Ry Cooder

[fox69]

"Poor Man's Shangri-La"

"Poor Man's Shangri-La"


Tell you 'bout this friend of mine that you don't know
He lives way up a road that's lost in time
Don't know his name, or where he's coming from
Only thing you know, he's a real gone cat
This friend of mine

He don't have no uptown friends, or drive a Cadillac
But he's got cool threads and a beat up car
All his downtown friends like me ride around in the back
'Cause he's a real cool cat, yeah he's a real cool cat
This friend of mine

La Loma boys will run with you
Do anything that you want them to
If you need a friend 'cause you're feeling blue
Palo Verde girls never let you down

Na na na na na, living in a poor man's Shangri-La

Firme guys in their firme cars
Underneath the moon and stars
The city lights way down below
What's that sound? What's that light
Streaking down through the night?

What's it mean? It's a red cloud over
Chávez Ravine

Oralé, UFO, come gliding low
Se cayó up Chávez Road
Space Vato, square cat
Say, "Caramba, partners, where's the party at?"

I heard about the cool jerk, and the alligator
Tokay wine, Mary Jane, and Lil' Julian Herrera
Iwant to learn to dance, make romance
These La Bishop girls might take a chance

My friend says, "No, be cool, bro
If you want to dance slow
Learn to ask a mi hermana con respeto"

UFO got a radio
Lil' Julian singing soft and low
Los Angeles down below
DJ says, we got to go
To El Monte, El Monte, pa El Monte

Na na na na na, living in a poor man's Shangri-La

 

[fox69]

"President Kennedy"

"President Kennedy"


Late one Friday evening everybody was sad
We lost the best president we ever had
But he's gone home, gone back home
He's staying away too long

Rode from town to town holdin' up for our rights
Some low down rascal took the President's life
But he's gone home, gone back home
He's staying away too long

Mrs. Kennedy got a mansion on the Island, stayed 9 months, all she'd be
She have another mansion, soon as she reach Washington, D.C.
But he's gone home, gone back home
He's staying away too long

Everybody votes, they don't know what's goin' on
If Goldwater get it, we won't have no home
But he's gone home, gone back home
He's staying away too long

While horses and cars all in a row
I think Mr. Kennedy have a right to this long white robe
But he's gone home, gone back home
He's staying away too long

 

[fox69]

"Quick Sand"

"Quick Sand"


I left my home in Tamaulipas
In Sonoyta I came across
Just six of us when we started
Walking behind the coyote boss

The old man said let me go there with you
Yes I'm old but I'm mighty tough
I know the road maybe I can help you
Got good shoes I won't hold you up

But up on Tinajas Altas he stumbled and he fell
He begged and pleaded we had to leave him
Lying on Camino Diablo Trail
Quick sand I think we lost direct ion

Quick sand now we're losing ground
Quick sand nobody 'round to help us
Quick sand now we're sinking down
Thought we was getting close to Yuma

I heard it's an unfriendly town
We just need a cool drink of water
Even Yuma can't turn a poor boy down
Then a Dodge Ram truck drove down on us

Saying I'm your Arizona vigilante man
I'm here to say you ain't welcome in Yuma
I'm taking you out just as hard as I can
I saw mi madre crying in her rocking chair alone

I saw La Llorona flying please take a message back home
Quick sand I think we lost direction
Quick sand now we're losing ground
Quick sand nobody 'round to help us
Quick sand now we're sinking down

 

[fox69]

"Rally 'Round The Flag"
(from "The Long Riders" soundtrack)

"Rally 'Round The Flag"
(from "The Long Riders" soundtrack)



Yes, we'll rally 'round the flag, boys
We'll rally 'round again
Shouting the battle cry of freedom
We will rally from the hillside
We'll gather from the plain
Shouting the battle cry of freedom
The union forever, hurrah boys, hurrah
Down with the traitor, up with the star
While we rally 'round the flag, boys
Rally once again
Shouting the battle cry of freedom
We will welcome to our numbers
The loyal, true and brave
Shouting the battle cry of freedom
And although he may be poor
Not a man shall be a slave
Shouting the battle cry of freedom
So we're springing to the call
From the east and from the west
Shouting the battle cry of freedom
And we'll prove a loyal crew
To the land we love the best
Shouting the battle cry of freedom

 

[fox69]

"Red Cat Till I Die"

"Red Cat Till I Die"


Well I'm a Red Cat till I die, I'm a Red Cat through and through
Now you can't turn me yellow and you can't make me blue
You can't make me do things I know it's wrong to do
I'm a Red Cat till I die, I'm telling you

Well a bunch of sneakin' deputies they came a-snooping round
Then they grabbed me in the alley whilst I was laying down
And then they threw me in the wagon and then they ran me in
Then they locked me in the jailhouse with all my hobo friends

Saying, where's that rat named Lefty?
And where's that frog named Tom?
Been agitating lately
And spreading great alarm
Now the cows walked out this morning
And now the hens won't lay
Said, you're going to wreck our country
And it ain't the American Way

I ain't no strikebreaker and I ain't no stoolie rat
Won't squeal on Tom and Lefty, I won't say where they're at
You can't scare me, copper, and I don't care what you do
I'm a Red Cat till I die, I'm telling you

Now you think you're hard-boiled, you're just yellow inside
My daddy always warned me, now I know he's right
You're just cowards hidin' behind a little tin star
And the people are starting to realize what a bunch of clowns you are

Well I might have been a banker without the least excuse
Now I might have been the President, but tell me what's the use
Might have been an FBI man but I ain't no Peepin' Tom
Then I might have been a deputy and put my white sheet on

But I'm a Red Cat till I die, I'm a Red Cat through and through
I won't fight your rich man's war and kill poor folks for you
Now you can't make me do things that I know it's wrong to do
I'm a Red Cat till I die, I'm telling you

 

[fox69]

"Ridin' With The Blues"

"Ridin' With The Blues"


It's gettin'-out time down at the high school
We're checking out all the little cheerleaders like you
With your cheerleadin' dress and your cheerleadin' shoes
Step over here baby shake hands with the blues
Ol' blues like to ride in my Cadillac
Likes to ride up in front likes to ease down in back
Slide over baby this ain't what you think
Ol' blues is gonna drive while I get us a drink
Baby you can ride with me
Hope you don't mind bein' three
Pull up your dress and kick off your shoes
You're gonna have a god time ridin' with the blues
Goin' to take a little ride and see an old friend of mine
Do a little business down on the state line
If it don't feel right we'll bust right through
Hang on baby you're ridin' with the blues
If the police ask better give 'em the slip
Tell 'em you been out on a high school field trip

If your teachers been wonderin' just where you been gone
Tell 'em you're learnin' the blues from now on
So pull up your dress and kick off your shoes
Gonna have a good time ridin' with the blues

 

[fox69]

"School Is Out"

"School Is Out"


No more books and studies
And I can stay out late with my buddies
I can do the things that I wanna do
'Cause all my cares are through
I can root for the Yankees from the bleachers
And don't have to worry 'bout teachers
And I'm so glad that school is out
Well, I'm gonna sing and shout!
(School is out)
Everybody's gonna have some fun
(School is out)
Everybody's gonna jump and run
(School is out)
Come on, people, don't you be late
(School is out)
I just got time to take my girl out on a date
School is out at last
And I'm so glad I passed
Everybody come and go with me
We're gonna have a night with Daddy G
School is out...
School is out at last
And I'm so glad I passed
Everybody come and go with me
We're gonna have a night with Daddy G
...

 

[fox69]

"Shine"

"Shine"


When I was born they christened me plain Samuel Johnson Brown
But I hadn't grown so very big, 'fore some folks in this town
Had changed it 'round to, "Sambo", I was "Rastus" to a few
Then "Chocolate Drop" was added by some others that I knew

And then to cap the climax, I was strolling down the line
When someone shouted, "Fellas, hey! Come on and pipe the shine!"
But I don't care a bit
Here's how I figure it

Well, just because my hair is curly
And just because my teeth are pearly
Just because I always wear a smile
Likes to dress up in the latest style

Just because I'm glad I'm livin'
Takes trouble smilin', never whine
Just because my color's shady
Slightly different maybe that's why they call me shine

Say, just because my hair is curly
And just because my teeth are pearly
And just because I always wear a smile
I wear my jeans like a man I mean
He always dresses in the latest style

Just because I'm glad I'm livin'
Takes trouble smilin', never whine
Just because my color's shady
Slightly different maybe that's why they call me shine

 

[fox69]

"Shrinking Man"

"Shrinking Man"


Well, it's a change in the ocean, change in the sea
Woke up one morning was a change in me
I put on my pants, my pants fell down
Well, I put on my shoes and they fell off too
I looked in the mirror, was nothing to see
That's how it goes when you're a shrinking man like me
Worried man with a worried song
Shrinking man ain't gonna be here long
Well, sometimes I worry 'bout clothes
'Cause a shrinking man's got to look good sometime
Don't need no sweatshop child
Puttin' shoes on my feet this time
Chained to a sewing machine
Down in hell where the sun don't shine
Look as good as you can
But please don't rob your fellow man
Shrinking man, shrinking man
Nobody was worried 'bout a shrinking man
Sometimes I worry 'bout food
'Cause a shrinking man's got to eat right sometime
I don't need much and I don't pay
No starvation wage
To poor folks out on the poison ground
You don't rob the land
When you're just a little old shrinking man
Shrinking man, shrinking man
Nobody was worried 'bout a shrinking man
Worried man with a worried song
Shrinking man ain't gonna be here long
Sometimes I worry bout prayer
'Cause a shrinking man better be a prayin' man
Once I had a dream that was working
I had good ideas, I made big plans
Now I'm just like a leaf in the wind that's blowing
I hope King Jesus can understand
Shrinking man, shrinking man
Nobody was worried 'bout a shrinking man
Worried man with a worried song
Shrinking man ain't gonna be here long

 

[fox69]

"Simple Tools"

"Simple Tools"


My wife used to say she couldn't understand
Why I make my living working with my hands
She met a junk bond daddy and he broke up my home
He made his living on the telephone

Daddy spied my darling and he dialed her number then
They took off next morning and she won't be back again
Now I may not be good looking and I never been to school
But I patched up my broken home using simple tools

Simple tools simple tools I like simple tools
I'm just a common ordinary workaday fool
I might not be the brightest bulb or the straightest rule
But I can mend my broken heart using simple tools

I can talk to girls in bars maybe a few
We'd drink a little glass of wine or maybe two
I might wake up in Gay Paree or good old San Berdoo
The gals appreciate a man that uses simple tools

I won't be walking 'round all night wonderin' what to do
I won't be calling up the morgue askin' for you
Or beating down these memories with one of your old shoes
I can do the job in half the time' 'cause I use simple tools

Simple tools simple tools I like simple tools
I'm just a common ordinary workaday fool
I might not be the brightest bulb or the straightest rule
But I can do the job in half the time and it stays done when I use simple tools