Cowboy Junkies

[fox69]

"Late Night Radio"

"Late Night Radio"


Under his pillow whisper low
they creep in through his radio,
that long-distance howling at the moon.

Wille Stargel at the bat,
some freak singing about his Siamese cat,
“Ask the Pastor” sowing through his dreams.

Hey girl, wanna touch my soul?
Do you listen to late night radio?
Come away with me.

He likes the way it eats the miles,
the way it pulls you, like a child,
holds your hand,
briefly lifts the veil.

The way the music curls like smoke,
where the mildly sane and the madmen float,
the hum of night, the freedom in the air.

Hey love, can I reach your soul?
Do you listen to late night radio?
Come away with me.

Under his pillow whisper low
they creep in through his radio,
all that distance filling up the room.

Firmly locked in the long grey middle
he reaches out and starts to fiddle,
just to hear them howling at the moon.

Hey babe, do you doubt my soul?
But I listen to late night radio.
Come away with me.

 

[fox69]

"Lay It Down"

"Lay It Down"


He left his dead in the cottonwood trees
the ground grown too hard with the years
Falling down was not what it used to be
the ground grown too hard with the years

He told his children those little white lies
the truth would only paralyze them
He told himself those little white lies
the truth would only paralyze him

Lay it down, lay it down

He sold most of what he cherished,
the rest he let them steal
Shot his dog out in the open field,
the rest he let them steal

He broke all of his promises,
under a sea green sky
They never thought to ask him why,
under a sea green sky

Lay it down, lay it down

Please bury me in the cottonwood trees
the ground grown too cold for me
Going to sleep tonight in a warm feather bed
the ground grown too cold for me

Lay it down, lay it down

 

[fox69]

"Leaving Normal"

"Leaving Normal"


It's been a long time since I've seen the high plains of Expectation
And I'm way past the lowlands and the deserts of Failure and Doubt
And the last time I passed through Satisfaction
I felt like a stranger there
Now I'm leaving Normal and I'm heading for Who Knows Where
"Excuse me mister, is that seat taken,
Can I put my bag over here
You know this trip will go a whole lot smoother
If you take your hand from there
No, I'm not from around here
And my name's not Little Darling"
Why is there one in every crowd
And why do I attract them?
Funny how the smell of a Greyhound bus
Now smells like a fresh start to me
And now the sounds of the steelbelts on the blacktop
Is now the sounds of breaking free
But I'd trade all those cancelled tickets
For a single return fair to a station
With a loved one waiting there
I've finally learned that there's good and bad
And that a girl can do some choosing
Of that I'm glad cause this hardened face
Won't take any more bruising
Yeah, and the next time I fall into another's arms
There's one thing of which I'll be certain
Yeah, you can bare the weight of another, baby
Without considering it a burden
It's been a long time since I've seen the high plains of Expectation
And I'm way past the lowlands and the deserts of Failure and Doubt
And the last time I passed through Satisfaction
I felt like a stranger there
Now I'm leaving Normal and I'm heading for Who Knows Where
Now I'm leaving Normal wherever I'm heading
I don't care

 

[fox69]

"Let Me Call You Sweetheart"

"Let Me Call You Sweetheart"


Let me call you sweetheart
I'm in love with you
Let me hear you whisper
That you love me, too
Keep the love-light glowing*
In your eyes please do*
Let me call you sweetheart
I'm in love with you

[*Margo changes the original "glowing" for "burning" and "please do" for "so true"]

 

[fox69]

"License To Kill"

"License To Kill"


[Bob Dylan cover]

Man thinks 'cause he rules the earth
He can do with it as he please
And if things don't change soon, he will
Oh, man has invented his doom
First step was touching the moon
Now there's a woman on my block
She just sit there as the night grow still
She say who gonna take away his license to kill

Now, they take him and they teach him
And they groom him for life
And they set him on a path where he's bound to get ill
Then they bury him with stars
Sell his body like they do used cars
Now there's a woman on my block
She just sit there facin' the hill
She say who gonna take away his license to kill

Now, he's hell bent for destruction
He's afraid and confused
And his brain has been mismanaged with great skill
All he believes are his eyes
And his eyes they just tell him lies
But there's a woman on my block
Sitting there in a cold chill

She say who gonna take away his license to kill

May be noisemaker, spirit maker
Heartbreaker, backbreaker
Leave no stone unturned
May be an actor in a plot
That might be all that you got
Till your error you clearly learn

Now he worships at an altar of a stagnant pool
And when he sees his reflection he's fulfilled
Oh, man is opposed to fair play
He wants it all and he wants it his way
Now, there's a woman on my block
She just sit there as the night grow still
She say who gonna take away his license to kill

 

[fox69]

"Little Dark Heart"

"Little Dark Heart"


It’s a funny start
But I have no home
I have no name
I have no one
Except this little dark heart
Fate playing her part
I have no one

And I’m not one to say
But she has a way
Of winding that thread
She has a way
Now there’s this little dark heart
Fate playing her part she has her ways

One is left in a ditch by the highway
The other ‘neath the Tax Bureau Gate
Wherever you come from that’s where you go
They lie gazing at the stars and they wait
They lie gazing at the stars and they wait

I’ve read all the books and they go away
They turn their backs
They go away
The long journey start
For that little dark heart
She has no one
I make a fresh start you fall apart
And they go away

 

[fox69]

"Lonely Sinking Feeling"

"Lonely Sinking Feeling"


She says, "I'm getting that lonely sinking feeling,
you know what I mean?"
With his hand on her back he's thinking,
"Where does that leave me?"
Just when I think I've uncovered the secret
to peace and tranquility
that lonely sinking feeling creeps up on me

He says, "I'm seeing those doubt filled
questioning eyes
and I can't believe it's true"
With her head in her hands she sighs,
"It's me, not you"

Just when I thought that I'd discovered the joy
of loving one so completely
that lonely sinking feeling creeps up on me

Here in this silent room we wait on ancient ritual
Staring at our hearts
as if they were two caged animals
If I am the first to unlock those rusty doors
will I be the first found bleeding on the floor?

She says, "I'm getting that lonely sinking feeling,
you know what I mean?"
With his hand on her back he's thinking,
"Where does that leave me?"

Just when I think I've uncovered the secret
to peace and tranquility
that lonely sinking feeling creeps up on me

Just when I thought that I'd discovered the joy
of loving one so completely
that lonely sinking feeling creeps up on me
that lonely sinking feeling creeps up on me

 

[fox69]

"Lost My Driving Wheel"

"Lost My Driving Wheel"


Just came up on the midnight special
Hey, how 'bout that
My car broke down in Texas
She stopped dead in her tracks
Just called to tell you that I need you
Just called to tell you how I feel

I feel like some old engine that's lost my driving wheel
I feel like some old engine that's lost my driving wheel

They took my money on the night train north
What a terrible thing
I gave my promise that I will be there with you
By Saturday night
I want to tell you that I need you
I need to tell you how I feel

I feel like some old engine that's lost my driving wheel
I feel like some old engine that's lost my driving wheel

You can't say much in a phone call, babe
You know how it is
I have to tell you one sure thing
Oh, won't you listen to this
I want to tell you that I love you, babe
I want to tell you just how I feel

I feel like some old engine that's lost my driving wheel
I feel like some old engine that's lost my driving wheel

I feel like some old engine that's lost my driving wheel
Some old engine that's lost my driving wheel

I feel like some old engine that's lost my driving wheel

 

[fox69]

"Love's Still There"

"Love's Still There"


Door slams, car starts, he's on the road
She's left there sitting, angry and alone
Thinking what she should have said
Well, maybe she should have gone to bed
Now his words are swirling around in her head

He said and she said
And they both yelled together
Neither one hearing or listening to the other
Words like "You never.." and "You don't understand"
One word, then another
And then the whole thing's out of hand

But love's still there
It's just hiding in the dark 'cause it's scared
Hang on to those feelings that you know are true
And remember that this person means everything to you

Siren screams, breaks through her dreams
She rolls to the right
She realizes that he's still lost to the night
She gets out of bed both worried and mad
She prays that he's safe, her hanger holds back the drape

But love's still there
It's just hiding in the dark 'cause it's scared
Hang on to those feelings that you know are true
And remember that this person means everything to you

Door opens and in walks her baby
With a look on her face, says "I'm sorry"
Now's not the time or the place to play games
So you hold out your hand and he does the same

And love's still there
It's just hiding in the dark 'cause it's scared
Hang on to those feelings that you know are true
And remember that this person means everything to you

Love's still there
It's just hiding in the dark 'cause it's scared
Hang on to those feelings that you know are true
And remember that this person means everything to you

 

[fox69]

"Lungs"

"Lungs"


Well, won't you lend your lungs to me?
Mine are collapsing
Plant my feet and bitterly breathe up the time that's passing
Breath I'll take and breath I'll give and pray the day's not poison
Stand among the ones that live in lonely indecision
Fingers walk the darkness down
Mind is on the midnight
"Gather up the gold you've found,
You fool, it's only moonlight
And if you try to take it home your hands will turn to butter
You better leave this dream alone, try to find another"
Salvation sat and crossed herself and called The Devil partner
Wisdom burned upon a shelf
"Who'll kill the raging cancer?"
Seal the river at it's mouth
Take the water prisoner
Fill the skies with screams and cries
Bathe in fiery answers
Jesus was an only son and love his only concept
Strangers talk in foreign tongues and dirty up the doorstep
And I for one, and you for two ain't got time for outside
Just keep your injured looks to you
We'll tell the world we tried
Keep your injured looks to you
We'll tell the world we tried