John Mellencamp

[fox69]

"Chestnut Street"

"Chestnut Street"


Well I've lived and breathed and been disbelieved
In these small town streets too long
I've been up with the winners and down with the sinners
And hung on this corner 'til dawn
And my hands they have been tied
To a life I've been denied
I'm just a small town boy bein' used like a toy
And workin' from nine to five

By the end of the day, all the kids would go play
And I'd come staggering home
With a dream in my hand and a master plan
That wouln't leave my mind alone
I compromised all my schemes
And flucturated all my dreams
I'm just a small town boy bein' used like a toy
And nothing is like it really seems

But you must believe that when I walk down the tracks
The young girls fall back and say
There goes that sleek young silhouette
He don't drive no Corvette
But he stings just like a Sting Ray
And that's my only redemption in this house of detention
That keeps me from simply blowin' it all away
'Cause when I walk down the street in the hot summer heat
I say, God don't take this away

I keep hopin' and wishin' that these romantic positions
Gonna help me hide my pain
And all the hurt that I've felt underneath my leather studded belt
Of not finding fortune and fame
But some day I'll blow 'em away with the things that I may sing and
Might say
I'm just a small town boy bein' used like a toy
And waitin' for my pay dirt day

I'm just a small town boy bein' used like a toy
And waitin' for my pay day

 

[fox69]

"Chestnut Street Revisited"

"Chestnut Street Revisited"


Well I've lived and breathed and been disbelieved
In these small town streets too long
I've held nothin' but aces and been many places
And hung on the corner 'til dawn
But my hands have been tied
To a life I've been denied
I'm just a small town boy bein' used like a toy
And workin' a nine to five

Well I worked like a fool 'til after done with high school
Just to form a rock and rollin' band
But the streets were exploding and my life I was decoding
Had a dream I couldn't understand
And I work it out everyday
For no fun and very little pay
I'm just a smal town boy bein' used like a toy
And doin' what other people say

Well I've drooled and fooled and been ridiculed
For havin' dreams just above my reach
And I've lied and died and tried suicide
For all the things you people wanna preach
But I always had to turn the other way
When I heard those homefolks say
(They say) You're just a small town boy bein' used like a toy
And livin' on a day to day

But you must believe that when I walk down the tracks
All those young girls fall back and say
There goes that sleek young silhouette
He don't drive no Corvette
But he stings just like a Sting Ray
And that's my only redemption in this house of detention
That keeps me from simply blowin' it all away
'Cause when I walk down the street in the hot summer heat
I say, God don't take this away

Well by the end of the day, all the kids would go play
And I'd come staggering back home
With a dream in my hand and a master plan
That wouldn't leave my mind alone
Well I compromised all my schemes
And I fluctuated all my dreams
I'm just a small town boy bein' used like a toy
And nothing is like it really seems

But what a fool I must seem to have all these dreams
And try to live them all through
It's like a slap in your face, with a mercurochrome taste
When the dream is long overdue
And it seems kinda strange that nobody came
To the game that I have put myself through
And when I walk down the street in the hot summer heat
I say, what the hell can I do

Well I keep hopin' and wishin' that these romantic positions
Gonna help me hide all this pain
And all the hurt that I've felt underneath my leather studded belt
Of not findin' my fortune and fame
Some day I'll blow 'em away with the things that I sing and I say
I'm just a small town boy bein' used like a toy
And waitin' on my pay day

I'm just a small town boy bein' used like a toy
And waitin' on my pay day

 

[fox69]

"China Girl"

"China Girl"


China girl, I met you on the sea sand.
You touched me with your cool hand.
Your perfume's in the wind.

China girl, your daddy tells you white lies
To keep you from by blue eyes.
To know me is no sin.

[Chorus:]
And I won't break you, China girl,
If you take me into your world.
It's been my good fortune to find you,
China girl.

Stolen flowers are sweetest in the mornin'.
The Eastern sun is dawnin'.
Your silk's against my skin.

China girl, take me to your jasmine place.
Cool me with your subtle grace.
To know me is no sin.

[Chorus:]
And I won't break you, China girl,
If you take me into your world.
It's been my good fortune to find you,
China girl.

 

[fox69]

"Circling Around The Moon"

"Circling Around The Moon"


There may come a day when you grow weary
Troubled waters stain the paper cup
From other venues, other voices carry
Spilled dreams soaking into thirsty dust

Maybe then and there you'll find another
Lover with a blank and empty heart
Filled with breath and old sails to discover
Strength to push the seas apart

On the day we met
I began to want you
On the day we met
I began to lose you too
Both of us circling round the moon
Both of us circling round the moon

There may come a day when you feel anger
China cracked and glued by clumsy hands
Veins of memory touching only hunger
the heart devours what it cannot understand

On the day we met
I began to want you
On the day we met
I began to lose you too
Both of us circling round the moon
Both of us circling round the moon

Maybe it was then I saw my future
Saw it as a shadow on the ground
Beneath the earth old nails to discover
Strength to hold my body down

On the day we met
I began to want you
On the day we met
I began to lose you too
Both of us circling round the moon

On the day we met
I began to want you, want you
On the day we met
I began to lose you too
Both of us circling round the moon
the both or us circling round the moon
both of us circling round the moon
Large World Turning
Written by: John Mellencamp
Someday this will all be over
Nothing lasts forever
Thank god for change
I love you now, we should stay together
No one's crying about a single thing

Large world turning
Live while you can
Live while you can
Large world turning
Live while you can
Live while you can

You may sleep where your lover leads you
Come and brush these crumbs from my bed
Tell me the truth, I will never leave you
I'll be happy by the baby's bed

Large world turning
Live while you can
Live while you can
Large world turning
Live while you can
Live while you can

When this world becomes an ocean
We will find the desert
Right next to the pig's tail
And watch the summer sun

Corrugated roofs with little white houses
Hide the dogs that walk on three legs
Someday this will all be over
No one's playing that pissin game

Large world turning
Live while you can
Live while you can
Large world turning
No one can see the end

Large world turning
No one sees the end
No one sees the end
Large world turning
Live while you can
Live while you can

 

[fox69]

"Close Enough"

"Close Enough"


I may not be a pillar in my town
Or have the kind of job you think that I should.
I know you see me out running around with a couple of people
You think are no good.

I've tried to clean it up a couple of times, but I'm a
Backslidin' fool when it comes to walkin' that line.
It's OK. You think you're better than me.
Yeah, that's all right, girl, that's all right.

[Chorus:]
'Cause I'm close enough for rock and roll,
Close enough for rock and roll,
Close enough for rock and roll.
I'm close enough for a little rock and roll.

Yeah, it's true, I don't plan my time.
When you're lookin' for me, I'm hard to find.
I know you don't wanna run around with me.
With my socks fallin' down, girl, I'm just poor company.

I've seen your face, and it's a one-eyed jack.
We like to talk about this or that.
None of these things really interest me.
Hey, that's all right, girl, that's all right.

[Chorus:]
'Cause I'm close enough for rock and roll,
Close enough for rock and roll,
Close enough for rock and roll.
I'm close enough for a little rock.

I know you think I'm a rough cut, baby.
I ain't as rough cut as I am the blood on your hands.
Gonna love that blood right off of your hands.

[Chorus:]
Yeah, that's all right, girl, that's all right.
Close enough for rock and roll,
Close enough for rock and roll,
Close enough for rock and roll.
I'm close enough for a little rock and roll.

 

[fox69]

"Clumsy Ol' World"

"Clumsy Ol' World"


She spends all our money
And then she tells me I'm too tight
She calls me Sunny
Cause she thinks that I'm so bright
She likes her love in the morning
I like it at night
Gee it's a clumsy ol' world
Gee it's a clumsy ol' world

She don't eat meat
But she smokes cigarettes
She remembers things
That I'm trying to forget
We both can hold a grudge
But she always forgives
Gee it's a clumsy ol' world
Gee it's a clumsy ol' world

Sometimes she'll meet me half way
But then she'll steal my half
We're always in each other's way
And that just makes us laugh

She says she can't quit me
But she doesn't know why
She gets mean and hateful
But she's the apple of my eye
We heart each other
With a love that'll never die
Gee it's a clumsy ol' world
Gee it's a clumsy ol' world

 

[fox69]

"Colored Lights"

"Colored Lights"


Look here baby
I'm too embarrassed to talk to you
'Cause every eye that I see
Every guy in this room
Is looking to talk, only to you
How do you talk to an angel?
I wish I knew

And when the room goes dark
They're going to turn on the colored lights
I've been sending you out my signal now
Little girl can't we dance tonight?
And when the room goes dark
They're going to turn on the colored lights

He-hey baby
Use your imagination now, won't you please?
And try to think about me making a move
I could walk, but I'm down on my knees
You know I've learned some lessons now
I bet you've learned some too
When the blue mist fills up this room
The colored lights are going to shine on me and you

And when the room goes dark
They're going to turn on the colored lights
I've been sending you out my signal, cryin'
Little girl can't we dance tonight?
When the room goes dark
We're going to turn on the colored lights

And when the room goes dark
They're going to turn on the colored lights
I've been sending you out my signal now
Little girl can't we dance tonight?
When the room goes dark
We're going to turn on the colored lights

I've been sending you out my signal now
Little girl, can't we dance tonight?
When the room goes dark
When the room goes dark
When the room goes dark
They're going to turn on the colored lights

 

[fox69]

"Coming Down The Road"

"Coming Down The Road"


Well I heard the bells of freedom once
As I was coming down the road
Coming down the road
And I followed that echo wherever it would go
As I was coming down the road
But there always seemed to be trouble in my path
I found my hands tied behind my back
As I was coming down the road
Coming down the road

Well I heard the truth call my name
As I was coming down the road
Coming down the road
And I followed that voice to the valley below
As I was coming down the road
And it took me down a path where I was lost all the time
I found some truth but it could never be mine
As I was coming down the road
Coming down the road

And I saw myself for a second as I really am
As I was coming down the road
And I had to look away in disbelief I suppose
As I was coming down the road
I caught a glimpse of myself as others see me
And I wasn't the fella that I thought I'd be
As I was coming down the road
Coming down the road

I saw you out my window
As you was walking alone
Coming down the road
And I raised my hand as if to say hello
As I was coming down the road
But you didn't wave back
You just walked on by
Alone by yourself
Till the day you die
And I guess the truth and freedom before us all are lies
Somewhere down the road
Somewhere down the road

 

[fox69]

"Country Gentleman"

"Country Gentleman"


Country gentleman walked a crooked mile,
Got our money in his pocket.
Did it all with a very handsome smile.
Now, he's livin' it up in a great big office.
He ain't a-gonna help no poor man.
He ain't a-goona help no poor man.
He ain't a-gonna help no poor man.
He's just gonna help his rich friends.

He ain't a-gonna help no women.
He ain't a-gonna help no children.
He's just gonna help his rich friends.

Country gentleman, we see him on T.V.,
Glad handin' folks and chattin' to the nation.
We never knew what really to believe.
Just word upon slogan with emotional connection.

[Chorus:]
He ain't a-gonna help no poor man.
He ain't a-gonna help no children.
He ain't a-gonna help no women.
He's just gonna help his rich friends.

And in the papers all we'd ever read is
So and so big-shot signed his resignation.
Now, country gentleman he wants us to believe
That he's kind and honest with the best intentions.

[Chorus]

Country gentleman, now there's a bird that flew
High above his nation, prayed on its weakness.
Picked our bones and threw it in his stew.
Thank God he went back to California.

[Chorus]

 

[fox69]

"County Fair"

"County Fair"


Well the County Fair left quite a mess
In the county yard
Kids with eyes as big as dollars
Rode all the rides
Strip artists and con artists
Put on quite a show
And made some money
Then left town
Where they went I don't know

Hey all you suckers
I heard a fat woman say
Come on in for fifty cents
You can stay in here all day
So I took a chance
I went inside
Wasn't much there to see
So I asked her for my money back
And she just smiled at me

Saw Princess Tonyika taken off all her clothes
Rode some rides and played some games
Saw the Wild Man from Barneo
There was a black man playing the blues
Talked to some friends I hadn't seen in a while
Through a football through a hoop

Well I saw them loading up their trucks
Taking down the rides
Folding up all the tents
There's a full moon in the sky
Some were laughing some were cussing
As they worked
Saw one of them making love
To a local girl

I was minding my own business
It was quarter after two
When a fella walked up and said
Hey man
I remember you
And then he shoved me
And pulled out his knife
Stuck me three times in the chest
And I died that night

For the like of me I can't remember
Who he was
And why he'd put a knife in me
In the dusty parking lot
Everybody said
What a shame it was
But he knew better than staying out
Past twelve o'clock

Some people put no value
On a human life
And there are places we all go
That just ain't safe at night
If somebody would do this to me
They just might do it to you
So be careful where you go
And what you say or do

Well the County Fair left quite a mess
In the county yard