Forest Parade

Red Tin Roof

A frost covered the ground this way
Bit the lilacs petals, turned them brown
They are not in blue pitchers
On the kitchen table anymore

‘Cause my mother is down in Mexico somewhere
And I don’t know if she’s ever coming back.
And my father we talk on the telephone sometimes
But the wires, they’re not long enough to fill this hole
And my brother it’s nice to hear his voice
And reminisce about how we all used to live there
Under the red red red red tin roof

Now all separate we walked away
But I need a grasp to take the cold from my hands
A place to lean on so I can feel those strong breaths again
To feel the shape without the light
Or to sit in the gleam of the living room again

But my mother is down in Mexico somewhere
And I don’t know if she’s ever coming back
And my father we talk on the telephone sometimes
But the wire they’re not long enough to fill this hole
And my brother it’s nice to hear his voice
To reminisce about how we used to live there
Under the red red red red tin roof

Will someone please please help me
Unlock this skeleton from this flesh rest
I think it wants to walk away to some place that no longer exists
Why can’t we back track
So we can all sit up on that hill
And watch the trees along the fence grow
All over again
Why can’t we back track so we can all sit up on that hill
And watch the trees along the fence grow
All over again

‘Cause my mother is down in Mexico somewhere
And I don’t know if she’s ever coming back
And my father we talk on the telephone sometimes
But the wires they’re not long enough to fill this whole
And my brother it’s nice to hear his voice
To reminisce about how we all used to live there
Under the red red red red tin roof

But never again will I hear the rain fall
So good
Never again will I hear the rain fall
So good
Like it did on the red, the red tin roof

*** Thanx a lot to Easley for this one ***

The Pirate's Gospel

Tired Feet

My tired feet
My tired, tired feet
My tired feet
Oh my tired feet
My tired feet brought me to that red boat
So still and foreign waters

And although I've never been here
Although I've never been here
I know that here I've swam before
Here I've swam before

And soon I came
Oh so soon I came
Soon I came
Oh so soon I came
Soon I came to the silent place of choir voices

In excelsis deo
Deo

Where Jesus, he keeps the streets out
Jesus he keeps the heat out
Jesus he keeps the noise out
And here oh here I've sung before
Here I've sung before
I know that here I've sung before

Here I've sat, I've run, I've walked, I've cried
I've died
I've slept in till noon and I've laughed and I've sighed
I know that here I've sung before
Oh here I've before
I know that here I've sung before
Here I've sung before

The Rifle

Oh I've been knocking on that door in my sleep
Fight my fireplace glow
I've been knocking on that door in my sleep
Fight my fireplace glow to keep me away,
To keep me away from home

Papa gets the rifle from its place above the French doors
They're coming from the woods
Oh they're coming from the woods

And mama you're running too
Oh my mama you’re running too
Mama you're running too
Oh my mama you’re running too

Brother I'm so sorry that you watched the Patens burn
And I've been holding onto the gold
When letting go would free my hands
And I've been tying your tongue in a knot
Oh I've been tying your tongue in a knot
To wrap this death, to wrap this death in a sheet

And Papa gets the rifle from its place above the French doors
They're coming from the woods
Oh they're coming from the woods

And mama you're running too
Oh, my mama you're running too
Mama you're running too
Oh, my mama you're running too

Brother I'm so sorry that you watched the Patens burn
I can't hide the dirty pads down there carpet anymore
No, no I can't hide the dirty pads down there carpet anymore
There were too many heavy boots
There were too many heavy boots
There were too many heavy boots
And there were too many big black boots
And there were too many little brown shoes marching though

So I'm counting it to the sky
Oh I'm counting it to the sky
I'm counting it to the sky
Oh I'm counting it to the sky
And moving back
Oh I'm moving back to
Face the lack of home

The Pirate's Gospel

While some folks row way up to heaven
I'm gonna sing the pirate's gospel
I'm gonna sow these feet for dancing
I'm gonna keep my eyes wide open

Yo ho yo ho
Yo ho ho
Yo ho yo ho ho
Yo ho yo ho
Sing the pirate's gospel

Add another flame
To our forest
Where big bellied whales
Keep us chanting
We're slapping firey thighs
For tiny dancers
Where the children creep
Until the morning
When the sun does seep
Into our fair flesh
Until the fingernails
Will take us home

Yo ho yo ho
Yo ho ho
Yo ho yo ho ho
Yo ho yo ho
Sing the pirate's gospel

While some folks pray
Their path to Jesus
We're gonna sing
The pirate's gospel
We're gonna sow
Our feet for dancing
We're gonna keep
Our eyes wide open
We're gonna sing
The pirate's gospel
We're gonna chant
The pirate's gospel
You'll find us clap
The pirate's gospel

Yo ho yo ho
Yo ho ho
Yo ho yo ho ho
Yo ho yo ho
Sing the pirate's gospel
Sing the pirate's gospel

Foreign Tongue

That sidewalk is a river that I fished dry
Oh that sidewalk is a river that I fished dry
And now it's my heavy hand filling the brim
And it hauled me out of their brim

But my coat of arms burns stronger still
But my coat of arms burns stronger still

And foreign tongue ties me here
Foreign tongue ties me here

So hang my slips out with the words between the lines
Oh hang my slips out with the words between the lines
And bow my head to their ears
Bow my head to those ears

I'll never tip-toe across my home ever again
I'll never tip-toe across my home ever again

Ever again
Ever again

And foreign tongue ties me here
Foreign tongue ties me here

Can You Blame The Sky

Can you blame the sky
When a mama leaves her babies behind
Can you blame the sky
When a mama leaves her babies behind

Can you blame the sea
Oh can you blame the sea
'Cause she's a flowing in that water deep

Is it the dirt that you envy so
'Cause in it her strong roots still grow

No, no, no...

I'll blame those birds flocking so
I'll blame those birds flocking so
Blame those birds flocking so
'Cause with them she's a flying
Oh 'cause with them she's flying

All those mamas are flying
They're watching us from above
They're watching us from above
Dropping their feathers with a mother's love

Something's Gone Awry

This crazy, crazy is caught in the forest
And your parcel's in the sand
A cuckoo wind's blowing
Those sparrows are crowing
And dancing birds slow in the sky

'Cause something's gone awry
Something's gone awry
Something's gone awry
Something's gone awry

The night is much colder
My chest is still older
And love wont pirate my heart

Clenched deeply buttoned
The children are buttoned
And leaves will soon fall to the ground

'Cause something's gone awry
Something's gone awry
Something's gone awry
Something's gone awry

Pieces Of String

I'll have you know
I'll have you know

That if I had one
I'd play this on piano
And if I had one of those
I'd sit it on my knee and count to 1, 2, 3

And if I had one of those other things
You know I'd put it in my mouth

And if I had some of those other things
Oh, I'd put them into jars on the shelf

But I'll have you know
Oh, oh I'll have you know

That if I had 10 or 20
I'd have a choir of little children sing along
I'd have a choir of little children sing along

And I'll have you know
I'll have you know

That if she had one
She'd put it in a paper bag
If she had one
She'd put it in a paper bag, oh

This long gone Grandma, would put it in a paper bag
Labelled pieces of string too small to use
Pieces of string too small to use

But her autumn leaves are now the dirt
And those summer winds did blow her hair
But now she's pieces of string to small to use

Clickity Clack

How do you
How do you do
How do you
How do you do it

Music makes her stop pressing those strings firmly to my down
Ground water is drying up to fill my jars again

But then click clack clickity click click click
Clickity clack
Clickity clack
I'm through having your harsh march stare down my size
And punish what young is left in these eyes

And how do I
Oh how do I
How do I
How did I
How can I
How will I
How did I
How can I pick up and go

'Cause I lack the wind and trees and the sunlight in the afternoon
And my button collections need to find a home

And that click clack clickity click click click
Clickity clack
Clickity clack
I'm through having your harsh march stare down my size
And punish what young is left in these eyes

Oh click clack clickity click click click
Clickity clack
Clickity clack

And when I turn my back
And when I turn my back
I'll twirl my little skirt
And it'll be my shoes instead of yours
My shoes instead of yours
My shoes screaming back
Click clack clickity click click click
Clickity clack
Clickity clack

Sister Self

That pole isn't growing in my black solid sky
Solid sky
And pirate ships pulled these shoulders back
But in morning slumber I gripped the slender palm of my hand
And I felt the soft of my flesh
And I stared into my sister self

And we was running, running, running
We was climbing, we was fighting
We was breathing fast
Praying please

We were singing
We were dancing
We were clapping
Singing, dancing, clapping

We were returning to the hills
Bringing buckets drawn from the wells
Returning from to the hills
Bringing buckets drawn from the wells

But I've got to hold my own hand
I've got to hold my own hand
And this is my skin I feel
And these are the teeth that I clench
And the hazel of my sight
Plus the colors she wears is mine
Oh that color she's wearing is mine

And we was running, running, running
We was climbing, we was fighting
We was breathing fast
Praying please

We were singing
We were dancing
We were clapping
Singing, dancing, clapping

We were returning to the hills
Bringing buckets drawn from the wells
Returning from to the hills
Bringing buckets drawn from the wells

Pigeon Song

Street-wise pigeon we see you
Camp on the sidewalk if we don't
Hear you anymore

Where did you loose your voice
And how did you loose the trees
Did they make your tangled feathers glow
Did they let your tattered chest flow

From the blatant backs of buildings
Where stagnate airs heat in the sun
From the blatant backs of buildings
Where stagnate airs heat in the sun

So we put our curtains up and ignore the sounds that break walls down
So we put our curtains up and ignore the sounds that break walls down
Break walls down

Do your potted plants really keep you company
Do your potted plants really keep you company

Oh My Mama

Oh my Mama
She gave me these feathered breaths
Oh my Mama
She told me use your voice,
My little bird

She said sing sing sing sing sing sing melodies
And she sang sang sang sang sang sang melodies

Oh my Mama
She did give me fancy feet
I'll be dancing on
And I'll tap tap tap my toes
Into those creaking floorboards

Oh my Mama
She took my little hand and held on tight
Oh the Mamas
Give the waters of their wells
Oh the Mamas
Give the babies this very dirt we're walking on
Oh my Mama
She gave me these feathered breaths
And your Mama
She gave you those feathered breaths too

And when the sky drops all those feathers
And when the birds sing in the morning
I'll be a mama
I'll have a daughter
I'll be a mama
I'll have a daughter

And I'll give her melodies
I'll give her melodies

And I'll give her melodies
I'll give her melodies

And she'll be
My little bird
And then she'll fly
She'll fly

Non Albums Tracks

Dry Grass and Shadows

There are things that I've seen in my head
While I'm sleeping in bed
Do not wither in the morning light

I'm taken back
O I'm taken back
To the dry grass and the shadows

Thinking I'd like to look at your teeth
Lined up in perfect rows
A maze of children feeding (?) orchard trees
Where the flat lands stretch inside your mouth
And when you laugh all the star thistles stumble out
The flat lands stretch inside your mouth
And when you laugh all the star-thistles stumble out

Strong spines of valley hills
All overgrown in gold
Look softer than a spool of old silk thread
But if we walked down with our feet
I'd be pulling spines and barbs and fox-tails from your skin
O if we walked down with our feet
I'd be pulling spines and barbs and fox-tails from your skin

There are things that I've seen in my head
While I'm sleeping in bed
Do not wither in the morning light

I'm taken back
O I'm taken back
To the dry grass and the shadows

My Brambles

( Daytrotter Session )

Sun is dancing, my darling
Arms been holding me all morning
Sea is so far from home, my darling

But if we'd only feet
It is here that we'd roam
O if we'd just two feet
It is here that we'd roam
And your arms would be keeping me all day

Oh your love calms my brambles
And your hands bring me sweet lavender
Oh you love clams my brambles
And your hands bring me sweet lavender

The glow will dance into the mountains
Darkness falls upon the canyon
When the heat is gone my darling
Please come gather me

To Be Still

( Daytrotter Session )

Have you been wearing holes in your boots out there
Have you been kicking bones in the desert sand
There's a wolf inside the cave and another in the clouds
I've seen them chewing on, on the shadows in your eyes

And it's here at home I wait for your wanders to be still
Oh it's here at home I wait for your wanders to be still
And I won’t drag my feet in whatever dirt you track in
No I won’t drag my feet in whatever dirt you track in

Will you look at me when your face shows the lines of years
While you've been away I have needed your strong hands
California hills will surely welcome us back home
But the way to walk the crop of gold is not far from the snow
Oh, the way to walk the crop of gold is not far from the snow

And it's here at home I wait for your wanders to be still
Oh it's here at home I wait for your wanders to be still
And I won’t drag my feet in whatever dirt you track in
No I won’t drag my feet in whatever dirt you track in