Darling Of The Western Sky
1. The Wolves & The Hounds
The wolves and the hounds are waiting, they're waiting in the dark
They can see your life light fading and brother it could use a spark
There's nothing for to stop them, oh others they have tried
Until you have expired the beasts won't be satisfied
The wolves and the hounds are hunting, they're right on your trail
Try as you might to lose them with wolves you'll always fail
You're running through the woods now, don't you miss a step
You'll hear their lonesome chorus and you'll feel their angry breath
The wolves and the hounds are feasting on your poor ravaged bones
Theres nothing here worth keeping, left and buried in the loam
You've died as you were born here, in silent solitude
And as for this moment, the blood lust has been subdued
The wolves and the hounds are waiting on their next casualty
With monsters theres no debating, the next victim may be me
Like Judas of old they're seeking death upon the head of man
Keep watch out through the evening, lest the dogs come back again
2. Metropolitan Blues
When first into this city I was victim to the news
Beat up and broken down by these metropolitan blues
Harms been done to every mothers son, oh but worse it's true
I could not find you
As I wonder these dirty old streets
I see your face in every soul I meet
Whoa, the police they can't keep the peace
Oh but worse it's true I could not find you
Chorus:
Sirens ring out in the night air
I awoke to find that you weren't there
The city heat has rendered me
Unable to speak and unable to dream
When first into the city I was lost just like a child
It left my head spinning for the longest while
Theres hatred for the man who lives next door
Oh but worse it's true, I could not find you
Chorus x 3
3. Kind Whore
Chorus:
Said I had to sneak on in here, to be seen would be a shame
And you, you are a kind whore, though kind you're all the same
Woman wont you hold me tonight
I know that its not typical but you know the moneys right
Its been a day full of suffering and bad pictures fill my head
Lay me down woman, lay me down upon your bed
Chorus
You can leave your clothes on, I'll save you that work
Too many before I came here, baby, take off your shirt
Now woman will you listen to the things I have to say
I've got so many troubles you wont fix them here today
Chorus
With the help of some cheap wine and a little smoke
You had made your money and left with words unspoke
Maybe just the next time I need your sympathy
I'll call you up and meet you in motel room 23
Chorus x 2
4. Monongahela
What kind of secrets does this water hold
Waves whispering something that we'll never know
My fair woman she found the bottom deep
That's one more secret for this water to keep
Chorus:
This river town is bound to drown my sorrow
Come the rise of the sun I'll be gone tomorrow
Pittsburgh's never looked as bad as it does tonight
So with a parting kiss to Fremont Street that's how I'll say goodbye
I'm running headlong towards that Birmingham Bridge
St. Michael's going to hear me when I fall in
Let that cold water fill up my lungs
And push south to where I belong
Chorus
5. Your Heart, She Hollers
Damn these hands that push you away and the lips that never begged you to stay
Come this time tomorrow morning you'll be well upon your way
You've a family in the south of Texas, will your thumb carry you that far?
Or will you end up serving whiskey to cowboys in some Oklahoma bar?
Chorus
Your heart, she hollers
I can hear it loud and clear
Do your best while you're out there lonesome
'Cause I'll be falling apart here
The rain that's falling down on Milwaukee will do it's best to drown me
I'll turn my head up towards that blackened sky and let that water wash me clean
When that southern wind rolls warm through your hair darling remember me fondly
Keep that golden locket 'round your neck, keep me as close as can be
Chorus x 2
6. Darling Of The Western Sky
Abandon all that scares you and head out towards the sea
To a land you've seen in postcards my dear and you have so longed to be
Yes you'll make it with the sunrise If you ever break these plains
Would you take me when you go there or just leave me where lay?
Chorus:
The darling of the western sky
The darling of the western sky
The darling of the western sky
She belongs to me
I found your note this morning and I never felt you leave this bed
Well it started with I'm sorry my dear, and the rest so simply read
You know I made it with the sunrise since I finally broke these chains
I could not take you where I'm going so I just left you where you lay
Chorus
The wolves and the hounds are waiting, they're waiting in the dark
They can see your life light fading and brother it could use a spark
There's nothing for to stop them, oh others they have tried
Until you have expired the beasts won't be satisfied
The wolves and the hounds are hunting, they're right on your trail
Try as you might to lose them with wolves you'll always fail
You're running through the woods now, don't you miss a step
You'll hear their lonesome chorus and you'll feel their angry breath
The wolves and the hounds are feasting on your poor ravaged bones
Theres nothing here worth keeping, left and buried in the loam
You've died as you were born here, in silent solitude
And as for this moment, the blood lust has been subdued
The wolves and the hounds are waiting on their next casualty
With monsters theres no debating, the next victim may be me
Like Judas of old they're seeking death upon the head of man
Keep watch out through the evening, lest the dogs come back again
2. Metropolitan Blues
When first into this city I was victim to the news
Beat up and broken down by these metropolitan blues
Harms been done to every mothers son, oh but worse it's true
I could not find you
As I wonder these dirty old streets
I see your face in every soul I meet
Whoa, the police they can't keep the peace
Oh but worse it's true I could not find you
Chorus:
Sirens ring out in the night air
I awoke to find that you weren't there
The city heat has rendered me
Unable to speak and unable to dream
When first into the city I was lost just like a child
It left my head spinning for the longest while
Theres hatred for the man who lives next door
Oh but worse it's true, I could not find you
Chorus x 3
3. Kind Whore
Chorus:
Said I had to sneak on in here, to be seen would be a shame
And you, you are a kind whore, though kind you're all the same
Woman wont you hold me tonight
I know that its not typical but you know the moneys right
Its been a day full of suffering and bad pictures fill my head
Lay me down woman, lay me down upon your bed
Chorus
You can leave your clothes on, I'll save you that work
Too many before I came here, baby, take off your shirt
Now woman will you listen to the things I have to say
I've got so many troubles you wont fix them here today
Chorus
With the help of some cheap wine and a little smoke
You had made your money and left with words unspoke
Maybe just the next time I need your sympathy
I'll call you up and meet you in motel room 23
Chorus x 2
4. Monongahela
What kind of secrets does this water hold
Waves whispering something that we'll never know
My fair woman she found the bottom deep
That's one more secret for this water to keep
Chorus:
This river town is bound to drown my sorrow
Come the rise of the sun I'll be gone tomorrow
Pittsburgh's never looked as bad as it does tonight
So with a parting kiss to Fremont Street that's how I'll say goodbye
I'm running headlong towards that Birmingham Bridge
St. Michael's going to hear me when I fall in
Let that cold water fill up my lungs
And push south to where I belong
Chorus
5. Your Heart, She Hollers
Damn these hands that push you away and the lips that never begged you to stay
Come this time tomorrow morning you'll be well upon your way
You've a family in the south of Texas, will your thumb carry you that far?
Or will you end up serving whiskey to cowboys in some Oklahoma bar?
Chorus
Your heart, she hollers
I can hear it loud and clear
Do your best while you're out there lonesome
'Cause I'll be falling apart here
The rain that's falling down on Milwaukee will do it's best to drown me
I'll turn my head up towards that blackened sky and let that water wash me clean
When that southern wind rolls warm through your hair darling remember me fondly
Keep that golden locket 'round your neck, keep me as close as can be
Chorus x 2
6. Darling Of The Western Sky
Abandon all that scares you and head out towards the sea
To a land you've seen in postcards my dear and you have so longed to be
Yes you'll make it with the sunrise If you ever break these plains
Would you take me when you go there or just leave me where lay?
Chorus:
The darling of the western sky
The darling of the western sky
The darling of the western sky
She belongs to me
I found your note this morning and I never felt you leave this bed
Well it started with I'm sorry my dear, and the rest so simply read
You know I made it with the sunrise since I finally broke these chains
I could not take you where I'm going so I just left you where you lay
Chorus
Kingsnake's Bite
1. Kingsnake's Bite
Chorus:
I've got a coral snakes color with a kingsnakes bite
And I'm ready to blow like old dynamite
I'm just doing my best not to ruin her life
But what do you do when its flee or fight
Every time we get down the neighbors hear what we say
But even an old broken watch is right twice a day
There ain't a person on earth that dont want it their way
But the good lord knows I wont let you walk away
Chorus
Shes always in my ear with what I've been told
Got her hands on her hips what a sight to behold
Just yelling at me that the wood piles low
While she's leaning out the front door letting in the cold
It's time for you all to clear the room
Except the one that stays knows who shed be
I'm not one for speeches or making a big scene
But it's about time she heard my apology
They don't make 'em like us no more no lie
And we can't be held back by these hands of time
Baby I've been blessed with a graveyard eye
I'm going to love you up until I die
Chorus x 2
2. Cheap Pillows
It's up on the second floor, third door on the left
The elevators been broke five months now, you'll have to take them steps
Just passed the ice machine, it'll hum and buck all night
If I'm not here at check out sir, I do hope you sleep tight
Chorus:
I know I'm not the first man to come lay in this queen size bed
These two old cheap pillows have been the home to many a head
Like that long haul truck driver 500 miles from his wife and apart
Or that nervous high school senior having his first time with a prom night sweetheart
Oh, good night sweetheart
The room it smells like smoke, despite the no smoking sign
I guess you can't curb a man's addiction with a red circle and a red sign
There's nothing here to look at except this black and white TV screen
They did give me three whole channels but two of them play the same damn thing
Chorus
They didn't leave me any towels and I'm not getting that wake up call
Of course the coffee sucks, I guess a man he can't have it all
There's a hundred car rail line outside my window, it's not in a dream
I bet that old conductor don't give a shit whether we get sleep
Chorus
3. Cross The Cumberland
Forty miles to Paducah, that must mean Kentucky
It's hard to tell int hese headlights, these southern states look the same to me
I'm going down to find my baby who left me in the middle of last night
Don't know what took her so long to finally see the light
Chorus
That river water runs so fast, but like you I can't hold it in my hands
Well June know I'm coming for you, soon as I cross, soon as I cross the Cumberland
Every man in this town plays a six string better than me
She took to living with one of them in a dog-eared room up in the Cherokee
They kept their liquor in the ice box and the bible in the garbage can
She told me that he didn't have much but how them pills, oh they made the man
Chorus
From beside her on this rented bed, I watched her turn a ghost
With much purpose and intention she greatly misjudged the dose
Her eyes turned black and hollow, her lips a pale shade of blue
If you'd even for me, well June, I would have followed you
Chorus
4. Life Is A Zoo Blues
Take it easy on me woman, last night I didnt get much sleep
I was out howling with them wolves while they were chasing them sheep, chasing in them sheep
Theres some mean lookin cougars down at the end of this block
Both fo them making eyes at me, and me praying that I don't get caught, dont get caught
Chorus:
Well you wanna tell me that your life's a zoo
But what I'd give to up and trade my spot with you
Well, I shutter to think of a life outside this cage
So I'll spend my days working for a living, and relief is dying of old age
Take it easy on me woman can't you see I'm just getting in
I was out all night drinking with them suckers down in the lion's den, in the lion's den
Now this 9-5, 5 day work week, well I tell ya it's for the birds
I'd love to up and fly this coop it's just I ain't got the nerve, I ain't got the never
Chorus
Take it easy on me woman cant you see its hot up here
It'd be so much easier to entertain you, had you brought me a beer, bring me a beer
Ya see all these fancy cats lose their life before it's time
I guess curiosity got the best of them, I guess thats why I still got mine, I still got mine
Chorus
Yes, I'll spend my days working for a living, and relief is dying of old age
5. The Pistol & The Flowers
Chorus:
The flowers they're tucked in your hair
you wear them like this when we go up the mountain
And the pistol, it is loaded
And I'll use it if nobody saw us, yes I'll use it if nobody saw
You owe your life on that first night
To a young boy and his dog
'Less you'd be found in the shallow ground
Laid to rest in the early morning fog
Chorus
With time drawing near, saved by a couple on the pier
And the headlights from their cadillac
They shown so bright into the night
Illuminating my plan of attack
Chorus
Well the distant baying hounds spoke to where you may be found
And I followed your track up mountain trail
Standing steady upon the peak, hands clinched with sturdy feet
While upon me my own bullets hailed
Chorus
And you've gone and used it to drop me
6. Slow Dance Through A Burning Field
She's got eyes that'll scare the sun right out of the sky 'fore the day is done
She'll turn em on you just to make you sweat
She'll turn em on you just to make you sweat
I've never seen nothing put my heart on hold like them emerald eyes or her hair of gold
She'll shame the reds and blues of the sunset
She'll shame the reds and blues of the sunset
Chorus
Shes giving me a slow dance, through a burning field
Shes giving me the good love, oh lord it can't be real
Yeah, shes giving me a slow dance, through a burning field
Shes got legs clear up to her neck its enough to keep a grown man in check
Even with a map you won't know where to put your hands
Even with a map you won't know where to put your hands
If she stays with you all through the night and you wake up with her come the broad daylight
That's enough to let you know where your little girl stands
That's enough to let you know where your little girl stands
Chorus
She's got eyes that'll scare the sun right out of the sky 'fore the day is done
She'll turn em on you just to make you sweat
She'll turn em on you just to make you sweat
I've never seen nothing put my heart on hold like them emerald eyes or her hair of gold
She'll shame the reds and blues of the sunset
She'll shame the reds and blues of the sunset
Chorus
7. Widow To The Harvest
Can you tell me and be honest that you're not longing for the day
When we was carefree in that sunshine, and you had yet to curse my name
The harvest moon it come up shining, we laughed until the morning came
And I told you I would not be traveling on, mama, but now there's money to be made
Chorus:
Shes a widow to the harvest, shes a widow to the fields
Her mama tried so hard to warn her that them summer months my dear the feel like years
Now you pray he comes home with the dark of the night, like some unknown holy ghost
And its got you down on bended knees now, screaming out prayers for the one you miss the most
To those that said you would not make it, they wont confuse your love with fake
When you carry the vows back to the dust of the earth and you wear your heartache like some old war paint
To tell a woman shes not right
There's no finer way to risk your life
Yes, she knows that he'll return
Theres no harder lesson to be learned
Chorus
8. East Brooklyn Tabernacle Blues
Bunch of mean looking men insdie this bar
There's gunna be a scuffle or two the chances are
It's gunna end up in fisticuffs
These old boys they look real tought
Bunch of mean looking men tryin' to get their drinks
Staring me down, I can tell just what they think
In walked some simple kind of one punch fight
Darling, I wont make it home tonight
Chorus:
East Brooklyn Tabernacle Blues
The damn dirtiest bar you ever run into
There's nothing for sale except for some day old, warm beer
And if you cant find your way, brother you don't belong here
Bunch of mean looking men they share this cell
One too many beers landed my ass in jail
My old lady was my only phone call
From the sound of it she left the receiver hanging in the hall
Chorus
That's a mean looking woman on my porch
9. Cut My Teeth, Warm My Hands
Chorus:
I cut my teeth on your name, I'll call it out every time you leave
I warm my hands upon the fire of your burning bridge, whod have thought love would feel like this
I blame the wine that we drank from them coffee cups
At the kitchen table with your legs crossed up
In the background Guy he sang for Susanne
And we hoped like hell that love would come again
Chorus
Pink slips in the mail, when the bills were a month behind.
Its enough to make you yell, enough to make you cry
Ipromised you the world had they given me a dime
For every time I let you down, well you'd still be mine
Chorus
10. Wings of Red
Chorus:
That red wing blackbird balanced on my fencline
He comes back, he comes back every year
Them bright red wings, well they blind my eyes
And his song, it cuts straight to my ear
He's seen this old farm in its glory days and watched, oh watched it fall from grace
If my old man could see whats come of this land, he'd be turning and spinning in his grave
Chorus
My dear mother turned her hands to working and toiled in them fields all day
So when the time came for that long ride home, she couldn't, couldn't bend them hands to pray
Chorus
Chorus:
I've got a coral snakes color with a kingsnakes bite
And I'm ready to blow like old dynamite
I'm just doing my best not to ruin her life
But what do you do when its flee or fight
Every time we get down the neighbors hear what we say
But even an old broken watch is right twice a day
There ain't a person on earth that dont want it their way
But the good lord knows I wont let you walk away
Chorus
Shes always in my ear with what I've been told
Got her hands on her hips what a sight to behold
Just yelling at me that the wood piles low
While she's leaning out the front door letting in the cold
It's time for you all to clear the room
Except the one that stays knows who shed be
I'm not one for speeches or making a big scene
But it's about time she heard my apology
They don't make 'em like us no more no lie
And we can't be held back by these hands of time
Baby I've been blessed with a graveyard eye
I'm going to love you up until I die
Chorus x 2
2. Cheap Pillows
It's up on the second floor, third door on the left
The elevators been broke five months now, you'll have to take them steps
Just passed the ice machine, it'll hum and buck all night
If I'm not here at check out sir, I do hope you sleep tight
Chorus:
I know I'm not the first man to come lay in this queen size bed
These two old cheap pillows have been the home to many a head
Like that long haul truck driver 500 miles from his wife and apart
Or that nervous high school senior having his first time with a prom night sweetheart
Oh, good night sweetheart
The room it smells like smoke, despite the no smoking sign
I guess you can't curb a man's addiction with a red circle and a red sign
There's nothing here to look at except this black and white TV screen
They did give me three whole channels but two of them play the same damn thing
Chorus
They didn't leave me any towels and I'm not getting that wake up call
Of course the coffee sucks, I guess a man he can't have it all
There's a hundred car rail line outside my window, it's not in a dream
I bet that old conductor don't give a shit whether we get sleep
Chorus
3. Cross The Cumberland
Forty miles to Paducah, that must mean Kentucky
It's hard to tell int hese headlights, these southern states look the same to me
I'm going down to find my baby who left me in the middle of last night
Don't know what took her so long to finally see the light
Chorus
That river water runs so fast, but like you I can't hold it in my hands
Well June know I'm coming for you, soon as I cross, soon as I cross the Cumberland
Every man in this town plays a six string better than me
She took to living with one of them in a dog-eared room up in the Cherokee
They kept their liquor in the ice box and the bible in the garbage can
She told me that he didn't have much but how them pills, oh they made the man
Chorus
From beside her on this rented bed, I watched her turn a ghost
With much purpose and intention she greatly misjudged the dose
Her eyes turned black and hollow, her lips a pale shade of blue
If you'd even for me, well June, I would have followed you
Chorus
4. Life Is A Zoo Blues
Take it easy on me woman, last night I didnt get much sleep
I was out howling with them wolves while they were chasing them sheep, chasing in them sheep
Theres some mean lookin cougars down at the end of this block
Both fo them making eyes at me, and me praying that I don't get caught, dont get caught
Chorus:
Well you wanna tell me that your life's a zoo
But what I'd give to up and trade my spot with you
Well, I shutter to think of a life outside this cage
So I'll spend my days working for a living, and relief is dying of old age
Take it easy on me woman can't you see I'm just getting in
I was out all night drinking with them suckers down in the lion's den, in the lion's den
Now this 9-5, 5 day work week, well I tell ya it's for the birds
I'd love to up and fly this coop it's just I ain't got the nerve, I ain't got the never
Chorus
Take it easy on me woman cant you see its hot up here
It'd be so much easier to entertain you, had you brought me a beer, bring me a beer
Ya see all these fancy cats lose their life before it's time
I guess curiosity got the best of them, I guess thats why I still got mine, I still got mine
Chorus
Yes, I'll spend my days working for a living, and relief is dying of old age
5. The Pistol & The Flowers
Chorus:
The flowers they're tucked in your hair
you wear them like this when we go up the mountain
And the pistol, it is loaded
And I'll use it if nobody saw us, yes I'll use it if nobody saw
You owe your life on that first night
To a young boy and his dog
'Less you'd be found in the shallow ground
Laid to rest in the early morning fog
Chorus
With time drawing near, saved by a couple on the pier
And the headlights from their cadillac
They shown so bright into the night
Illuminating my plan of attack
Chorus
Well the distant baying hounds spoke to where you may be found
And I followed your track up mountain trail
Standing steady upon the peak, hands clinched with sturdy feet
While upon me my own bullets hailed
Chorus
And you've gone and used it to drop me
6. Slow Dance Through A Burning Field
She's got eyes that'll scare the sun right out of the sky 'fore the day is done
She'll turn em on you just to make you sweat
She'll turn em on you just to make you sweat
I've never seen nothing put my heart on hold like them emerald eyes or her hair of gold
She'll shame the reds and blues of the sunset
She'll shame the reds and blues of the sunset
Chorus
Shes giving me a slow dance, through a burning field
Shes giving me the good love, oh lord it can't be real
Yeah, shes giving me a slow dance, through a burning field
Shes got legs clear up to her neck its enough to keep a grown man in check
Even with a map you won't know where to put your hands
Even with a map you won't know where to put your hands
If she stays with you all through the night and you wake up with her come the broad daylight
That's enough to let you know where your little girl stands
That's enough to let you know where your little girl stands
Chorus
She's got eyes that'll scare the sun right out of the sky 'fore the day is done
She'll turn em on you just to make you sweat
She'll turn em on you just to make you sweat
I've never seen nothing put my heart on hold like them emerald eyes or her hair of gold
She'll shame the reds and blues of the sunset
She'll shame the reds and blues of the sunset
Chorus
7. Widow To The Harvest
Can you tell me and be honest that you're not longing for the day
When we was carefree in that sunshine, and you had yet to curse my name
The harvest moon it come up shining, we laughed until the morning came
And I told you I would not be traveling on, mama, but now there's money to be made
Chorus:
Shes a widow to the harvest, shes a widow to the fields
Her mama tried so hard to warn her that them summer months my dear the feel like years
Now you pray he comes home with the dark of the night, like some unknown holy ghost
And its got you down on bended knees now, screaming out prayers for the one you miss the most
To those that said you would not make it, they wont confuse your love with fake
When you carry the vows back to the dust of the earth and you wear your heartache like some old war paint
To tell a woman shes not right
There's no finer way to risk your life
Yes, she knows that he'll return
Theres no harder lesson to be learned
Chorus
8. East Brooklyn Tabernacle Blues
Bunch of mean looking men insdie this bar
There's gunna be a scuffle or two the chances are
It's gunna end up in fisticuffs
These old boys they look real tought
Bunch of mean looking men tryin' to get their drinks
Staring me down, I can tell just what they think
In walked some simple kind of one punch fight
Darling, I wont make it home tonight
Chorus:
East Brooklyn Tabernacle Blues
The damn dirtiest bar you ever run into
There's nothing for sale except for some day old, warm beer
And if you cant find your way, brother you don't belong here
Bunch of mean looking men they share this cell
One too many beers landed my ass in jail
My old lady was my only phone call
From the sound of it she left the receiver hanging in the hall
Chorus
That's a mean looking woman on my porch
9. Cut My Teeth, Warm My Hands
Chorus:
I cut my teeth on your name, I'll call it out every time you leave
I warm my hands upon the fire of your burning bridge, whod have thought love would feel like this
I blame the wine that we drank from them coffee cups
At the kitchen table with your legs crossed up
In the background Guy he sang for Susanne
And we hoped like hell that love would come again
Chorus
Pink slips in the mail, when the bills were a month behind.
Its enough to make you yell, enough to make you cry
Ipromised you the world had they given me a dime
For every time I let you down, well you'd still be mine
Chorus
10. Wings of Red
Chorus:
That red wing blackbird balanced on my fencline
He comes back, he comes back every year
Them bright red wings, well they blind my eyes
And his song, it cuts straight to my ear
He's seen this old farm in its glory days and watched, oh watched it fall from grace
If my old man could see whats come of this land, he'd be turning and spinning in his grave
Chorus
My dear mother turned her hands to working and toiled in them fields all day
So when the time came for that long ride home, she couldn't, couldn't bend them hands to pray
Chorus
Halfway Home
1. Halfway Home
2. Second Hand Rose
3. Madeline, My Dear
4. The Arsonist
5. Geraldine
6. Missouri Moon
7. St. Lorraine
8. Help Me Heal
9. Queen of Abilene
10. Last Call
11. The End or The Eye
2. Second Hand Rose
3. Madeline, My Dear
4. The Arsonist
5. Geraldine
6. Missouri Moon
7. St. Lorraine
8. Help Me Heal
9. Queen of Abilene
10. Last Call
11. The End or The Eye
The Old Hawk & Me
1. The Old Hawk & Me
2. Indian Summer
3. She Cries Flowers (Nothing New)
4. Slingshot King of North Carolina
5. You Can't Spell Marie (Without Me)
6. Penelope's Lullaby
7. 80 Dozen Shrimp
8. Old No. 1 (Thank You, Guy)
9. Them Blasted Things
10. Harvest Road
11. Idaho
12. Little Miss Little Rock
2. Indian Summer
3. She Cries Flowers (Nothing New)
4. Slingshot King of North Carolina
5. You Can't Spell Marie (Without Me)
6. Penelope's Lullaby
7. 80 Dozen Shrimp
8. Old No. 1 (Thank You, Guy)
9. Them Blasted Things
10. Harvest Road
11. Idaho
12. Little Miss Little Rock
Greetings From...Rock Bottom
1. Greetings From Rock Bottom
2. Bartender
3. Whiskey Colored Glasses
4. Nashville Motel
5. Empty Bed, Empty Bottles
6. Help Wanted
7. Honeymoon In Prison
8. Miss That Wine
9. Texas Electric Chair
10. Oklahoma Wind
11. Them Early Days
2. Bartender
3. Whiskey Colored Glasses
4. Nashville Motel
5. Empty Bed, Empty Bottles
6. Help Wanted
7. Honeymoon In Prison
8. Miss That Wine
9. Texas Electric Chair
10. Oklahoma Wind
11. Them Early Days
Crossroads Motel
1. Crossroads Motel
2. Henrietta, Queen of the Highway
3. Chipped Paint & Rust
4. I Am The Fire (That Survived The Rain)
5. Sweat Equity
6. Old & Alone In Boston
7. Old Folks & Migratory Birds
8. Silhouettes
9. Grant County Lines
10. Symphony of Leaving
11. Dog-caught Dove
12. The End Is Near
2. Henrietta, Queen of the Highway
3. Chipped Paint & Rust
4. I Am The Fire (That Survived The Rain)
5. Sweat Equity
6. Old & Alone In Boston
7. Old Folks & Migratory Birds
8. Silhouettes
9. Grant County Lines
10. Symphony of Leaving
11. Dog-caught Dove
12. The End Is Near
Where The Honest Men Reside
1. Where The Honest Men Reside
The lightings just a bunch of neon signs
There’s more than a handful of single mothers
Nobody’s worried over spilling on the felt
‘Cause the snooker tables got an old vinyl cover
It’s covered in a potluck of crock pots
With beaver and slow cooked brown meats
Tonight those young mother’s brought their babies
For the once a year wild game feed
Chorus:
Where the linoleum ends is what they call the whore line
When it gets busy ‘round here you best stay where the honest men reside
Many a reputation has been built up or torn down
You know words travel fast in these small towns
Used to be farm hands come drink here,
Now just a handful of old farmers stay
Most the time a new guy walks in
They wouldn’t bother to ask his name
The urinal trough is full of pocket change
And spearmint tobacco grounds
Regulars look you over with a keen eye,
‘Cause the new guy buys the rounds
Chorus
Now the paints coming off the walls
Been decades since it was touched up
The tin ceiling looks ready to fall on your head
but the owner doesn’t give a fuck
Tug of war trophies live on top of an old fridge
That hasn’t put a chill on anything in years
There’s still talk of winning the ‘78 county fair
And them glory boys are here drinking beers
Chorus
2. Rumble Strips
It looked a lot like Montana, but really it was too dark to know
Every indication indicated we was on the reservation of the crow
Driving through these midnight hours to get to where I needed to go
Eyelids getting heavy with every passing lullaby on the radio
Chorus:
Then this god awful shaking brought me back to the light
And I quickly took to breaking and got stopped just short of the fenceline
These rumble strips woke me up, kept me alive
Rumble strips are the reason I’m coming home tonight
It’s one hell of a fishtail when you lock ‘em up at 90 miles an hour
Sending up a dusty smoke signal over the prairie like a lookout tower
I just missed the guard rail but took out a mile marker on the side of the road
Sure as God’s got sandals I was wide awake for the rest of my trip home
Chorus
I was flooded with second thoughts staring at the duffle bag in my shotgun seat
And them waves grew stronger, looking at the place where my wedding ring used to be
Some other lover was not what I needed to make things alright
So I put the band back to flesh, wheels back to cement, and I back to my wife
Chorus
Home tonight x 4
3. Cutting Horse
Chorus:
I’ll be your cutting horse, I’ll break you clean
No one in their right mind would come near me
Should something come creeping up just to take you down
Trust your cutting horse is hanging ‘round
You say there’s nothing that you fear to fight
Others stand and claim the same but you may be right
That doesn’t mean you’ve got to go it alone
I’ll stand on guard until them cows come home
Chorus
I won’t be one to merely cuts for shape
If you’ve come for my help, then deep cuts I’ll make
‘Cause sometimes a little separation may do you good
Not everyone is mean to run with the same herd
Chorus
Bridge:
There may be some day that I let you down
But know I won’t leave you long upon the ground
I’ll get my courage up and brandish hoof and tooth
You may not believe me now, but it’s best for you
Chorus
I’ll be your cutting horse, I’ll break you clean
Nobody in their right mind would come near me
4. 27 Feet
Chorus:
It’s 27 feet before the river reaches our front door
It must of happened one too many times to the folks that lived here before
We won’t be scared off by what mother nature has in store
But rise river 27 feet and not an inch more
There’s water standing, standing water at the end of our block
A system’s moving north across the state that they say may dump a lot
River crested Sunday, but it could peak again Tuesday afternoon
The Linn Grove dam is blown out and water’s rushing down the chute
Chorus
They say it’d take a 500 year flood before we ever get our feet wet
But it seems to happen every couple months or so and on that you can bet
We best move our keepsakes and heirlooms to the attic to stay dry
Like your grandmother’s cedar chest and wedding pictures of you and I
Chorus
Rise river 27 feet, but not an inch more
5. Silver Screen Star
Chorus:
It had been a long flight, on a small plane
To get from Cincinnati clear out LA
Just looking for a short cut to the big break
All I ever wanted was to be a silver screen star some day
The first one to plant the seed in my head was the one and only Phillip Seymour Hoffman
With performances in Capote, Scent of Woman, and God’s Pocket
With the idea that I could go make a killing just pretending to be somebody else
While simultaneously leaving this small town, well that decision made itself
Chorus
Nobody from my hometown could say anything to put out my fire
They’d say you know your not cut out to be the next Meryl Streep or even Jeremy Irons
But I’m not ashamed to tell you that tinseltown it got the best of me
And after a year long try, I boarded a plane back to Cincinnati
Chorus x 2
6. Shotgun Shells
They have their place upon the shelf
In a dust covered ice cream pail
Where permanent marker brands the tale
Of these old, used shotgun shells
Maybe some were used to pierce the hides
Of roosters climbing towards the sky
Just flying like hell to stay alive
And for poor shot, most of them survived
Chorus:
Now that grandpa’s passed, we’re here to parse his things
There’s untold riches in his belongings
But the worthiest being these stories to tell
Most revolve around old shotgun shells
With a date up the lane he was on Jenny’s heel
Across his arms lay a loaded Charles Daly, field
It was open breach but the boy’s fate was sealed
If you bring her home late you might wind up killed
Or when his dog showed up home, just a foamin’ at the mouth
Came back rabid from the woods and only God knows how
But with a single thunder clap, lord he put her down
How he cried o’er the loss I won’t forget that sound
Chorus
They have their place upon the shelf
In a dust covered ice cream pail
Where permanent marker brands the tale
Of these old, used shotgun shells
Gather ‘round me as I tell them tales
Of these old, used shotgun shells
7. Canned Goods
Fetch down them Ball jars and a few spare Kerr
It’s time to make tomato sauce and fruit preserves
Woman’s got sweat on her brow and dirt underneath her nails
Shes a little bit of salt and vinegar but her canned goods never fail
Chorus:
Canned goods, shes jamming and she’s pickling
Canned goods, picked straight from the vine
Canned goods, its bottled up home cooking
Seal the tops down in the pressure pot and they’ll last a real long time
First she’ll grow the cucumbers in the garden dirt
Bring them in to the kitchen sink and wash free the earth
Pitch in a handful of that fine homegrown dill
It and rosemary are doing thyme on the window sill
Chorus
Now sprinkle in some pectin, just enough to do the trick
Too much would be too bad and make your jam too thick
If you want jelly better leave the seeds off to the side
She don’t grown no oranges, you won’t get no marmalade
Chorus
Throw to tops on in a pressure pot and it’ll last a real long time
8. John
Chorus:
They shut down main street for the harvest dance, they do it every year
There’s a cover band in the beer garden and they’re selling sweetcorn by the ear
It was a typical crew for a Saturday night, a few of us out huntin’ up a good time
Me, my friend John, and the love of his life, to whom he proposed they become man and wife
‘Til some drunken loud cowboy offended the newly engaged and sent my amigo into a red rage
They were chest to chest and eye ball to eye, a wild macho posture that’s as old as time
Chorus
The passersby stopped there on the street and watched these two men cuss and spit
One too many jabs about his future bride forced John to lash out with first hit
John turned on a hail storm of fists, and I too, got in a few shots with the heel of my boot
We left him lie curbside but he left with his life, ‘til John’s old lady yelled he’s got a knife
The man rose up justly and in the blink of an eye he plunged his blade deep into John’s side
Help could not reach him before he died and my dear friend passed into the night
Chorus
9. Post Show Blues
I’ve built this up with my bare hands
A little skill, some luck, but no real plans
Had the help of a couple great backing bands
But it don’t pay to travel with them
I’ve got $600 now to my name
A stack of credit card debt that weighs the same
Wanted to jump in the fire, had to buy the flames
Just so I could sell some records
Chorus:
Now it’s another night playing for another room
Later on at the hotel it’s beer and fast food
I’ll turn the TV on to something you might choose
I’m just riding out the post show blues
When a show goes good, man it goes great
Would you be surprised to learn they aint all the same
Those that listened you’re living, earthly saints
And I’d like to take you with me
Chorus
The footprint of this room, well it ain’t like ours
Walking through it in the dark
I went and stubbed my toe on something hard
And then came all the curse words
Chorus x 2
10. Take it With You When You Leave
You could look at me and say that I don’t do this
As a full time gig so I don’t incur the risk
Of life on the road or the family I may miss,
But I get out and play these songs every goddamn chance I get
Chorus:
This is real to me. From page to stage it’s what I live and breathe
This is real for me, and I hope you take it with you when you leave
Every chorus I deliver is a message to receive
Some or just old yarns, but others come from the heart upon my sleeve
Sure I’ve had troubles, but mostly been spoiled through and through
Learned the only way to live your life is to live your hard earned truth
Chorus
I’ve got a wife back home that makes me better by degree
Changing it aint easy, but it’s what a man like me needs
So if it’s a week long string or just another weekend run
I know she’ll be there to guide me home after the last loadout is done
Chorus x 2
The lightings just a bunch of neon signs
There’s more than a handful of single mothers
Nobody’s worried over spilling on the felt
‘Cause the snooker tables got an old vinyl cover
It’s covered in a potluck of crock pots
With beaver and slow cooked brown meats
Tonight those young mother’s brought their babies
For the once a year wild game feed
Chorus:
Where the linoleum ends is what they call the whore line
When it gets busy ‘round here you best stay where the honest men reside
Many a reputation has been built up or torn down
You know words travel fast in these small towns
Used to be farm hands come drink here,
Now just a handful of old farmers stay
Most the time a new guy walks in
They wouldn’t bother to ask his name
The urinal trough is full of pocket change
And spearmint tobacco grounds
Regulars look you over with a keen eye,
‘Cause the new guy buys the rounds
Chorus
Now the paints coming off the walls
Been decades since it was touched up
The tin ceiling looks ready to fall on your head
but the owner doesn’t give a fuck
Tug of war trophies live on top of an old fridge
That hasn’t put a chill on anything in years
There’s still talk of winning the ‘78 county fair
And them glory boys are here drinking beers
Chorus
2. Rumble Strips
It looked a lot like Montana, but really it was too dark to know
Every indication indicated we was on the reservation of the crow
Driving through these midnight hours to get to where I needed to go
Eyelids getting heavy with every passing lullaby on the radio
Chorus:
Then this god awful shaking brought me back to the light
And I quickly took to breaking and got stopped just short of the fenceline
These rumble strips woke me up, kept me alive
Rumble strips are the reason I’m coming home tonight
It’s one hell of a fishtail when you lock ‘em up at 90 miles an hour
Sending up a dusty smoke signal over the prairie like a lookout tower
I just missed the guard rail but took out a mile marker on the side of the road
Sure as God’s got sandals I was wide awake for the rest of my trip home
Chorus
I was flooded with second thoughts staring at the duffle bag in my shotgun seat
And them waves grew stronger, looking at the place where my wedding ring used to be
Some other lover was not what I needed to make things alright
So I put the band back to flesh, wheels back to cement, and I back to my wife
Chorus
Home tonight x 4
3. Cutting Horse
Chorus:
I’ll be your cutting horse, I’ll break you clean
No one in their right mind would come near me
Should something come creeping up just to take you down
Trust your cutting horse is hanging ‘round
You say there’s nothing that you fear to fight
Others stand and claim the same but you may be right
That doesn’t mean you’ve got to go it alone
I’ll stand on guard until them cows come home
Chorus
I won’t be one to merely cuts for shape
If you’ve come for my help, then deep cuts I’ll make
‘Cause sometimes a little separation may do you good
Not everyone is mean to run with the same herd
Chorus
Bridge:
There may be some day that I let you down
But know I won’t leave you long upon the ground
I’ll get my courage up and brandish hoof and tooth
You may not believe me now, but it’s best for you
Chorus
I’ll be your cutting horse, I’ll break you clean
Nobody in their right mind would come near me
4. 27 Feet
Chorus:
It’s 27 feet before the river reaches our front door
It must of happened one too many times to the folks that lived here before
We won’t be scared off by what mother nature has in store
But rise river 27 feet and not an inch more
There’s water standing, standing water at the end of our block
A system’s moving north across the state that they say may dump a lot
River crested Sunday, but it could peak again Tuesday afternoon
The Linn Grove dam is blown out and water’s rushing down the chute
Chorus
They say it’d take a 500 year flood before we ever get our feet wet
But it seems to happen every couple months or so and on that you can bet
We best move our keepsakes and heirlooms to the attic to stay dry
Like your grandmother’s cedar chest and wedding pictures of you and I
Chorus
Rise river 27 feet, but not an inch more
5. Silver Screen Star
Chorus:
It had been a long flight, on a small plane
To get from Cincinnati clear out LA
Just looking for a short cut to the big break
All I ever wanted was to be a silver screen star some day
The first one to plant the seed in my head was the one and only Phillip Seymour Hoffman
With performances in Capote, Scent of Woman, and God’s Pocket
With the idea that I could go make a killing just pretending to be somebody else
While simultaneously leaving this small town, well that decision made itself
Chorus
Nobody from my hometown could say anything to put out my fire
They’d say you know your not cut out to be the next Meryl Streep or even Jeremy Irons
But I’m not ashamed to tell you that tinseltown it got the best of me
And after a year long try, I boarded a plane back to Cincinnati
Chorus x 2
6. Shotgun Shells
They have their place upon the shelf
In a dust covered ice cream pail
Where permanent marker brands the tale
Of these old, used shotgun shells
Maybe some were used to pierce the hides
Of roosters climbing towards the sky
Just flying like hell to stay alive
And for poor shot, most of them survived
Chorus:
Now that grandpa’s passed, we’re here to parse his things
There’s untold riches in his belongings
But the worthiest being these stories to tell
Most revolve around old shotgun shells
With a date up the lane he was on Jenny’s heel
Across his arms lay a loaded Charles Daly, field
It was open breach but the boy’s fate was sealed
If you bring her home late you might wind up killed
Or when his dog showed up home, just a foamin’ at the mouth
Came back rabid from the woods and only God knows how
But with a single thunder clap, lord he put her down
How he cried o’er the loss I won’t forget that sound
Chorus
They have their place upon the shelf
In a dust covered ice cream pail
Where permanent marker brands the tale
Of these old, used shotgun shells
Gather ‘round me as I tell them tales
Of these old, used shotgun shells
7. Canned Goods
Fetch down them Ball jars and a few spare Kerr
It’s time to make tomato sauce and fruit preserves
Woman’s got sweat on her brow and dirt underneath her nails
Shes a little bit of salt and vinegar but her canned goods never fail
Chorus:
Canned goods, shes jamming and she’s pickling
Canned goods, picked straight from the vine
Canned goods, its bottled up home cooking
Seal the tops down in the pressure pot and they’ll last a real long time
First she’ll grow the cucumbers in the garden dirt
Bring them in to the kitchen sink and wash free the earth
Pitch in a handful of that fine homegrown dill
It and rosemary are doing thyme on the window sill
Chorus
Now sprinkle in some pectin, just enough to do the trick
Too much would be too bad and make your jam too thick
If you want jelly better leave the seeds off to the side
She don’t grown no oranges, you won’t get no marmalade
Chorus
Throw to tops on in a pressure pot and it’ll last a real long time
8. John
Chorus:
They shut down main street for the harvest dance, they do it every year
There’s a cover band in the beer garden and they’re selling sweetcorn by the ear
It was a typical crew for a Saturday night, a few of us out huntin’ up a good time
Me, my friend John, and the love of his life, to whom he proposed they become man and wife
‘Til some drunken loud cowboy offended the newly engaged and sent my amigo into a red rage
They were chest to chest and eye ball to eye, a wild macho posture that’s as old as time
Chorus
The passersby stopped there on the street and watched these two men cuss and spit
One too many jabs about his future bride forced John to lash out with first hit
John turned on a hail storm of fists, and I too, got in a few shots with the heel of my boot
We left him lie curbside but he left with his life, ‘til John’s old lady yelled he’s got a knife
The man rose up justly and in the blink of an eye he plunged his blade deep into John’s side
Help could not reach him before he died and my dear friend passed into the night
Chorus
9. Post Show Blues
I’ve built this up with my bare hands
A little skill, some luck, but no real plans
Had the help of a couple great backing bands
But it don’t pay to travel with them
I’ve got $600 now to my name
A stack of credit card debt that weighs the same
Wanted to jump in the fire, had to buy the flames
Just so I could sell some records
Chorus:
Now it’s another night playing for another room
Later on at the hotel it’s beer and fast food
I’ll turn the TV on to something you might choose
I’m just riding out the post show blues
When a show goes good, man it goes great
Would you be surprised to learn they aint all the same
Those that listened you’re living, earthly saints
And I’d like to take you with me
Chorus
The footprint of this room, well it ain’t like ours
Walking through it in the dark
I went and stubbed my toe on something hard
And then came all the curse words
Chorus x 2
10. Take it With You When You Leave
You could look at me and say that I don’t do this
As a full time gig so I don’t incur the risk
Of life on the road or the family I may miss,
But I get out and play these songs every goddamn chance I get
Chorus:
This is real to me. From page to stage it’s what I live and breathe
This is real for me, and I hope you take it with you when you leave
Every chorus I deliver is a message to receive
Some or just old yarns, but others come from the heart upon my sleeve
Sure I’ve had troubles, but mostly been spoiled through and through
Learned the only way to live your life is to live your hard earned truth
Chorus
I’ve got a wife back home that makes me better by degree
Changing it aint easy, but it’s what a man like me needs
So if it’s a week long string or just another weekend run
I know she’ll be there to guide me home after the last loadout is done
Chorus x 2
St. Something Or Other
1. The Bourbon & The Bouquet
It was your first time in sin city
You just come here to blow off some steam
Dolled up at the hotel, yeah you were feeling pretty
You never dreamed you’d run into a man like me
Chorus
Between the Bourbon and the Bouquet
I knew you’d be walking my way
That aisle feels about a mile long when
it’s keeping me from you
Between the Bourbon and the Bouquet
I knew you’d be walking my way
Waited what feels like a lifetime to hear you say I do
I overheard you tell the bartender
That your last fella was a great big bust
And you told me of everyone you’ve met on the strip
That I’m the only one that you feel like you could trust
Chorus
We stuck a claim out here in the desert
After all neither of us had a home to-go home to
In our 30 years we raised a couple kids together
If you heard it you’d swear it was too good to be true
Chorus
Waited what feels like a lifetime just to hear you say I do
2. Mustachioed Man In A Cowboy Hat
Construction crew’s got this road narrowed down tight, constricted from 4 lanes to 2
Sometimes you got to bust up stuff that works good enough to build up something new
Now I can smell the blacktop cooking, oh Lord it’s a terrible stew.
It’ll harden like some hearts do darling, don’t let it happen to you
Chorus:
Mustachioed man in a cowboy hat
He’ll pass you like you’re standing still in his Pontiac
A single bumper sticker on his teal Grand Prix
Celebrating the power of the holy trinity
You might travel through the darkest nights or be forced to pull more than your load
Keep them headlights pointed straight down the line, for what hazards await you you can not know
Now there can’t be any deer left around here, the way they litter both shoulders of the road.
It’s a terrible trail of breadcrumbs for anyone to have to follow home.
Prechorus:
You gotta follow the man
Chorus (x2)
Celebrating the power of the holy trinity
Celebrating the power of the holy trinity
Celebrating the power of the holy trinity
3. Ghost of My Grandfather
He came here every evening, I picked a random Tuesday night
I order same as he did, two Miller High Life Lights
I could see him plain as day, though he faded away into white
But for a minute he was perched there on the seat to my right
Chorus:
I saw the ghost of my grandfather and it caught me off guard
Slapping his buddies on the back, telling jokes and spinning yarns
He was smiling from ear to ear, full of that rattlesnake charm
I saw the ghost of my grandfather on his stool at the bar
First time I came in this dive nobody could believe what they’d seen
Forty years ago or so, they say he looked just like me
Those old timers in here will tell me how he used to be
Parlor tricks and hedging bets so he could drink for free
Chorus
Most of the stories start with “he had that twelve pack glow”
But the endings are getting cloudy and their delivery is slow
But he wasn’t all bad, and they’re quick to tell me so
When his neighbor dropped dead while shoveling he finished moving the snow
Chorus
I saw the ghost of my grandfather on his stool at the bar
4. Buckskin Jacket
It’s a Friday night and I’m out huffing paint
Under the bleachers at a high school football game
Must have missed a big play, you can hear that pep band roll
Homecomings come on late this year, these fools are playing in the snow
Chorus:
I’ve got my buckskin jacket
It’s a hand-me-down from my uncle just ‘cause he had it
Turquoise and white fringe down the sleeves
This coat feels like a Friday night to me
Creole Leon will pick me up in his green mustang
With a mature brunette riding shotgun he desperately wants to fingerbang
But the back seat smells like dope and I can tell his old lady’s stoned
We’re heading to a party at the water tower, it’s where us derelicts call home
Chorus
Some kids from cross town drove over in their jacked up trucks
With an icebox full of Falstaff and chewing on Beechnut plugs
Their spitting into empties, you gotta be careful of what you drink
Unlike my drunk uncle Monty, that son of a bitch will chug anything
Chorus x 2
This coat feels like a Friday night to me
5. Maybe Sunday
There’s an old gray dog lazy layin’ in the shade
Blissfully living out the rest of his days
Moves so slow they don’t bother with the chain
Had him so long they don’t recall his name
There’s a big commotion across the radio waves
Just listenin’ to the call of the baseball game
My wife brought me a cold glass of lemonade
The cherry on top of this summer Sunday
Chorus:
It’s one of the truly greatest gifts in life
Just to waste a day away
I can’t make you, but I’d urge you to try
Maybe someday, maybe Sunday
Must be laundry day for that strange fella down the way
Dozen shirts on the line and they all look the same
Looks like he got a haircut and maybe even a shave
Maybe that strange fella down the way’s got a date
Mess around and find himself a life long mate
But if it’s just for tonight that would be okay
I’ve got mine and I absolutely can’t complain
It’s the cherry on top of a summer Sunday
Chorus
Maybe Someday, maybe sunday
6. You Ain't Going Nowhere
Chorus:
She said you ain’t going nowhere, like it was meant it to hurt me
But the jokes on her, ‘cause nowhere is right where I want to be
She ain’t the first nor the last to walk away from this mess I have made
But if I just keep doing what I’m doing hell my ship’s bound to come in some day
I have never been to Paris, hell I haven't stepped foot off this continent
But midnight drunk sat on a curb I watched a raccoon eat a baguette
I ain’t no man of the world, but that sure sounds like Paris to me
You only get so much time on this rock, and a man needs to see what he wants to see
Chorus
Sure I never finished college, but it ain’t like I was going to run for president
I’ve got money coming in most weeks and it’s enough to keep my family fed
Well if I had my druthers, brother I’d never have to punch a clock at all
Trade in your stocks and bonds and 401k cons to win it all in the Powerball
Chorus x 2
But if I just keep doing what I’m doing hell my ship’s bound to come in some day
7. I Hardly Know Her
I first met her as a much younger man
And then for two decades she held tight to my hand
We had a lot of fun but always prioritized honesty
You’d never not know how I felt when she stood by me
Chorus
Well, the liquor, I hardly know her
It’s been a decade since I woke up there on the floor
I guess without her, life moves a little bit slower
But the liquor, I hardly know her
In short order you could see the negative effects she had on me
I gained quite a bit of weight and had a hell of a time with a good nights sleep
So with the help of some friends I was able to bid her adieu
It took us both some convincing, but honey I’m better off without you
Chorus x 2
Liquor, I hardly know her
8. Laramie Rain
Made it in record time over Sherman’s Pass
I-80 West out of Cheyenne and I’m hauling ass
Raced a cluster of truckers on past Veda Vu
That old rock formations got the same face you do
Chorus:
Stuck behind some rubberneck in the passing lane
Cursing slow drivers is close as I get to pray
Between the rock salt, sand, and these tire chains
Makes me long for the Laramie Rain
I’m glad this went downhill ‘cause I coasted in on fumes
There weren't a single service station to be seen in my rear view
There’s a dead bird on the road workin’ towards the ditch
Big enough that I couldn’t be a dog, hell I can’t tell which
Chorus
I don’t get up to these parts as often as I want to
And lately these visits are becoming much too few
But the hum of the through wall a/c and the bathroom fan
Make me glad to check out of this one night stand
Chorus
Between the rock salt, sand, and these tire chains
Makes me long for the Laramie Rain
That Laramie rain
9. Blacktop Brethren
Chorus:
This might be my last shave until I get home to you love
So it's probably best to make sure I cut it short
I’m not sure this old rig can make another mile or two, no
I holler out-for a little help comin’ down from some divine escort
Been running down this road long as I can remember
Floating gears and passin’ with a nasty attitude
Sure footed as a well shod Paso Fino horse
In these 16 hole, steel toe red-laced boots
Behind the wheel of this 5 speed Datsun
The both of us were made in 1986
BW’s Lead Free stuck in the tape deck
‘Cause car stereos are one thing that I can’t fix
The rear drivers side tire threw a tread six hundred miles back
It was no surprise to find I didn’t have one to spare
Set to spend the night in the cab of this pick up
But got back on my feet thanks to a stranger who was willing to share
So I try to show a little kindness to my blacktop brethren
And always toss a wave at anybody who’s driving a hearse
I have to do most all my traveling alone
But them poor souls do theirs with so much worse
Chorus
This might be my last shave until I get back to you love
10. St. Something Or Other
This was impressed upon me as a child
Sixty years later I still believe
That he’ll damn you to hell
If you don’t think like me
This here signs going to save my life
When my time comes with the savior
All of this street corner gospel
Will make up for all bad behaviors
Chorus:
Saint something or other
Bless me with your infinite light
Saint something or other
Won’t you give me a sign that I’m right
Book says thy will will be done
So I could not protest his plan
Even when my Dorothy lost to the disease
And I had-a let go of her hand
Now Sundays come as Sundays go
After service coffee in a booth alone
A fine communion of saints
Are waiting for the man to call me home
Chorus x 2
11. Destined To Burn
I walked across this desert sand
For 20 days, I’s a lost man
Now I don’t know if I’ll return
Or if my body is destined to burn
Them buzzards circle around me
So certain they are bound to feast
If I ain’t taken by these birds of death
I know them snakes will steal away my breath
I walked across this desert sand
For 20 days, I’s a lost man
Now I don’t know if I’ll return
Or if my body is destined to burn
Or if my body’s destined to burn
It was your first time in sin city
You just come here to blow off some steam
Dolled up at the hotel, yeah you were feeling pretty
You never dreamed you’d run into a man like me
Chorus
Between the Bourbon and the Bouquet
I knew you’d be walking my way
That aisle feels about a mile long when
it’s keeping me from you
Between the Bourbon and the Bouquet
I knew you’d be walking my way
Waited what feels like a lifetime to hear you say I do
I overheard you tell the bartender
That your last fella was a great big bust
And you told me of everyone you’ve met on the strip
That I’m the only one that you feel like you could trust
Chorus
We stuck a claim out here in the desert
After all neither of us had a home to-go home to
In our 30 years we raised a couple kids together
If you heard it you’d swear it was too good to be true
Chorus
Waited what feels like a lifetime just to hear you say I do
2. Mustachioed Man In A Cowboy Hat
Construction crew’s got this road narrowed down tight, constricted from 4 lanes to 2
Sometimes you got to bust up stuff that works good enough to build up something new
Now I can smell the blacktop cooking, oh Lord it’s a terrible stew.
It’ll harden like some hearts do darling, don’t let it happen to you
Chorus:
Mustachioed man in a cowboy hat
He’ll pass you like you’re standing still in his Pontiac
A single bumper sticker on his teal Grand Prix
Celebrating the power of the holy trinity
You might travel through the darkest nights or be forced to pull more than your load
Keep them headlights pointed straight down the line, for what hazards await you you can not know
Now there can’t be any deer left around here, the way they litter both shoulders of the road.
It’s a terrible trail of breadcrumbs for anyone to have to follow home.
Prechorus:
You gotta follow the man
Chorus (x2)
Celebrating the power of the holy trinity
Celebrating the power of the holy trinity
Celebrating the power of the holy trinity
3. Ghost of My Grandfather
He came here every evening, I picked a random Tuesday night
I order same as he did, two Miller High Life Lights
I could see him plain as day, though he faded away into white
But for a minute he was perched there on the seat to my right
Chorus:
I saw the ghost of my grandfather and it caught me off guard
Slapping his buddies on the back, telling jokes and spinning yarns
He was smiling from ear to ear, full of that rattlesnake charm
I saw the ghost of my grandfather on his stool at the bar
First time I came in this dive nobody could believe what they’d seen
Forty years ago or so, they say he looked just like me
Those old timers in here will tell me how he used to be
Parlor tricks and hedging bets so he could drink for free
Chorus
Most of the stories start with “he had that twelve pack glow”
But the endings are getting cloudy and their delivery is slow
But he wasn’t all bad, and they’re quick to tell me so
When his neighbor dropped dead while shoveling he finished moving the snow
Chorus
I saw the ghost of my grandfather on his stool at the bar
4. Buckskin Jacket
It’s a Friday night and I’m out huffing paint
Under the bleachers at a high school football game
Must have missed a big play, you can hear that pep band roll
Homecomings come on late this year, these fools are playing in the snow
Chorus:
I’ve got my buckskin jacket
It’s a hand-me-down from my uncle just ‘cause he had it
Turquoise and white fringe down the sleeves
This coat feels like a Friday night to me
Creole Leon will pick me up in his green mustang
With a mature brunette riding shotgun he desperately wants to fingerbang
But the back seat smells like dope and I can tell his old lady’s stoned
We’re heading to a party at the water tower, it’s where us derelicts call home
Chorus
Some kids from cross town drove over in their jacked up trucks
With an icebox full of Falstaff and chewing on Beechnut plugs
Their spitting into empties, you gotta be careful of what you drink
Unlike my drunk uncle Monty, that son of a bitch will chug anything
Chorus x 2
This coat feels like a Friday night to me
5. Maybe Sunday
There’s an old gray dog lazy layin’ in the shade
Blissfully living out the rest of his days
Moves so slow they don’t bother with the chain
Had him so long they don’t recall his name
There’s a big commotion across the radio waves
Just listenin’ to the call of the baseball game
My wife brought me a cold glass of lemonade
The cherry on top of this summer Sunday
Chorus:
It’s one of the truly greatest gifts in life
Just to waste a day away
I can’t make you, but I’d urge you to try
Maybe someday, maybe Sunday
Must be laundry day for that strange fella down the way
Dozen shirts on the line and they all look the same
Looks like he got a haircut and maybe even a shave
Maybe that strange fella down the way’s got a date
Mess around and find himself a life long mate
But if it’s just for tonight that would be okay
I’ve got mine and I absolutely can’t complain
It’s the cherry on top of a summer Sunday
Chorus
Maybe Someday, maybe sunday
6. You Ain't Going Nowhere
Chorus:
She said you ain’t going nowhere, like it was meant it to hurt me
But the jokes on her, ‘cause nowhere is right where I want to be
She ain’t the first nor the last to walk away from this mess I have made
But if I just keep doing what I’m doing hell my ship’s bound to come in some day
I have never been to Paris, hell I haven't stepped foot off this continent
But midnight drunk sat on a curb I watched a raccoon eat a baguette
I ain’t no man of the world, but that sure sounds like Paris to me
You only get so much time on this rock, and a man needs to see what he wants to see
Chorus
Sure I never finished college, but it ain’t like I was going to run for president
I’ve got money coming in most weeks and it’s enough to keep my family fed
Well if I had my druthers, brother I’d never have to punch a clock at all
Trade in your stocks and bonds and 401k cons to win it all in the Powerball
Chorus x 2
But if I just keep doing what I’m doing hell my ship’s bound to come in some day
7. I Hardly Know Her
I first met her as a much younger man
And then for two decades she held tight to my hand
We had a lot of fun but always prioritized honesty
You’d never not know how I felt when she stood by me
Chorus
Well, the liquor, I hardly know her
It’s been a decade since I woke up there on the floor
I guess without her, life moves a little bit slower
But the liquor, I hardly know her
In short order you could see the negative effects she had on me
I gained quite a bit of weight and had a hell of a time with a good nights sleep
So with the help of some friends I was able to bid her adieu
It took us both some convincing, but honey I’m better off without you
Chorus x 2
Liquor, I hardly know her
8. Laramie Rain
Made it in record time over Sherman’s Pass
I-80 West out of Cheyenne and I’m hauling ass
Raced a cluster of truckers on past Veda Vu
That old rock formations got the same face you do
Chorus:
Stuck behind some rubberneck in the passing lane
Cursing slow drivers is close as I get to pray
Between the rock salt, sand, and these tire chains
Makes me long for the Laramie Rain
I’m glad this went downhill ‘cause I coasted in on fumes
There weren't a single service station to be seen in my rear view
There’s a dead bird on the road workin’ towards the ditch
Big enough that I couldn’t be a dog, hell I can’t tell which
Chorus
I don’t get up to these parts as often as I want to
And lately these visits are becoming much too few
But the hum of the through wall a/c and the bathroom fan
Make me glad to check out of this one night stand
Chorus
Between the rock salt, sand, and these tire chains
Makes me long for the Laramie Rain
That Laramie rain
9. Blacktop Brethren
Chorus:
This might be my last shave until I get home to you love
So it's probably best to make sure I cut it short
I’m not sure this old rig can make another mile or two, no
I holler out-for a little help comin’ down from some divine escort
Been running down this road long as I can remember
Floating gears and passin’ with a nasty attitude
Sure footed as a well shod Paso Fino horse
In these 16 hole, steel toe red-laced boots
Behind the wheel of this 5 speed Datsun
The both of us were made in 1986
BW’s Lead Free stuck in the tape deck
‘Cause car stereos are one thing that I can’t fix
The rear drivers side tire threw a tread six hundred miles back
It was no surprise to find I didn’t have one to spare
Set to spend the night in the cab of this pick up
But got back on my feet thanks to a stranger who was willing to share
So I try to show a little kindness to my blacktop brethren
And always toss a wave at anybody who’s driving a hearse
I have to do most all my traveling alone
But them poor souls do theirs with so much worse
Chorus
This might be my last shave until I get back to you love
10. St. Something Or Other
This was impressed upon me as a child
Sixty years later I still believe
That he’ll damn you to hell
If you don’t think like me
This here signs going to save my life
When my time comes with the savior
All of this street corner gospel
Will make up for all bad behaviors
Chorus:
Saint something or other
Bless me with your infinite light
Saint something or other
Won’t you give me a sign that I’m right
Book says thy will will be done
So I could not protest his plan
Even when my Dorothy lost to the disease
And I had-a let go of her hand
Now Sundays come as Sundays go
After service coffee in a booth alone
A fine communion of saints
Are waiting for the man to call me home
Chorus x 2
11. Destined To Burn
I walked across this desert sand
For 20 days, I’s a lost man
Now I don’t know if I’ll return
Or if my body is destined to burn
Them buzzards circle around me
So certain they are bound to feast
If I ain’t taken by these birds of death
I know them snakes will steal away my breath
I walked across this desert sand
For 20 days, I’s a lost man
Now I don’t know if I’ll return
Or if my body is destined to burn
Or if my body’s destined to burn
Blue Collar Tragedies
1. Summer Thunder
You can hear the rain fall on that frayed blue tarp
Where it covers the whole in the roof
When the big limb come down in the middle of the night
Sure did scare the shit out of you
We’re likely to brace for another storm
Before our insurance kicks in
Now every hair on the back of you neck stands up
With any big of moisture in the wind
Chorus:
Take a deep breath don’t let your fear drag you under
Nothing puts me at ease like summer thunder
Cicadas call out from their sacred graves
Where they’ve laid for 17 years
It’s a damn sure sign of an impressive heat
When they’ve all but deafened our ears
They’ll descent with the sound of some bibles plague
It’s enough to leave you shaking in your boots
Chorus
The folks next door are at it once more
It’s time for their daily cussing match
Just screaming and slamming that old screen door
And they’ve long since busted it’s latch
Soon they’ll run out of cigarettes or steam
And lose the buzz of that Milwaukee’s Best
Chorus x2
2. Livin' Pretty Good
I’ve got his new gig as a roofer and it’s close as I can get to the lord
Drink a beer for every hour I work and it’s a dozen or more
Pays like night shift differential but I can work in the day
It’s always a nice check when you collect on that hazard pay
Chorus
I don’t make a great livin’, but I’m livin’ pretty good
Made it further down this road than anybody thought I could
I couldn’t ask for any better, hell only a damn fool would
No, I don’t make a great livin’, but I’m livin’ pretty good
Last week Larry took a tumble down the ladder, had to get an x-ray
Our foreman had his job refilled before the end of the day
The lifers all tell me the secret’s to keep your back to the wind
And when it comes to falling off brother it ain't if, it’s when
Chorus
My stepsons always tell me how much he hates my fucking guts
Found some trouble smoking refer drove his teacher and his mother nuts
Got expelled and had to get his GED in a spot out behind the mall
But we’re proud to say Anthony’s going to JUCO in the fall
Chorus
I don't make a great livin', but I'm livin' pretty good
3. Tryin' To Leave Trempealeau
I’ve been working in this bar since I was 18 years old
When a lantern jawed man he came in out of the cold
He had a worn out Stormy Kromer and there were stories to be told
In five years working here I never let anyone take me
Chorus:
I’ve been trying to leave Trempealeau for so long I don’t even know
When the urge to up and go struck me
Folks will tell you that a river town is a good place to lay your roots down
But that’s not the truth that I have found, trust me
He had weathered skin from a decade of working on the train
His black mustache looked just like a pair of angel wings
That silver tongued devil, well he talked me into some things
Fucked him cause he bought top shelf booze and cocaine
Chorus
He was gone by morning and I never even got his name
Was a hell of a good time so losing him’s a crying shame
But a new one’s no trouble they flock to this bar like moth’s to flame
It’s a brand new day, but as they say, the shit’s the same
Chorus x 2
Trying to leave Trempealeau
Trying to leave Trempealeau
4. River Of Mercy
A yellow rose tattoo on the side of your leg
Is it for someone does he have a name
Or was it Pabst Blue Ribbon got you in this shape
Well it’s all the same
It ain’t your first ink job of love you lost
That first boyfriend took to the sauce
Then had a late night nap in the car exhaust
You were left to bear the cross
Chorus:
We’re all searching for the river of mercy
It’s water runs slow, cold, and crystal blue
We’re all searching for the river of mercy
Redemption looks different between me and you
With that anger inside you took the pledge
To find a big bad man with a little more edge
A wild heart on the loose looking for revenge
You’ve fallen off that ledge
Chorus:
We’re all searching for the river of mercy
It’s water runs slow, cold, and crystal blue
Drink of it if you are thirsty
Redemption looks different between me and you
That man on the Harley last July 4th
Joints up behind his ear like the devil’s pitchfork
Did you really love him or’d you just love the torque
Is he still yours, was he worth fighting for?
Chorus:
We’re all searching for the river of mercy
It’s water runs slow, cold, and crystal blue
We’re all searching for the river of mercy
Redemption looks different between
We’re all searching for the river of mercy
It’s water runs slow, cold, and crystal blue
Drink of it if you are thirsty
Redemption looks different between me and you
5. Our House Was On Fire
Chorus:
Last night I had a dream that our house was on fire
Instead woke up to a terrible storm
The wind whipped like smoke from a five alarm blaze
And there's enough lightning to feel it’s warmth
The roar of the ever engulfing flame
Was nothing more than the thunder roll
I called out to you but there came no response
Unlike my dream you never did come home
I’d never seen a rain like this since I was a boy back in ‘93
Couldn’t get a warning out fast enough before it started coming down in sheets
Your side of our wedded bed was never fit for such a bourgeois bride
Still I found myself searching for you out here where the pressures collide
Chorus
Rummaged ‘round in the truck I picked up from the county, it was all I could afford
I rattle canned it a flat black but you can still see streaks of orange
The way all the rain piled up I’s better suited for using an ark
This towns not big enough for the both of us to get lost into the dark
Chorus
Last Night I had a dream that our house was on fire, instead I woke up to a terrible storm
6. Cry Over Me
I first saw you downtown when you were out running ‘round
With your friends cutting up a rug
No man stood a chance and yet you asked me to dance
Said I only do that when I’m drunk
Didn’t get much better from there I told you to beware
But you must have been blinded by my charms
Try as I might I couldn’t do a damn things right
Cut off my hands just to spite my arms
Chorus:
Don’t cry over me
When you say goodbye to me
Don’t cry over me, baby
Just let it be
You’re probably standing in the kitchen with your hands on your hip
The other one’s holding up a broom
Broken glass, the smell of smoked cigarettes
And our argument fills the room
I bore down on you with the weight of a storm
But I hardly give you that much warning
You wisely watched as I fled and took yourself up to bed
You can clean this shit up in the morning
Chorus
Well I’m equal parts german, english, and asshole
And one show’s up more than the other
You say my self deprecation and ill timed jokes
Are some insecurity cover
But here I sit in full confidence
In this dirt brown el camino
It’s also where I live since you done what you did
‘Cause I can’t make it on my own
Chorus x 2
7. Small Engine Repair
Small engine repair ain’t much but it’s work and it beats pushing papers all day
I couldn’t work for the man, hell i’ve never paid taxes, but like dad said it all pays the same
I charge by the hour, it’s cash under the table, and that’s if I even get paid
I’ll often trade off all my parts and labor for favors or something fresh baked
I’ve carved me a home out of this old hotel room and it’s cheaper if you rent by the month
So when my shop closes I fix what gets broken so they don’t charge me as much
There’s an indian fella, I’d guess him Ojibwa, who keeps a unit there right next to mine
He speaks fondly of family and his new job in timber and how it’s better than crawling out of the mine
White Iron Lake that’s a straight line from my place and I fished there when the fishing was good
Now it’s lousy with carp and my hands with arthritis so I can’t tie them knots like you should
And my doctor he tells me my blood pressure’s rising so I’m propped up on Lisinopril
If my daily walks round this lake and change in diet don’t work then the medicine will
When I was a young man just south of eighteen I faced a nickel on a burglary charge
I was tried as an adult and I practically walked with parole since I went in unarmed
As I grew older I had to open this damn shop ‘cause good work was so hard to get
Seems that having any kind of criminal record is worse than being a Vietnam vet
Small engine repair ain’t much but it’s work and it beats pushing papers all day
I couldn’t work for the man, hell i’ve never paid taxes, but like dad said it all pays the same
I charge by the hour, it’s cash under the table, and that’s if I even get paid
So I’ll sit at this work bench and turn on these wrenches ‘til I find myself in the grave
8. Drinker's Dawn
I’d pay any fine they’d give me for shooting out that corner street light
Shines in through the window, between the blinds, and it’s keeping me up tonight
I just got up to relieve my body, but I can’t get a few things off my mind
When this night began I’d have swore I was in store for a much better time
Chorus:
It’s another drinker’s dawn
Stayed up too late listening to those old drinking songs
It’s another drinker’s dawn
Stayed up too late listening to those old drinking songs
My wife and son are fast sleep and I don’t dare wake this house
So I reflect in the stereo’s glow on how to be a much better spouse
I’ve found companions in these songs and they sure seem to prefer me
I can hear ya say “You’re up too late”, but baby maybe I’m just early
Chorus
I can hear them church bells ringin’ Coming from just a couple blocks away
But Im already up in the kitchen w/coffee with not a single word to say
That angel on my shoulder lost out to that devil on my back
If I can just stay high n dry tonight that bastard may cut me some slack
Chorus
Well it’s one more for the list of what I’ve done wrong
My Bloodshot eyes see another drinker’s dawn
My Bloodshot eyes see another drinker’s dawn
9. Six Pounds
A six pound splitting maul is no match for this stump.
Even though the handles hickory it seems like cement makes the trunk
In my weakened state I could stand to have a little more weight
But my shoulders scream every time I swing the blade
Chorus:
I need six pounds to bring it down
A man made way to level out god’s crown
I need 6 pounds to bring it down
That Pin Oak’s gunna fall with an awful sound
I wasn’t here when it was planted, but I’ll stand here and watch it fall
Don’t know how long it’s been here, but it’d have to take a century to get that tall
I’m chopping through these rings like some north woods divorcee
Figures I’d do my work in the hottest part of the day
Chorus
A tree this size will yield a years worth of good firewood
These small chunks of oak burn good like a good firewood should
These logs won’t touch the flame until they’re least another year old
You can talk about the heat, but you gotta think about the cold
Chorus
I need 6 pounds to bring it down
A man made way to level out god’s crown
10. Black Dog Road
Drove a Chevy Equinox up from Maury County Tennessee
Set the cruise control at the speed limit to help keep off the heat
There’s pampas grass in the median, like a candle with a thousand wicks
Don’t care how beautiful they are, I’m sure there’s a trooper hidin’ in their midst
Up ahead at Black Dog Road
Don’t need some patrol man or woman to come break my stride
I’m going to ask for a bigger cut the next time I make this drive
The guy they sent along with me’s been sleeping most of the time
Just snoring in the passenger seat, that’s one hell of a partner in crime
Chorus:
The folks ‘round here don’t seem too concerned with the penal code
I’m supposed to meet some cross-eyed fella who’s always looking down his nose
Up ahead at the drop point, or so I’ve been told
The GPS directions they end at Black Dog Road
I keep a Gerber knife in my back pocket in case things go a little sideways
Haven’t had to have it out but I keep it close and sharp just the same
Found it next to a tire air pump at a Casey’s there where it lay
Wesley Trustin used to own it, at least that’s the name carved on the blade
Chorus:
The folks ‘round here don’t seem too concerned with the penal code
I’m supposed to meet a real heavy set woman who’s always wearing dirty clothes
Up ahead at the drop point, or so I’ve been told
The GPS directions they end at Black Dog Road
I’d been stuck in this Ponzi scheme topped off by my aunt
When one of the marks told me runnin’ Oxi’d get me much more money than that
So here I am in this rental car, just a drivin’ through the night
I used to hope it had a sunroof now I just pray that it runs right
Chorus:
The folks ‘round here don’t seem too concerned with the penal code
I’m supposed to meet a man who don’t wear any shoes ‘cause he ain’t got no toes
Up ahead at the drop point, or so I’ve been told
The GPS directions they end at Black Dog Road
Outro:
Black Dog Road x 4
You can hear the rain fall on that frayed blue tarp
Where it covers the whole in the roof
When the big limb come down in the middle of the night
Sure did scare the shit out of you
We’re likely to brace for another storm
Before our insurance kicks in
Now every hair on the back of you neck stands up
With any big of moisture in the wind
Chorus:
Take a deep breath don’t let your fear drag you under
Nothing puts me at ease like summer thunder
Cicadas call out from their sacred graves
Where they’ve laid for 17 years
It’s a damn sure sign of an impressive heat
When they’ve all but deafened our ears
They’ll descent with the sound of some bibles plague
It’s enough to leave you shaking in your boots
Chorus
The folks next door are at it once more
It’s time for their daily cussing match
Just screaming and slamming that old screen door
And they’ve long since busted it’s latch
Soon they’ll run out of cigarettes or steam
And lose the buzz of that Milwaukee’s Best
Chorus x2
2. Livin' Pretty Good
I’ve got his new gig as a roofer and it’s close as I can get to the lord
Drink a beer for every hour I work and it’s a dozen or more
Pays like night shift differential but I can work in the day
It’s always a nice check when you collect on that hazard pay
Chorus
I don’t make a great livin’, but I’m livin’ pretty good
Made it further down this road than anybody thought I could
I couldn’t ask for any better, hell only a damn fool would
No, I don’t make a great livin’, but I’m livin’ pretty good
Last week Larry took a tumble down the ladder, had to get an x-ray
Our foreman had his job refilled before the end of the day
The lifers all tell me the secret’s to keep your back to the wind
And when it comes to falling off brother it ain't if, it’s when
Chorus
My stepsons always tell me how much he hates my fucking guts
Found some trouble smoking refer drove his teacher and his mother nuts
Got expelled and had to get his GED in a spot out behind the mall
But we’re proud to say Anthony’s going to JUCO in the fall
Chorus
I don't make a great livin', but I'm livin' pretty good
3. Tryin' To Leave Trempealeau
I’ve been working in this bar since I was 18 years old
When a lantern jawed man he came in out of the cold
He had a worn out Stormy Kromer and there were stories to be told
In five years working here I never let anyone take me
Chorus:
I’ve been trying to leave Trempealeau for so long I don’t even know
When the urge to up and go struck me
Folks will tell you that a river town is a good place to lay your roots down
But that’s not the truth that I have found, trust me
He had weathered skin from a decade of working on the train
His black mustache looked just like a pair of angel wings
That silver tongued devil, well he talked me into some things
Fucked him cause he bought top shelf booze and cocaine
Chorus
He was gone by morning and I never even got his name
Was a hell of a good time so losing him’s a crying shame
But a new one’s no trouble they flock to this bar like moth’s to flame
It’s a brand new day, but as they say, the shit’s the same
Chorus x 2
Trying to leave Trempealeau
Trying to leave Trempealeau
4. River Of Mercy
A yellow rose tattoo on the side of your leg
Is it for someone does he have a name
Or was it Pabst Blue Ribbon got you in this shape
Well it’s all the same
It ain’t your first ink job of love you lost
That first boyfriend took to the sauce
Then had a late night nap in the car exhaust
You were left to bear the cross
Chorus:
We’re all searching for the river of mercy
It’s water runs slow, cold, and crystal blue
We’re all searching for the river of mercy
Redemption looks different between me and you
With that anger inside you took the pledge
To find a big bad man with a little more edge
A wild heart on the loose looking for revenge
You’ve fallen off that ledge
Chorus:
We’re all searching for the river of mercy
It’s water runs slow, cold, and crystal blue
Drink of it if you are thirsty
Redemption looks different between me and you
That man on the Harley last July 4th
Joints up behind his ear like the devil’s pitchfork
Did you really love him or’d you just love the torque
Is he still yours, was he worth fighting for?
Chorus:
We’re all searching for the river of mercy
It’s water runs slow, cold, and crystal blue
We’re all searching for the river of mercy
Redemption looks different between
We’re all searching for the river of mercy
It’s water runs slow, cold, and crystal blue
Drink of it if you are thirsty
Redemption looks different between me and you
5. Our House Was On Fire
Chorus:
Last night I had a dream that our house was on fire
Instead woke up to a terrible storm
The wind whipped like smoke from a five alarm blaze
And there's enough lightning to feel it’s warmth
The roar of the ever engulfing flame
Was nothing more than the thunder roll
I called out to you but there came no response
Unlike my dream you never did come home
I’d never seen a rain like this since I was a boy back in ‘93
Couldn’t get a warning out fast enough before it started coming down in sheets
Your side of our wedded bed was never fit for such a bourgeois bride
Still I found myself searching for you out here where the pressures collide
Chorus
Rummaged ‘round in the truck I picked up from the county, it was all I could afford
I rattle canned it a flat black but you can still see streaks of orange
The way all the rain piled up I’s better suited for using an ark
This towns not big enough for the both of us to get lost into the dark
Chorus
Last Night I had a dream that our house was on fire, instead I woke up to a terrible storm
6. Cry Over Me
I first saw you downtown when you were out running ‘round
With your friends cutting up a rug
No man stood a chance and yet you asked me to dance
Said I only do that when I’m drunk
Didn’t get much better from there I told you to beware
But you must have been blinded by my charms
Try as I might I couldn’t do a damn things right
Cut off my hands just to spite my arms
Chorus:
Don’t cry over me
When you say goodbye to me
Don’t cry over me, baby
Just let it be
You’re probably standing in the kitchen with your hands on your hip
The other one’s holding up a broom
Broken glass, the smell of smoked cigarettes
And our argument fills the room
I bore down on you with the weight of a storm
But I hardly give you that much warning
You wisely watched as I fled and took yourself up to bed
You can clean this shit up in the morning
Chorus
Well I’m equal parts german, english, and asshole
And one show’s up more than the other
You say my self deprecation and ill timed jokes
Are some insecurity cover
But here I sit in full confidence
In this dirt brown el camino
It’s also where I live since you done what you did
‘Cause I can’t make it on my own
Chorus x 2
7. Small Engine Repair
Small engine repair ain’t much but it’s work and it beats pushing papers all day
I couldn’t work for the man, hell i’ve never paid taxes, but like dad said it all pays the same
I charge by the hour, it’s cash under the table, and that’s if I even get paid
I’ll often trade off all my parts and labor for favors or something fresh baked
I’ve carved me a home out of this old hotel room and it’s cheaper if you rent by the month
So when my shop closes I fix what gets broken so they don’t charge me as much
There’s an indian fella, I’d guess him Ojibwa, who keeps a unit there right next to mine
He speaks fondly of family and his new job in timber and how it’s better than crawling out of the mine
White Iron Lake that’s a straight line from my place and I fished there when the fishing was good
Now it’s lousy with carp and my hands with arthritis so I can’t tie them knots like you should
And my doctor he tells me my blood pressure’s rising so I’m propped up on Lisinopril
If my daily walks round this lake and change in diet don’t work then the medicine will
When I was a young man just south of eighteen I faced a nickel on a burglary charge
I was tried as an adult and I practically walked with parole since I went in unarmed
As I grew older I had to open this damn shop ‘cause good work was so hard to get
Seems that having any kind of criminal record is worse than being a Vietnam vet
Small engine repair ain’t much but it’s work and it beats pushing papers all day
I couldn’t work for the man, hell i’ve never paid taxes, but like dad said it all pays the same
I charge by the hour, it’s cash under the table, and that’s if I even get paid
So I’ll sit at this work bench and turn on these wrenches ‘til I find myself in the grave
8. Drinker's Dawn
I’d pay any fine they’d give me for shooting out that corner street light
Shines in through the window, between the blinds, and it’s keeping me up tonight
I just got up to relieve my body, but I can’t get a few things off my mind
When this night began I’d have swore I was in store for a much better time
Chorus:
It’s another drinker’s dawn
Stayed up too late listening to those old drinking songs
It’s another drinker’s dawn
Stayed up too late listening to those old drinking songs
My wife and son are fast sleep and I don’t dare wake this house
So I reflect in the stereo’s glow on how to be a much better spouse
I’ve found companions in these songs and they sure seem to prefer me
I can hear ya say “You’re up too late”, but baby maybe I’m just early
Chorus
I can hear them church bells ringin’ Coming from just a couple blocks away
But Im already up in the kitchen w/coffee with not a single word to say
That angel on my shoulder lost out to that devil on my back
If I can just stay high n dry tonight that bastard may cut me some slack
Chorus
Well it’s one more for the list of what I’ve done wrong
My Bloodshot eyes see another drinker’s dawn
My Bloodshot eyes see another drinker’s dawn
9. Six Pounds
A six pound splitting maul is no match for this stump.
Even though the handles hickory it seems like cement makes the trunk
In my weakened state I could stand to have a little more weight
But my shoulders scream every time I swing the blade
Chorus:
I need six pounds to bring it down
A man made way to level out god’s crown
I need 6 pounds to bring it down
That Pin Oak’s gunna fall with an awful sound
I wasn’t here when it was planted, but I’ll stand here and watch it fall
Don’t know how long it’s been here, but it’d have to take a century to get that tall
I’m chopping through these rings like some north woods divorcee
Figures I’d do my work in the hottest part of the day
Chorus
A tree this size will yield a years worth of good firewood
These small chunks of oak burn good like a good firewood should
These logs won’t touch the flame until they’re least another year old
You can talk about the heat, but you gotta think about the cold
Chorus
I need 6 pounds to bring it down
A man made way to level out god’s crown
10. Black Dog Road
Drove a Chevy Equinox up from Maury County Tennessee
Set the cruise control at the speed limit to help keep off the heat
There’s pampas grass in the median, like a candle with a thousand wicks
Don’t care how beautiful they are, I’m sure there’s a trooper hidin’ in their midst
Up ahead at Black Dog Road
Don’t need some patrol man or woman to come break my stride
I’m going to ask for a bigger cut the next time I make this drive
The guy they sent along with me’s been sleeping most of the time
Just snoring in the passenger seat, that’s one hell of a partner in crime
Chorus:
The folks ‘round here don’t seem too concerned with the penal code
I’m supposed to meet some cross-eyed fella who’s always looking down his nose
Up ahead at the drop point, or so I’ve been told
The GPS directions they end at Black Dog Road
I keep a Gerber knife in my back pocket in case things go a little sideways
Haven’t had to have it out but I keep it close and sharp just the same
Found it next to a tire air pump at a Casey’s there where it lay
Wesley Trustin used to own it, at least that’s the name carved on the blade
Chorus:
The folks ‘round here don’t seem too concerned with the penal code
I’m supposed to meet a real heavy set woman who’s always wearing dirty clothes
Up ahead at the drop point, or so I’ve been told
The GPS directions they end at Black Dog Road
I’d been stuck in this Ponzi scheme topped off by my aunt
When one of the marks told me runnin’ Oxi’d get me much more money than that
So here I am in this rental car, just a drivin’ through the night
I used to hope it had a sunroof now I just pray that it runs right
Chorus:
The folks ‘round here don’t seem too concerned with the penal code
I’m supposed to meet a man who don’t wear any shoes ‘cause he ain’t got no toes
Up ahead at the drop point, or so I’ve been told
The GPS directions they end at Black Dog Road
Outro:
Black Dog Road x 4