A STORY One night at the Opry They let me through the door I was holding my guitar Walking an inch above the floor Been waiting there for months, it seemed I would not be denied I came to Nashville with a job to do History on my side And I’d always had an angel On my shoulder as I’d play But there at the Opry microphone I felt my angel fly away Walked offstage to light applause No one would look my way Someone said with a little luck, son You’ll be back one day Well I’m back all right, back in the holler And it’s funny how polite The people in this town can be Once they’ve been proven right And now I’m just a story That nobody wants to tell A song that you can’t hear A shadow in the night A window in the air A future looking bright Down a road paved with light You can’t see it but you know it’s there

THE MOVIE Aren’t we in the car? Aren’t we on the run? Don’t see no policemen And I don’t see no guns Do you feel all this sunshine All over your skin? Tell me, where is the movie We thought we were in? Kathy was late I grew concerned That Kathy had flipped and I had been burned I called in a favor They flew in the drone I did everything right Now my country is gone Aren’t we in the car? Aren’t we on the run? I don’t hear the music And I don’t see no guns Do you feel all this sunshine All over your skin? Tell me, where is the movie We thought we were in? Once, I was human My function was clear Now I can’t find the camera And I can’t drink the beer The plot’s too organic The direction’s unclear And I’m so afraid I’ll get used to it here We were the heroes We went to the mat If this is the future What was all that? Where’s the redemption And where is the sin? Honey, where is the movie We thought we were in? And where is the truth Among all these facts? And where are the people Who know how to act? Where’s the redemption And where is my skin? Tell me, where is the movie We thought we were in?

ELIS REGINA Midday summer ‘91 There wasn’t much to do for fun But Hector and I would go down the hill To the cemetery in Potter’s Field Drink beer, hang out and shoot the breeze In the shade of the locust and the big oak tree One day back up Memorial Street Was a pile of records left out in the heat Top one had a name we’d never seen It was obviously calling to be free So we rescued that record from the sun Midday summer ‘91 Oh, Elis Regina You set our spirits free With songs of love from far away A home in heaven for me Hector’s house was super strict His mom commanded much respect She had family to protect We had Elis Regina Well his brother freaked and ran away I knew all along it could have been me Drama in the afternoon The music played in Hector’s room And when one side comes to an end Put the needle back and play it again We played that record every day Still blows my mind someone threw it away Oh, Elis Regina You set our spirits free With songs of love from far away A home in heaven for me I lost that record years ago And where Hector is, I don’t know Clouds in the daytime, stars at night We seem to lose things left and right But I miss my friend since he’s gone And I think of him when I hear her songs So thanks for posting her video You brought tears to my eyes, whoever you are Just one more thing – When I go Play that record at my funeral Oh, Elis Regina You set our spirits free With songs of love from far away A home in heaven for me

SATURDAY NIGHT IN DOUGLAS COUNTY So now you’re white power kid, getting online Now you can flash your own sign It says dad’s gone, mom’s crazy And I don’t know what else to do Nothing can be done, nothing to do You’re staring at the screen staring back at you Little brother big man digging in the dirt Why don’t you just wear a shirt That says I’m poor and I’m stupid, totally screwed But I’ll always be white Dad’s up on the mountain, talking smack Who else can he hurt He did you dirt, Jack Jack Junior Junior Jack Saturday night in Douglas County And the feeling is bad Saturday night in Douglas County I became the brother you never had Ooh what is wrong with you Staring at the screen, up all night Maybe we should have another fight I know they make you feel strong to belong They’re so goddamn clever, I’m so wrong Now I gotta go sing this song Saturday night in Douglas County And the feeling is bad Saturday night in Douglas County Now I’m the brother you never had Yeah, yeah, yeah Go home, you’re drunk again, your ship has sunk again And dad? Dad is not a problem with me Yo, dad is not a problem with me Problem is, I have friends, you have issues I’ll go to the Dollar Tree, get you some tissues Brother you know I love you, but now I gotta reach above you Cause unlike you I know what I stand for – Our country – Where I can get married, buy myself a home That’s all my people have left that we can still call our own They take that away, they’ll never stop They’re in the streets going after cops! They got cojones kickin’ up that fuss When everything they got, they got from us Maybe if they could work a lick they’d understand Nah, I’m out man See you’re so negative, I try to reason with you But you’re so argumentative, there ain’t no pleasin’ with you Nah I got nothing more to say and I can’t say it any better Maybe one day I’ll sit my ass down and write your ass a letter That goes Well, well what’s that smell, come outta your shell Go straight to he‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐ Aw man I don’t mean that, you seen that I’m just lookin for a rhyme I do it all the time Please don’t tell Seriously, I gotta go man, I don’t know I’ll see you on the other side of something Hey – go get yourself well Mom’s in the clinic, maybe you know Maybe one day you could go I brought her some flowers and a stuffed animal And I told her it was from us Saturday night in Douglas County Good times bad times straight to hell Saturday night in Douglas County And it feels like a winner for someone else Ooh fight and cuss Who did this to us Who did this to us Who did this to us

HERE IT COMES Your hair is long, your jacket’s blue And shiny as the morning dew The early spring is dancing through the skies You shine upon our high school stage Against rock and roll and Satan’s rage The light of Jesus dawning in your eyes Well I’ve got friends I like okay And AC/DC’s here to stay But no one knows the way I really feel I want to take you for a walk To a place where we can talk I want to spend some time with you for real Here it comes Your eyes are blue, your hair is blond We’re swimming naked in the pond Your jacket folded neatly on the grass So many things I want to do I have so much respect for you I don’t think I’ll be back in time for class Here it comes We dried off, then got dressed I lay my head upon your chest And listened to you talk about the road How saving souls comes with a cost The loneliness, the ones you lost And you can’t know what comes from what you sow Your hair is blond, your jacket’s blue And I’m already missing you The clouds of March are twisted in the skies But I’ll remember what you said And your hand upon my head The light of Jesus dawning in your eyes

Within Thy circling pow’r I stand, On ev’ry side I find Thy hand; Awake, asleep, at home, abroad, I am surrounded still with God.

DO IT WELL We swept the floors, put out the chairs Patched up the costumes and took up the tickets And when the seats were filled, on went the show We were never ever late It was New York City 1828 When I turned ten my daddy said, “Son, Now you’ve come of age Walk to the center of the stage Put your face right in that spot Where the limelight’s bright and hot If you project your voice to the very back tier Everybody else in the room will hear Now do your African song And assume that you belong there Because you do” And if we’re going to eat tonight You better dance and sing ‘Cause there’s a hundred boys behind you Waiting in the wings You got your angels up in heaven And your devils down in hell You’re in the middle, standing on that stage And you better do it well Out to Ohio in ‘29 We were broke and living hard Boiling potatoes in Banquo’s helmet Sleeping out in the yard And we had to get to Pittsburgh by the 8th So Daddy pulled me aside He put burnt cork on my face and hands And sent his little boy out to dance And sing my African songs And they all sang along They threw nickles, dimes and gold dubloons Half‐eagles, pennies, and picayunes When I was done we had a hundred dollars I can still hear them holler It’s true And who was there but Mr. T. D. Rice Right before he learned to Jump Jim Crow I loved that man, he was so nice And he gave me such a lift Put his hands on my shoulder, looked into my eyes And said boy, you’ve really got a gift Well, I guess I gave him an idea Cause the next thing we all seen T. D. Rice is over in London Jumping Jim Crow for the Queen Or a Duchess or a Duke Or a serpent in the garden! But Daddy Rice got paid and his name in the papers too So if you want to get to England You better dance and sing Cause there’s a hundred boys behind you Waiting in the wings You got your angels up in heaven And your devils down in hell You’re in the middle, jumping on that stage And you better do it well Daddy Rice he played Othello in 1845 And at the end of the play that fellow and Desdemona were still alive And when they brought their baby out For all the world to see Half his face was painted black The other half was white as me Othello told them all, lovin’ ain’t no sin Come back tomorrow night and we’ll get married all over again You never saw a crowd so crazy They had to bring the house lights up And it was warmer than the sun Warmer than the sun No slaves and no slave owners Manhattan bathed in light We’d sing and play together Like brothers for the night And in the firmament of the night sky The moon over the city It was warmer than the sun Warmer than the sun Now they’re all gone, I’m all alone In my father’s rocking chair Watching the young men take the Bowery Wishing I could be back there I’d give anything to have that world again Have my Daddy back with me Singing Coal Black Rose and Blue Tail Fly On a wagon in St. Louis Or the opera house in Cleveland Or the Federal in Boston I’d even dance on a board on Market Street Let Mister Dionysius guide my feet From Brooklyn to Kalamazoo ‘Cause when you jump Jim Crow everybody knows Any stage will do So if you want the glory You better dance and sing Cause there’s a hundred boys behind you Waiting in the wings My daddy’s up in heaven And the devil’s on the run We’re in the middle, standing on that stage So you better be having fun Yeah, if it ain’t fun, it ain’t nothin’!

DANCEHALL MAN I’m as surprised as you Two unlikely people, How could it be true? I came to your concert As a friend of a friend, No one you’d want to meet, Much less befriend But you could see in my face That I’d come to Jamaica From a quite different place Backstage, one by one, You got rid of the guests, ‘Til there was just us two, A question, and the answer – Fate will lead you to a place You least expect to be I never dreamed that coming here Would lead to you and me The mountains, the sea, The music set me free Dancehall man, look What you’ve done to me Onstage, You have all their respect And I know what it means, So I’m quite circumspect And I wait in the hallway, And I pray for the day When we don’t feel the need To hide our love away The moon, In your garden, the rain, And you holding me close, Disconnecting the pain And I leave by myself, ‘Cause the cameras don’t lie Unlike you and I. Fate will lead you to a place You least expect to be I never dreamed that coming here Would lead to you and me The mountains, the sea, The music set me free Dancehall man, look What you’ve done to me You, You have got your career And if ever they find us, It would all end in tears And I wait in the hallway, And I try to pretend I’m not the one You say you’ll be with ‘til the end Fate will lead you to a place You least expect to be I never dreamed that coming here Would lead to you and me The mountains, the sea, The music set me free My Jamaican man Look – look – Look what you’ve done to me Dancehall Man Move me Move me Look what you’ve done to me Dancehall Man Move me Move me Look what you’ve done to me Dancehall Man Move me Move me Look what you’ve done to me Dancehall Man Move me Move me

FRANKIE AND ALBERT Frankie and Albert were lovers Lordy how they could love Fast forward a couple of centuries Frankie’s standing on the gallows above They made it through We can make it too I was ten years old in aisle thirteen In jeans and a rhinestone vest I sang Lovesick Blues and I made the news It was for the best I made it through You can make it too Mama was tough, Daddy was fair With them I could not lose I been ahead of the curve since the day I was born Singing the blues I made it through You can make it too I met him backstage in Tucson We were more than the West would allow And whether I shot him or he shot me It doesn’t matter now We made it through Baby how about you Frankie took abuse from no one Albert did her wrong Judge said “It was self‐defense Frankie, you’re goin’ free, They can kill you in the song” She made it through We can make it too The role is perfect, the script needs help They got the feel all wrong You can scream you can shout Count me in count me out It’s somebody else’s song They stole my cue And I had to sue Johnny B Goode’s on a gold disc Somewhere in outer space In L.A. the master tape burned up Sayin’ someone’s takin’ my place I’m losing you Come on through They got the silver, they got the gold We get a tenth of a penny per stream When they say this story has no moral You know exactly what they mean It sticks like glue But you can make it through I was the king of Country and Western But I had to find some peace I just want to teach the world to sing I explained all this to the police What can I do To make it up to you Albert and Johnny were lovers Frankie’s been a good, good friend Sometimes the names change to protect the song And that is how the story ends They made it through We can make it too The world’s been right beside me While I chase down the dawn It’s just a straight shot down the center And that is why it takes so long But here’s to you You make it all come true

BILLIE RAY Billie honey, get out of bed There’s a vision in my head Summer’s gone, October’s on the way And there’s something that I’ve just got to say Billie I appreciate Your attempts to separate Work from pleasure From something approaching love You’ve been like a dad to me You messed me up, you set me free I’m not used to making the first move But now it’s Bye bye Billie, bye bye Billie, bye bye I know that you won’t cry ‘Cause you’ve got too much love to share You drew the circle wide The summer was oh so splendid Went on forever, then it ended Bye bye Billie, bye bye Billie, bye bye Look in the mirror as I shave There’s still a world left to save Ticket’s booked, toothbrush in the case The passport says somewhere there’s a place You killed me with a grin Ruined everything, you let me win No one ever treated me so kind But now it’s Bye bye Billie, bye bye Billie, bye bye The leaves are drifting by And you’ve got too much love to share You drew the circle wide Boyfriend, girlfriend, what’s the score It only makes me want you more but Bye bye Billie, bye bye Billie, bye bye It’s not just your body, Billie I’m taking all of you with me I’ve been to hell with the sheriff’s crew I’ve been to heaven next to you There’s no place left for me now but New York When we learn to be free When there are words for you and me And when our excuses won’t suffice Til then it’s Bye bye Billie, bye bye Billie, bye bye Call me when you get tired of Married men from the Capitol Parts seven, eight and nine And one lucky day we’ll meet At the other end of Cypress Street Til then Bye bye Billie, you’re the one I adore Leaving hurts, staying hurts more Bye Billie, bye bye Billie, bye bye Vampires on the street tonight Showing up for another bite Call me, text, send some mail So I know you’re not in jail

SONG FOR PRINTED MATTER Was in the city on some business Feeling trapped inside my brain Counting the minutes until dinner Stepped out into the Chelsea rain Stopped in a bookstore for a moment Wanted just to clear my head But this store was so creative Couldn’t believe the things they had You mean a postcard is an artwork? You mean this poster is a book? This dude took pictures of his breakfast Just to see how his mornings looked I got a book at Printed Matter Artists’ books and magazines They’re on 10th Avenue in Chelsea The coolest store I’ve ever seen One night some friends came by to party With this cute guy I’d never met He picked up the book, looked through the pages Said this is cool, where did you get it? I said I got that book at Printed Matter Artists’ books and magazines They’re on 10th Avenue in Chelsea The coolest store I’ve ever seen The next week we met there together Looked at some zines and went to lunch And now we know each other better We made a book about our love It’s got photos, text and drawings It’s diaristic in tone They carry it at Printed Matter You can get a copy of your own Then you can say I got that book at Printed Matter Artists’ books and magazines They’re on 10th Avenue in Chelsea The coolest store I’ve ever seen

TRAINED TO HELP A normal life, a love divine I am trained to help I am trained to help I got yours and you got mine I am trained to help I am trained to help If you tell me what is wrong As we approach the night I am trained to help We can sing a glad new song You have every right I am trained to help But I won’t be here forever Feet don’t touch the ground You can give yourself completely As we come back around I am grateful for the chance to be Talking through the mask I am trained to help It has the opposite effect on me It’s a lot to ask I am trained to help I never want to make you cry How much does it take I am trained to help It takes another pair of eyes When the levee breaks I am trained to help But I won’t be gone completely Turn my head around And up in the air to meet me I am I am I am I am trained to help A pretty bird has come to town She warbles as she flies I am trained to help It takes a lot to wear me down Trouble in disguise I am trained to help The blackness of the heavens The stories I could tell Living in the moment While doing something else Let’s gather up the sunshine Home before the game It’s all another lifetime I think I’ve been quite clear Don’t wait until you’re ready It’s closer than you know Do you understand me It’s better than you think Don’t manufacture passion Playing by the rules Don’t cultivate indifference It happens all the time It happens all the time It happens all the time It happens all the time I am I am I am I am trained to help

Blest be the dear uniting love That will not let us part; Our bodies may far off remove, We still are one in heart.

FUTURE SONG We’re in the dark, lying together Hand across my arm Maybe it’s you, no question about it We’ve been here so long You’re like part of my body now We’re out to lunch, world in my pocket Yes I see the signs We cross the street, the city so noisy We’re used to the sound It’s like part of the scenery now This is the future, places we go Easy to get there, nobody knows The days and nights pass slow And it means more to me than you know Maybe you’re right, the clouds disappear Maybe the sun is coming out Maybe the blanket’s wet and filled with sand and We have to shake it out It breaks just like a memory now This is the future, what can we bring You have to think of everything The days and nights pass slow And it means more to me than you know This is the future, I got the news Say something funny, whatever you choose It's enough to go around I always said we’d be together Take all the time you need When we’re apart, I never worry You’ll come home to me You know, I have no secrets now One day it’s quiet, the kids are asleep The snow is falling, soft at our feet We watch the street lights glow And it means more to me than you know I hope you’re right I hope you’re right again My friend I hope you’re right I hope you’re right again My friend

PASSAGE And as the day is set to rise Still in love with you The morning sun, the summer flies Nowhere but time and looking through The stars that slowly organize The ship that sails across the skies Below and yet again, surprise Still in love with you