Pocketknife

my wife's got a pocketknife oh yeah
my wife's got a pocketknife oh yeah
my wife's got a pocketknife oh yeah
my wife's got a pocketknife oh yeah
 
swear on her life she'll make it right
my wife's got a pocketknife oh yeah
wake her at night and see if i'm lying
my wife's got a pocketknife oh yeah
 
my wife's got a pocketknife oh yeah
my wife's got a pocketknife oh yeah
my wife's got a pocketknife oh yeah
my wife's got a pocketknife oh yeah

em

Saw Him One Time In El Paso

freedom as we know it is a funny funny thing
what we've done to liberty is an awful crying shame
if you looked jefferson in the eye and tried to explain
he'd ignore you with disgust and swear you were insane

young soldiers left on the battlefield dying in the sun
in the sixties they fought each other and no one really won
sent them east to march the jungles and save poor vietnam
left some bones in the desert just for the black gold men

fighting cowards, snakes, and bandits through italian hills
the killer of His people was tracked and hunted and killed
santa anna at san jacinto, after he burned the alamo
sent him back to mexico, but i saw him one time in el paso

freedom as we know it is a funny funny thing
what we've done to liberty is an awful crying shame
if you looked jefferson in the eye and tried to explain
he'd ignore you with disgust and swear you were insane

it all started when the horsemen yelled and we filled the bay with tea
bayonets and bullets on bunker hill and the brits were brought to their knees
took 'em again in 1812, while washington was still on fire
the pearl was found in the ground of a hundred pacific islands

fighting cowards, snakes, and bandits through italian hills
the killer of His people was tracked and hunted and killed
santa anna at san jacinto, after he burned the alamo
sent him back to mexico, but i saw him one time in el paso

amd
amd
gam
gamdam

  

Don't Want To Brawl

remember all the things i told her
told her we had to give it a try
we can't let it get any colder   
gonna be together all our life

i don't want to brawl with you
i just want to worship with you
i just want to love you better
cause heaven is all i think about

let go of the frenzied worry
worrying about some hollywood queen
trust me, this life ain't that boring
unless you let the devil box you in

i don't want to brawl with you honey
i just want to worship with you
i just want to love you better
cause heaven is all i think about

we've seen miracles born before our eyes
souls left for us to train
do you ever just look in the sky
and scream out His name
      
i don't want to brawl with you
i just want to worship with you
i just want to love you better girl
cause heaven is all i think about

aea
da
aea
eda

da
da
da
eda

New York Elusive: Good Pie

                                                  
     "I sing fo' money. I'm no begga' man," the man hummed as he talked in long rambling sentences. He had shining, moving eyes that rarely met other eyes and he smilingly displayed teeth of many colors. He wore layers of clothes in June and smelled of several days. He had just boarded the subway on the final stop before our drop. My wife squeezed my hand tightly as we rode the subway between Union and 69th, heading back to our temporary upper east side home after desperately, and successfully, completing an authentic New York date. It was 2:00 a.m.; we were road weary and full on a midnight breakfast at L'Masho de Bucluer. Earlier, from the sidewalk patio, we drank coffee and heard nothing but the streets in between discussions of dreams coming true and the merits of extended travel. When the door of the subway slammed shut we were alone with the man and a sleeping, hooded figure slumped in the corner. Just riding and sleeping, I guessed. The man kept on, "Hows 'bout a sweet song for the lovely lady?". He seemed truly impressed with the loveliness of my wife. With pride I ordered a tune.

     The man began beating his cane on the floor of the subway car. It was evident he had done this many times and with added vocal percussions he began....

with blinded eyes, I will not see
notice the wounds that cover me

     "Got a five? Need food. Got a ten?” he begged clearly and loudly between verses the entire song, never missing a beat with his cane and continuing with the song quickly. It was impressive. His voice was wild and raw and he was moving in a quick jump dance. During the roughly 2 minutes before our final stop, as we were captive audience to this brilliant performer and his brilliant performance, New York was not elusive.

     "Oh, wonderful! " my wife beamed after the song, clapping and smiling at the man. "You were just wonderful." She was already pulling money from her small date purse and gave the man several neatly stacked bills. The small, old, and slightly stooped man took the money and with a graceful bow never seen on a stage, grasped my wife's left hand and raised it up.

     "Just fo' the lovely misses", his speech was slowed, "A song only fo' you. Gawd bleeess you woman." He looked at her and held her hand for several moments. He was looking at an angel, as was she, but the performance was not over. I rifled through my pockets and pulled out a twenty. This made him smile as he cut his eyes to me and quickly grabbed it from my outstretched hand. As we reached the 69th Street stop the man stuffed all the cash he earned the previous few minutes into his overcoat front chest pocket. Sixty to seventy dollars, I speculated. I never asked my wife exactly how much she coughed up, but I was aware of our general vacation finances. We then jumped off the subway, hit the turnstiles, took a flight of stairs to the street and walked along quiet Upper East Side sidewalks hearing an occasional truck horn from a distance.

     The night was mild with an occasional cool wind. We walked slow, holding hands and admiring everything. I silently imagined stories in every house, lunch at every bistro, and picking fruit at every corner produce stand. She just smiled peacefully, occasionally remarking on things of beauty and prayer. 

     As we passed the Pizza Palace Pizzaria, I remembered a talk from the day before. When the owner found out where I was from, he had asked how much money a builder in Texas could make a year. "Builder of what?” I had asked back.

     "Residential,” he had shouted as his workers scurried in the back for my order. I answered unknowingly, but confirmed his construction prospects in Texas. My daughters pulled closer as we ordered lunch, the four of us having just moved from our Times Square Hotel to our second New York vacation home on 71st. He kept his eyes on everything, but somehow seemed to always look out the window, almost willing hungry people into his corner eatery. Practically everything in the small, tidy place cost something, although the owner made a point to inform us that ice was free. The pizza was very good, the salad was small, and the alfredo sauce was bland (two fifty-cent containers of grated parmesan cheese helped). As we left, the busy, street toughish owner had rushed to the front and waved, "Aye, aye, thanks for coming to Pizza Palace. Tell the Texans to come see us."  He quickly went back to work.

     "You bet we will buddy." I had turned and answered with an enriched Texas twang, "Good pie."

The Gulf Is Bleeding Tonight

watching from the shorline
i could see people praying and crying out
tomorrow seems like wishing in the wind
but tomorrow is all that's there

the gulf is bleeding tonight
the gulf is bleeding tonight
hardly ever heard an encouraging word
beaches and birds are dead for sure
the gulf is bleeding tonight
the gulf is bleeding tonight
damage will come to those who knew what they done
here's to the cajun, you won't be shunned
the gulf is bleeding tonight
the gulf is bleeding tonight

he'll blame him and he'll blame him back
people who read in between lines
who twist the law for cash
live on islands near the lowlands

the gulf is bleeding tonight
the gulf is bleeding tonight
hardly ever heard an encouraging word
beaches and birds are dead for sure
the gulf is bleeding tonight
the gulf is bleeding tonight
damage will come to those who knew what they done
here's to the cajun, you won't be shunned
the gulf is bleeding tonight
the gulf is bleeding tonight

the waters boiled red in the summer of ten
no way that can ever happen again
the sand was black and the politicians slacked
the shrimp men gonna bring the gumbo back

aeaa
adea

d7dd7
g

Not So Bad Being Lonely

startled to see the woman of it all
worried about the hearts of her family
come to her and cry

some sort of post modern reason
don't know what post modern means
i have my own insight

not so bad being lonely
if i can be alone
not so bad being lonely
if i can be alone

you'll get a chance to tell the truth, amen
tell me in that moment--tell me what you gonna do
the most important thing in your life

are you gonna have an answer my friend
when the drifter asks you what you know
can you look him in the eye

not so bad being lonely
if i can be alone
not so bad being lonely
if i can be alone

GEmriff
AmEmriff
DGEmriff

Am
EmGEmriff

Just In Time

   
listened to a woman the other day said her foot hurt
woke yesterday morning, Lord my back made me moan
my feelings surrendered when my girl rolled her eyes
thought i was faking 'cause i didn't want to be alone

why should i take the blame
don't you know i'm in pain
hope i never go over the line
got out of there just in time

went through the list of life and what went right and what went wrong
didn't know what to say when we talked about the sad times
just lifted a glass and toasted the years we've lived
the rotten things we do seem a wasteful crime

why should i take the blame
don't you know i'm in pain
hope i never go over the line
got out of there just in time

climbed upstairs through mainly english brands and flags
bearded guy singing oasis songs in the corner of the bar
announced his breaks and played nothing but covers
had to summon a driver to take me home, didn't live far

why should i take the blame
don't you know i'm in pain
hope i never go over the line
got out of there just in time


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