Edwin McCain Album

Dreary Memphis city night,

Dark like a Kennedy's veil,
Shaky like them motorcycle lights,
Leading all them angels at hell,
I gave out my very last dime,
Laid out the bartenders all in a line,
We weren't fighting, we just drank 'em out of time,
Down at Printer's Alley,

[Chorus]

So let the poets be poets and the cops just give us a ride,
We ain't worried about your hands of time,
Just let it slide,
And let it slide,

You know Elvis said only two things were certain Hookers and Coupe Devilles,
Messing with that old boy down at the pool hall surely get your young ass
killed,
I'm too tired for fighting,
I'd rather wear myself out with a smile,
We'll stay up with some good bar stores,
Beat up time for a while,

[Chorus]

So let the poets be poets and the cops just give us a ride,
We ain't worried about your hands of time,
Just let it slide,
And let it slide,

Oh you know it's nights like these,
I get down on my knees,
And pray the Lord the sun won't shine,
'Till I'm done having my big time,

[Chorus]

So let the poets be poets and the cops just give us a ride,
We ain't worried about your hands of time,
Just let it slide,
And let it slide.

It was a love so big that it filled his heart
Til it swelled and finally burst apart
And where the love spilled out they called it art
But he never really had no choice

Chorus
Whoa, he had no choice
No, he never had no choice
When he gave his river a voice
He never really had no choice.
He was thinking that the pain came much too soon
When he locked himself up inside his room
Well it hurt real bad to write that tune
but he never really had no choice
And there were some who could not understand
When he built those castles with his hands
And he knew damn well they were only sand
But he never really had no choice.

Chorus

Sometimes a man sometimes a boy
And he made some music and he made some noise
But he felt his pain and he felt his joy
But he never really had no choice.
There was a beautiful fire inside of him
As he balanced his way out on that limb
Could of burned right through that branch so thin
but he never really had no choice

(Chorus)

And they all talked about him when he died
They studied and they theorized
But when he was through they'd laughed and cried
And he never really had no choice
It was a love so big that it filled his heart
'Til it swelled and finally burst apart
Where the loved spilled out they called it art
But he never really had no choice

(Chorus)
(Chorus)

Oh, he never really had no choice

Perfumed and smoky
She swears that she knows me
She's falling down drunk again
I say she's mistaken
She's visibly shaken
Emotions all drowned in gin
She said I used to be beautiful
But now it's all gone
I let my dreams slip away from me
That's where it went wrong
Go be young, go be free
Follow your heart where it leads you
Don't end up like me
The Indian in the guardhouse used to spin me yarns
Stories of canyons and Boston in winter
And losing his family's farms
He said I've outlived my three sons, they died in three wars
I laughed and I cried while they lived and they died
And I know that they deserve more

Chorus
Perfumed and smoky
I'm falling down drunk again
I say she's mistaken
She's visibly shaken
Emotions all drowned in gin
I say I used to be powerful
But now it's all gone
I let my dreams take control of me
That's where it went wrong

Chorus

Sittin' on the edge
Looking for songs in a bottle
Talking with strangers who don't know my pain
Blurry eyed and burned out
Choking on more than I can swallow
Crack in a little voice called out my name
She said ~ Whatever happened to you
It's been two years where have you been
And I guess all my fears were true
The words were all gone the time's been too long
But I deserve to know what happened to my friend
Staring in her face
I see a past that still haunts me
The road where we split up is paved with the things I didn't say
We had wonderful times, but terrible timing
Now just leave her alone, I'll just be in the way

She said whatever happened to you
You took the coward's way out again
And I guess all my fears were true
The words are all gone, the time's been too long
But it's not too late to say I'm sorry to a friend
I'm sorry to a friend
Sorry to a friend
Like a stone in a stream
Life smoothes all our edges
'Til we barely make a ripple any more
But those times in my life will live with me forever
But we're not the same people that we were before
And I'm sorry for the smiles we missed and the times that I blew it
I've got so much to tell you
I don't know where to start
Maybe I'll find a way maybe you'll help me do it
'Cause friends like us should not be apart
And I'm sorry to a friend
Well now I'm sorry

"There's a black girl singin' in the morning before church
cause she wants things just right
There's a white boy holdin' his head
cause he stayed out too late last night
At the same time Mamma's yellin'
move your asses or I'll leave you behind
The god lord don't wait for sinners all day
especially sinners of your kind.

CHORUS:
The old days
The old ways of the drive-in picture show.
It's a fact, if it was opened baby, you and me, we'd surely go.
The picture rolls by, soundtrack low, but we don't see a thing.
Feel around in the middle of your popcorn box,
at the bottom is a diamond ring. (yes)
I love you, could you, hold me tight,
like we're pretending it ain't about black or white.

Sun burns hot early in the morning
small town, best hush my mouth.
We've all got closets that we live in.
Down at Baker's house
the right fun with the wrong one
that's things we don't talk about.
Hell always seems to rise to the surface
on that you can count.

CHORUS:
The old days
The old ways of the drive-in picture show
It's a fact, if it was opened baby, you and me, we'd surely go
the picture rolls by, soundtrack low, but we don't see a thing.
Feel around in the middle of your popcorn box,
at the bottom is a diamond ring. (yes)
I love you, could you, hold me tight,
like we're pretending it ain't about black or white.

Young man makes a young man's stand,
tries to stand up tall.
Old man from the same clan
bangs his head against the wall.
Life's rough, it just get's tougher
but that ain't no thing, it's always one thing
or another, let me tell you brother....
Shut your mouth boy and sing.

CHORUS:
The old days
The old ways of the drive-in picture show
It's a fact, if it was opened baby, you and me, we'd surely go
the picture rolls by, soundtrack low, but we don't see a thing.
Feel around in the middle of your popcorn box,
at the bottom is a diamond ring. (yes)
I love you, could you, hold me tight,
like we're pretending it ain't about black or white.

I love you, could you, hold me tight,
like we're pretending it ain't about black or white."

"She's got an inner child
A little tame and a whole lot of wild.
But as crazy as it is, it is who she is.
And she smiles and she frowns.
She's sunshine and she's clouds.
Emotional to say the least, but that's ok with me.

CHORUS:
'Cuz when I fell, I fell hard for every part.
From the beauty in her eyes to the love that's in her heart.
The good, the bad, the happy and the sad.
Her perfections, her every little flaw. I want it all.

And she found some new laugh lines.
But whenever she asks me, it's only beauty that I see.

CHORUS:
'Cuz when I fell, I fell hard for every part.
From the beauty in her eyes to the love that's in her heart.
The good, the bad, the happy and the sad.
Her perfections, her every little flaw. I want it all.

And when she falls asleep I know she'll dream a little dream of me.
And in the morning she will see that it's easy to believe.

CHORUS:
'Cuz when I fell, I fell hard for every part.
From the beauty in her eyes to the love that's in her heart.
The good, the bad, the happy and the sad.
Her perfections, her every little flaw. I want it all.

I want it all, the good the bad, the happy and the sad (repeat until end)

Al, he sells records down on old St. Charley's Street
He's cleaning up Fat Tuesday's mess he keeps the sidewalks neat
And he just lost his father and he just lost his wife
And if it wasn't for the music he couldn't get on with his life
And he knows what I know
It's not all that hard to survive
You take the good and the bad and the time in between
It lets us know we're alive
Well now Be Be's singing gospel
And down on Bourbon she sings the blues
She plays on all my heart strings curls my toes up in my shoes
And she knows what I'm after
Chase my dreams with all my might
She says you shouldn't be so anxious
And deep down I know she's right
And she knows what I know
It's not all that hard to survive
You take the good and the bad and the time in between
It lets us know we're alive
Well get on board the rocket
Step right into the front car
You know life's a roller coaster It ain't got no safety bar
Raise your voices up with laughter
Bring it in with one big sigh
Consecrated in the wonder .... we're alive
Norman he plays music but only in my dreams
Shows me all the beauty that soulful music brings
But sometimes he's a spectre and I wake up clenched with fear
But lesson good or bad he always keeps me clear
And he knows what I know
It's not all that hard to survive
You take the good and the bad and the time in between
It lets us know we're alive

Ghost on the street today
Doorways of Jackson Square
In tinsel and tap shoes
Mardi Gras beads in her hair
Down to the graveyard
She wrung out her hands
As if he will meet her
All day she stands
So don't leave me
And I know you're justified
So don't leave me
'Cause a part of you in me died
We wish ourselves beautiful
We cry in the night
And it's not the love you feared
But the fall from the height
My personal ledges
Afraid to look down
My crepe paper bridges
Enough water to drown

Chorus
And I see the lonely souls
Searchin'
But before the heartbreak rose
Draw the curtain

I'm a ghost on the streets today
Surrounded by eyes
I feel them peer through me
And my harlequin disguise
If it makes you feel better
Come join me the while
And there's love in these open arms
Some love in my spirits' smiles

Chorus

[No lyrics]

[No lyrics]

see love struck Romeo hit the street on a serenade
and he’s laying everybody low with a love song that he made
he finds a streetlight steps out of the shade
says something like "you and me baby how about it?"
Juliet’s gonna say "hey it's Romeo you nearly gimme a heart attack"
he's underneath my window she's singing "hey la my boyfriend's back"
you shouldn't come around here singing up to people like that
well anyway what you gonna do about it?
Juliet, when we made love you used to cry
you said you love me like the stars above you’d love me till you died
Well there's a place for us and you know the movie song
when you gonna realize it was just that the time was wrong?
we both came up on different streets they both were streets of shame
both dirty both mean and the dream was just the same
and I dreamed your dream for you and now your dream is real
how can you look at me as if I was just another one of your deals?
Oh no you can fall for chains of silver you can fall for chains of gold
you can fall for pretty strangers and the promises they hold
you promised me everything you know you promised me thick and thin
Now you say "oh Romeo yeah I used to have a scene with him"
Oh Juliet when we made love you used to cry
used to swear like the stars above well you’d love me till the day that we died

Well there's a place for us you know the movie song
when you gonna realize it was just that the time was wrong?
I can't do the talk like they talk on TV
and I can't do a love song like the way it's meant to be
I can't do everything but I'd do anything for you
Juliet all I can do is be in love with you
And all I do is miss you and the way we used to be
all I do is keep the beat in this rock n roll company
all I do is kiss you through the bars of a rhyme
Juliet I'd do the stars with you any time
Oh Juliet when we made love you used to cry
used to swear like the stars above well you’d love me till the day that we died

there's a place for us you know the movie song
when you gonna realize it was just that the time was wrong?
See a love struck Romeo hit the street on a serenade
laying everybody low with a love song that he made
finds a streetlight steps out of the shade
says something like "you and me baby how about it?
You and me baby, now how about it?
You and me baby, now how about it?"
well Juliet the dice were loaded from the start
and I bet and you exploded through my heart
well there's a place for us you know the movie song
when you gonna realize it was just that the time was wrong?
yeah now Juliet the time was wrong
oh I know the time was wrong yeah
the time was wrong
yea and I know the time was wrong yeah

[No lyrics]

Well I'm falling over backwards and I'm drowning in my sleep,

I can't feel the ground, there's only sky beneath my feet,
In a television moment I come crashing to the ground,
Gasoline explosion but you never heard a sound,
Maybe I'm calm, maybe I'm jaded,
Or maybe the whole thing has just faded,
And maybe I should see another way,
Like it's the end of a beautiful day,
She bloodied up her wingtips as she's cleaning up the bar,
The beauty of an angel but it didn't take her far,
She be crying in the corner if she wasn't far too proud,
Hear the ringing of this failure and it's getting awfully loud,
Maybe she's calm, maybe she's jaded,
Or maybe the whole thing has just faded,
And maybe she should see another way,
Like it's the end of her beautiful day,
There's some explaining to do 'cause the fairy tale lied,
I think it's sad but cruel but it's here to stay,
It's just real life anyway,
Maybe we're gone, maybe we've faded,
Maybe the whole thing was just jaded,
Maybe we should see another way,
Like it's the end of a beautiful day.