1.Bertha
I had a hard run, runnin' from your window.
I was all night running, running, lord i wonder if you care,
I had a run in, run around, and run down.
Run around the corner, corner, lord run smack in to a tree.
I had to move, really had to move,
That's why if you please, i am on my bendin' knees,
Bertha don't you come around here anymore.
Dressed myself in green, i went down unto the sea.
Try to see what's goin' down, try to read between the lines.
I had a feelin' i was fallin', fallin', fallin',
I turned around to see,
Heard a voice al callin', lord you was comin' after me.
I had to move, really had to move,
That's why if you please, i am on my bendin knees,
Bertha don't you come around here anymore.
Ran into a rainstorm, i ducked back into novato.
It's all night pourin', pourin', pourin',
Lord but not a drop on me.
Test me, test me,
Test me, test me, test me,
Why don't you arrest me？
Throw me in to the jailhouse,
Lord until the sun goes down, 'till it goes down.
I had to move, really had to move,
That's why if you please, i am on my bendin' knees,
Bertha don't you come around here anymore.
I had to move, really had to move,
That's why if you please, i am on my bendin' knees,
Bertha don't you come around here anymore.
2.Mama Tried
The first i remember knowin' was that lonesome whistle blowin'
And a youngin's dream of growin' up to ride.
On a freight train leavin' town, not knowin' where i was bound
No one could steer me right, but mama tried.
Was the only rebel child from a family meek and mild
Mama seemed to know what lay in store
In spite of all my sunday learnin'
For the bad i kept on turnin' and mama couldn't hold me anymore.
And i turned 21 in prison, doin' life without parole
No one could steer me right, but mama tried, mama tried
Mama tried to raise me better, but her pleadin' i denied
That leaves no one but me to blame cause mama tried.
Dear old daddy rest his soul, left my mom a heavy load
She tried so very hard to fill his shoes
Workin' hours without rest, wanted me to have the best
Oh she tried to raise me right, but i refused.
And i turned 21 in prison, doin' life without parole
No one could steer me right, but mama tried, mama tried
Mama tried to raise me better, but her pleadin' i denied
That leaves no one but me to blame cause mama tried.
3.Big Railroad Blues
Well my mama told me, my papa told me too,
Now my mama told me, papa told me too,
Well i shouldn't be here tryin' to sing these railroad blues.
Wish i had a'listened to what my mama said,
Wish i had a'listened to what my mama said,
Well i wouldn't be here tryin' to sleep in this cold iron bed.
Well i went to the depot, i never got there on time,
Went down to the depot, never got there on time.
Well my train done left, she's a rollin' down the line.
Mister jailer go away now, don't tell me no lies,
Mister jailer go away, don't tell me no lies,
When the train's going down, she's rollin' down the line.
Well my mama told me, my papa told me too,
Now my mama told me, papa told me too,
Well i shouldn't be here tryin' to sing these railroad blues.
4.Playin' In The Band
Some folks trust to reason others trust to might,
I don't trust to nothin', but i know it comes out right.
Say it once again now, whoa, i hope you'll understand
When it's done and over, lord, a man is just a man.
Playin', playin' in the band. daybreak, daybreak on the land.
Some folks look for answers others look for fights,
Some folks up in treetops just a looking for their kites.
Whoa, i can tell your future just look what's in your hand,
But i can't stop for nothin' i'm just playing in the band.
Playin', playin' in the band. daybreak, daybreak on the land.
Standin' on a tower world at my command
You just keep a turnin' while i'm playing in the band.
And if a man among you got no sin upon his hand
Let him cast a stone at me for playing in the band.
Playin', playin' in the band. daybreak, daybreak on the land.
5.Me And My Uncle
Me and my uncle went ridin' down,
South colorado, west texas bound.
We stopped over in santa fe,
That bein' the point just about half way,
And you know it was the hottest part of the day.
I took the horses up to the stall,
Went to the barroom, ordered drinks for all.
Three days in the saddle, you know my body hurt,
It bein' summer, i took off my shirt,
And i tried to wash off some of that dusty dirt.
When texas cowboys, they's all around,
With liquor and money, they loaded down.
So soon after payday, know it seemed a shame;
You know my uncle, he starts a friendly game,
High-low jack and the winner take the hand.
My uncle starts winnin'; cowboys got sore.
One of them called him, and then two more,
Accused him of cheatin'; oh no, it couldn't be.
I know my uncle, he's as honest as me,
And i'm as honest as a gamblin' man can be.
One of them cowboys, he starts to draw,
And i shot him down, lord he never saw.
Well i grabbed a bottle, cracked him in the jaw,
Shot me another, oh damn he won't grow old.
In the confusion, my uncle grabbed the gold,
And we high-tailed it down to mexico.
I love those cowboys, i love their gold,
I loved my uncle, god rest his soul,
Taught me good, lord, taught me all i know
Taught me so well, i grabbed that gold
And i left his dead ass there by the side of the road.
6.Big Boss Man
Big boss man, can't you hear me when i call？
Big boss man, can't you hear me when i call？
You ain't so big, you just tall, that's just about all.
You got me working boss man, a workin' around the clock,
I want a little drink of whiskey, you sure won't let me stop.
Big boss man, can't you hear me when i call？
You ain't so big, you just tall, that's just about all.
I'm gonna get me a boss man, one gonna treat me right,
I work hard in the daytime, sure get drunk at night.
You ain't so big, you just tall, that's just about all.
7.Me And Bobby Mcgee
Busted flat in baton rouge, waitin' for a train,
Feeling nearly faded as my jeans,
Bobby flagged a diesel down, just before it rained,
Took us all the way to new orleans.
I took my harp on out of my dirty red bandanna,
I was blowin' sad while bobby sang the blues,
With them windshield wipers slappin' time, bobby clappin' hands,
We sang every song that driver knew.
Freedom's just another word for nothin' left to do.
Nothin' ain't worth nothin' but it's free.
Feelin' good was easy lord, when bobby sang the blues.
Feelin' good was good enough for me, good enough for me and
bobby mcgee.
From the coal mines of kentucky to the california sun,
Bobby shared the secrets of my soul,
Standing right beside me, lord, in everything i done,
Bobby's body kept me from the cold.
Then somewhere near salinas, lord, i let her slip away,
Lookin' for that home, i hope she finds,
And i'd trade all my tomorrows for a single yesterday
Holding bobby's body close to mine.
Freedom's just another word for nothin' left to lose.
Nothin' was all she left for me.
Feelin' good was easy lord, when bobby sang the blues.
Feelin' good was good enough for me, good enough for me and
bobby mcgee.
Freedom's just another word for nothin' left to do.
Nothin' ain't worth nothin' but it's free.
Feelin' good was easy lord, when bobby sang the blues.
Feelin' good was good enough for me, good enough for me and
bobby mcgee.
8.Johnny B. Goode
Deep down in louisiana close to new orleans,
Way back in the woods among the evergreens
There in an old cabin made of earth and wood
There lived a country boy named johnny b. goode.
He never learned to read or write so well,
But he could play a guitar like ringin' a bell.
Go go, go johnny go, go; go johnny go, go;
Go johnny go, go; go johnny go, go; go johnny b. goode.
He used to carry his guitar in a gunny sack,
Go sit up in the trees by the railroad track.
The engineers seen him sittin' in the shade
Strummin' to the rhythm that the drivers made.
People passin' by would stop and say
'my my, but that little country boy can play!'
His mamma told him 'someday you will be a man.'
You will be the leader of a big old band
Many people comin' from miles around
To hear you play your music when the sun goes down.
Maybe someday your name will be in lights.
9.Wharf Rat
Old man down, way down down, down by the docks of the city.
Blind and dirty, asked me for a dime, a dime for a cup of
coffee.
I got no dime but i got some time to hear his story.
My name is august west, and i love my pearly baker best more
than my wine.
More than my wine - more than my maker, though he's no friend of
mine.
Everyone said, i'd come to no good, i knew i would pearly,
believe them.
Half of my life, i spent doin' time for some other fucker's
crime,
The other half found me stumbling 'round drunk on burgundy wine.
But i'll get back on my feet again someday,
The good lord willin', if he says i may.
I know that the life i'm livin's no good,
I'll get a new start, live the life i should.
I'll get up and fly away, i'll get up and fly away, fly away.
Pearly's been true, true to me, true to my dyin' day he said,
I said to him, i said to him, 'i'm sure she's been.'
I said to him, 'i'm sure she's been true to you.'
Got up and wandered, wandered downtown, nowhere to go but just
hang around.
I've got a girl, named bonnie lee, i know that girl's been true
to me.
I know she's been, i'm sure she's been true to me.
10.Not Fade Away
I wanna tell you how it's gonna be, you're gonna give your love
to me,
I wanna love you night and day, you know my love not fade away.
You know my love not fade away, not fade away!
My love is bigger than a cadillac, i try to show you but you
drive me back,
Your love for me has got to be real, your gonna know just how i
feel.
Our love is real, not fade away, not fade away!
11.Goin' Down The Road Feelin' Bad
Goin' down the road feelin' bad.
Goin' down the road feelin' bad.
Goin' down the road feelin' bad.
I don't want to be treated this away.
Goin' where the climate suits my clothes.
Goin' where the climate suits my clothes.
Goin' where the climate suits my clothes.
I don't want to be treated this away.
Goin' down the road feelin' bad.
Goin' down the road feelin' bad.
Goin' down the road feelin' bad.
I don't want to be treated this away.
Goin' where the water tastes like wine.
Goin' where the water tastes like wine.
Goin' where the water tastes like wine.
I don't want to be treated this away.
Goin' down the road feelin' bad.
Goin' down the road feelin' bad.
Goin' down the road feelin' bad.
I don't want to be treated this away.
Goin' where the chilly winds don't blow.
Goin' where the chilly winds don't blow.
Goin' where those chilly winds don't blow.
I don't want to be treated this away.
12.That's It For The Other One
The other day they waited, the sky was dark and faded,
Solemnly they stated, 'he has to die, you know he has to die.'
All the children learnin', from books that they were burnin',
Every leaf was turnin'; to watch him die, you know he had to
die.
The summer sun looked down on him, his mother could but frown on
him,
And all the others sound on him, but it doesn't seem to matter.
And when the day had ended, with rainbow colors blended,
His mind remained unbended, he had to die, you know he had to
die.
Spanish lady comes to me, she lays on me this roes.
It rainbow spirals round and round it trembles and explodes.
It left a smoking crater of my mind i like to blow away.
But the heat came 'round and busted me for smiling on a cloudy
day.
Comin', comin', comin' around, comin', around,
Comin', around, in a circle
Comin', comin', comin' around, comin' around, in a circle,
Comin', comin', comin' around, comin' in a circle.
Skippin' through the lily fields i came across an empty space,
It trembled and exploded, left a bus stop in it's place.
The bus came by and i got on, that's when it all began,
There was cowboy neal at the wheel of the bus to never ever
land.
Comin', comin', comin' around, comin', around,
Comin', around, in a circle
Comin', comin', comin' around, comin' around, in a circle,
Comin', comin', comin' around, comin' in a circle.
And when the day had ended, with rainbow colors blended,
Their minds remained unbended,
He had to die, oh, you know he had to die.
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