Ben Harper

[fox69]

"Like A King / I'll Rise"

"Like A King / I'll Rise"



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.
Like a King, like a King, like a King.
Like a King, like a King, like a King.
Like a King, like a King, like a King.
How I wish... Like a King, like a King.
Like a King, like a King, like a, like a King.
Like a King, like a King, like a King.

When we will look to the past, look to the past to learn?
I wish...
Like a king, like a king, like a king.
Like a king, like a king, like a king.
Bye, bye we must go to see the King.
Bye, bye we must go to face the King.

You may write me down in history with your bitter twisted lies,
you may trod me down in the very dirt.
And still like the dust, I'll rise.
Does my happiness upset you?
Why are you best with gloom cause I laugh,
like I've got an oil well pumpin' in my living room?

So you may shoot me with your words,
you may cut me with your eyes,
and I'll rise - I'll rise - I'll rise - rise - rise.
Out of the shacks of history's shame,
up from a past rooted in pain,
and I'll rise - I'll rise - I'll rise - rise - rise.

Now did you want to see me broken,
bowed head and lowered eyes,
shoulders fallen down like teardrops,
weakened by my soulful cries.
Does my confidence upset you?
Don't you take it awful hard cause I walk,
like I've got a diamond mine breakin' up in my front yard.

So you may shoot me with your words,
you may cut me with your eyes,
and I'll rise - I'll rise - I'll rise - rise - rise.
Out of the shacks of history's shame,
up from a past rooted in pain,
and I'll rise - I'll rise - I'll rise - rise - rise.

So you may write me down in history with your bitter twisted lies.
You may trod me down in the very dirt.
And still like the dust, I'll rise.
Does my happiness upset you?
Why are you best with gloom cause I laugh,
like I've got a goldmine diggin' up in my living room.

You may shoot me with your words,
you may cut me with your eyes,
and I'll rise - I'll rise - I'll rise - rise - rise.
Out of the shacks of history's shame,
up from a past rooted in pain,
and I'll rise - I'll rise - I'll rise - rise - rise.

You may shoot me with your words,
you may cut me with your eyes,
and I'll rise - I'll rise - I'll rise - rise - rise.
Out of the shacks of history's shame,
up from a past rooted in pain,
I'll rise - I'll rise - I'll rise - rise - rise.
I gonna rise - I'll rise - I'll rise - rise - rise.
I'll rise - I'll rise - I'll rise - rise - rise

 

[fox69]

"Mama's Got A Girlfriend"

"Mama's Got A Girlfriend"



Papa, he left home today and said he ain't comin' back again.
Said he ain't gonna be nobody's second best, just cause mama's got a special kind of friend.
Papa, he left home today, said he ain't comin' back no more.
Said he ain't gonna take no damn back seat.
And how could mama do him so low.

But mama's got a girlfriend now, boy!
Mama's got a girlfriend now.
Mama's got a girlfriend.
Mama's got a true friend.
Mama's got a girlfriend now.

You see Mama don't watch your damn football.
And your beer drinkin' just won't do.
You're just stayin' out late.
And you're preachin' the hate.
And you never have been true.
You see, Mama, she want her somebody who will let her be herself.
So she's leavin' you and your stinky damn ways, cause she's found somebody else.

And Mama's got a girlfriend now boy.
Mama's got a girlfriend now.
Mama's got a girlfriend.
Mama's found a true friend.
Mama's got a girlfriend now.

Papa he left home today.
He was wavin' his hands and cryin'.
You could tell by the sound and the tone in his voice that his heart was slowly dyin'.
But mama said: "Boy if I ever catch you 'round here again, you ain't never gonna have nobody else not a woman or a man".

Yeah! Mama's got a girlfriend now boy.
Mama's got a girlfriend now.
Mama's got a girlfriend.
Mama's found a true friend.
Mama's got a girlfriend now.
Mama's got a girlfriend now, boy!
Mama's got a girlfriend now.
Mama's got a girlfriend.
Mama's found a true friend.
Mama's got a girlfriend now.

 

[fox69]

"Mama's Got A Girlfriend Now"

"Mama's Got A Girlfriend Now"



Papa he left home today
Said he ain't comin' back again
Said he ain't gonna be nobody's second best
Just cause mama's got a special kind of friend

Papa he left home today
Said he ain't comin' back no more
Said he ain't gonna take no damn back seat
And how could mama do him so low

But mama's got a girlfriend now boy
Mama's got a girlfriend now
Mama's got a girlfriend
Mama's got a true friend
Mama's got a girlfriend now

You see mama don't watch your damn football
And your beer drinkin' just won't do
You're just stayin' out late
And you're preachin' the hate
And you never have been true

You see mama she want her somebody
Who will let her be herself
So she's leavin' you
And your stinky damn ways
Cause she's found somebody else

And mama's got a girlfriend now boy
Mama's got a girlfriend now
Mama's got a girlfriend
Mama's found a true friend
Mama's got a girlfriend now

Papa he left home today
He was wavin' his hands and cryin'
You could tell by the sound
And the tone in his voice
That his heart was slowly dyin'
But mama said "Boy if I ever
Catch you 'round here again
You ain't never gonna have nobody else
Not a woman or a man"

And mama's got a girlfriend now boy
Mama's got a girlfriend now
Mama's got a girlfriend
Mama found a true friend
Mama's got a girlfriend now
Mama's got a girlfriend now boy
Mama's got a girlfriend now
Mama's got a girlfriend
Mama's found a true friend
Mama's got a girlfriend now

 

[fox69]

"Mama's Trippin'"

"Mama's Trippin'"



Can you tell me why
you're so uptight
out of your head
and ain't talkin' right

Can you tell me why
your mind ain't straight
out of touch
and can't relate

Mama's trippin'
daddy's slippin'

Everybody's talkin' 'bout
keepin' it together
but I see people splittin'
when there's inclement weather

What you want is what I want
so why can't we agree
if I could be inside of you
maybe I could see why

Mama's trippin'
daddy's slippin'

You and I ain't spoken
ain't spoken for a week
soon there won't be nothin'
nothin' left to speak

Things ain't the same
since you've gone insane
let's take some time
and ease the strain

Mama's trippin'
daddy's slippin'

 

[fox69]

"Memories Of Gold"
(with Ellen Harper)

"Memories Of Gold"
(with Ellen Harper)



Days must be untangled
For years to be revealed
We’ve looked from every angle
With nothing left concealed

In the winter she wants to be dancer
In springtime she wants to be a scribe
In summer she wants to be a painter
Come autumn the mother of a child

Where the edge of the hill
Meets the end of the road
We make memories of gold
Our memories of gold
To have and to hold
Our memories of gold

 

[fox69]

"More Than Sorry"

"More Than Sorry"



Goodbye
Hasn't been so good to me
Stepped out into the night
Back against the moon
I saw ten thousand hands with candlelight
We all think that we're right
It's hard to tell
If the night is full of hope or doom

My eyes
Burn with unshed tears
My body is weak
From so many silent years
Too many people say goodbye
Before they say hello
Step into the morning
And disappear

What more than sorry can i say
What more than sorry can i be
Before our love fades away
What more than sorry
Do you want from me

 

[fox69]

"Morning Yearning"

"Morning Yearning"



A finger's touch upon my lips
It's a morning yearning
Pull the curtains shut, try to keep it dark
But the sun is burning

The world awakens on the run
And will soon be earning
With hopes of better days to come
It's a morning yearning

Another day, another chance to get it right
Must I still be learning
Baby crying kept us up all night
With her morning yearning

Like a summer rose, I'm a victim of the fall
But I'm soon returning
Your love' s the warmest place the sun ever shines
My morning yearning

 

[fox69]

"Mother Pray"

"Mother Pray"



How sweet and happy seem those days of which I dream
Memories I recall now and then
And with a rapture sweet my weary heart would beat
If I could hear my mother pray again

If I could only hear my mother pray again
If I could hear her tender voice as then
How happy I would be
It would mean so much to me
If I could hear my mother pray again

Around the old homeplace her cherishing smiling face
Was always bringing comfort joy and cheer
And when she used to sing to her eternal King
It was the sound I loved to hear

If I could only hear my mother pray again
If I could hear her tender voice as then
How happy I would be
It would mean so much to me
If I could hear my mother pray again

If I could hear my mother pray again
If I could hear my mother pray again

 

[fox69]

"Needed You Tonight"

"Needed You Tonight"



My every breath is a prayer for you
You know I'm waiting there for you
I'd rather learn to live with you and suffer
Than to see you in the arms of another

But now my heart aches a little
Now my heart breaks a little
I lie awake in the middle of a cold, empty room with one light
I needed you tonight

I am not your tool or your born-again fool
I'm not in the mood to serenade sorrow
There was a time that I could get by but this was once upon a lie

My heart aches a little
My heart breaks a little
I lie awake in the middle of a pain with no end in sight
I needed you tonight

Violin is my instrument of choice
It recognizes the pain in my voice
You're the 'Are' in 'Are we gonna make it?'
You put the 't' in 'I just can't take it.'

My heart aches a little
My heart breaks a little
I lie awake in the middle of a cold, empty room with no light

 

[fox69]

"Never Leave Lonely Alone"

"Never Leave Lonely Alone"



Like an old man
Sitting alone at a lunch counter
Never leave lonely alone...
Like a small town girl
A big city devours
Never leave lonely alone...
Some of us laugh
Even in our darkest hour
Never leave lonely alone...

Unspoken rules of solitude
Wound without a trace
A lifetime of dreams roll down your face
All that we can't say
Is all we need to hear
When you close your eyes
Does the world disappear

There's something in everyone
Only they know
Never leave lonely alone...
It moves in the hidden ways
Of joy and sorrow
Never leave lonely alone
Never leave lonely alone...