October Road

1. September Grass

   September Grass

   X

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   Well, the sun’s not so hot in the sky today
   And you know I can see summertime slipping on away
   A few more geese are gone, a few more leaves turning red
   But the grass is as soft as a feather in a featherbed
   So I’ll be king and you’ll be queen
   Our kingdom’s gonna be this little patch of green

   Won’t you lie down here right now
   In this September grass
   Won’t you lie down with me now
   September grass

   Oh the memory is like the sweetest pain
   Yeah, I kissed the girl at a football game
   I can still smell the sweat and the grass stains
   We walked home together. I was never the same.

   But that was a long time ago
   And where is she now? I don’t know

   Won’t you lie down here right now
   In this September grass
   Won’t you lie down with me now
   September grass

   Oh, September grass is the sweetest kind
   It goes down easy like apple wine
   Hope you don’t mind if I pour you some
   Made that much sweeter by the winter to come

   Do you see those ants dancing on a blade of grass?
   Do you know what I know? That’s you and me, baby
   We’re so small and the world’s so vast
   We found each other down in the grass

   Won’t you lie down with me right here
   September grass
   Won’t you lie down with me now
   In this September grass

   Lie down
   Lie down
   Lie down
   Lie down

   (repeat)

   Won’t you lie down here right now
   In this September grass
   Won’t you lie down here now
   In this September grass

2. October Road

   October Road

   X

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   Well I’m-a going back down maybe one more time
   Deep down home, October Road
   And I might like to see that little friend of mine
   That I left behind once upon a time

   Oh, promised land and me still standing
   It’s a test of time
   It’s a real good sign

   Let the sun run down right behind the hill
   I know how to stand there still till the moon rise up
   Right behind the pine, oh lord

   October road
   (repeat)

   It’s the big-time life that I can’t abide
   Raise my rent. Tan my hide.
   Sweet call of the countryside
   Go down slow. Open wide.

   I did my time
   And it changed my mind
   I’m satisfied Oh.
   I got so low down, fed up
   My god, I could hardly move
   Won’t you come on, my brother
   Get on up and help me find my groove

   Keep me walking, October road.
   Keep me walking in the sunshine, yeah
   A little friend of mine
   October road
   (repeat)
   Help me now

3. On The 4th Of July

   On The 4th Of July

   X

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   Shall I tell it again how we started as friends
   Who would run into one another now and again
   At the Yippee Cai O or the Mesa Dupree
   Or a dozen different everyday places to be

   I was loping along living alone
   We were ever so brave on the telephone
   Would you care to come down for fireworks time
   We could each just reach
   We step out of line

   And the smell of the smoke and the lay of the land
   and the feeling of finding one’s heart in one’s hand
   and the tiny tin voice of the radio band singing
   “love must stand”
   Love forever and ever must stand

   Unbelievable you, impossible me
   The fool who fell out of the family tree
   The fellow that found the philosopher’s stone
   Deep underground like a dinosaur bone

   Who fell into you at a quarter to two
   With a tear in your eye for the Fourth of July
   For the patriots and the minutemen
   And the things you believe they believed in then

   Such as freedom, and freedom’s land
   And the kingdom of God and the rights of man
   With the tiny tin voice of the radio band
   Singing “love must stand”
   Love forever and ever must stand
   And forever must stand

   Oh the smell of the smoke as we lay on the land
   And the feeling of finding my heart in my hand
   With the tiny, tin voice of the radio band
   Singing “love must stand”
   Love forever and ever must stand.

   All on the Fourth of July
   On the Fourth of July

4. Whenever You’re Ready

   Whenever You’re Ready

   X

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   Little one done run out of money now
   No, it doesn’t seem to have a home
   Left to fend for yourself in the wilderness
   Out there living life all alone

   Whenever you’re ready
   You could see a dream come true
   Whenever you’re ready
   I’m just saying it’s up to you
   Whenever you’re ready
   Things could start looking up
   Whenever you’re ready
   Take a big sip from the loving cup

   Making that face carved out of stone
   Coping real hard with a losing hand
   Sound of a dog choking on a chicken bone
   It just can’t be the way that you had things planned, my friend

   Whenever you’re ready, yeah yeah
   Things could start to happen real fast
   Whenever you’re ready, my good friend
   Sure we could get one built to last
   Whenever you’re ready
   Oh we could get it done today
   Whenever you’re ready
   Sure enough you could come out and play

   Cold, hot, ready or not
   Whatever you’ve got
   What have you got to lose, my good friend?

   Whenever you’re ready
   Whenever you’re ready, my good friend
   {repeat}

5. Belfast To Boston

   Belfast To Boston

   X

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   There are rifles buried in the countryside by the rising of the moon
   May they lie there long forgotten till they rust away into the ground
   Who will bend this ancient hatred, will the killing to an end
   Who will swallow long injustice, take the devil for a countryman
   Who will say “this far no further, oh lord, if I die today”

   Send no weapons no more money. Send no vengeance across these seas
   Just the blessing of forgiveness for my new countryman and me

   Missing brothers, martyred fellows, silent children in the ground
   Could we but hear them would they not tell us
   “Time to lay God’s rifle down.”

   Who will say this far no further, oh Lord, if I die today.

6. Mean Old Man

   Mean Old Man

   X

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   On my own how could I have known
   Imagine my surprise
   Just a fool from a tree full of fools
   Who can’t believe his eyes
   Imagine my surprise

   ‘Cause I was a mean old man
   I was an ornery cuss
   I was a dismal Dan
   I made an awful fuss
   Ever since my life began
   Man, it was ever thus
   I was a nasty tyke
   Who was hard to like

   I had to misbehave
   I did things in reverse
   Refused to wash or shave
   I was horrid to my nurse
   I got back what I gave
   Which only made me worse
   I had to have my way
   Which was bleak and gray

   Oh, dear, living in here
   One hundred years of rain
   Such a drag, this riches to rags
   And just myself to blame
   The dirty low-down shame of it
   The dirty low-down shame

   Silly me, silly old me
   Somewhere outside my mind
   Clever you, walking me through
   Happy to lead the blind
   All in the nick of time

   Who gets a second chance
   Who gets to have some fun
   Who gets to learn to dance
   Before his race is run
   Who gets to shed his skin
   Who comes up born again
   Who was a mean old man
   Till you turned him
   Into a Golden Retriever puppy dog

7. My Traveling Star

   My Traveling Star

   X

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   Watch my back and light my way
   My traveling star, my traveling star
   Watch over all of those born Saint Christopher’s day
   Old road dog, young runaway
   They hunger for home but they never stay

   They wait by the door
   They stand and they stare
   They’re already out of there
   They’re already out of there

   My daddy used to ride the rails, they say
   So they say, so they say
   Soft as smoke and as tough as nails, my daddy
   Boxcar Jones, old walking man
   Coming back home was like going to jail

   The sheets and the blankets and babies and all
   He never did come back home
   Never that I recall

   Never mind the wind
   Never mind the rain
   Never mind the road leading home again
   Never asking why
   Never knowing when
   Every now and then
   There he goes again

   She had a cat and a dog named Blue
   My traveling star, my traveling star
   A big old stove and a fireplace too
   Old road dog, young runaway
   She told me she loved me like it was true

   I knew I should stay
   I knew I would go
   Run, run, run away
   Run, run, run away, boy

   Run before the wind
   Run before the rain
   Over yonder hill
   Just around the bend
   Never asking why
   Never knowing when
   Every now and then
   There you go again

   Tie me up and hold me down
   Oh, oh, my traveling star
   Bury my feet down in the ground
   Oh, oh, old road dog
   Claim my name from the lost and found
   And let me believe this is where I belong
   And shame on me for sure
   Sing me one more highway song

   My traveling star
   My traveling star

8. Raised Up Family

   Raised Up Family

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   I was raised up family
   Man I’m glad I’m on my own
   I was raised up family
   Man I’m glad I’m on my own
   I mean, God bless the child
   That can learn to live alone, yeah.

   thinking about about my cousin
   What it was that did him in
   Could it have been that whiskey
   Rotgut, bootleg, bathtub gin
   It’s like it took a lot of liquor
   Just to let him live in his own skin

   Back in Raleigh, North Carolina
   You got to ride it on back
   In Raleigh, North Carolina

   The ship set down on the shore
   Of this uncharted desert island
   Me and my people fanned out
   I guess we settled down a little while
   Ah, but the devil came with the dark days of winter
   Man the children ran wild

   I used to know why
   No I don’t know why anymore
   I used to know why
   No I don’t know why no more

   I get to wonder at the Kundalini thunder
   Down under my floor

   You got to ride it on back
   Take me back
   Back in Raleigh, North Carolina
   Yeah, do you wanna go
   Way back in Raleigh, North Carolina

9. Carry Me On My Way

   Carry Me On My Way

   X

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   I forget what to ask for
   There isn’t anything I haven’t been given
   How could I wish for anything more
   As I am here living in heaven
   This moment in the sun
   To feel the wheel turning on

   Carry me on my way
   Carry me on my way
   Carry me on my way
   Carry me on my way

   I worry about my actions
   I think about the damage I do
   I’ve seen the coming attractions
   Armageddon and Waterloo
   I tried to change my mind
   I wasted precious time

   (chorus)

   Who knows where the time goes
   Only everything is everything
   Feels like I’m wearing my father’s clothes
   Singing a song my brother would sing
   I turned to hide my face
   They’re gone without a trace

   (chorus)

10. Caroline I See You

    Caroline I See You

    X

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    Caroline, I see you
    Standing on the stairway
    Waiting for your bear there
    Handy on the landing
    Penny in my pocket
    High enough to hold you

    When I come back home to you tomorrow
    You may well be angry
    I’ll for sure be hungry
    Meet me in the middle
    Make it melt like chocolate
    Be my little baby

    I take you down by the water
    Some December morning

    Take you from your family
    Leave them to their longing
    Take you by your hand
    Somewhere on the sand. Oh

    Caroline I love you
    Though I’m late to say so
    Hesitate to tell you
    What will be your answer
    Some December morning
    Standing on the stairway
    Caroline I see you

11. Baby Buffalo

    Baby Buffalo

    X

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    Are you there Can you hear me
    Somewhere Near me
    In the morning Long ago
    Had to hold you so close Had to never let go
    Time on the river Sliding on by
    Hard to believe Wink of an eye

    Where’d you go Baby Buffalo
    What’s become of old Cotton Eyed Joe
    Holed up, lying low
    Long gone come a summertime snow

    Talked to your doctor Making her rounds
    Ninety-six tears One thousand clowns
    There they are Shining bright
    True creation Pure delight
    They go on So do you
    On and on Maybe me too

    Long ago Baby Buffalo
    What’s become of old Cotton Eyed Joe
    Holed up, lying low
    Long gone come a summertime snow

    Hold on to now Till you have to let go
    Easy through your fingers Ever so
    I’m just guessing I don’t know
    Maybe it’s a blessing I sure hope so

12. Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas

    Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas

    X

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    Christmas future is far away
    Christmas past is past
    Christmas present is here today
    Bringing joy that may last

    Have yourself a merry little Christmas
    May your heart be light
    In a year our troubles will be out of sight
    From now on

    Have yourself a merry little Christmas
    Make the yuletide gay
    In a year our troubles will be miles away

    Here we are as in olden days
    Happy golden days of yore
    Precious friends who are dear to us
    Gather near to us once more

    I know that
    In a year we all will be together
    If the Fates allow
    Until then, we’ll just have to muddle through somehow
    And have ourselves a merry little Christmas now.