MEL TILLIS
THE BEST WAY I KNOW HOW
MGM M3G-4987
March/1975
Produced by Jim Vienneau
1.
BEST WAY I KNOW HOW
(Jerry Chesnut)
« © '72 Tree Publishing, BMI »
I look up and there you stand before me
Looking so surprised at what you see
Did you really think I'd be the same without you
And stay the way that you remember me
I had reasons for resisting all temptation
And the reason's standing right before me now
And I hope you'll take into consideration
That I'm getting by the best way I know how
All the empty bottles on the tables
And I seldom even shave or comb my hair
No I didn't drink so much that I'm not able
It's just that I'm not going anywhere
Seeing me like this I hope you won't feel guilty
And don't blame yourself for what I'm doing now
I'm just right back where I was before you met me
And I'm getting by the best way I know how
And I'm getting by the best way I know how
**********
2.
KISSING YOUR PICTURE
(Mel Tillis - Wayne P. Walker - Ray Price)
« © '74 Cedarwood Publishing, BMI / Songs Of PolyGram, BMI »
Kissing your picture is so cold
Pictures have no arms that I can hold
Living with a heartache for a friend
Wondering if I'll ever hold you in my arms again
A thounsand blue thoughts every day
Looks like my heartache's here to stay
New lips offer me no thrill
Only your lips ever will
Kissing your picture is so cold...
[ fiddle - steel ]
I turn your picture to the wall
If I fall I could forget it all
But from your love I can't be free
And this picture's all that's left for me
Kissing your picture is so cold...
Wondering if I'll ever hold you in my arms again
**********
3.
YOU ONLY THINK OF ME (WHEN YOU'RE LONELY)
(Ben Weisman - Sid Wayne)
« © '67 Famous Music, ASCAP »
You only think of me when you're lonely
After all the laughter's been and gone
When the streets are filled with neon shadows only
I'm the shoulder you come crying on
Each time I take you back I know again you'll hurt me so
Still this heart of mine just let you come and go why I don' tknow
Cause you only think of me when you're lonely
Cause I'm lonely thinking bout you all the time
[ piano ]
Each time I take you back I know again you'll hurt me so
Still this heart of mine just let you come and go
You only think of me when you're lonely
But I'm lonely thinking bout you all the time
Yes I'm lonely thinking bout you all the time
**********
4.
UNCLE PEN
(Bill Monroe)
« © '51 Unichappell Music, BMI »
Late in the evening about sundown
High on the hill and up above the town
Uncle Pen played the fiddle and oh how it would ring
You could hear it talk you could hear it sing
Oh the people would come from far away
They'd dance all night till the break of day
When the caller hollered do-se-do
We knew Uncle Pen was ready to go
Late in the evening about sundown...
[ fiddle - banjo ]
Well he played an old tune called Soldier's Joy
And the one they called Boston Boy
And the greatest of all was Jenny Lind
To me that's where the fiddles began
Late in the evening about sundown...
[ fiddle - dobro ]
Well I'll never forget that mournful day
When Uncle Pen was called away
They hang up his fiddle they hang up his bow
They know it was time for him to go
Late in the evening about sundown...
**********
5.
HONEY DEW MELON
(Bennie Caudill)
« © '74 Sawgrass Music, BMI »
**********
6.
WOMAN IN THE BACK OF MY MIND
(Ronal McCown - Roger Jauden)
« © '74 Sawgrass Music, BMI »
I see my wife working ironing my shirts
And my mind goes to another day
And to another woman who might have been my wife
If things hadn't turned out this way
Lord knows I love her and I often wonder
If hate should pull back the blind
How would my wife feel if she could see
The woman in the back of my mind
Does she do things fancy does she have a family
Is she as happy as I
Does she spend her afternoons just playing bridge
Or baking her children a pie
And I often wonder if she thinks of me
When she hears those old church beels chime
Though it's been long ago at times I miss her so
The woman in the back of my mind
Suddenly I come back to right here and now
And the dream that I've seen come to life
And I hope she's as happy with somebody else
As I am with my loving wife
I might have been wrong but it's been so long
And things work out in time
But I'd like to say I'm sorry once more
To the woman in the back of my mind
**********
7.
I ALWAYS COME BACK TO LOVING YOU
(Jerry House - Billy Burns)
« © '74 Sawgrass Music, BMI »
Ties between us are broken
Papers we signed say we're through
And I've tasted each bitter word I spoken
And I always come back to loving you
I always come back to loving you
I always remember sweet things you do
And no matter where I go or what I run into
I always come back to loving you
[ steel - fiddle ]
Many times I tried forgetting
As I lay in the arms of someone new
But her cold arms just bring sure one mem'ry
So I always come back to loving you
I always come back to loving you...
I always come back to loving you
**********
8.
HAPPY ANNIVERSARY
(Gary S. Paxton)
« © '74 Songs Of The Knoll, BMI »
Darling happy anniversary
Another year of love has gone by
Thank you for each day you give to me
My darling happy anniversary
Is not getting older much better
You bring so much happiness each day
Everything you are keeps me so in love
I thank to heaven that you came my way
Darling happy anniversary...
[ steel ]
Let a stop and count our many blessings
Cause love like ours don't happen every day
And year after year we'll keep remembering
Our anniversary in a special way
Darling happy anniversary...
**********
9.
MOANIN' THE BLUES
(Hank Williams)
« © '50 Acuff-Rose Music, BMI »
Well my baby moved out and the blues moved in there wadn't nothing I could do
But mosey around with my head in my hands Lordy what am I comin' to
I just keep moanin' moanin' the blues
Well I wrote a nice long letter sayin' mama please come home
Your daddy is lonesome and all I do is moan
Well I've been lovin' that gal for so doggone long I can't afford to lose her now
Well I thought I was right but I must have been wrong cause my head is startin' to bow
And now I'm moanin' moanin' the blues
Well if you want a good gal to stay around you got to treat her nice and kind
If you do her wrong she'll leave this town and you'll almost lose your mind
Then you'll be moanin' moanin' the blues
Oh baby baby baby honey baby won't you please come home
Your daddy is lonesome and all I do is moan
I promise you baby that I'll be good and I'll never be bad no more
I'm sittin' here waitin' for you right now to walk through that front door
Then I'll stop moanin' moanin' the blues
Then I'll stop moanin' moanin' the blues
**********
10.
DEAR LOVE
(Jerry House)
« © '74 Sawgrass Music, BMI »
I stumbled to the front door as quiet as a drunk man could be
And I fumbled to the kitchen and tried to find a cold bite to eat
I didn't want to wake her but I wanted her to know where'd I been
So I wrote her a note and I hoped she'd forgive me again
And I said dear love I know I've been wrong
And I know that I've left you too lonely too long
And I said dear love I make it up to you
Oh yes dear love yes I love you
I staggered down the hallway and started to slip in to bed
The street lights were shining on the pillow where she laid her head
And my world was empty for I could see was a note
Pinned to the pillow where the farewell my dear love had wrote
And she said dear love I've waited all night
But there's too many wrongs now to ever be right
And she said dear love I've been lonely too long
Oh yes dear love yes I am gone
**********