Grateful Dead

[fox69]

"Ramble On Rose"

"Ramble On Rose"



Just like Jack the Ripper, just like Mojo Hand,
Just like Billy Sunday, in a shotgun ragtime band,
Just like New York City, just like Jerico,
Pace the halls and climb the walls and get out when they blow.

Did you say your name was Ramblin Rose?
Ramble on baby, settle down easy
Ramble on Rose.

Just like Jack and Jill, Mama told the jailor
One hear up, and one cool down, leave nothin' for the tailor.
Just like Jack and Jill, Papa told the jailer
One go up, and one go down, do yourself a favor.

Did you say your name was Ramblin Rose?
Ramble on baby, settle down easy
Ramble on Rose.

I'm gonna to sing you a hundred verses in ragtime,
I know this song it ain't never gonna end.
I'm gonna march you up and down along the county line,
Take you to the leader of a band.

Just like Crazy Otto, just like Wolfman Jack,
Sittin plush with a royal flush, aces back to back.
Just like Mary Shelly, just like Frankenstein,
Clank your chains and count your change and try to walk the line.

Did you say your name was Ramblin Rose?
Ramble on baby, settle down easy
Ramble on Rose.

I'm gonna to sing you a hundred verses in ragtime,
I know this song it ain't never gonna end.
I'm gonna march you up and down along the county line,
Take you to the leader of a band.

Goodbye Mama and Papa
Goodbye Jack and Jill
The grass ain't greener
The wine ain't sweeter
Either side of the hill.

Did you say your name was Ramblin Rose?
Ramble on baby, settle down easy
Ramble on Rose.

 

[fox69]

"Ripple"

"Ripple"



If my words did glow with the gold of sunshine
And my tunes were played on the harp unstrung,
Would you hear my voice come through the music?
Would you hold it near as it were your own?

It's a hand-me-down, the thoughts are broken,
Perhaps they're better left unsung.
I don't know, don't really care
Let there be songs to fill the air.

Ripple in still water,
When there is no pebble tossed,
Nor wind to blow.

Reach out your hand if your cup be empty,
If your cup is full may it be again,
Let it be known there is a fountain,
That was not made by the hands of men.

There is a road, no simple highway,
Between the dawn and the dark of night,
And if you go no one may follow,
That path is for your steps alone.

Ripple in still water,
When there is no pebble tossed,
Nor wind to blow.

You, who choose to lead, must follow
But if you fall you fall alone.
If you should stand then who's to guide you?
If I knew the way I would take you home.

La dee da da da,
La da da da da,
Da da da, da da, da da da da da
La da da da,
La da da, da da,
La da da da,
La da, da da.

 

[fox69]

"Rosa Lee McFall"

"Rosa Lee McFall"



Out on the lonely hillside in a cabin low and small
Lived the sweetest rose of color my rosie mcfall
Her eyes were bright and shining and her voice was sweet to me
Knew that I would always love her and I hoped that she loved me

My eyes turned to me, my darlin' and this is what she said:
You know that I would always love you when you and I are wed.
Then God way up in heaven one day for her did call
I lost my bride, oh how I loved her, my rosie mcfall

I searched this wide world over through cities great and small
But I never found another like my rosie mcfall

 

[fox69]

"Rosemary"

"Rosemary"



Boots were of leather, a breath of cologne
the mirror was a window she sat by alone.
All around the garden grew scarlet and purple and crimson and blue.
She came dead and she went, and at last went away, the garden was sealed when the
flowers decayed.
On the wall of the garden a legend did say, no one may come here since no one may
stay.

 

[fox69]

"Row Jimmy"

"Row Jimmy"



Julie catch a rabbit by his hair
Come back steppin' like to walk on air
Get back home where you belong
And don't you run off no more.

Don't hang your head, let the two time roll
Grass shack nailed to a pine wood floor
Ask the time baby I don't know
Come back later, gonna let it show.

I say row Jimmy row, gonna get there, I don't know,
Seems a common way to go, get out and row, row, row, row, row.

Here's a half dollar if you dare
Double twist when you hit the air,
Look at Julie down below,
The levee doin' the do-pas-o.

I say row Jimmy row, gonna get there, I don't know
Seems a common way to go, get out and row, row, row, row, row.

Broken heart don't feel so bad,
You ain't got half of what you thought you had.
Rock you baby to and fro
Not too fast and not too slow.

I say row Jimmy row, gonna get there, I don't know,
Seems a common way to go, get out and row, row, row, row, row.

That's the way it's been in town,
Ever since they tore the jukebox down.
Two bit piece don't buy no more,
Not so much as it done before.

I say row Jimmy row, gonna get there I don't know
Seems a common way to go, get out and row, row, row, row, row.

 

[fox69]

"Saint Of Circumstance"

"Saint Of Circumstance"



This must be heaven, tonight I cross the line.
You must be the angel, I though I might never find.
Was it you I heard singing, Oh while I was chasin' dreams.
Driven by the wind, like the dust that blows around,
And the rain fallin' down, but I never know.
Got to be heaven, cause here's where the rainbow ends.
If this ain't the real thing, then it's close enough to pretend.
When that wind blows, when the night's about to fall.
You can hear the silence call, it's a certain sort of sound,
Like the rain fallin' down.

Holes in what's left of my reason, holes in the knees of my blues.
Odds against me been increasin', but I'll pull through.
I never could read no road map, I don't know what the weather might do.
But when that rich wind whines and I see the dark star shine,
I got a feeling there's no time to lose, no time to lose.

Never know now, just don't never know, no.
Well it's been heaven, but even the rainbows will end.
Now my sails are fillin' and the wind is willin'.
And I'm as good as gone again.
I'm still walkin', so I'm sure that I can dance.
Just a Saint of Circumstance, just a tiger in a trance.
And the rain fallin' down, well, you never know, just don't know.
Listen, sure don't know what I going for, but I'm gonna go for it for sure...

 

[fox69]

"Samson And Delilah"

"Samson And Delilah"



If I had my way, I would tear this old building down.

Well Delilah was a woman, she was fine and fair,
She had good looks, God knows, and coal black hair,
Delilah she gained old Samson's mind.
When first he saw this woman, you know he couldn't believe his mind.

Delilah she climbed up on Samson's knee,
Said tell me where your strength lies if you please.
She spoke so kind and she talked so fair,
Well Samson said, Delilah cut off my hair.

You can shave my head, clean as my hand
And my strength will become as natural as any old man.

If I had my way, if I had my way, if I had my way,
I would tear this old building down.

You read about Samson, all from his works,
He was the strongest man that ever had lived on earth.
One day when Samson was walking along,
Looked down on the ground, he saw an old jawbone.

He stretched out his arm, God knows, chains broke like thread,
When he got to moving, ten thousand was dead.

If I had my way, if I had my way, if I had my way,
I would tear this old building down.

Now Samson and the lion, they got in a tack,
Samson he crawled up on the lion's back.
You read about this lion, he killed a man with his paws,
But Samson got his hands around that lion's jaws.

He ripped the beast till he killed him dead.
The bees made honey in the lion's head.

If I had my way, if I had my way, if I had my way,
I would tear this old building down.

 

[fox69]

"Scarlet Begonias"

"Scarlet Begonias"



As I was walkin' 'round Grosvenor Square
Not a chill to the winter but a nip to the air,
From the other direction, she was calling my eye,
It could be an illusion, but I might as well try, might as well try.

She had rings on her fingers and bells on her shoes.
And I knew without askin' she was into the blues.
She wore scarlet begonias tucked into her curls,
I knew right away she was not like other girls, other girls.

In the thick of the evening when the dealing got rough,
She was too pat to open and too cool to bluff.
As I picked up my matches and was closing the door,
I had one of those flashes I'd been there before, been there before.

Well, I ain't always right but I've never been wrong.
Seldom turns out the way it does in a song.
Once in a while you get shown the light
In the strangest of places if you look at it right.

Well, there ain't nothing wrong with the way she moves,
Scarlet begonias or a touch of the blues.
And there's nothing wrong with the look that's in her eyes,
I had to learn the hard way to let her pass by, let her pass by.

The wind in the willow's playin' "Tea for Two";
The sky was yellow and the sun was blue,
Strangers stoppin' strangers just to shake their hand,
Everybody's playing in the heart of gold band, heart of gold band.

 

[fox69]

"Shakedown Street"

"Shakedown Street"



You tell me this town ain't got no heart. Well, well, well, you can never tell.
The sunny side of the street is dark. Well, well, well, you can never tell.
Maybe that's cause it's midnight, in the dark of the moon besides.

Maybe the dark is from your eyes, Maybe the dark is from your eyes,
Maybe the dark is from your eyes, Maybe the dark is from your eyes,
Maybe the dark is from your eyes, Maybe the dark is from your eyes,
You know you got such dark eyes!

Nothin' shakin' on Shakedown Street. Used to be the heart of town.
Don't tell me this town ain't got no heart. You just gotta poke around.

You think you've seen this town clear through.
Well, well, well, you can never tell.
Nothin' here that could int'rest you. Well, well, well, you can never tell.
It's not because you missed out on the thing that we had to start.

Maybe you had too much too fast. Maybe you had too much too fast.
Maybe you had too much too fast. Maybe you had too much too fast.
Maybe you had too much too fast. Maybe you had too much too fast.
Or just over played your part.

Nothin' shakin' on Shakedown Street. Used to be the heart of town.
Don't tell me this town ain't got no heart. You just gotta poke around.

Since I'm passing your way today. Well, well, well, you can never tell.
I just stopped in 'cause I want to say, Well, well, well, you can never tell.
I recall your darkness when it crackled like a thundercloud.

Don't tell me this town ain't got no heart.
Don't tell me this town ain't got no heart.
Don't tell me this town ain't got no heart.
Don't tell me this town ain't got no heart.
Don't tell me this town ain't got no heart.
Don't tell me this town ain't got no heart.
When I can hear it beat out loud!

Nothin' shakin' on Shakedown Street. Used to be the heart of town.
Don't tell me this town ain't got no heart. You just gotta poke around.

 

[fox69]

"Ship Of Fools"

"Ship Of Fools"



Went to see the captain, strangest I could find,
Laid my proposition down, laid it on the line.
I won't slave for beggar's pay, likewise gold and jewels,
But I would slave to learn the way to sink your ship of fools.

Ship of fools on a cruel sea, ship of fools sail away from me.
It was later than I thought when I first believed you,
Now I cannot share your laughter, ship of fools.

Saw your first ship sink and drown, from rockin' of the boat,
And all that could not sink or swim was just left there to float.
I won't leave you drifting down, but woh it makes me wild,
With thirty years upon my head to have you call me child.

Ship of fools on a cruel sea, ship of fools sail away from me.
It was later than I thought when I first believed you,
Now I cannot share your laughter, ship of fools.

The bottles stand as empty, as they were filled before.
Time there was and plenty, but from that cup no more.
Though I could not caution all, I still might warn a few:
Don't lend your hand to raise no flag atop no ship of fools.

Ship of fools on a cruel sea, ship of fools sail away from me.
It was later than I thought, when I first believed you,
Now I cannot share your laughter, ship of fools.

It was later than I thought when I first believed you,
Now I cannot share your laughter, ship of fools.