The Light Will Stay On
(© Tony Kroes)
(Backdrop from the "Devil's Road" tour)
I go to sleep, before
the devil wakes
and I wake up, before
the angels take
all my worldly desires
all my yardsticks of fear
all my secrets untold
all my motives unclear
hangin' down in the fire
burnin' them higher
won't take them away from here
and long after we're gone
the light will stay on
the light will stay on
watched the city ... city of crows
watched them fly, watched
'em all flyin' low
out above the flood plain
just above the dirt road
they were hungry as winter,
hungry as us
not afraid to be flyin', not
afraid to be lost
and long after we're gone
the light will stay on
the light will stay on
and if you bury me, add
three feet to it
one for your sorrow, two
for your sweat
three for the strange
things we never forget
and long after we're gone
the light will stay on
the light will stay on
and long after we're safe
the lights will not fade
the lights will not fade
Rebecca Wild
Gathered by the riverside
the current pulls 100 years
each way
savin' souls and singin' songs
They beg and smile, but
murder just the same
watch me slip into the trees
breakin' brush past darkness
and the cold
gray crosses mark the ridge
reached her grave and fell
down in the snow
that's when I dreamed
that I was Rebecca Wild
that's when I dreamed who she was
who she was
Rebecca stood in the union hall
said: "your hands are weak from
holdin' on too strong"
that was the lost night she ever spoke
a company man, he drove
her off the road
that's when I dreamed that
I was Rebecca Wild
that's when I dreamed who she was
who she was
that's when I dreamed that
I was Rebecca Wild
that's when I dreamed who she was
last night I dreamed that
I was Rebecca Wild
last night I dreamed who she was
Rebecca Wild
The Stopping-Off Place
well the fog's rollin' thick in the trees
and the fire burns deep in the hole
my conscience a wound with no salve
it betrays me wherever I go
said the best way a man can go down
is to die with his face to the street
and you guessed that the
way I'd go down
like a gambler who rolls off to sleep
but that night on the mountain,
I staged my own death
left my clothes scattered far
down the trail
and I dreamed of your neck,
your raven-haired crown
with no trace, I jumped over the rail
Move along, cannot stay
The Stoppin'-off place
Move along, cannot stay
The Stoppin'-off place
plain clothes knows nothin' bout me
and plain clothes knows
nothin' bout you
he'll call off the chase in a snap
he'll give up the chase if you ask
and I promised to you, that I'd
see my way clear
and I'd come back to get
you someday
with silver for teeth and blood
in my hair
I'd come back and get you someday
Move along, cannot stay
The Stoppin'-off place
Move along, cannot stay
The Stoppin'-off place
Move along, cannot stay
The Stoppin'-off place
Move along, cannot stay
The Stoppin'-off place
Cold Eye
painted so many towns
painted them up and down
down to the broken ground
pointed the last one, for now
soon I will stow away
into the cool nightshade
watching fireworks fly
in the reservation sky
found only hell to pay
draggin' these bones all day
sun-up to cocktail time
dragged 'em till I was blind
the field full of also-rans
stealin' my used up plans
all of my friends were there
They couldn't believe I cared
when I put my cold eye to it
when I put my cold eye to it
and I couldn't say no
luck is the thing I make
luck is the thing you break
after it all went wrong
before I was good as gone
deep in the beggin' bowl
I found some scraps to take
drank from your poison jar
found I was wide awake
when I, put my cold eye to it
when I, put my cold eye to it
and I never said no, no I
never said no
when I, put my cold eye to it
when I, put my cold eye to it
Yes, I put my cold eye to it
and I never said no, no I
never said no
(© Tony Kroes)
(Backdrop from the "Devil's Road" tour)
Christmas Valley
It's breathin' time
In Christmas Valley
herons fly by night
and crash into the pines
and when we're gone
from Christmas Valley
no one will remember you
leave nothin' to remind
to remind
climbed up onto Fort Rock
and I looked unto the town
the aquifer works so hard
to consecrate the ground
all the way to Wagontire
just a shimmer in the haze
all the way to Wagontire
no one's beggin' us to stay
It's breathin' time
in Christmas Valley
herons fly by night
and crash into the pines
and when we're gone
from Christmas Valley
no one will remember you
leave nothin' to remind
to remind
If what you want is tarpaper
blown off in the wind
If what you want is tarpaper
then hold here to the end
Sister says in Lewiston
three rivers come to meet
she'll get us jobs in a restaurant
we can stagger home each night
It's breathin' time
in Christmas Valley
herons fly by night
and crash into the pines
and when we're home
from Christmas Valley
no one will remember you
leave nothin' to remind
to remind
Blue Head Flame
tongue tied, said my prayers
20 years or more
seems like yesterday
hung your secrets from
the judas tree
watched 'em blow down
to the valley floor
blowin' home, watched
'em blow away
and what I fear is what we all fear
a fortune lost, a fortune gained
cursed by the power of the
blue head flame
got so drunk, I took things back
things I never said
things I never stole from anyone
dug in the clay, red on my hands
guilty to the elbows,
never mind my hands
kept my nose clean,
kept it that way for you
now what I fear, is what we all fear
a fortune lost, a fortune gained
cursed by the power of the
blue head flame
watched the freights from
the railroad tie
spun a rusty nail, and I closed
both eyes
as I told my tale, as the
freights went by
straw of pity on the
courthouse stairs
wait till doomsday, you said
wait for years
I couldn't wait that long,
I shoulda' killed for less
now what I fear, is what we all fear
a fortune lost, a fortune gained
cursed by the power of the
blue head flame
ya what I fear, is what we all fear
humble origins all betrayed
lost to the power, we were
lost to the flame
tongue tied, said my prayers
20 years or more
seems like yesterday
got so drunk, I took things back
things I never stole, things
I never said to anyone
I should'a killed for less
When Fortune Smiles
even the mightiest rivers will bend
before they vanish, in the sand
even the tallest of timbers will fall
easy to fall, ain't easy to land
well that's a curse of mine
seems everything I find
keeps fallin' till it cannot fall
well that's a curse of mine
in the best of times
keep fallin' till I cannot fall
That's when fortune smiled on you
I'd say fortune smiled
when you went runnin'
away from these arms
the first will be last and the
last will be drunk
goes down, easy, easy come
well that's a curse of mine
never look behind
don't look into the swath I cut
well that's a curse of mine
never look behind
deep into the swath I cut
That's when fortune smiled on you
I'd say fortune smiled
when you went runnin'
away from these arms
these are the last things,
the things that will last
the knife in my tears, the
jail of my fears
well that's a curse of mine
well that's a curse of mine
well that's a curse of mine
wicked and divine
shoulda' never tried to love me
That's when fortune smiled on you
I'd say fortune smiled
when you went runnin'
away from these arms
when you went runnin'
away from these arms
hmmmmm ... when you went runnin'
All For This
I come from nowhere
I was nowhere bound
never once believed
this was my restin' ground
but somewhere between
here and that rest
I heard ya callin' my name
All for this, I have traveled
All for this, I have roamed
All for this, I have stumbled
All for this, I will carry you home
9 days of rain washed across my face
9 days of liquor, 9 days of fate
watched me blow it up to
blow it back again
but you kept callin' my name
All for this, I have traveled
All for this, I have roamed
All for this, I have stumbled
All for this, I will carry you home
comfort me, and bring no sorrow
keep on movin', gone tomorrow
I don't care
I just don't care
gone to heaven, gone to hell
they both looked the same
everywhere I go
you called my name
All for this, I have traveled
All for this, I have roamed
All for this, I have stumbled
All for this, I will carry you home
heard ya callin'
gone tomorrow
heard ya callin'
heard ya call my name
and when I find you, gone tomorrow
when I find you, I'll carry you home
Fairground Blues
I can still remember
the coat I wore that day
yellow as a plastic moon
with a weave as thick as chains
walkin' past the sideshow tents
drunker than we knew
could never fill my brother's shoes
got them Fairground Blues
got them Fairground Blues
was gone so long, I didn't know
if my brother'd still be there
when I got back to the
burlesque show
four cops were standin' on the stairs
brother's hands were stuck in irons
sweat had soaked his hair
said "you missed the fun in there
missed all the fun in there
you missed the fun in there"
brother's face was red and wild
cop said: "do you know this boy?
Choked a man for just his smile
this one's a killer not a boy."
My brother spit and laughed
and said: "I shoulda' stuck with you
big brother shoulda' stuck with you."
got them Fairground Blues
got them Fairground Blues
got them Fairground Blues
got them Fairground Blues
The Leaving Kind
Trying hard to remember your voice
it seems so faraway
all choked up by the heat and
the dust
it seems so faraway
I'm gonna give you a call, from this
air conditioned bar
gonna give it one more crack
before these cocktail lights
all disappear
like the night wind on my back
I'm not the leavin' kind
but I've got leavin'on my mind
from Jim Town, to Halfway, then back
across the riverside
it's not hard to build a flat,
straight road
across this treeless plain
just follow, the sharp-edge
of the earth
and never, never stray
I'm not the leavin' kind
though I've got leavin' on my mind
from Jim Town, to Halfway,
then back across the riverside
I'm not the leavin' kind
though I'll be leavin' one more time
from Jim Town, to Flatop, then down
across the riverside
from Jim Town, to Halfway,
then back across the riverside
from Jim Town, to Flatop,
then down along the riverside
from Jim Town, to Halfway,
then back across the riverside
from Jim Town, to Flatop...
Forgiveness Song
Bang out the night song
on an old kettle drum
don't ask for no ransom
ain't payin you none
ground to a halt
with suspicion for all
you say "watch me fly"
I suppose that you're gone
but I don't care to look
don't give me the truth
give me shackles
bang out the night song
from deep in my chest
are you listening?
But last night (Oh last night)
late last night (late last night)
last night, you were forgiveness
And last night (Oh last night)
late last night (late last night)
last night you were the end
walked to the dawn
along rnisery's mile
stopped under a streetlight
and burned off my smile
trust was your mirror
and trust was your fool
are you listenin'
and now that I'm gone
give the tears to your friends
I'll take what I'm due
then I'll strangle
bang out the night song
you can beat it to death
you can watch me fly
But last night (Oh last night)
late last night (late last night)
last night, you were forgiveness
And last night (Oh last night)
late last night (late last night)
last night you were the end
raisin' my spirits
my head on the floor
turned around fast
walkin' back to your door
this run of bad luck
stuck like sleep in yer eyes
couldn't see a thing
But last night, late last night
last night, you were forgiveness
oh last night, late last night
last night you were the end
I'm comin' back to ya
no religion to sell
bang out the night song
ain't stuck in this hell
oh last night
late last night
last night you were forgivin
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