Slowrain Album

She never mentions the word addiction
In certain company.
Yes, she’ll tell you she’s an orphan
After you meet her family.

She paints her eyes as black as night now.
Pulls those shades down tight.
Yeah, she gives me a smile when the pain comes.
The pain gonna make everything alright.

(Chorus) Says she talks to angels.
They call her out by her name.
Oh yeah, she talks to angels.
Says they call her out by her name.

She keeps a lock of hair in her pocket.
She wears a cross around her neck.
Yes the hair is from a little boy,
And the cross from someone she has not met, well, not yet

She don’t know no lover,
None that I ever seen.
Yeah, to her that ain’t nothing
But to me it means, means everything.

She paints her eyes as black as night now.
Pulls those shades down tight.
Oh yeah there’s a smile when the pain comes.
Pain’s gonna make everything alright, alright yeah

Well, I wait around the train station 
Waitin’ for that train 
Waitin’ for the train, yeah 
Take me home, yeah 
From this lonesome place 
Well, now a while lotta people put me down a lotta changes 
My girl had called me a disgrace 

The tears burnin’ 
Tears burnin’ me 
Tears burnin’ me 
Way down in my heart 
Well, you know it’s too bad, little girl, 
it’s too bad 
Too bad we have to part (have to part) 

Gonna leave this town, yeah 
Gonna leave this town 
Gonna make a whole lotta money 
Gonna be big, yeah  
I’m gonna buy this town 
That’s what I’m gonna do,
Might even give a piece to you  

Down south in New Orleans,
The prettiest girls I’ve ever seen.
Sparkling eyes, lips so sweet,
we make love to the Rumba beat.

Ship’s at anchor, my suitcase packed,
Got a one way ticket, ain’t comin’ back.
Life’s a pleasure, love’s a dream,
Down south in New Orleans.

My dark eyed baby, I’m on my way,
Back into your arms to stay.
I’m tired of work, I wanna play.
I’ll make sweet love to you night and day.

Down south in New Orleans,
The prettiest girls I’ve ever seen.
Sparkling eyes, lips so sweet,
we make love to the Rumba beat.

Ship’s at anchor, my suitcase packed,
I got a one way ticket, ain’t comin’ back.
Life’s a pleasure, love’s a dream,
Down south in New Orleans.

I want to get too loose, on Toulose Street,
I wanna kiss all the Creole girls I see.
Drink all day, dance all night.
Do it wrong, ’til I do it right.

Down south in New Orleans,
The prettiest girls I’ve ever seen.
Sparkling eyes, lips so sweet,
we make love to the Rumba beat.

Ship’s at anchor, my suitcase packed,
Got a one way ticket, ain’t comin’ back.
Life’s a pleasure, love’s a dream,
Down south in New Orleans.

I don’t know how I’m gonna tell you

I can’t play with you no more,

I don’t know how I’m gonna do what mama told me,

My friend, the boy next door.


I can’t believe what people saying

You’re gonna let your hair hang down,

I’m satisfied to sit here working all day long,

You’re in the darker side of town.


And when I’m out I see you walking,

Why don’t your eyes see me,

Could it be you’ve found another game to play,

What did mama say to me.



That’s The Way,

Oh, That’s The Way it ought to be,

Yeah, yeah, mama say

That’s The Way it ought to stay.



And yesterday I saw you standing by the river,

And weren’t those tears that filled your eyes,

And all the fish that lay in dirty water dying,

Had they got you hypnotized?


And yesterday I saw you kissing tiny flowers,

But all that lives is born to die.

And so I say to you that nothing really matters,

And all you do is stand and cry.


I don’t know what to say about it,

When all you ears have turned away,

But now’s the time to look and look again at what you see,

Is that the way it ought to stay?


That’s the way

That’s the way it oughtta be

Oh don’t you know now
Mama said..
that’s the way it’s gonna stay, yeah.

Well, my name’s John Lee Pettimore,
Same as my daddy and his daddy’s before.
You hardly ever saw grandaddy down here
He’d only come to town about twice a year
Buy a hundred pounds of yeast and some copper line.
Everybody knew that he made moonshine.
Now the revenue man wanted granddaddy bad.
He headed up the holler with everything he had.
Before my time, but I’ve been told.
You never come back from Copperhead Road.

Granddaddy ran whiskey in a big black Dodge
Bought it at an auction at the Mason’s Lodge
Johnson County Sheriff painted on the side
Just shot a coat of primer and they looked inside
Well, him and my uncle tore that engine down
I still remember that rumbling sound
Then the sheriff came around in the middle of the night
Heard mama crying that something wasn’t right
He was headed down to Knoxville with the weekly load
You could smell the whisky burning down Copperhead Road.

I volunteered for the army on my birthday
They draft the white trash first, round hear anyway
I done two tours of duty in Viet Nam
I came home with a brand new plan
I’d take the seed from Columbia and Mexico
I’d plant it up the holler down Copperhead Road
Now the D.E.A.’s got a chopper in the air
I wake up screamin’, like I’m back over there
I learned a thing or two from Charlie don’t you know.
You better stay away from Copperhead Road.
Copperhead road Copper head road Copper head road

Spent some time feelin inferior
Standing in front of my mirror
Combed my hair in a thousand ways
But I came out looking just the same
Daddy said, son, you better see the world
I wouldn’t blame you if you wanted to leave
But remember one thing dont lose your head
To a woman that’ll spend your bread
So I got out

Paris was a place you could hide away
If you felt you didn’t fit in
French police wouldnt give me no peace
They claimed I was a nasty person
Down along the left bank minding my own
Was knocked down by a human stampede
Got arrested for inciting a peaceful riot
When all I wanted was a cup of tea
I was accused, I moved on

Down in rome I wasnt getting enough
Of the things that keeps a young man alive
My body stunk but I kept my funk
At a time when I was right out of luck
Getting desperate indeed I was
Looking like a tourist attraction
Oh my dear I better get out of here
for the vatican dont give no sanction
I wasnt ready for that, no no
I moved right out east yeah!

On the peking ferry I was feeling merry
Sailing on my way back here
I fell in love with a slit eyed lady
By the light of an eastern moon
Shangai Lil never used the pill
She claimed that it just aint natural
She took me up on deck and bit my neck
Oh people I was glad I found her
Oh yeah I was glad I found her

I firmly believe that I
didnt need anyone but me
I sincerely thought I was so complete
Look how wrong you can be
The women Ive known I wouldnt let tie my shoe
They wouldnt give you the time of day
But the slit eyed lady knocked me off my feet
God I was glad I found her
And if they had the words I could tell to you
To help you on the way down the road
I couldnt quote you no dickens, shelley or keats
cause its all been said before
Make the best out of the bad just laugh it off
You didn’t have to come here anyway
So remember, every picture tells a story don’t it

You say the hill’s too steep to climb,
chiding!
You say you’d like to see me try,
climbing!

You pick the place and I’ll choose the time
And I’ll climb
The hill in my own way
just wait a while, for the right day
And as I rise above the treeline and the clouds
I look down hear the sound of the things you said today

Fearlessly the idiot faced the crowd,
smiling
Merciless, the magistrate turns ’round,
frowning

And who’s the fool who wears the crown
Go down in your own way
And everyday is the right day
And as you rise above the fearlines in his frown
You look down, hear the sound of the faces in the crowd

Wadin’ through the waste stormy winter,
And there’s not a friend to help you through.
Tryin’ to stop the waves behind your eyeballs,
Drop your reds, drop your greens and blues.

Thank you for your wine, California,
Thank you for your sweet and bitter fruits.
Yes I got the desert in my toenail
And I hid the speed inside my shoe.

But come on, come on down Sweet Virginia,
Come on, honey child, I beg of you.
Come on, come on down, you got it in ya.
Got to scrape the shit right off your shoes.

Yeah, I want you to come on, come on down Sweet Virginia,
I want you come on, honey child, I beg of you.
I want you come on, honey child you got it in you.
Got to scrape that shit right off you shoes.

But come on, come on down Sweet Virginia,
Come on, come on down, I beg of you.
Come on, come on down, you got it in you.
Got to scrape that shit right off you shoes.

Well a person can work up a mean, mean thirst
after a hard day of nothin’ much at all
Summer’s passed, it’s too late to cut the grass
There ain’t much to rake anyway in the fall
And sometimes I just ain’t in the mood
to take my place in back with the loudmouths
You’re like a picture on the fridge that’s never stocked with food
I used to live at home, now I stay at the house

And everybody wants to be special here
They call your name out loud and clear
Here comes a regular
Call out your name
Here comes a regular
Am I the only one here today?

Well a drinkin’ buddy that’s bound to another town
Once the police made you go away
And even if you’re in the arms of someone’s baby now
I’ll take a great big whiskey to ya anyway

Everybody wants to be someone’s here
Someone’s gonna show up, never fear
’cause here comes a regular
Call out your name
Here comes a regular
Am I the only one who feels ashamed?

Kneeling alongside old Sad Eyes
He says opportunity knocks once then the door slams shut
All I know is I’m sick of everything that my money can buy
The fool who wastes his life, God rest his guts

First the lights, then the collar goes up, and the wind begins to blow
Turn your back on a pay-you-back, last call
First the glass, then the leaves that glass, then comes the snow
Ain’t much to rake anyway in the fall

We can share the women, we can share the wine
We can share what we’ve got of yours ’cause we done shared all of mine.
Keep on rollin’, just a mile to go,
Keep on rollin’, my old buddy, you’re movin’ much too slow.

I just jumped the watchman, right outside the fence,
Took his rings, four bucks in change, ain’t that heaven sent?
Hurts my ears to listen, Shannon, burns my eyes to see,
Cut down a man in cold blood, Shannon, might as well been me.

We used to play for silver, now we play for life;
And one’s for sport and one’s for blood at the point of a knife.
And now the die is shaken, now the die must fall;
There ain’t no winner in the game, he don’t go home with all,
Not with all.

Leavin’ Texas, fourth day of July,
Sun so hot, the clouds so low, the eagles filled the sky.
Catch the Detroit Lightning out of Santa Fe,
The Great Northern out of Cheyenne from sea to shining sea.

Gotta go to Tulsa, first train we can ride,
Got to settle one old score, one small point of pride.
Ain’t no place a man can hide, Shannon, to keep him from the sun;
Ain’t no bed can give us rest, now, you keep us on the run.

Jack Straw from Witchita cut his buddy down,
And dug for him a shallow grave and laid his body down.
Half a mile from Tuscon, by the morning light,
One man gone and another to go, my old buddy you’re moving much too slow.

We can share the women, we can share the wine.

Here I stand head in hand
Turn my face to the wall
If she’s gone I can’t go on
Feeling two-foot small

Everywhere people stare
Each and every day
I can see them laugh at me
And I hear them say

Hey you’ve got to hide your love away
Hey you’ve got to hide your love away

How can I even try
I can never win
Hearing them, seeing them
In the state I’m in

How could she say to me
Love will find a way
Gather round all you clowns
Let me hear you say

Hey you’ve got to hide your love away
Hey you’ve got to hide your love away

Well a poor boy took his father’s bread and started down the road
Started down the road
Took all he had and started down the road
Going out in this world, where God only knows
And that’ll be the way to get along

Well poor boy spent all he had, famine come in the land
Famine come in the land
Spent all he had and famine come in the land
Said, “I believe I’ll go and hire me to some man”
And that’ll be the way I’ll get along

Well, man said, “I’ll give you a job for to feed my swine
For to feed my swine
I’ll give you a job for to feed my swine”
Boy stood there and hung his head and cried
`Cause that is no way to get along

Said, “I believe I’ll ride, believe I’ll go back home
Believe I’ll go back home
Believe I’ll ride, believe I’ll go back home
Or down the road as far as I can go”
And that’ll be the way to get along

Well, father said, “See my son coming after me
Coming home to me”
Father ran and fell down on his knees
Said, “Sing and praise, Lord have mercy on me”
Mercy

Oh poor boy stood there, hung his head and cried
Hung his head and cried
Poor boy stood and hung his head and cried
Said, “Father will you look on me as a child?”
Yeah

Well father said, “Eldest son, kill the fatted calf,
Call the family round
Kill that calf and call the family round
My son was lost but now he is found
‘Cause that’s the way for us to get along”
Hey

Well she’s walking through the clouds
With a circus mind that’s running round
Butterflies and zebras
And moonbeams
And fairytales
That’s all she ever thinks about
Riding with the wind

[Verse 2]
When I’m sad, she comes to me
With a thousand smiles she gives to me free
It’s alright, she said, it’s alright
Take anything you want from me
Anything

I wake up tired and I wake up pissed
wonder how I ended up like this
I wonder why things happen like they do
but I don’t wonder long cuz I got a show to do

I’m sick at my stomach from the A.Z.T.
Broke at my bank cuz that shit ain’t free
but I’m here to stay (at least another week or two)
I can’t die now cuz I got another show to do

Don’t give me no pity don’t give me no grief
Wait till I die for sympathy
Just help me with this amp and a guitar or two
I can’t die now cuz I got another show to do

Don’t give me no preachin’ no self servin’
I ain’t no angel but nobody’s deserving
I can dance on my own grave, Thank You!
but I can’t die now cuz I got another show…

Some people keep saying I can’t last long
but I got my bands I got my songs,
liquor, beer, and nicotine to help me along
and I’m drunk and stubborn as they come
chain smoking, guitar picking, til I’m gone

I ain’t got no political agenda
Ain’t got no message for the youth of America
‘cept “Wear a rubber and be careful who you screw”
and come see me next Friday cuz I got another show…

Some people stop living long before they die
Work a dead end job just to scrape on by
but I keep living just to bend that note in two
and I can’t die now cuz I got another show…

Didn’t know what time it was the lights were low-ow-ow.
I lean back on my radio-o-o
Some cat was laying down some rock’n’roll, ‘Lotta soul’ he said.

Then the loud sound did seem to fa-a-ade
Came back like a slow voice on a wave of pha-a-ase
That weren’t no DJ that was hazy cosmic jive.

There’s a starman waiting in the sky
He’d like to come and meet us
But he thinks he’d blow our minds.
There’s a starman waiting in the sky
He’s told us not to blow it
‘Cause he knows it all worthwhile, He told me,
“Let the children lose it, let the children use it,
Let the children boogie.”

Well I had to phone someone so I picked on you-ou-ou
Hey that’s far out, so you heard him too-oo-oo
Switch on the TV we may pick him on Channel 2.

Look out your window I can see his li-i-ight,
If we can sparkle he may land toni-i-ight,
Don’t tell your papa or he’ll get us locked up in a fright.

I feel tears welling up from down deep inside,
Like my heart’s got a big break
And a stab of loneliness sharp and painful that I may never shake.
You might think that I’m taking it hard since you wrote me off with a call,
You might wager that I’ll hide in sorrow and I might lay right down and bawl.

Now the race is on and here comes pride up the back stretch,
Heartaches a goin’ to the inside, my tears are holding back, tryin’ not to fall.
My heart’s out of the running, true love scratched for another’s sake,
The race is on and it looks like heartaches, and the winner loses all.

One day I ventured in love never once suspecting
What the final result would be.
Now I live in fear of waking up each morning,
And finding that you’re gone from me.
There’s an aching pain in my heart for the name of the one that I hated to face,
Someone else came out to win her, and I came out in second place.
Got to scrape that shit right off you shoes.

Women think I’m tasty, but they’re always tryin’ to waste me

And make me burn the candle right down

Baby, baby, I don’t need no jewels in my crown

‘Cause all you women is low down gamblers

Cheatin’ like I don’t know how

Baby, baby, there’s fever in the funk house now

This low down bitchin’ got my poor feet a itchin’

You know you know the deuce is still wild

Baby, can’t stay, you got to roll me

And call me the tumblin’ dice

Always in a hurry, I never stop to worry

Don’t you see the time flashin’ by

Honey, got no money, I’m all sixes and sevens and nines

Say now, baby, I’m the rank outsider

You can be my partner in crime

Baby, can’t stay, you got to roll me

And call me the tumblin’, roll me and call me the tumblin’ dice

Oh, my, my, my, I’m the lone crap shooter

Playin’ the field every night
Baby, can’t stay, You got to roll me and call me the tumblin’ dice

Got to roll me… Got to roll me… Got to roll me