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

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

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…

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.

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

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

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

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

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’

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.

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.

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.

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