Songs You Don't Know By Heart

Nov 30, 2020

The Captain and the Kid

Lyrics

I never use to miss the chance
to climb upon his knee and listen
to the many tales of life upon the sea.
We'd go sailing back on barkentines and
talk of things he did, tomorrow just a
day away for the Captain and the Kid.
His world had gone from sailing ships
to raking mom's back yard;
he never could adjust to land although
he tried so hard.
We both were growing older then and
wiser with our years;
that's when I came to understand
the course his heart still steers.
He died about a month ago
while winter filled the air,
and though I cried, I was so proud
to love a man so rare.
He's somewhere on the ocean now,
the place he ought to be;
with one hand on the starboard rail,
he's waving back at me.
For the Captain and this kid.
Something So Feminine About A Mandolin

Lyrics

It was late in the evenin'
just a few of us pickin',
but the lady she played
so easy and fine.
And the chords that she strummed
were so tastefully clever,
they planted this song in my mind.

Cause there's somethin' so feminine,
about a mandolin;
the way that they feel,
the way that they ring.
Just to see slender fingers,
movin' so fluid,
made this poor heart to sing.

And when I get older and I have a daughter,
I'll teach her to sing, and play her my song
And I'll tell her some stories I can barely remember
And hope that she will sing along.

Maybe one day she'll take a fancy to pickin',
'Cause when that bug bites you,
you live with the string.
And if she could just strum a few simple measures
She could make some young man sing.

Cause there's somethin' so feminine
about a mandolin.
The way that they feel, the way that they ring.
And that evening in a pasture,
somewhere near Austin.
That mandolin made me sing,
Her mandolin made me sing.
Peanut Butter Conspiracy

Lyrics

Lookin' back at my hard luck days
I really do have to laugh
Workin' in a dive for twenty-six dollars
Spendin' it all on draft
We were hungry hard luck heroes
Tryin' just to stay alive
So we'd go down to the corner grocery
This is how we'd survive.
(Chorus)
Who's gonna steal the peanut butter
I'll get a can of sardines
Runnin' up and down the aisles of the Mini-Mart
Stickin' food in our jeans
We never took more than we could eat
There was plenty left on the racks
We all swore if we ever got rich
We would pay the Mini-Mart back
Yes Sir, yes Sir
We would pay the Mini-Mart back.
It was a two man operation
Had it all down on a note
Ricky would watch the big round mirror
And I'd fill up my coat
Then we'd head for the check-out aisle
With a lemon and a bottle of beer
Into the car got to make it on home
'Cause supper time is gettin' near.
(Repeat chorus)
I guess every good picker has had some hard times
I have had my share
It's really kinda funny to laugh at it now
But I don't wanna go back there
So every now and then when I'm in a grocery
I'll take a little but not much
'Cause you never know when the hard times will hit ya
And I don't want to lose my touch.
(Repeat chorus)

1973 Let There Be Music, Inc. (ASCAP)
All Rights Reserved
Death of an Unpopular Poet

Lyrics

I once knew a poet who lived before his time
He and his dog Spooner would listen as he'd rhyme
Words to make you happy and words to make you cry
And then one day the poet suddenly did die.

But he left behind a closet filled with verse and rhymes
And through some strange transaction
One was printed in the Times
And everybody's searching for the king of underground
They found him down in Florida with a tombstone for a crown.

And everybody knows a line from his books that cost $4.99
I wonder if he knows he's doin' quite this fine.

'Cause his books are all best sellers and his poems were turned to song
They had his brother on a talk show though they never got along
And now he's called immortal, yes, he's even taught in school
They say he used his talents, a most proficient tool.

But he left all of his royalties to Spooner his old hound
Growing old on steak and bacon in his doghouse ten feet 'round
And everybody wonders did he really lose his mind
No, he was just a poet who lived before his time
Yes, he was just a poet who lived before his time.

1973 American Broadcasting Music, Inc. (ASCAP)
All Rights Reserved
Twelve Volt Man

Lyrics

I never got a grip in penmanship
Could never make those small l's flow
Seldom found the trick to arithmetic
Three plus two be faux pas
But ask for some palm trees
Or tales from the South Seas

I never had the clout to knock one out
But hitting was the name of my game
Standing on third as the coaches conferred
So close to my first claim to fame

Just give me the steal sign
And I'll make home plate mine
And I just might turn some heads

Sometimes I may get a little drastic
Sometimes I just let my feelings show
Sometimes I may be a bit sarcastic
Most times that's the way the story goes

Now I know this Joe down in Mexico
He went there to work on his tan
For years he's been plugged into blenders and songs
They call him the Twelve Volt Man

He don't need no charge card
Just give him a die-hard
And he'll make sparks fly round your head
Or just ask for some palm trees
Or tales from the South Seas
And I'll make sparks fly round your head
Round your head
In your head
In your head
The Night I Painted The Sky

Lyrics

I came from the north
Escaping convention
Modern invention that won't let me be
To the shores of St. Martin
With my fiction addiction
To restart the fire
A dreamer's remedy

Independence Day
And all I remember
Was a midnight rainbow
That fell from the sky
As I stand on the beach
I slowly surrender
To the child in me
That can't say goodbye

The rockets in the air
And the people everywhere
Put away their differences for a while
Oh I am still a child
When it comes to something wild
Oh that was the night
I painted the sky

I dug in the sand
Like a boy on a mission
And there in my hands
A pyro's delight

If un bombardier
A night time magician
I sparked the sky
As the rockets fly from view

The rockets in the air
And the people everywhere
Put away their differences for a while
Yes I am still a child
When it comes to something wild
Oh that was the night
I painted the sky

Oh the mortars they roar
In anticipation
Proceeding the sigh
Of the uplifted eyes
It showers us all
In sulfuric sensation
The colors shine
And a fiery rhyme tonight

The rockets in the air (Ooooh...)
And the people everywhere
Won't you put away your differences for a while
I am but a child
When it comes to something wild
Oh that was the night
That was the night
Oh that was the night
I painted the sky
Painted the sky
Painted the sky
The Wino And I Know

Lyrics

The ice cream man he's a hillbilly fan,
He's got seventy-eights by Hank Snow;
Walks down the street, shufflin' his feet,
To the rhythm that only he knows.
And I've seen him in so many places,
I saw him the night I was born;
In a Bourbon Street bar I received my first scar
From an old man so tattered and torn.

And the Wino and I know the pains of street singin'
Like the door-to-door salesman knows
the pains of bell ringin'
It's a strange situation,
a wild occupation,
Living my life like a song.

Well the coffee is strong
at the Cafe Du Monde,
And the donuts are too hot to touch;
But just like a fool, when those
sweet goodies cool, I ate 'til I ate way too much.
Cause I'm livin' on things that excite me,
Be they pastries or lobsters or love;
I'm just tryin' to get by being quiet and shy,
In a world full of pushin' and shove.

And the Wino and I know the pains of backbustin',
Like the farmer knows the pain of his pick-up
truck rustin'.
It's a strange situation, a wild occupation,
Living my life like a song.

Sweet Senorita, Won't you please come with me?
Back to the island, honey, back to the sea;
Back to the only place that I want to be.

And the Wino and I know the joys of the ocean,
Like a boy knows the joys of his milkshake
in motion.
It's a strange situation, a wild occupation,
Living my life like a song.
Tin Cup Chalice

Lyrics

I want to go back to the island,
Where the shrimp boats tie up to the pilin'.
Give me oysters and beer for dinner ev'ry day of the year,
And I'll feel fine, I'll feel fine.

Chorus:
'Cause I want to be there,
I want to go back down and lie beside the sea there.
With a tin cup for a chalice
Fill it up with good red wine,
And I'm-a chewin' on a honeysuckle vine.

Yeah, now the sun goes slidin' 'cross the water;
Sailboats, they go searchin' for the breeze.
Salt air it ain't thin,
It can stick right to your skin,
And make you feel fine.
It makes you feel fine.

Repeat Chorus.

Yes, and now you heard my strange proposal;
Get that Packard up and let's move.
I want to be there before the day
Tries to steal away and leave us behind;
I've made up my mind;

Repeat Chorus
Chanson Pour Les Petits Enfants

Lyrics

Now young Mr. Moon flew away in the night
With his best friend Magnus right by his side
They soared through the Milky Way counting the stars
Once around Venus, twice around Mars

Then they spied an island rise out of the sea
They fell back to Earth just as free as you please
The children all gathered the church bells did ring
Suddenly everyone started to sing

Chorus
Chanson pour les petits enfants
Chason pour toute le monde
Chanson pour les petits enfants
Chanson pour toute le monde

Queen of the island she welcomed them in
Asked them questions of where they have been
She offered them chocolate she offered them tea
They all took their seats in the top of a tree

And racoons brought wine and the mice they brought cheese
Beautiful birds floated by on the breeze
From out of the oceans the dolphins began
Humming a tune that soon covered the land

Chorus

So young Princess Lia brought coral and pearls
Gifts to the travelers from some other world
The Bushdoctor mixed up a magical spell
Swore them to secrecy, never to tell

So young Mr. Moon flew away in the night
With his best friend Magnus right by his side
The sun was rising, they'd be home by noon
Humming the words to this magical tune

Chorus

Song for the children
Song for the world
Cowboy In The Jungle

Lyrics

There's a cowboy in the jungle
And he looks so out of place
With his shrimp skin boots and his cheap Cheroots
And his skin as white as paste

Headin' south to Paraguay
Where the gauchos sing and shout
Now he's stuck in Porto Bello
Since his money all ran out
So he hangs out with the sailors
Might and day they're raisin' hell
And his original destination's just another
Story that he loves to tell.

With no plans for the future
He still seems in control
From a bronco ride to a ten foot tide
He just had to learn to roll.

Roll with the punches
Play all of his hunches
Made the best of whatever came his way
What he lacked in ambition
He made up with intuition
Plowing straight ahead come what may.

Steel band in the distance
And their music floats across the bay
While American women in muumuus
Talk about all the things they did today
And their husbands quack about fishing
As they slug those rum drinks down
Discussing who caught what
and who sat on his butt
But it's the only show in town.

They're tryin' to drink all the punches
They all may lose their lunches
Tryin' to cram lost years into five or six says
Seems that blind ambition erased their intuition
Plowin' straight ahead come what may.

I don't want to live on that kind of island
No, I don't want to swim in a roped off sea.
Too much for me, too much for me
I've got to be where the wind and the water are free.

Alone on a midnight passage
I can count the falling stars
While the Southern Cross and the satellites
They remind me of where we are
Spinning around in circles
Living it day to day
And still twenty four hours, maybe sixty good years
It's still not that long a stay.

We've gotta roll with the punches
Learn to play all of our hunches
Makin' the best of whatever comes your way
Forget that blind ambition
And learn to trust your intuition
Plowin' straight ahead come what may.
And there's a cowboy in the jungle.
Love In The Library

Lyrics

On the corner of Government and Bay Avenue
The old doomsday fanatic wore a crown of kudzu
Sirens where wailing in the gulf coastal heat
And it seemed like the whole world was in forced retreat
I paid no attention, revolved through the door
Passed the newspaper rack on the worn marble floor
Near civil war history my heart skipped a beat
She was standing on fiction stretched high on bare feet

Chorus
Love in the library, quiet and cool
Love in the library, there are no rules
Surrounded by stories surreal and sublime
I fell in love in the library once upon a time

I was the pirate and she was the queen
Sir Francis and Elizabeth the best there's ever been
Then she strolled past my table and stopped at the stairs
Then sent me a smile as she reached for Flaubert

Chorus
She gathered her books, walked while she read
Words never spoken but so much was said
You can read all you want into this rendezvous
But it's safer than most things that lovers can do
Well stories have endings and fantasies fade
The guard by the door starts drawing the shade
So write your own ending and hope they come true
For the lovers and strangers on Bay Avenue
Chorus
Little Miss Magic

Lyrics

She's constantly amazed by the blades of
the fan on the ceiling
And the funny little faces she makes
can't help but be appealing
She loves to ride through the town with the top down
Feel the warm breeze on her gentle skin
She is my next of kin

Chorus
I see a little more of me everyday
I catch a little more moustache turning grey
Your mother is the only other woman for me
Little Miss Magic what you gonna be?

Sometimes I catch her dreaming and wonder
where that little mind meanders
Is she down along the shore or
strolling cross the broad Savannahs
I know in time she'll learn to make up her own mind
In time she's gonna learn to fly
Oh that I won't deny
I Have Found Me A Home

Lyrics

The days drift by
They don't have names
And none of the streets here look the same
And there are so many quiet places
And smilin' eyes match the smilin' faces.

And I have found me a home
Yes, I have found me a home
And you can have the rest of everything I own
'Cause I have found me a home.

My old red bike
Gets me around
To the bars and the beaches of my town
And there aren't many reasons I would leave
Yes, I have found me some peace.

And the ladies aren't demanding there
They never ask too much
And when you're coming off a cold love
That's sure a nice warm touch.
And I have found me a home
Yes, I have found me a home
And you can have the rest of everything I own
'Cause I have found me a home.

The days drift by
They don't have names
And none of the streets here look the same
And there aren't many reasons I would leave
Yes, I have found me some peace
Yes, I have found me a home.
Woman Goin' Crazy On Caroline Street

Lyrics

There's a woman goin' crazy on Caroline street
Stoppin' every man that she does meet
Sayin' if you be gentle, if you be sweet
I'll show you my place on Caroline street

She claimed in a loud voice to be a dancer
But I don't think she's cut a rug in years
Listens to the juke box for her answers
Slowly guzzles twenty-five cent beers
Talks about the men she's known and then some
She's seen them in her dreams and on the street
She slides her dapper legs from beneath the table
As if to reveal some kind of treat

There's a woman goin' crazy on Caroline street
Stoppin' every man that she does meet
Sayin' if you be gentle, if you be sweet
I'll show you my place on Caroline street

Her lover left her stranded in Jamaica
And just right now she can't recall his name
Perceiving she is the center of attention
And all the lurking eyes they look the same
Weather's got the shrimpers in a frenzy
They're horny and don't need a good excuse
Someone yells and things just start erupting
In a flash all hell has broken loose

There's a woman goin' crazy on Caroline street
Stoppin' every man that she does meet
Sayin' if you be gentle, if you be sweet
I'll show you my place on Caroline street

When I woke up and looked around the bar room
She was gone and I was black and blue
So be careful when you go to swing your partner
`Cause someone might just take a swing at you

There's a woman goin' crazy on Caroline street
Stoppin' every man that she does meet
Sayin' if you be gentle, if you be sweet
I'll show you my place on Caroline street
Delaney Talks To Statues

Lyrics

Delaney talks to statues
As she dances 'round the pool
She chases cats through roman ruins
And stomps on big toadstools
She speaks a language all her own
That I cannot discover
But she knows I love her so
When I tuck her 'neath the covers

Father, daughter
Down by the water
Shells sink, dreams float
Life's good on our boat

Delaney draws me pictures
She finger paints the sand
We chase the dogs and hop like frogs
Then I do my bad handstand
She's growing up too fast for me
And asking lots of questions
Some I know the answers to
And some I'm looking for suggestions

Father, daughter
Born by the water
Surf's up, sun's down
Life in a beach town

And some of the things I've seen
Maybe she won't have to see
But there's a lot I want to pass along
That was handed down to me

Delaney talks to statues
As she dances 'round the pool
She chases cats through Roman ruins
And stomps on big toadstools
She speaks a language all her own
Just a little like her mother
And she knows I love her so
When I tuck her 'neath the covers

Father, daughter
Down by the water
Shells sink, dreams float
Life's good on our boat.

Songs You Don't Know By Heart

Songs You Don't Know By Heart Tracks