1. |
Blue
03:15
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Blue
Blue was a midnight traveler
Stealing food, sleeping by the light of the day
Blue was a lonesome son of a gun
Who knows what or why made him run a stray
Old Tom bit his ear off
Fighting and fussing and going for the same dang mouse
Both were sleeping out under the trees
Hoping for a friendly house
Chorus
Won’t you come on Blue. I’ve got a warm fire
Mama’s got a meal for you
Sleep at my feet at the foot of the bed
Part of the family too
Won’t you come on Blue
Life has a funny way of catching up
And slowing you down
Frost is crawling up over the ledge
Winter is coming round
Storms, floods, raging fires
Fate is a big unknown
You can lose your house in many ways
Or you can lose your way back home
Blue was a cat, Blue was a dog
Blue was a sly fox sleeping out under the bridge
No one never gonna tie him down
No other way to live
Blue got trapped one night in a greenhouse shed
I walked in and there he was sleeping on a spinach bed
He looked at me and I looked at him
I was just staring him down
Blue began to realize the old cat had been found
© John William McClure, 2009
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2. |
Let a Bird Go Free
04:51
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Let a Bird Go Free
Old man told the story of a bird with a broken wing.
How he picked it up and he held it. Hoped to hear it sing.
Taped the wing till it healed up and the bird could fly again.
He held her up, she spread her wings. He tossed her up and
Let a bird go free. Let a bird go free.
Young boy on a ladder, still he could not see.
Said, “I don’t understand why you let ‘er go
Just as pretty as can be.” Old man shook his head,
said, “Son, if you could fly, you could see.”
Let a bird go free
Daedelus and Icarus put feathers on their arms,
Icarus got careless and he flew too near the sun,
Daedelus screamed out, “Must I be the only one?
I can fly just like an eagle, while my son sinks like a stone”
My old man was a flyboy from the age of seventeen
And he barnstormed in a biplane. And he climbed beneath that wing
Now he rises slowly, He flies only in his dreams
“Take me to an airfield; let me fly in that machine.”
High up in the fir tree the Jaybird clowns around.
Down below the branches the nuthatch sings along.
Way down in the lowlands the varied Thrush moves on.
Goodbye birds of winter I shall miss your lovely song
The birds all held a campfire, the Raven served the tea
The mockingbird stopped mocking and he cried and tried to sing
The whippoorwill stayed up all night shouting from his tree,
“Let a bird go free. Let a bird go free.”
© John W. McClure, 1980, 2010
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3. |
Hello Babe
04:07
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Hello Babe
Hello Babe, How are you? Hope you’re more than fine.
Such a tiny word for all that happens, at the end of the line
I’ve been playing my guitar, trying to sing the way I feel.
Feel just like I don’t know what to say, though I love you still
Chorus
You’ve got to let it go
Sometimes you’ve got to turn
Finally tears a hole in you
Down and down it burns
You’ve got to let it go
Sometimes you’ve got to turn
Fly away to where you’ve never been
Hope like Hell you learn
I flew out of Boston, saw the turtle back of land
The air was kind of bumpy. My feet were in the sand
Looked down in some Quarry, saw rocks all squared away
Saw some faces frozen like rust upon the gate
See the sea run through the country side
Grows small and so contained
Runs awash trying to find a way to run on home again
Won’t you throw your arms around me, say that it’s alright
I don’t know where I’m going, Babe, I’m standing in my light
©John W. McClure, 1975,1980
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4. |
Cowboys On The Skyline
04:28
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Cowboys on the Skyline
Cowboys on the skyline, would you let me ride along?
Wearing my Stetson cowboy hat
Singing my songs
And when you ride without sound
Do the horses ever, ever touch the ground?
I don’t believe they do, yet I believe in you.
Yodel-layhee
Cowboys on the skyline, do you hide your dreams inside?
If your pony should stumble, would you lose your pride?
And when you ride in the night
Do you ever, ever wish for light?
Oh, if I only knew, might still believe in you
Yodel-layhee. Odalahee-aye
Odalahay-tee. Oldalahe-yaa
Cowboys on the Skyline, tumbleweed and Purple Sage
Silhouettes and saddles, ride across that stage
Paint and roan. Skin and bone
Ragged ponies stumble with their cowboys gone
We’re ridin’ the same as you, all fading cowboys too
Yodel-layhee. Odalahee-aye
Odalahay-tee. Oldalahe-yaa
© John W. McClure,1974, 2008
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5. |
Passenger #2
04:19
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Passenger #2
Chorus
I am a passenger on the last train
Of a disappearing Railway
You got to ride. You got to ride. You got to ride
Well, I was southbound, I caught a slow freight
I jumped right through that box car door
And there were polar bears among the old men
Playing cards down on the boxcar floor
It was a quiet game, the stakes were very high
The old men played to win, the bears just played for food
They said, “The seals are gone. There is no ice flow.
We had to pack our grip and move along”
The ocean boulevard, a crowded shipping lane
The gray whale taught her calf to breach
Done in by sonar waves, the whales ran aground
And slowly died upon that beach
And at the funeral the blue whale spoke his mind. He said,
“I’m searching for a wholesome meal
I’ll work for sandwiches. I’ll work for plankton.
I dream of deep seas filled with krill”
Out where the rocky streams fall down the mountainside
Bears wade in and salmon spawn
Our bodies fed the young, then came the concrete dam
Made it hard for fish to carry on
Just one kind favor the salmon ask of you
Now that you know, now that you’ve seen
It’s been a part of life, been there for centuries
“See that my birthplace and grave are kept clean.”
And there were Mergansers, and there were Murrelets
All riding on that southbound freight
And some were very weak, and some were black with oil
And for some the rescue came too late
“Where are we going?” asked the old penguin,
“I have never traveled South before”
“We are not going far,” answered the eagle.
We are all riding in that final car
© John W. McClure, 2009
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6. |
I'm Like a Tree
03:43
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I’m like a tree
I’m like a tree, I have rings of memory.
I’m like an old stick and then I forget.
And I used to think of me, almost all of the time.
Oh, love, forgive me if it seems like you’re standing in line.
Chorus
But you know I love you
In a way that is way out of style
And you know that I need you
Though I never said a thing all the while
When a poor country boy meets a girl like you
Something is bound give…
Walk through the fields. Yes, I want you by me.
It’s like an old song, been way to long.
Well, I seen a lot, oh, I’ve been the traveling kind.
Oh Love forgive me,
If I wandered off and left you behind
Don’t try to hide, got you down in my memory
And they say love abides, and I am here too.
I dream of you
Even though I’ve got a lot on my mind.
Oh, love, forgive me if it seems like we never have time.
Like a dam on the ocean
Like a tree in strong wind
Like a horse in the evening, going home again
Falling star in the winter; gravity makes it bend
©John W. McClure, 2009
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7. |
You Can Cry In Your Beer
03:01
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You can Cry in Your Beer
So, hard not to get discouraged
Sometimes you’re bound to feel troubled and blue
You can’t find the answer in the book and in the stars
I can tell you what I learned hanging out in bars, Humm….
You can cry, you can cry in your beer if you want to
You can cry while some fool sings a song
You can take a sweet lady to a cheap hotel
Cry in her arms and go home, Humm…
As you calmly put your quarter in the juke box
You see her drinking all alone
You’re hoping maybe but then ‘probably not’
Appears at her side and takes her home
You can cry, you can cry in your beer
If you want to
You can cry while some fool sings a song
You can take a cheap lady to a sweet hotel
Cry in her arms and go home, Humm…
And the dealer deals himself a mess of aces
Rain clouds follow you around
The raging river splits apart your happy home
You swim to the bar just to drown, Humm.
Ohhh! “Lida Rose. I’m home again Rose
Without a sweetheart to my name..,”
Humm….Hic! (‘Lida Rose’ lyrics from Meredith Wilson and The Music Man]
You can cry, you can cry in your beer
If you want to
You can cry while some fool sings a song
You can dream a while
You can drink a lot, cry for a cab (“Taxi”)
And go home (“It’s so poetic”)
© John W. McClure, 1979
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8. |
Need a Lazy Woman
04:53
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Lazy Woman
I need a lazy woman,
lay around the house with me
I don’t want nobody, when I lay around
Makes me feel guilty
I don’t want nobody with some energy
I want to her to move slow, slower than me
I need a lazy woman lay around the house with me
Once I had a woman, let me tell you
She was too darn fast for me
She would set her alarm, she would ever never,
Never ever, let it ring
You know even if I was to set an alarm
I wouldn’t get up if the bed was warm
I need a lazy woman to lay around the house with me
You lazy, lazy people, up the lazy river with you
I’d like to get us all together. We could all hang around
With nothing to do
You know once I notion to get up and work
It was in the middle of the night. It was much too dark
So I just went back to bed and I never did nothin’ at all
I don’t want to argue but I don’t’ believe that industry pays
You can lose your money and your honey
And your vitalist organs can go separate ways
I guess it’s human to be in the race
But don’t forget where the turtle placed
Anyways living or dying
You’re bound to do some layin’ around
©John William McClure, 1978
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9. |
Baby Back Again
03:23
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Baby Back Again
Whether she’s crazy or weak
Whether she leaves you once or twice a week
Well, it’s good, you know it’s good
To have your baby back again
Whether she’s ugly or just bizarre
Whether she steals your house and car
Well, it good, you know it’s good
To have you baby back again
When my baby left, you know I felt so doggone low
I slept in the gutter almost every, every night
Oh that’s why, I maintain, hummm
Nothin’ seems to cheer you
Like your own baby back again
The Tables turned. Money all gone
You know you miss your jelly roll
You ain’t getting none!
Seems like time to trade it all back in on one of them brand new ones
Whether she stays out late and drinks in bars
Hangs around in parked cars
Smoking Marshall Wheeling cigars
Well, it’s good, you know it’s good
To have your baby back again
For you know those tables turned
Money all gone
Oh, you miss your jelly roll
You ain’t getting none
Seems like time to trade it all back in
On one of those partially new ones
Ah, but nothin’ seems to cheer you like your own baby back again
© John W. McClure, 1978
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10. |
Winter of '78
04:56
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Winter of 78
Down Below zero again
Our furnace just ran out of oil
We’ll burn the last stick of wood
Tonight
Keep the polar bears inside
Chorus
Stoke the fire. Quickly retire
But don’t leave the dang lights on
Meet me in bed. Pull those covers over our heads
Only a fool sleeps alone when it’s cold
I don’t see a fool in sight
The winter is holding tight
The wind is howling inside
As the last leaf of autumn clings to a tree
You turn and pull those blankets off of me
Honey please, open the door
I guess I coulda been wrong
I don’t want to argue, now, I don’t’ to fight
I just want to sleep warmer tonight
© John W. McClure 1978
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11. |
The Reaper
03:35
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The Reaper
I sat there in my smoking TV jacket
Staring at the gunfire on the screen
This was not just some ol’ TV Western
Just the daily news and not a dream
The wind outside was driving like a highway
Burning all the trees like gasoline
Just when I was sleeping nice and peaceful
Breaks a branch and slammed the back door screen
Chorus:
Can you beat that reaper? Can you beat that reaper?
Comin’ round in the middle of the night
I woke up in the morning to my coffee
Found the paper folded in my hand
Some one someone loves was in there dying
The reaper really doesn’t give a damn
A daughter, a hooker, a mother dies of cancer
‘Cabbie’, judge and robber gets away
Some suicidal nut shot by the police
The reaper’s bound to look the other way.
Chorus:
Sunny days I sit out on the back porch
I sing and watch the red bird fly around
Walked out on the snows of winter
I found the red bird face down
Chorus:
Can you beat that reaper? Can you beat that reaper?
Comin’ round in the middle of the night
© 1979 John W. McClure
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12. |
Champagne Patti
03:22
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Champagne Patti
Champagne Patti Loves Caviar
She loves my money, ya, she loves my car.
The mill closed down and they locked the door.
I said, “Goodbye, Champagne Patti”
You know the nights are long
When you sleep alone
I guess it’s nothing new but it’s getting’ old
Walking with my thumb out down the road
And I dream of Champagne Patti
Found a town, ya, I got some work.
I washed my clothes and shrank my check
Still can’t sleep ‘cause my back is sore
And I dream of Champagne Patti
You know the work is hard
When you work alone
Well it’s nothin’ new but it’s getting old
I’m leaning on my shovel and I’m staring at the road
And I dream of Champagne Patti
Some people Think, “Well, you got it fine.
Oh, you don’t need money, just a real good time.”
But I know different. So, I dropped a line.
Got a collect call from Miss Champagne Patti
She said the nights are long
When you sleep alone
I guess it could be different
But it just aint the same
I’m saving all my money, gonna take a train
And I dream of Champagne Patti.
© John W. McClure 1979, 1980
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13. |
Life is Cheap
04:35
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Life is Cheap
I roll around in my Rolls
I owns the park where I strolls
Just a multi—trillionaire
I’ve got my own private plane
I go to France and to Spain
If I want to, I don’t want to
After all it’s just another one to me
Like all the others, I don’t need it
And besides, It’s just another one to see
And I seen it all before
Refrain
Like the wind that blows
Life is Cheap, God only knows
I’ve got my own private room
I’ve got my own special spoon
For my Wheaties and caviar
I wear a suit everyday
And then I throw it away
With the pockets full of change
After all it’s just a bunch of ones to me
Like all the others, I don’t need it anymore
And besides, just another one to see
And I seen it all before
And when I lose at the game
I’ll sit at home and remain
In the corner, in the dark
Oh, maybe then I’ll pretend
If I could see you again
Simply boring, for a Lark
After all you’re just another one to me
No, I don’t mean that anymore
And besides you’re just another one like me
Haven’t you seen my face before?
© John W. McClure 1979, 2010
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14. |
End of the Day
05:24
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End of the Day
Chorus:
When you come to the end of the day
And the light of the sun slips away
Though you’ve done your best
You must leave the rest
To the ones who will tend to your grave
Jim went down the market, guitar by his side
If he’d had a mean thought inside his head,
He was not going to let it ride
Looking for a place to sing, his heart began to shout
New song on his lips when that old heart gave out
Woodrow Wilson Guthrie, there’s so much of you remains
Farms lost to the dustbowl, friends gone down in flames
Your lesson was so simple when they called them ‘deportees’
You can number them, you can label them
But people still have names
We aren’t marching anymore, we’ve got volunteers
It’s just dumb luck or fortune the bombs aren’t falling near
Phil Ochs left a legacy I hear him loud and clear
Lose your apathy, lose your hatred
Do it while you’re here
Poets of the people, breathing, dead and gone
Some were just good friends of mine
Some with more renown
Ride the Goodnight-Loving Trail
Blow the harp until the dawn
And somewhere on a freight train
A Utah Phillip’s song
© John W. McClure 2010
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J.W. McClure Seattle, Washington
J.W. McClure lives in Stanwood, Washington. This is a career restarted for me. In the 1970’s I was often an opening act at the Washington D.C. clubs, The Cellar Door and The Childe Harold for Tom Paxton, Dave Van Ronk, Tom Rush and many well known bands. In the 1980’s I returned to Washington to do folk music, satire and stand-up comedy before getting swamped by family and other work. ... more
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