Thief and Rescue Lyrics All songs copyright Lee Barber 2009
the mosquito (adapted from the poem ‘lullaby’ by peter ever wine)
last night something came around to scare me left me turning in my bed I heard the sound of a mosquito back and forth it came and went
she must have come in from the garden found an opening in the screen looking for the sound a heart makes looking to calm some inner need
no this is not another metaphor meant to adorn some romantic tale like you, I'd kill the mosquito but it makes me stop to think
how much we want to hear the music to hear the world's incessant song even if it was never meant for us it may not even really be song
and oh how much we love to love it and with what sadness and what pain knowing that we have to turn away and enter darkness once again
I don’t want much
I don’t want much I just want a little bit A little bit before I quit Before I’m through
You spin me off like a plate I’m dizzy and my knees get weak I stumble when I try to speak
When I’m with you
I want… I want to be with you
Delight me. Conspire with me. Devour me politely
I’m only fourteen shakes down Collide with me on your way down
I don’t want much I just want a little bit A little bit before I quit Before I’m through
I want… I want to be with you
the broken cup batten down the hatches, boys a storm is blowin’ through come on down to the broken cup we will all wait there with you in the morning there’ll be signal flags chrome yellow, red and blue all hail the valiant engineer all hail this ragged crew tell everybody in this fleet tell everybody… tell everybody… tell everybody we will meet the old crow rattles from a hollow chest with his peg leg and his chain see that the captain doesn’t fall when he bends in to speak again
I hear tell, it’s just as well if a storm cloud follows you you go on down to the broken cup
they will all be there for you down at the far end of this street tell everybody… tell everybody… tell everybody we will meet look for the girl with the sawtooth smile and a voice like glowin’ coal she sings that song about goin’ home where the rippling waters flow petals fall down from her lips velvet petals on a pinewood floor let me see your face again and I won’t ask anymore tell everybody on your street tell everybody… tell everybody… tell everybody we will meet batten down the hatches, boys a storm is blowin’ through all hail the valiant engineer all hail this ragged crew in the morning there’ll be signal flags chrome yellow, red and blue but tonight we’re down at the broken cup and we’re waiting here for you
The Monkey and the Ass
There’s so much to forget, misplace / between the monkey and the ass The nights we slept on sheets of glass / until you called it over But I’ll remember the perfume The ceremony in your room When we were young as lovers
And I know It will never be the same / it will never wash away Like the button on your coat I’ll think of you When the working day is through
When the noise turns into night / I will be alright I’ll think of you
And if they ask me / how does the story go? I wouldn’t know / I read the book but all I heard was music
Everybody knows this face / will not be used to launch the ship But I’ll be here if you should slip / and I will catch you So don’t forget your trail of crumbs / at least until the morning comes So that I can find you
Don’t look back Bring your flashlight and your drum / play it ‘til your hands are numb Your twisted cane, your cardboard wings All those things That light you up and keep you young / the righteous heart, the open kiss All the things that I will miss Will follow you
And if they ask me / how does the story go? I wouldn’t know / I read the book but all I heard was music
And I know It will never be the same / it will never wash away Like the button on your coat I’ll think of you When the working day is through When the noise turns into night / I will be alright I’ll think of you
darla dance for me. dance for me. dance for me…. dance for me, darla dance for me. dance for me. dance for me…. dance for me, now we may not be here too long we may not be here too long the ticket taker’s smile is as wide as the aisle but I can’t say for sure that he’s breathing now you’ve come all this way / to perform in this play and the curtains are tattered and bleeding
trade your heart for a song take this heart for a song the trombone comes in late / he leans hard on the eight while he’s draining the spit from his horn the lights have come down on the pig and the clown and the air smells like livestock and popcorn trade your heart for a song trade your heart for a song la… la… la… la… it was under duress that the usher confessed to leaving his station unguarded but you captured the room when you brought out that spoon and decorum and taste soon departed take this heart for a song take this heart for a song
I can see by your face / that you’re bored with this place and you’re bored with your tiny companion but you stand there so cute in your powder blue suit who could blame you for putting the tease on take this heart for a song take this heart for a stone dance for me. dance for me. dance for me... dance for me, darla dance for me. dance for me. dance for me... dance for me, now we may not be here too long we may not be here too long la… la… la… la…
1000 Miles
It smells like Sherman’s ghost down here / someone’s poisoned the squirrels The fire has reached the birdhouse now / all smoke and silver curls If you aint got nothin’ good to say / don’t say anything
That’s what our public servants say / when they read the news
And I feel like I’m a thousand miles from you.
The devil’s in the money seat, baby / he’s counting cards and making deals I guess nothing ever changes for those people / they’ll sell a soldier for a buck Just before the city turned / Tremaine took shelter in the hills Out beyond the cane-break baby / where the sky is still blue
And I feel like I’m a thousand miles from you.
I’m sleeping with the crows tonight baby / black water at my shoes Old henry’s old dog snaps at fireflies baby / cause none of us can sleep knocked down by a wicked wind / the water rose up to his chin That wasn’t what done him in / it was losing track of his old girlfriend
And I feel like I’m a thousand miles from you.
Way Back (shoo-be-doo)
Take that road. take it way back take it to the river with the world on your back take it with a flower and a pinch of salt take it with a hammer stars shine down to our blue balloon black night seems bigger than me and you but we shall not be afraid everything will be ok my heaven goes... my heaven goes... with me you and I, we go way back we fell out of a window and skinned it back
we sat to watch the day glow with your cedar heart watch it fall apart... no one can follow you down no one can feel the way you feel but we shall not be afraid everything will be ok my heaven goes... with me my sister's laugh, my brother's grin my mother's hands are good to me my father weeps, I cup my hands for water. stars shine down to our blue balloon black night seems bigger than me and you but we shall not be afraid everything will be ok my heaven goes... my heaven goes... with me
Gloryland Bus Driver
Well you worry that guitar like it was a fish on a line Bend it to the breaking point, then let it run Well I been to East St. Louis. I been in a hundred delta towns Never seen ‘em turn it like that, ‘til you come around
Go on a do it. There might be something to it Might just be the ticket, I don’t know. Go on and build that gospel tower Turn my faith into a flower. I don’t think I can make it on my own.
Well you come down from the mountain with the tablets on your hip Blood on your fingertip, mud on your kicks. A sonic circuit rider, a Gloryland bus driver.
Let him take his breakfast, All aboard!
Go on a do it. There might be something to it Might just be the ticket, I don’t know. Go on and build that gospel tower Turn my faith into a flower. I don’t think I can make it on my own.
Come on, reach to the bottom and turn it out Reach to the bottom and turn it out Reach to the bottom and turn it out Reach to the bottom, turn it out…
Well you worry that guitar like it was a fish on a line
Something’s Moving
Little sister gets the news, runs right home with the rhythm and blues Shadows rockin’ all around the room, someone’s dancin’ with a broom I jump straight up, up from my bed, raise the roof and I cleared my head Took a look, a slice of moon was making silver out of gloom
Blue leaves chatter, dew beads scatter moonlight bright night
The holy book is in the ground, scattered pages all around this town Put that clay behind your ear, old world voices you will here The bitter root, the lion’s roar, the king of slaves at the devil’s door Would it come as such a surprise to find gold between your eyes
Blue leaves chatter, dew beads scatter moonlight bright night
Somethin’s movin’, really movin’, think it’s movin’, solid groovin’ yea! Somethin’s shakin’, feel it quakin’, levitatin', celebratin’ yea!
Blue leaves chatter, dew beads scatter moonlight bright night
All night long
The lightning flashed and the thunder cracked The wind did howl and the doors flew back The fish almost drowned in a pool last night It rained all night long
If you see Judah P in the mud and the brine Don’t stand in his way Don’t you trouble his mind He’ll be filling his bucket on through supper time It rained all night long
All night long All night long All night, all right It rained all night long
Rain dripping down off the brim of my hat I stepped to miss Mary’s back door And went tap tap tap I held out my cup and she filled it up It rained all night long
Well the water rose up fast in that hole in the ground Some got back You know that some went down They were too tired to swim but too far to turn around It rained all night long
All night long All night long All night, all right It rained all night long
Let’s Get Lost
Taking the ferry while the fishermen sleep Wind in your face You are a candle Night watchman asleep on his perch You turn away What was the question
I started to say
Let’s get lost In a song About nothing Sung by no one Can you hear? Cause there’s nowhere That I’d rather be
Shadows fall across the Washington bridge You turn your head I didn’t notice It started to rain Morning breaks and the seabirds cry I’m drifting again It’s never been easy For me to explain
Let’s get lost In a song About nothing Sung by no one Can you hear? Cause there’s nowhere That I’d rather be
All songs copyright Lee Barber 2009