Songs That Tell Stories

Tracy Chapman
Fast Car
You got a fast car
I want a ticket to anywhere
Maybe we make a deal
Maybe together we can get somewhere
Anyplace is better
Starting from zero got nothing to lose
Maybe we'll make something
But me myself I got nothing to prove

You got a fast car
And I got a plan to get us out of here
I been working at the convenience store
Managed to save just a little bit of money
We won't have to drive too far
Just 'cross the border and into the city
You and I can both get jobs
And finally see what it means to be living

You see my old man's got a problem
He live with the bottle that's the way it is
He says his body's too old for working
I say his body's too young to look like his
My mama went off and left him
She wanted more from life than he could give
I said somebody's got to take care of him
So I quit school and that's what I did

You got a fast car
But is it fast enough so we can fly away
We gotta make a decision
We leave tonight or live and die this way

I remember we were driving driving in your car
The speed so fast I felt like I was drunk
City lights lay out before us
And your arm felt nice wrapped 'round my shoulder
And I had a feeling that I belonged
And I had a feeling I could be someone, be someone, be someone

You got a fast car
And we go cruising to entertain ourselves
You still ain't got a job
And I work in a market as a checkout girl
I know things will get better
You'll find work and I'll get promoted
We'll move out of the shelter
Buy a big house and live in the suburbs
You got a fast car
And I got a job that pays all our bills
You stay out drinking late at the bar
See more of your friends than you do of your kids
I'd always hoped for better
Thought maybe together you and me would find it
I got no plans I ain't going nowhere
So take your fast car and keep on driving

You got a fast car
But is it fast enough so you can fly away
You gotta make a decision
You leave tonight or live and die this way

I have a recording of The Sloop John B by The Weavers (featuring Pete Seeger).

Now, when you say recording Im just taking awild guess and actually thinking its an LP?
Interesting though, must be different, I think Ive heard it long ago and far away somewhere.

The Weavers' Greates hits or something. Vinyl LP. I began collecting records in 1958. Even though my first wife loaned out (gave away) half of them one day, I still have close to a thousand.

Thats amazing <especially considering the loan vs. wife thing>
I have my phonograph, and the needle is good as well, I think thats just about the finest thing myself although I have not near the numbers as you.

My new wife of 24 years understands, bless her. She bought me a system that plays records, CDs and tapes. I am recording my records on tape to save the needle for as long as possible. Ah, there's nothing so satisfying as the crackle of a vinyl record of an evening after a trying day on the job.

Well bless her heart!
Keep up the fine listening!

Cats in the Cradle
by Harry Chapin

A child arrived just the other day,
He came to the world in the usual way.
But the were planes to catch and bills to pay.
He learned to walk while I was away.
And he was talking 'fore I knew it, and as he grew,
He'd say, "I'm gonna be like you dad.
You know I'm gonna be like you."

And the cat's in the cradle and the silver spoon,
Little boy blue and the man in the moon.
"When you coming home, dad?" "I don't know when,
But we'll get together then.
You know we'll have a good time then."

My son turned ten just the other day.
He said, "Thanks for the ball, dad, come on let's play.
Can you teach me to throw?" I said, "Not today,
I got a lot to do." he said, "That's ok."
And he walked away, but his smile never dimmed,
Said, "I'm gonna be like him, yeah.
You know I'm gonna be like him."

(Chorus)

Well, he came from college just the other day,
So much like a man I just had to say,
"Son, I'm proud of you. Can you sit for a while?"
He shook his head, and he said with a smile,
"What I'd really like, dad, is to borrow the car keys.
See you later. Can I have them, please?"

(Chorus)

I've long since retired and my son's moved away.
I called him up just the other day.
I said, "I'd like to see you if you don't mind."
He said, "I'd love to, dad, if I could find the time.
You see, my new job's a hassle, and the kid's got the flu,
But it's sure nice talking to you."
And as I hung up the phone, it occurred to me,
He'd grown up just like me.
My boy was just like me.

And the cat's in the cradle and the silver spoon.
Little boy blue and the man in the moon.
"When you coming home, son?" "I don't know when,
But we'll get together then, dad.
You know we'll have a good time then."

Quinn, I LOVE the Sloop John B. Thanks!!!

(...I figured one big pile was better than one little pile, so rather than pull that one up I decided to throw ours down...)

A FRONT ROW SEAT TO HEAR OLE JOHNNY SING
by Shel Silverstein
Now you know some fellahs, they want fame and fortune
Yeah, and other fellahs they just wanna swing
But all I wanted all my life
Was a TV set and a truck and a wife
And a front row seat to hear ole Johnny sing.

Yeah the TV and the truck I got on credit.
And I got that girl with a little old Woolworth ring
And life was warm and life was sweet
But still, it was kinda incomplete
Without a front row seat to hear ole Johnny sing.

chorus:
Hey, John you walk the line,
Do "Deelia" one more time
And when you do them Cottonfields
You warm this heart of mine.

So, one day I thought, Hey, I'm gonna do it!
(That's what I said)
So, I mortgaged the farm and pawned her wedding ring.
I sold the gold tooth out of my mouth
And jumped in the pickup and headed South.
For a front row seat to hear ole Johnny sing.

I hit Nashville cold and wet and hungry.
I said, "I'm here, bring him on let him do his thing."
But they told me down at the Old Pit Grill
I'd have to go all the way to Andersonville
For a front row seat to hear ole Jonny sing.

I found his house knocked on the door and it was opened
By a brown-haired girl and a baby with a teethin' ring.
I said "I seen you somewhere before
but don't stand there and block the door
I want a front row seat to hear ole Johnny sing."

(chorus)

She said I'd have to go down to The Opry
And the feller there said I'd have to wait till Spring.
He said, "We've been sold out for months and months
And this poor insane fellah wants
A front row seat to hear ole Johnny sing."

Well, he said a couple more things, and I started cryin'
And then he laughed at me and that's when I started to swing.
Well I bust through the doors in a roaring rage,
Crawled over the crowd till I reached the stage
For a front row seat to hear ole Johnny sing.

(chrous)

Then some crazy guard started shootin'
I shot back, and the next thing I know I was winged
and on the floor
When a guy in a voice kinda deep and low
Says, "Boy that's a mighty long way to go
For a front row seat to hear ANYBODY sing."

And I guess that judge, he weren't no music lover.
I got fifteen months but that don't mean a thing.
Cos' yesterday in the prison yard
A show come through and HAR! de HAR!
I had a front row seat to hear ole Johnny sing.

mckenzie..CHAPIN!

ahh...

TAXI
It was raining hard in 'Frisco,
I needed one more fare to make my night.
A lady up ahead waved to flag me down,
She got in at the light.

Oh, where you going to, my lady blue,
It's a shame you ruined your gown in the rain.
She just looked out the window, and said
"Sixteen Parkside Lane".

Something about her was familiar
I could swear I'd seen her face before,
But she said, "I'm sure you're mistaken"
And she didn't say anything more.

It took a while, but she looked in the mirror,
And she glanced at the license for my name.
A smile seemed to come to her slowly,
It was a sad smile, just the same.
And she said, "How are you Harry?"
I said, "How are you Sue?
Through the too many miles
and the too little smiles
I still remember you."

It was somewhere in a fairy tale,
I used to take her home in my car.
We learned about love in the back of the Dodge,
The lesson hadn't gone too far.
You see, she was gonna be an actress,
And I was gonna learn to fly.
She took off to find the footlights,
And I took off to find the sky.

Oh, I've got something inside me,
To drive a princess blind.
There's a wild man, wizard,
He's hiding in me, illuminating my mind.
Oh, I've got something inside me,
Not what my life's about,
Cause I've been letting my outside tide me,
Over 'till my time, runs out.

Baby's so high that she's skying,
Yes she's flying, afraid to fall.
I'll tell you why baby's crying,
Cause she's dying, aren't we all.

There was not much more for us to talk about,
Whatever we had once was gone.
So I turned my cab into the driveway,
Past the gate and the fine trimmed lawns.
And she said we must get together,
But I knew it'd never be arranged.
And she handed me twenty dollars,
For a two fifty fare, she said
"Harry, keep the change."
Well another man might have been angry,
And another man might have been hurt,
But another man never would have let her go...
I stashed the bill in my shirt.

And she walked away in silence,
It's strange, how you never know,
But we'd both gotten what we'd asked for,
Such a long, long time ago.

You see, she was gonna be an actress
And I was gonna learn to fly.
She took off to find the footlights,
And I took off for the sky.
And here, she's acting happy,
Inside her handsome home.
And me, I'm flying in my taxi,
Taking tips, and getting stoned,
I go flying so high, when I'm stoned.

Wanna tell you all a story 'bout a man named Jed,
A poor mountaineer, barely kept his family fed.
Then one day, he was shootin' at some food,
When up through the ground came abubblin' crude . . .
Oil, that is, black gold--texas tea.
Well the next thing ya know, old Jed's a millionaire,
The kinfolk said: "Jed, move away from here.
"Californy is the place ya oughta be!"
So he loaded the car, and heads for Beverly . . .
Hills, that is, swimmin' pools, movie stars.

(the above, and what follows are done from memory, so i doan keer ef i gits 'em exactly right . . . )

They're creepy and they're kookey.
Mysterious and spookey.
They're altogether together ookey.
The Addams Family.


The house is a museum.
When people come to see'em.
They really are a scre-am.
The Addams Family.


Neat


Sweet


Petite


So get a witch's shawl on.
A broomstick you can crawl on.
We're going to pay a call on.
The Addams Family

Okay, and I could put in the great and unforgettable Gilligans Island

But, Ill save you all that so you can just hear Setantas gifts through the evening

:wink:
The Hanging Tree

I came to town to search for gold
And I brought with me a memory
And I seemed to hear the night wind cry
Go hang your dream on the hanging tree
Your dreams of love that could never be
Hang your faith in dreams on the hanging tree

I searched for gold and I found my gold
And I found a girl who loved just me
And I wished that I could love her too
But I left my heart on the hanging tree
I left my heart with the memory
And the faith in dreams on the hanging tree

Now there were men who craved my gold
And meant to take my gold from me
When a man is gone he needs no gold
So they carried me to the hanging tree
To join my dream and memory
Yes they carried me to the hanging tree

To really live you must almost die
It happened just that way with me
They took my gold and set me free
And I walked away from the hanging tree
I walked away from the hanging tree
And my own true love
She walked with me
That's when I knew that the hanging tree
Was a tree of life new life for me
A tree of hope new hope for me
A tree of love new love for me
The hanging tree
The hanging tree
The hanging tree

Sung by Marty Robbins in the Gary Cooper feature film: "The Hanging Tree"

John Henry was a very small boy,
Fell on his mammy's knee;
Picked up a hammer and a little piece of steel,
"Lord, a hammer'll be the death of me,
Lord, a hammer'll be the death of me."

John Henry went upon the mountain,
Come down on the side;
The mountain so tall, John Henry was so small,
Lord, he lay down his hammer and he cried, "Oh, Lord,"
He lay down his hammer and he cried.

John Henry was on the right hand,
But that steam drill was on the left;
"Before your steam drill beats me down,
Hammer my fool self to death,
Lord, I'll hammer my fool self to death."

The captain says to John Henry,
"Believe my tunnel's fallin' in."
"Captain, you needn't not to worry,
Just my hammer hawsing in the wind,
Just my hammer hawsing in the wind."

"Look away over yonder, captain,
You can't see like me."
He hollered out in a low, lonesome cry,
"This hammer'll be the death of me,
Lord, this hammer'll be the death of me."

John Henry told his captain,
"Captain, you go to town,
Bring John back a twelve-pound hammer,
And he'll whup your steam drill down,
[And] he'll whup your steam drill down."

For the man that invented that steam drill
Thought he was mighty fine;
John Henry sunk a fo'teen foot,
The steam drill only made nine,
The steam drill only made nine.

John Henry told his shaker,
"Shaker, you better pray;
For if I miss this six-foot steel,
Tomorrow'll be your buryin' day,
An' tomorrow'll be your buryin' day."

John Henry told his lovin' little woman,
"Sick and I want to go to bed;
Fix me a place to lay down, child,
Got a rollin' in my head,
Got a rollin' in my head."

John Henry had a lovely little woman,
Called her Polly Ann;
John Henry got sick and he had to go home,
But Polly broke steel like a man,
Polly broke steel like a man.

John Henry had another little woman,
The dress she wore was blue;
She went down the track and she never looked back,
"John Henry, I've been true to you."

http://www.npr.org/programs/morning/features/patc/johnhenry/

John Henry and his hammer....lovely contribution!!!

Got one on the tip o me tongue but cant come up wit it

Tol' My Cap'n

Tol' my cap'n my hands was cold
He said damn your hands boy
Let the wheelin' roll
I raised my hand to wipe the sweat off my head
Cap'n got mad, Lord
Shot my buddy dead

If you don't believe my buddy is dead
Just look at the hole there
In my buddy's head
Cap'n's walking up and down
But when you're dead, Lord
On the burning ground

And if I had my weight and line
I'd whup that cap'n
'Til he went stone blind
Buzzards circling
'Round the sky
Know that cap'n shore is bound to die
Shore is bound to die

Emigrant's Dream

Far away o'er the lonesome prairie,
Far away o'er the dazzling snow,
Far away o'er the lone horizon,
No others come or go.
'Tis after a hard day's marching,
My weary steps I stay,
As I task the joys of camping,
This night by the Hudson Bay.

As I lie by the log fire burning,
Watching the embers fade.
I see the map of Scotland,
In snow, in light, in shadow,
I see the map of Scotland,
And the land that gave me birth.
And I think, with all its failings,
'Tis the fairest land on earth.

And I dream a dream of Scotland,
Oh would it last 'til morn,
I see the little Shieling,
By the burn, where I was born.
At eve I linger coming home,
To gather brambles wild,
And in my fancy's vision,
I am once again a child.

And I listen to the music,
Of the mountain and the ----
The ---- of the curlew,
The deep croaking of the raven,
And the moaning of the gale,
And in fancy I am roaming.
O'er the mountains of -----.

My father's first cousin Isabel (or Liz) has been looking for a recording of or sheet music for the song below for some time now. Her mother's older sister learned the song from a suitor - a Canadian soldier stationed in Scotland during WWI. I have checked around the online music databases, although I haven't posted to any newsgroups yet. Until I decide which newsgroups to invade, I'll give the lyrics a home here, in case someone in search of the words stumbles across my little archipelago of pages.

Jenny Armstrong

http://www.bookbeast.com/celtmisc.htm

That's an unusual one.

Paddy Lay Back
Traditional, one of many versions
'Twas a dark and windy morning in December (December)
When all of me money it was spent (spent spent)
And where the hell it went I can't remember (remember)
So down to the shipping office I went (went went)

CHORUS
Paddy lay back (Paddy lay back)
Take in the slack (take in the slack)
Tack a turn around the capstain, heave a pawl (heave a paw-aw-aw-awl)
About ship's stations, boys, be handy (be handy)
We're bound for Valparais' around the Horn (Horn Horn)

That day there was a great demand for sailors (for sailors)
For the colonies and for Frisco and for France (France France)
So I joined a Limey bark they called the Hotspur (Hotspur)
And got paralytic drunk on my advance ('vance 'vance)

CHORUS

'Twas on the quarter deck when first I saw them (saw them)
Such an ugly bunch I'd never seen before ('fore 'fore)
For the Captain had shipped a Shanghaid crew of Dutchmen (Dutchmen)
And it made me poor old heart feel sick and sore (sore sore)

CHORUS

Now I asked the mate which watch was mine-o (mine-o)
He said he'd soon see which watch was which (which which)
And he blew me down and he kicked me in the stern-o (stern-o)
Callin' me a dirty lousy son of a bitch (bitch bitch)

CHORUS

It was soon I'd made my mind up that I'd leave her (leave her)
And jump overboard and live me life ashore (shore shore)
So I jumped overboard and then I swam ashore boys (shore boys)
And in the English bar I found a whore (whore whore)

CHORUS

But Jimmy the Crimp he knew a thing or two, sir (two, sir)
And soon I was outward bound again ('gain 'gain)
On a Limey boat to the Chinchas for guano (guano)
And here I am, a-singin' the old refrain ('frain 'frain)

CHORUS

So here I am once more again at sea boys (sea boys)
The same old garbage, all over again ('gain 'gain)
So stamp the capstains 'round and make some noise, boys (noise, boys)
And join me once more in singin' the old refrain ('frain 'frain)

CHORUS, et al.