lp discography - covers & lyrics

1.

BIG DUPREE

(Shel Silverstein) « © '78 Evil Eye Music, BMI »
Hoddy Holly was a cajun in the town that I was raised in
She was something most amazin' to my inexperienced eyes
But the fact was clearly stated she and Big Dupree was mated
And a dreadful fate awaited anyone who touched his bride

Cause he said it loud and clear for all the town to hear
And he nailed it up for all the town to see
That the man who puts his hand upon the hand of Hoddy Holly
Will feel the heavy hand of Big Dupree

But that dangerous situation worked on my imagination
And passin' up temptation ain't the thing that I do best
And you know the way things happened one night Dupree was out trappin'
And I spent the evening nappin' with her head upon my chest

Then the roar come from a door six foot four maybe more
He stood standin' there and starin' right at me
He said boy you put your hand upon the hand of Hoddy Holly
Now you'll feel the heavy hand of Big Dupree

Then crazed by ragin' passion he come dashin' smashin' crashin'
And I felt his blade come slashin' through my shrieks and screams and groans
And there just ain't nothin' worse than what he done to my person
And I spend these evenings a cursin' him in slightly higher tones

Cause he said it loud and clear...
I felt the heavy hand of Big Dupree ooh
**********

2.

FINGER ON THE BUTTON

(Larry Wilkerson) « © '78 Acuff-Rose Music, BMI »
I have appointed me the captain of my destiny
And proclaimed myself the pilot of my soul
But my mind remains uneasy cause the rest of me
Depends on someone I don't even know

May the man who has his finger on the button have a lovely day today
Hope nothing hangs him up or ticks him off or bums him out in any way
Lord help him keep his cool cause he could pull the final curtain on my play
May the man who has his finger on the button have a lovely day today
[ dobro ] I can recall when only God could start the world anew
He who left his babies wasted on the shore
But now that man could have the last word if he wanted to
God ain't such a bad dude anymore

May the man who has his finger on the button have a lovely night tonight
Hope he's got himself a honey who knows what to do and I hope she does it right
And in my heart I know you won't go bananas and again he might
May the man who has his finger on the button have a lovely night tonight

May the man who has his finger on the button...
Send him over anything he wants give him a sixpack of beer
Give him my old lady my girl friend
**********

3.

GAMBLER

(Don Schlitz) « © '78 Cross Keys Publishing, ASCAP »
On the warm summer's evening on a train bound for nowhere
I met up with a gambler we were both too tired to sleep
So we took turns a starin' out window at the darkness
Till boredom overtook us and he commenced to speak

He said son I made a life out of readin' people's faces
And knowin' what the cards were by the way they held their eyes
And if you don't mind my sayin' I can see you're out of aces
And for a taste of your whiskey I would give you some advice

So I handed him my bottle and he drank down my last swallow
Then he'd bummed a cigarette then he bummed a light
And the night got deathly quiet and his face lost all expression
He said if you gonna play the game boy you gotta learn to play it right

Now you gotta know when to hold know when to fold
Know when to walk away know when to run
And you never count your money when you're sittin' at the table
There'll be time enough for countin' when the dealin' is done
[ guitar ] He said every gambler knows that the secret to survival
Is knowin' what to throw away and knowin' what to keep
Cause every hand's a winner just like every hand's a loser
And the best that you can hope for is to die in your sleep

When he finished speaking he turned back toward the window
Crushed out his cigarette faded off to sleep
Somewhere in the darkness the gambler he broke even
In his final words I found an ace that I could keep

You gotta know when to hold...
You gotta know when to hold...
There'll be time enough for countin' when the dealin' is done
**********

4.

YARD FULL OF RUSTY CARS

(Shel Silverstein) « © '78 Evil Eye Music, BMI »
Show me a house with a yard full of rusty cars
And you'll know there'll be a coffee perkin' on a rusty stove
And you walk right in and sit down and feel right at home
In the kitchen of the house of man with a yard full of rusty cars

Show me a man with a yard full of rusty cars
And you know he's got a fridge full of beer and it's nice and cold
Swing on the porch eatin' bolony and bread and talk about gettin' old
Spittin' in the dust with the man with a yard full of rusty cars

Scratchin' the ears of the dog of the man with a yard full of rusty cars
Tell him I've been to Haiti and he says well that's real nice
Hey Ma this beer could sure use a little bit of ice
Now what was you saying about goin' to Hatey's
Says the man with a yard full of rusty cars

My teeth gone bad says the man with a yard full of rusty cars
Toilets on the blink and heavy weights today can't hit
You know you remind me a lot of my brother's youngest kid
Got killed in Korea
You play gin rummy says the man with the yard full of rusty cars

Kick off your shoes on the couch with the man with a yard full of rusty cars
Smoke us smokes and flick the ashes on the floor
Well son everythin' here been burned or broke at least once before
And he winks at his old lady and she winks back
At the man with a yard full of rusty cars

Lord said the man with the rusty cars that woman's gettin' wide
So much for beauty son hand me that TV guide
Watchin' the flies in the kitchen of the man with a yard full of rusty cars
Hole in the screen door where the dogs crawl in and out
Careful of that soup son it'll burn a hole in your mouth
Soup and life you gotta wait 'em out says the man with a yard full of rusty cars

Watch TV in the parlour of the man with a yard full of rusty cars
Son you ever get to sleep with any of them movie stars
I'd like to do that once before I die but he's talkin' a little too loud
And his woman is smilin' kind of proud at the man with a yard full of rusty cars

Talkin' God and baseball with the man with the yard full of rusty cars
Fall asleep right on the couch there where you see it
And you know that his old woman ain't gonna mind a bit
Least wise she don't mention nothin' to that smilin' smokin' dirty jokin'
Lucky old man with the yard full of rusty cars
**********

5.

GREASY GRIT GRAVY

(Shel Silverstein) « © '78 Evil Eye Music, BMI »
Mama mama me oh my I don't want no catfish eyes
I don't want no lizard spleens gimme greasy grit gravy and gizzard greens

Greasy grit gravy and gizzard greens big fat pie and mobo beans
Make you wanna split your jeans eatin' greasy grit gravy and gizzard greens

Hey Marie will you be mine I'm gonna take you out to dine
We're gonna live beyond our means eatin' greasy grit gravy and gizzard greens
I kissed my wife and sold the baby a goin' off to join the navy
All they eat on submarines is greasy grit gravy and gizzard greens

Greasy grit gravy and gizzard greens...
[ dobro ] Me and little English Alice we went down to Buckingham Palace
Walked in on the King and Queen eatin' greasy grit gravy and gizzard greens

Greasy grit gravy and gizzard greens...

Doctor doctor help me please I'm neurotic as I can be
I keep doin' it in my dreams oh greasy grit gravy and gizzard greens
Dixie Bell she's southern fried she don't want no champagne wine
You wanna get into her jeans give her greasy grit gravy and gizzard greens

Greasy grit gravy and gizzard greens...
**********

6.

TOO MANY NIGHTS ALONE

(Shel Silverstein - Even Stevens) « © '78 Evil Eye Music, BMI »
Midnight flights and barroom lights and rollin' for three days and nights
And motel rooms have been my only home
They gave me these sad knowing eyes and old age lines before my time
I guess I spent too many nights alone

Denver trains and LA games taxis through the New York rain
On everybody's party but my own
Tellin' myself love could wait now maybe girl you've come too late
I may have spent too many nights alone

I never let nobody any closer than my body
And I never needed someone till now
And you know I want so much to reach out my soul and touch you
But I don't know if I know how

Cause midnight flights and barroom lights and rollin' for three days and nights
And open roads have been my only home
Learnin' ways to say goodbye and songs that only make me cry
I guess I spent too many nights alone too many nights alone
**********

7.

CHILDHOOD HERO

(Shel Silverstein) « © '78 Evil Eye Music, BMI »
She smiled and said if you are who I think you are I'd really like to meet you
I laughed and said if you are what I think you are I'd like to meet you too
She said you've taught me lots of things
But I'll bet there's some things that I could teach you
And though you don't know me I sure know you

Cause you are my childhood hero she said
I got all your records I know all your songs
And I got your picture tacked over my bed
And you know I once wrote you a letter she said
And I don't believe that a night that was spent
By a girl with her childhood hero could ever be wrong

A thousand songs a hundred poems and a half half a fifth of Chivas Regal
While my picture on the wall looked down and winked at me as if the bastard knew
And he listened as she whispered hold me close so I can dream about this later
When you've forgotten me I'll remember you

Cause you are my childhood hero...
**********

8.

FEBRUARY SNOW

(Shel Silverstein) « © '78 Evil Eye Music, BMI »
Come sit beside me and I'll sing you one last song
For you to carry with you as you go
And I'll remember you here in the frosty dawn
And the lightly falling February snow

For tomorrow you'll be rolling somewhere light and free
Somewhere where these chilly winds don't blow
And maybe now and then you'll stop and think of me
And the lightly falling February snow

Don't ask me where the magic moments all have gone
You know you don't really want to know
And your memory of me is gonna last
As long as the early meltin' February snow
[ dobro ] I guess there ain't no use for us to try to talk
We maybe should have tried it long ago
But now all the summer pathways where we used to walk
Are covered by the February snow

Oh I really hope you'll find your garden in the sun
And that'll help your pretty flowers grow
And maybe I'll just be remembered as the one
Who saw you through the February snow

So come sit beside me and I'll sing you one last song
For you to carry with you as you go
And I'll remember you here in the frosty dawn
And the lightly falling February snow
**********

9.

THIS GUITAR IS FOR SALE

(Shel Silverstein - Fred Koller) « © '78 Evil Eye Music, BMI »
This guitar is for sale I'll let her go cheap
She's pretty to look at but she don't earn her keep
She can roar like the west wind she can weep she can wail
But the tunes that she plays just ain't sellin' today
This guitar is for sale

She lay close beside me on cold winter nights
She's got me in trouble and she won me some fights
We both come out all right
She knows all the sad songs that Hank ever wrote
Just touch her once gently and she'll take you on home
She'll tell you some stories bout junk yards and jails
And a fool with a song and a dream that went wrong
This guitar is for sale

She's rode cross this country on freight trains and trucks
On round pawnshop windows when we're down on our luck
We been down on our luck
So please treat her kind keep her out of the rain
It's funny you're askin' I never gave her a name
But if you say she looks weary you been readin' our mail
So if you got the dough buddy take her and go
This guitar is for sale

She's won me some ladies with her sweet lovin' songs
And she's stuck right here with me when the ladies were gone
And the ladies are gone
But hard times and trouble been doggin' our tail
So if you got the dough buddy take her and go
This guitar is for sale
**********

10.

SING FOR THE SONG

(Shel Silverstein) « © '78 Evil Eye Music, BMI »
Sometimes you sing for the money
Sometimes you sing for the show
Sometimes you sing for the dewy eyed darlings
Still makes them cry don't you know
Sometimes you sing for the glory but glory don't last very long
And through the haze of the stage can you look back to days
When you used to sing for the song

Sing for the song boy just like you did when you stood on that corner
And didn't even feel the glow
Sing for the song boy just like you did before all of the flash bulbs
And cocaine and bright things and ladies got hold of your soul

But you really don't make too much money
And you don't give much of a show
And them dewy eyed darling next week will be crying
For somebody else don't you know
But the music's become your burden
And the words all sound twisted and wrong
And the hits that you sell don't taste quite as well
As when you used to sing for the song

Sing for the song boy...
Sing for the song boy...
Sing for the song
**********