Preacher Boy|Lyrics|Demanding To Be Next

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Lyrics From "Demanding To Be Next"

1. a little better when it rains
2. whistleman
3. nehemiah james
4. jackson street
5. comin' up aces
6. rock skipper
7. one-way turnstile
8. cemetery stout
9. death letter
10. ninety-nine bottles
11. umbrella
12. change
13. my gold canoe

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1. a little better when it rains
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ain't nobody here
knows how to face the ruination of time
but everybody here
can be repaired with a bottle of wine

ain't nobody 'round
carryin' a map or a mirror
and there ain't so many 'round
who want to hang around anybody here

but we ain't so crazy
that we still believe in trains
it just so happens we're the only ones
who feel a little better when it rains

ain't so many left
rememberin' on the spoils of a better day
and there ain't so many left
who can remember how it ended up this way

there ain't so many more
comin' down the road demandin' to be next
and there ain't so many days
left for us, no, there ain't so many left

but we ain't so crazy
that we still believe in trains
it just so happens we're the only ones
who feel a little better when it rains

ain't nobody talkin'
and there ain't a sound goin' in my ear
except the sound
of the rain fallin' down all around here

and we ain't so crazy
that we still believe in trains
it just so happens we're the only ones
who feel a little better when it rains

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2. whistleman
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seppy made his money layin' bricks in colorado
he married a maria from outside el dorado
they took a three-day honeymoon in reno
two days for the drivin' and one in a casino

seppy slept light, up above the covers
worryin' about money, his wife, and his mother
he went trollin' thorugh his memories tryin' to find a prayer
but he had to hit the gideon's cuz there weren't one there
he knew they'd soon be flyin' on a white wax wing
for the whistleman was in his dreams, offerin' to sing... whistleman

boolie played the cards like his life depended on 'em
though in truth he'd never ever seen the belly of the bottom
his pop was in construction, and lived out in the suburbs
had an austin healy 3000 under leather covers

boolie slept heavy, underneath the sheets
the only thing showin' was his twitchin' feet
put a dime on his belly in the middle of a dream
and the damn thing'd jump like a mexican bean
he knew his luck with pop was hangin' on a broken string
for the whisteman was in his dreams, offerin' to sing

whistleman, guitar in hand, barefoot in the dirt
cords hung loose on a rope belt noose in his uncle's flannel shirt
he been whistlin' on a brand-new song but you best know one thing
nothing, my friend, will be the same again if you let him sing

boolie left orinda with a grand in traveler's checks
a kerouac book and his favorite lucky deck
he got as far as sante fe before his luck went south
a trucker forced a favor, then smacked him in the mouth

shoved him out the door while he was still semi-conscious
boolie hit the gravel, and quickly got nauseous
he walked, and he limped, and he crawled half-a-mile
and he finally found a ditch and fell asleep in a pile
he dreamt about the sun and white wax wings
and then the whistleman was in his dreams, offerin' to sing

whistleman, guitar in hand, barefoot in the dirt
cords hung loose on a rope belt noose in his uncle's flannel shirt
he been whistlin' on a brand-new song but you best know one thing
nothing, my friend, will be the same again if you let him sing

maria prayed nightly for the arrival of her miracle
but the doctor said the pregnancy was hysterical
then seppy lost his job, maria wouldn't stop weepin'
so seppy got a gun and killed the doc while he was sleeping

he got as far as sante fe before his luck went missin'
he was picked up by some cops at night for vagrancy and hitchin'
couldn't speak english, didn't understand the charges
they shot him twice when he ran away into the darkness
in a ditch he lay bleedin', the leg and the wing
and then the whistleman was in his dreams, offerin' to sing

whistleman, guitar in hand, barefoot in the dirt
cords hung loose on a rope belt noose in his uncle's flannel shirt
he been whistlin' on a brand-new song but you best know one thing
nothing, my friend, will be the same again if you let him sing

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3. nehemiah james
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i seen a heavy-headed crow
big enough to break my neck
i seen a young old man learn anew the gift of fire
in the belly of an old train wreck

oh, and he said he'd rather be the devil
but i never could make him explain
i'll leave the dead to the cypress trees
i'd rather be nehemiah james

the sky's been boilin' like a black kettle
a cloud's belly threatenin' to break
i seen a fragile young girl waist deep in the mud
prayin' over a wheelchair in the lake

oh, and he said he'd rather be the devil
and the sun went and came up lame
i'll leave the dead to the cypress trees
i'd rather be nehemiah james

i seen somethin' goin' on on the corner
i seen a shadow lie down flat
i seen a bullet go in just over the brim
and come out the other side of the hat

oh, and he said he'd rather be the devil
and in the distance, a whistlin' train
i'll leave the dead to the cypress trees
i'd rather be nehemiah james

the lord gives back what he kills off
a king passes his wealth down
a plant bleeds green in a false spring
and a man bleeds red year 'round

oh, and he said he'd rather be the devil
and the moon was on the wane
i'll leave the dead to the cypress trees
i'd rather be nehemiah james

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4. jackson street
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this one-eyed beast of a train
she burrows through this red clay land
leakin' smoke from the holes in her crown
she stretches sixty cars long
and chews tobacco like a nun
and she's bound for some railyard town

and there's nothin' else but nothin'
as far as i can see
oh, what i wouldn't give to be...

sittin' on my front porch
smellin' the new fallin' rain
comin' down on jackson street
and smellin' sweet as a young pony's mane

oh, these crazy wet mountains
with their evil and their scars
people get buried nightly in these canyons
and i feel just like an elk
standin' stoic and alone
the twitchin' of my nose my only motion

and there's nothin' else but nothin'
as far as i can see
oh, what i wouldn't give to be...

sittin' on my front porch
smellin' the new fallin' rain
comin' down on jackson street
and smellin' sweet as a young pony's mane

sixty coaches long
and every one a flat-bed
like a snake's shadow crawlin' low and slow
and the time change goes un-noticed
by all save for a hawk
who glides in circles decidin' where to go

and there's nothin' else but nothin'
as far as i can see
oh, what i wouldn't give to be...

sittin' on my front porch
smellin' the new fallin' rain
comin' down on jackson street
and smellin' sweet as a young pony's mane

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5. comin' up aces
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well, the night's comin' on and the boy's getting' wild
he stole enough money to buy himself a vial
his eyes go calm but his brain is still hurtin'
so he fills himself up on a belly full of bourbon

he throws himself out into the nighttime
kneels in an alley, throws up half a lifetime
he go under a fence, and over a coal hill
screamin' 'bout a murder into the cold chill

he go click, clack, step back jack
you ain't goin' nowhere like that
it's the track trap, man, come on back
that ain't the way to leave here, jack

he says "hit offa this, boy, it'll fill ya
there's a reason i call it to-kill-ya"
but he's keepin' a secret, where he go at night
nobody know he been hittin' on that pipe

now he's sittin' in the back, hollerin' old blues songs
singin' "i wanna do right, but the whiskey lead me wrong"
all of a sudden the back seat's doorless
and the boy's scuttlin' off into the darkness

he go click, clack, step back jack
you ain't goin' nowhere like that
it's the track trap, man, come on back
that ain't the way to leave here, jack

the night's comin' on and the boy's getting' rattle
he got a fat bag of green and a stolen saddle
he says "ten o' clock, please just be there
i'll know you're comin' by the sound of your wheelchair"
he thinks he's comin' up aces, nobody's knowin'
he's playin' it light, tryin' to keep it from showin'
one minute he's laughin' on a road trip red-eye
next he's getting' pulled from under a semi

he go click, clack, step back jack
you ain't goin' nowhere like that
it's the track trap, man, come on back
that ain't the way to leave here, jack

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6. rock skipper
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i've seen the dawn and i've seen the dusk
i've seen the rose and i've seen the rust
and all my life i never had much
but a smooth stone in my pocket

a bruise is a bruise and a break is a break
to an ol' rock skipper from the great lakes
it ain't for me to worry why i never got the breaks
i'm just an old rock skipper from the great lakes

i crossed the sea and i crossed the sand
i crossed the devil and i crossed his hand
with a funeral bell and a wedding band
and a smooth stone in my pocket

a bruise is a bruise and a break is a break
to an ol' rock skipper from the great lakes
it ain't for me to worry why i never got the breaks
i'm just an old rock skipper from the great lakes

i saw the hands of tickin' time
chippin' pieces from my spine
i heard the hush and i hid behind
the smooth stone in my pocket

a bruise is a bruise and a break is a break
to an ol' rock skipper from the great lakes
it ain't for me to worry why i never got the breaks
i'm just an old rock skipper from the great lakes

i've seen the rake and i've seen it sweep
away the tears that i tried to weep
but through it all i tried to keep
a smooth stone in my pocket

a bruise is a bruise and a break is a break
to an ol' rock skipper from the great lakes
it ain't for me to worry why i never got the breaks
i'm just an old rock skipper from the great lakes

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7. one-way turnstile
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father, forgive me
i am lost, and i don't know when i will
find my way, i am aging
and you're older still
i have no money saved to warm you in your winter cottage
age has brought me wisdom
but i'm growing thin on knowledge

i'm just as glad
for the years i've had
as for those i lack
i'm not going back

one, two, three, four, five
six, seven, eight, nine, ten
i made it through the first time
i'm not going back again
ten, twenty, thirty, forty
fifty, all the while
everyday
it's one way through the turnstile

mother, forgive me
i have strayed in ways i never meant to
i was too young, it was too much
for me to understand you
but now i'm grown, i've learned to laugh
at my embarrassments
your life is fine, i'm sad that mine
pales in comparison

i'm just as glad
for the years i've had
as for those i lack
i'm not going back

one, two, three, four, five
six, seven, eight, nine, ten
i made it through the first time
i'm not going back again
ten, twenty, thirty, forty
fifty, all the while
everyday
it's one way through the turnstile

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8. cemetery stout
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the rain was on the grass and the wind left a letter
the morning was a wish and the dreams got better
the handles went backwards and the smoke curled a waltz
and the lazy conversations turned from true to false

the nicotine thumbs took the bulls by the reins
the shovels hit the rust with the passion of saints
boys became girls and the girls became tomorrow
and the clouds paid me back for whatever they had borrowed

matilda got the coat
and mikey got the hat
desmond's gone to the hospital
and he's never coming back

the high rises elsewhere expanded their boxes
we skipped out on the funeral to sleep with the foxes
a rifle of wood and a castle made of plastic
the night was a wish but the dreams got too drastic

everyone was preparing for yesterday's battle
a pint in the boot and a spike in the saddle
let's bury the laws and dig up the mugs
paint shadows on the windows and footprints on the rugs

matilda got the coat
and mikey got the hat
desmond's gone to the hospital
and he's never coming back

there's a battery in the bath and the animals are listening
the radio is out but the newspaper is whispering
put a trunk in the shelter and title it well
and no matter who begs you, don't ever tell
all the words got smaller because the troubles were brewing
put a target on the barn and quit whatever you're doing
take a moment with the cows and get a taste of the dead
one fed the words while the other one said...

that matilda got the coat
and mikey got the hat
desmond's gone to the hospital
and he's never coming back

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9. death letter - lyrics by Son House
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10. ninety-nine bottles
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i think i better kill time
before it kills me
put some silence on a sawed-off
see if anybody hears me

there's ninety-nine bottles of beer on the wall
i like wine better, but i make do, y'all

rain is runnin' off the roof
tick-tockin' on the fire escape
and i'm pitchin' pennies at the puddles
and takin' a drink for every one i make

there's ninety-nine bottles of beer on the wall
i like wine better, but i make do, y'all

ninety-nine bottles of beer on the wall
i like wine better, but i make do, y'all
ninety-nine bottles of beer on the wall
i like wine better, but i make do, y'all

there's lights on 'cross the alley
but everybody's blinds are drawn

and there ain't nothin' stirrin'
and nothin' is goin' on

there's ninety-nine bottles of beer on the wall
i like wine better, but i make do, y'all

ninety-nine bottles of beer on the wall
i like wine better, but i make do, y'all
ninety-nine bottles of beer on the wall
i like wine better, but i make do, y'all

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11. umbrella
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sometimes i wish that i was sober
sometimes i wish that i was cinderella
it's gonna rain before the night is over
i wish i had an umbrella

i wish i had me a cigar
so's i could be a sporty fella
wish i could handle bein' in a bar
i wish i had an umbrella

a big black umbrella
with a smooth black handle
and eight spikes, diamond-sharp
around the dark circle

my eyes keep catchin' the glass doorways
with the drippin' umbrellas huddled up in the corners
like a band of broken ravens recoverin' the day
hid away from the prying eyes of their mourners
and i could walk right through a revolving door
just like i had just been there before
and i could pick up an umbrella just like it was mine
and say something like 'i won't forget this next time

got my eyes on the horizon
i can't see no trace of yella
i guess it ain't all that surprisin'
i wish i had an umbrella

a big black umbrella
with a smooth black handle
and eight spikes, diamond-sharp
around the dark circle

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12. change
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the clock is strikin' twelve
and you're walkin' by yourself
don't it feel strange to?
this town has seen a change come by
and maybe it's time you ought to try
and change too

change too 2x

if i donned a suit
and put a shine upon my boots
could you arrange to
give me some of your time
yes, i confess that i am tryin' hard
to change you

change you 4x

words are useless now
if i am ever to somehow
try and explain you
leave yer clothes on the floor
there's a robe hung on the door
that you can change into

change into 2x

it ain't long 'fore day
and there's so much i want to say
that i can't put a name to

for all my certainty
the other convert here is me
i feel a change too

change too 4x

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13. my gold canoe
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well, it's one for the money plus two makes three
and a dime on a dollar says ya can't catch me
i'm ring around the rosy like blue-tail steers
jimmy can't crack corn if'n he got no ears

chop, chop machete, or a big pop gun
half-dozen of the other and six of one
knock, knock, who's there? the wolf come around
says he wants to chop our poor house down

what i lacks in money i make up in time
and you got a home long as i got mine
and it's the very last night of the world we knew
and we're goin' up to heaven in my gold canoe

i'll dance witcha baby 'til the light bulb's done
if ya play me that song with the gumbo drum
got a itchin' in my wishin' and i just can't wait
make love to ya baby 'til ya can't see straight

what i lacks in money i make up in time
and you got a home long as i got mine
and it's the very last night of the world we knew
and we're goin' up to heaven in my gold canoe

and it's goddamn dixie and it's goddamn the north
a third war weren't enough so they started a fourth
and it's fall where we lay so let's lay where we fall
i wanna be kissin' yer mouth when the good lord calls

what i lacks in money i make up in time
and you got a home long as i got mine
and it's the very last night of the world we knew
and we're goin' up to heaven in my gold canoe

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Published by permission. All rights resereved.
all songs performed by christopher watkins
all songs written by christopher watkins except:
"whistleman" and "my gold canoe"
by christopher watkins and colin brooks
"rock skipper" by christopher watkins and bryan miller
"death letter blues" by eddie "son" house
all songs (p) by preach songs music(bmi) administered by kobalt music publishing, bandguru music publishing (bmi) administered by kobalt music publishing, except:
"whistleman" and "my gold canoe"
(p) by preach songs music(bmi), bandguru music publishing(bmi), wood products publishing(sesac)
"comin' up aces" and "cemetery stout"
(p) by preach songs music(bmi), bandguru music publishing(bmi), wah tup music limited(sms)
"death letter blues"
(p) by sondick music(bmi), administered by bug