Ben Harper

[fox69]

"I'm In I'm Out And I'm Gone"

"I'm In I'm Out And I'm Gone"



Don’t want no high rise tombstone
Gonna gather up my things
Don’t wanna hear you fussin’
If it is, or if it ain’t
If it is, or if it ain’t
And my life needs no witness
And my burden is my own
My burden is my own

I’m in, I’m out, and I’m gone

You gotta answer to somebody
You gotta answer to somebody
If you didn’t learn, then you didn’t read
Gonna live with it, gotta live with it, yeah
What’s a man to do, what’s a man to do
Gotta answer to somebody
Answer to somebody
Gotta answer, answer, yeah

And I’m in, I’m out, and I’m gone

The death row preacher
Came through the back door to greet her
Hardly can blame her
For trusting a one-armed lion-tamer

She stepped in from a storm
As dry as a bone
The preacher thought to himself
He never takes care of his own

She said “look what your prayers
Look what they’ve done to me
What can your prayers do for me?”

Preacher said, careful talking to yourself
‘Cause you may be listening
Careful talking to yourself
‘Cause you may be listening

I’m in, I’m out, and I’m gone

 

[fox69]

"In The Colors"

"In The Colors"



When your whole world is shaken from all the risks we have taken
Dance with me, dance with me into the colors of the dusk

When you have awoken from all the dreams broken
Come and dance with me, dance with me into the colors of the dusk
Dance with me in the colors of the dusk

The paths we're walking on, they crumble behind us
But if we leave now, they will never find us
And if this crazy world spins itself down to dust, I want to be with you in the colors

When you again start hoping with your arms wide open
Come on, dance with me, dance with me into the colors of the dusk
And all will be right, dancing like water with the light
Dance with me, won't you dance with me into the colors of the dusk?

 

[fox69]

"In The Lord's Arms"

"In The Lord's Arms"



Like the wings stolen from an angel
Like petals gone from a rose
Like a dove caught in a storm
Tonight he is in the Lord's arms

The wind, it blew straight through us
And whispered to me in tongues
I was told, I was warned

Tonight he would be in the Lord's Arms
Tonight he is in the Lord's Arms

So I drink this wine to him
With each glass, a memory
He left with his crown of thorns
Tonight he is in the Lord's arms
Tonight he is in the Lord's arms
Tonight he is in the Lord's arms

 

[fox69]

"Jah Work"

"Jah Work"



Tell me do you really know
your brother man
cause a heart speaks louder
than a color can
and why would you even
shake a man's hand
if you're not going
to help him stand

Jah work
Jah work
Jah work is never done

Every man's actions
belong to he
if prepared for thereafter
to each his destiny
some people believe
and some people know
some people deceive
and some people show

Jah work
Jah work
Jah work is never done

You must do the heaviest
so many shall do none
you have got to stand firm
so many shall run
some they rest their head at night
some get no sleep at all
if you listen close to what you see
you will hear the call

 

[fox69]

"Keep It Together (So I Can Fall Apart)"

"Keep It Together (So I Can Fall Apart)"



I'm not sure what worries me more
The fact that I'm talking to a wall
Or that the wall keeps answering me
Saying that I've heard it all before
Never underestimate how complicated
A simple life can be

You've gotta keep it together
You've gotta keep it together
You've gotta keep it together so I can fall apart

I know you've grown tired of trying to feed me
And I know by now my reputation precedes me
I know you've grown tired of trying to fix me
And I know by now my best years, they are no longer with me

Keep it together
You've gotta keep it together
You've gotta keep it together
You've gotta keep it together so I can fall apart
You've gotta keep it together, you've gotta keep it together so I can fall apart
You've gotta keep it together, please keep it together
So that I can fall apart

 

[fox69]

"Lay There & Hate Me"

"Lay There & Hate Me"



Lay there and hate me
Lay there and burn
One side to the other
You toss and turn
Never trust a woman, never trust a woman
Who loves the blues

Mistake number one, I made it three times a day
We'd best talk over how there is nothing left to say
I feel like an underpaid concubine
Who has overstayed her welcome

You gave me an eight-page letter front and back
Written in your favorite colors, blood and black
Choose your words as careful as you'd choose your own gravestone
You lay there and hate me, better than being alone
Had to fight your way in, you got to fight your way out
Ain't no fool like the fool you love
So let me hear you shout

Shake down, break down
Just can't sit still
You cut off your hair and sold it
For your pretty little pill
I've learned some things about myself I wish I didn't know

You gave me an eight-page letter from front and back
Written in your favorite colors, blood and black
You choose your words as careful as you'd choose your own gravestone
You lay there and hate me, better than being alone
Had to fight your way in, you got to fight your way out
Ain't no fool like the one you love
So let me hear you, hear you shout

Lay there and hate me
Cold as a stone
I just hope it's better than sitting alone
Never trust a woman who loves the blues

Gave me an eight-page letter front and back
Written in your favorite colors, blood and black
Choose your words as careful as you'd choose your own gravestone
Lay there and hate me, better than being alone
Had to fight your way in, now you got to fight your way out
Ain't no fool like the fool you love
So let me hear you, let me hear you shout

 

[fox69]

"Learn It All Again Tomorrow"
(with Ellen Harper)

"Learn It All Again Tomorrow"
(with Ellen Harper)



What I've got I don't want
All it does is hover and taunt
Reminding me what I used to be
What I may never be again

Turns out what I'm good at doin
Is making something out of the ruin
Borrow this wasted space
that could never be replaced

Learn it all again tomorrow,
learn it all again tomorrow
Nothing I have you can borrow or steal
Yes I think we have a deal.

If my wheels were square, but the earth was jagged
I rode along, it'd be no less ragged
And seems to be the day
I'm usually this way

Learn it all again tomorrow,
learn it all again tomorrow
Nothing I have you can borrow or steal
Yes I think we have a deal.

I wish every harder day only took an hour
And I'm not just like the people I resent
I wish someday I could truly be a power
Say exactly what it is I meant
All I have that's in abundance
Is my perpetual redundance
It's hard for me to say, I face it everyday

Learn it all again tomorrow,
learn it all again tomorrow
Nothing I have you can borrow or steal
Learn it all again tomorrow,
learn it all again tomorrow
Nothing I have you can borrow or steal
Yes I think we have a deal.

 

[fox69]

"Less"

"Less"



I could give you more, but you still wouldn't be happy
I could give all you need, but you still wouldn't be satisfied
I could give to our poor
Now what good would that be?
You'd shake hands with Jesus
And you still would not believe

If you're happy with nothing you'll be so very happy with me
The less you expect the more you'll be pleased
The more you'll be pleased

I could change your mind, but what would you really be thinking
I'd show you a sign, but you'd just pass it on by
I could hold your hand but then we'd both be sinking
The problem with the world is everone's not just like you

If you're happy with nothing you'll be so very happy with me
The less you expect the more you'll be pleased
The more you'll be pleased

If you're happy with nothing you'll be so very happy with me
If you're happy with nothing you'll be so very happy with me
If you're happy with nothing you'll be so very happy with me...
So happy with nothing, so happy with me

 

[fox69]

"Lifeline"

"Lifeline"



Life is much too short to sit and wonder
Who's gonna make the next move and will slowly pull you under when you've always got something
to prove?

I don't want to wait a lifetime
Yours or mine, yours or mine
Can't you see me reaching for the lifeline?

You say that I misheard you but I think you misspoke
I hear you laugh so loudly while I patiently await the joke

I don't want to wait a lifetime
Yours or mine, yours or mine
Can't you see me reaching for the lifeline?
The lifeline, the lifeline

It's a crime with only victims
We're all laid out in a row
It's hardest to listen to what we already should know

I could hold out for a lifetime
Yours or mine, yours or mine
Can't you see me reaching for your lifeline?
The lifeline, your lifeline, the lifeline

 

[fox69]

"Like A King"

"Like A King"



Well Martin's dream
Has become Rodney's worst
Nightmare
Can't walk the streets
To them we are fair game
Our lives don't mean a thing
Like a king, like a king, like a king
Rodney King, Rodney King, Rodney King
Like a king, like a king, like a king
How I wish you could help us Dr. King
Make sure it's filmed
Shown on national T.V.
They'll have no mercy
A legal lynch mob
Like the days strung up from the tree
The L.A.P.D.
Like a king, like a king, like a king
Rodney King, Rodney King, Rodney King
Like a king, like a king, like a king
How I wish you could help us Dr. King
So if you catch yourself
Thinking it has changed for the best
You better second guess
Cause Martin's dream
Has become Rodney's worst
Nightmare
Like a king, like a king, like a king
Rodney King, Rodney King, Rodney King
Like a king, like a king, like a king
How I wish you could help us Dr. King