John Prine

[fox69]

"The Late John Garfield Blues"

"The Late John Garfield Blues"



Black faces pressed against the glass
Where rain has pressed it's weight
Wind blown scarves in top down cars
All share one western trait
Sadness leaks through tear-stained cheeks
From winos to dime-store Jews
Probably don't know they give me
These late John Garfield blues

Midnight fell on Franklin Street
And the lamppost bulbs were broke
For the life of me, I could not see
But I heard a brand new joke
Two men were standing upon a bridge
One jumped and screamed you lose
And just left the odd man holding
Those late John Garfield blues

An old man sleeps with his conscience at night
Young kids sleep with their dreams
While the mentally ill sit perfectly still
And live through life's in-betweens

I'm going away to the last resort
In week or two real soon
Where the fish don't bite but once a night
By the cold light of the moon
The horses scream- the nightmares dream
And the dead men all wear shoes
'Cause everybody's dancin'
Those late John Garfield blues

 

[fox69]

"The Moon Is Down"

"The Moon Is Down"



The moon is down
All over town
The forecast is grey
Now that she's gone away

The stars in the skies
Fell out of her eyes
They shattered when they hit the ground
And now the moon is down

The sun will be fine
It'll still shine all the time
The sky will be blue
And do what it's supposed to do
Ya see gravity pulls
But it can't keep you around
It'll be one long day
And now the moon is down

The moon is down
All over town
The stars in the skies
Fell out of her eyes
The gravity pulls
But it can't hold you down
It'll be one long day
Now the moon is down

It'll be on long day
Now the moon is down

 

[fox69]

"The Oldest Baby In The World"

"The Oldest Baby In The World"



She's got the mind of a child
And a body peaking over the hill
Well, she would if she could
And she should but nobody will
With her nails painted red
And her hair so unnaturally curled
Well I think that she may be
The oldest baby in the world

She's tasted the night life
But it's left her with nothing but hunger
And all the available men
Seem to think that they want something younger
But youth is a costume
And the beauty within lies unfurled
And I think that she may be
The oldest baby in the world

Fast horses win races
And royal flushes beat aces
And everyone's playing to keep
So let's turn out the lights
And rock that old baby to sleep

She loves the sound of the rain
But you know she's still afraid of the thunder
She keeps a head full of hope
And a heart that's so full of wonder
She may look like a woman
But she's still some daddy's little girl
And I think that she may be
The oldest baby in the world
Yes, I think that she may be
The oldest baby in the world

 

[fox69]

"The Other Side Of Town"

"The Other Side Of Town"



Why do you always seem to criticize me
Seems like everything I do just turns out wrong
Why don't you come on out and despise me
So I could pack my bag and baby I'd be gone

Remember when you used to call me honey
I'd turn around and call you honey too
You might think it's a joke, but it ain't funny
To hurt someone who's so in love with you

A clown puts his makeup on upside down
So he wears a smile even when he wears a frown
You might think I'm here when you put me down
But actually I'm on the other side of town.

My body's in this room with you just catching hell
While my soul is drinking beer down the road a spell
You might think I'm listening to your grocery list
But I'm leaning on the jukebox and I'm about half ... way there

A clown puts his makeup on upside down
So he wears a smile even when he wears a frown
You might think I'm here when you put me down
But actually I'm on the other side of town.

I'm sittin' on a chair just behind my ear
Playing dominoes and drinking some ice cold beer
When you get done talking I'll come back downstairs
And assume the body of the person you presume who cares

I'm across the river on the other side of town
In my mind I'm on the other side of town

 

[fox69]

"The Sins Of Memphisto"

"The Sins Of Memphisto"



From the bells of St Mary
To the Count of Monte Cristo
Nothing can stop
Nothing can stop
Nothing can stop
The sins of Memphisto

Sally used to play with her hula hoops
Now she tells her problems to therapy groups
Grampa's on the front lawn staring at a rake
Wondering if his marriage was a terrible mistake
I'm sitting on the front steps drinking orange crush
Wondering if it's possible if I could still blush
Uh huh Oh yeah

A boy on a bike with corduroy slacks
Sleeps in the river by the railroad tracks
He waits for the whistle on the train to scream
So he can close his eyes and begin to dream
Uh huh Oh yeah

The hands on his watch spin slowly around
With his mind on a bus that goes all over town
Looking at the babies and the factories
And listening to the music of Mister Squeeze
As if by magic or remote control
He finds a piece of a puzzle
That he missed in his soul
Uh huh Oh yeah

Adam and Eve and Lucy and Ricky
Bit the big apple and got a little sticky
Esmeralda and the Hunchback of Notre Dame
They humped each other like they had no shame
They paused as they posed for a Polaroid photo
She whispered in his ear "Exactly Odo Quasimoto"

 

[fox69]

"The Torch Singer"

"The Torch Singer"


The night club was burning
From the torch singer's song
And the sweat was floodin' her eyes
The catwalk squeaked
'Neath the bartender's feet
And the smoke was too heavy to rise

[Chorus:]
She sang of the love that I left her
And of the woman that she'll never be
Made me feel like the buck and a quarter
That I paid 'em to listen and see
I paid 'em to listen and see

I was born down in Kansas
'Neath the October sky
Work the day shift from seven to three
And the only relief that I receive
Is nearer my God to Thee

She constantly throws me off timing
Leaves me standing both naked and bare
Makes me feel like the Sunday funnies
After everything's gone off the air
Everything's gone off the air

I picked through the ashes
Of the torch singer's song
And I ordered my money a round
For whiskey and pain
Both taste the same
During the time they go down

[Chorus]

 

[fox69]

"There She Goes"

"There She Goes"



Hey, there she goes
Well I though she'd never leave
Heaven knows
Well it sure gives me the creeps
You know I went and loved that woman
To the power of height
We both got jivin' fever
Screwed our heads uptight
Then it came to blows
Hey hey hey
There she goes.

Hey there she goes
Just a walkin' down the street
I suppose
The next fellow that she meets
Should have her head examined
By an x-ray machine
So he can see all of those pictures
That I've already seen
Just so he knows
Hey hey hey
There she goes.

Well, there must be something somewhere
That makes me want to hurt myself inside
Yeah, we were regular Dr Jekyll
But together
We were Mr. and Mrs. Hyde
What a rough rough ride.

Hey there she goes
She's walking out on me
With all her clothes
Lookin' fine as she could be
Well, I seen her on down at the courthouse
I was sober as the judge
We'd tried to talk things over
But the grudge just wouldn't budge
I said adios
Hey hey hey
There she goes.

 

[fox69]

"They'll Never Take Her Love From Me"

"They'll Never Take Her Love From Me"


If today the sun should set on all my hopes and cares
There is still one smiling face the Gods would see
But she'll walk along beside me up those golden stairs
Oh, they'll never, ever take her love from me

What a fool I was to go and break the trust she gave
And watch her love turn into sympathy
It's the one regret I'll carry with me to my grave
Oh they'll never, never take her love from me

I'm so thankful for each golden hour of happiness
That we shared together in the use to be
Someone else's arms may hold her now in fond caress
But they'll never, never take her love from me

Well, I though I'd make her happy if I'd step aside
But I knew her love would never set me free
And even on the morning she became another's bride
I said they'll never, never take her love from me

[Ending:]
No, they'll never, never take her love from me

 

[fox69]

"This Cold War With You"

"This Cold War With You"



The sun goes down and leaves me sad and blue
Even another night of this cold war with you
Though you won't speak and I won't speak it's true
Two stubborn people with a cold war to go through

Oh, why oh why should love ever come
To a couple like you and me
Who's cold cold wars are never done
And hearts can't be free
So, let's do right or let's just say we're through
I just can't stand another cold cold war with you

The sun goes down and leaves me sad and blue
Even another night of this cold war with you
Though you won't speak and I won't speak it's true
Two stubborn people with a cold war to go through

Oh, why oh why should love ever come
To a couple like you and me
Who's cold cold wars are never done
And hearts can't be free
So, let's do right or let's just say we're through
I just can't stand another cold cold war with you

 

[fox69]

"This Love Is Real"

"This Love Is Real"



I can taste your lipstick in the wine
I can feel your heartbeat close to mine
With your love wrapped around me
I'm silent and still
I know that this love is real

I have tasted other lips I thought were true
I have looked into the eyes I thought were you
Now touching just to touch
And feeling just to feel
I know that this love is real

Someone should tell our dreams when love is gone
While still in slumber memories linger one
Sometimes I lie awake in bed till dawn
Thinking of you
Now you're gone

Tender is the heart that sleeps in rest
Tender is the hope of tenderness
Love thy neighbor as thyself
And thou shall not steal
I know that this love is real
Love thy neighbor as thyself
And thou shall not steal
I know that this love is real.