Leo Kottke

See them tumbling down
Pledging their love to the ground
Lonely but free I'll be found
Drifting along with the tumbling tumbleweeds

Cares of the past are behind
Nowhere to go but I'll find
Just where the trail will wind
Drifting along with the tumbling tumbleweeds

I know when night has gone
That a new world's born at dawn

I'll keep rolling along
Deep in my heart is a song
Here on the range I belong
Drifting along with the tumbling tumbleweeds
Drifting along with the tumbling tumbleweeds

Drifting, on and on
Moving, on and on
Wandering, on and on

I've traveled 'round this country
From shore to shining shore
It really made me wonder
The things I heard and saw

I saw the farmer working
Plowing sod and loam
I heard the auction hammer
Knocking down his home

The banks are made of marble
With a guard at every door
And the vaults are stuffed with silver
That the farmer sweated for

I've seen the weary miner
Scrubbing coal dust from his back
I've heard his children cryin'
"No coal to heat the shack"

But the banks are made of marble
With a guard at every door
And the vaults are stuffed with silver
That the miner sweated for

I'd seen my brothers working
Throughout this mighty land
I prayed we'd get together
And together make a stand

Then we might own those banks of marble
With a guard at every door
And we might share those vaults of silver
That we have sweated for

Why, why, why, why ...

I really wish I could explain it, baby (why)
It's just the world is kinda crazy, baby (why)
Ain't no pretty way to paint it, baby (why)
Don't cry, dry your eyes


September 11th, I woke up 7 am west coast time, french toast
And my turkey bacon, taking my time, awakin', turning on my TV
To my surprise, saw what everybody in the world saw
Me and my children, images were chillin'
My son said "Daddy, were there people in that building?"
A cold sweat, frozen, with a lump in my chest
I heard his question, couldn't bring it to my lips to say "Yes" to him
That night at my son's side, he cried and prayed
For the one's who died in the World Trade
His palms to God, seeds and qualms with God
He just kept on pressin' me, wanna know why
Then one week later, our bombs were dropped
We seein' them on CNN, they just won't stop
The infra-red images of brutal attack
He said "Daddy, now we killin' em back" (right, right)

I really wish I could explain it, baby (why)
It's just the world is kinda crazy, baby (why)
Ain't no pretty way to paint it, baby (why)
Don't cry, dry your eyes

I really wish I could explain it, baby (why)
It's just the world is kinda crazy, baby (why)
Ain't no pretty way to paint it, baby (why)
Don't cry, dry your eyes

Souls are captured
Dreams are stolen, hearts are broken
Evil blatantly rewarded
Hate surrenders, love exalted
Hope elated, negativity is shorted

Why is the bomb always gettin' the last word
And why did her uncle have to molest her
And why did all them cops have to be shootin' to kill
And why did all them priests have to act so ill
Tell me why did James Byrd Jr. have to be touched
Tell me why did Malcolm and Martin depart from us
Tell me why did that sniper make the little boy shoot
And why does human life always denied for loot
Tell me why did Mandela have to live in a cage
Why did my brother, Sterling, have to die at that age
Tell me why did Reginald Denny deserve his fate
And why the f
ck can't love seem to defeat hate
Tell me why is it so hard for all the children to eat
Why did Pac and Biggie Smalls have to fall in the street
Tell me why did Jam Master J have to go that way
Please, what am I supposed to say to my kids when they say "Why?"

I really wish I could explain it, baby (why)
It's just the world is kinda crazy, baby (why)
Ain't no pretty way to paint it, baby (why)
Don't cry, dry your eyes

I really wish I could explain it, baby (why)
It's just the world is kinda crazy, baby (why)
Ain't no pretty way to paint it, baby (why)
Don't cry, dry your eyes

Can't explain it baby, life is just really crazy
I mean if it's world wars or the life of a little baby
We got more stores than they got rice under Buddha lazy
You live four score and still it be driving you crazy

But for me, I try to see the bright side
Sometimes it'd be like the goodness be tryin' to hide
Then try to flee, but it can't it's deep inside
Sweetie, you be the light for the others, make em believe in God

Souls are captured
Dreams are stolen, hearts are broken
Evil blatantly rewarded
Hate surrenders, love exalted
Hope elated, negativity is shorted

Problems in a little town, disrupting of the rain
Diesel trains and firemen collecting in the shade
The rain's still a long way off, the snakes have got it made

But everyone's got off today
Everyone's got off today

One by one the windows shutting down with frowns
The wind comes up and funny papers rattle through the town
The rain is coming closer, the trees are bending town

But everyone's got off today
Everyone's got off today

Underneath the glass on the dresser drawer
Ticket stubs and photographs, never any more
And in the puddles on the lawns a tiny jockey stands

But everyone's got off today
Everyone's got off today
Everyone's got off today

Problems in a little town, disrupting of the rain
Diesel trains and firemen collecting in the shade
The rain's still a long way off, the snakes have got it made

But everyone's got off today
Everyone's got off today

One by one the windows shutting down with frowns
The wind comes up and funny papers rattle through the town
The rain is coming closer, the trees are bending town

But everyone's got off today
Everyone's got off today

Underneath the glass on the dresser drawer
Ticket stubs and photographs, never any more
And in the puddles on the lawns a tiny jockey stands

But everyone's got off today
Everyone's got off today
Everyone's got off today