The Band Album

We carried you in our arms on Independence Day
And now you'd throw us all aside and put us all away
Oh, what dear daughter 'neath the sun could treat a father so?
To wait upon him hand and foot and always tell him "No"

Tears of rage, tears of grief
Why must I always be the thief?
Come to me now, you know we're so alone
And life is brief

It was all very painless
When you went out to receive
All that false instruction
Which we never could believe
And now the heart is filled with gold
As if it was a purse
But, oh, what kind of love is this
Which goes from bad to worse?

Tears of rage, tears of grief
Why must I always be the thief?
Come to me now, you know we're so alone
And life is brief

We pointed you the way to go
And scratched your name in sand
Though you just thought it was nothing more
Than a place for you to stand
I want you to know that while we watched
You discovered no one would be true
That I myself was among
The ones who thought
It was just a childish thing to do

Tears of rage, tears of grief
Why must I always be the thief?
Come to me now, you know we're so alone
And life is brief

Forefather pointed to kingdom come
Sadly told his only son
Just be careful what you do
It all comes back on you.

False witness spread the news
Somebody's gonna lose
Either she or me or you,
Nothing we can do.

(Chorus)

Don't you say a word
Or reveal a thing you've learned
Time will tell you well
If you truly, truly fell

Tarred and feathered, yea!
Thistled and thorned,
One or the other
He kindly warned.

Now you look out the window tell me
What do you see?
I see a golden calf pointing
Back at me.

I been sitting in here for so darn long
Waitin' for the end to come along.
Holy coaster's on the brink
Take a chance, swim or sink.

False witness, cast an evil eye
said I cannot tell a lie,
Haints and saints don't bother me
I'm not alone you see.

(Chorus)

Once I walked through the halls of a station
Someone called your name
In the street I heard children laughing
They all sound the same
Wonder, could you ever know me
Know the reason why I live
Is there nothing you can show me
Life seems so little to give
Once I climbed up the face of a mountain
And ate the wild fruit there
Fell asleep until the moonlight woke me
And I could taste your hair
Isn't everybody dreaming!
Then the voice I hear is real
Out of all the idle scheming
Can't we have something to feel
Once upon a time leaves me empty
Tomorrow never comes
I could sing the sound of your laughter
Still I don't know your name
Must be some way to repay you
Out of all the good you gave
If a rumor should delay you
Love seems so little to save

She reads the leaves and she leads the life
That she learned so well from the old wives
It's so strange to arrange it, you know I wouldn't change it
But hear me if you're near me, can I just rearrange it?
The watchman covers me
With his remedy
I can't see and it's hard to feel
I think his magic might be real
I can't get to you from your garden gate
You know it's always locked by the magistrate
Now he don't care why you cry, he thinks it's just a lie
To get out, I don't doubt that you'd make a try
If the good times get you through
I know the dogs won't bother you
We'll be gone in moonshine time
I've got a place they'll never find
You know I do believe in your hexagram
But can you tell me how they all knew the plan?
Did you trip or slip on their gifts, you know we're just a con?
You knew it, why'd you do it, I've been hiding in the dark
Now I must be on my way
I guess you really have to stay
Inside the mission wall
Down in Modock, Arkansas

I pulled into Nazareth, was feelin' about half past dead
I just need some place where I can lay my head
"Hey, mister, can you tell me where a man might find a bed?"
He just grinned and shook my hand, "no" was all he said

Take a load off, Annie
Take a load for free
Take a load off, Annie
And (and) (and) you put the load right on me
(You put the load right on me)

I picked up my bag, I went lookin' for a place to hide
When I saw Carmen and the Devil walkin' side by side
I said, "Hey, Carmen, come on let's go downtown"
She said, "I gotta go but my friend can stick around"

Take a load off, Annie
Take a load for free
Take a load off, Annie
And (and) (and) you put the load right on me
(You put the load right on me)

Go down, Miss Moses, there's nothin' you can say
It's just ol' Luke and Luke's waitin' on the Judgment Day
"Well, Luke, my friend, what about young Anna Lee?"
He said, "Do me a favor, son, won'tcha stay and keep Anna Lee company?"

Take a load off, Annie
Take a load for free
Take a load off, Annie
And (and) (and) you put the load right on me
(You put the load right on me)

Crazy Chester followed me and he caught me in the fog
He said, "I will fix your rack if you'll take Jack, my dog"
I said, "Wait a minute, Chester, you know I'm a peaceful man"
He said, "That's okay, boy, won't you feed him when you can"

Yeah, take a load off, Annie
Take a load for free
Take a load off, Annie
And (and) (and) you put the load right on me
(You put the load right on me)

Catch a cannon ball now to take me down the line
My bag is sinkin' low and I do believe it's time
To get back to Miss Fanny, you know she's the only one
Who sent me here with her regards for everyone

Take a load off, Annie
Take a load for free
Take a load off, Annie
And (and) (and) you put the load right on me
(You put the load right on me)

We can talk about it now
It's that same old riddle, only starts from the middle
I'd fix it but I don't know how
Well, we could try to reason, but you might think it's treason
One voice for all
Echoing (echoing) echoing along the hall
Don't give up on father's clock
We can talk about it now

Come, let me show you how
To keep the wheels turnin' you got to keep the engine churnin'
Well, did ya ever milk a cow? (Milk a cow?)
Well, I had the chance one day but I was all dressed up for Sunday!
Everybody, everywhere:
Do you really care?
Well, then pick up your heads and walk
We can talk about it now

It seems to me we've been holding something
Underneath our tongues
I'm afraid if you ever got a pat on the back
It would likely burst your lungs
Whoa, stop me, if I should sound kinda
Down in the mouth
But I'd rather be burned in Canada
Than to freeze here in the South!

Pulling that eternal plough
We got to find a sharper blade, or have a new one made
Rest awhile and cool your brow
Don't ya see, there's no need to slave, the whip is in the grave
No salt, no trance
It's safe now (you know it's safe) to take a backward glance
Because the grains have turned to chow!
We can talk about it now,
We can talk about it now

Ten years ago on a cool dark night
There was someone killed 'neath the town hall light
There were few at the scene and they all did agree
That the man who ran looked a lot like me

The judge said "Son, what is your alibi?
If you were somewhere else then you won't have to die"
I spoke not a word although it meant my life
I had been in the arms of my best friend's wife

She walks these hills in a long black veil
She visits my grave where the night winds wail
Nobody knows, no, and nobody sees
Nobody knows but me

The scaffold was high and eternity neared
She stood in the crowd and shed not a tear
But sometimes at night when the cold wind moans
In a long black veil she cries over my bones

I know she's a tracker, any scarlet would back her
They say she's a chooser, but I just can't refuse her
She was just there, but then she can't be here no more
And as my mind unweaves, I feel the freeze down in my knees
But just before she leaves, she receives

She's been down in the dunes and she's dealt with the goons
Now she drinks from the bitter cup, I'm trying to get her to give it up
She was just here, I fear she can't be here no more
And as my mind unweaves, I feel the freeze down in my knees
But just before she leaves, she receives

It's long, long when she's gone, I get weary holding on
Now I'm coldly fading fast, I don't think I'm gonna last
Very much longer

"She's stoned" said the Swede, and the moon calf agreed
I'm like a viper in shock with my eyes in the clock
She was just there somewhere and here I am again
And as my mind unweaves, I feel the freeze down in my knees
But just before she leaves, she receives

Lonesome Suzie never got the breaks
She's always losing and so she sits and cries and shakes
It's hard just to watch her and if I touch her
Oh, poor Suzie, I'm wondering what to do

She just sits there hoping for a friend
I don't fit here but I may have a friend to lend
Maybe I mistook her but I can't overlook her
Must be someone who can pull her through

Anyone who's felt that bad could tell me what to say
Even if she just got mad she might be better off that way

And where is all the understanding?
Her problems can't be that demanding
Why is it she looks my way
Every time she starts to cry

Lonesome Suzie, I can't watch you cry no longer
If you can use me until you feel a little stronger
I guess just watching you has made me lonesome too
Why don't we get together, what else can we do

If your memory serves you well
We're going to meet again and wait
So I'm going to unpack all my things
And sit before it gets too late
No man alive will come to you
With another tale to tell
And you know that we shall meet again
If your memory serves you well

This wheel's on fire, rolling down the road
Best notify my next of kin
This wheel shall explode!

If your memory serves you well, I was going to confiscate your lace
And wrap it up in a sailor's knot and hide it in your case
If I knew for sure that it was yours, and it was oh so hard to tell
And you know that we shall meet again if your memory serves you well

If your memory serves you well, you'll remember that you're the one
Who called on them to call on me to get you your favours done
And after every plan had failed and there was nothing more to tell
And you know that we shall meet again if your memory serves you well

They say everything can be replaced
They say every distance is not near
So I remember every face
Of every man who put me here

I see my light come shinin'
From the west down to the east
Any day now, any day now
I shall be released

They say every man needs protection
They say that every man must fall
Yet I swear I see my reflection
Somewhere so high above this wall

I see my light come shinin'
From the west down to the east
Any day now, any day now
I shall be released

Now yonder stands a man in this lonely crowd
A man who swears he's not to blame
All day long I hear him shouting so loud
Just crying out that he was framed

I see my light come shinin'
From the west down to the east
Any day now, any day now
I shall be released