Life on the Flip Side

May 29, 2020

Down at the Lah De Dah

Lyrics

On a patch of sand
Where the warm wind blows
Not a TV set, not a radio
Just an old guitar when the sun sinks low
Down at the Lah De Dah
When the stars come out
It's the place to be
If you're all alone needing company
It's a lover's bar where the fun is free
Down at the Lah De Dah

Down at the Lah De Dah
There's a perfect margarita in a Mason jar
At the end of the world in a sea of dreams
Where the ocean smiles and the seagulls scream
We all know just how lucky we are
Down at the la, la, la, la, la, la, la-la
La, la, la, la, la, la, la-la
La, la, la, la, la, la, la-la
Down at the Lah De Dah
Take it, boys

When you're back at work
At your nine to five
And it's pourin' rain on your morning drive
You'll remember when you were last alive
Down at the Lah De Dah

Down at the Lah De Dah
There's a perfect margarita in a Mason jar
At the end of the world in a sea of dreams
Where the ocean smiles and the seagulls scream
We all know just how lucky we are
Down at the la, la, la, la, la, la, la-la
La, la, la, la, la, la, la-la
La, la, la, la, la, la, la-la
Down at the Lah De Dah
La, la, la, la, la, la, la-la
La, la, la, la, la, la, la-la
La, la, la, la, la, la, la-la
Down at the Lah De Dah

When the band strikes up
And the sun is down
The Pirate King buys another round
And the rumors fly mermaids are in town
Down at the Lah De Dah
(Oh, I think I see some Doylies in here tonight)

Down at the la, la, la, la, la, la, la-la
La, la, la, la, la, la, la-la
La, la, la, la, la, la, la-la
Down at the Lah De Dah
Cha, cha, cha
Who Gets to Live Like This

Lyrics

There are waves outside my window
There are airplanes in the sky
There are ships on the horizon
And a beach always nearby
Fish tacos on the table, no surfer can resist
How did I get this lucky?
Tell me who gets to live like this

I left my inhibitions
Receding with the tide
Talking with the turtles
Lying side by side
Seeking wiser counsel on a girl I can't resist
Pass the seaweed salad
Tell me who gets to live like this

Singing for money, playin' for fun
How did I wind up in this band on the run?
Wake it up, make it up, shake it up, take it up
There's more ways than one
Jack of all trades, master of none

With fortune or without it
For paydays or for free
More latitudes than attitudes
More everyone and less me
Just knowing what is possible
Is the ring you don't want to miss
I'm happy to inform you
That we get to live like this
That we all get to live this
Live like this

Hmm, get to live like this
Get to live like this
Get to live like this
Get to live like this
Get to live like this
The Devil I Know [Explicit]

Lyrics

Three in the morning came without a warning
Wound up with some old buccaneers
Tellin' lies about the time I won the Nobel Prize
Guess who bought all the beers
Well, you'd think I'd have tamed my old dragons by now
I've always tried to be a good scout
But every now and then they come swoopin' in
Saying, "Bubba, it's time to go out"

Now it's fun to wake up in a strange chateau
After racing 'round Paris in a Deux Chevaux
My wingman's crashing but I'm not flying solo
'Cause he traded places with the devil I know
Devil I know, devil I know

Well, life can be confusing but things need excusin'
To separate the turns from the twists
If I had a Richter scale for spouting forked tales
We'd all be high on that shit list
Well, the hitch to living hard is when you drop your guard
And wind up in a headline or a cell
Then compromise, or worse, apologize
Welcome to the world of sinkin' spells

Messing with my mind was fun at the time
Tossing to and fro in a tricky undertow
Deviants and derelicts, lurking high and low
Ridin' shotgun with the devil I know
Devil I know, devil I know
Let's go ridin', devil

There were times, there were places
We played near and far
From the old Anchor Inn to the Suez Canal bar
From the Kraken to Manhattan
Le Select to Old Saigon
Mojitos in Havana
Timbuktu 'til dawn

Three in the mornin', feral cats are yawnin'
Full moon sinking in the bay
Spoonbills in flight, oh, what a sight
As I sip on my café au lait
Well, the birds got me thinkin' 'bout going day drinkin'
A hall pass to be the old me
Don't need hops and barley to throw a little party
Señorita, una mas iced tea
Hell, it's fun to go fishing on a new slack tide
Wake up living life on the flip side
Them dragons ain't gone, but they're fading like an old tattoo
Lots of mystery in the history of the devils I knew
Devils I knew, devils I knew
The Slow Lane

Lyrics

Ridin' in the slow, slow lane
Throttlin' down
Ridin' in the slow, slow lane
Taking time to look around

Everybody's heading into town
But we are not
Volume's up and the windows down
Feelin' hot, hot, hot
You and me together, babe
Gonna let it all roll
'Cause everything is better now
When we take it slow

Ridin' in the slow, slow lane
Life's the blink of an eye, my, my
Ridin' in the slow, slow lane
Blue angels paint the sky

We don't have a worry
Just a surfer and his girl
Everything is in our reach
Not a care in the world
Great to get a second chance
Won't need a third
Only one direction now
Shout it out, forward

Drivin' in the slow, slow lane
Watch the fog disappear, my dear
Ridin' in the slow, slow lane
Maybe stop and grab a beer

Oh, that summer sun, wind in your hair
Half the fun is getting there

When you're ridin' in the slow, slow lane (Slow lane)
Good life's in our reach
Ridin' in the slow, slow lane (Slow lane)
Meet us at the beach
Drivin' in the slow (Slow lane), slow lane (Slow lane)
Ridin' in the slow, slow lane (Slow lane)
Drivin' in the slow lane (Slow lane)
Ridin' in the slow lane (Slow lane)
Slow lane
Cussin' Island [Explicit]

Lyrics

Hello, kiddies
No, it's not Mr. Rogers
It's Jimmy, with a little tale
Hmm, maybe you'll like this

I know, I never should have written this song
I know, I'm in trouble if your kids sing along
I hope you don't misconstrue
This could be my Waterloo if you do
And I know the same thing could happen to you

Cruisin' down the coast of Panama with my kids
Snorkelin' with the stingrays, 'cudas and the squids
Things were goin' way too well
All of a sudden heaven turned into hell
If you dare to venture out on the ocean
It's unavoidable to face some commotion
My kids were fightin' on the foredeck
What the hell would Huck Finn do?

Hey, young lady. did I just hear you call
Your brother a stupid little shit?
You know you're not allowed to use those words
Now apologize lickety split

That's why I'm takin' you to Cussin' Island
Headin' this boat south
I think you should know
That's where I met Cousteau
And we will work on your potty mouth
And when we get to Cussin' Island
I'm gonna drop you on the beach
Anchor way out, get ready for the bout
And watch you exercise your freedom of speech
At first they looked a little frightened and dismayed
Just like those weird contestants on Naked and Afraid
It started with a smirk, then the dirty words came gushin'
I saw dolphins swimmin' by, even they were blushin'
I stood there on the bow feelin' like a hypocrite
As they fired unholy salvos like a German Messerschmitt
And they cussed horseflies, homework, Taliban and Barney
Piano lessons, etiquette sessions, wakin' up too early
Makin' beds, takin' meds, invasion of our space
They kept it up until they both turned blue in the face

World on our shoulders
Feelin' like boulders
We're tired, please give us a hand
This is some weird shit
Cussin' ain't worth it
Let's bury those words in the sand

Downwind, I could hear every word loud and clear
Having second thoughts of bringin' them here
It was just a split second decision
Their repertoire was never envisioned
Past time to put an exit plan into gear

Time flies, now all my little pirates are grown
Soon they'll be raisin' buccaneers of their own
Do I think they learned a lesson?
Or was it just a silly ass show?
Well, the answer is part of the problem
The simple truth, fuck no
That's why we have to have Cussin' Island
Our rally point and rendezvous
I've sailed many a mile, collected millions of smiles
And I know the same thing could happen to you

That's right, it could happen to you
And you know where it could happen to you?
Cussin' Island
Oceans of Time

Lyrics

Come every day, it's sink or swim
Take it to heart or on a whim
Are we the loser or the hero? (Or the hero?)
It's a dice throw (It's a dice throw)
So what if we lose our focus?
Nobody's gonna notice

Oceans of time will wash on by
Ebbing, flowing through our lives
Why should we hurry the tide?
You and I
Only have oceans of time

Sunrise to sunrise, it's a game
24 hours doesn't change
No point to beg, steal or borrow
From tomorrow (From tomorrow)
Whatever we need, we have it
Let's not get stuck in traffic

Oceans of time will wash on by
Ebbing, flowing through our lives
Why should we hurry the tide?
You and I
Only have oceans of time

Oceans of time will wash on by
Ebbing, flowing through our lives
Why should we hurry the tide?
You and I
Only have oceans of time
Only have oceans of time
Hey, That's My Wave

Lyrics

It used to be so easy
Life was so well-defined
Walk to the beach and ride the ocean
Any place, any time
The ocean's always been my mother
Salt water is the perfect cure
But now my home break's on a website
That's got me thinkin' Ecuador

Hey, that's my wave
Surfin' is my life
Hey, that's my wave
Takes away the strife

When that summer swell starts rollin'
Pods of people droppin' in
Dirt lot's full of new pickups and Bimmers
I want my mornings back again

Hey, that's my wave
Surfin' is my life
(The thrill I crave)
Hey, that's my wave
Takes away the strife
(Let's all behave)

They're all paddlin' on the inside
Floating sideways on the board
Takin' selfies in a white wash
Nobody works anymore

Hey, that's my wave
(Man, you thinkin' what I'm thinkin'?)
Hey, that's my wave
(Yeah, a block)
Hey, that's my wave
(I'll meet you at the Shagwong, we'll talk about it)
(Hey dude, that's my wave)

I think it's time for a safari
Find a new spot far away
Leave the clowns and crowds behind me
Fightin' for rides the whole damn day

Hey, that's your wave
I'm outta here
(The thrill I crave)
Hey, that's my wave
I'm on the plane to Cussin' Island
(Let's all behave)
Hey, that's your wave
Hey, Jimmy, that's my wave, haha
(The thrill I crave)
Hey, that's my wave
(Let's all behave)
Good luck
Enjoy it, dudes
The World Is What You Make It

Lyrics

I knew this African they call Hannibal
Rock it, roll it, send it down the avenue
Went out to see the Roman Empire fall, uh-huh, uh-huh
Two thousand elephants in gold chain-mail
Take it, shake it, make it what you wanna be
Them Roman legionnaires, they hit the trail, uh-huh, uh-huh

The world is what you make it
The world is what you make it, baby
The world is what you make it

When Cleopatra ruled Egypt's land
Jump down, turn around, look at what the monkey did
She went to find herself a mighty man, uh-huh, uh-huh
In come Antonio from Italy
Haul it, ball it, drag it up the pyramid
He never knew how hot a girl could be, uh-huh, uh-huh

The world is what you make it
The world is what you make it, baby
The world is what you make it

Don't start to hit me with your "no can do"
Bluesin', losin', workin' up an attitude
Clean up them windows, let the sun shine through, uh-huh, uh-huh
There ain't no happy time without no pain
Heartbreak, new date, move on up the alleyway
Pick up the pieces, hit the road again, uh-huh, uh-huh

The world is what you make it
The world is what you make it, baby
The world is what you make it

The world is what you make it
The world is what you make it, baby
The world is what you make it
The world is what you make it
Half Drunk

Lyrics

I'm only half drunk
If you were thinkin' of pourin' more wine
It's only midnight
And I got nothin', nothin' but time
Is it half empty or half full
This glass of mine?
I'm only half wrong
If you were thinkin' 'bout stayin' this time
It's only midnight
And I got nothin', nothin' but time

It may be half-baked
But I've got lots, lots of ideas
Hey darlin', here's one
Won't you come and lend me your ear?
Like Mona Lisa gave old Da Vinci that half smile
I'll paint a picture that will half convince you I'm fine
It's only midnight
And I've got nothin', nothin' but time

I got half a mind to tell you 'bout it, brother
It's always six of one, and half a dozen of the other
This or that, tit for tat
My baby's on the line
I'm always only half the way to makin' her all mine
I'm only half drunk
If you'll be buyin' one more round
I've been half crazy
Tryin' to simmer, simmer on down
You see half the people, but only half of half of the time
Tell me, how can a nickel stand right up to a dime?

I'm only half drunk
This night is half gone
And I'll be long gone before too long
It's only midnight
And I've got nothin', nothin' but time
I'm only half drunk
If you were thinkin' of pourin' more wine
Mailbox Money

Lyrics

Sweet water, hidden river
Flows right by my place
Life is slow, fishin's good
That's how I spend my days
I've got a sun-browned local lady
She hails from Bon Secour
She makes the best fried shrimp and collard greens
Cold Rosé is her pour
By now you must be wonderin' how I earn my pay
I write words and music, fact, I write them every day

Mailbox money
Been so good to me
When my ship comes sailin' in I feel like royalty
That old song just keeps playin' from sea to shinin' sea
That mailbox money sure been good to me

The postman starts his outboard
'Cause we get our mail by boat
That song I penned in '81 still keeps our world afloat
If it wasn't for the radio and those Parrot-headed fans
I'd have to get a day gig, which would surely spoil my plans

Mailboat money
Been so good to me
When my ship comes sailin' in I feel like royalty
They still hum that melody from France to Newfoundland
Mailbox money made me what I am

Put it in the mailbox
Put it in the mailbox

Now the postman, he retired two or three years back
Now he fishes every day and I take up the slack
I load that fifteen foot Pirogue US mailboat down
Jump start my Johnson and spread the love around
Junk mail, bills and birthday cards on the last boat that remains
I'm a one man crew but I still get through those floods and hurricanes
Mailboat money

Down in LA, that's how our mail arrives
Drop us a line at zip code 36555

I love that mailbox money from sea to shinin' sea
Nothing else comes close to stackin' up
'Cept the Full Moon Jubilee
Giggin' big fat flounders with Jimbo at slack tide
Mailbox money sure seems bonafide
That old song just keeps playin' from sea to shinin' sea
Mailbox money sure been good to me

(Put it in the mailbox)
Just keeps comin' in
(Put it in the mailbox)
What a boat ride this has been
(Put it in the mailbox)
(Put it in the mailbox)
Whole lotta jingle in that single
(Put it in the mailbox)
Cha-ching
(Put it in the mailbox)
Ooh, might go look at the mail Johnson
(Put it in the mailbox)
Maybe get a new guitar
(Put it in the mailbox)
I don't wanna be a star
Slack Tide

Lyrics

I've got a fish on the line
But there won't be a feast
We've got too much in common
And he shall be released
I've seen day turn to night
And watched the changin' of seasons
Things don't just happen
They happen for a reason

Maybe we'll meet in Exuma
Or down in the Keys
If I catch the right current
Or capture a breeze
Out here conflicts and chaos completely subside
Sailin' back to where I came from
Back to slack tide

Well, I think it's time to put some snorkels on
Turn your feet into flippers
Have some primal fun
Dance with a stranger in a Mardi Gras parade
Find an empty hammock, take a nap in the shade

You can't hold back the moon
Can't stop the ebb and flow
The water still comes and the water still goes
It turns mountains to sand
Gave ol' Noah his big ride
Then he dropped off his passengers
Down at slack tide

I can't control anybody
Other than myself
Leave those half empty thoughts
High up on the shelf
If you cut me some slack
I'll return the favor
Open that bottle of fine rum
That together, we will savor

Well, we could use some quiet
We could use a little calm
Find the good in everybody
Share that "one love" balm
Watch the predators and prey
Swim along side by side
'Neath the blue sky and mangroves
Down at slack tide

I wish the whole wide world could swim along
At slack tide

Swim along, swim along, swim along, swim along
At slack tide
Swim along, swim along, swim along, swim along
Live, Like It's Your Last Day

Lyrics

Live, relive
Learn to forgive
Time just keeps slippin' away
Live, relive
Learn to forgive
Live like it's your last day

Cats have nine lives and eons to play
Planets and stars are light years away
Their cosmic clock ticks and it tocks
Here in the Milky Way
Just like a whirlpool, the universe has rules
There's no rehearsal or cosmic reversal
You can pray or stand still
Or grab one last cheap thrill
But here's all I have to say

Live like it's your last day
Sing karaoke and sip some Rosé
This won't last forever
But if you're clever
You just might sail away
And live like it's your last day

Fuel the jet now, don't delay
Bucket lists are just cliché
No acts of contrition
Or asking for permission
You'll have lots of options this way

Live, relive
Learn to forgive
Time just keeps slippin' away
Live, relive
Learn to forgive
Live like it's your last day

(Live)
What you want, what you dream
What you might have heard was beyond your reach
(Oh, live)
On the water, on the wind
On the move, on the edge or maybe on the beach
(Oh, just live)
For the chance or the dance
Or the new romance in every single day
(Come on and live)
For the joy or the buzz or maybe just because
I can't think of a reason not to

Live, relive
Learn to forgive
Time just keeps slippin' away
(Time just keeps slippin' away)
Live, relive
Learn to forgive
Live like it's your last day
Time just keeps slipping away
15 Cuban Minutes [Explicit]

Lyrics

Sana, sana colito de rana
Si, no sana hoy
Bueno sana mañana
Mañana, mañana
Lo que dice Havana
Si, no paso hoy
Paso mañana

Fifteen Cuban minutes
Fairly safe to say
Can feel more like an hour
Or the entire day
In the land where time means nothing
Not hard to slip away
El Diablo baila sábado
Y los curas on Sunday
Fifteen Cuban minutes
The end is out of sight
So I'll meet you by the cannon
On the Malecón tonight

It started in Havana
In Nineteen-twenty-one
On the schooner Chiquimula
Where a party had begun
Primer cumpleaños
For a tiny lad at sea
And in my heart is still that faded photo of JD
Signal flags were flying
Atop the entire fleet
While the rhumba band from Santiago
Played the birthday boy to sleep
That's the tale was told to me
A sea dog nursery rhyme
And the music that was handed down
From a long forgotten time

Fifteen Cuban minutes
Get lost in the fog
Life's a test, just do your best
Like a three-legged dog
In the land where time means nothing
You can often lose your mind
Now place your bets, or better yet
Just join a conga line
Fifteen Cuban minutes
Can turn night into day
They're dancing on the tables
Down at El Frente

Another entry in the log
My mind put to a test
When we sailed with the Hemmingways
On a schooner from Key West
They'd come to make a movie
About long forgotten times
See old friends, drink some rum
And visit family shrines
So how the hell did we wind up
Just tagging right along?
They were looking for a soundtrack
And heard one of my songs
So I sang "Havana Daydreamin'"
Just me and my guitar
To some very stern KGB guys
Trying to blend in at the bar

So for fifteen Cuban minutes
La bodega did ignite
Bongos y tumbadoras
Kept us up all night
Mojitos by the minute
The crowd stacked at the door
Niños, dogs, and roosters
Frolicked on the floor
Fifteen Cuban minutes
Lots of give and take
Birthdays always come and go
But not a birthday cake

Fifteen Cuban minutes
Are easy to embrace
No calendars or watch to wind
No schedules to chase
In the land where time means nothing
This phrase, it cries, "Delay!"
Put it on a tee shirt
And everyone will pay
You say minutos Cubanos
Dejace la drama
Aqui no hay AC
Solo la ventana

Music makes us happy
It's in our chromosomes
No matter where we wander
Music takes us home
It started on the island
Dispersed by sweet songbirds
Who flew north 'cross the Gulf Stream
And everybody heard
Now the clock just keeps on ticking
I hear it everywhere I go
And I sing along in cars and bars
Along Calle Ocho
God bless Ricky Ricardo
And Little Ricky, too
They set my mind on island time
How about you?

The Greeks and the Egyptians
Had sundials in the sand
Now we have atomic clocks
That measure the Big Bang
Still I prefer the simple way
Let's take it to the street
More walking and less talking
Tap time with your feet

Fifteen Cuban minutes
Still stands the test of time
Like a Salas photograph
Or Kenneth Patchen rhyme
If you're looking for a launchpad
No news, just hearsay
Don't bother with the WiFi
Fuck Siri, ask Jose
Fifteen Cuban minutes
There's no end in sight
I'll meet you by the cannon
On the Malecón tonight

Sana, sana colito de rana
Si, no sana hoy
Bueno sana mañana
Mañana, mañana
Lo que dice Havana
Si, no paso hoy
Paso mañana
Book on the Shelf

Lyrics

Well, I hope you have fun splashin' in the slack tide
Unchaperoned over on the flip side
I write what I know about, made up or true
These songs aren't for me, they're for you
Memories like meteors fly through my head
The sand was pearl white, her bikini bright red
Retracing song lines gives me goose pimples, still
Like the trail boards upon Boo Boo Hill

Ooh, I know these stories were all lived before me
Still, I got a couple that I'll keep to myself
I'm so damn lucky to have an all-star cast
Some lovely, some crazy
Who ever thought this would last?
You know if I hadn't lived it, I'd read it myself
Tellin' tall tales is still good for my health
Keep movin' and listenin' and amusin' myself
I'm not ready to put the book on the shelf

We all live some days vicariously
Blinded by all the light we cannot see
Handed down stories, cave walls to pens
Worth tellin' again and again
I call these modalities great power tubes
Placed in the hands of dreamers and fools
We're descended from court jesters, quite sure of that
Could you kindly pass around the hat?

And I know these stories were sailed way before me
Toss a note in a bottle and hope that it helps
I'm so damn lucky to have an all-star crew
Some stoic, some crazy
Some just passin' through
I guess music and lyrics are what I do best
I'm all done explaining or passin' some test
So pour me another, it's good for my health
I'm not ready to put the book on the shelf

I'll keep scribblin' on pages, not jumpin' off stages
Not ready to put the book on the shelf

Life on the Flip Side

Life on the Flip Side Tracks