to run, and to late to hide Now you turn your back on, all the things that you used to preach Now its let him live in freedom, if he lives like me Well you light has changed, confusion rains, what have you become

All your olive branches turned to spears When your flowers turned to guns Your olive branches turned to spears When your flowers turned to guns

+ Working at the Car Wash Blues

Well, I had just got out from the county prison Doin ninety days for non-support Tried to find me an executive position But no matter how smooth I talked They wouldnt listen to the fact that I was a genius The man say, we got all that we can use. Now igot them steadily depressin, low down mind messin Working at the car wash blues

Well, I should be sittin in an air conditioned office in a swivel chair Talkin some trash to the secretaries Sayin, here, now mama, come on over here. Instead, Im stuck here rubbin these fenders with a rag And walkin home in soggy old shoes With them steadily depressin, low down mind messin Workin at the car wash blues

You know a man of my ability He should be smokin on a big cigar But till I get myself straight I guess Ill just have to wait In my rubber suit a-rubbin these cars

Well, all I can do is a shake my head You might not believe that its true For workin at this end of niagara falls Is an undiscovered howard hughes So baby, dont expect to see me With no double martini in any high-brow society news Cause I got them steadily depressin, low down mind messin Workin at the car wash blues So baby, dont expect to see me With no double martini in any high-brow society news Cause I got them steadily depressin, low down mind messin Workin at the car wash blues Yeah I got them steadily depressin, low down mind messin Workin at the car wash blues

+ You Don't Mess Around With Jim

Uptown got it's hustlers The bowery got it's bums 42nd street got Big Jim Walker He's a pool-shootin' son of a gun Yeah, he big and dumb as a man can come But he stronger than a country hoss And when the bad folks all get together at night You know they all call Big Jim "Boss," just because And they say

You don't tug on Superman's cape You don't spit into the wind You don't pull the mask off that old lone ranger And you don't mess around with Jim

Well, outta South Alabama came a country boy He say, I'm lookin' for a man named Jim I am a pool-shootin' boy My name Willie McCoy But down home they call me slim

Yeah I'm lookin' for the king of 42nd street He drivin' a drop top Cadillac Last week he took all my money And it may sound funny But I come to get my money back And everybody say, Jack, don't you know

You don't tug on Superman's cape You don't spit into the wind You don't pull the mask off that old lone ranger And you don't mess around with Jim

Well a hush fell over the pool room Jimmy come boppin' in off the street And when the cuttin' were done The only part that wasn't bloody Was the soles of the big man's feet Yeah he were cut in in 'bout a hundred places And he were shot in a couple more And you better believe They sung a different kind of story When Big Jim hit the floor, now they say

You don't tug on superman's cape You don't spit into the wind You don't pull the mask off that old lone ranger And you don't mess around with slim

Yeah, Big Jim got his hat Find out where it's at And it's not hustlin' people strange to you Even if you do got a two-piece custom-made pool cue

Yeah you don't tug on Superman's cape You don't spit into the wind You don't pull the mask off the old lone ranger And you don't mess around with slim

 

In his own handwriting…

(Click Each Image to Enlarge)

 

Jim Croce Background image.jpg