Judy Collins

[fox69]

"Penny Lane"
(originally by The Beatles)

"Penny Lane"
(originally by The Beatles)



In Penny Lane there is a barber showing photographs
Of every head he's had the pleasure to have known,
And all the people that come and go
Stop and say hello.

On the corner is a banker with a motorcar,
The little children laugh at him behind his back.
And the banker never wears a mac
In the pouring rain, very strange.

Penny Lane is in my ears and in my eyes.
There beneath the blue suburban skies
I sit, and meanwhile back

In Penny Lane there is a fireman with an hourglass
And in his pocket is a portrait of the Queen.
He likes to keep his fire engine clean,
It's a clean machine.

Penny Lane is in my ears and in my eyes.
A four of fish and finger pies
In summer, meanwhile back

Behind the shelter in the middle of the roundabout
A pretty nurse is selling poppies from a tray
And though she feels as if she's in a play
She is anyway.

In Penny Lane the barber shaves another customer,
We see the banker sitting waiting for a trim.
And then the fireman rushes in
From the pouring rain, very strange.

Penny Lane is in my ears and in my eyes.
There beneath the blue suburban skies
I sit, and meanwhile back.
Penny Lane is in my ears and in my eyes.
There beneath the blue suburban skies,
Penny Lane.

 

[fox69]

"Pirate Jenny"

"Pirate Jenny"


You gentlemen can watch while I'm scrubbin' the floor
And I'm scrubbin' the floor while you're gawking
And maybe once you tipped me and it made you feel swell
In a ratty waterfront in this ratty-old hotel

But you'll never know to who you're talkin'
You never know to who you're talkin'

Suddenly, one night, there's a scream in the night
And you yelled, "What the hell could that have been?"
And you see me kinda grinnin' while I'm scrubbin'
And you say, "What's she got to grin?"

And the ship, a Black Freighter
With a skull on its masthead will be comin' in

Then you gentlemen can say, "Hey girl, finish the floors
Get upstairs, make the beds, earn your keep here
You toss me your tips and look out at the ships

But I'm countin' your heads
While I make up the beds
'Cuz there's nobody gonna sleep here
Tonight, none of you will sleep here

Then, that night, there's a bang in the night
And you yelled, "Who's that kicking up a row?"
And ya see me kinda starin' out the window
And you say, "What's she got to stare at now?"

And the ship, the Black Freighter
Turns around in the harbor
Shootin' guns from the bow

Then you gentlemen can wipe off the laugh from your face
Every building in town is a flat one
Your whole stinking place will be down to the ground
Only this cheap hotel standin' up safe and sound

And you ask, "Why did they spare that one?"
And you ask, "Why did they spare that one?"

All the night through, with the noise and to-do
You wonder, who's the person lives up there?
Then you see me steppin' out in the mornin'
Lookin' nice with a ribbon in my hair

And the ship, the Black Freighter
Runs the flag up its masthead
And a cheer rings the air

By noontime the dock
Is a' swarmin' with men
Comin' off of that ghostly freighter

And they're movin' in the shadows
Where no one can see
And they're chainin' up people
And bringin' them to me

Askin' me
"Kill them now or later?"
Askin' me
"Kill them now, or later?"

Noon by the clock
And so still on the dock
You can hear the foghorn miles away

In that quiet of death
I'll say, "Right now
Then they'll pile up the bodies
And I'll say, "That'll learn ya"

And the ship
The Black Freighter
Disappears out to sea
And on it is me

 

[fox69]

"Pirate Ships"

"Pirate Ships"


Far away, far away, child
Turn your eyes far away, child
Mama will sleep right down beside you tonight
Mama will sleep tonight

Pirate ships, pirate ships, child
Merry and bold, sparkling and rich, child
Coming to dock right at your feet tonight
Coming to dock tonight

In the stars, in the stars, child
See the people in the stars, child
They will fly right through your window tonight
Into your window tonight

Mama will sleep right down beside you tonight
Mama will sleep tonight, far away

 

[fox69]

"Plaisir D'amour"

"Plaisir D'amour"


Plaisir d'amour ne dure qu'un moment
Cha grin d'amour dure toute la vie
The joys of love are but a moment long
The pain of love endures the whole life

Your eyes kissed mine
I saw the love in them shine
You brought me heaven right then
When your eyes kissed mine

My love loves me
And all the wonders I see
A rainbow shines in my window
My love loves me

And now he's gone
Like a dream that fades into dawn
But the words stay locked in my heartstrings
My love loves me

 

[fox69]

"Poor Immigrant"

"Poor Immigrant"


I pity the poor immigrant
Who wishes he would've stayed home,
Who uses all his power to do evil
But in the end is always left so alone.
That man whom with his fingers cheats
And who lies with ev'ry breath,
Who passionately hates his life
And likewise, fears his death.

I pity the poor immigrant
Whose strength is spent in vain,
Whose heaven is like Ironsides,
Whose tears are like rain,
Who eats but is not satisfied,
Who hears but does not see,
Who falls in love with wealth itself
And turns his back on me.

I pity the poor immigrant
Who tramples through the mud,
Who fills his mouth with laughing
And who builds his town with blood,
Whose visions in the final end
Must shatter like the glass.
I pity the poor immigrant
When his gladness comes to pass.

 

[fox69]

"Pretty Polly"

"Pretty Polly"


"Polly, Pretty Polly, come go long with me-
Polly, Pretty Polly, come go long with me-
Before we get married, some pleasure to see"

She jumped up behind him and away they did ride-
She jumped up behind him, away they did go-
Over the mountains, and valleys so low.

"Oh Willie, oh Willie, I'm a feared for my life-
Oh Willie, oh Willie, I'm a feared for my life-
I'm afraid you mean to murder me, and leave me behind.."

"Pretty Polly, Pretty Polly, you guessed about right-
Polly, Pretty Polly, you guessed about right-
I've been diggin' your grave, for the best part of last night."

She knelt down before him, pleading for her life-
She knelt down before him, pleading for her life,
"Let me be a single girl, if I cant be your wife.."

He stabbed her to the heart, and her heart blood did flow-
He stabbed her to the heart, and her heart blood did flow-
And into the grave, Pretty Polly did go.

He through a little dirt on her and started for home-
He through a little dirt over her and started for home-
Leaving nobody there, but the wild birds to moan..

A debt to the devil, Willie must pay-
A debt to the devil, Willie must pay-
For killing Pretty Polly, and running, and running, and running, and running away.

 

[fox69]

"Pretty Saro"

"Pretty Saro"


Down in some lone valley in a lonesome place
Where the wild birds all whistle and their notes do increase
Farewell Pretty Saro I must bid you adieu
And I'll dream of Pretty Saro wherever I go

My love she won't have me and I understand
She wants a rich merchant and I have no land
I cannot maintain her, I've no silver and gold
Can't give her the nice things that a big house will hold

But if I were a merchant and I could write a fine hand
And I'd write my love a letter that she'd understand
I'd write it by the river where the waters o'erflow
And I'll dream of Pretty Saro wherever I go

 

[fox69]

"Pretty Women"

"Pretty Women"


Pretty women, fascinating
Sipping coffee, dancing
Pretty women are a wonder

Pretty women sitting in the window
Standing on the stair
Something in them cheers the air

Pretty women, silhouetted
Stay within' you, glancing
Stay forever, breathing lightly

Pretty women, pretty women
Blowing out their candles or combing out their hair
Even when they leave, they still are there

Pretty women in their gardens
How they make a man sing
Proof of heaven as you're living

Pretty women, pretty women
Blowing out their candles or combing out their hair
Even when they leave, they still are there, they're there

Ah, pretty women at their mirrors
How they make a man sing
Proof of heaven as you're living
Pretty women, pretty women, pretty women

 

[fox69]

"Priests"

"Priests"


And who will write love songs for you
when I am lord at last
and your body is some little highway shrine
that all my priests have passed,
that all my priests have passed?

My priests they will put flowers there,
they will stand before the glass,
but they'll wear away your little window, love,
they will trample on the grass,
they will trample on the grass.

And who will aim the arrow
that men will follow through your grace
when I am lord of memory
and all your armour has turned to lace,
and all your armour has turned to lace?

The simple life of heroes,
and the twisted life of saints,
they just confuse the sunny calendar
with their red and golden paints,
with their red and golden paints.

And all of you have seen the dance,
that God has kept from me,
but he has seen me watching you
when all your minds were free
when all your minds were free.

And who will write love songs for you ...

My priests they will put flowers there ...

 

[fox69]

"Prothalamium"

"Prothalamium"


Come, all of you who are not satisfied
As rulers in a lone wallpapered room
Full of mute birds and flowers that falsely bloom
And closets choked with dreams that long ago died

Come, let us sweep the old streets like a bride
Sweep out the dead leaves with a relentless broom
Prepare for spring as if he were our groom
For whose light footstep eagerly we bide

We'll sweep out the shadows, where the rats long fed
Sweep out our shame and in its place we'll make
A bower for love, a splendid marriage bed
Fragrant with flowers a quiver for the spring

And when he comes, our murdered dreams shall wake
And when he comes, all the mute birds shall sing
And when he comes, all the mute birds shall sing