LOOKING FOR A PLACE TO HAPPEN

THREE DAY DRUNK LOOKING FOR A Alone in the darkness he repeats the same sad PLACE TO HAPPEN routine © 1998 by Jim Morris As he stands on the beach and stares out to sea, nothing more Friday afternoon goes on forever Sometimes I think my clock is paralyzed And a storm lights up the sky; his heart’s pound- I need a new career ing like thunder Thank God the weekend’s here And the coolness in his eyes disguise the feelings The car is packed within The cooler’s full of beer And he feels an emotional tide pulling him under She’s never coming back, in a flash it’s happened CHORUS: again Just a few good friends looking for some lively action Once again he confronts the same steely question A little seaside bar kind enough to take us in Spinning around in his mind till he screams Just a three day drunk looking for a place to hap- Look at yourself pen When will it stop Let the good times roll Watching blinking lights Let the fun begin Dreaming Gatsby dreams

That mescal burns a big hole in your belly Gnawing away at his memory is an image he can And that sweet sangria wine turns your brain to barely withstand jelly A sultry young girl at his bed with a drink in her My shoes are gettin’ wobbly. I won’t be standin’ hand long And this lonesome battle with demons is all that But keep those Coronas cold and coming on seems to remain From the nights consumed by a passion that he’ll REPEAT CHORUS never regain

Oh so many things I can’t remember And a storm lights up the sky; his heart’s pound- And way too many things I can’t forget ing like thunder What time does church begin? Tell the priest I’m And the coolness in his eyes disguise the feelings checking in within I want to cleanse my soul so I can do it again and And he feels an emotional tide pulling him under again and again and again She’s never coming back, in a flash it’s happened again REPEAT CHORUS TWICE Once again he confronts the same steely question Spinning around in his mind till he screams GATSBY DREAMS Look at yourself © 1998 by Jim Morris When will it stop Watching blinking lights The light from the doorway reveals a man so Dreaming Gatsby dreams serene That the wind takes a breath as he walks down the path to the shore in hammock TROPICAL DEPRESSION And watch some palm trees blow away © 1998 by Jim Morris Gonna tell that girl to cram it, get that barmaid in my hammock The chimes have gone berserk on my backporch And watch some palm trees blow away The wind is whipping up on the bay There’s a hell of a storm off the island right now Just might blow some palm trees away SOMETIMES I WISH © 1998 by Jim Morris I came here for a tropical vacation Tiki bars and girls on the beach Sometimes I wish I never left the ocean The weatherman says tropical depression The peace of mind, my crazy friends, I haven’t seen the sun in a week The things we did down there Sometimes it’s the simple things that set the world They’re talking hurricane down at the marina in motion So I’m squirreling all the booze I can find A quiet walk on the beach at sunset There’s a Hobie turtled out by the sandbar Gave you things to do That sailor must be out of his mind Thoughts like these keep running through my I came here for a tropical vacation mind Margaritas and sex on the beach Cause times like those are so very hard to find The weatherman says tropical depression Oh I haven’t seen the sun in a week Sometimes I wish I never left the island The peace of mind, my crazy friends Well, she called me Tuesday night from Atlanta The things we did down there Said she tried but couldn’t get away Every time I left the mainland I’d just break out Something ‘bout a meeting, something ‘bout her smiling mother A keg of beer on the beach with good friends And something ‘bout nothing left to say Gave you things to do

She left me in this tropical depression Thoughts like these keep running through my Stronger than the winds on the bay mind A blatant act of total dispossession Cause times like those are so very hard to find How many times can I get blown away We all left chasing different dreams So I made it through the rain to the Fish Head Bar Just felt like time to go Said “barmaid tell me what you got” But what it’s worth or what we’re after She studied my face, said, “you’re a pretty sad We just can’t say for sure anymore, so case I guess we’d better start with the shots” Sometimes I wish I never left the ocean The peace of mind, my crazy friends Some Turkey for that tropical depression The things we did down there Suddenly the winds have died away Some day I’ll find a way to follow my emotions Tequila will help calm your aggression Go back and live that carefree lifestyle Suddenly the world’s a sunny day The way we used to do Go back and live that island lifestyle Oh the chimes have gone berserk on my back- The way we used to do porch The winds are whipping up on the bay Gonna tell the world to cram it, take a nose dive THE ONLY CHINESE RESTAURANT IN BUTTE, MONTANA © 1998 by Jim Morris Let’s Talk Dirty In Hawaiian (John Prine and Fred Koller) I heard that pretty voice and I looked around ©1988 Spoondevil Music/Pink Sky Music: Lucra- Trying to remember, her face looked so familiar tive Music (BMI) Then all of those years began rushing by I measured the time by that look in her eye Well I packed my bags and bought myself a ticket Hey sometimes shit happens and maybe it just To the land of the tall palm tree happened again Aloha old Milwaukee, hello Waikiki Just stepped off of the airplane She was pretty young and I was wildly handsome When I heard her say She tried to win my heart and hold her virtue Wacka wacka nooka licka ransom Wacka wacka nooka licka But hotter heads prevailed cause I was so deboner Would you like a lei It wasn’t disrespect, man, I just forgot to phone her Chorus: Hey sometimes shit happens and maybe it just Let’s talk dirty in Hawaiian happened again Whisper in my ear Kicka pooka macawa wahini I know things never seemed to work out with me Are the words I long to hear But I know that I can’t be the blame for all those Lay your coconut on my tiki things you’re taking out on me What the hecka mooka mooka dear Let’s talk dirty in Hawaiian I seemed to be prone to some minor indiscretions Say the words I long to hear I promised I was better; I’d finally learned my lesson Well it’s a ukulele Honolulu sunset Then you caught me in the bathroom with a wait- Listen to the grass skirts sway ress named Susannah Drinking rum from a pineapple In the only Chinese restaurant in Butte, Montana Out on Honolulu bay Hey sometimes shit happens and maybe it just Steel guitars are a playing happened again While she’s talking with her hands Gimme gimme oka doka I know that things never seemed to work out with Make a wish I wanta polka me Words I understand But I know that I can’t be the blame for all those things you’re taking out on me Repeat Chorus Well I bought a lotta junka with my mula You moved away to a place by the water Sent it to the folks back home You married a banker and had pretty daughters Well I never had a chance to dance the hula It could have been me if not for ol’ Susannah But I guess I should have known In the only Chinese Restaurant in Butte, Montana When you’re talking to the sweet wahini Hey sometimes shit happens and maybe it’s just Walking in the pale moonlight happened Oka doka what a set of Yeah sometimes shit happens; hey, baby it just Knocka rocka sis boom bakas happens Hope I said it right Yeah sometimes shit happens and maybe it just happened again Repeat Chorus Let me tell you what happened to me last Satur- day night I got set up, knocked down, lit up like a meteorite Some stewbum cowboy told me about the place I THIN BLUE HORIZON should be © 1998 by Jim Morris The joint looks kind of quiet, but they take they’re parties seriously, oh yeah There’s a thin blue horizon, clouds hang low, storm is rising There’s some bad men in the back room Distant sail boats leaning in the breeze And you know they’re shootin’ some dice Such a soft misty morning can change your mind Got the “Fat Man in the Bathtub” on the jukebox with no warning Well they’re too high tonight And it’s so easy to be headed out again Got a barmaid named Laura I’ve spent hours on this seawall, staring south, She’ll make your mouth water heard the sea call Got a pair a full house couldn’t beat A voice I’ve tried so often to ignore Gonna get my share The sign says ninety miles to Cuba, seems so Gonna take you there close and it’s so true To that laid back little bar on front street That it’s so easy to be headed out again Come on over baby, well we’ve got some oppor- Bridge: tunities here Seems like that old wanderlust has come between Gonna order up a Grouper, get a dipper and a the two of us bucket of beer But you knew I was restless from the start Gonna pass around Tequila when it’s time to do It’d take the whole damned ocean to fill this hole Community drinks in my heart We’ll be shakin’ and a’quakin’ aunty Em’in So hard to stay, so hard to be apart quicker than you think, oh yeah

Cross-town a girl lies sleeping unaware of trouble There’s some bad men in the back room creeping And you know they’re shootin’ some dice In her dreams she felt so safe and so secure Got the “Fat Man in the Bathtub” on the jukebox By evening she’ll be broken, tear- stained face, Well we’re too high tonight good-byes spoken It’s not easy being left behind again Got a barmaid named Laura She’ll make your mouth water There’s a thin blue horizon, clouds hang low, Got a pair a full house couldn’t beat storm is rising Gonna get my share Misty morning fading with the breeze Gonna take you there As the water finds it’s shimmer, the odds I’ll stay To that laid back little bar on front street start getting slimmer It’s so easy to be heading out again Yes it’s so easy to be heading out again

WHAT KIND OF FOOL CAN I BE © 1998 by Jim Morris

BAR ON FRONT STREET Chorus: © 1998 by Jim Morris What kind of fool can I be I live in the sun by the sea Running around taking life so easily friend What kind of fool can I be But he doesn’t have another year to spend He can’t fault what they’re doing, but he knows Now I’ve got a friend at the top of the game how that story ends He’s rich and his CEO knows him by name He said so long They pay him real well cause they work him real He said so long hard He keeps wheeling and dealing the cards Now you might find him in St Thomas, and he’s living on a boat He must have a million frequent traveler miles Chasing all the ladies, drinking hard and taking But he hasn’t spent time with his wife in a while notes Voice mail and a fax and a portable phone He’s got an eye on the horizon and a thirst for No, they won’t leave him alone moving on He said so long Repeat Chorus He said so long

Now I’ve got a friend with a wonderful life Now the world turns at different speeds for every- Two kids and a dog and a beautiful wife one A house in the burbs overlooking a pond Something ‘bout time flying when you’re having And a million commitments at home lots of fun Some take their chances living day to day He tries to find time for himself now and then Some focus on a shaky dream some thirty years But it’s hard to relax with that guilt kicking in away Would love to play golf, finding time might be He said so long hard He said so long Can’t do nothing till he mows the backyard Now his friends all talk about the man they knew Repeat Chorus so long ago He just may have the answer, moving fast but liv- Now my friends all think my life is a walk in the ing slow park Got an eye on the horizon and a thirst for moving I write a few lines and I fish until dark on I take time to read and I make time to think He said so long But mostly I just daydream and drink He said so long

So I haven’t enjoyed the success of my friends Now it’s an empty life if lived without romance I’ve got little to show for the miles that I’ve been Just doing what’s familiar, afraid to take a chance My life is quite simple and fairly carefree Take a gamble on the life you’re dreaming of Oh what kind of fool can I be It’s amazing how the money comes when you’re doing what you love Repeat Chorus He said so long He said so long

Now you might find him in Alaska; it’s a party every night HE SAID SO LONG Or you might catch him on a talk show; they read © 1998 by Jim Morris everything he writes You better hope you find out early if you feel you His friends all say it’s such a crazy scheme don’t belong We all have dreams, but that’s just all they are my Just say so long Just say so long She sees who he is and she sees who he’s not He said so long She sees what he lacks and she sees what he’s got She can’t decide on who goes or who stay So she makes up her mind just to have it both ways

RICH MAN’S WIFE And it’s just another story ‘bout some rich man’s © 1998 by Jim Morris wife Neglected, alone and a little bit crazy Nothing was planned it just happened Someone comes along maybe once in your life A face in the crowd at a place by the water When you know that it’s wrong He got her to laugh and she gave him her number But she touches your heart He saw her that night in his dreams And you’ve got to go back Again and again and again She thought that it might break the boredom An innocent lunch at a place by the ocean But two bottles of wine can sure change your perspective Now she doesn’t want to go home THE HAMMOCK CLUB © 1998 by Jim Morris And it’s just another story ‘bout some rich man’s wife Chorus: Neglected, alone and a little bit crazy Come on over get your membership in the ham- Someone comes along maybe once in your life mock club When you know that it’s wrong Learn the secret handshake But she touches your heart Memorize the pledge And you’ve got to go back Take your clothes off and we’ll make love Again and again and again I’ve got a certified handmade Pawley’s Island Hammock Her neighbors all think that she’s crazy Hung under the stars above Out on the town with some handsome young Come on over get your membership in the ham- stranger mock club What does she think that she’s doing Running around like a kid It’s the perfect situation when the tourists arrive in June Her friends all think that she’s crazy A new batch hits the island every Sunday after- Wasting her time in such a bad marriage noon If she’s having herself an adventure You can see them down at the Winn-Dixie walk- Then it’s about time that she did ing down the aisles The ones in need of a suntan with those big vaca- And it’s just another story ‘bout some rich man’s tion smiles wife With time on her hands and plenty of money Oh you try to be so helpful while taking your best And someone comes along maybe once in your shots life Gonna tell them ‘bout the local customs and show When you know that it’s wrong them all the spots But she touches your heart When they’ve eaten in all the restaurants and had And you’ve got to go back a drink in all the pubs Again and again and again They might want to come on over and join the hammock club Repeat Chorus Repeat Chorus Gave my lady a banana plant The Pledge: She said to me this is elegant I, state your name, being of sound mind and It’s much to nice to go to waste exquisite body, do solemnly swear to faithfully Cause it’s much too soft to suit my taste (or unfaithfully as the case may be) encourage the pursuit of sensual pleasures in yonder hammock Repeat Chorus and not breathe a word of it. There was a China man named Lip Long Lo Now I think you might find that this is the best He went and married down in Mexico initiation that you’ve ever had His wife divorce him very quick You might get a few rope imprints on your back, Because she want bamboo and not chop stick but, hey, that ain’t so bad And if you like our little band of rascals, I’ll tell Repeat Chorus you what you can do Come on back and renew your membership in a week or two

Repeat Chorus twice

THE BIG BAMBOO (Traditional)

Asked my lady what could I do To make her happy and to keep her true Said only one thing I want from you Is a little bitty piece of that big bamboo

Chorus: She want the big bamboo, always long The big bamboo grows so bold and strong The big bamboo stands so straight and tall The big bamboo pleases one and all

Gave my lady two coconuts She said to me this is ok, but I know you want to be nice to me But what good are the nuts without that tree

Repeat Chorus

Gave my lady a sugar cane Sweets to the sweet I did explain Gave it back to my surprise Said she liked the flavor but not the size