John Mellencamp Album

You used to raise your voice so that it could be heard.
You used to shout out your orders, and your word was the final word.
Do as I say and not as I do.
They've taken your picture off the wall.
How does it feel to be the big daddy of them all?

You used to chase your women right into your home.
You used to tell them you loved them over the telephone.
Now they all see through you
And you're sinking like a stone.
No one's knocking at your door,
No one calls,
How does it feel to be the big daddy of them all?

You're sad and disgusted,
Is what you've grown up to be.
Bet you had no idea what your dream would turn out to be.
But when you live for yourself
Hell, it's hard on everyone.
But you did it your way and man you did it all.
How does it feel to be the big daddy of them all?

Now you did it your way and man, you did it all.
How does it feel to be the big daddy of them all?

Sometimes fly a little high,
Then you know better dig yourself.
Sometimes get a little lost,
Then you know you got to find yourself.
Happens to everyone and Lord, I don't know why.

I want, I want,
I need, I need.
I want, I want to live,
To see it all,
Laugh, touch it all.

Sometimes we say silly things,
And act like two little kids.
Like the tail wagging the dog,
We both get hurt by what was said,
That's okay, that's allright with me,
I'd rather fight with you than lay down and die.

I want, I want,
I need, I need.
I want, I want to live,
To see it all,
Laugh, touch it all.

I want, I want,
I need, I need.
I want, I want to live,
To see it all,
Laugh, touch it all,
To live, to see it all.

Martha say she don't need no stinking man making no decisions for her.
She don't need his money, she don't need him between the sheets,
She ain't gonna sleep on the edge of the bed for no stinking man.
And that's the way she lives 'cause I saw her last night
Pouring water on a drowning man in the moonlight, saying:

Hi-de-hi-de-hi, brother,
Hi-de-hi-de-hey now, Martha.
Hi-de-hi-de-hi, sister.
Say what, hey you, look out, Martha.

Martha say she don't need no revolver to shoot some idiot down.
She can do it with her eyes, she can do it with her smile,
She can do it with a conversation just walking down the hall.
Man, now ain't that the truth 'cause i saw her take a bite out of
Some macho dude laying some corn ball line on her last night, saying:

Hi-de-hi-de-hi, brother,
Hi-de-hi-de-hey now, Martha.
Hi-de-hi-de-hi, sister.
Say what, hey you, look out, Martha.

Hi-de-hi-de-hi, brother. (Hi-de-hi-de-hi, brother.)
Hi-de-hi-de-ho, sister. (Hi-de-hi-de-hi, yeah.)
Hi-de-hi-de-hi. (Hi-de-hi-de-ho, yeah.)
Hi-de-hi-de-hi, Martha.
Say what, look out, shake it up Martha.

Martha say say she ain't changin', no nothin' for nobody for
No damn good reason.
It's the way that she wants it, it's the way that she gets it.
Well, the girl loves playing hardball, it leaves me in a
No win situation saying:

Hi-de-hi-de-hi, brother,
Hi-de-hi-de-hey now, Martha.
Hi-de-hi-de-hi, sister.
Say what, hey you, look out, Martha.

[Repeat]

Martha say she don't need no stinking man making no decisions for her.

Henry worked at Sears or somehwhere,
Theo did, too.
They both got themselves a van together;
Nineteen seventy-two, Ford.
Drove around all night long playing music very, very loud.
Big noise, all the time;
Little legends in a little town.

Moments of time they shared together.
Moments of time between two friends.
Standing on street corners with shirts unbuttoned.
There was a moment in time they swore they were friends to the end.

Couple of wild boys
They told me they could hear the grass grow.
Theo used to say, hey Henry, man,
I'm screwin' this cat.
You're just holdin' it.
I never knew what they was talking about
But they laughed like they both thought it was funny.
Theo and weird Henry went chasing after something
And neither one of them believing in nothing.

Moments in time they shared together,
Called themselves the "He-man women lovers club,"
Throwin' pop bottles against the wall just to get some attention.
There was a moment in time they swore they were friends until the end.

Theo's out there living it up doing a little earth shaking -somewhere.
Henry sent a postcard from a better place
But I can see them both sitting there laughing and breathing.
I can still see that smile on weird Henry's face.

Moments in time they shared together,
Moments in time between two friends.
Dancing on that old van with their shirts wide open,
That was a moment in time they swore they were blood brothers until the end.

Is this your life, Jackie Brown?
Poorly educated and forced to live on the poor side of town.
Is this your daughter, Jackie Brown?
This pretty little girl
In the worn out clothes
That have been hand-me down.
Is this your wife, Jackie Brown?
With sad blue eyes, walking on eggshells so you don't see her frown.
Is this your family, Jackie Brown?

Dream of vacationing on a mountain stream
And giving the world more than it gave you.
What ugly truths freedom brings
And it hasn't been very kind to you.
Is this your life, Jackie Brown?

Is this your meal, Jackie Brown?
Barely enough, I've seen people throw away more than this out.
Is this your home, Jackie Brown?
This three room shack
With no running water
And the bathroom out back.
Is this your grave, Jackie Brown?
This little piece of limestone that says another desperate man took himself out.
Is this your dream, Jackie Brown?

Going nowhere and nowhere fast
We shame ourselves to watch people like this live.
But who gives a damn about Jackie Brown?
Just another lazy man who couldn't take what was his.
One helluva life Jackie Brown.
Forevermore, Jackie Brown
Amen and amen - Jackie Brown?

Never wanted to be no pop singer,
Never wanted to write no pop songs.
Never had no weird hair to get my songs over.
Never wanted to hang out after the show.
Pop singer (writing) of pop songs.

Never wanted to have my picture taken.
Now, who would want to look into these eyes?
Just want to make it real - good, bad or indifferent.
That's the way that I live and that's the way that I'll die (As a)
Pop singer (of) pop songs.

Pop singer, writing of pop song.

Never wanted to be no pop singer,
Never want to write no pop songs.
Never wanted to have a manager over for dinner.
Never wanted to hang out after the show.

Pop singer, writing pop songs.
Never wanted to be no pop singer, of pop songs.
A pop singer.
Never wanted to write no pop songs.

There's a void in my heart
I can't seem to fill.
Been a parent, had three children
And a big house on the hill.
Hundred dollar in my pocket
And it didn't buy a thing.
Now there's a void in my heart
And a hole in my dreams.

Well I poured miles of concrete
And strung wire for telephones,
Dug ditches when I was a young boy
When I first left my parents' home.
Sang my songs for millions of people,
Sang good and bad news,
Now there's a void in my heart
And a fire at my fuse.

Well I did everything just like they said
So I could find happiness.
Went to school and got a college degree
And at my job I did my best.
As I sit here alone tonight
I see a billion just like me
With a void in their hearts and running from eternity.

There's a void in my heart I can't seem to fill.
I do charity work when I believe in the cause
But in my soul it bothers me still.
Hey, Lord, well you made me like I am.
Can You heal this restlessness?
Will there be a void in my heart
When they carry me out to rest?

The old paper mill stinks up the beaches
As I walk along the ocean shore.
I'm just a plain man, thoughts full of creases,
Haven't accomplished much, but I dream of more.

Mansions in heaven, I see myself walking with the King.
The angels are descending to wrap me up in red velveteen.

I don't control much of my home life,
I'm not an old man but I'm not young anymore.
Haven't kept in contact with any of my good friends,
So I live with strangers and sleep on another man's floor.

Mansions in heaven, I see myself walking with the King.
The angels are descending to wrap me up in red velveteen.

As I pack my suit bag 'cause soon I'll be leaving,
Going back to the earth which is where I come from.
Withstood the heartache,
Kept on believing,
It ain't winning or losing
Just the singing of the song.

Mansions in heaven, I see myself walking with the King.
Mansions in heaven.

The old paper mill stinks up the beaches
As I walk along the ocean shore.

Never give an inch, that's what I say, son.
When it's too tough for everybody else,
Hell, it's just right for me.
Now, my lips are bleeding
From the selfish things that I've done,
And my heart it lies at the bottom of the ocean.
Sometimes a great notion...

Wanted to make love to my girl
In the backseat of my car.
So, I took her to the drive-in picture show.
So, I filled her up with
Lies and a strong love potion
And I'm sittin' here watching the movie alone.
Sometimes a great notion...

Sometimes the best plans
Have been known to go astray.
So, you better put your seatbelt on.
Just like your worst headache,
Well, a bad day don't go away.
And, you hit the ground running against your emotions.
Sometimes a great notion...
Sometimes a great notion...

Country gentleman walked a crooked mile,
Got our money in his pocket.
Did it all with a very handsome smile.
Now, he's livin' it up in a great big office.
He ain't a-gonna help no poor man.
He ain't a-goona help no poor man.
He ain't a-gonna help no poor man.
He's just gonna help his rich friends.

He ain't a-gonna help no women.
He ain't a-gonna help no children.
He's just gonna help his rich friends.

Country gentleman, we see him on T.V.,
Glad handin' folks and chattin' to the nation.
We never knew what really to believe.
Just word upon slogan with emotional connection.

[Chorus:]
He ain't a-gonna help no poor man.
He ain't a-gonna help no children.
He ain't a-gonna help no women.
He's just gonna help his rich friends.

And in the papers all we'd ever read is
So and so big-shot signed his resignation.
Now, country gentleman he wants us to believe
That he's kind and honest with the best intentions.

[Chorus]

Country gentleman, now there's a bird that flew
High above his nation, prayed on its weakness.
Picked our bones and threw it in his stew.
Thank God he went back to California.

[Chorus]

Virginia's in the bath house sayin', "Don't drink the water,"
And I'm already in the swimmin' pool.
The woman in the straw hat said, "The meat ain't worth eatin',"
And sunbathin' here, baby, ain't so cool.
There's a hole in the ozone and the rats all got cancer
From too much tartar and nicotine.
Well, what kind of world do we live in
When the babysitter treats all the kids so mean?

No trespassing will blow your brains out,
Will do it with atomic bomb.
They're cuttin' down the rain forest and the food here's fattenin',
And I hope there's no satanic message in this song.
But, there's Live Aid and Farm Aid and all kind of hand grenades
To help us all get along.
Well, what kind of world do we live in
When ev'rything we do turns out so wrong?

Well, what kind of world do we live in
When eleven and seven equals two? Yeah.
What kind of world do we live in
When you do it to your buddy 'fore he does it to you?
Got to do it to your buddy 'fore he does it to you.

The preacher he hands out verse and scripture
Just like he wrote it down himself.
Doctors and lawyers got a good thing going,
But that ain't no place to go if you need help.
There's too much sodium in my heartburn medicine
And I think I need to lay down for awhile.
Well, what kind of world do we live in
When ev'rything we do we do with such style?

Well, what kind of world do we live in
When eleven and seven equals two? Yeah.
What kind of world do we live in
When you do it to your buddy 'fore he does it to you?
Got to do it to your buddy 'fore he does it to you.

I preach my dear friends you are about to receive on John Barley
Corn, nicotine and the temptations of Eve.
[John doesn't sing/say this first verse]

No parking by the sewer sign
Hotdog my razor broke
Water dripping up the spout
But (hey) I don't care - Let it all Hang Out

Hanging from a pine tree by my knees
Sunshine through the shade
Nobody knows what it's all about
It's too much man - Let it all Hang Out

Saw a man walking upside down
My TV's on the blink
Make Galileo look like a boy scout
Sorry about that - Let it all Hang Out

Sleep all day, drive all night
Brain my numb can't stop now
For sure ( ) ain't no doubt
Keep an open mind - Let it all Hang Out

It's raining inside a big brown moon
How does that mess your baby up leg
Eating a reuben sandwich with sauerkraut
Don't stop now honey (woman) - Let it all Hang Out

Man in the straw house
Sure don't know what he's talkin' about
Don't leave me standing
On the front porch baby
Makes me feel like I'm selling something
Ask me in - Let it all Hang Out