John Mellencamp

[fox69]

"Walk Tall"

"Walk Tall"


[Note lyrics with an (1) at the end appear on the album version. Lines with (2) at the end appear on the single version]

The simple minded
And the uninformed
Can be easily led astray
And those that cannot connect the dots
Hey look the other way
People believe what they want to believe
When it makes no sense at all
So be careful of those killing in Jesus's name (1)
He don't believe in killing at all (1)

And I wish you a long sight line (2)
And the strength to walk tall (2)
Walk tall
Yeah walk on
Through this world
Walk tall
Somewhere out in the distance
Is the death of you and me
Even though we don't think of it much
It's still out there for us to see
If you treat life like a bar room fight
You'll die stinking of gin
No drunkards are allowed in heaven
No sinners will get in
Walk tall
Yeah, walk on
Walk tall
Through this world
Walk tall
So be careful in what you believe in
There's plenty to get you confused
And in this land called paradise
You must walk in many men's shoes
Bigotry and hatred are enemies to us all
Grace, mercy and forgiveness
Will help a man walk tall
So walk tall
Yeah, walk on
Walk tall
Through this world
Through this world
Yeah, walk tall
Then walk on
Walk tall
Then walk on
Through this world
Through this world
Through this world
Through this world
Walk tall
Walk tall
Then walk on
Walk tall

 

[fox69]

"Warmer Place To Sleep"

"Warmer Place To Sleep"


Well I've been up to the mountain
Seen the ashes down below
I had breakfast with the wise man
He told me what he thought I should know
And I've been to bed with Jezebel
And I found the well was deep
And I'd trade in my ambitions
For a warmer place to sleep

Well I've seen the heart of darkness
Read the writing on the wall
And the voice out in the desert
Was the voice out in the hall
And once he called me Abel
And once he called me Cain
And for forty days and forty nights
I slept out in the rain

[Chorus:]
Girl can you share your warm bed tonight
I need to find a safe retreat
Someplace where they can't see my eyes
I need to find a warmer place to sleep

Well I rested in the devil's arms
I've chased the hounds of hell
I played truth or dare with the angels
And as far as I can tell
That a heart of gold ain't no better
Than a heart torn from the street
And I'd trade in my heart of stone
For a warmer place to sleep

[Chorus]

 

[fox69]

"We Are The People"

"We Are The People"


If you're feelin' shut down
May my thoughts be with you
If you're a black man bein' beat down and shoved all around
May my thoughts be with you
If your world's gettin' a little to tough
You know our thoughts are with you
Hey, I know that it's crazy out there
And my thoughts are with you

[Chorus:]
We are the people
And we live forever
We are the people
And our future's written on the wind
On the wind

If you are one of the homeless
May our thoughts be with you
If you are scared and alone
You know our thoughts are with you

If you are one of the fortunate ones
We all know it's lonely up there
We understand that nobody's got it made
So our thoughts are with you

[Chorus]

You see yourself as a leader
May my thoughts be with you
If you try to divide and conquer
We'll rise up against you
We know only the strong will survive
But the meek will inherit
So if you've got a coat of arms, oh friend
I suggest we wear it

[Chorus]

 

[fox69]

"Weakest Moments"

"Weakest Moments"


Well, I hear you downstairs;
You're foolin' around with your father's brother
And your mother's gown.

All the old heroes keep coming round
To find out if you're still at home.

So you lie in the sun, watch your body turn to tan.
Your skin is oiled with the sweat of a man.

He bought you a diamond ring, girl, to wear on your hand.
And baby, he's leaving tomorrow.

[Chorus:]
Yeah, I'll be with you in your weakest moments, uh huh.
Yeah, I'll be there with you in your weakest moments.

You say you remember when it was your world
And you were Mister Ruby's girl.
He gave you dreams and schemes that swirl
Around your head and your body.

And when you drink sometimes, you try to liberate.
And you stagger in the front yard till you find the gate
That swing on that thin line of love and hate.
And baby, just let it go.

[Chorus:]
Yeah, I'll be with you in your weakest moments, uh huh.
Yeah, I'll be there with you in your weakest moments.

 

[fox69]

"Welcome To Chinatown"

"Welcome To Chinatown"


In the cool of the evening
I don't know the reason
But I long to touch
Some young tender hearts sometimes
So I go to this party
With a bunch of me hardies
They say don't get too cute
Don't get too smart
'Cause these people are crazy
They toot coke and drink wang-too
And they talk in some crazy tongue
There's a slit-eyed lady
Say'n don't you be so stupid
I may be old but I'm still good fun
Still good fun
Yeah I'm still good fun

Well I ain't that choosy
I'll flip-flop with a floozy
If I figure there's no strings attached
But sometimes I loose my feet
Underneath the back seat
And I have to fly my heart at half mast
Well this old bitty
She was smart and she was witty
She was really out of control you know
It was stumble or fall
I had my back to the wall
I didn't know to bet on win, place or show

[Chorus:]
Welcome to Chinatown, she said
I'm gonna lay your body down, she said
I ain't no queen, but I'm wearin' this crown
She said
Welcome to Chinatown
Welcome to Chinatown

Well she shimmered and she shook
What she wanted she took
She shook like some rickshaw ride
She stuck her fingers down my throat
'Till I almost choked
I thought I'd gone heaven and died
Well she took me by the ear
And said what do you want to hear boy
You want to hear those crazy old lies
I said nothing you can say girl
Can drive me away
Just check my complexion
Make sure I'm still alive

[Chorus:]
Welcome to Chinatown, she said
I'm gonna lay your body down, she said
I ain't no queen, but I'm wearin' this crown
She said
Welcome to Chinatown
Welcome to Chinatown
Welcome to Chinatown
Welcome to Chinatown

 

[fox69]

"What If I Came Knocking"

"What If I Came Knocking"


What if I came knocking
On your front door some night?
Would you open the window
And drop me down the key?
What if I came knocking
On your bedpost that same night?
Would you open up your heart
Or try to get the best of me?

What if I came knocking
On your brain the next day
And ask for your truth and your love and your honesty?
Would you build up your big walls
And try to hide behind that smile
Or would you try to pull the wool right over me?

So what if I came knocking?
So what if I came knocking?
So what if I came kicking
And it scared you a little bit,
And I came on strong
Would you think
That there's something wrong with me?
Or could it be your fears
Of trying something real
Or just afraid to touch
A guy like me?

What if I came knocking?
What if I came knocking?
What if I came knocking
On your front door some night? Ahh

So let's just say it worked out
Like a storybook dream
And we lived happily ever after.
Fa la la la.
But what if I came crying
After just a few weeks
And said I misread my heart,
This is not really meant to be? yeah

So if you hear some knocking
On your window tonight
You can bet that it's probably me.
But let it be known
That we're just a pair of tumbling dice
And the outcome of these crap shoots
Is hard to see.

So what if I came knocking?
So what if I came knocking?
So what if I came knocking
On your front door tonight? Ahh
So what if I came knocking?
Knock, knock, knock, knock, knock, knocking
Kick, kick, kick
What if I came knocking
On your front porch tonight, tonight?

 

[fox69]

"What Kind Of Man Am I"
(feat. Carlene Carter)

"What Kind Of Man Am I"
(feat. Carlene Carter)



My words don't know the truth
They flutter as I speak
The sickness I feel under my belt
Is the disdain I have for me
I've asked you to stand tall
But it's me who's fallen down
A better man I'd like to be
But I can't find my way home now

So what kind of man am I?
Who never looked up to see the sky
And every word I say
Has come back to haunt me every day
So here I stand alone
Crippled on my cane
The coward I've become
The loser in the game

These eyes you see are masked
By a thin veneer of tears
And who would have known that such a small task
Would have compromised all these years
'Cause a liar's guilt is a liar's fate
And man, that's just the facts
For those too weak to tell the truth
Into darkness you'll be cast

So what kind of man am I?
Who never looked up to see the sky
And every word I say
Has come back to haunt me every day
And here I stand alone
Crippled on my cane
The coward I've become
The loser in the game

Angels are flying with you tonight
You'd better not let them go
'Cause if you do I'd hate to think
Of what your fate could be
Speak your mind, tell what you know
And set your soul free

So what kind of man am I?
Who never looked up to see the sky
"Speak your heart"... Here I stand alone
Crippled on my cane
The coward I've become
"Set us free"... The loser in the game

 

[fox69]

"When Jesus Left Birmingham"

"When Jesus Left Birmingham"


When Jesus left Birmingham
All the disciples went crazy.
When Jesus left Birmingham
All the people went completely nuts.
They all busted out on a wild night
Riding high on a golden calf.
When Jesus left Birmingham
All the people had themselves a big long laugh.

Well my girl, she's a walker
And she can talk herself out of any mess.
My girl, she don't pray
But somehow she seems still to be blessed.
And when those crazy nights come callin',
Man, she'll dance on the tables
Like all of the rest.
When my girl left Birmingham
She was doing what she thought was best.

It's all free on the inside.
I passed a very uncomfortable feeling last night.
Save us right now, we need you...
To hell with all the lies and liars.
Recovery, recovery, I don't know about any recovery.
Inside, gotta get inside,
Inside.

I see myself with a rosary,
I'm in a garden and I'm talking to myself.
I ain't sayin' much worth repeating,
Just askin' for forgiveness and all of his best.
When those crazy nights come callin',
Man, I'm just as human as I can be.
When Jesus left Birmingham
He left it there for you and me.
When Jesus left Birmingham
He left it there for you and me.

So let it rock, let it roll,
Let the Bible Belt come and save my soul.
[Repeat out.]

 

[fox69]

"When Margaret Comes To Town"

"When Margaret Comes To Town"


When you were a kid you received no good instruction
And your mother was nowhere to be found
The lies were yelled and the truth was seldom spoken
That's what you get when Margaret comes to town
She likes to keep things upside down
When Margaret comes to town
When your thoughts are twisted and distorted
And your children are forced to choose sides and lie down
And the keeper is screaming drunk running around naked
It's for your pleasure
When Margaret comes to town
She likes to keep things upside down
When Margaret comes to town
Oh, but those who believe in her
They cut off their noses to spite their faces
Leaving you the little one scared and lonely
Who really cares about you now
So if you see her coming man you'd better take cover
She stays down at the dark end of a frown
And just like the sirens that are so sweetly singing
It's better just to leave when Margaret comes to town
When Margaret comes to town
She likes to keep things upside down
When Margaret comes to town
She likes to keep things upside down
When Margaret comes to town

 

[fox69]

"Whenever We Wanted"

"Whenever We Wanted"


We weren't afraid of nothing
Wasn't nothing we couldn't do
She held her breath once for seven minutes
And never turned blue

She could burn a woman down
If she felt she'd been unkind
or if she thought she was coming on to me
It drove her out of her mind

[Chorus:]
Oh yeah, it's true
We just did what we did
Whenever we wanted to
Yeah, it's true
We just did what we wanted
Whenever we wanted to

She was my very best friend
My biggest enemy
On judgment day we would go either way
It was all the same you see

She was not afraid of Satan
In fact she thought he was a joke
Said she'd tear off his tail
And run her fist down his throat

[Chorus]

She was the apple of temptation
The apple of my eye
Used to rest on a bed of burning coals
Every single night

And I know she's out there somewhere
She's wrestling in the bones
With confetti in her hair
You can bet she's not alone

[Chorus]