Lyrics
Lookin' Up
Pretty Town
Lookin up from the dumpster I was diving,
Saw a sign saying: “Not on bread alone.”
Well that’s the only thing that I have,
That I have ever known.
Got sick of waiting on that good word,
To fill up my sorry soul.
Lookin up from the ditch that I’ve been layin in,
Saw a sign saying: “Please be civil.”
Well thats one thing that I will,
That I will never know.
Cause I’ve been sitting on the devil’s word
And I’ll be walkin on, down that road to roam.
So I walk and I walk and I walk,
Until I drop dead.
Hoping not to find, oh hoping not to find
What I shoulda done instead.
Lookin up from the road that I’ve been walking,
Saw a sign saying:”You are now here.”
Home sweet home I thought I found ya,
But I guess it was a little unclear.
When that hermit came out and said:
“Oh you know you’re nowhere,
Pack your bags and move on down the line.”
So I walk and I walk and I walk,
Until I drop dead.
Hoping not to find, oh hoping not to find
What I shoulda done instead.
Gutless Blues
I’m gonna take this town, oh lord.
Bury it deep underground.
Grab your shovels boys
We’ll bury our problems deep down.
I’ve been following my shoes,
Shoulda been, followin my gut
Grab your bottles boys,
We’ll drink and drink and drink til we
We’ll drink and drink til we, oooh,
We’ll drink and drink til we drown.
I’m hangin from that same tree
That I planted, a few hours ago.
I can’t see, no I can’t see the ground.
Some day they’ll cut me down
Mock me and, dress me up
Take me from this sweet confusing air,
And put me in the ground.
I’m gonna let this town, oh lord
Bury me deep underground
Grab your bottles boys,
We’ll drink and drink and drink til we,
We’ll drink and drink til we, oooh,
We’ll drink and drink til we drown.
Wake Up, Gotta Move
I say, but I buried you a long time ago.
There ain’t no point, no time, for nonsense like this.
With a bottle, boots, and shovel, walked a straight line.
Left a little piece of me beneath the trees
That I know by name,
That I know by name.
Years ago, first day trampin asphalt.
Man and his son yell: “Hey tramper, don’t drift by.
We’ve got whiskey and a fire on this riverside.
Those mosquitos will eat you alive.”
Well, eat me alive.
Well, eat me alive.
When you find me dead on the highway,
Leave that cross in your church.
Leave those flowers in your shirt.
Leave my bones in the dirt,
And a bottle of whiskey for the next sorry soul,
Who rambles, tramps, or passes by.
Oh, wake up, wake up, ya gotta move
Oh, wake up, wake up, ya gotta move
Oh, wake up, wake up, ya gotta move.
Oh, wake up, wake up, ya gotta move.
They told me you couldn’t find me on this lonely roadside,
So when you little piece of me stopped by to say hi
I took you up to Oregon on the mountainside.
Let the forest fires eat you, burn you alive.
Oh, well burn me alive
Oh, well burn me alive.
When you find me dead on the highway,
Leave that cross in your church.
Leave those flowers in your shirt.
Leave my bones in the dirt,
And a bottle of whiskey for the next sorry soul,
Who rambles, tramps, or passes by.
Oh, wake up, wake up, ya gotta move
Oh, wake up, wake up, ya gotta move
Oh, wake up, wake up, ya gotta move.
When you find me dead on the highway,
Leave that cross in your church.
Leave those flowers in your shirt.
Leave my bones in the dirt,
And a bottle of whiskey for the next sorry soul,
Who rambles, tramps, or passes by.
Oh, wake up, wake up, ya gotta move
Oh, wake up, wake up, ya gotta move
Oh, wake up, wake up, ya gotta move.
The Lonely Incinerator
I saw the sun a few days ago,
Walked to a lonely swing-set
Rusted in the desert, no signs of a home.
Wondering where all the children have gone.
Ain’t nothin here but sheets of white,
Aint nothin here but sheets of black
Distant sounds of an incinerator
Occasional train chuggin past.
How can I sleep through the night,
When the nights are so long?
How can the days be days,
When this fog won’t roll along?
Left a jug of piss outside,
Turned to a brick of gold.
It’s not worth as much,
But I guess it’s that cold.
Not much is happening here,
Guess that includes me.
Well me and my friend raccoon,
Are in for a strange week.
How can I sleep through the night,
When the nights are so long?
How can the days be days,
When this fog won’t roll along?
This place is strange,
Folks here may not agree,
I can’t find them anyway,
In any case, it’s strange to me.
How can I sleep through the night,
When the nights are so long?
How can the days be days,
When this fog won’t roll along?
The Chickens & the Tramp
He tried to build a home under his feet,
Trudged up walls of dirt
Fortified with gravel and asphalt
Lost in snow covered pines.
The chickens came home to roost
Not quite knowing where to go
They found that rugged old tramp
Trying to figure how he should say:
“I didn’t feel lonely in my low lonesome,
Moved to the great Salt City for that.
Didn’t feel pointless in my pointless wandering,
Got a stable life for that.
So cheers to you for finding me
I only see the pretty shades of green.”
Big ol burly birds came to collect that toll
Turn him up and gut his soul
Nothings left to the birds
When there’s a dollar to be made.
Well he tried to build a home under his feet
Now he’s diggin trenches in the dirt
Layin down gravel and asphalt
Payin his dues of time to his soul thinkin:
“I didn’t feel lonely in my low lonesome,
Moved to the great Salt City for that.
I didn’t feel pointless in my pointless wandering,
Got a stable life for that.
So cheers to you for finding me,
I only see the pretty shades of green.”
Life as a Shithouse Rat
Hatchet’s gone and lost it’s head,
I guess I got mine.
The water’s dead and gone,
These cold and dry, desert bones.
Cause I’m done walkin, my belly’s done cryin.
The fire has gone out, the snow’s comin in.
Cause I should be walkin, so mother won’t be cryin.
Well home sounds about right,
Dirty rivers and poison city lights,
I guess some time has passed,
Just living like a shit house rat.
Cause I’m done walkin, my belly’s done cryin.
The fire has gone out, the snow’s comin in.
Cause I should be walking, so father won’t be cryin.
Well I sold my soul, to a demon on the road,
She said: “that’s all that you will ever know.”
She’s been known to lay me down low,
Dust me off and hug my soul.
There ain’t quite no place,
Like where I just been.
Guess I’ll remember now,
Before I remember when
Cause I will be walkin, belly will be cryin
The fire has gone out, the snow’s comin in.
Cause I will be walkin, so brother won’t be cryin.
Well I sold my soul, to a demon on the road,
She said: “that’s all that you will ever know.”
She’s been known to lay me down low,
Dust me off and hug my soul.
Well I sold my soul, to a demon on the road,
She’s been known to lay me down low,
Well I’m confused about life,
Guess I’m confused about death.
Well, the whole wide world is flat,
At least I know that.
Wheels Go 'Round
Stuck in that city of glamorized desperation,
with some desperate folk, I don’t know how.
I remember before it all, we met at the Blu.
She says she found the otherside.
Don’t matter anyway, anyway.
Stuck in this glamorized pit,
with some drug of choice, well, I don’t know.
I don’t remember before it all, but before this.
It seems he found the otherside.
Don’t matter anyway, anyway.
I don’t know where I would go, anyway.
There’s a free bus outta town, anyway.
I don’t know where it goes, but I know it ain’t pretty.
I don’t know where it goes, but I know it ain’t pretty.
Stuck in that old poison city,
sittin beside himself, I guess I know how.
I remember before it all, old friend of mine.
He says he found the other side.
Don’t matter anyway, anyway.
I don’t know where I would go, anyway.
There’s a free bus outta town, anyway.
I don’t know where it goes, but I know it ain’t pretty.
I don’t know where it goes, but I know it ain’t pretty.
Stuck in that world, that I may have seen before.
Ironclad skull, pullin’ straight toward the ground.
I remember before it all, old friend of mine.
Well, he found the other side.
Don’t matter anyway, anyway.
I don’t know where I would go, anyway.
There’s a free bus outta town, anyway.
The wheels go ‘round ‘n ‘round, anyway.
So I’ll get out of your pretty town, anyway.
I don’t know where it goes, but I know it ain’t pretty.
I don’t know where it goes, but I know it ain’t pretty.
What God's Done for Me
Well I guess we’re living in the shit age
Gotta get down, get down on your knees and pray
Go on ahead, pull that halo over your eyes,
Just don’t tell me this world is something to see
Hearin what you’re sayin seems pretty cold to me,
Street rat talkin’s, just a street rat spittin to me.
Standin oh so tall, with your cart full of trash,
Well your bloody dead dog means something to me.
Hearin what you’re sayin seems pretty bold to me.
Oh reverend preachin’s just a blind man spittin to me.
You see a poor man livin in a cardboard fortress pickin change up off the street,
Well ya say: “Looks like someone ain’t been prayin to me.
Look at what God’s done for me.”
Well I guess we are livin in this shit age.
Guess I would rather be hangin out with the Son of Bill.
Go on ahead now, pull that halo over your eyes,
Just don’t tell me this world is something to see.
Just don’t tell me what “God’s done for me”
Just don’t tell me what “God’s done for me.”
Volatile Fool
It’s all the little times like this
In these big open spaces.
Playin that one tune all alone.
Coffee’s still warm, mornin sun’s shinin down.
Time moves fast, my head does the same.
Done a lot of wrongs, man I’ve felt the shame.
Trying to be well, trying to find my place.
But for now I’m playing that one tune
In my place, all alone.
I may be a volatile fool,
And I may have done you wrong.
I may be a volatile fool,
But I swear I’ll do right.
If you stayed, I wanna give my thanks,
If you left, I get it. I’d probably do the same.
It’s all the times like this
Half asleep in all these random places.
Try and find that one tune all alone.
Back to the booze, afraid of my quiet bed.
Time moves fast, my head does the same.
Done a lot of wrongs, man I’ve felt the shame.
Trying to be well, trying to find my place.
But for now I’m playing that one tune
In my place, all alone.
I may be a volatile fool,
And I may have done you wrong.
I may be a volatile fool,
But I swear I’ll do right.
If you stayed, I wanna give my thanks.
If you left, I get it. I’d probably do the same.
It’s all the times like this
Can’t see out my eyes.
Try and find that one tune all alone.
Back to the booze, I want out of my head.
Back to the booze, I want out of my head.
It’s all the times like this,
It’s all the times like this,
It’s all the times like this,
It’s all the times like this.
I know that I look scary,
I know you don’t trust me.
Let me eat my food,
And I swear that I will leave
I’ll get out of your pretty town,
Back to that ditch where I belong,
Cause it’s back down that road for me.
Sorry to stop by,
Muddy shoes and bloodshot eyes,
Looks like there ain’t no
Room in this town for me
So I’ll get out of your fuckin town,
Pick a direction and move along.
It don’t matter to you it don’t matter to me.
Cause I know, you’ve got those vultures over your shoulders,
Well grit your yellow teeth and smile,
It’ll be okay in a while, lord while, lord while.
Grit your yellow teeth and smile,
It’ll be okay in a while.
Sorry to stop by,
Muddy shoes and bloodshot eyes.
Looks like there ain’t no
Room in this town for me.
So I’ll get out of your pretty town,
Pick a direction and move along.
It don’t matter to you, it don’t matter to me.
Cause I know, you’ve gotta see that man about that horse.
Well, you better stay on your feet for a while.
I’m sure he’s just a few more miles, lord miles,
I’m sure he’s just a few more miles.
You better stay on your feet for a while
I’m sure he’s just a few more miles.
Just a Moment
I woke up for just a moment,
In the forest by the fire.
It was quite a funny feelin, when I really started thinkin:
How, in the fuck, did I get here?
The bears were stalkin round,
Oh well the trees were fallin down
I thought I heard the wolves a howlin, so big and bad and snarlin,
But hey to my delight a little owl hoot who’n well:
Who, are you,
Oh well who, are you.
Oh well who well who, who are you,
Well who well who, well who are you.
So I sat back and looked around,
Heard the leaves hit the ground.
Just me and myself in the middle of the night,
With that big ol’ mountain singin songs just right like:
I guess we all lack common sense,
Just silly existentialists,
But hey there is a brighter side, there ain’t no trees to hide behind,
So I’ll sit here on this moonless night with owl’s hootin questions like:
Who, are you,
Oh well who, are you.
Oh well who well who, who are you,
Well who well who, well who are you.
Who the fuck are you?
Killin' Time
Well I thought about that man who said to me, with that big smile on his face,
I’ll tell god when I die: “Keep your second life, give me something else
Cause I can’t take no more,
Well I’m done I’m through,
What’s a matter me, what’s a matter you?”
He’s got one day to live, with nowhere to go.
Just paying his dues of time to his soul sayin:
“I’ll kill time before it can kill me,
Sittin down infonta that T.V.
Well what’s a matter me, what’s a matter you?”
Well what’s a matter me, what’s a matter you?
Well what’s a matter me, what’s a matter you?
Well what’s a matter me, what’s a matter you?
Well what’s a matter me, what’s a matter you?
I’ve got one day to live, with nowhere to go.
Just paying the dues of time to my soul sayin:
“I’ll kill time, before it kills me,
With pints of whiskey and gallons of gasoline,
And I’ll end this short trek with two final pulls”
Song for Molly
On a whim, on a whim, in the canyon rims,
From the desert to that Brew City,
Oh we drove, oh we drove, way past night,
We just rambled on.
Oh we rambled on, rambled on,
Oh lord we rambled on.
To that cold, to that cold, Salt City,
But damn that snow was pretty.
Suckin in, suckin in, burnt cigarettes and gasoline
Til we rambled on.
Oh we rambled on, rambled on,
Oh lord we rambled on.
Well life can be hell lady,
Guess we’re taking turns just diggin through,
Well you grabbed a shovel for me, I got one for you
Along with every other soul you’ve met, their dogs too.
I missed ya, oh I missed ya, at the bottom of the world,
Wrote you letters just to ease my mind.
Fuck the mold, fuck the mold, and fuck the ticks,
But I know you’ll ramble on.
Ramble on, ramble on,
Oh I know you’ll ramble on.
Well life can be hell lady,
Guess we’re taking turns just diggin through,
Well you grabbed a shovel for me, I got one for you
Along with every other soul you’ve met, their dogs too.
Ain’t they dogs too, ain’t they dogs too?
Ain’t they dogs, ain’t they dogs too.
I’m sittin, well I’m sittin in these canyon rims,
Gonna head to the plymouth of the west.
We’ll drink, oh we’ll drink those ranch waters,
While we’re sittin on that beach.
Til then I gotta ramble on,
But I sure fuckin love ya lady.
The World's Fixin' to Die
Well I went to the doc,
Said I’ve been tired too long now.
Sixty some odd years, seems a bit too long now.
Well he smiled and said: “Son, odd years are here now,
It seems this whole world is fixin’ to die.”
Well I went to the bank,
Said starting to think for retirement now,
These ramblers wages, I’ll work til I’m in the ground.
Well she smiled and said:“Son, odd times are here now,
It seems this whole world is fixin to die.”
But by god these times seem strange,
Nothin in my pockets to rearrange.
But by god these times seem strange,
Nothin in my pockets to rearrange.
But by god these times seem strange,
Nothin in my pockets to rearrange.
Nothin in my pockets to rearrange
Nothin in my pockets to rearrange.
Well I went to the Doc,
Said think my poor heart’s giving out.
Bet this poor town, has wore me down.
Well he smiled and said: “Son, odd years are here now,
It seems this whole world is fixin’ to die”
North Dakota
North Dakota on and on,
I keep singing that same old song.
There ain’t nothin out here but that sun,
Puttin me down down down, where I belong.
Hoping they don’t mow that roadside,
There ain’t no trees ‘round here to hide behind.
With a broken back so on my side,
Waitin on that swarm like the high tide.
Well it seems to me oh lord it seems to me,
That the whole wide world is flat.
And it seems to me oh lord it seems to me,
That the trees ain’t comin back.
Dead frogs on the asphalt are speaking
The words of the wise behind my back, behind my back.
Trudge along, trudge alone,
Sun up to sun down.
Waiting on, these things
To turn around.
I haven’t slept in a few nights,
This North Dakota Sun,
Old roadside,
Head beatin’ drum.
North Dakota on and on,
I keep on singing that same old song,
There ain’t nothin out here but that sun,
Puttin me down down down, where I belong
Well it seems to me oh lord it seems to me,
That the whole wide world is flat.
And it seems to me oh lord it seems to me,
That the trees ain’t comin back.
Dead frogs on the asphalt are speaking
The words of the wise behind my back, behind my back.
Hope You Found Your Horse
Well that old ox, he died one day
Said there ain’t nothin there, on the other side.
They brought me back, so I waved goodbye
Fuck the couch, all the meds, I’ll die outside.
Picked up his boulder belly, barrelled down the road.
Travelled fast, travelled slow, didn’t matter anyhow.
His fifty caliber black powder pistol embodied him somehow.
That big bastard, outta Little Rock, shot outta the other side.
Just left past yesterday, under that big toad tree.
We weren’t meant to go farther, and we ended up nowhere.
Left the “trash” out in the dirt, and now it’s gone.
Well goodbye my friend, goodbye, so long.
Met you out in old Utah,
Felt I had found some sort of home.
We lived on the road, rambling coast to coast.
Far too many stories for this one song to hold.
Just left past yesterday, under that big toad tree.
We weren’t meant to go farther, and we ended up nowhere.
Left the “trash” out in the dirt, and now it’s gone.
Well goodbye my friend, goodbye so long.
Hope you found your horse
Hope you found your horse.
Hope you found your horse, hope you found your home.
Just the way things go, in this world we know.
You gave me my name, you gave me some time.
Hugged goodbye outside the liquor store, figured it wouldn’t be the last.
Guess that’s the way things go, I’ll be a Has-Been til I’m gone.
Just left past yesterday, under that big toad tree.
We weren’t meant to go farther, and we ended up nowhere.
Left the “trash” out in the dirt, and now it’s gone.
Well goodbye my friend, goodbye so long.
Hope you found your horse
Hope you found your horse.
Hope you found your horse, hope you found your home.
You Ain't Got Yours, I Ain't Got Mine
Just when I thought I had mine,
A train with no cars passed me by.
Chuggin along for no reason at all
“Well I’m a train, better get along”
While the conductor says: “watch your speed”
The priest says: “praise that coal”
The Hippie says: “trust the stars, guide the way”
When there ain’t nothin out here but that rail.
Oh I know, oh I know
Oh I know, oh I know.
Strange days, strange land, strange time,
Everyone and their dog, has lost their minds
Oh I know, oh I know
Oh I know, oh I know
Want nothin more than old simpler times,
We all know they were the same, of a different kind.
Just like the rat that ate the cheese,
Living in that shit house, right “above” me
Cliche after cliche sayin: “it comforts me”
Well at least liars know they are lying
Oh I know, oh I know,
Oh I know, oh I know,
Strange days, strange land, strange time,
Everyone and their dog, has lost their minds
Oh I know, oh I know,
Oh I know, oh I know,
Want nothin more than old simpler times,
We all know they were the same, of a different kind.
While the conductor says: “watch your speed”
The priest says: “praise that coal”
The Hippie says: “trust the stars, guide the way”
When there ain’t nothin out here but that rail.
Well I’m sick of the people who “know it all”
Ride your own rail, pretend to fly through that sky,
Leave me to mine sayin: “fuck it all”
With a bottle of whiskey, and the people who ain’t above it all”
Well I’m sick of the people who “know it all”
Ride your own rail, pretend to fly through that sky,
Leave me to mine sayin: “fuck it all”
With a bottle of whiskey, and the people who ain’t above it all”