1.Santy Anno
2.Prodigal Son
Staring at a cross of splintered wood
My sins washed away through Christ's own blood
All my blessings gone, though my mind it wanders on
Going home in my memory.
Between the years and the miles
I am broken and down
Bless me father, where do I begin
On my hands and my knees,
I go crawling back home,
To find absolution within
Eighteen years old, but not yet a man
With misplaced ideologies
Recognizing only God as my equal
Left home and disgraced my family
With a dream in my head and a restless soul
Sensing I would soon be free
I took to heart my granddads fables
They made up the core of my identity
For eight long years I tramped through the fallout
Of nuclear society
The underclass
Forgotten mass in a nation of revelry
Fare thee well, my old dear friend
The road goes ever on, but I am going home
Back to where it all began
In a filthy rundown tenement
I set out to spread God's name
I thought the word would start the fire
And my voice would fan the flame
But I soon learned that in this hopelessness
A great many things went unsaid
My first lesson was that good intentions
Aren't gonna keep you warm and fed
With no recourse I took a job at the packing house
No one who I could edify
As my dreams like leaves in autumn
Disappeared before my eyes
3.Shame and Sorrow
Visages in the dying light of a long forgotten day
Bring sweet memories unbidden to my mind
A faded worn out photograph has become my cross to bear
A coward I left everything behind
There was a fire that year, my brother lost his leg in the war
For the Union he gave everything, but at Shiloh they took even
more
I turn and walk away in shame and sorrow
But the demon's grip pulls me back again
The bright refrain of a battle hymn was the anthem on our lips
The day we left home, spring 1862
For a sunken road called The Hornets' Nest, in the face of the
cannons' fire
At Pearson's words, By God we'll see it through
And at the fight in the grove, the blossoms they covered our
dead
When Johnston of the Rebels fell even the Bluecoats lowered
their heads
And when I wake in the night I cry to myself, What have I
done？
For the loved ones I've forsaken now I'm doomed to this wretched
existence alone
4.Season of My Weakness
I pause a moment for reflection
Ponder this peaceful benediction
While all that surrounds me
Is benign
It seems I've lost my inspiration
My last artistic motivation
The only thing, I have enough of,
Is time
I whisper to myself that everything is gonna be alright tomorrow
Though I have nothing left, if I can make it through the night
My soul will be at peace and Ill go on
Its bitter cold and I am hurting
It's been a long road that's for certain
Bereft of aid, Ill climb this mountain
Alone
Antagonistic winds cut through me relentless
I scream aloud Dear God I am helpless!
But there are none to hear my desperate cries
But the stones
5.Kids On the Street
Set me down on these leaves of brown where my feet feel safe at
last
I've been gone so long, where the time has gone, my memory's
fading fast
My house has burned where it stood laid bare, left is rubble now
to me
A broken swing lies fallen now, 'neath this damn old pin oak
tree
And the children are roaming the street
Running wild in the mid summer's heat
They're out there somewhere chasing stars while they nod off to
sleep
For a life that I'd left lingers on
My feet are tired and my whiskey's all gone
I'll just lay here a while counting stars till I nod off to
sleep
A broken mirror lay, all the pieces share a thousand memories
etched in my mind
Never once did I see a man broken down who wasn't trampled and
left far behind
A single bell rolls through the autumn sky, a days work is done
and gone
So go my sons home to your wives and kids make your and rest
easily
Another day will come put on your worker's boots and you'll toil
till the nightfall comes
And the stars up above will shine down through the night till
you wake to that warm autumn sun
6.Radney's Ghost
Standing on the deck, it seems the moon is turning brighter
After eight months out to sea, I think I've gone insane
On the 21st of May, our ship sailed from Nantucket
Cutting through still waters of the night
At six and thirty men, the Town Ho's whaling out of sight
And we'll never find our way
For our sins we cannot pay
Steelkilt lay low
What's that pump stopped for
Damn your eyes said the mate, now you better turn to
Steelkilt lay low, break you backs now lads
Look away look away
Steelkilt lay low
For the Lake Man's soul
Being flogged on the deck was more than he could bear
Steelkilt lay low
You're haunted by old Radney's Ghost, Radney's Ghost
Ole Rad was dropped with a punch spouted blood just like a whale
And Steelkilt called for the Canallers ere the crew could take
him down
Cried the Captain from the deck, Ye pirates, ye cutthroats
You're sure to burn in hell for what you've done
And I'd be glad to send you there, to the riggings with you till
the morning sun!
Well Radney, poor Radney met his end in the jaws of what he
hunted
In the whale's teeth the men watched his shirt like a bloody
banner wave
And though the Town Ho sailed on, and no one shed a tear
And the Lake Man was spared his murderous fate
Still his memory stayed behind, Steelkilt was haunted till the
end of his days
7.The Letter
It's been two years since I last wrote
Not since the day we first stepped off the boat
At a place called New York, Late in the spring
The start of the ending of everything
Sold my father's gold watch, caught a train headed west
With the promise our destiny was manifest
Just we two going through territory unknown
But it was better than being alone
The land was ours, sort of felt odd
Breaking our backs while we were breaking the sod
And the summer was bad, winter was worse
Building our dreams but pneumonia struck first
In her bed, near to death, she looked radiant still
Don't cry for me boy, for you know it's God's will.
Just hold now my hand, let me look in your eyes,
You're the last thing I'll see as I die.
So I buried my heart with her in the ground
And what I have lost can never be found
Bottle in hand I'm spiraling down
Loraine come back to me, Loraine come back to me
Loraine I am broken, I pray that you'll come back to me
Hope this finds you well, it's spring once again
The birds have returned and the crops are all in
And the shadow has passed, but the fire remains
I know that I live cuz I still feel the pain
A young apple tree burst into bloom just today
On the spot where my lover lies resting away
And it makes me feel week and makes me feel strong
And I know my Loraine still lives on
8.For Love of Country
He packed his bag he's leaving town had seen enough to care
Had fifteen dollars in his hand to get from here to there
He took his time made up his mind
His father pled son stay at home there's work back on the farm
I went this route when I was a boy with a gun held in my arms
Saw so many die with star spangled eyes
He packed his mother's only Bible down take a Rosary she said
And son please say your prayers tonight when you lay down your
head
Cuz it's a long ride home on these tired roads tonight
Old Johnny died on war torn streets in the fading summer light
They laid him in the ground today his father shook his head
I only wish he'd stayed at home instead
He sits alone under the stars on a porch swing made of steel
His head hung low down to the ground for the pain that he now
feels
Why he let him go, God only knows
He packed his mother's only Bible down take a Rosary she said
And son please say your prayers tonight when you lay down your
head
9.The Story of Tom Mathine
Step out the way, for I'm coming through
By now don't you know who I am
Now, buy me a drink, and we'll get on o.k.
Ah the saints and your conscience be damned
Now big Tom Mathine, was known around town,
As a bully, and a prick through and through
He'd take what he wants, and when he wanted more
You'd pray, he didn't want it from you
With fists hard as rock, and a temper like fire
And a mean streak two mile wide
Yeah, he'd sit at the bar, and drink til he's pissed
Every night, you'd hear the man cry
Then one night a man came rolling to town
Was a preacher, but he still liked to drink
He stepped into the bar, and he sat himself down
With a glass of whiskey to think
From back of the room, there came a loud crash
Tom had knocked that old cop off his chair
He called out, Hey preacher! Sunday school's down the street
So piss off, you're not welcome in here
Well the preacher stood up
Said, I've one thing to say
Jesus loves you, as he loves all of us
But, I'm just a man, and a sinner to boot
So Ill laugh as I'm kicking your ass
Well, the preacher swung twice
Tom fell to the ground
He was crying, with blood on his face
And the preacher made the sign of the cross with his glass
Said, You're forgiven, now get out of my place!
10.Robbers Roost (County Roads)
11.Through the Flames
A memory it fades as the time flickers past
A lifetime of pain and death outlasting
As the blossoms they fall on a stiff northern wind
My eyes trace the path to take refuge within
And life leaves me in darkness
A sin left me here in utter shame
As my memory holds thoughts of former gladness
For you to judge my battered soul remains
Look away, look away
Tis' the day when your fathers be calling your name
Look away, look away
Lift your eyes to the cross as we walk through the flames
Kiss your kids and your wife, turn your back to the light
Cuz' we'll burn all that's left so my boys look away
We traced the green fields as our hearts raced along
Warm winds filled our breath the trees were singing
An innocence spent under blue skies carefree
A life looking back blessed with fortune were we
And life leaves me in darkness
A sin left me here in utter shame
As my memory holds thoughts of former gladness
For you to judge my battered soul remains
12.Karsky's Dead Soldiers
Gather round the glass and grab hold of your ladies
We'll send off Karsky's Soldiers one by one
We'll drink your health by the fire, keep one step ahead of hell
Cuz dead men never see the rising sun
Has it come right down to this your time's run up at last
There's no one left to hear your dying song
And as you board your ship to sail from these forgotten shores
We handful who are left will send you on
May your passage be fast, may you find your peace at last
On the other side of death's eternal door
But don't reach for the Cross, your hands aren't clean enough
Just pray that someone settled up the score
Buried in a ditch, just outside the chapel wall
Two diggers sang you Near My God to Thee
And the pastor read a sermon founded in the book of Job
Such words would make a faithless man believe
May your passage be fast, may you find your peace at last
On the other side of death's eternal door
But don't reach for the Cross, your hands aren't clean enough
Just pray that someone settled up the score
13.Give the Bastards Hell
Rise and fall in the face of animosity
A carbon copy conflict to call your own
Where will you run when the sinners come for you
With their bylaws and bibles and anemic world views
We've got to make them see this world won't meet their needs
Waiting wide eyed and docile with hungry mouths to feed
Raise your voice don't turn your back on hard times
Whoh whoh whoh
Take a stand and meet that fight head on
And give the bastards hell
Give the bastards hell
Take a fall for the sake of all humanity
A narcissistic act another name on the wall
Where will you run when the sinners come for you
With their bylaws and bibles and anemic world views
We've got to make them see this world won't meet their needs
Waiting wide eyed and docile with hungry mouths to feed
Raise your voice don't turn your back on hard times
Whoh whoh whoh
Take a stand and meet that fight head on
And give the bastards hell
Give the bastards hell
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