Michelle Shocked - Arkansas Traveler (2006) by Michelle Shocked (보컬) on maniadb.com

kicked in his door at 5 AM
"I've come for my bike" I told the repo man
My 920's gonna take me far today
You can travel for miles and never leave L.A.

I've come a long way
I've come a long way
I've gone 500 miles today
I've come a long way
I've come along way
And never even left L.A.

I drive by the Plaza where the gay boys pose
Stand in their windows wearing no clothes
I heard the screams of the dying dark
Through the sweet green icing of MacArthur Park
And then I crossed the river into East L.A.
Pescado mojado me encontre
And I've given up on rock 'n roll
And I'm saving up for norteno
The river she runs by the railroad tracks
I swear I'll never take it back
A train, she cries on the midnight hour
All along the Watts Tower
Ohhhhhhhhhhh

I've come a long way
I've come a long way
I've gone 500 miles today
I've come a long way
I've come along way
And never even left L.A.

I gunned it down to San Pedro Bay
Watched my ship sail in, watched her sail away
The sun was sinking into the sea
But a ball of fire inside of me
Was burning my motor and driving me hard
Past the big hair on the Boulevard
And up Mulholland where I made the scene
Like the one that took little Jimmy Dean
And then I shimmied up Wilshire like a little silk worm
Past the rodeo and the pachyderm
And then I stopped for coffee at an art cafe
I saw the repo man and made my getaway
Doing the Eagle Rock
Heading for the hills
Oh try to let my engines cool
And it is not my fault that this town shakes
I saw the falling rock and I hit my brakes

I've come a long way
I've come a long way
I've gone 500 miles today
I've come a long way
I've come along way
And never even left L.A.

Now you tow it to the repo man's front door
And you give him these keys, I don't need them no more
You tow it to the repo man's front door
And you give him these keys, I don't need them no more

I've come a long way
I've come a long way
I've gone 500 miles today
I've come a long way
I've come along way
And never even left L.A.
I've come a long way
I've come a long way
I've gone 500 miles today
I've come a long way
I've come along way
And never even left L.A.
And never even left L.A.
And never even left L.A.

Billy Barlow was a poor boy
That's why he robbed the Union Grove Bank
He was a sweet talking ladies man
That's what he'd have ladies all to think

Oh the secret to a long life's knowing when it's time to go
Oh the secret to a long life's knowing when it's time to go

So when the posse came riding
Billy went hiding down south
Holed up in a shack with Maria
With the black hair and the ruby red mouth

Oh the secret to a long life's knowing when it's time to go
Oh the secret to a long life's knowing when it's time to go

So when the news reached her lover
Billy ran for cover, don't you know
And when the bullets started ringing
Billy started singing "Time to go..."

Oh the secret to a long life's knowing when it's time to go
Oh the secret to a long life's knowing when it's time to go
Ohhhh, time to go now!

Billy headed north where the sands of the Badlands blow
But in his dreams he's south
He's still kissing that ruby red mouth

Oh the secret to a long life's knowing when it's time to go
Oh the secret to a long life's knowing when it's time to go
Ohhhhhhhhhh, ohhhhhhhhhh, ohhhhhhhhhh

The secret to a long life's knowing when it's time to go
The secret to a long life's knowing when it's time to go
The secret to a long life's knowing when it's time to go

Sybil sits in a rocking chair
Chewing tobacco and spitting out cares
Sound of a fiddle floating thru the air
From the Jones boy across the holler
From the Jones boy across the way

Backwoods folks take sides from the middle
Backwoods folks is old and brittle
But they sway like a tree to the sound of a fiddle
From the Jones boy across the holler
From the Jones boy across the way

You can hear him late at night
You can hear him in the first light of the day
There's a contest coming and a ticket to Nashville
And the Jones boy aims to play
A contest coming and a ticket to Nashville
And the Jones boy aims to play

Sybil sits in a rocking chair
Chewing tobacco and spitting out cares
Sound of a fiddle floating thru the air
From the Jones boy across the holler
From the Jones boy across the way

You can hear him late at night
You can hear him in the first light of the day
There's a contest coming and a ticket to Nashville
And the Jones boy aims to play
A contest coming and a ticket to Nashville
And the Jones boy aims to win

I thought I knew what I was doing
I was wrong
Mistakes I've made and lived to tell
I tell them in a song

I knew a river wide and deep
Her banks were very tall
At one end was a mountain stream
The other was a waterfall, boys
The other was a waterfall

I asked the old man by the river
He did not recall
The last attempt to ride a barrel
Over the waterfall

The ferryboatman, he did tell me
That the chance was very small
None survived who went alive
Over the waterfall, boys
Over the waterfall

So I built myself an oaken barrel
And inside I did crawl
I broke the record but I broke my back
Going over the waterfall

And it's been my luck to live to tell
The only tale I can
It don't hurt you when you fall
Only when you land, boys
Only when you land

Shaking hands and fingers that do tremble
Soldier's Joy has been a bitter pill
Though in battle, a brave man I resemble
Alone I am a coward without will

Pierce McGee from the great State of Missouri
To the Show-Me-State militia I belong
And to judge from the pride on the Confederate side
I'd say five hundred thousand rebels can't be wrong

A rebel stand is no place for a traitor
A loveless Union cannot bend us to her will
Cannot command the soldiers who now hate her
Nor demand the fealty of her generals

I took a rifle ball in my shoulder
But my entire body filled with pain
I pleaded with them all at the field hospital
"Oh, God, another shot of morphine!"

Soldier's Joy, oh what's the point in pleasure
When it's only meant to kill the pain
Lay down my arms and take the coffin's measure
Or take up arms and send me out to fight again

Shaking hands...was I a coward, was I brave?
With shaking hands... I took the bitter pill
Tell the story on my grave, my soul they could not save
What the bullet would not kill, the needle will

Jump Jim Crow

How do you, do you walk so slow
Like a little red rooster with one trick leg
Look like you the one laying the egg
I don't know when but it'll be real soon
Going down the road by the light of the moon
Going to the city to see Zip Coon
Going to the city to see Zip Coon

Hip Zip Coon you sure look slick
How do you do that walking trick
You got a woman on your left
A woman on your right
You all dressed up for Saturday night
Strolling down the street, feeling fine
Tipping your hat, saying "Howdy, Shine"
If I knew your secret I would make it mine
If I knew your secret I would make it mine

Tarbaby, Tarbaby, tell me true
Who is really the jigaboo?
Is it the white man, the white talking that jive
Or the black man, the black trying to stay alive?
You can't touch a tarbaby, everybody knows
Smiling all the while wit de bone in de nose
That's the way the story goes
That's the way my story goes

Zip-A-Dee-Doo-Dah Zip-A-Dee-Aye
My, oh my, what a wonderful day
Plenty of sunshine heading my way
Zip-A-Dee-Doo-Dah Zip-A-Dee-Aye

Frankie was a good woman
Everybody knows
She gave her loving man Johnny a hundred dollar bill
Just to buy one suit of clothes

Frankie went down to the barroom
She ordered herself one glass of beer
She asked that loving bartending man
"C'mon, tell me, has my sweet Johnny been here?"

He said, "Frankie, I ain't gonna tell you no stories, gal"
He said, "Frankie, I ain't gonna tell you no lies"
He said, "Frankie, I saw your man Johnny, just about one hour ago
He was heading over, going to see Miss Nellie Bly"

She cried, "Hold me back!
Hold me back, take away my gun
Hold me back, hold me back
Somebody won't you please hold me back
Don't let me do what must be done"

Frankie went on over to that coke joint
She stood outside, she rang that bell
She said, "Alright, now, Johnny, you're my loving man
And if I find you in here I'm gonna shoot you
Hey I'm gonna shoot you sure as hell"
Well, well looky here

Sure enough there Johnny was with Miss Nellie Bly
He seen the gun in Frankie's hand, he say
"Oh Frankie baby, I swear I won't treat you wrong no more"
Ha! That's for sure, 'cause by the time she was done
With that there gun her loving man
Was not gonna treat her wrong no more
Hold me back!

Hold me back!
Hold me back, take away my gun
Hold me back, hold me back
Somebody won't you please hold me back
Don't let me do what must be done
Hold me back, somebody

Roll out your rubber tired carriages
Roll out your rubber tired hacks
There's twelve men going to that graveyard
There's eleven men, oh, coming back
Hold me back!

Hold me back!
Hold me back, take away my gun
Hold me back, hold me back
Somebody please hold me back
Don't let me do what must be done
Hold me back

Hold me back!
Hold me back, take away my gun
Hold me back, hold me back
Somebody won't you please hold me back
Don't let me do what must be done
Don't let me do what must be done
Don't let me do what must be done

Saturday morning found me itching
To get on over to my grandma's kitchen
(And what you gonna do, honey)
The sweetest little berries was cooking up right
And then we'd put them in a canning jar and seal them up tight
We were making jam
(What kind?)
Strawberry jam, that's what kind
(Aw, the good kind)
Yeah, if you want the best jam
You gotta make your own

We have Smucker's, Welches, Knotts Berry Farm
But a little homemade jam never did a body no harm
A little local motion is all we need
To close down these corporate jam factories
We'll be making jam
Strawberry jam, mmmm-mm
If you want the best jam
You gotta make your own
(Make that jam Doc, show 'em how it's done)

Yeah, we have a little revolution sweeping the land
Now once more everybody's making homemade jam
So won't you call your friends up on the telephone
You invite 'em on over, you make some jam of your own
You'll be making jam
Strawberry jam
If you want the best jam
You gotta make your own
(Go on Jerry, let the jelly roll)

(Jerry's makin' jam)

(That's Mark O'Connor
He likes jam too)
[Aw yeah, as sweet as strawberry jam, honey]
(Uh-ha)

Saturday morning found me itching
To get on over to my grandma's kitchen
Where the sweetest little berries were cooking up right
And then we'd put them in a canning jar and seal them up tight
We was making jam
Strawberry jam, that's what kind
If you want the best jam
You gotta make your own
Aw, one more time
Oh, makin' that jam
Yeah, Strawberry jam
If you want the best jam
You gotta make your own

What's to be done with a prodigal son?
Welcome him home with open arms
Throw a big party, invite your friends
Our boy's come back home

When a girl goes home with the oats he's sown
It's draw your shades and your shutters
She's bringing such shame to the family name
The return of the prodigal daughter
Singing, oh Cotton Eyed Joe

Went to see a doctor and I almost died
When I told my mama, Lordy, how she cried
Me and my daddy were never too close
But he was there when I needed him most

Look, here comes a prodigal son
Fetch him a tall drink of water
But there's none in the cup 'cause he drank it all up
Left for a prodigal daughter
Singing, oh Cotton Eyed Joe

Oh Cotton Eyed Joe
Oh Cotton Eyed Joe

Had not have been for the Cotton Eyed Joe
I'd have been married a long time ago
Oh, I'd have been married a long time ago

Out in the cornfield I stubbed my toe
I called for the doctor, Cotton Eyed Joe
I called for the doctor, Cotton Eyed Joe

Look, here comes a prodigal son
Fetch him a tall drink of water
But there's none in the cup 'cause he drank it all up
Left for a prodigal daughter
Singing, oh Cotton Eyed Joe
Singing, oh Cotton Eyed Joe
Singing, oh Cotton Eyed Joe

Can you tell me what happened to the blossom
The blackberry blossom when summertime came
The blackberry blossom, well the last time I saw one
Was down in the bramble where I rambled in the spring
The bramble was wild, I was torn by the briers
My love, he wooed me as I lie there
With a flower in my hair and my cheeks aflush
It was a blackberry blossom from the blackberry bush

When I picked a berry I didn't miss the blossom
The blackberry blossom was white as the snow
But the berry that it brings is sweeter than molasses
And black as the wings of an Arkansas crow
The Arkansas crow is a devil and a demon
Known for his cackling and his screaming
Driving away the swallow and the thrush
From the blackberry blossom and the blackberry bush

I was picking berries when that crow flew above me
Carrying my lover's soul far away
Now each spring I lay a blackberry blossom
By a cold gravestone on the Arkansas clay
The Arkansas clay is rocky and hard
With weeds grown over in the old graveyard
And the day settles down to an evening hush
Over the blackberry blossom and the blackberry bush

You had a little drink
Your friends have all gone
Leaving you to find your weaving way home
What more can I do?
There's a chance that I may
Have to stand back and watch you find
Your own weaving way
It's not the way you talk
That's making me grieve
It's not the way you walk
It's the way that you weave

It's eating you inside
And tossed out like a bone
Leaving you to find your weaving way home
The sun on the horizon
Was turning dawn to day
By the time you finally found your own weaving way
Oh, I love the way you laugh
When I ask you to leave
I swear that I don't love you for the way that you weave

Forgive me, my friend
Did I forget to mention?
The path that you have chosen
Is paved with your intentions
Touch a finger to your nose
I wish you well
Walk a straight line on the road to hell