(Instrumental)
so we wait beside the desert nothing left to give away naked as the Hanged Man's secrets nothing left to do but pray you don't have to play the horses life's a gamble all the same it don't take much to make you lose sight of the object of the game anyone can be a soldier it's a prevalent disease oh God i don't know where to step now help me find the right road please so we wait beside the desert nothing left to give away naked as the Hanged Man's secrets praying for the break of day (feb. 9/72 Ottawa)
i've been down to parliament, i've been in school i've been in jail to learn the golden rule i've been to the workhouse -- served my time in those hallowed halls the only thing i know is the blues got the world by the balls i've been to the tundra and the mountain too i've been in paris doing what the frenchmen do i've been in boston where the buildings grow so tall everywhere you go the blues got the world by the balls you can catch 'em from the preacher or from the pool shark you can find 'em in the grammar of the socialite's remark or down in the washroom you can read it on the wall everywhere you look the blues got the world by the balls (mostly Chilliwack B.C. spring/72)
i was up the road on easy street
watching everybody stand around and cheat
a man comes up and says "move along
down to the corner where you belong"
but mama just wants to barrelhouse all night long
i hear the city singing like a siren choir
some fool tried to set this town on fire
tv preacher screams "come on along"
i feel like fay wray face to face with king kong
but mama just wants to barrelhouse all night long
sometimes i wonder what i am
i feel like i'm living in a hologram
it doesn't seem to matter what's right or wrong
everybody's grabbing and coming on strong
but mama just wants to barrelhouse all night long
(jan. 19/73 Toronto)
(..where else?)
(Instrumental)
you tell me tomorrow may be coming sometimes i wonder if it hasn't already been but like the firebreathing rebel i'm not sure what i mean all i know is you're not me and that you'll never be he tells me the future is not to be believed in "don't waste your wishes on what hasn't already been" but like the strong arm policeman he's not sure what he means all he knows is he can't see what he will come to be he says if we burn up the roof from above us we surely will see the light and maybe more but like the burnt out hooker we'll only see down to the floor all we know is that we're here until we are set free (sept. 28/69 Ottawa)
when the sun goes nova and the world turns over i don't want to be alone so honey come on home if you're in the valley when the dam breaks, palley you is going to feel alone so honey come on home if you're on the bum and the policemen come if you lose your grip or your trousers rip i'll be waiting dear honey won't you come on home... (between Jasper and Valleyview, Alta. spring/72)
deja vu glass cafe faces fade into the wash of brick-dust-yellow afternoon deja vu slow lines on pages shape words like echoes of a ball bounced in an empty street deja vu sun on hair dancing to breeze-borne snatches of a lost music box melody (oct. 22/72 Toronto)
(Instrumental)
night comes the mask of the world resolves into round bits of silver on the table round arrow nocked against the bow round fruit devoured by time while the moon climbs sea swells illusion is queen in the shallow graves of experience time-centred grave silence reigns over the stars graven image hanging in time while the earth unwinds with rain the world grows us older Lord let us not be lost God bless the children with knowledge of the cost day comes the hawk of gold springs forth in flame from a highway paved with diamonds lion rampant on a green field ramparts cracked into the sky while the Christ stands by with pain the world paves us over Lord let us not betray God bless the children with visions of the Day (june 14/72 Edmonton)