Staircase
 

(Capo on 2nd)
 
Am, C, G
If you tell me I should go tonight 

Am, C, G
then I'll do my best to leave,
Am, C, G
but as fate has so decided now, I simply cannot find the way.
Am, C, G
Am I doomed to travel endless roads 
Am, C, G
and spend my days and nights with broken things?  
Am, C, G
I wish that I could kiss your pain away. 
Am, C, G 
I still feel that we were meant to be.
Dm, C, G
Now I stare beyond that broken door.
Dm, C, G
How I wish that I could stay.
Dm, C, G
If we spin around in circles
Dm, C, G, (Am)
can't we somehow float away.
Am, C, G
I think I'll cut down that old willow tree. 
Am, C, G
Do you remember that old tree? 
Am, C, G
I will break it into pieces, babe..
Am, C, G 
I will set these demons free.
Dm, C, G
And I will wrestle with the Thunder Gods..
Dm, C, G
I will claim our piece of sky.
Dm, C, G
I'll build a staircase to the clouds, so high..
Dm, C, G, Am
We can finally close our eyes.
Dm, C, G
I wish that I could kiss your pain away.  
Dm, C, G
I still feel that we were meant to be.. 
Dm, C, G
now I stare beyond that broken door, 
Dm, C, G, Am
and how I wish that I could stay.
Am, C, G
If you tell me I should go tonight, 
Am, C, G, Am
I will do my best to leave.

Revelation 

I'm having bad thought
after bad thought
after bad thought today
Everything is falling down
on top of me.

I wanna lie here
on this cold, hard ground
and cry for awhile,
and I really don't care
who sees me
at this point in time.

It's been a bad, bad day
How I wish that I could
just cry myself away
It's been a bad, bad day.
How I wish that I could
sprout wings and fly away..
away, away...

The rain starts to fall and it stays for awhile
but then the clouds roll away.
The sun creeps around and it paints
an awful glow on this place.

It's not what I want, no, not right now.
I just wanna be gray.
I wanna lie here in the grass
and feel the rain on my face.

It's been a bad, bad day.
How I wish that I could
just cry myself away.

It's been a bad, bad day.
God, how I wish that I could
sprout wings and fly away..
away, away..
 

Crow Song

As the wind comes to play
I shall hang from the trees
by the feet of a crow
And I will blow a kiss to you 

And I will whisper to the moon
and to the stars and the clouds
and you'll know 
that the moon can't forgive
and the stars, they just know
and the clouds melt away
like the snow
like the snow 

If this tree 
burns straight down
to the ground
and the crow
lets me go
and I run

Kiss me softly
(my dear)
and pretend (not to know)
Cause my heart
can't bare
to be thrown

to the crow.

Angel in Hell

Angel flew down to a tiny house
on the edge of Hell
Ain't no garge or a swimming pool
just a sad old friend who thinks he's cool

Angel knocks twice, she says, "Let me in."
And then his withered old face says,
"Where've you been?"

She says, "Hello. Aren't you tired of this?
Tired of being here in the dark like this?"
And he says, "No. I don't miss the Light.
I don't need a thing. Can you stay tonight?"

And she says, "No. I can't stay the night,
just an hour or two to chase this blue."

(This blue..)

He said, "That's fine. You can stay awhile.
But I'm warning you, I can't fix your blue."
(Your blue)

And they sat down in that tiny house
making crazy eyes to pass the time.

Coin Toss

 I wonder who you're going to keep
and who you'll toss away to flee
her eyes are blue like angry seas
but mine are brown like autumn leaves
It might be her
It might be me
Maybe we'll just
cry together

I wonder who will calm you down
when your next temper flies away
and who will lie there in the dark
pretending she could fade away

It might be her
It might be me
Maybe we'll justcry together

I wonder who will share with you
that final resting place beyond
Will we all be lonely then?
Digging trenches for our sins?

I went to church
I whispered softly

maybe she whispered loudly

OoohhhooOOhhooo

Maybe she whispered loudly

Well it might be her
but it might be me

Maybe we'll just
fly together

Maybe we'll just fly

Wish Away

I don't sleep well anymore now that you are gone
I place two pillows in a row imagining you're home
Your aftershave still lingers low
like Heaven lost in my bed

I don't drink and I don't smoke and I don't like to cry.
I guess that I'll just wish away this pain.
This wicked dream is killing me,
I wish that you still loved me.

Here I lay before I sleep
whispering prayers into my sheets
If I should fly from here tomorrow
please don't linger in my sorrows..

Savage Land (Trail of Tears)

dark wind blowing on me tonight
my feet are broken and my baby just died
Jackson said we're not civilized
so we're moving west he said that's best
for a savage land, for a savage land

cold snow falling on me today
my horse is tired but still she carries me
I want to go back home, but they burned it down
I want to go back home, but there's no room
for a savage town, for a savage town

not so many moons ago I watched the Red bird fly
floating circles round and round beneath a hazeless sky
floating round and round and round in a hazeless sky
above a free land, above a free land

hard rage burning my heart tonight
my horse broke down, she died and I'm not going to make it
my blood falls out of me, it's red just like the president's
but all he sees is red skin from a savage land
from a savage land

not so many moons ago I watched the Red bird fly
floating circles round and round beneath a hazeless sky
floating cirlcles round and beneath a hazeless sky

above a free land
above a free land

a free land

Likewise

you gave me your word
and swore not to break it
you kissed me to seal it
and held me so tightly 
i promised to love you
forever and after
and you said it too
you said it too

why breathe the words if they're just going to burn me
why steal my heart if you don't want to keep me
i said that I'd walk through fire for you
and you said it too
you said it too  

now we are lost because
you burned the map
the fire that once warmed us
has all but burned out

when i said forever
I really meant it
you said it too

why breathe the words if they're just going to burn me
why steal my heart if you don't want to keep me

I said that i'd walk through fire for you
and you said it too

you said it too


Carnival Lights Down
 

I've never been this dark before
Stark-raving crazy
face-up on the floor
angry am I for losing my place
3 feet down with a smile on my face

Your head's in a cloud
my feet are in mud
Carnival lights define
where next you will run

And though I'm a mess
I shall clearly confess
I wait for you to run to my house of fun.

Give me a dance, you rodeo clown
Ride up and save me
before I sink down
I dreamed about you
and a big red balloon
We rode to the sea
and you hummed me a tune
then we howled at the moon.

Sometimes it feels like this a test
Are we gonna pass 
God, I've done my best.
The face on the wall, she sings me a song.
La dee dah dee dah, the time has almost come.

Give me a dance, you rodeo clown.
Ride up and save me before I sink down.
I dreamed about you and a big red balloon
Let's ride to the sea and I'll hum you a tune

then we'll howl at the moon.

Thursday Dawn
(The Preacher's Wife)

I drive alone down this road
You always drive but I know my way
I see the trees glaring at me
What have I done?
Should I face this or run?
You changed me.

For 28 years I held your hand.
While you broke me down I stood by my man.
Then one block straight Eastward,
I found your sin..
Kissing you softly, Caroline grinned.

And when she saw me her eyes were not sorry.
I yelled, "How dare you!?" Then walked home to cry.
I locked the door and then you kicked it down.
You said I've gone crazy and I should lie down.
You changed me.

Late Wednesday night you thought you were alone.
I heard the phone ring then eavesdropped till dawn.

You told her "Don't worry, I've got a plan."
And I held my breath as you said.."I'll kill her."
You'll kill me.
So I went downstairs and I said one last prayer.

"God, please forgive me for what must transpire."

.....

I left you there, face on the floor.
Bleeding and mad,
I'm not holding your hand.

You changed me.
You changed me.

I drive alone down this road.
What have I done?

Should I face this?

or run?

Red Sky

 This fog is thick but I can see.
My eyes are closing
but my mind wont freeze.

You threw me down.
I stared at you
and I did not flee
as you smiled at me.

Look at that sky
It warned me so well
Like deep scarlet sheets 
on the bed of all Hell

I'll tell you, my dear
I can stay till the end
but I can't stand to smile
and I won't call you friend
No, I won't call you friend

Rain Song

C             Am  
The rain, it talks to me
       F  
when no one else
       C
can tolerate
      Am                 g
my words that don't make sense
   C
to anyone
  Am
except for me
    F         g
and my old friend
    c
the rain    (am, F, g)



C                   Am
And some days, it hurts so bad
         F
when everything
        C
is floating down
   Am                  G     
around me like some dream
    C
and you are like
     Am  
a paper cloud
        F    G
that melts aaway
    C
like rain

 And when I'm lost
like keys in stones
I stand beneath an old tin roof
and listen to the sound
of the rain
It sounds like cracker jacks

Oh, how I love
the rain.

Shotgun Ravens, Pale Night

Ten thousand ravens came knocking
knocking like thieves on my door
cold, i stared back like dead tree bark
glued to these old breaking floors

the maid she brought down an old casket
then she lined it with mama's old quilt
while roses were drawn back like shotguns
draped softly here round my cold hips

(And the raven said)
You
You should fly, dear
For you
You will die here

strawberry pie in the oven sits
waiting for strangers to dream
as they lie on the back porch and whisper
while thunderstorms rattle the screens

I somehow can't seem to calm down now
where are the angels in white?

the man down the street he is howling
and I have gone pale with the night

(repeat chorus)

Like a broken basketC             Am  the rain talks to me       F  when no one else       Ccan tolerate      Am                 gmy words that don't make sense   Cto anyone  Amexcept for me    F         gand my old friend    cthe rain    (am, F, g)

C                   AmAnd some days, it hurts so bad         Fwhen everything        Cis floating down   Am                  G     around me like some dream    Cand you are like     Am  a paper cloud        F    Gthat melts aaway    Clike rain
 And when I'm lostlike keys in stonesI stand beneath an old tin roofand listen to the soundof the rainIt sounds like cracker jacks
Oh how I lovethe rain.ball
on a dirty backyard court
I was unable to roll away
but I have air now
Up this ladder I keep climbing
trying to reach a little farther
dig my hands into the water
breaking up the storm
There she goes..

Blackbird, fly away
into the hollow sky
Blackbird, take me with you
Cause I can't fly
I'll hold on tightly
But I can't fly
No, I can't fly

Looking up, I reach out
stealing falling feathers
as they tumble to the ground.
It's strange how they 
work so well for you
while slowing me down
slowing me down

Blacbird, I envy you.

Blackbird fly away
Into the hollow sky
Blackbird, take me with you
Cause I can't fly
I'll hold on tightly
But I can't fly

I could leave here on my own
if my heart was not so heavy
Maybe you can teach me
how to swim in the sky?

Like a broken basketball
on a dirty backyard court
I was unable to roll away
but I have air now
Up this ladder I keep climbing
trying to reach a little farther
dig my hands into the water
breaking up the storm
There she goes..

Blackbird, fly away
into the hollow sky
Blackbird, take me with you
Cause I can't fly
I'll hold on tightly
But I can't fly
No, I can't fly

Looking up, I reach out
stealing falling feathers
as they tumble to the ground.
It's strange how they 
work so well for you
while slowing me down
slowing me down

Blacbird, I envy you.

Blackbird fly away
Into the hollow sky
Blackbird, take me with you
Cause I can't fly
I'll hold on tightly
But I can't fly

I could leave here on my own
if my heart was not so heavy
Maybe you can teach me
how to swim in the sky?

I've never been this dark before 
Stark-raving crazy
face-up on the floor
Angry am I for
losing my place
I'm 3 feet down
with a smile on my face
Your heads in a cloud
my feet are in mud
Carnival lights define
where next you will run
And though I'm a mess
I shall clearly confess
I wait for you to run
to my house of fun

Give me a dance
you rodeo clown
Ride up and save me
before I sink down

I dreamed about you
and a big red balloon
we rode to the sea
and you hummed me a tune
then we howled at the moon

sometimes it feels 
like this is a test
Are we gonna pass?
God, I've done my best.

The face on the wall
she sings me a song
la dee dah dee dah
the time has almost gone

Give me a dance
you rodeo clown
ride up and save me
before I sink down
I dreamed about you
and a big red balloon
let's ride to the sea
and I'll hum you a tune