He's Gone

Brokedown Palace


All the years combine
they melt into a dream
A broken angel sings
from a guitar
In the end there's just a song
comes crying like the wind
through all the broken dreams
and vanished years

Stella Blue


When all the cards are down
there's nothing left to see
There's just the pavement left
and broken dreams
In the end there's still that song
comes crying like the wind
down every lonely street
that's ever been

Stella Blue

I've stayed in every blue-light cheap hotel
Can't win for trying
Dust off those rusty strings just
one more time
Gonna make em shine

It all rolls into one
and nothing comes for free
There's nothing you can hold
for very long





And when you hear that song
come crying like the wind
it seems like all this life
was just a dream

Stella Blue

Grace

Broken Toy?

A pistol shot at 5 o'clock
The bells of heaven ring
"Tell me what you done it for"
"No I won't tell you a thing

"Yesterday I begged you
before I hit the ground -
all I leave behind me
is only what I found

"If you can abide it
let the hurdy-gurdy play -
Stranger ones have come by here
before they flew away

"I will not condemn you
nor yet would I deny"
"I would ask the same of you
but failing will not die

"Take up your china doll
it's only fractured -
and just a little nervous
from the fall"

When in Doubt, Spin

Box of Rain

Now somewhere between the plastic dog ear flaps of the kitchen screen door
Rests a little gypsy moth, it got burned out from the war
It was a big one, the war that is, it was a Sunday afternoon
The gypsy was held prisoner by the screen door from the moon

Now somewhere between the dog food and the moth in the kitchen screen door
I fell in love with the gypsy, so I signed up for the war
It was a big one, the moth that is, she was the size of a baby raccoon
I pulled down the plastic prison walls and we danced in the light of the moon

Well she knows nothing at all about life
Now she knows everything about living
She knows nothing at all about life
Yeah, she knows everything about living

She dipped and swirled and dove and twirled
And danced in celebration
We won the war of the kitchen screen door
And the gypsy’s liberation

It was a big one, the victory, and the sun gave way to the moon
Well we got drunk and she thanked me, and then we drank all afternoon

Now somewhere between the back porch and the yellowed light of the moon
which widow even wanders on a Sunday night in June
It was a big one, the spider that is, and she never even batted an eye
The gypsy flew into her web and uhh…

You know, sometimes it might be difficult to walk the street blind when you’re half in the bag and three sheets to the wind so to speak… but to fly?

Well she knows nothing at all about life
Now she knows everything about living
She knows nothing at all about life
Yeah, she knows everything about living

Second Set

I Shall be Released

Look for awhile at the China Cat Sunflower
proud-walking jingle in the midnight sun
Copper-dome Bodhi drip a silver kimono
like a crazy-quilt stargown
through a dream night wind

Krazy Kat peeking through a lace bandana
like a one-eyed Cheshire
like a diamond-eye Jack
A leaf of all colors plays
a golden string fiddle
to a double-e waterfall over my back

Comic book colors on a violin river
crying Leonardo words
from out a silk trombone
I rang a silent bell
beneath a shower of pearls
in the eagle wing palace
of the Queen Chinee

I know you, rider, gonna miss me when I'm gone;
I know you, rider, gonna miss me when I'm gone;
Gonna miss your baby, from rolling in your arms.

Laid down last night, Lord, I could not take my rest;
Laid down last night, Lord, I could not take my rest;
My mind was wandering like the wild geese in the West.

The Sun will shine in my back door someday.
The Sun will shine in my back door someday.
March winds will blow all my troubles away.

I wish I was a headlight, on a North bound train;
I wish I was a headlight, on a North bound train;
I'd shine my light through cool Colorado rain.

I know you, rider, gonna miss me when I'm gone;
I know you, rider, gonna miss me when I'm gone;
Gonna miss your baby, from rolling in your arms.

"A Better Place to Be"

I Know You Rider

As we rode out to fennario, as we rode on to fennario
Our captain fell in love with a lady like a dove
And he called her by name, pretty peggy-o.

Will you marry me pretty peggy-o, will you marry me pretty peggy-o
If you will marry me, i'll set your cities free
And free all the ladies in the are-o.

I would marry you sweet william-o, i would marry you sweet william-o
I would marry you but your guineas are too few
And i fear my mama would be angry-o.

What would your mama think pretty peggy-o,
What would your mama think pretty peggy-o,
What would your mama think if she heard my guineas clink
Saw me marching at the head of my soldiers.

If ever i return pretty peggy-o, if ever i return pretty peggy-o
If ever i return your cities i will burn
Destroy all the ladies in the area-o.

Come steppin' down the stairs pretty peggy-o,
Come steppin' down the stairs pretty peggy-o,
Come steppin' down the stairs combin' back your yellow hair
Bid a last farewell to your william-o.

Sweet William he is dead pretty peggy-o, sweet William he is dead pretty peggy-o,
Sweet william he is dead and he died for a maid
And he's buried in the louisiana country-o.

As we rode out to fennario, as we rode out to fennario
Our captain fell in love with a lady like a dove,
And he called her by name, pretty peggy-o.

Ambushed!

A Rogues Blade is Only Dull When He Doesn't Want to Fight


We can share the women
We can share the wine
We can share what we got of yours
'Cause we done shared all of mine

Keep on rolling
Just a mile to go
Keep on rolling, my old buddy
You're moving much too slow

I just jumped the watchman
Right outside the fence
Took his ring, four bucks in change
Now ain't that heaven sent?

Hurts my ears to listen, Shannon
Burns my eyes to see
Cut down a man in cold blood, Shannon
Might as well be me

We used to play for silver
Now we play for life
One's for sport and one's for blood
At the point of a knife
Now the die is shaken
Now the die must fall
There ain't a winner in this game
We don't go home with all
Not with all...

Leaving Texas
Fourth day of July
Sun so hot, clouds so low
The eagles filled the sky

Catch the Detroit Lightning
Out of Santa Fe
Great Northern out of Cheyenne
From sea to shining sea

Gotta get to Tulsa
First train we can ride
Got to settle one old score
And one small point of pride...

Ain't no place a man can hide, Shannon
Will Keep him from the sun
Ain't no bed will give us rest, man,
You keep us on the run

Jack Straw from Wichita
Cut his buddy down
Dug for him a shallow grave
And layed his body down

Half a mile from Tucson
By the morning light
One man gone and another to go
My old buddy you're moving much too slow

We can share the women
we can share the wine...

Rediscovering Music

The Music Never Stopped

Rat in a drain ditch
Caught on a limb
You know better but
I know Him

Like I told you
What I said
Steal your face
right off your head

Now he's Gone
Lord he's gone
Like a steam locomotive
rolling down the track
He's gone
He's gone
and nothing's gonna bring him back
He's gone

Nine mile skid
on a ten mile ride
Hot as a pistol
but cool inside
Cat on a tin roof
Dogs in a pile
Nothing left to do but
smile, smile, smile

Now he's gone
Lord he's gone
Like a steam locomotive
rolling down the track
He's gone
He's gone
and nothing's gonna bring him back
He's gone

Going where the wind don't blow so strange
Maybe on some high cold mountain train
Lost one round but the price wasn't anything
Knife in a back and more of the same
Same old rat in a drain ditch
Out on a limb
You know better but I know Him

Like I told you
What I said
Steal your face
right off your head

Now he's gone
Lord he's gone
Like a steam locomotive
rolling down the track
He's gone
He's gone
and nothin's gonna bring him back
He's gone....