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The sun comes up
In a coffee cup
Waitress please I've had enough
Lord I can't believe what I see
How could you be alone
When you could sit right here beside me girl
And make yourself at home
I've been to Memphis
And Muscle Shoals
And I love a woman
What I don't know
When the sun goes down
In another town
Bartender please another round
Lord I can't believe what I see
How could you be alone
When you could sit right here beside me girl
And make yourself at home
I've been to Houston
And San Antonio
And I love a woman
What I don't know
Sherry she had big ones
Sally had some too
But Allison had little ones
What hate to go to school
And I make my bed
Where I lay my head
And I wish I heard what she just said
Lord I can't believe what I see
How could you be alone
When you could sit right here beside me girl
And make yourself at home
I've been to LA
And El Paso
And I love a woman
What I don't know
Sherry she had big ones
Sally had some too
But Allison had little ones
What hate to go to school
And I make my bed
Where I lay my head
And I wish I heard what she just said
Lord I can't believe what I see
How could you be alone
When you could sit right here beside me girl
And make yourself at home
I've been to...
And where I go
I love a woman
What I don't know
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I went to church last Sunday
So I could sing and pray
But something quite unusual
Happened on that day
Now church it started right on time
Just like it does without a doubt
And everything was all just fine
Except when it came time to let us out
You know the preacher he kept preaching
He told us I have one more thing to say
Children before you think of leaving
You better think about the Judgment Day
Now everyone got nervous
Because everyone was hungry too
And everyone was wondering
What was the next thing he would do
And the preacher he kept preaching
He said now I'll remind you if I may
You all better pay attention
Or I might decide to preach all day
And now everyone was getting so hungry
That the old ones started feeling ill
And the weak ones started passing out
And the young ones they could not sit still
And the preacher's voice rose higher
So I snuck up on the balcony
And I crept into the choir
And I begged them brothers, sisters, help me please
I said when I give you a signal
I said when I raise up my hand
Won't you please join with me together
And praise the Lord I have a plan
And the preacher he kept preaching
Long is the struggle, hard the fight
And I prayed, Father please forgive me
And then I stood up and with all my might
I sang
To the Lord let praises be
It's time for dinner now let's go eat
We've got some beans and some good cornbread
And I listened to what the preacher said
Now it's to the Lord let praised be
It's time for dinner now let's go eat
Yes and I did give a signal
Yes and I raised up my hands
And then joined with me the choir
Yes every woman, child, and man
They sang
To the Lord let praised be
It's time for dinner now let's go eat
We've got some beans and some good cornbread
And I've listened to what the preacher said
Now it's to the Lord let praised be
It's time for dinner now let's go eat
And the preacher he stopped preaching
And a hush the church did fill
And then a great white dove from up above
Landed on the window sill
And the dove flew down beside him
And a fork appeared right in his hand
And with everybody watching
The preacher ate that bird right there and then
And now everyone got really nervous
And the preacher he did start to glow
And as we watched in disbelief
These were the words he spoke
He said now Mama's in the kitchen
And she's been there all day
And I know she's cooking something good
So let's bow our heads and pray
And he sang
To the Lord let praises be
It's time for dinner now let's go eat
We've got some beans and some good cornbread
Now listen to what the preacher said
He said to the Lord let praised be
It's time for dinner now let's go eat
And the moral of this story
Children it is plain but true
God knows if a preacher preaches long enough
Even he'll get hungry too
And he'll sing
To the Lord let praises be
It's time for dinner now let's go eat
We've got some beans and some good cornbread
Now listen to what the preacher said
He said to the Lord let praised be
It's time for dinner now let's go eat
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She said something about going home
She said something about needing to spend some time alone
And she wondered out loud what it was she had to find
But she's already made up her mind
All my friends told me she was too young
Well I knew that myself and I tried to run
But the faster I ran the more I fell behind
Because she'd already made up her mind
She's already made up her mind
Now there is nothing so deep as the ocean
And there is nothing so high as the sky
And there is nothing so unwavering as a woman
When she's already made up her mind
So now she's sitting at one end of the kitchen table
And she is staring without an expression
And she is talking to me without moving her eyes
Because she's already made up her mind
She's already made up her mind
She's already made up her mind
And she said something about going home
And she said something about needing to spend some time alone
And she wondered out loud what it was she had to find
But she'd already made up her mind
So my friend carry me down to the water's edge
And then sail with me out to that ocean deep
And let me go easy down over the side
And remember me to her
She's already made up her mind
She's already made up her mind
She's already made up her mind
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The boys from North Dakota
They drink whiskey for their fun
And the cowboys down in Texas
They polish up their guns
And they look across the border
To learn the ways of love
If you love me, say I love you
If you love me, say I do
If you love me, say I love you
If you love me, say I do
And you can say I love you
And you can say I do
So I drank myself some whiskey
And I dreamed I was a cowboy
And I rode across the border
If you love me, say I love you
If you love me, take my hand
If you love me, say I love you
If you love me, take my hand
And you can say I love you
And you can have my hand
I remember in the mornings
Waking up
With your arms around my head
You told me you can sleep forever
And I'll still hold you then
Now the weather's getting colder
It's even cold down here
And the words that you have told me
Hang frozen in the air
And sometimes I look right through them
As if they were not there
And the boys from North Dakota
They drink whiskey for their fun
And the cowboys down in Texas
They polish up their guns
And they look across the border
To learn the ways of love
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You don't have to live a life of sin
You don't have to break the law
And break the law again
You can make just one mistake
And it can take you to your grave, honey
One bad move can turn your world upside down
It's such a shame 'cause you've been so good up to now
Yes I saw the light fall from your eyes
Yes I saw how easy it was
The light it never lies
And as the darkness touched your lips
They tried to warn your fingertips, honey
One bad move can turn your world upside down
It's such a shame 'cause you've been so good up to now
When he looks at you what will he see
You can hide from him, baby
But you can't hide from me
You know right from right
And wrong from wrong
You know you can try to stop
But you can't stop for long
And you just don't seem to be yourself
So you do it like your someone else, honey
One bad move can turn your world upside down
It's such a shame 'cause you've been so good up to now
It's such a shame 'cause you've been so good up to now
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I've got some birds outside
What sit on my window sill
Some birds won't you know
But some birds will
All my love is gone
She was angry
He was free
She loved him
The she left me
Now all my love is gone
All my love is gone
All my love is gone
I see the lights they're flashing
Way on up the road
The red one stops you know
But the wrong one goes
Now all my love is gone
All my love is gone
All my love is gone
And you can beg for sunshine
To pale the moon
But there ain't a thing my friend
What you can do
When all your love is gone
So if you were thinking about coming back, baby
Now you can do as you please
But don't waste your time
With him on me
Because all my love is gone
All my love is gone
All my love is gone
All my love is gone
All my love is gone
But I've got some birds outside
What sit on my window sill
Some birds won't you know
But some birds will
When all your love is gone
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I went to a funeral
Lord it made me happy
Seeing all those people
I ain't seen
Since the last time
Somebody died
Everybody talking
They were telling funny stories
Saying all those things
They ain't said
Since the last time
Somebody died
But you take a look around you
Don't it seem like something's missing
I said something that weren't missing
Lord the last time
Somebody died
You took him from the last time
To that hallowed ground
I'm praying take me to the next time Lord
So I can hang around
Then the people start to looking
And some of them start crying
And all the little children
Lord they're scared
Because they ain't never seen
A dead man before
You took him from the last time
To that hallowed ground
I'm praying take me to the next time Lord
So I can hang around
He's swimming through that Jordan
Going to the other side
But if it's all the same to you Lord
I think I'll stay dry
Now it's church on Sunday
It's a bar on Friday night
It's work on Monday
The preacher Lord you know he might sing
Hallelujah
Sing hallelujah
Sing hallelujah
Sing hallelujah
He's got church on Sunday
And he got drunk the night before
And he got his good gal when he got home
The preacher said he wants some more of that
Hallelujah
Sing hallelujah
Sing hallelujah
Sing hallelujah
Now if you want to get to heaven
Let me tell you what to do
You better grease your foot up buddy
With that mutton stew
And when the devil comes after you
With them greasy hands
You just slide on over to the promised land
Sing hallelujah
Sing hallelujah
Sing hallelujah
Sing hallelujah
Now there was two little imps
And they was black as tar
And they was trying to get to heaven
In an electric car
And that car wheel slipped
On down the hill
Instead of going to heaven
They went to Jacksonville
Sing hallelujah
Sing hallelujah
Sing hallelujah
Sing hallelujah
Thank you, you've been so nice
All my friends they came
Now close the lid down tightly
And quit crying
Because when they close them
They all look the same
And grab hold of the handle
It won't be too heavy
And take me to the graveyard
I went to a funeral
And Lord it made me happy
Seeing all those people
I ain't seen
Since the last time
Somebody...
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I know I've seen this place before
Lord can't you hear me screaming
As a young man long ago
When I was twenty-one
And I know I've seen this house before
With people all around it
With my baby cousin on the floor
And Mama in the kitchen
And a woman lies upon the bed
I think she must be dying
And I recall the words she said
As she began to cry
She begged son please don't go to Baltimore
And leave me where I'm lying
For you will son but I no more
Walk among the living
And if you go to Baltimore
Then I'll see you in heaven
And as you breathe I'll breathe no more
And I will surely die
Well you know I went to Baltimore
So confident and wise
And as I breathed she breathed no more
And she did surely die
And now as I lie upon my bed
I pray I must be dreaming
With faces all around my head
And strangers at my door
And a woman's voice calls out to me
Bring unto you your children
And let them see these things you see
And hear the words you say
Beg them to go to Baltimore
And leave you where you're lying
Just like you did one time before
When you were twenty-one
And if they go to Baltimore
Then I'll see you in heaven
And as they breathe you'll breathe no more
And you will surely die
And I know I've seen this place before
Lord can't you hear me screaming
And if I should awaken Lord
Then answer me my plea
What makes the sun set in the west
And birds fly in the sky
And what makes a woman beat her breast
When her children start to cry
And what makes those little ones grow old
To find eternity
And what takes the wise
And leaves behind
A foolish one like me
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When I saw the ambulance
Screaming down Main Street
I didn't give it a thought
But it was my Uncle Eugene
He died on October the second 1981
And my Uncle Wilbert
They all called him Skinner
They said for his younger ways
He'd get drunk in the morning
And show me the rolls of fifties and hundreds
He kept in the glove box of his old gray Impala
And we're all gonna be here forever
So Mama don't you make such a stir
Now put down that camera
And come on and join up
The last of the family reserve
Now my second cousin
His name was Callaway
He died when he'd barely turned two
It was peanut butter and jelly that did it
The help she didn't know what to do
She just stood there and watched him turn blue
And we're all gonna be here forever
So Mama don't you make such a stir
Just put down that camera
And come on and join up
The last of the family reserve
And my friend Brian Temple
He thought he could make it
So from the third story he jumped
He missed the swimming pool
Only by inches
And everyone said he was drunk
Now there was great Uncle Julius
And Aunt Annie Mueller
And Mary and Granddaddy Paul
And there was Hanna and Ella
And Alvin and Alec
He owned his own funeral hall
And there are more I remember
And more I could mention
Than words I could write in a song
But I feel them watching
And I see them laughing
And I hear them singing along
We're all gonna be here forever
So Mama don't you make such a stir
Just put down that camera
And come on and join up
The last of the family reserve
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Thank you my friend
I sincerely appreciate the words you say
About how she'll cry
And how she'll grieve and miss me
When she goes away
Say them again
I need to hear the words once more
I can't believe
How she'll miss me when she's gone
And how she'll want to come back home
And never leave
But she's leaving me
Because she really wants to
And she'll be happy when she's gone
She'll be happy
She'll be so very happy
She'll dance and sing
Or even learn to fly
And spend her time with anyone but me
What's that you say
That I'll get over her the more that time goes by
But time goes so slow
When all I have to do is sit around and cry
No she won't be back
I'd be a fool to try to fool myself that way
I know she hasn't one regret
Because she hasn't had one since
The day she came to stay
She's leaving me
Because she really wants to
And she'll be happy when she's gone
She'll be happy
She'll be so very happy
She'll dance and sing
And even learn to fly
And spend her time with anyone but me
She'll be happy when she's gone
She'll be happy when she's gone
She'll be happy when she's gone
She'll be happy when she's gone
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Honey put down that flyswatter
And pour me some ice water
And would you bring me my hammer
And could you find me some nails
For soon I'll be going
To work for this living
And with you here to guide me
Then I cannot fail
The morning it stumbles
Right in through the window
And this getting up early
Gets old anyway
And if you listen close dear
The crying that you hear
Is the nighttime lamenting
The start of the day
And it's hotter than concrete
In July in Houston
And it'll get worse here
Before it turns nice
But old Tink's in the backyard
And I swear that boy's so smart
He's got everything ready
So we'll be all right
So honey put down that flyswatter
And pour me some ice water
And though I'll soon be going
Well I haven't gone yet
So come stand here beside me
And hold my hand gently
And tell me do you remember
The first time we met
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She's got big red lips
She's got big brown eyes
When she treats me right
It's a big surprise
She won't do anything
That she said she would
She makes me feel good
She makes me feel good
I ask her come here baby
She tells me no, no
I ask me drive me here
She tells me drive your own
She likes to race my motor
Then slam my hood
She makes me feel good
She makes me feel good
When the angels look down from above
They see a very special love
How she makes me do what no one could
She makes me feel good
She makes me feel good
So buddy if you're feeling down and blue
And your girlfriend treats you bad too
Man just remember what she's bound to do
She'll make you feel good
She'll make you feel good
She's got big red lips
She's got big brown eyes
When she treats me right
It's a big surprise
She won't do anything
That she said she would
She makes me feel good
She makes me feel good
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