"What's Become Of The Baby"

   
Waves of violet go crashing and laughing
The rainbow winged singing birds fly 'round the sun
Sun bells rain down in a liquid profusion
Mermaids on porpoises draw up the dawn
What's become of the baby this cold December morning?

Songbirds frozen in their flight
Drifting to the earth, remnants of forgotten dreaming
Dawning answer comes there none.

Go to sleep you child, dream of never-ending always
Panes of crystal ice sparkle like waterfalls
Lighting the polished ice caverns of the dawn,
But where in the looking-glass fields of illusion
Wandered the child who was perfect as the dawn?
What's become of the baby this cold December morning?
What's become of the baby this cold December morning?

Racing in rhythm of the sun
All the world revolves captured in the eye of woman
Allah, where are you now?

All eyes are blinded by the sparkling waters
Scheherazade gethering stories to tell
But where is the child who played with the sunshines?
And chased the cloud shape to the regions of mind?
Standing stream cries the south wind
Lost in the regions of
Shadow-like chains of illusion, delusions of living and dead.

"Cosmic Charlie"

   
Cosmic Charlie how do you do
Truckin' in style along the avenue
Dum de dum de do da lee do
Go on home your mama's calling you.

Calico Cal, ya come tell me the news
Calamity's waiting for a way to get to her
Rosey red and electric blue
I bought you a paddle for your paper canoe.

Say you'll come back when you can
Whenever your airplane happens to land
Maybe I'll be back here too
It all depends on what's with you.

Woke up waiting for a windy day
Cat on I (?) since the first of February
Mama keeps saying that the wind might blow
But standing here I say I just don't know.

New ones come in as the old ones go
Everything's moving here but much too slowly
A little bit quicker and we might have time
To say how do you do before we left behind.

Calliope wail like a seaside zoo
The very last lately inquired about you
It's really very one or two
The first you wanted the last I knew.

I just wonder if you shouldn't feel
less concerned about the people unreal
The very first word is how do you do
The last go home your mama's calling you.

Calling you oo oo oo oo oo
Calling you oo oo oo
Calling you oo oo oo
Calling you oo oo oo

Calling you oo oo oo
Go on home your mama's calling you
Calling you oo oo oo
Go on home your mama's calling you
Calling you oo oo oo
Go on home your mama's calling you
Go on home your mama's calling you

"Uncle John's Band"

   
Well the first days are the hardest days, don't you worry any more,
'Cause when life looks like Easy Street, there is danger at your door.
Think this through with me, let me know your mind,
Wo, oh, what I want to know, is are you kind?

It's a buck dancer's choice my friend; better take my advice.
You know all the rules by now and the fire from the ice.
Will you come with me? Won't you come with me?
Wo, oh, what I want to know, will you come with me?

Goddamn, well I declare, have you seen the like?
Their wall are built of cannonballs, their motto is "Don't tread on me".
Come hear Uncle John'n Band playing to the tide,
Come with me, or go alone, he's come to take his children home.

It's the same story the crow told me; it's the only one he knows.
Like the morning sun you come and like the wind you go.
Ain't no time to hate, barely time to wait,
Wo, oh, what I want to know, where does the time go?

I live in a silver mine and I call it Beggar's Tomb;
I got me a violin and I beg you call the tune,
anybody's choice, I can hear your voice.
Wo, oh, what I want to know, how does the song go?

Come hear Uncle John's Band by the riverside,
Got some things to talk about, here beside the rising tide.

Come hear Uncle John's Band playing to the tide,
Come on along, or go alone, he's come to take his children home.
Wo, oh, what I want to know, how does the song go.

"High Time"

   
You told me goodbye, how was I to know
you didn't mean goodbye, you meant please don't let me go?

I was having a high time, living the good life, well I know

The wheels are muddy, got a ton of hay,
now listen here, Baby, 'cause I mean what I say.

I'm having a hard time, living the good life, well I know.

I was losing time, I had nothing to do,
no one to fight, I came to you.
Wheels broke down, leader won't draw,
the line is busted, the last one I saw.
Tomorrow come trouble, tomorrow come pain,
now don't think too hard Baby, 'cause I know what I'm saying.

I could show you a high time, living the good life, don't be that way.

Nothing's for certain, it could always go wrong,

We could have us a high time, living the good life, well I know.

"Dire Wolf"

   
In the timbers of Fennario
the wolves are running round
The winter was so hard and cold
froze ten feet neath the ground

Don't murder me
I beg of you don't murder me
Please
don't murder me

I sat down to my supper
T'was a bottle of red whiskey
I said my prayers and went to bed
That's the last they saw of me

Don't murder me
I beg of you don't murder me
Please
don't murder me

When I awoke, the Dire Wolf
Six hundred pounds of sin
Was grinnin at my window
All I said was "come on in"

Don't murder me
I beg of you don't murder me
Please
don't murder me

The wolf came in, I got my cards
We sat down for a game
I cut my deck to the Queen of Spades
but the cards were all the same

Don't murder me
I beg of you don't murder me
Please
don't murder me

In the backwash of Fennario
The black and bloody mire
The Dire Wolf collects his due
while the boys sing round the fire

Don't murder me
I beg of you don't murder me
Please
don't murder me

"New Speedway Boogie"

   
Please don't dominate the rap, jack, if you've got nothing new to say.
If you please, don't back up the track this train's got to run today.
I spent a little time on the mountain, I spent a little time on the hill
I heard someone say "Better run away", others say "better stand still".

Now I don't know, but I been told it's hard to run with the weight of gold,
Other hand I have heard it said, it's just as hard with the weight of lead.

Who can deny, who can deny, it's not just a change in style?
One step down and another begun and I wonder how many miles.
I spent a little time on the mountain, I spent a little time on the hill
Things went down we don't understand, but I think in time we will.
Now, I don't know but I was told in the heat of the sun a man died of cold.
Keep on coming or stand and wait, with the sun so dark and the hour so late.
You can't overlook the lack, jack, of any other highway to ride.
It's got no signs or dividing lines and very few rule to guide.

I saw things getting out of hand, I guess they always will.
Now I don't know but I been told
If the horse don't pull you got to carry the load.
I don't know whose back's that strong, maybe find out before too long.

One way or another, one way or another,
One way or another, this darkness got to give.

"Cumberland Blues"

   
I can't stay much longer, Melinda, The sun is getting high.
I can't help you with your troubles, If you won't help with mine.
I gotta get down, I gotta get down, I gotta get down to the mine.

You keep me up just one more night, I can't sleep here no more.
Little Ben clock says quarter to eight; You kept me up 'till four.
I gotta get down, I gotta get down, Or I can't work there no more.

A lotta poor man make a five dollar bill, Keep him happy all the time.
Some other fella's makin nothin' at all And you can hear him cry,
"Can I go, buddy, can I go down Take your shift at the mine?"

Gotta get down to the Cumberland Mine.
Gotta get down to the Cumberland Mine.
That's where I mainly spend my time.
Make good money, five dollars a day. Made anymore, I might move away.

Lotta poor man got the Cumberland Blues He can't win for losin'
Lotta poor man got to walk the line Just to pay his union dues.
I don't know now, I just don't know If I'm goin' back again.

"Black Peter"

   
All of my friends come to see me last night
I was laying in my bed and dying
Annie Beauneu from Saint Angel
say "the weather down here so fine"

Just then the wind
came squalling through the door
but who can
the weather command?
Just want to have
a little peace to die
and a friend or two
I love at hand

Fever roll up to a hundred and five
Roll on up
gonna roll back down
One more day
I find myself alive
tomorrow
maybe go
beneath the ground

See here how everything
lead up to this day
and it's just like
any other day
that's ever been
Sun goin up
and then the
sun it goin down
Shine through my window and
my friends they come around
come around
come around

People may know but
the people don't care
that a man could be
as poor as me...
"Take a look at poor Peter
he's lyin in pain
now let's go run
and see"

Run and see
hey, hey,
run and see

"Easy Wind"

   
I been balling a shiny black steel jack-hammer,
been chippin' up rocks for the great highway,
live five years if I take my time,
ballin' that jack and a drinkin' my wine.

I been chippin' them rocks from dawn till doom,
while my rider hide my bottle in the other room.
Doctor say better stop ballin' that jack,
if I live five years I gonna bust my back, yes I will.

Easy wind cross the Bayou today
cause there's a whole lotta women, mama,
out in red on the streets today.
And the rivers keep a talkin',
but you never heard a word it said.

Gotta find a woman be good to me,
won't hide my liquor try to serve me tea,
cause I'm a stone jack baller and my heart is true
and I'll give everything that I got to you, yes I will.

Easy wind going cross the Bayou today
there's a whole lotta women
out in red on the streets today.
And the rivers keep a talkin',
but you never heard a word it said.

"Casey Jones"

   
This old engine
makes it on time
Leaves Central Station
at a quarter to nine
Hits River Junction
at seventeen to
at a quarter to ten
you know it's trav'lin again

Drivin' that train
High on cocaine
Casey Jones you better
watch your speed
Trouble ahead
Trouble behind
and you know that notion
just crossed my mind

Trouble ahead
The Lady in Red
Take my advice
you be better off dead
Switchman sleepin
Train hundred and two
is on the wrong track and
headed for you

Drivin' that train
High on cocaine
Casey Jones you better
watch your speed
Trouble ahead
Trouble behind
and you know that notion
just crossed my mind

Trouble with you is
The trouble with me
Got two good eyes
but we still don't see
Come round the bend
You know it's the end
The fireman screams and
The engine just gleams

Drivin' that train
High on cocaine
Casey Jones you better
watch your speed
Trouble ahead
Trouble behind
and you know that notion
just crossed my mind