lp discography - covers & lyrics

1.

INTRODUCTION

(Bill Anderson)
« © '64 Tree Publishing, BMI »
Hi friends this is Bill Anderson
Decca Records and I are presenting to you here an album called From This Pen
To most of you this is an album of twelve songs
But to me it's a collection of twelve dreams twelve dreams that all came true
Because this album contains twelve of the songs
That I've written over the past few years
Songs that my friends here in Nashville
Across the United States and even around the world have recorded
And which you'd accepted and turned into hits
I realize that there's no way for me to capture the sound and the feeling
Of these great original recordings and I won't even attempt to
But I would like to present these songs to you in this album
From this pen and from me as the only way that I have of saying thank you
**********

2.

SAGINAW MICHIGAN

(Bill Anderson - Don Wayne)
« © '64 Tree Publishing, BMI »
I was born in Saginaw Michigan
I grew up in a house on Saginaw bay
My daddy was a poor hard working Saginaw fisherman
Too many nights he came home with too little pay

I loved a girl in Saginaw Michigan
The daughter of a wealthy wealthy man
But he called me that son of a Saginaw fisherman
And he said I wadn't good enough to claim his daughter's hand

That's why I'm up here in Alaska lookin' around for gold
Like a crazy fool I'm diggin' in the frozen ground so cold
But with each new day I pray I'll strike it rich and then
I'll go back home and claim my love in Saginaw Michigan
[ guitar ] I wrote my love in Saginaw Michigan
I said honey I'm comin' home please wait for me
You can tell your dad I'm coming back a richer man
I've hit the biggest strike in Klondyke history

Her daddy met the bus in Saginaw Michigan
He gave me a great big party and we drank champagne
Then he said son you're a wise young ambitious man
Don'tcha wanna sell your father-in-law your Klondyke claim

And now he's up there in Alaska diggin' in the cold cold ground
The greedy fool is a lookin' for the gold I never found
It serves him right and no one here is missing him
Least of all the newly weds of Saginaw Michigan
We're the happiest man and wife in Saginaw Michigan
And he's ashamed to show his face in Saginaw Michigan
**********

3.

CITY LIGHTS

(Bill Anderson)
« © '58 TNT Music, BMI »
The bright array of city lights as far as I can see
The great white way shines through the night for lonely guys like me
The cabaretes and honky tonks their flashing signs invite
A broken heart to lose itself in the glow of city lights

(Lights that say forget her name) in a glass of cherry wine
(Lights that offer other girls) for empty hearts like mine
They paint a pretty picture of a world that's gay and bright
But it's just a mask for loneliness behind those city lights

The world was dark and God made stars to brighten up the night
Did the God who put those stars above make those city lights
Did he make a place for men to cry when things don't turn out right
Are we just supposed to run and hide behind those city lights

(Lights that say forget her love) in a different athmosphere
(Lights that lure are nothing) but a masquarade for tears
They paint a pretty picture but my arms can't hold them tight
And I just can't say I love you to a street of city lights
**********

4.

ONCE A DAY

(Bill Anderson)
« © '64 Johnny Bienstock Music, BMI »
When you found somebody new I thought I never would
Forget you for I thought then I never could
But time has taken all the pains away
Until now I'm down to hurtin' once a day

Once a day all day long
And once a night from dusk till dawn
The only time I wish you weren't gone
Is once a day every day all day long
[ steel ] I'm so glad that I'm not like a man I knew one time
He lost the one he loved then slowly lost his mind
He sat around and cried his life away
Lucky me I'm only crying once a day

Once a day all day long...
Once a day every day all day long
**********

5.

I MISSED ME

(Bill Anderson)
« © '60 Tree Publishing, BMI »
Last night was the worst night of my life no doubt
Cause while I stayed at home someone else took you out
I cried cause I love you with all of my might
And I missed me how I missed me at your house last night

I missed holding hands walking out on your lawn
I missed the sweet kiss that was mine for so long
Were you happy with new arms wrapped around you so tight
While I missed me how I missed me at your house last night
[ steel ] Did the neighbors say they noticed anything strange
Like a different car parked in your drive for a change
Did they watch as he kissed you beneath the porch light
Did they miss me like I missed me at your house last night

I missed holding hands...
**********

6.

MAMA SANG A SONG

(Bill Anderson)
« © '61 Tree Publishing, BMI »
(God put a song in the heart of an angel and softly she sang it to me)

I get to thinking lots of times about back when I was a lad
Of the old homeplace where I grew up of the days both good and bad
My overalls were hand-me-downs my shoes were full of holes
I used to walk four miles to school every day
Through the rain the sleet and the cold
I've seen the nights when my daddy would cry
For the things that his family would need
But all he ever got was a badland farm and seven hungry mouths to feed
And yet and yet our homefire never flickered once
Cause when all these things went wrong
Mama took the hymn book down and mama sang a song

(What a friend we have in Jesus)

I've been rocked to sleep many a night to the tune of What a Friend
And come morning Rock of Ages would wake me gently once again
And when daddy would reach up and he'd take the Bible down
And he'd read it read it loud and long
And I always felt that maybe our house was blessed
When daddy would say mama sing a song
Sister left home first I guess and then Bob and then Tommy and then Dan
By then dad's hair was turning white and I had to be mama's little man
But it seemed that as daddy's back grew weak my mother's faith just grew strong
And those were the greatest days of all when mama sang a song

(Rock of ages cleft for me let me hide myself in Thee)

I guess the house is still standing I don't get to go back much anymore
No voice is left to fill those halls and no steps to grace the floor
For you see my mother sings in heaven now around God's golden throne
But I'll always believe that this world is a better place
Because one time my mama sang a song

(Precious mem'ries flod my soul)
**********

7.

THAT'S WHAT IT'S LIKE TO BE LONESOME

(Bill Anderson)
« © '60 Tree Publishing, BMI »
The streets're dark and empty and you walk them all alone
You think about your love affair and wonder what went wrong
You go to bed each night and pray you'll never see the dawn
Afraid of each tomorrow with its heartless cold unknown

And that's what it's like to be lonesome
With a heart a broken love taught to cry
And that's what it's like to be lonesome
I know cause I'm a mighty lonesome guy
[ fiddle ] You search to find a tavern where the music is playing loud
You try to lose your heartaches in the laughter of the crowd
But the happy couples make you think of things that might have been
And you have to fight the teardrops till you're by yourself again

And that's what it's like...
**********

8.

RIVERBOAT

(Bill Anderson)
« © '59 Songs Of Universal, BMI »
Well I spent the better part of my life on a Mississippi riverboat
I used to be known from coast to coast as the slickest gambler afloat
I've dealt the cards from Minnesota to the harbor at New Orleans
Made a lotta big money on the riverboat loved a lotta pretty riverboat queens

Riverboat riverboat I love your whistle's wail
I wish I was back on the riverboart stead of in the Memphis jail
[ banjo ] Well a big man got on the riverboat our last time in St Paul
He had a lotta money but his luck went bad and the riverboat won it all
He said I dealt from the bottom of the deck and he pulled a shiny knife
But before that gambler lunged at me my forty-four took his life

Riverboat riverboat...
[ banjo ] Well they came on the boat and they took me to jail when we got to Tennessee
A gamblin' man has very few friends guess nobody cared for me
Well I might be here for a many long years but if I ever get out
I'm gonna head straight for that levee and get me a riverboat headin' south

Riverboat riverboat...
**********

9.

TIP OF MY FINGERS

(Bill Anderson)
« © '60 Tree Publishing, BMI »
I reached out my arms and I touched you
With soft words I whispered your name
I held you right on the tip of my fingers
But that was as close as I came

My eyes had a vision of sweet lips
Yeelding beneath my command
I had your love on the tips of my fingers
But I let it slip right through my hands
But I let it slip right through my hands

Somebody took you when I wasn't looking
And I should have known from the start
It's a long long way from the tip of my fingers
To the love hidden deep in your heart
To the love hidden deep in your heart

I had your love on the tips of my fingers
But I let it slip right through my hands
But I let it slip right through my hands
**********

10.

I'VE ENJOYED AS MUCH OF THIS AS I CAN

(Bill Anderson)
« © '62 Johnny Bienstock Music, BMI »
I've enjoyed as much of this as I can stand

You look lovelier tonight than I remember
I'm so glad I got to see you once again
I've enjoyed just sitting down and reminiscing
But I've enjoyed as much of this as I can stand

So you say you're happy now you've got a new love
Tell him I said he's a lucky lucky man
No I don't think I'll have time to see his picture
I've enjoyed as much of this as I can stand

There's so much more between us than this table
All those years all those dreams all those plans
Guess you know without me saying I still love you
But I've enjoyed as much of this as I can stand
[ steel ] Oh there's so much more...
I've enjoyed as much of this as I can stand
**********

11.

PO' FOLKS

(Bill Anderson)
« © '61 Tree Publishing, BMI »
There's a whole lotta people lookin' down their noses at me
Cause I didn't come from a wealthy family
There was ten of us livin' in a two room shack
On the banks of the river by the railroad track
We kept chickens in a pen in the back
And everybody said we was po' folks

My daddy was a farmer but all he ever raised was us
Dug a forty foot well struck thirty-six gallons of dust
Salvation Army give us clothes to wear
A man from the county came to cut our hair
We lived next door to a millionare
But we wadn't nothin' but po' folks

We was po' folks livin' in a rich folks world
We sure was a hungry bunch
If the wolf had ever come to our front door
He'd've had to brought a picnic lunch

My grandaddy's pension was a dollar and thirty-three cents
That was ten dollar less than the landlord wanted for rent
The landlord's letters got nasty indeed
He wrote get out but pa couldn't read
And we was too broke to even pay heed
But that's how it is when you're po' folks
[ harmonica ] We was po' folks livin' in a rich folks world
We sure was a hungry bunch
If the wolf had ever come to our front door
He'd've had to brought a picnic lunch

But we had something in our house money can't buy
Kept us warm in the winter cool when the sun was high
For whenever we didn't have food enough
And the howlin' winds would get pretty rough
We patched the cracks and set the table with love
Cause that's what you do when you're po' folks
And we wadn't nothin' but po' folks
My mom and my dad was po' folks
My brother and my sister was po' folks
My dog and my cat was po' folks
And even the po' folks was po' folks
**********

12.

I DON'T LOVE YOU ANYMORE

(Bill Anderson)
« © '64 Johnny Bienstock Music, BMI »
I don't love you anymore not the way I did before
And since you've found someone new I think it's best
I don't cry and walk the floor I don't love you anymore
Trouble is I don't love you anyless

I don't love you anymore for I've got no more love to give
You drained my heart of all its love with every sweet caress
I keep saying o'er and o'er I don't love you anymore
Trouble is I don't love you any less
[ guitar ] I held you close to me one time kissed your lips and called you mine
Then another came and thrilled you more I guess
I cried as you walked out the door I don't love you anymore
Trouble is I don't love you any less

I don't love you anymore...
Trouble is I don't love you any less
**********

13.

STILL

(Bill Anderson)
« © '63 Johnny Bienstock Music, BMI »
(Still) though you broke my heart
(Still) though we're far apart
(I love you still)

(Still) after all this time
(Still) you're still on my mind
(I love you still)

I've lost count of the hours and I've lost track of the days
In fact I've lost just about everything since you went away
Everything that is except the memories you left me
And that's one things that no one can mar
I don't know who you're with I don't even know where you've gone
My only hope is that some day you might hear this song
And you'll know I wrote it especially for you
And I love you wherever you are

(Still) after all this time
(Still) you're still on my mind
(I love you still)

This flame in my heart is like an eternal fire
For every day it burns hotter and every day it burns higher
And I haven't been able to put out one little flicker
Not even with all these tears
My friends think I'm crazy and maybe I am
But I'll carry this torch just as long as I can
For someday you might just decide to come home
And I want you to know I'm still here

(Still) thought you broke my heart
(Still) though you're far apart
(I love you still)
**********