1. Forever
young
2. Hurricane
3. House of the rising sun
4. Just like a woman
5. Jokerman
6. License to kill
7. Man of peace
8. Mr. Tambourine man
9. Pledging my time
10. Stuck inside of mobile..
11. Sundown on the union
12. Sweetheart like you
13. Tangled up in blue
14. Things have changed
15. Visions
of Johanna
Forever Young
May God bless and keep you always, May your wishes all come true,
May you always do for others And let others do for you.
May you build a ladder to the stars And climb on every rung,
May you stay forever young, Forever young, forever young,
May you stay forever young.
May you grow up
to be righteous, May you grow up to be true,
May you always know the truth And see the lights surrounding you.
May you always be courageous, Stand upright and be strong,
May you stay forever young, Forever young, forever young,
May you stay forever young.
May your hands
always be busy, May your feet always be swift,
May you have a strong foundation When the winds of changes shift.
May your heart always be joyful, May your song always be sung,
May you stay forever young, Forever young, forever young,
May you stay forever young.
************************************
Hurricane
Pistol shots ring out in the barroom night
Enter Patty Valentine from the upper hall.
She sees the bartender in a pool of blood,
Cries out, "My God, they killed them all!"
Here comes the
story of the Hurricane,
The man the authorities came to blame
For somethin' that he never done.
Put in a prison cell, but one time he could-a been
The champion of the world.
Three bodies lyin'
there does Patty see
And another man named Bello, movin' around mysteriously.
"I didn't do it," he says, and he throws up his hands
"I was only robbin' the register, I hope you understand.
I saw them leavin'," he says, and he stops
"One of us had better call up the cops."
And so Patty calls the cops
And they arrive on the scene with their red lights flashin'
In the hot New Jersey night.
Meanwhile, far
away in another part of town
Rubin Carter and a couple of friends are drivin' around.
Number one contender for the middleweight crown
Had no idea what kinda shit was about to go down
When a cop pulled
him over to the side of the road
Just like the time before and the time before that.
In Paterson that's just the way things go.
If you're black you might as well not show up on the street
'Less you wanna draw the heat.
Alfred Bello had
a partner and he had a rap for the cops.
Him and Arthur Dexter Bradley were just out prowlin' around
He said, "I saw two men runnin' out, they looked like middleweights
They jumped into a white car with out-of-state plates."
And Miss Patty Valentine just nodded her head.
Cop said, "Wait a minute, boys, this one's not dead"
So they took him to the infirmary And though this man could hardly see
They told him that he could identify the guilty men.
Four in the mornin'
and they haul Rubin in,
Take him to the hospital and they bring him upstairs.
The wounded man looks up through his one dyin' eye Says,
"Wha'd you bring him in here for? He ain't the guy!"
Yes, here's the
story of the Hurricane,
The man the authorities came to blame
For somethin' that he never done.
Put in a prison cell, but one time he could-a been
The champion of the world.
Four months later,
the ghettos are in flame,
Rubin's in South America, fightin' for his name
While Arthur Dexter Bradley's still in the robbery game
And the cops are puttin' the screws to him, lookin' for somebody to blame.
"Remember that
murder that happened in a bar?"
"Remember you said you saw the getaway car?"
"You think you'd like to play ball with the law?"
"Think it might-a been that fighter that you saw runnin' that night?"
"Don't forget that you are white."
Arthur Dexter Bradley
said, "I'm really not sure."
Cops said, "A poor boy like you could use a break
We got you for the motel job and we're talkin' to your friend Bello
Now you don't wanta have to go back to jail, be a nice fellow.
You'll be doin' society a favor. That sonofabitch is brave and gettin' braver.
We want to put his ass in stir
We want to pin this triple murder on him He ain't no Gentleman Jim."
Rubin could take
a man out with just one punch
But he never did like to talk about it all that much.
It's my work, he'd say, and I do it for pay
And when it's over I'd just as soon go on my way
Up to some paradise Where the trout streams flow and the air is nice
And ride a horse along a trail.
But then they took him to the jail house Where they try to turn a man into a
mouse.
All of Rubin's
cards were marked in advance
The trial was a pig-circus, he never had a chance.
The judge made Rubin's witnesses drunkards from the slums
To the white folks who watched he was a revolutionary bum
And to the black folks he was just a crazy nigger.
No one doubted that he pulled the trigger.
And though they could not produce the gun,
The D.A. said he was the one who did the deed
And the all-white jury agreed.
Rubin Carter was
falsely tried. The crime was murder "one,"
guess who testified? Bello and Bradley and they both baldly lied
And the newspapers, they all went along for the ride.
How can the life of such a man Be in the palm of some fool's hand?
To see him obviously framed
Couldn't help but make me feel ashamed to live in a land Where justice is a
game.
Now all the criminals
in their coats and their ties
Are free to drink martinis and watch the sun rise
While Rubin sits like Buddha in a ten-foot cell An innocent man in a living
hell.
That's the story of the Hurricane,
But it won't be over till they clear his name And give him back the time he's
done.
Put in a prison cell, but one time he could-a been The champion of the world.
************************************
House of the
rising sun
There is a house down in New Orleans They call the risin' sun.
It's been the ruin of many a poor girl And me, oh God, I'm one.
My mother was a tailor She sewed these new blue jeans
My sweetheart was a gambler Down in New Orleans.
Now the only thing a gambler needs Is a suitcase and a trunk
And the only time he's satisfied Is when he's on a drunk.
He'll fill his glasses up to the brim And he'll pass the cards around
And the only pleasure he gets out of life Is ramblin' from town to town.
Oh tell my baby
sister Not to do what I have done
But shun that house in New Orleans They call the risin' sun.
And it's one foot on the platform And the other foot on the train
I'm goin' back to New Orleans To wear my ball and chain.
I'm going back to New Orleans My race is almost run
I'm goin' back to end my life Down in the risin' sun.
There is a house in New Orleans They call the risin' sun.
It's been the ruin of many a poor girl And me, oh God, I'm one.
************************************
Just like a
woman
Nobody feels any pain Tonight as I stand inside the rain
Ev'rybody knows That Baby's got new clothes
But lately I see her ribbons and her bows Have fallen from her curls.
She takes just
like a woman, yes, she does
She makes love just like a woman, yes, she does
And she aches just like a woman But she breaks just like a little girl.
Queen Mary, she's
my friend Yes, I believe I'll go see her again
Nobody has to guess That Baby can't be blessed
Till she sees finally that she's like all the rest With her fog,
her amphetamine and her pearls.
She takes just
like a woman, yes, she does
She makes love just like a woman, yes, she does
And she aches just like a woman But she breaks just like a little girl.
It was raining
from the first And I was dying there of thirst
So I came in here And your long-time curse hurts
But what's worse Is this pain in here I can't stay in here
Ain't it clear thatÑ I just can't fit Yes, I believe it's time for us to quit
When we meet again Introduced as friends
Please don't let on that you knew me when I was hungry and it was your world.
Ah, you fake just like a woman, yes, you do
You make love just like a woman, yes, you do
Then you ache just like a woman But you break just like a little girl.
************************************
Jokerman
Standing on the waters casting your bread
While the eyes of the idol with the iron head are glowing.
Distant ships sailing into the mist,
You were born with a snake in both of your fists while a hurricane was blowing.
Freedom just around
the corner for you
But with the truth so far off, what good will it do?
Jokerman dance to the nightingale tune,
Bird fly high by the light of the moon,
Oh, oh, oh, Jokerman.
So swiftly the
sun sets in the sky, You rise up and say goodbye to no one.
Fools rush in where angels fear to tread,
Both of their futures, so full of dread, you don't show one.
Shedding off one more layer of skin, Keeping one step ahead of the persecutor
within.
Jokerman dance to the nightingale tune, Bird fly high by the light of the moon,
Oh, oh, oh, Jokerman.
You're a man of
the mountains, you can walk on the clouds,
Manipulator of crowds, you're a dream twister.
You're going to Sodom and Gomorrah But what do you care?
Ain't nobody there would want to marry your sister.
Friend to the martyr, a friend to the woman of shame,
You look into the fiery furnace, see the rich man without any name.
Jokerman dance to the nightingale tune, Bird fly high by the light of the moon,
Oh, oh, oh, Jokerman.
Well, the Book
of Leviticus and Deuteronomy,
The law of the jungle and the sea are your only teachers.
In the smoke of the twilight on a milk-white steed,
Michelangelo indeed could've carved out your features.
Resting in the fields, far from the turbulent space,
Half asleep near the stars with a small dog licking your face.
Jokerman dance to the nightingale tune, Bird fly high by the light of the moon,
Oh, oh, oh, Jokerman.
Well, the rifleman's
stalking the sick and the lame,
Preacherman seeks the same, who'll get there first is uncertain.
Nightsticks and water cannons, tear gas, padlocks,
Molotov cocktails and rocks behind every curtain,
False-hearted judges dying in the webs that they spin,
Only a matter of time 'til night comes steppin' in.
Jokerman dance to the nightingale tune,
Bird fly high by the light of the moon,
Oh, oh, oh, Jokerman.
It's a shadowy
world, skies are slippery gray,
A woman just gave birth to a prince today and dressed him in scarlet.
He'll put the priest in his pocket, put the blade to the heat,
Take the motherless children off the street And place them at the feet of a
harlot.
Oh, Jokerman, you know what he wants,
Oh, Jokerman, you don't show any response.
Jokerman dance to the nightingale tune, Bird fly high by the light of the moon,
Oh, oh, oh, Jokerman.
************************************
License to kill
Man thinks 'cause he rules the earth he can do with it as he please
And if things don't change soon, he will.
Oh, man has invented his doom, First step was touching the moon.
Now, there's a woman on my block, She just sit there as the night grows still.
She say who gonna take away his license to kill?
Now, they take
him and they teach him and they groom him for life
And they set him on a path where he's bound to get ill,
Then they bury him with stars, Sell his body like they do used cars.
Now, there's a woman on my block, She just sit there facin' the hill.
She say who gonna take away his license to kill?
Now, he's hell-bent
for destruction, he's afraid and confused,
And his brain has been mismanaged with great skill.
All he believes are his eyes And his eyes, they just tell him lies.
But there's a woman on my block, Sitting there in a cold chill.
She say who gonna take away his license to kill?
Ya may be a noisemaker, spirit maker, Heartbreaker, backbreaker,
Leave no stone unturned.
May be an actor in a plot,
That might be all that you got 'Til your error you clearly learn.
Now he worships at an altar of a stagnant pool
And when he sees his reflection, he's fulfilled.
Oh, man is opposed to fair play, He wants it all and he wants it his way.
Now, there's a woman on my block, She just sit there as the night grows still.
She say who gonna take away his license to kill?
************************************
Man of
peace
Look out your window, baby, there's a scene you'd
like to catch,
The band is playing "Dixie," a man got his hand outstretched.
Could be the Fuhrer Could be the local priest.
You know sometimes Satan comes as a man of peace.
He got a
sweet gift of gab, he got a harmonious tongue,
He knows every song of love that ever has been sung.
Good intentions can be evil, Both hands can be full of grease.
You know that sometimes Satan comes as a man of peace.
Well, first
he's in the background, then he's in the front,
Both eyes are looking like they're on a rabbit hunt.
Nobody can see through him, No, not even the Chief of Police.
You know that sometimes Satan comes as a man of peace.
Well, he catch you when you're hoping for a glimpse of the sun,
Catch you when your troubles feel like they weigh a ton.
He could be standing next to you, The person that you'd notice least.
I hear that sometimes Satan comes as a man of peace.
Well, he
can be fascinating, he can be dull,
He can ride down Niagara Falls in the barrels of your skull.
I can smell something cooking, I can tell there's going to be a feast.
You know that sometimes Satan comes as a man of peace.
He's a great humanitarian, he's a great philanthropist,
He knows just where to touch you, honey, and how you like to be kissed.
He'll put both his arms around you, You can feel the tender touch of the beast.
You know that sometimes Satan comes as a man of peace.
Well, the
howling wolf will howl tonight, the king snake will crawl,
Trees that've stood for a thousand years suddenly will fall.
Wanna get married? Do it now, Tomorrow all activity will cease.
You know that sometimes Satan comes as a man of peace.
Somewhere Mama's weeping for her blue-eyed boy,
She's holding them little white shoes and that little broken toy
And he's following a star, The same one them three men followed from the East.
I hear that sometimes Satan comes as a man of peace.
************************************
Mr. Tambourine
man
Hey! Mr. Tambourine Man, play a song for me,
I'm not sleepy and there is no place I'm going to.
Hey! Mr. Tambourine Man, play a song for me,
In the jingle jangle morning I'll come followin' you.
Though I know that
evenin's empire has returned into sand,
Vanished from my hand, Left me blindly here to stand but still not sleeping.
My weariness amazes me, I'm branded on my feet, I have no one to meet
And the ancient empty street's too dead for dreaming.
Hey! Mr. Tambourine Man, play a song for me,
I'm not sleepy and there is no place I'm going to.
Hey! Mr. Tambourine Man, play a song for me,
In the jingle jangle morning I'll come followin' you.
Take me on a trip
upon your magic swirlin' ship,
My senses have been stripped, my hands can't feel to grip,
My toes too numb to step, wait only for my boot heels To be wanderin'.
I'm ready to go anywhere, I'm ready for to fade Into my own parade,
cast your dancing spell my way, I promise to go under it.
Hey! Mr. Tambourine Man, play a song for me,
I'm not sleepy and there is no place I'm going to.
Hey! Mr. Tambourine Man, play a song for me,
In the jingle jangle morning I'll come followin' you.
Though you might
hear laughin', spinnin', swingin' madly across the sun,
It's not aimed at anyone, it's just escapin' on the run
And but for the sky there are no fences facin'.
And if you hear vague traces of skippin' reels of rhyme
To your tambourine in time, it's just a ragged clown behind,
I wouldn't pay it any mind, it's just a shadow you're Seein' that he's chasing.
Hey! Mr. Tambourine Man, play a song for me,
I'm not sleepy and there is no place I'm going to.
Hey! Mr. Tambourine Man, play a song for me,
In the jingle jangle morning I'll come followin' you.
Then take me disappearin'
through the smoke rings of my mind,
Down the foggy ruins of time, far past the frozen leaves,
The haunted, frightened trees, out to the windy beach,
Far from the twisted reach of crazy sorrow.
Yes, to dance beneath the diamond sky with one hand waving free,
Silhouetted by the sea, circled by the circus sands,
With all memory and fate driven deep beneath the waves,
Let me forget about today until tomorrow.
Hey! Mr. Tambourine Man, play a song for me,
I'm not sleepy and there is no place I'm going to.
Hey! Mr. Tambourine Man, play a song for me,
In the jingle jangle morning I'll come followin' you.
************************************
Pledging my time
Well, early in the mornin' 'Til late at night,
I got a poison headache, But I feel all right.
I'm pledging my time to you, Hopin' you'll come through, too.
Well, the hobo
jumped up, He came down natur'lly.
After he stole my baby, Then he wanted to steal me.
But I'm pledging my time to you, Hopin' you'll come through, too.
Won't you come
with me, baby? I'll take you where you wanna go.
And if it don't work out, You'll be the first to know.
I'm pledging my time to you, Hopin' you'll come through, too.
Well, the room
is so stuffy, I can hardly breathe.
Ev'rybody's gone but me and you And I can't be the last to leave.
I'm pledging my time to you, Hopin' you'll come through, too.
Well, they sent
for the ambulance And one was sent.
Somebody got lucky But it was an accident.
Now I'm pledging my time to you, Hopin' you'll come through, too.
************************************
Stuck inside
of mobile, with the Memphis blues again
Oh, the ragman draws circles Up and down the block.
I'd ask him what the matter was But I know that he don't talk.
And the ladies treat me kindly
And furnish me with tape, But deep inside my heart I know I can't escape.
Oh, Mama, can this really be the end,
To be stuck inside of Mobile With the Memphis blues again.
Well, Shakespeare,
he's in the alley With his pointed shoes and his bells,
Speaking to some French girl, Who says she knows me well.
And I would send a message To find out if she's talked,
But the post office has been stolen And the mailbox is locked.
Oh, Mama, can this really be the end,
To be stuck inside of Mobile With the Memphis blues again.
Mona tried to tell
me To stay away from the train line.
She said that all the railroad men Just drink up your blood like wine.
An' I said, "Oh, I didn't know that, But then again,
there's only one I've met An' he just smoked my eyelids An' punched my cigarette."
Oh, Mama, can this really be the end,
To be stuck inside of Mobile With the Memphis blues again.
Grandpa died last
week And now he's buried in the rocks,
But everybody still talks about How badly they were shocked.
But me, I expected it to happen,
I knew he'd lost control When he built a fire on Main Street And shot it full
of holes.
Oh, Mama, can this really be the end,
To be stuck inside of Mobile With the Memphis blues again.
Now the senator
came down here Showing ev'ryone his gun,
Handing out free tickets To the wedding of his son.
An' me, I nearly got busted An' wouldn't it be my luck
To get caught without a ticket And be discovered beneath a truck.
Oh, Mama, can this really be the end,
To be stuck inside of Mobile With the Memphis blues again.
Now the preacher
looked so baffled When I asked him why he dressed
With twenty pounds of headlines Stapled to his chest.
But he cursed me when I proved it to him,
Then I whispered, "Not even you can hide.
You see, you're just like me, I hope you're satisfied."
Oh, Mama, can this really be the end,
To be stuck inside of Mobile With the Memphis blues again.
Now the rainman
gave me two cures, Then he said, "Jump right in."
The one was Texas medicine, The other was just railroad gin.
An' like a fool I mixed them An' it strangled up my mind,
An' now people
just get uglier An' I have no sense of time.
Oh, Mama, can this really be the end,
To be stuck inside of Mobile With the Memphis blues again.
When Ruthie says
come see her In her honky-tonk lagoon,
Where I can watch her waltz for free 'Neath her Panamanian moon.
An' I say, "Aw come on now, You must know about my debutante."
An' she says, "Your debutante just knows what you need But I know what you want."
Oh, Mama, can this really be the end,
To be stuck inside of Mobile With the Memphis blues again.
Now the bricks
lay on Grand Street Where the neon madmen climb.
They all fall there so perfectly, It all seems so well timed.
An' here I sit so patiently Waiting to find out what price
You have to pay to get out of Going through all these things twice.
Oh, Mama, can this really be the end,
To be stuck inside of Mobile With the Memphis blues again.
************************************
Sundown on the
union
Well, my shoes, they come from Singapore,
My flashlight's from Taiwan, My tablecloth's from Malaysia,
My belt buckle's from the Amazon.
You know, this shirt I wear comes from the Philippines
And the car I drive is a Chevrolet, It was put together down in Argentina
By a guy makin' thirty cents a day.
Well, it's sundown
on the union And what's made in the U.S.A.
Sure was a good idea 'Til greed got in the way.
Well, this silk
dress is from Hong Kong And the pearls are from Japan.
Well, the dog collar's from India And the flower pot's from Pakistan.
All the furniture, it says "Made in Brazil" Where a woman, she slaved for sure
Bringin' home thirty cents a day to a family of twelve,
You know, that's a lot of money to her.
Well, it's sundown
on the union And what's made in the U.S.A.
Sure was a good idea 'Til greed got in the way.
Well, you know,
lots of people complainin' that there is no work.
I say, "Why you say that for When nothin' you got is U.S.-made?"
They don't make nothin' here no more, You know, capitalism is above the law.
It say, "It don't count 'less it sells."
When it costs too much to build it at home You just build it cheaper someplace
else.
Well, it's sundown
on the union And what's made in the U.S.A.
Sure was
a good idea 'Til greed got in the way.
Well, the job that
you used to have, They gave it to somebody down in El Salvador.
The unions are big business, friend, And they're goin' out like a dinosaur.
They used to grow food in Kansas Now they want to grow it on the moon and eat
it raw.
I can see the day coming when even your home garden Is gonna be against the
law.
Well, it's sundown
on the union And what's made in the U.S.A.
Sure was a good idea 'Til greed got in the way.
Democracy don't
rule the world, You'd better get that in your head.
This world is ruled by violence But I guess that's better left unsaid.
From Broadway to the Milky Way, That's a lot of territory indeed
And a man's gonna do what he has to do When he's got a hungry mouth to feed.
Well, it's sundown
on the union And what's made in the U.S.A.
Sure was a good idea 'Til greed got in the way.
************************************
Sweetheart like
you.
Well, the pressure's down, the boss ain't here,
He gone North, he ain't around, They say that vanity got the best of him
But he sure left here after sundown.
By the way, that's a cute hat, And that smile's so hard to resist
But what's a sweetheart like you doin' in a dump like this?
You know, I once
knew a woman who looked like you,
She wanted a whole man, not just a half,
She used to call me sweet daddy when I was only a child,
You kind of remind me of her when you laugh.
In order to deal in this game, got to make the queen disappear,
It's done with a flick of the wrist.
What's a sweetheart like you doin' in a dump like this?
You know, a woman
like you should be at home, That's where you belong,
Watching out for someone who loves you true Who would never do you wrong.
Just how much abuse will you be able to take?
Well, there's no way to tell by that first kiss.
What's a sweetheart like you doin' in a dump like this?
You know you can
make a name for yourself, You can hear them tires squeal,
You can be known as the most beautiful woman
Who ever crawled across cut glass to make a deal.
You know, news of you has come down the line Even before ya came in the door.
They say in your father's house, there's many mansions
Each one of them got a fireproof floor.
Snap out of it, baby, people are jealous of you,
They smile to your face, but behind your back they hiss.
What's a sweetheart like you doin' in a dump like this?
Got to be an important
person to be in here, honey,
Got to have done some evil deed,
Got to have your own harem when you come in the door,
Got to play your harp until your lips bleed.
They say that patriotism is the last refuge To which a scoundrel clings.
Steal a little and they throw you in jail, Steal a lot and they make you king.
There's only one step down from here, baby, It's called the land of permanent
bliss.
What's a sweetheart like you doin' in a dump like this?
************************************
Tangled up in
blue.
Early one mornin' the sun was shinin', I was layin' in bed
Wond'rin' if she'd changed at all If her hair was still red.
Her folks they said our lives together Sure was gonna be rough
They never did like Mama's homemade dress Papa's bankbook wasn't big enough.
And I was standin' on the side of the road Rain fallin' on my shoes
Heading out for the East Coast Lord knows I've paid some dues gettin' through,
Tangled up in blue.
She was married
when we first met
Soon to be divorced I helped her out of a jam, I guess, But I used a little
too much force.
We drove that car as far as we could Abandoned it out West Split up on a dark
sad night
Both agreeing it was best.
She turned around to look at me As I was walkin' away I heard her say over my
shoulder,
"We'll meet again someday on the avenue,"
Tangled up in blue.
I had a job in
the great north woods Working as a cook for a spell
But I never did like it all that much And one day the ax just fell.
So I drifted down to New Orleans Where I happened to be employed
Workin' for a while on a fishin' boat Right outside of Delacroix.
But all the while I was alone The past was close behind, I seen a lot of women
But she never escaped my mind, and I just grew
Tangled up in blue.
She was workin'
in a topless place And I stopped in for a beer,
I just kept lookin' at the side of her face In the spotlight so clear.
And later on as the crowd thinned out I's just about to do the same,
She was standing there in back of my chair Said to me, "Don't I know your name?"
I muttered somethin' underneath my breath, She studied the lines on my face.
I must admit I felt a little uneasy When she bent down to tie the laces of my
shoe,
Tangled up in blue.
She lit a burner
on the stove and offered me a pipe "I thought you'd never say hello,"
she said "You look like the silent type." Then she opened up a book of poems
And handed it to me Written by an Italian poet From the thirteenth century.
And every one of them words rang true
And glowed like burnin' coal Pourin' off of every page
Like it was written in my soul from me to you,
Tangled up in blue.
I lived with them
on Montague Street In a basement down the stairs,
There was music in the cafes at night And revolution in the air.
Then he started into dealing with slaves And something inside of him died.
She had to sell everything she owned And froze up inside.
And when finally the bottom fell out I became withdrawn,
The only thing I knew how to do Was to keep on keepin' on like a bird that flew,
Tangled up
in blue.
So now I'm goin'
back again, I got to get to her somehow.
All the people we used to know They're an illusion to me now.
Some are mathematicians Some are carpenter's wives.
Don't know how it all got started, I don't know what they're doin' with their
lives.
But me, I'm still on the road Headin' for another joint We always did feel the
same,
We just saw it from a different point of view,
Tangled up in blue.
************************************
Things have
changed.
A worried man with a worried mind No one in front of me and nothing behind
There's a woman on my lap and she's drinking champagne
Got white skin, got assassin's eyes I'm looking up into the sapphire tinted
skies
I'm well dressed, waiting on the last train
Standing on the gallows with my head in a noose
Any minute now I'm expecting all hell to break loose
People are crazy
and times are strange I'm locked in tight, I'm out of range
I used to care, but things have changed
This place ain't
doing me any good I'm in the wrong town, I should be in Hollywood
Just for a second there I thought I saw something move
Gonna take dancing lessons do the jitterbug rag Ain't no shortcuts, gonna dress
in drag
Only a fool in here would think he's got anything to prove
Lot of water under the bridge, Lot of other stuff too Don't get up gentlemen,
I'm only passing through
People are crazy and times are strange I'm locked in tight, I'm out of range
I used to care, but things have changed
I've been
walking forty miles of bad road If the bible is right,
the world will explode I've been trying to get as far away from myself as I
can
Some things are too hot to touch
The human mind can only stand so much You can't win with a losing hand
Feel like falling in love with the first woman I meet
Putting her in a wheel barrow and wheeling her down the street
People are crazy and times are strange I'm locked in tight, I'm out of range
I used to care, but things have changed
I hurt easy, I
just don't show it You can hurt someone and not even know it
The next sixty seconds could be like an eternity
Gonna get low down, gonna fly high All the truth in the world adds up to one
big lie
I'm love with a woman who don't even appeal to me
Mr. Jinx and Miss Lucy, they jumped in the lake I'm not that eager to make a
mistake
People are crazy
and times are strange I'm locked in tight, I'm out of range
I used to care, but things have changed
************************************
Visions of Johanna.
Ain't it just like the night to play tricks when you're tryin' to be so quiet?
We sit here stranded, though we're all doin' our best to deny it
And Louise holds a handful of rain, temptin' you to defy it
Lights flicker from the opposite loft In this room the heat pipes just cough
The country
music station plays soft But there's nothing, really nothing to turn off
Just Louise and her lover so entwined
And these visions of Johanna that conquer my mind
In the empty lot
where the ladies play blindman's bluff with the key chain
And the all-night girls they whisper of escapades out on the "D" train
We can hear the night watchman click his flashlight
Ask himself if it's him or them that's really insane Louise, she's all right,
she's just near
She's delicate and seems like the mirror But she just makes it all too concise
and too clear
That Johanna's not here The ghost of 'lectricity howls in the bones of her face
Where these visions of Johanna have now taken my place
Now, little boy
lost, he takes himself so seriously
He brags of his misery, he likes to live dangerously
And when bringing her name up He speaks of a farewell kiss to me
He's sure got a lotta gall to be so useless and all Muttering small talk at
the wall
while I'm in the hall How can I explain?
Oh, it's so hard to get on And these visions of Johanna, they kept me up past
the dawn
Inside the museums,
Infinity goes up on trial
Voices echo this is what salvation must be like after a while
But Mona Lisa musta had the highway blues You can tell by the way she smiles
See the primitive wallflower freeze When the jelly-faced women all sneeze
Hear the one with the mustache say, "Jeeze I can't find my knees"
Oh, jewels and binoculars hang from the head of the mule
But these visions of Johanna, they make it all seem so cruel
The peddler now
speaks to the countess who's pretending to care for him Sayin',
"Name me someone that's not a parasite and I'll go out and say a prayer for
him"
But like Louise always says "Ya can't look at much, can ya man?"
As she, herself, prepares for him And Madonna, she still has not showed
We see this empty cage now corrode Where her cape of the stage once had flowed
The fiddler, he now steps to the road He writes ev'rything's been returned which
was owed
On the back of the fish truck that loads While my conscience explodes
The harmonicas play the skeleton keys and the rain
And these visions of Johanna are now all that remain
************************************