The
Ring
You thank me all the
time
But now it’s my turn
Cause truly a word of
gratitude so due
Can’t go unheard
And it made me feel better
To have you there in
my corner
My eyes cast so low
My face could not have
been
Drawn longer
I know you’ve been impressed
You’ve seen me at my
best
But oh, how it hurts
When I can’t hide my
worst
Well thank-you for carrying
on
For playing with me and
this song
It made me feel better
We sat it out like some
passing bad weather
My mind was like kid’s
boxing gloves
The kind blown up with
air
That are put away after
play
And get limp just lying
there
But you knew they’d fill
up again
And you gave me your
shoulder
And I got up in the ring
Because I had you there
In my corner
And I got up in the ring
Because I had you there
In my corner
Oleander
Oleander, Oleander
Will you bloom again
this spring?
I adored you
Then I ignored you
And now to me you’re
everything
And those white blossoms
that you gave freely
Are now just twinkles
in your eye
Oh behold her
Oleander grows on the
inside
She will forgive me
For I bring water
A sunny window to sit
by
Oleander, I understand
her
She’s just waiting for
the time
To say it’s all right
Another season has brought
us another chance
We’re together in this
hot weather to dance
Oleander, I think you’re
better
I think you made it through
another winter.
Nothing has ended
It’s all been mended
It’s the way that it
should be
You’re coming back
You’re coming back
It was so lonely here
just me
This time no promises
of what’s to come
We’ll just live it for
the day
Oleander I see you stand
there and I know you’ll be ok
Oleander I think you’re
better
I think you made it through
another winter
Goin' Out
When the days close on
the memories that you’ve acquired
And your body cannot
hold your soul inspired
You are here and not
alone
Everybody has come home
There’s a bed made up
upstairs
If you get tired
All the heaviness around
you will get light
And your worry lifted
up into the night
Left with nothing but
pure love
Left with all you are
made of
Can I stay around awhile
Is that all right?
Oh lives don’t end
Goin’ out to be brought
back again
Our lives don’t end
Escarpment Blues
If they blow a hole in
my backyard
Everyone is gonna run
away
The creeks won’t flow
to the Great Lake below
Will the water in the
wells still be ok?
We’ll need to build some
new apartments
And I know we’re gonna
have to fix the roads
But if we blow a hole
in the escarpment
The wild ones won’t have
anywhere to go
If they blow a hole in
the backbone
The one that runs cross
the muscles of the land
We might get a load of
stone for the road
But I don’t know how
much longer we can stand
We’ll keep driving on
the Blind Line
If we don’t know where
we want to go
Even knowledge that’s
sound can get watered down
Truth can get sucked
out the car window
We’re two-thirds water
What do we really need?
But sun, showers, soil
and seed
We’re two-thirds water
The aquifers provide
Deep down in the rock
There’s a pearl inside
If they blow a hole in
the backbone
The one that runs across
the muscles of the land
We might get a load of
stone for the road
But I don’t know how
much longer we can stand
Salamandre
Salamander, Salamander
You have to help me understand
All the mysteries of
the forest,
The secret map, the golden
tree
I'm waiting for you patiently
Salamander
Salamander, Salamander
The two of us together
My solitude and boredom
Disappeared overnight
I've led a lonely (slow)
life for so long.
Salamander
It's true, one day I'll
be King
All of France awaits
me
Every word I say will
be made law
But for now, my only
friend
Please come quickly,
I beg you.
Salamander
Salamander, Salamander
The night is approaching,
I think
The moon will be our
candle
Welcome to my new life
Our adventures await
us
My Salamander
11. How Deep In The Valley
How deep in the valley
must you go
To find what your footsteps
already know
The way on is the way
out
There are signs to follow
There is deep in the
valley
And I’m bound to go
How deep in the valley
must you stay
To know why your footsteps
led you that way
The way on may be truly
to stand in one place
And let the deep of the
valley
Fill you will grace
And treat yourself lightly
Treat yourself kind
You’ve got nothing to
worry on
You will be fine
You will leave this place
laughing
And somebody will cry
There is deep in the
valley
Wonder not why
Wonder not why go
Wonder not to stay
If it takes me and I
follow
Or if I lead the way
It can come when it wants
to
But it might have to
wait
There is deep in the
valley
I don’t hesitate
I don’t take it too lightly
But it don’t weigh down
too low
There is high on the
cliff top
And there are deep creeks
below
There’s a green shade
you can’t miss
Where the spring water
flows
There is deep in the
valley
And I’m bound to go
How deep in the valley
must you go
To find what your footsteps
already know
The way on is the way
out
There are signs to follow
There is deep in the
valley
And I’m bound to go |
I
Am Aglow
I am aglow with thoughts
of you
Are the stories that
you told me true?
It doesn’t matter if
they are
They are to me
I am aglow
Some might say these
thoughts are wrong
That you might see yourself
in this song
I hope that you don’t
mind if you do
I am aglow with thoughts
of you
Does it matter that what
I remember might be
Just my own imagination
painting scenes more pretty
Is it obvious? Does it
show?
With thoughts of you
I am aglow
Some might say I’m thinking
in sin
So I’ll just sit back
and take you in
You’re a map of a place;
maybe someday I’ll go
With thoughts of you
I am aglow
Does it matter that what
I remember is not true
Does it matter that all
I can think of is you
Does it matter that what
I remember might be
Just my own imagination
painting scenes more pretty
Is it obvious? Does it
show?
With thoughts of you
I am aglow
I'm A Mountain
Well now how did they
get that lady on TV
Laughing so naturally
For a Wal-Mart ad
Is it not as bad as I
thought?
There’s a woman sending
poisonous mail
And they caught her now
she’s sitting in jail
While the weather station
forecasts hail
From the tropics
Oh I spent the day in
a shopping mall
Through the biggest storm
of the century
I’m a mountain
I’m a mountain like you
said to be
The sports man and his
double chin
Don’t listen to me in
this state I’m in
Saying things about people
that I don’t know
Well it’s just that way
when you get hurt
And the things you need
you’re made to work
You must decide if you
will die or grow
Oh I spent the day in
a shopping mall
Through the biggest storm
of the century
I’m a mountain
I’m a mountain
Like you said to be
Will He Be Waiting For
Me
I can still see that
lonesome road stretched out before me
The road that led me
out of his life
I can still feel the
tears he cried on my shoulder
The day that I told him
goodbye
I never should’ve left
him
Never should’ve gone
Oh what a crazy fool
I’ve been
Will he be waiting for
me?
He will be, won’t he?
And will he take me back
again?
He will be waiting for
me
He will be won’t he?
Or will I find his love
for me has faded and has died
He will be waiting for
me
He will be won’t he?
Or will I find that this
time
I’ll be the one to cry?
Shadows from the trees
Shade the path that I
am walking
As I make my way up that
winding road again
The smell of Mountain
Laurel fills the air with sweet perfume
My heart beats faster
as I reach my journey’s end
I wonder if he missed
me
Wonder if he wants me
O wonder does he love
me still
Will he be waiting for
me?
He will be won’t he?
Oh how I hope he will
He will be waiting for
me
He will be won’t he?
Or will I find his love
for me has faded and had died
He will be waiting for
me
He will be won’t he?
Or will I find that this
time
I’ll be the one to cry?
The Phoenix
It was a late-in-the-summer
night
Nearing the end of a
bumpy ride
Through the backstage
parking lots of the country
We went past the cars
at the fray
The cops on bikes
The security gate
Into the trees where
the dark comes easy
See the light of the
Venus shining
High over the mid-western
plains
Is it telling you you
gotta go?
That your heart’s been
burning way to slow
I guess I’m the last
to know again
But I will rise up, I
will
Who was the Phoenix anyway?
Just some bird that flew
away
And flies still
It was a late-in-the-summer
day
The breeze had blown
the clouds away
The fluttering ones were
covering the fields
I’ve been walking by
myself
I’ve been thinking about
you again
Maybe one day I’ll tell
you how I feel
See the light of the
satellite tower
The only thing that’s
blocking our view
Is it telling you what’s
on my mind
That I think about you
all the time
That I wish for it even
thought I know not to.
I will rise up, I will
Who was that Phoenix
anyway?
Just some bird that flew
away
And flies still
Flies still
You know I will
10. Luther's Got The
Blues
I hate the city it brings
me down
I’m a country boy I’m
new to town
But I never really thought
it was gonna be like that
Spent all my money, I’m
busted flat
So I’m eating my dinners
at the Sally Ann
Met a fellow named Charlie
there, a fellow named Stan
And they laugh at my
clothes and the way that I talk
Eight a.m. comes and
I hit the streets and walk
And the bus stops, the
doughnut shops
It’s raining out today
like it’s never gonna stop
And I got the blues
I got nothing left to
lose
There’s a hole in my
shoe and my foot’s getting wet
And Nick at the arcade
made me a bet
That by Saturday noon
when my money’s all gone
I’ll be heading out of
town like another sad, hard luck song
And all the faces on
the streets got a look of fear
I can’t go home but I
hate it here
Oh why’d I ever go and
leave the farm anyway?
Thought the city my help
me take my blues away
But the cars go by
Tonight I’ll stay dry
Sleeping underneath an
awning and trying not to cry
I got the blues
I got nothing left to
lose
My pappy used to have
a little problem drinking scotch
He did a lot of stupid
things
We used to hate to watch
But he’s cleaned up his
act as a matter of fact
Although there’s something
there we lost
We’re never going back
And I got the blues
I got nothing left to
lose
And the concrete beneath
my feet
Has got inside my soul
and it’s sucking out the heat |
