Making Do

It gets a little lonesome sometimes

living without you here.

The saddest part's when I start to forget

what it was like with you always near.

I thought you'd always be here.

I thought we'd always be a pair.

And looking back my biggest regret

is not telling you how much I cared.

Please don't take me the wrong way;

I'm not asking you to take me back.

I finally feel like you're right

to see that as a worn out path.

I'm not trying to make you feel guilty;

I don't want to cause you more tears.

I just find myself at a loss

as to where to go from here.

And maybe this is one of those letters

that's best left unsent.

Maybe I'm just talking to myself,

trying to figure out where our love went.

D C / F G - :|| (10x)

Oh, I'm doing alright.

Yeah, I'm getting through.

I just feel a little lost,

but I am making do.

Though I feel all this sorrow,

there's still a song in my heart.

The sun'll come up tomorrow;

it'll be a brand new start.

Bm C / “ / “ / F G - :||

I'm so glad we still get together.

You're still my best friend.

Thanks for letting this be a new beginning

instead of the end.

In some ways you do seem happier now.

I still love to see that smile,

and it seems to me it's brighter now

than it's been for quite a while.

I don't know what the future holds,

if I'll stay or if I'll go;

but whatever I decide to do

I want you to know

that I will always love you

right up until my last breath,

and if I should choose to leave

it'll break my heart to take that first step.

And I guess I've always been lost,

and you tried to reach from afar;

so I'm trying to live closer to my life,

each day's a brand new start.

It's an endless destination,

impossible to get to;

I'm still not as close to my life as I could be,

but I am making do.

Take Me Down

I cursed you for tightening the noose.

You said you were only trying to cut me loose.

Your revelation felt like abuse.

My eyes were slow to open to the truth.

A - Bb A :|| (4x)

Take me down, take me on down,

take me down to the river.

Take me down, take me on down,

take me down to the stream.

A - Bb A / A Asus A - :||

It took someone from the outside

to show me how bad things had gotten.

I never saw how I turned a blind eye

to all the things that were rotten.

Bridge:

I'd rather die in this cold mountain stream,

I'd rather die than not be wept clean.

A - Bb - C - G - / A - Bb - C - AAsus A

You can live in a place where there's no life left.

You can live a life of death.

You can immerse yourself in tears unwept,

but you're sure to run out of breath.

Paradise, paradise lost,

paradise lost and found.

Paradise, paradise lost,

it's either swim or drown.

New American Morning

Some mornings I just want to stay in bed,

just can't seem to lift my weary head,

in my bed fortress so warm and soft

sheltered from a world that's so often not.

But after a while I get up on my feet,

brew up some coffee and have a seat.

And after a while I start to wear off the night

and start to absorb a little morning light.

Capo II

Bm C / Dm Am / Em F / G FG G FG :||

Another morning in America,

just wanting to stay in bed.

Another morning in America,

awake with a weary head.

C G / F G :||

I take comfort every now and then

in the company of a friend,

someone to help me shoulder the load

and keep me sputtering on down the road.

It's so good to feel that I'm not alone,

that I don't have to carry this all on my own.

The warm smile of a friend

can help let back in some light again.

Another morning in America,

awake with a weary head.

Another morning in America,

but at least I've got my friends.

Turn on the news, and what does it say?

What terrible things happened yesterday?

Ah, just turn it off, but it won't go away.

Why must the world be so cruel and insane?

I know there's good things out there happening, too,

but why don't I see them, why don't they get through?

Maybe I'll just take a walk around the block;

it's much friendlier there than inside this box.

Another morning in America,

but at least I've got my friends.

Another morning in America,

I'm going outside. Fuck what trends.

It Went Away

I saw you tonight.

Where did it go?

That look in your eyes.

I'll never know.

Afraid I'll never know

a look like that again

for the rest of my days

right up to the end.

I saw you tonight.

Where did it go?

Capo IV

C - / G - :|| (5x)

(Bm C / D G)

I felt so close

to something so real.

If it wasn't real,

then what did I feel

all of those times

lying beside you in bed?

I guess what I felt

was all in my head.

But I felt so close

to something so real.

Now I'm not sure

just what to think.

Should I say, “Thanks.”?

Or else say, “You stink!”?

I could stay angry,

and say you lead me astray.

But I am unable

to keep feeling that way.

So I'll just believe

what helps me get through the days,

that we shared love

until it went away.

That we shared love

until it went away.

Ain't It True?

You and me, we're like Jack and Jill

tumbling down that hill. Ain't it true?

You and me, we're like yin and yang.

We're like space and Tang. Ain't it true?

You and me, we're like peas in a pod.

We're like worms in sod. Ain't it true?

G - F - / G - C - :|| (3x)

Ain't it true? Ain't it true?

Tell me ain't it true?

Ain't it true? Ain't it true?

Hey, I love you.

D C / F C / D C / F -

You and me, we're like skin and bones

eating ice cream cones. It ain't true.

You and me, we're like tongue-in-cheek.

We're like hide and seek. It ain't true.

You and me, we're like push and shove.

We'd be like mourning doves. No, it ain't true.

It ain't true. It ain't true.

Tell me it ain't true.

It ain't true. It ain't true

that we're through.

You and me, we're like November rain.

We're like broken links in a chain if it's true.

You and me, we're like a train off the rails.

We're like a ship without sails if it's true.

You and me, we're like the dark of night,

but I still see a light even if it's true.

If it's true, if it's true,

hell, even if it's true,

even if we're through

I still love you.

Ain't it true? Ain't it true?

Tell me it ain't true.

Even if we're through

I still love you.

Relentless Rain

I've got nothing to do

today,

no one to meet, nothing to

say.

I'm worried that I'm starting to lose my

mind.

I'm starting to worry that I've already lost my

mind.

People must think that I'm crazy, or

else they might think that I'm just being lazy.

I might be inclined to agree if

things were clear instead of hazy.

I'm beginning to wonder if there even is a

light.

I want to see it. I

want to believe it.

I want to see it, but I'm lost in the

night.

C - - - / G - - - :|| (9x)

When I was younger the future looked so

bright.

The more I see the further hope floats out of

sight.

Still I won't let it extinguish my love of

life.

It's just that if this rain keeps on a-coming

down.

I'm afraid it's gonna wash right out this

town.

That rain just keeps a-coming

down.

That rain just keeps a-coming

down.

That rain just keeps a-coming

down.

That rain just keeps a-coming

down.

How Can I Keep from Sobbing?

The wedding guests run for their lives.

The bombs stifle a mother's cries.

A world away with half-closed eyes

drone out the usual alibis.

And how can I keep from sobbing?

F Am / Em Am :|| F G Am -

Where there should be love and care

instead creeps in this awful fear.

A father reaches a hand out to his son

and strikes him with the other one.

The love I thought would never die

withered up before my very eyes.

The more I tried to hold on tight,

the faster it slipped out of sight.

But the rose bushes are in full bloom.

From across the park I hear the tune

of birds singing up in the trees.

A young girl dances in the breeze.

And it helps me keep from sobbing.

Time It Was

Time it was when your work

was clearly linked to your life,

a clear need for everything you did,

there was no wondering why.

Time it was, time it was.

Capo V

B7 - / C - :|| B7 - Em -

Time it was when your job

was an art form that you knew

It gave your life a purpose;

it helped you make it through.

Time it was when farmers

would own their own land,

and make a decent life for themselves

by the work of their own hands.

Time it was when your neighbors

were good friends that you knew.

If you found yourself in trouble,

they would be there for you.

Time it was when you went to school

to try to understand.

Instead of just learning how to be

a tool for The Man.

Time it was when guns in school

was something unthinkable,

before we got a glimpse into

the darkness of the human soul.

Time it was when we were not

so quick to go to war,

when we were not so indiscriminate about

what was worth killing and dying for.

Time it was when time was not

just a clock on the wall.

We didn't have to measure every second

and find a place for them all.

Wild Blue Planet Album

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Headbroken Blues

My heart is a mess,

and my head's not much better.

I feel like a chihuahua

without a sweater

caught outside in the middle

of a Minnesota winter,

shaking and a-shivering out in the cold,

feeling like some kind of bloody fool,

yelping like a lunatic in the wind,

wondering when this all will end.

My heart is a mess,

and my head's not much better.

Capo IV

A E :|| (12x)

I wish that I could get it all together,

find some kind of shelter from all this bad weather;

but I've got a broken head and a confused heart,

and in this condition it's hard to find a place to start.

I wish that I could get it all together.

F Am Em Am :|| (5x)

My heart is a mess,

and my head's not much better.

I wish that I knew just what to do,

I feel like a stamped envelope,

unaddressed without a letter.

I could go anywhere,

do anything I please,

but without a purpose

all this freedom's just a tease.

My future may be wide open,

but it just looks like a blur,

like I'm walking through this world

with no idea what I'm walking towards.

My heart is a mess,

and my head's not much better.

I wish I knew just what to do,

that I had a clear destination that I was headed to

but I've got a broken head and a confused heart,

and in this condition it's hard to find a place to start.

I wish I knew just what to do.

My heart is a mess,

and my head's not much better.

I feel like a formal dinner table

without a sweater.

The guests are arriving;

and they're ready to eat,

disgruntled to find no

place settings at their seats.

I'm doing the best I can,

but if someone could lend a hand;

fill my with a spread, and I'll give support

for you once again.

My heart is a mess,

and my head's not much better.

I wish I could give you everything you wanted,

just give and give for ever and remain undaunted;

but I've got a broken head and a confused heart,

and in this condition it's hard to find a place to start.

I wish I could give you everything you wanted.

Ringing in the Ears

It can get mighty frightening out here on the beat

with all this bad blood flowing through the streets.

From all I've seen I can't blame them for blaming us.

If only there was some way to know which cops they could trust.

Capo II

Am Dm / E7 Am :|| (E7 Am )

I'm speaking to you from beyond the grave,

martyred by the fallout from the crimes of the state.

Sitting in my cruiser, my partner by my side,

and in confusion a mad man took both our lives.

F Am / E7 Am :|| (E7 Am)

A thought haunts me on duty; it's never far from my mind,

“What would my family do if I left them behind?”

So each morning before I go I try to let them know

that I love them, I love them, I love them so.

I'm speaking to you from beyond the grave,

my dear family I love you more than words can say.

Oh, if only that mad man could have seen your loving eyes,

would he still have had the nerve to take me from your lives?

I've seen the surveillance videos; some of them were my friends.

Those guns can come out so quickly, you've got to keep on your toes.

And even when you do, sometimes there's just no time.

That rascal's got the upper hand, and it's just your time to go.

I'm speaking to you from beyond the grave,

in my time I saw some friends get taken in cold blood

by rational and calculating low life scum.

Maybe that's not fair, but from my side there's no forgiving what

Hands Up, Heads Down

Watch you don't find yourself on the wrong street

if your skin is not the right shade.

The law is on the loose, and it's out to get you,

raging like a bull on parade.

Capo II

Am Dm Am Em / Am - Dm Am :||

You could be shot in the middle of the night.

You could be strangled in broad daylight.

It could happen outside of the public eye,

or it could be broadcast far and wide.

They will come up with some reason

why each victim had to die.

They might say, “He was a demon,”

or, “He was just too big of a guy.”

You've heard of strange fruit hanging from the trees,

the dreadful deeds of racist mobs.

Look what's happening now out on our streets,

the dreadful deeds of rogue cops.

And who was it used to protect those mobs?

Ah yes, it was the cops.

So who will now protect those cops?

The judicial branch of the racist mobs.

And so the only one who was indicted

was the one who opened a window to the truth.

Don't name any names who is singing this song,

or they might try to indict me, too.

Best to just keep your mouth shut,

keep your head down and walk the line.

Nevermind that the line is hellbound.

Just don't look up, and you'll be fine.

Watch you don't find yourself on the wrong street

if your skin is not the right shade.

The law is on the loose, and it's out to get you,

raging like a bull on parade.

Self-fulfilling Fallacy

Capo III

Intro: G - C - / F G C - /

Oh, don't you know

we're living in the end times?

Oh, can't you see

the prophecy has come to be?

Oh, don't you know

we're all gonna die.

Ho, hum, hum.

Sigh, sigh, sigh.

G - C - / F - G - :|| (3x)

F - Fm - / G - C - /

Take a look at the world today.

Just take a look at the news.

Armageddon will be here before we know.

You can try to find some joy, but it's no use.

G - C - / Em - Fm - / G - C - / F G C - /

I guess there's nothing left to do,

but crawl under a rock and cry.

None of it seems to make any sense,

but I guess God doesn't need a reason why.

It might have been better if I'd never been born.

My life has been such a drag.

Things have just gone from bad to worse.

Might as well call up the hearse.

Don't you even try to cheer me up.

You ought to know that cause is lost.

I've been hanging on to this all my life.

I'm never coming down off this cross.

Chip Off the Old Block

I've got a chip on my shoulder

and my heart on my sleeve.

I bitch and moan.

I sob and grieve.

Life is a toil, I do believe.

I've got a chip on my shoulder

and my heart on my sleeve.

Capo II

F Am / Em Am / / / F Am / / Em Am /

(F Am / Em Am )

I was born into a cushy life.

I never had any sorrow or strife.

Never had any struggles from which to learn.

I've got a lot of stuff I never had to earn.

F Am / Em Am :||

Can't you see what a hell it is

to be me? I feel so sad.

I've had everything I could ever want,

but I never wanted anything that I had.

Oh, if only I had been oppressed!

Might have built up some character, I'd feel so blessed.

Might have grown into a man standing proud and tall.

I could have been the one tearing down those walls.

Don't you know I finally got my wish?

My wife up and left, said she'd had enough.

Now there's only one thing left to do—

—I'm going down to the bridge, and I'm gonna jump.

Another Last Farewell

The floorboards creak underfoot,

a shotgun shoves into his back.

He says, “I'd know that barrel anywhere;

I wouldn't blame you if you pulled that trigger back.”

Capo II

Am DmAm / Am GAm :||

She said, “I knew it was you right away;

I could tell by that crooked, old gait.

When you left I was mad as hell;

you were gone before I was even awake.

“You're lucky I've had time to cool,

or I'd have already laid you in your grave;

and you know you can't be creeping in this way—

—it's just too big of a risk to take.”

Another last farewell,

one more sad goodbye,

caught under the spell

of a love that just won't die.

F Am / G Am :||

In her day, Lightnin' Lizzie

turned many a young man's head.

She spun them around, and she was gone;

and they were left alone in bed.

She never let any of them in,

so they could never cause her any pain.

Until she met up with Fast Freddie,

and he beat her at her own game.

When Freddie left, Lizzie was lost;

that's how she ended up with Big Bill.

If she couldn't have the only one she loved,

she'd settle for the house on the hill.

But Freddie just couldn't seem to stay away;

he'd grow weary just rambling around.

He'd get the need to see Lizzie's face,

and he would saunter back in to town.

He knew that his life was on the line—

—he knew Big Bill was the jealous sort,

but he still had the nerve like a thief in the night

to sneak on in through Lizzie's back door.

Repeat chorus

One dark night it happened

like they always knew that it would.

Lying in bed, she heard the gunshot;

Lizzie understood.

A final last farewell,

the saddest goodbye,

and Lizzie fears her tears

will never dry.