LYRICS
BLACK HORSE RIDING
There’s a Black Horse Riding
He’s coming your way
Ain’t no use hiding
It’s judgment day
And if you see him
Coming your way
Go make your peace
I went out walkin’
To go kill a man
He deserved to die
But God took my hand
And showed me another way
Said here’s a path don’t stray
That’s my plan
Well the Sun is Dark
And the Moon is bright
There’s a black horse riding
Your way tonight
And when you meet him
And see his face
I pray to God
Your peace is made
Well there’s wasted space
And wasted memories
Wasted lives
And wasted days
And when that sun
Decides to set on you
There will be nothing
Left to waste
Well I’ll be gone
Come the springtime
Though the winter
Cold and still
I will stay
With flame and fire
‘Til the frost
Falls from the sill
There’s a Black Horse Riding
He’s comin’ your way
Ain't no use hiding
It’s judgment day
And when you see him
God takes your hand
Your peace is made
That is my plan
Your peace is made
That is my plan
EAST TENNESSEE
I’m going to the hills of East Tennessee
That’s where he said he’ll marry me
Right under the limb of my old family tree
Yes, that’s where he said he’ll marry me
I’m going to the hills of East Tennessee
The hickory wind is blowing cold
I hear the shrill of an old black crow
It breaks my spirit, bends my hope
It chills me to my brittle bones
When the hickory wind is blowing cold
Oooooooh……..oooooooooh…….
As I slumbered he crept in
And held my face close to his chin
He whispered that he loved me then
His words they burned upon my skin
As I slumbered he crept in
When I awoke I said a prayer
That I would find him standing there
My eyes still closed; I would not dare
To gaze upon an empty stair
When I awoke I said this prayer
Oooooooh……..oooooooooh…….
DESERT
It’s desert again
My face against the wind
Feeling all the concrete in my skin
My heart is a hole
The desert is cold
And up ahead I see an endless road
It’s a place I’ve been before my friend
A place I know that I will be again
It’s a feeling I have for you
But is the desert just an endless road?
My heart is tired, my hands are cold
And up ahead the story is untold
It’s desert again
I’ve lost another friend
Climb into the hills and taste the wind
My heart still feels a fire
Walking on a wire
High above old ashes of desire
It’s a feeling I have for you
And I know that I may never feel again
But I’ll wait in this place for you my friend
‘Cause the desert’s not an endless road
My heart wants more than it’s been shown
And up ahead the story is untold
The desert sun was sinking low
My Bedouin heart was beating slow
But my friend we’ll find the end of the road
Where we’ll listen for the wind to blow
Whispering the end of our story
There was a desert in my heart
An oasis in your eyes
Lord let me drink the waters from the skies
FIDDLER OF DOONEY
When we play our songs down in Highlandtown
Folks dance like the waves of the sea
Well my cousin is a priest up there in Baltimore
And my brother wears the collar in D.C.
When I passed my brother and my cousin
They were reading from their books of prayer
Well, I’ve got my book of Dylan songs
That I bought at the Sligo Creek fair
For the good are always the merry
Save for an evil chance
And the merry sing to the waves of the sea
And the merry love to dance
So when we come to the end of our living
We’ll find Peter there sitting in state
He will smile on these three good old spirits
But call me first through the gate
He’ll ask aren’t you the one with the fiddle
And I’ll reply I confess that’s me
He said I once heard you play down in Highlandtown
So come on in, your soul is free
For the good are always the merry
Save for an evil chance
And the merry sing to the waves of the sea
And the merry love to dance
So when you come to the gates of St. Peter
You might hear this fiddler’s tune
You’ll find my brother and my cousin
Dancing with the angels in the room
For the good are always the merry
Save for an evil chance
And the merry sing to the waves of the sea
And the merry love to dance
And the merry sing to the waves of the sea
And the merry love to dance
And the merry love to dance
And the merry love to dance
LIONS’ DEN
She tossed her thoughts like nickels
Into the fountain of her fame
She dreamt of all the days
When crowds weren’t drowning out her name
She emptied out her pockets
Found her lipstick cherry red
Drew her name upon the sidewalk
To get the headlines out of her head
She used to dance
Under the Edison lamps
Before she slept with the lions
Waking up in their den
Another night rushes in
But she cannot keep herself from crying
The years flew by like bullets
Though the days dragged on like lead
The sun sank low until it cast
Long shadows across her bed
She tossed and turned in silence
Til she found her lipstick red
Then she drew herself a new face
With a smile that would knock ‘em dead
She tried to dance
Under the Edison lamps
But she kept going back to the lions
Back to their den
When the night rushes in
But still that won’t keep her from trying
She drank from the cup of stardust
Left her mark right there on the edge
In the middle she gazed at all her memories
That kept her heart away from the ledge
She used to dance
Under the Edison lamps
Before she slept with the lions
SALTED WOUNDS
Pistol whipped Lips are zipped
Police were tipped The bet was fixed
Now all bets are off
He’s come down with a cough
His heart’s grown soft
It’s not a stone
Could be light as a feather clean as a whistle
Off-key a little
Little does he know
His life’s on the line His dignity is at stake
Holding time and eating his cake
Just a little more time
He’ll come to
And start to lick
His salted wounds
Cross the line of the old picket line
He’s got an axe to grind so he speaks his mind
He got laid off
He got down with the boss
And now he counts the cost and casts a stone
Gets back in the saddle flies through the meadow
Reigns it in a little ‘cause little does he know
His life’s on the line his dignity is at stake
Holding time and pulling his weight
Just a little more time
He’ll come to
And start to lick
His salted wounds
Chain link fence around the big party tent
Can’t make a dent in all the nonsense
But he’s bent towards the sun
He’s still looking for some fun
He hasn’t found the right one
He’s not alone
Just a little more time
He’ll come to
And start to lick
His salted wounds
NIGHTTIME IN NASHVILLE
Flying into town there’s not another soul around
Who cares to sing the songs here in my head
And looking to the ground I can’t hear a single sound
And now I’m thinking that I’m somewhere else instead
I knew the fix was in and that I would never win
So I packed a bag and headed somewhere west
A single ticket in my hand, it was my last and lonely plan
But I stacked the deck and held them to my chest
And if you don’t believe that I’ve got something up my sleeve
It’s nighttime here in Nashville, Tennessee
And if you don’t think it’s true that I’ve got a hand for you
I’m gonna play it here my dear and then you’ll see
It’s nighttime in Nashville, Tennessee
Please don’t wake me in the morning
Just let the door close gently as you go
Please don’t it as a warning
There’s just some things that I think you ought to know
As I walk on in the crowd of happy people singing loud
I catch a glimpse out of the corner of my eye
There’s someone dressed in blue and he’s got a face like you
But I stop myself before I say goodbye
I take a turn into the bar and pick up an old guitar
And join the folks that just came there to play
I strum down on a chord and say a prayer up to the Lord
And then I thank him for the time I have today
And if you don’t believe that I’ve got something up my sleeve
It’s nighttime here in Nashville, Tennessee
And if you don’t think it’s true that I’ve got a hand for you
I’m gonna play it here my dear and then you’ll see
It’s nighttime in Nashville, Tennessee
Please don’t wake me in the morning
Just let the door close gently as you go
Please don’t take it as a warning
There’s just some things that you ought to know
Flying into town there’s not another soul around
Who cares to sing the songs here in my head
And looking to the sky I stop to think and wonder why
And now I know that I am somewhere else instead
And If you don’t believe that I’ve got something up my sleeve
It’s nighttime here in Nashville, Tennessee
And if you don’t think it’s true that I’ve got a hand for you
I’m gonna play it here my dear and then you’ll see
It’s nighttime in Nashville, Tennessee
It’s nighttime in Nashville, Tennessee
It’s nighttime in Nashville, Tennessee
STAR STEALERS
Park the car by the road
Where the dogwood grows
It’s just a stone’s throw
From old Friar’s Field
There’s a place underneath
Within the white arms’ reach
Where the beggars and old lovers kneel
A washed up old starlet
Lives there under the shade
Just digging up old promises
She’s longing to make
But one she makes good on
She makes with a smile
As she points to the heavens
At the stars in the sky
“Down there by the church
You’ll find the astrologer’s purse
Full of stars he’s collected
From the fallen away.
Just borrow a few
He’ll never know it’s you,
Besides it’s there for the taking
If you’re lucky today!”
Well, we made off with Orion
Who kept his sword by his side
To ward off the lion
Who was protecting his pride
But by our own constellation
We ran through the park
And under that dogwood
We kissed in the dark
And down there by the tree
We heard the Handsome Family
Singing songs about moonlight and love and regret
And as we drove away
We heard the old starlet say,
“Don’t let the stars
Burn a hole
In your pocket!”
NOTHING HERE IS MINE
Stuck in stone walls for hours
Searching for the moonlight through the cracks
Making my way through this tower
Tryin’ to find a way down to brass tacks
But nothing here is mine
And that’s all right
Nothing here is mine, and that’s all right
Nothing here is mine
And that’s all right
I’ve hid under the moon now once or twice
The dark side of the moon is looking nice
And nothing here is mine
I keep walking through this tower
Searching for the bell pull with this flame
I won’t stop until I’ve found her
‘Til moonbeam chimes start ringing out her name
But nothing here is mine
And that’s all right
Nothing here is mine, and that’s all right
Nothing here is mine
And that’s all right
Heard the music of the moonlight once or twice
The bells will break the quiet of the night
And nothing here is mine
My footsteps echo as I walk the hallowed lines
My heart grows lighter knowing nothing here is mine
I’ve not forsaken all the things I’ve left behind . . .
My spirit’s now devoured
Drowning in the moonshine of her song
This music’s getting louder
Her melody keeps leading me along
But nothing here is mine
And that’s all right
Nothing here is mine, and that’s all right
Nothing here is mine
And that’s all right
I’ve had a taste of moonshine once or twice
But nothing like the moonshine of this night
Nothing here is mine
SNAKES
Please do not believe that I am wasted
Please do not believe that it is true
I am just a victim of these places
I am quite conflicted by this too
Saint Patrick would be proud to hear our story
Of how we drove the snakes into the sea
And other golden tales of all our glory
I'm sure he'd be as pleased as he could be
I'm coming clear, I'm coming right.
We just do not understand the night
I'm coming clear, I'm coming right.
We just do not understand the night
Then we take a turn into the darkness
Reality will fade into a point
We all have got to make some sense of all this mess
We've got a brand new Saint we must anoint
Temptation leads away some of our spirit
Insanity creeps in upon our guest
A bitter soul derides the one that's nearest
Our journey home has now become a test
I'm coming clear, I'm coming right.
We just do not understand the night
I'm coming clear, I'm coming right.
We just do not understand the night
Ooohhh
All the driven snakes begin to
climb their bodies up out of the sea
Finally the night falls to the morning
The cold has bitten down into our souls
The venom of the snakes gave us no warning
They all had been a-hiding in the shoals
So listen to these words I set before you
These words are set in sand upon the shore
The venom of the snakes it will destroy you
If you do not drive them off your door
I'm coming clear, I'm coming right.
We just do not understand the night
I'm coming clear, I'm coming right.
We just do not understand the night
I'm coming clear, I'm coming right.
We just do not understand the night
I'm coming clear, I'm coming right.
We just do not understand the night
SERENADE
There’s an old groove to your new song
There’s a tune moving through your veins
But your blood grew weary with the memory
That played upon the record you had saved
The needle on the table plays it backwards
And you wonder what keeps howling out your name
It was gritty, it was gruesome, it was lovely
To recognize the voice that you once claimed
Serenade
You crawl into the music that you made
Serenade
You sink into a wistful serenade
You keep sinking down
Under the the wall of sound
The skipping record brings you to your senses
And you button up your sleeve and shut the shade
And you put away the needle and the makeup
With that record on the shelf you walk away
There was an old groove to your new song
There was a tune moving through your veins
But your blood grew weary with the memory
That played upon the record you had saved
Serenade
You crawl into the music that you made
Serenade
You sink into a wistful serenade
There was an old groove to your new song
WORKMAN’S LIFE
It’s a workman’s life
It’s a hard-earned day
It’s a tired time
When you’re blown away
It’s hard-earned sleep
and some hard-earned pay
It’s a workman’s life
On a desperate day
I’m tired of sitting ‘round
Just getting old
Trying to turn these thoughts into gold
But I’m too busy just doin’ what I’m told
It’s a broken dream for a broken soul
It’s a workman’s life
It’s a hard-earned day
It’s a tired time
When you’re blown away
It’s hard-earned sleep
and some hard-earned pay
It’s a workman’s life
On a desperate day
Saturday we're feelin’ fine
Sunday comes we walk the line
Oh but I got Monday on my mind
I’m done working for the man in the moon
Nothing to promise, nothing to do
On another lost and loaded Monday afternoon
Just a wasted day that ends too soon
It’s a workman’s life
It’s a hard-earned day
It’s a tired time
When you’re blown away
It’s hard-earned sleep
and some hard-earned pay
It’s a workman’s life
On a desperate day
Saturday we're feelin’ fine
Sunday comes we walk the line
Oh but I got Monday on my mind
A hard-earned sleep is coming my way
It’s what we take from this tired day
And I know I’ve got one more thing to say
It’s a fruitful gift and for that we pray
It’s a workman’s life
It’s a hard-earned day
It’s a tired time
When you’re blown away
It’s hard-earned sleep
and some hard-earned pay
It’s a workman’s life
On a desperate day