lp discography - covers & lyrics

1.

I GET THE FEVER

(Bill Anderson)
« © '66 Tree Publishing, BMI »
Every time I hear the midnight trains rollin' out to the open plains
A sense of freedom fills my veins I get the fever
Every time I sparrow flies up into the endless skies
Something down inside me cries I get the fever

I get the fever to pack up and leave here wander wild like the wind
This town's too full of mem'ries of cruel love
And I can't stand it seein' her with him
Every time I hear a buddy say he's put lots of dust and clay
Between him and yesterday I get the fever
[ piano ] I get the fever to pack and leave here
And I think maybe I'll do just that tomorrow
This town's too full of mem'ries of cruel love
Everywhere I turn there's pain and sorrow

Every time I hear a buddy say he's put lots of dust and clay
Between him and yesterday I get the fever
I get the fever I get the fever I get the fever
**********

2.

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
**********

3.

BRIGHT LIGHTS AND COUNTRY MUSIC

(Bill Anderson - Jimmy Gateley)
« © '65 Johnny Bienstock Music, BMI »
I love those bright lights and country music

I won't stay home and cry tonight like all the nights before
I've just learned that I don't really need you anymore
I found a little place downtown where guys like me can go
And they've got bright lights and country music

Bright lights and country music a bottle and a glass
Soon I'll be forgetting that there ever was a past
And when everybody asks me what helped me forget so fast
I'll say bright lights and country music
[ fiddle - steel ] A table by the bandstand a bottle filled with wine
Honky tonks were made for men with women on their minds
Nothing else can take away this loneliness of mine
Quite like bright lights and country music

Bright lights and country music...
I love those bright lights and country music
**********

4.

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)
**********

5.

EASY COME EASY GO

(Bill Anderson)
« © '63 Johnny Bienstock Music, BMI »
If it's true what you say in your letter
If your sweet love for me is really gone
If there's somebody else that you love better
Pack your bag shake my hand and move along

Easy come easy go I found that long time ago
Ain't no future in the past broken hearts and all that jazz
No tears of mine're gonna flow
I'll have another love tomorrow easy come easy go
[ guitar ] So you took my photograph from your locket
And replaced it with the one you love the best
Give me back my ring and I'll go hock it
What's one little diamond more or less

Easy come easy go...
Easy come easy go...
**********

6.

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)
**********

7.

I LOVE YOU DROPS

(Bill Anderson)
« © '66 Johnny Bienstock Music, BMI »
They're not teardrops just sincere drops
They're I love you drops cause I love you (I love you)

They were on my pillow when I woke up this morning
They were on the letter I tried all day to write
And just a little while ago I saw them falling
On your picture as I kissed it goodnight

I love you drops I miss you drops
Hurry home drops you've been gone so long drops
They're not teardrops just sincere drops
That say I'm lonesome and I love you (I love you)
[ guitar ] Never knew this heart could hurt the way it hurts for you
Never lived so many lifetimes in a week
Why don't you come back to me the way you said you would
And kiss these little crystals off my cheek

I love you drops I miss you drops
Hurry home drops you've been gone so long drops
They're not teardrops just sincere drops
That say I'm lonesome and I love you
(Hurry home) I love you (I love you)
**********

8.

EIGHT BY TEN

(Bill Anderson)
« © '63 Johnny Bienstock Music, BMI »
(Eight by ten eight by ten)

All that's left of all our love now is just your picture eight by ten
(A souvenir of things that might have been)
My lonely world is only eight by ten eight by ten eight by ten

I remember the night that you gave me that picture I ought to
I've relived it so many times I remember how I couldn't wait to get home
Put it in a frame and tell everybody that you were mine
Because you were mine at least until someone else came along
And took you off out of my sight
It's a good thing that you did leave me your picture to hold
Because now I can cry on your shoulder every night

(Eight by ten eight by ten) my lonely world is only eight by ten

It's awful to be jealous of an old picture frame
But I'm jealous of anything that's close to you
And that picture frame seems to be holding you pretty tight
That looks like more than I'll ever do
I wish that I could just be the glass in that frame
And be so close to the lips that I love
I am glad that I've at least got your picture to hold
But sometimes it's just not enough
(Eight by ten eight by ten) my lonely world is only eight by ten
**********

9.

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
**********

10.

FIVE LITTLE FINGERS

(Bill Anderson)
« © '63 Johnny Bienstock Music, BMI »
I came home last night to a dark and lonely cottage
I took the wreath off the door and somehow I stumbled inside
I just can't I just can't I said live without her
Give me one reason to live now that my darling has died
And then five little fingers touched my hand
Five little fingers too young to understand

And there was a softness in my little girl's touch
That seemed to say daddy I need you so
And in five little seconds her five little fingers
Told me all that I wanted to know
I could tell her little eyes were full of questions
I tried to answer but all I could do was hold her tight
Forgive me forgive me I said for crying
But darling your daddy has got such a load on his shoulders tonight
And then five little fingers soft and dear
Touched me on the cheek and gently brushed away a tear
And I knew that in her own little way my baby was saying daddy I love you so
It only took five little seconds for her five little fingers
To tell me all that I needed to know

(Five little fingers too young to understand)
**********

11.

THREE A.M.

(Bill Anderson)
« © '64 Johnny Bienstock Music, BMI »
Look at me walking the streets at 3 a.m.
And you're saying what a crazy fool I am
But the one I love is out tonight with him
Somewhere making love at 3 a.m.

I need a drink but all the bars are locked up tight
A lonely man gets mighty thirsty late at night
I won't ever kiss her sweet sweet lips again
This old world's an awful place at 3 a.m.
[ steel ] There's the river here's the bridge it's too late now
I've got nothing left to live for anyhow
In the news they'll say he couldn't even swim
And he gave his love for love at 3 a.m.
Yes he gave his life for love at 3 a.m.
**********

12.

GOLDEN GUITAR

(Curtis Leach - Betty Gary)
« © '65 Saran Music, BMI »
I happened to walk into a honky tonk one night down in New Orleans
Up above the bar hung a big guitar like none I'd ever seen
The neck was set with diamonds and though the strings were old
Like Kings of Sound they wound around six keys of solid gold
A man stepped up beside me his breath was strong with wine
He said you know that guitar once belonged to a mighty close pal of mine
He used to play it right here I forget the year around '45 I think
Ha I could tell you quite a story friend if you'd care to buy me a drink
[ guitar ] Well I possessed by every weakness that takes a man a fool
I bought a round he drank it down and then he rocked back on his stool
He said yeah I remember now it was '45 alright
He just returned from the Great War that's where he lost his sight
His buddies gave him that guitar at the time it was simple and plain
He added the gold and the diamonds as he played his way to fame
He was doing a show in Shreveport the night he received a call
To come appear on the Grand Ole Opry the greatest show at all
[ guitar ] I was driving him to Nashville it was cold and misting rain
The signals flashed and the whistle screamed I swear Mr I never saw that train
I heard the doctor tell him just after he used his knife
You're lucky son it was just your arm it could have been your life
But he died that night life just demanded more than he could give
I think he couldn've made it he just lost his will to live
But this world's loss is heaven's gain and tonight he's still a star
He plays with a band of angels that's my son's golden guitar
**********