Blue Freeway

I been smokin’      up in my room
windows open so I     won’t choke on the fumes
I can’t believe it     the way she left
without a sound   a sound   sound

I been drinkin’ more than    I know is good for me
a bottle baby      I need the company of
some other spirit than    the one that lives up in my chest 
in my chest   in my chest

Here come those freeway blues    I gotta blow this town
I’ve tried to drink it up    but I can’t keep it down
I can’t stand the way I feel
there’s gotta be a way   
to turn this thing, turn this thing around

I been pickin’    on my sad guitar
and   I been  drivin’ round this town     in my beat up car
but nothin’ moves me 
to the place I wanna be   
wanna be    wanna be

I should just  pack it in      take my things and go
behind the skyline     there’s a thunderstorm
the smoke and lightning      calling to me like a dream  
like a dream   like a dream

Chorus

I hit the freeway yesterday    but there’s no poetry
just lines of concrete stretching on       to infinity
I think I’ll find me     another long and winding road

Dark in the Woods

I’m scared of these woods, it’s spooky in the trees
I’m scared of these woods, the spiders and the bees
why don’t I just give it a try
I’d be a fool if I let it pass me by

There’s a place in these woods, where spirits like to play
they’re not spiteful but, they’d just as soon you stay away
they laugh and drink and smoke their cigars in the night
it’s fun to them but to you a deathly fright

It’s cold in these woods
the wind blows right through your hair
the fire is burnin’ down
dance by the fire ’til dust fills the air
It’s dark in these woods
there are those who got lost in these trees
it’s a long way from town
if you see their shadows fall on your knees

could I make it if I stayed out here alone
could I walk out of this place and find my home

down by the creek the crickets and frogs
and the whipoorwills they play in the band
the music is stranger than dancing hogs
and howling dogs they don’t understand

could you make it if you stayed out here alone
could you walk out of this place and find your home

it’s cold in these woods
it’s dark in these woods
and I’m scared of these woods

Tellin' Stories

I don’t really have that much to say
i keep on talking anyway
I only know what everybody knows
I’m hiding something under my clothes telling stories

there’s a golden light you’ve never seen
the hills are red the fields are green
that’s when I want to write a song for you
Paint a picture too tell you a story

Once there was this pretty girl so beautiful she had the whole world
a face that could launch a thousand ships
The ghosts of a thousand years
in my visions my dreams in my tears
they go down in ships to the sea Tellin stories

I like to think that I have deeper thoughts
I read ’em on a cereal box I only know what everybody knows
I’m hiding something under my clothes telling stories

a million years ago your mama’s tribe
they sat around the fire at night
they had a thing to keep the fear away
to hold the night at bay they were telling’ stories

once there was this hero man mighty weapon shining in his hand
his heart was pure and true he fought for me and you

The ghosts of a thousand years
in my visions my dreams in my tears
they go down in ships to the sea        tellin stories

Painted Over

Tangled up in your hair that night 
Captured too early  it was too late
hungry lips in the crazy moonlight
did someone need to to escape

You painted my picture while I was asleep
clouds and flowers on your walls

I knew you before we met
though we had never touched at all
in a tiny world we would never forget
outside the window leaves would fall

Chorus

It’s just a different story another place and time
our wall’s been painted over  so many times
It’s a different happy ending   another story line
Now our wall’s been painted over  so many times

My heart was heavy in your hands
I stayed too long   you left too soon
Your arms not strong enough to help me stand
still we kept lying to the moon

I walked on mountains you sailed the seas
different worlds the same sky
We found our freedom,  it occurs to me
Under the clouds, our mystery lies

Chorus

Half Baked Angel

Well she sees things    by the light of the moon
and she feels things when a storm is coming
sometimes she knows what a black cat’s thinkin’

she’s out dancing with the old grey mare
she hears things from those ancient eyes
she seldom knows when there’s someone lying

CHORUS
she sees herself like a half-baked angel
she doesn’t believe in her holy hands
somebody else has all the answers
she watches the night fall  
watches the river mist crawl  
watches the shadows slide over the land

well the stars fall and they light up the sky
makes her wonder where they are landing
now she knows when there’s someone lying

she sees herself like a half-baked angel
she doesn’t believe in her holy hands
somebody else has all the answers
she can still cry  while the the light fades
and the yellow leaves die
the water flows right into her hands

reprise

Ten Thousand Stones

Well I dreamed that I was playing
in a rock and roll band
and all the people had a good time
all around the band stand
they were dancing they were singing
they were waving their hands in the air
and as the sun was going down
I felt a joy without a care

in a circle ’round the stage
there were ten thousand little stones
everybody who had come there
they had brought one of their own
and on each stone was painted a word
in someone’s hand
all the trouble and the sorrow
of the family of man

Ten thousand stones
drag a shadow from the bottom of your soul
ten thousand stones
write it’s name down on a rock and let it roll
then you take it and you hold it in your hand
feel the power but don’t try to understand
then you walk it on down to the river
drop it in and let it go

Crimson spirits walking with us
they had tiny grains of sand
all the colors of the rainbow
they were making with their hands
a blessing on this place
where the music flows out of the ground
they put the blessing in the river
let the water take it down

Chorus

Under the Plow

Mother,  can you hear me?
Can you give me some of your peace
My heart   is so guilty
I could use some  release

What did I come here for?
Thought I didn’t need you anymore

Father  have you noticed
I’ve been walking in my sleep
My mind is under water 
Could you send a ship for me

What did I come here for?
Please tell me that you know

Chorus
My heart has fallen under the plow
what once was closed now is open
I’d rather be anywhere other than now
But black dirt just keeps rolling over

I used to think it was easy
Now thinking’s all I do
I can’t waste another minute
I need to hear from you

What did I come here  for?
I was hoping that you’d know

Chorus

Will I make it home?  Will I hit my stride?
Do I give this away or keep it inside ?

On My Way to Memphis

Haven’t had a drink
since I burned down the liquor store
But my baby’s hid a bottle in the kitchen
I been pinin’ for
I feel like I’m hanging off a cliff
on a crumbling ledge
I wish somebody ‘d grab my collar…
pull me back from the edge

Because I’m on my way to Memphis,
got a bottle full of blues
On my way to Memphis,
ain’t no way that I can lose
I’m on my way to Memphis,
got my heart out on my sleeve
On my way to Memphis…. all I gotta do is leave

Had a guitar up in my hand since I was fifteen
But my daddy said I’d be better off …
learn to run some machine
So I took a job down at the mill to make ends meet
But at night I’ll be playing,
playing for change in the street

chorus

Got as far as my truck packed up,
staring at the keys in my hand
that’s when I feel like I ran out of luck,
on my way to the Graceful Land

chorus

Trucker's Brakes

In the darkness of a small town night
one foot outta bed a flower night light
in the stillness the sound horses feet make
and the comforting rumble of the trucker’s brakes

Kitchen table… books, pencils and cold steel chairs
door closed to the wind I learned to be scared
preachers daughter told not to take
take comfort in the rumble of the trucker’s brakes

feel the resistance to
the falling weight of forty tons
only thing that matters is
the rumble and the clatter
not in Kansas any more
I’m headed for a distant shore
following my yellow brick road

Curtain blowing in the hot Kansas air
from my bedroom window I finally dared
two in the morning no one’s awake
footsteps are muffled by the rumble of the trucker’s brakes

chorus

two in the morning no one’s awake
footsteps are muffled muffled by the rumble
the comforting rumble of the trucker’s brakes

Hey Carolina

There’s news of a change in the way that you feel
and it’s been weighin’ heavy on my mind
The river runs red like rusty old steel
shinin’ through the dogwood and the pines

Hey Carolina, I can’t see what’s in your eyes
the seasons change the clouds roll in and every rain drop says goodbye

a mocking bird a whippoorwill
a morning song that sweetly calls my name
I might kiss you once I might kiss you twice
nothing then will ever be the same

Hey Carolna I can’t change the way you feel
the sun goes down another day another turnin’ of the wheel

Hey girl, the world’s on fire no reason to cry
unless your tears can quench the flames
it’s continental drift… there’s nothin’ you can do
but baby don’t forget my face

a mocking bird a whippoorwill
a morning song that sweetly calls my name
i might kiss you once I might kiss you twice
nothing then will ever be the same

Hey Carolina I can’t change the way you feel
Hey Carolina another turnin’ of the wheel
Hey Carolina I can’t see what’s in your eyes
the seasons change the clouds roll in and every rain drop says goodbye
so good bye Carolina, goodbye

How Many Miles

I left the place I called my home
It seems now so long ago
with my sorrows in a bag I neatly packed 

As I drove miles into the night
I seemed to lose my appetite
for the stories that I carried on my back

CHORUS
Now I’m driving like the wind
Now I’m riding with the moon
Every road sign says how many miles to you
How many miles  How many miles ?

The first few days I wore a mask
changed my name to hide the past
But the show went on and seemed to tell it all
 
I’m not the girl you think I am
I’ve led you to so many dead ends
There are still some things I left upon your shelf
 
BRIDGE
Somewhere I lost my last disguise 
And I took a final bow
My hands are on the wheel and I can see
where I’m heading now

feel the mystery of the road
pulls me down I wanna go
in this darkness there is sugar blood and wine

Now I’m driving toward the dawn
don’t know how long I been gone 
there’s a west wind that is calling out my name

chorus

Looks Like Rain

A song was playing on my radio
reminding me of you
drink in’ wine in a coffee shop
where some bad boy played the blues

he said it’s gonna hurt a little
just a little just a little
said there might be some pain
he said it’s gonna hurt a little
button up baby it looks like rain

clouds might gather in a stormy sky
a cold north wind might blow
but the love you have will keep you dry
anywhere you wanna go

chorus

your problem, my problem,
well it might be OK
don’t worry no hurry no baby
it’s better that way

sometimes life can be so cold and hard
a rough and bumpy ride
but when I see your face it warms my heart
and we go walking through the night
and you don’t have to say nothin’ girl
nothin’ at all
if conversation is a strain
you don’t have to do nothin’ girl
just come to me baby it looks like rain

Leaving Soon

A pretty girl darkens my doorway
she been coming ’round since June
and I can’t hear a word she’s saying
all I can hear is that she’s leaving soon
She’s leaving soon, leaving soon

Well she told me she might love me
if it weren’t for circumstance
and I can’t hear a word she’s saying
all I can hear is I got half a chance
got half a chance half a chance

She needs someone to take her hand
and lead her up the stairs
take her out at night to see the sky
set her down and talk to her and
gently brush her hair
tell her ’bout the starlight in her eyes

harvest moon on the horizon
like a yellow wolfish eye
night birds singing out my window
all I can hear is a song of goodbye
song of goodbye goodbye

well I don’t know where she’s going
hope that someday she’ll return
there’s nothing on this earth that I can do
all I can do all I can do is burn
I can only burn only burn

Chorus

Reprise first verse