Best Lyrics Ever

[The Real Laoislad]

great song laoislad, one of my favs, and another two of my favourites....

Hazard
My mother came to Hazard when I was just seven
Even then the folks in town said with prejudiced eyes
That boy's not right ...
Three years ago when I came to know Mary
First time that someone looked beyond the rumours and the lies
And saw the man inside ...
We used to walk down by the river
She loved to watch the sun go down
We used to walk along the river
And dream our way out of this town ...
No one understood what I felt for Mary
No one cared until the night she went out walking alone
And never came home ...
Man with a badge came knocking next morning
Here was I surrounded by a thousand fingers suddenly
Pointed right at me ...
I swear I left her by the river
I swear I left her safe and sound
I need to make it to the river
And leave this old Nebraska town
I think about my life gone by
And how it's done me wrong
There's no escape for me this time
All of my rescues are gone, long gone
I swear I left her by the river
I swear I left her safe and sound
I need to make it to the river
And leave this old Nebraska town ...

Great call POG Hazard is a excellent tune and great lyrics...Its amazing the amount of folk who don't even know what the song is about

[downredblack]

I know a few people on here like this one .  Tank Park Salute - Billy Bragg


Kiss me goodnight and say my prayers
Leave the light on at the top of the stairs
Tell me the names of the stars up in the sky
A tree taps on the window pane
That feeling smothers me again
Daddy is it true that we all have to die

At the top of the stairs
Is darkness

I closed my eyes and when I looked
Your name was in the memorial book
and what had become of all the things we planned
I accepted the commiserations
Of all your friends and your relations
But there's some things I still don't understand

You were so tall
How could you fall?

Some photographs of a summer's day
A little boy's lifetime away
Is all I've left of everything we've done
Like a pale moon in a sunny sky
Death gazes down as I pass by
To remind me that I'm but my father's son

I offer up to you
This tribute
I offer up to you
This tank park salute

[Great Leap Forward]

I always have liked Billy Austin by Steve Earle. It may be his finest hour.

My name is Billy Austin
I'm Twenty-Nine years old
I was born in Oklahoma
Quarter Cherokee I'm told
Don't remember Oklahoma
Been so long since I left home
Seems like I've always been in prison
Like I've always been alone

Didn't mean to hurt nobody
Never thought I'd cross that line
I held up a filling station
Like I'd done a hundred times
The kid done like I told him
He lay face down on the floor
guess I'll never know what made me
Turn and walk back through that door

The shot rang out like thunder
My ears rang like a bell
No one came runnin'
So I called the cops myself
Took their time to get there
And I guess I could'a run
I knew I should be feeling something
But I never shed tear one

I didn't even make the papers
'Cause I only killed one man
but my trial was over quickly
And then the long hard wait began
Court appointed lawyer
Couldn't look me in the eye
He just stood up and closed his briefcase
When they sentenced me to die

Now my waitin's over
As the final hour drags by
I ain't about to tell you
That I don't deserve to die
But there's twenty-seven men here
Mostly black, brown and poor
Most of em are guilty
Who are you to say for sure?

So when the preacher comes to get me
And they shave off all my hair
Could you take that long walk with me
Knowing hell is waitin' there
Could you pull that switch yourself sir
With a sure and steady hand
Could you still tell youself
That you're better than I am

My name is Billy Austin
I'm twenty-nine years old
I was born in Oklahoma
Quarter Cherokee I'm told 

[Longfordian]

Just love The Pogues version of this song :   

When I was a young man I carried my pack
And I lived the free life of a rover
From the Murrays green basin to the dusty outback
I waltzed my Matilda all over
Then in nineteen fifteen my country said Son
It's time to stop rambling 'cause there's work to be done
So they gave me a tin hat and they gave me a gun
And they sent me away to the war
And the band played Waltzing Matilda
As we sailed away from the quay
And amidst all the tears and the shouts and the cheers
We sailed off to Gallipoli

How well I remember that terrible day
How the blood stained the sand and the water
And how in that hell that they called Suvla Bay
We were butchered like lambs at the slaughter
Johnny Turk he was ready, he primed himself well
He chased us with bullets, he rained us with shells
And in five minutes flat he'd blown us all to hell
Nearly blew us right back to Australia
But the band played Waltzing Matilda
As we stopped to bury our slain
We buried ours and the Turks buried theirs
Then we started all over again

Now those that were left, well we tried to survive
In a mad world of blood, death and fire
And for ten weary weeks I kept myself alive
But around me the corpses piled higher
Then a big Turkish shell knocked me arse over tit
And when I woke up in my hospital bed
And saw what it had done, I wished I was dead
Never knew there were worse things than dying
For no more I'll go waltzing Matilda
All around the green bush far and near
For to hump tent and pegs, a man needs two legs
No more waltzing Matilda for me

So they collected the cripples, the wounded, the maimed
And they shipped us back home to Australia
The armless, the legless, the blind, the insane
Those proud wounded heroes of Suvla
And as our ship pulled into Circular Quay
I looked at the place where my legs used to be
And thank Christ there was nobody waiting for me
To grieve and to mourn and to pity
And the band played Waltzing Matilda
As they carried us down the gangway
But nobody cheered, they just stood and stared
Then turned all their faces away

And now every April I sit on my porch
And I watch the parade pass before me
And I watch my old comrades, how proudly they march
Reliving old dreams of past glory
And the old men march slowly, all bent, stiff and sore
The forgotten heroes from a forgotten war
And the young people ask, "What are they marching for?"
And I ask myself the same question
And the band plays Waltzing Matilda
And the old men answer to the call
But year after year their numbers get fewer
Some day no one will march there at all

Waltzing Matilda, Waltzing Matilda
Who'll come a waltzing Matilda with me
And their ghosts may be heard as you pass the Billabong
Who'll come-a-waltzing Matilda with me?


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

[Billys Boots]

Brucie's best, in my book anyway.

In the summer that I was baptized my father held me to his side
As they put me to the water he said how on that day I cried
We were prisoners of love a love in chains
He was standin' in the door I was standin' in the rain
With the same hot blood burning in our veins
Adam raised a Cain

All of the old faces ask you why you're back
They fit you with position and the keys to your daddy's Cadillac
In the darkness of your room your mother calls you by your true name
You remember the faces the places the names
You know it's never over it's relentless as the rain
Adam raised a Cain

In the Bible Cain slew Abel and East of Eden he was cast
You're born into this life paying for the sins of somebody else's past
Daddy worked his whole life for nothing but the pain
Now he walks these empty rooms looking for something to blame
You inherit the sins you inherit the flames
Adam raised a Cain

Lost but not forgotten from the dark heart of a dream
Adam raised a Cain

[Windmill abu]

Well, they blew up the chicken man in philly last night
Now, they blew up his house, too
Down on the boardwalk theyre gettin ready for a fight
Gonna see what them racket boys can do

Now, theres trouble bustin in from outta state
And the d.a. cant get no relief
Gonna be a rumble out on the promenade
And the gamblin commissions hangin on by the skin of his teeth

Well now, evrything dies, baby, thats a fact
But maybe evrything that dies someday comes back
Put your makeup on, fix your hair up pretty
And meet me tonight in atlantic city

[DrinkingHarp]

Jimmy Buffett
My head hurts, my feet stink, and I don't love Jesus

Chorus

My head hurts, my feet stink, and I don't love Jesus
Its that kind of morning
Really was that kind of night
Tryin to tell myself that my condition is improvin
And if I don't die by thursday I'll be roarin friday night

[Declan]

Brucie's best, in my book anyway.

Good man Billy - Brought me back - Only listed to the whole album again at the weekend - powerful stuff

[Billys Boots]

It's still my favourite Springsteen album, he was always going to struggle to match that, never mind better it.

[The Real Laoislad]

Great Lyrics in this tune
Coward of the County -  Kenny Rogers


Everyone considered him the coward of the county.
Hed never stood one single time to prove the county wrong.
His mama named him tommy, the folks just called him yellow,
But something always told me they were reading tommy wrong.

He was only ten years old when his daddy died in prison.
I looked after tommy cause he was my brothers son.
I still recall the final words my brother said to tommy:
Son, my life is over, but yours is just begun.

Promise me, son, not to do the things Ive done.
Walk away from trouble if you can.
It wont mean youre weak if you turn the other cheek.
I hope youre old enough to understand:
Son, you dont have to fight to be a man.

Theres someone for evryone and tommys love was becky.
In her arms he didnt have to prove he was a man.
One day while he was workin the gatlin boys came callin.
They took turns at becky.... there was three of them!

Tommy opened up the door and saw his becky cryin.
The torn dress, the shattered look was more than he could stand.
He reached above the fireplace and took down his daddys picture.
As his tears fell on his daddys face, he heard these words again:

Promise me, son, not to do the things Ive done.
Walk away from trouble if you can.
It wont mean youre weak if you turn the other cheek.
I hope youre old enough to understand:
Son, you dont have to fight to be a man.

The gatlin boys just laughed at him when he walked into the barroom.
One of them got up and met him halfway cross the floor.
When tommy turned around they said, hey look! ol yellows leavin.
But you coulda heard a pin drop when tommy stopped and blocked the door.

Twenty years of crawlin was bottled up inside him.
He wasnt holdin nothin back; he let em have it all.
When tommy left the barroom not a gatlin boy was standin.
He said, this ones for becky, as he watched the last one fall.
And I heard him say,

I promised you, dad, not to do the things you done.
I walk away from trouble when I can.
Now please dont think Im weak, I didnt turn the other cheek,
And papa, I sure hope you understand:
Sometimes you gotta fight when youre a man

[Puckoon]

Sunday Morning Coming down -Kris Krsitofferson

Well I woke up Sunday morning,
With no way to hold my head that didn't hurt.
And the beer I had for breakfast wasn't bad,
So I had one more for dessert.
Then I fumbled through my closet for my clothes,
And found my cleanest dirty shirt.
An' I shaved my face and combed my hair,
An' stumbled down the stairs to meet the day.

I'd smoked my brain the night before,
On cigarettes and songs I'd been pickin'.
But I lit my first and watched a small kid,
Cussin' at a can that he was kicking.
Then I crossed the empty street,
'n caught the Sunday smell of someone fryin' chicken.
And it took me back to somethin',
That I'd lost somehow, somewhere along the way.

On the Sunday morning sidewalk,
Wishing, Lord, that I was stoned.
'Cos there's something in a Sunday,
Makes a body feel alone.
And there's nothin' short of dyin',
Half as lonesome as the sound,
On the sleepin' city sidewalks:
Sunday mornin' comin' down.

In the park I saw a daddy,
With a laughin' little girl who he was swingin'.
And I stopped beside a Sunday school,
And listened to the song they were singin'.
Then I headed back for home,
And somewhere far away a lonely bell was ringin'.
And it echoed through the canyons,
Like the disappearing dreams of yesterday.

On the Sunday morning sidewalk,
Wishing, Lord, that I was stoned.
'Cos there's something in a Sunday,
Makes a body feel alone.
And there's nothin' short of dyin',
Half as lonesome as the sound,
On the sleepin' city sidewalks:
Sunday mornin' comin' down.

Let Him Roll - Guy Clark

Well, he was wino, tried and true.
Done about everything there is to do.
He worked on freighters, an' he'd worked in bars.
He worked on farms, an' he'd worked on cars.
It was white port that put that look in his eye,
Grown men get when they need to cry.
We sat down on the curb to rest,
And his head just fell down on his chest.

He says: "Every single day it gets,
"Just a little bit harder to handle and yet. . ."
Then he lost the thread and his mind got cluttered,
And the words just rolled off down the gutter.

Well, he was elevator man in a cheap hotel,
In exchange for the rent on a one room cell.
An' he's old: years beyond his time,
No thanks to the world, and the white port wine.

So he said: "Son." He always called me son.
Said: "Life for you has just begun."
An' then he told me the story I'd heard before
How he fell in love with a Dallas whore.

Now, he could cut through the years to the very night,
When it ended in a whore house fight.
And she turned his last proposal down,
In favor of being a girl about town.

Now it's been seventeen years, right in line,
He ain't been straight in none of the time.
It's too many days of fightin' the weather,
An' too many nights of not being together.
So he died.

Instrumental break.

An' when they went through his personal effects,
In among the stubs from the welfare checks,
Was a crumblin' picture of a girl in a door,
An' an address in Dallas, and nothin' more.

An' the welfare people provided the priest,
A couple from the mission down the street,
Sang "Amazing Grace", and no one cried,
'Cept some lady in black, way off to the side.

We all left and she's standing there,
A black veil covering her silver hair.
Ol' One-Eyed John said her name was Alice,
An' she used to be a whore in Dallas.

So let him roar, Lord, let him roll.
I bet he's gone to Dallas, rest his soul.
Just you let him roll, Lord, let him roar
He always said that heaven
Was just a Dallas whore.

Just you let him roar, Lord, let him roll.
I bet he's gone to Dallas, rest his soul.

[theskull1]

Not a massive Faithless fan but these lyrics really struck me

To get the tune you can listen to a sample on this website
http://faithless.jopinion.nl/av.htm

"I Want More Part 1"

[LSK]
Hey friend your misery bewilders me
How come you're never satisfied or gratified
Four walls n' a roof, electricity,
Stable mind, wife and child,
Hot and cold water to run anytime.
But still you, whine.

I want more

A bum could rummage through ya bin
And live like a king
On just one crumb o'ya cake
N'ya say ya life needs fulfilling
Some would give anything to live like you
Shame your mind, don't shine
Like your possessions do.
Whining, complaining all the time,
Don't see no rain on you
What side your bread is buttered on
If only you knew

What d'ya mean
I want more

Yep

I was told as a child,
I want more never gets
Learned to count my blessings
Long before I saw an abacus
So what ya family don't speak
At least they're alive
Show me a man without guilt
Or a soul that ain't lied
You don't know what ya got
Open your eyes, look around
Really, hear me you,
Ain't got no reason to be down

What d'ya mean
I want more

Friend what is it that you seek
What is it that you try to find
Someday I hope you realized
It shined in you all the time.
Hills to climb, sights to see, seas to cross,
Friends to make, hands to shake, the world is yours,
Foods to taste, sounds to hear, love to feel,
Seeds to sew, things to know, fish to reel,
Space to quiz, stones to lift, life's a gift

What d'ya mean
I want more

Yep

What d'ya mean
I want more

Yep

[gaagaa]

Lyrics to Down Payment Blues from AC/DC (Bon's best) - all about rock stars' lack of funds in early days
From the Poweage album, one of all-time most underrated

Got myself a cadillac but cant afford the gasoline
I got holes in my shoes, and Im way overdue
I got the down payment blues

Livin on a shoe string, a 50 cent millionaire

Got myself a sailing boat but I cant afford a drop of rain

[heganboy]

Caught up in the magic
When your spirit takes me there
For what once held me startled
Leaves me cold, alone and bare
I've wasted countless hours
Unsettling the dust
And making false distinctions
Between the righteous and the just

For what seems all is nothing
A thought you cannot share
I sing a little hymn for her

If time is just a fighter
Who laughs at all his foes
He waits until we're smug enough
Then winds us with his blows
Expressions you can't fathom
The hand I cannot hold
For what was built in heaven
Is a statue I can't mould

With sense of loss surrounding me
With thoughts I cannot bear
I sing a little hymn for her

When all of those around me
May offer up their prayers
I'll sing a little hymn for her

[heganboy]

Honey if the truth hurts don't look it might go away
It's easy to pretend that life is a rosy bouquet
I don't need a platter, I'll take it straight from the shelf
Give it to me raw, I'll take it home and cook it myself
Brewing up a storm
Brewing up a storm
Brewing up inside and his eyes are wild and it can't go on
Brewing up a storm
Can't afford to lose touch, can't afford to lose control
The doors are open wide and the wind blows a bitter cold
Man holds a mystery someone else holds the key
It's a shame they're the same, the answer doesn't have to be

Fire in his eyes, in his head, fire in his touch
But I can't shout fire 'cos I love you too much
The race is on the message in your soul
As a thousand thoughts a second now explode