1. |
Been A Long Time
03:28
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BEEN A LONG TIME
Pile in the van: Me, B and Sam
Not gonna make it too far
Sam at the wheel, B on the phone of course
I play a little guitar
Been a long time since we did something like that
Pulled into Pittsburgh, started a fire
Barely got out with our lives
On into Jersey where it starts to get fuzzy
Exiles on the Lower East Side
Been a long time
We should go do that again
From the Cumberland River on through Tuscaloosa
To the lot lizards of Lake Charles
Knock on your door at a quarter to four
Welcome to the Dirty South
Been a long time
Wish we were back there right now
Well even mistakes are bigger in Texas
Got high as a mountain but fell
All I remember about Oklahoma:
I was hungover as Hell
Been a long time
Since I was sick on the roadside like that
New Orleans is not the place to get sober
Or even to slow down at all
Wish I could tell you how we got to Chicago
Legend has it we had a ball
Been a long time
I don’t rightly recall
The 17th Level of Weirdness was conquered
With the wall up against our backs
Husbands and lawmen emerge empty handed
From the shit storm that covered our tracks
Been a long time
But I don’t think that I’ll forget that
Been a long time
But I don’t think that I’ll forget that
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2. |
God Gave You Nothing
04:15
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GOD GAVE YOU NOTHING
Shut your mouth. Open your ears.
What you’re talkin about poisoned the air ‘round here.
You the leader of the free world, Now it’s a little less free
God gave you nothing He didn’t intend for me
Think of your daughter, sister and mother.
How you took their voices and their rights,
saw to it they were smothered
A man is only good as his word
God gave you nothing He didn’t intend for her
bridge:
God gave us nothing but each other
That man with different color skin, He ain’t nothin’ but your brother
Maybe you missed it when they taught it in school
If you kick the whole world off the boat the drowning fool is you
Now it takes all kinds. Even jerks like you.
Sometimes the melting pot has got poison in the stew
I’ll try not to judge you, or pray for your fall
But God gave you nothing He didn’t intend for us all
[break]
bridge 2:
Until you see a camel pass thru the eye of a needle
Money rules this world. It’s valued more than people
Liberty is an open door for the tired, the weak and the poor
God gave you everything. Now you want more?
There once was a boat that brought your family here too
They came from a land far away seeking a better life for you
We’re all immigrants. We all came to call this home
God gave you nothing (nothing) for you alone
So if you’re gonna dance, You got to dance with them that brung you
What did the man say, ‘Bout how you treat the least among you?
What if tomorrow was Judgement Day?
God gave you nothing that He can’t take away
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3. |
Country Boy
04:40
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Country Boy
Smell that gumbo boilin’ at midnight
Just like Mama used to make
Memories flash thru my mind ‘til first light
Dreaming of home but I’m wide awake
You can take the boy out of the country
But you can’t take the country out of the boy
See my Lee Ann’s face so clearly
Just like it was yesterday
Barefoot girl sundress so near me
Her long hair blowing in my face
You can take the boy out of the country
But you can’t take the country out of the boy
Uncle Bobby’s motorbike rumblin’
Cousin Rhonda’s wedding bouquet
Vanilla wafers in banana pudding
Up on the hill on Graveyard Day
You can take the boy out of the country
But you can’t take the country out of the boy
Feel like going, like going home…
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4. |
Rough And Tumble
03:29
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ROUGH AND TUMBLE
On the rough and tumble baby, On the road back home
On a rough and rocky road, traveling alone, from dusk to dawn
On the rough and tumble baby, On a trail thru the trees
Soon walk thru your door, set my suitcase on the floor, hold you close to me
On the rough and tumble baby, On my way back home to you
I was cuffed, roughed up, they stole all my stuff, And relieved me of my dignity too
¬On the rough and tumble baby, I was rolled by the side of the road
Kicked and punched about the head, bloodied up and left for dead, So far from home…
On the rough and tumble baby, I got word of your demise
Got knocked to the ground, got up, got turned around, Got a bottle and I got blind
On the rough and tumble baby, Now I got nuthin’ left to lose
Devil took one look at me, he said “Boy, you can go free. I’m no match for you.”
On the rough and tumble baby, Going back from whence I came
Looked the devil in the eye, I said, “Don’t even try”, Beat him bad at his own game
On the rough and tumble baby, I’m the ghost that haunts these hills
Every star up in the sky, that once reflected in your eyes, Now there’s one for every man I’ve killed.
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5. |
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GOING PUBLIC WITH OUR LOVE
We’re going public with our love
Kept it quiet quite long enough
I heard what your husband said, there’s a price upon my head
I might have to call his bluff
I guess the cat’s out of the bag
And now them tongues start to wag
It ain’t none of their concern, but them fools will never learn
Their bullshit has always been a drag
This sacred secret we once shared
Now being bandied about out there
But them that talk don’t know, and them that know don’t talk
And either way Hell I don’t care
We’re going public with our love
Friends and family rising up
To their feet eager to meet, Who is this girl so sweet
Carrying our lone wolf’s first born pup
[break]
This sacred secret we once shared
Now being bandied about out there
But them that talk don’t know, and them that know don’t talk
And either way Hell I don’t care
We’re going public with our love
Friends and family rising up
To their feet eager to meet, Who is this girl so sweet
Carrying our lone wolf’s first born pup
We kept it quiet quite long enough
We’re going public with our love
We’re going public with our love
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6. |
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TALKIN’ BOBBY BARE JR.’S 115TH DREAM
It was back in 2016, things were lookin’ pretty lean
I was down to my last can of cat food when Robert Pollard called me
He said, “Boy, are you still bangin’ away on that old SG?”
I thought it was a dream. Folks, I tell ya: I thought it was a dream
He said, “I’m gonna mail you a ticket to Dayton where me and the boys we’ll be waitin’
By a walk-in cooler with a case of Bud for each man.
You come on up from Tennessee, pulg that thing in and let’s just see
If you just might wanna join this here band.”
Well I thought it over for about a second, GBV’s made some of my favorite records
And it might be nice after years of sloggin’ it out on my own
I thought his offer was just terrific and shit man he’s so prolific
I believe he wrote four songs just while we was on the phone
CH1: That’s how ol’ BBJ (come to) join GBV
I thought it was a dream, I thought it was a dream
I got a phone call from the man asking me to join his band
I thought it was a dream, I thought it was a dream
Six weeks rehearsals all a blur, Bob says, “That’s how they always were.
I just press record and let the shit beer flow.
Truth is the talent pool’s pretty shallow in this here part of Ohio.
But it don’t hurt me what they don’t know.”
Like a pawn in some cosmic game, he ask, “How do kids in Seattle know my name?
When the curtain parts in Brooklyn, why does the crowd sing out?”
He was half together, half a mess, seemed befuddled by his own success
He said, “I’d be a fool if I didn’t play the string out.”
“But forty albums in forty years? And the Lord himself couldn’t count the beers.
There’s no logic in a world where it’s gone on as long as this.”
He blew a cloud of smoke up to the sky and got a far away look in his eye, and said,
“Here Billy, watch my beer. I gotta take a piss.”
CH2: That’s how BBJ joined GBV
I thought it was a dream, I thought it was a dream
I plugged in and played along, knew the words to every song
I thought it was a dream, I thought it was a dream
We got in the van and got on the road, in every college town another show
Where the empty Bud cans flew like a swarm of killer bees
Well damn my ego I never said it, but to Bob’s never-ending credit
He sang his ass off every night ‘til every last drunkard was pleased
We went top to bottom, coast to coast, the old Midwest liked us the most
But way down south they just stared on in silence
Now I’d be lying if I was to say there was no women, no bad days,
No crooked promoters, food poisoning, or violence
But when we got to Austin City Limits, I thought, “Hey now, wait a minute…
Don’t these people care? Don’t they know?
Now it’s not that I breathe rarified air but Hell my daddy’s Bobby freakin’ Bare.
When I was on my own they never wanted me on their stupid show.”
CH3: That’s how BBJ joined GBV
I thought it was a dream, I thought it was a dream
I paid the cost to be the boss but now I’m just the special sauce
Kinda like a dream. A bad dream.
Now I know my voice is whiny and comparatively my crowds are tiny
But I crave a certain solitude that comes with being an unknown
I’m not saying I was disillusioned but I was disabused of all confusion
About whether to stay on the gig or (just) go on home
These eyes have seen more dive bars than the Montana sky’s got stars
And I’m not sure why but I feel like that matters
Maybe there’s something to be said for a man endeavoring to empty his head
And just make peace with the one rung on his ladder
Now I’m not saying that gig’s beneath me. Bob’s a mentor and a hero, believe me.
But the good Lord didn’t put me here to play another man’s songs
Now my feet back on terra firma and Zen masters say all is impermanent
I’m headed back to East Nashville where I belong
CH4: That’s how BBJ join GBV
I thought it was a dream, I thought it was a dream
Dreams are alright in the night but then comes morning light
Mighta’ been a dream, I thought it was a dream
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7. |
Outsider Looking Out
03:21
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OUTSIDER LOOKING OUT
Do I belong here? Is this my home?
Back where I come from I could not wait to get gone
In a blinded neon world I work by candle light
Too much plastic, not enough wood
Bark bark bark bark, but no bite
Outsider looking out, needs no reminding
Where you ain’t got no clouds, you got no silver lining
Whatever it takes, the breaks, the shakes
It’s a bumpy ride
Stay outside the law, the lines, anything that might define
Night train, bad brain, Tulsa time
I’m still rollin’, movin’ down the line
Where’d I come from? Where’d I go?
The mirror don’t work no more
Outsider looking out, you can probably guess
What that’s all about: it’s a blessing and it’s a mess
How things change. It’s one long day.
Good thing go. Bad thing stay.
This feeling I’d not foreseen:
Homesick for a place I’ve never been
I’ve flown, I swam, I climb, I drive. It was fun.
There ain’t much I ain’t done
I had a pretty good run
But I’d trade it all, for just one…
Outsider looking out to call my own
Put me right don’t put me out
Call me papa and call me home
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8. |
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SMALL WORLD GETTING SMALLER
Odds don’t get much longer, baby, But our love’s got no brakes
It weren’t a race to the altar, baby, but we ran all the way
A death trip in vivid living color, baby girl, you was heavy but a featherweight
Treasure trove north of your garter, baby, but my mind got lost
My mind got lost on the way
Night crawler in the parlour, baby, a tiki bar by the bay
Double shot down in a swallow baby, chase it with Tanqueray
Sloppy drunken run for the border, baby, skinny dip in the lake
I get a couple more fat cat lawyers, babe, they make it go
They make it go away
Wandered off down Bourbon Holler, baby, ‘bout a year ago today
Baby boy came back a brawler, babe, his hay-maker makin’ hay
Not as far gone as some of y’all are, babe, sundowning at the break of day
Fats Waller ain’t Mahler, babe, but it won’t always be
It won’t always be that way
Jupiter ain’t the Rock Of Gibraltar, babe, a cul de sac ain’t the Milky Way
I’ve seen a tempest in a teacup, babe, but your love takes the cake
Now I’ll be your steamroller, babe, if you’ll be my Fay Wray
I’m not just another night prowler, babe, so let’s not drag
Let’s not drag the lake
Small world gettin’ smaller, baby, smaller every day
But my sunny disposition start to falter, babe, when you talk that way
Okay next caller hey baby what you want me to play?
How ‘bout some Little Walter, baby? My Babe, My Babe
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9. |
Hungover And Drinkin'
03:46
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HUNGOVER AND DRINKIN’
I ain’t moving too fast today, I ain’t got much to say
About last night or any other in the recent past
I don’t ponder the crooked tracks I laid, Punches thrown, mistakes I made
Once I’ve emptied the bottle into the glass
CH:
My brain is hurtin’, foggy, uncertain, Tattered, torn, and confused
I can’t be accused of doing too much thinkin’
I’m just… Hungover and drinkin’
I woke up on the roof, missing a tooth
I can’t account for several days in a row
Bloody knuckles and a broken nose
I woke up wearing someone else’s clothes
Wondering where did all my friends and my money go?
CH:
My brain is hurtin’, foggy, uncertain, Battered, bruised, abused
I can’t be accused of doing too much thinkin’
I’m just… Hungover and drinkin’
Bridge:
Up at the crack of noon, and most days that’s too soon
Brown bag breakfast, bottle for brunch, another for lunch
And pretty soon I’m howlin’ at the moon
- break -
CH:
My brain is hurtin’, foggy, uncertain, Cloudy, clogged up and coming unglued
I can’t be accused of doing too much thinkin’
I’m just… Hungover and drinkin’
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10. |
Last Time I Saw Paul
02:39
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LAST TIME I SAW PAUL
CHORUS 1:
Last time I saw Paul, We got low but we stood tall
We did shots, Smoked a lot, But we did not fall
As I recall, Last time I saw Paul
We got low, We stood tall, When I saw Paul
Raised a glass, To friends that passed
Got a bottle, Hit the throttle, We got gassed
Had a blast. The damage done was deep and vast
That’s how friendships last
CHORUS 2:
Last time I saw Paul, We got low but we stood tall
Hit the ball over the wall and we touched ‘em all
As I recall, Last time I saw Paul
We got low, We stood tall, When I saw Paul
Our bellies long ago got soft, We still hold our heads aloft
Though it’s mostly smoke and broken mirrors in our heads
Through writer’s blocks and laughing stocks, Weaker minds jealous talk
Bloody knuckles sidewalks, it’s like I said…
REPEAT CHORUS 1
Burning bush is worth a bird leg in the hand, Apple cart fruit stand
Dull knife tipple topple, Full life empty bottle
Evening ended without warning, Wee hours of the morning
Coupla’ redneck mothers – Up against the wall
REPEAT CHORUS 2
He was a face in the mirror, broken fears, many years
‘Til the finish is near, but the darkness outside
Makes a false image clear. So I lean in close and listen
And I heard him say, “Who is this guy?” Anyway…
REPEAT CHORUS 1
LAST CHORUS ends with:
As I recall, woo-ooh, me and Paul
We got low. We stood tall, when I saw Paul.
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11. |
Three Months Off
05:25
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THREE MONTHS OFF
I took three months off but I didn’t like it
Doc gave me a cocktail but he forgot to spike it
I ain’t never been on nuthin’ but the road
Now it’s, “Take 2 of this, 3 of that, 6 of these and 4 of those.
Call me in the morning if you wake up.
If you don’t wake up, you needn’t bother.
On the bright side you’ll no longer miss your father.
It’ll be just you and he, back in Tennessee,
Cuppin’ your hands and scoopin’ up a faceful of cold spring water.
It’s not so far over yonder.”
I never took three months off before
I never gave it much thought ‘til I woke up on the floor
Staring up at the ceiling, in my chest a funny feeling like thunder
They come and brought me around
Just to put me back under
I took three months off flat on my back
They tell me my heart was attacked and I believe it
How often the Lord test us. I never knew how precious
This life is ‘til I was almost forced to leave it
My son. My spitting image.
Like an arrow I shot into the future
Says, “Pop, hold on if you feel strong.
But if you feel tired, you cross over when the mood strikes
And the timing suits you.”
I took three months off. They were my last.
I waited but no profound thought came to pass.
I saw my son and daughter, grandkids dancin’ on the water
Babies with angels’ wings
I held them in my hands. I was young again.
And I felt like a king.
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12. |
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THE MAN WHO LEFT THE BAND
Some say he left for home but his family waited and he never showed.
He hadn’t tired of the touring cuz after he quit he hit the road.
He wasn’t seeking solitude or anything like that cuz he took his cat.
“I’ll never get back in that van with a smile,” swore the man who left the band.
The band replaced him with two guys who together were barely half his size.
They doubled up the sound but they weren’t nearly half as fun to have around.
Puzzled and cynical at first, soon the fans would accept and understand.
But behind the scenes things would never be the same without the man who left the band.
He clambered up the eastern seaboard, tumbled down the mountains way out west.
Never spoke his destination, forever rambling, never stopped to rest.
He roasted in the desert and when he came to the coast he swam.
A ghost from the past seemed to be chasing the man who left the band.
The two new guys came and went. They drank and fought their way out of the group.
Too many cooks in the kitchen rarely results in better soup.
The band folded their tent, went back home, got day jobs and sold the van.
It could never be the same anyway without the man who left the band.
He walked into a diner, ordered pie and coffee from a pony tail.
Turning around all she saw was a man who’d been too long out on the trail.
Under his coat his heart was racing like a line drive headed for the stands.
He hoped to make amends for what he broke the day he left to join the band.
As the coffee cooled, the waitress warmed up, started talkin’ bout her troublesome two boys.
“Too much like their long gone deadbeat daddy but it’s not like they ever had a choice.
I work so hard to provide for them most days I barely have the strength to stand.
Hey now mister I didn’t mean to make you cry,” she said to the man who left the band.
“When I tell you who I am,” he said, “You might not care to hear another word from me.
But if I live to be a million your face is like no other sight I’ll see.
I never cried when your mother died and if you knew her you would understand.
Your daddy’s here begging your forgiveness,” said the man who left the band.
Those troubled boys made a beautiful noise when they got their first drum kit and a bass.
A lightbulb flickered on just above the devilish grin on Grandpa’s face.
Mama’s left arm tan a testament to her role as driver of the van.
As Grandpa fills the tank whistling a song about the man who left the band.
As Grandpa fills the tank whistling a song about the man who left the band.
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13. |
Cross Over The River
04:46
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CROSS OVER THE RIVER
Let us cross over the river and rest in the shade of those trees
The sun is hot but the water is cool and I’m already up to my knees
The far shore to my eyes looks like Paradise,
We’ll break bread over there if you please
Let us cross over the river and rest in the shade of those trees
Tell my child I will wait for her but don’t you hurry to cross
Her precious life force, God’s sweet nectar, savor every drop
So much life to live, so much love to give,
On your cheek feel me in the breeze
But for now I must cross over and rest in the shade of those trees
My love I must go solo, it’s not yours but my time
Taking only your sweet memory and leaving you with mine
Kiss me on the brow and give my hand one final squeeze
Then I’ll cross over the river and rest in the shade of the trees
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