Jeff Buckley
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Jeff Buckley was a man of extraordinarily diverse musical tastes. Truly a student of music and the human voice, and nowhere was it more evident than in the eclectic mix of songs he chose to cover live in concert. Listed here are the lyrics to a large percentage of the songs he was known to have sung throughout his career.

Song Title

Artist

Alive Drugstore
Alligator Wine Screamin' Jay Hawkins
Auld Lang Syne Traditional
Back in N.Y.C. Genesis
Be Your Husband Nina Simone
Calling You Bob Telson/Jevetta Steele
Catnip Dream Shonen Knife
Corpus Christi Carol Benjamin Britten
Curtains Elton John
Dido's Lament Henry Purcell
Dink's Song Traditional
Farewell Angelina Bob Dylan
Fluttergirl Chris Cornell
Frankenstein Edgar Winter
Halka Halka Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan
Hallelujah Leonard Cohen
How Long Will It Take? Traditional
Hymne A L'Amour Edith Piaf
I Against I Bad Brains
I Know It's Over The Smiths
I Never Asked To Be Your Mountain Tim Buckley
I Shall Be Released Bob Dylan
If You See Her, Say Hello Bob Dylan
Je N'en Connais Pas Le Fin Edith Piaf
Just Like A Woman Bob Dylan
Kanga-Roo Big Star
Kick Out The Jams MC5
Land Of The Giants TV Show Theme Song
Let Time Stand Still / Killing Time The Creatures
Lilac Wine Nina Simone
Lost Highway Hank Williams
Madame George Van Morrison
Mama, You've Been On My Mind Bob Dylan
Once I Was Tim Buckley
People's Parties Joni Mitchell
Satisfied Mind Porter Wagoner
Sefronia - The King's Chain Tim Buckley
Strange Fruit Billie Holiday
Sweet Thing Van Morrison
That's All I Ask Horace Ott
The Boy With The Thorn In His Side The Smiths
The Man That Got Away Judy Garland
The Other Woman Nina Simone
The Way Young Lovers Do Van Morrison
Three Is The Magic Number Schoolhouse Rock
Wild Is The Wind Nina Simone
Will The Circle Be Unbroken Traditional
Yard Of Blonde Girls The Nymphs
 

Many thanks to Jason for posting this list to JBEL,
and to Patti for making it possible.

Mojo Pin
Jeff Buckley

 

Alive (Drugstore)

i
i feel the time is coming
i
i walk into your eyes
oh
i don't care if the clock is turning
cuz i'm going to the other side
you either die
or you keep on burning alive
and i am burning

i
i walked a long long distance
i
i'm feeling sore inside
oh
i don't care if the sky is falling
cuz i'll never get to see the light

you either die
or you keep on burning alive
and i am burning
and i am burning

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Auld Lang Syne (Traditional/R. Burns)
Source

should auld acquaintance be forgot,
and never brought to mind?
should auld acquaintance be forgot,
and auld lang syne!

for auld lang syne, my dear,
for auld lang syne,
we'll tak a cup o' kindness yet,
for auld lang syne.

and surely ye'll be your pint stowp!
and surely I'll be mine!
and we'll tak a cup o' kindness yet,
for auld lang syne.

for auld lang syne, my dear,
for auld lang syne,
we'll tak a cup o' kindness yet,
for auld lang syne.

we twa hae run about the braes,
and pou'd the gowans fine;
but we've wander'd mony a weary fit
sin' auld lang syne.
for auld lang syne, my dear,
for auld lang syne,
we'll tak a cup o' kindness yet,
for auld lang syne.

we twa hae paidl'd in the burn,
frae morning sun till dine;
but seas between us briad hae roar'd
sin' auld lang syne.

for auld lang syne, my dear,
for auld lang syne,
we'll tak a cup o' kindness yet,
for auld lang syne.

and there's a hand, my trusty fere!
and gie's a hand o' thine!
and we'll tak' a right gude-willie waught,
for auld lang syne.

for auld lang syne, my dear,
for auld lang syne,
we'll tak a cup o' kindness yet,
for auld lang syne.

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Back In N.Y.C. (P. Gabriel)

i see faces and traces of home back in new york city
so you think i'm a tough kid is that what you heard?
well, i like to see some action, and it eats into my blood
well, they let me out of pontiac when i was just seventeen
i had to get it out of me if you know what i mean, what i mean.

they say i must be crazy cause i don't care who i hit, who i hit.
cause i know its me that's hitting out and i'm not full of shit.
down by my bottle, filled up high with gasoline
you can tell by the night fires where a real has been, has been

as I cuddled the porcupine he said i had none to blame but me
gave my heart, deep in hell, time to shave, shave it off, it off
no time for romantic escape and your fluffy heart is ready for rape
no, no time for romantic escape and your fluffy heart is ready for rape

off we go.
off we go
off we go
you're sitting in your comfort who don't believe' i'm real
you cannot buy protection for the way that i feel
your progressive hypocrites handing out their trash
it was mine in the first place so i'll burn it to ash.

when i've eaten all the strongest meats
and laid them down in coloured sheets
laid them down in colored sheets
well, who needs illusions,
of love and affection when you're out walking in the streets,
your mainline connection connection

as i cuddled the porcupine he said i had none to blame but me
held my heart deep in hell time to shave, shave it off, it off.
no time for romantic escape and your fluffy heart is ready for rape.
no. no time for romantic escape

and your fluffy heart is ready for rape.
no. no time for romantic escape
and your fluffy heart is ready for rape,
no time. back in new york city.

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Be Your Husband (A. Stroud/N. Simone)

be your husband if you'll be my wife
be your husband if you'll be my wife

stick to the promise that you made me
you've gotta stick to the promise that you made me
stay away from johnny lee

ooh daddy gotta love me good
ooh daddy gotta love me good
ooh daddy gotta love me good

if you want me to, i'll cook and sew
if you want me to, i'll cook and sew
if you want me to, i'll cook and sew

don't you treat me so doggone mean
please don't treat me so doggone mean
cuz you're the meanest man i've ever seen

oh daddy love me good yeah
oh daddy love me good yeah
oh daddy now love me good
oh daddy now love me good

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Calling You (B. Telson/J. Steele)
a desert road from vegas to nowhere
some place better than where you've been
a coffee machine that needs some fixing
in a little café just around the bend

i am calling you
can't you hear me
i am calling you

a hot dry wind blows right thru me
the baby's crying and can't sleep
but we both know a change is coming
coming closer sweet release

i am calling you
i know you hear me
i am calling you oh

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Catnip Dream (Shonen Knife)

he is a cat but he's very very fat
he's not just a standard cat
he is a cat but he's still very fat
american calico cat

catnip is a kitty cat drug
one puff two puffs - high in a dream
funny kitty's got very sleepy eyes
i wonder what he's dreaming of
catnip dream catnip dream catnip
dream meow meow meow

catnip dream

he gets his kicks from a tiny toy
a green frog filled with catnip
and pretty soon he's going to be seventeen
kitty cat birthday party

catnip is a kitty cat drug
we plant catnip seeds together
all summer long he watches it growing
dreaming of the harvest moon
catnip dream catnip dream catnip
dream meow meow meow

catnip dream

he is a cat and he's very very smart
he knows the coolest place in the yard
he is the king of the neighborhood
american calico cat

catnip is a kitty cat drug
one puff two puffs - high in a dream
funny kitty's got very sleepy eyes
i wonder what he's dreaming of
catnip dream catnip dream catnip
dream meow meow meow

catnip dream

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Corpus Christi Carol (B. Britten)

he bear her off, he bear her down
he bear her into an orchard ground

lu li lu lay lu li lu lay
the falcon hath bourne my mate away

and in this orchard there was a hold
that was hanged with purple and gold
and in that hold there was a bed
and it was hanged with gold so red

lu li lu lay lu li lu lay

on this bed there lyeth a knight
his wound is bleeding both day and night
by his bedside kneeleth a maid
and she weepeth both night and day

lu li lu lay lu li lu lay

by his bedside standeth a stone
corpus christi written thereon

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Curtains (E. John/B. Taupin)
Source

i used to know this old scarecrow
he was my song
my joy and sorrow
cast alone between the furrows
of a field no longer sown by anyone

i held a dandelion
that said the time had come
to leave upon the wind
not to return
when summer burned the earth again

oh oh oh, oh oh oh....

cultivate the freshest flower
this garden ever grew
beneath these branches
i once wrote such childish words for you

but that's okay
there's treasure children always seek to find
and just like us
you must have had
a once upon a time

oh oh oh, oh oh oh....

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Dido's Lament (H. Purcell)
Source

thy hand, belinda; darkness shades me:
on thy bosom let me rest:
more i would, but death invades me:
death is now a welcome guest.

when i am laid in earth, may my wrongs create
no trouble in thy breast;
remember me, but ah! forget my fate.

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Dink's Song (traditional/B. Dylan)

if i had wings like noah's dove
i'd fly up the river to the one i love
fare thee well, oh honey, fare thee well

i've got a man, he's long and tall
moves his body like a cannon ball
fare thee well, oh honey, fare thee well

one of these days and it won't be long
call my name and I'll be gone
fare thee well, oh honey, fare thee well

i remember one night, a drizzling rain
round my heart i felt an achin' pain
fare thee well, oh honey, fare thee well

when i wore my apron low
couldn't keep you from my do''
fare thee well, oh honey, fare thee well

now i wear my apron high
scarcely ever see you passing by
fare thee well, oh honey, fare thee well

now my apron's up to my chin
you pass my door and you won't come in
fare thee well, oh honey, fare thee well

if i had listened to what my mama said
i'd be at home in my mama's bed
fare thee well, oh honey, fare thee well

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Farewell Angelina (B. Dylan)

farewell angelina
the bells of the crown
are being stolen by bandits
i must follow the sound
the triangle tingles
and the trumpets play slow
farewell angelina
the sky is on fire
and i must go

there's no need for anger
there's no need for blame
there's nothing to prove
ev'rything's still the same
just a table standing empty
by the edge of the sea
farewell angelina
the sky is trembling
and i must leave

the jacks and the queens
have forsaked the courtyard
fifty-two gypsies
now file past the guards
in the space where the deuce
and the ace once ran wild
farewell angelina
the sky is folding
i'll see you in a while

see the cross-eyed pirates sitting
perched in the sun
shooting tin cans
with a sawed-off shotgun
and the neighbors they clap
and they cheer with each blast
farewell angelina
the sky's changing color
and i must leave fast

king kong, little elves
on the rooftops they dance
valentino-type tangos
while the make-up man's hands
shut the eyes of the dead
not to embarrass anyone
farewell angelina
the sky is embarassed
and i must be gone

the machine guns are roaring
the puppets heave rocks
the fiends nail time bombs
to the hands of the clocks
call me any name you like
i will never deny it
farewell angelina
i must go where it's quiet

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Flutter Girl (C. Cornell)
Source

and drinking dust
with eyes of rust
tonight my tears might stain your wings
so flutter home
'cause you're better off alone than with me

so hide your face
and tie your lace
and butterflies across your cheek
forget how soon
you'll become a fool for words when i speak

flutter girl
you don't want to know what i've lived
you don't want to take what i give
and i give nothing for free

you don't want to know what i've lived
you don't want to take what i give
and i give nothing for free

my hands are rough
my fingers cold
your heart's so young and so naive
to ever feel
for a moment that i might let you believe...

i'll melt your smile
i'll tear your wings
i'll color everything you see
so flutter home
'cause you're better off alone than with me

flutter girl
you don't want to know what i've lived
you don't want to take what i give
'cause i give nothing for free

and you don't want to know what i've lived
you don't want to take what i give
'cause i give nothing for free

(long solo...)

flutter girl
you don't want to know what i've lived
you don't want to take what i give
and i give nothing for free

you don't want to know what i've lived
flutter girl
flutter girl

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Yeh Jo Halka Halka (Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan)
Source: JBEL

at a glance from the cup-bearer
i gulped the whole cup of wine in one
draught and thus got intoxicated.

o'divine mercy pardon my slip from
grace as my eagerness for wine
drinking pushed me in committing
this error.

i could i dare to drink without
permission! it was only a wink from
my sweetheart which prompted me to
do so.

o'holy man don't scoff at my apparent
irreligiosity, i am the one with
his knack of chit-chat coaxed the
divinity in granting me permission to
drink.

dark clouds are hovering near and
bring along the musicians'
captivating notes.

who has spread her hair in the rainy
season because the breeze is pregnant
with sweet fragrance?

larks dance in the open tunes
played by the clouds as they are
bringing along their own playing
instruments.

the eyes of my sweetheart are so
bewitchingly red that even the best wine of the tavern pales in
comparison.

being coquettish my sweetheart
sometimes comes very near to me and
at other time goes far away. but all the
time she is close to my heart.

since the day my eyes met her lovely
ones i am in perpetual state of slight
intoxication.

her residence in my heart is
camparable to a ray of light
penetrating the pitch of darkness.
this state of slight intoxication.

your love and your bewitching
eyes have induced me to become
a drunkard.

the whole universe is in a state
of drunkeness; the day, the night,
the dawn, the dusk, everything
is perpetually intoxicated.
even the wine cup and wine
bottle are drunk. And this is all a
result of your bashful eyes.

o'lovely cup-bearer although your
repository contains all sorts of wines,
but i am only fond of the wine that
drips from your drowsy eyes.

this state of slight intoxication.

i don't know how to say prayers nor
do i know the rites of ablution. i just
prostrate myself before you whenever
i see you, because your worship and
your love is my life.

right from creation i am the slave
of love, and i don't care for belief
or disbelief.

my sweetheart, since i have found
you and have become the worshipper
at the alter of your love i don't require
a mosque to prostrate myself and say
my prayers.

this slight state of intoxication.

even on the day of judgement when i
am resurrected the scars of your love
will be manifest on my body and your
picture clinging to my heart.

my extreme love of you has so
elevated me spiritually that who ever i
bow my heat it appears as if holy
kaaba is in front of me.

it does not behoove you to jeer and
mock your disappointed lover.

for god sake o'lovely one turn
away your alluring eyes otherwise i
will totally lose control of my heart.

i pray to god that like me you also fall
in love with someone and then
having been rebuffed in dejection you
also roam about and lament the loss of your heart.

to fall in love was a joke for me, but it
has turned into a serious affair and
now i am getting the punishment.

while i am bewaiting the loss of
my heart why are you laughing
and making merry? What have
you gained out of it?

raise your hands in prayer for me and
be thankful of my friendship because it
is i who has sharpened your charms
thus turning you lovely being into a
killer.

o'darling of my heart bestow a glance
of your lovely eyes at me, i am the
same halfdead anwar who as mentor
and guide taught you to display
captivating manners and charm
the people with your conversation.

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Hallelujah (L. Cohen) Tablature

i heard there was a secret chord
that david played and it pleased the lord
but you don't really care for music, do you
well it goes like this the fourth, the fifth
the minor fall and the major lift
the baffled king composing hallelujah

hallelujah...

well your faith was strong but you needed proof
you saw her bathing on the roof
her beauty and the moonlight overthrew you
she tied you to her kitchen chair
she broke your throne and she cut your hair
and from your lips she drew the hallelujah

hallelujah...

baby i've been here before
i've seen this room and i've walked this floor
i used to live alone before i knew you
i've seen your flag on the marble arch
but love is not a victory march
it's a cold and it's a broken hallelujah

hallelujah...

well there was a time when you let me know
what's really going on below
but now you never show that to me do you?
but remember when i moved in you
and the holy dove was moving too
and every breath we drew was hallelujah

well, maybe there's a god above
but all i've ever learned from love
was how to shoot somebody who outdrew you
it's not a cry that you hear at night
it's not somebody who's seen the light
it's a cold and it's a broken hallelujah

hallelujah...

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Hymne A L'Amour (M. Monnot/E. Piaf /G. Parsons)

if the sun should tumble from the sky
if the sea should suddenly run dry
if you love me, really love me
let it happen darling, i don't care

shall i catch a shooting star
shall i bring it where you are
if you want me to, i will
you can set me any task
i'll do anything you ask
if you'll only love me still

when at last, our life on earth is through
i will spend eternity with you
if you love me, really love me
let it happen darling, i won't care

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I Against I (Bad Brains)

in the quest for the test to fulfill an achievement, everybody's only in it for themselves.
but the fact of the matter is they don''t care to extend a helping hand to anyone else.
so tell me why you had to lie and try to make me all confused about the U.S.A.,
when the fact of the matter is you just don't care to comprehend or understand a single word i say.

i don't want to have i go against i
oh let me tell you.
and it's the same old story no factual glory.
i against i against i against i.
and i say i don't like it and i know i don't want it..
i against i against i against i.
almighty watching almighty watching.
i against i against i against i against i.
and i say i don't like it.
and i know i don't want it.
i against i against i against i.

i said who is gonna tell the youth the truth about the drugs, mugs bugs, and the police thugs.
about the rotten stinkin' rackets and the fantasies around the nation, around the nations.
oh baby what gonna do i tell you the truth is looking straight at you...
i got a brass continental a 300-z, two color t.v.s now video too.
i got a rest home in jamaica for my fantasy for my family.
around the nation. around the nation. what you gonna do?
what are you going to do?

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I Know It's Over (Words by Morrissey, Music by J. Marr)
(Originally performed by The Smiths)

oh mother, i can feel the soil falling over my head
and as i climb into an empty bed - oh well, enough said
i know it's over still i cling, i don't know where else i can go, over and over...
oh mother, i can feel the soil falling over my head
see the sea wants to take me, the knife wants to slit (cut) me
do you think you can help me

sad veiled bride please be happy - handsome groom give her room
loud loutish lover treat her kindly though she needs you
more than she loves you - and i know it's over - still i cling
i don't know where else i can go - over and over.....
i know it's over and it never really began but in my heart it was so real

and she even spoke to me and said
"if you're so funny, then why are you on your own tonight?"
"and if you're so clever then why are you on your own tonight?"
"and if you're so very entertaining then why are you on your own tonight?"
"and if you're so very good looking, then why do you sleep alone tonight?"

i know - 'cos tonight is just like any other night - that's why you're on your own tonight
with your triumphs and your charms - while they're in each other's arms
it's so easy to laugh it's so easy to hate it takes strength to be gentle
and kind - over and over....
it's so easy to laugh it's so easy to hate it takes guts to be gentle
and kind - over and over....

love is natural and real - but not for you my love not tonight my love
love is natural and real - but not for such as you and i my love, oh mother...

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I Never Asked To Be Your Mountain (T. Buckley)
Source

o i never asked to be your mountain
i never asked to fly
remember when you came to me
and told me of his lies
you didn't understand my love
you don't know why i try
and the rain was falling on that day
and damn the reason why

the flying pisces sails for time
and tells me of my child
wrapped in bitter tales and heartache
he begs for just a smile
o he never asked to be her mountain
he never asked to fly
and through his eye he comes his love
and tells her not to cry

she says, "your scoundrel father flies
with a dancer called a queen
and with her stolen cards he plays
and laughs, but never wins"
o the child dreams to be his hands
in the counting of the rain
but only barren breasts he feels
for her milk will never drain

as i die i can't remember
where i saw the rain:
could it be that her laughter
drove me down again?
charming dancer will you stop,
stop and talk to me?
is there someone else you feel
in your dreams? you will, you see:
in midnight gazes
i've found you far from me:
if you lead me on
please leave me down

o flying flying fish
please flutter by my door:
yes you can drink my lies
if first you read my eyes:
each one is titled
"i'm drowning back to you":
i can't swim your waters
and you can't walk my lands:
i'm sailing all my sins
and i'm climbing all my fears
and soon now i'll fly

o i never asked to be your mountain
i never asked to fly
remember when you came to me
and told me of his lies
you didn't understand my love
you don't know why i try
and the rain was falling on that day
and that's the reason why

sweet lover, will you come back
and love me for a while?
please take my hand
leave all your fears behind

i've been gone too long
now i'm home to stay
please don't leave me
again this way

please come home

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I Shall Be Released (B. Dylan)
Source

they say ev'rything can be replaced,
yet ev'ry distance is not near.
so i remember ev'ry face
of ev'ry man who put me here.
i see my light come shining
from the west unto the east.
any day now, any day now,
i shall be released.

they say ev'ry man needs protection,
they say ev'ry man must fall.
yet i swear i see my reflection
some place so high above this wall.
i see my light come shining
from the west unto the east.
any day now, any day now,
i shall be released.

standing next to me in this lonely crowd,
is a man who swears he's not to blame.
all day long I hear him shout so loud,
crying out that he was framed.
i see my light come shining
from the west unto the east.
any day now, any day now,
i shall be released.

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If You See Her, Say Hello (B. Dylan)

if you see her, say hello, she might be in tangier
she left here last early spring, is livin' there, i hear
say for me that i'm all right though things get kind of slow
she might think that i've forgotten her, don't tell her it isn't so.
we had a falling-out, like lovers often will
and to think of how she left that night, it still brings me a chill
and though our separation, it pierced me to the heart
she still lives inside of me, we've never been apart.
if you get close to her, kiss her once for me
i always have respected her for busting out and gettin' free
oh, whatever makes her happy, i won't stand in the way
though the bitter taste still lingers on from the night i tried to make her stay.
i see a lot of people as i make the rounds
and i hear her name here and there as i go from town to town
and i've never gotten used to it, i've just learned to turn it off
either i'm too sensitive or else i'm gettin' soft.
sundown, yellow moon, i replay the past
i know every scene by heart, they all went by so fast
if she's passin' back this way, i'm not that hard to find
tell her she can look me up if she's got the time.

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Je N'En Connais Pas La Fin (E. Piaf)

i used to know a little square
so long ago, when i was small
all summer long it had a fair
wonderful fair with swings and all
i used to love my little fair
and at the close of every day
i could be found, dancing around
a merry-go that used to play

ah, mon amour
a toi toujours
dans tes grands yeux
rien que nous deux

all summer long my little fair
made everyday like a holiday
night after night it used to play
and people came there from so far away
and everyone sang that little tune
all around town you heard it played
even pepi from napoli
he sang to marie
this serenade

ah, mon amour
a toi toujours
dans tes grands yeux
rien que nous deux

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Just Like a Woman (B. Dylan)

nobody feels any pain
tonight as i stand inside the rain
ev'rybody knows
that baby's got new clothes
but lately i see her ribbons and her bows
have fallen from her curls.
she takes just like a woman, yes, she does
she makes love just like a woman, yes, she does
and she aches just like a woman
but she breaks just like a little girl.

queen mary, she's my friend
yes, i believe i'll go see her again
nobody has to guess
that baby can't be blessed
till she sees finally that she's like all the rest
with her fog, her amphetamine and her pearls.
she takes just like a woman, yes, she does
she makes love just like a woman, yes, she does
and she aches just like a woman
but she breaks just like a little girl.

it was raining from the first
and i was dying there of thirst
so i came in here
and your long-time curse hurts
but what's worse
is this pain in here
i can't stay in he re
ain't it clear that --
i just can't fit
yes, I believe it's time for us to quit
when we meet again
introduced as friends
please don't let on that you knew me when
i was hungry and it was your world.
ah, you fake just like a woman, yes, you do
you make love just like a woman, yes, you do
then you ache just like a woman
but you break just like a little girl.

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Kangaroo (A. Chilton) Tablature

i first saw you
you had on blue jeans
your eyes couldn't hide
anything
i saw you leaving, oh

i saw you staring out in space

i next saw you
you were at the party
thought you was a dream
oh so flirty

i came against

didn't say excuse
knew what i was doing
we looked very fine
as we were leaving

just like saint joan
doing a cool jerk
oh, i want you
like a kangaroo

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Kick Out The Jams (The Motor City Five / MC5)

i'm gonna kick 'em out
well i feel pretty good
and i guess that i could get crazy now, baby
'cause we all got in tune
when the dress ing room got hazy now, baby

i know how you want it, child,
hot, sweet, and tight
when girls can't stand it
when you're doing it right
when they're up on the stand
and then they kick out the jams, yes
kick out the jams, i like to kick 'em out

yes i'm startin' to sweat
you know my shirt's all wet
what a feelin'
and the sound that abounds and
resounds and rebounds off the ceiling
you gotta have it, baby
you can't do without
when you get the feelin'
you've got the sounds above
put that mic in my hand
and let me kick out the jams
yes, kick out the jams, got to kick 'em out

so you got to get it up
and then can't get enough
that's what ....
'cause it gets in your brain
it drives you insane, makes you crazy
the ...... the faster you funk
if you wanna feed my rocket
till the morning comes
let me be who I am
and let me kick out the jams
yes kick out the jams
i done kick 'em out

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Let Time Stand Still/Killing Time

I wait and wait
sleepwalk the hourglass
this way and that
the pendulum swings
yes there's plenty of time
always time left to kill
does time stand still
or hurtle on by?

let time unwind
let all the cogs fall out
let mans machines
collapse and rust
face down in the dust
i'll kiss no other lips
a life time of nothing
condemned without you

been so long here
i could die here
lying by your side
but time won't claim me
time and me only
i'm just killing time

if the sun went out
i wouldn't mind too much
who needs the days
to trouble to fill?
if the moon didn't rise
i wouldn't be upset
who needs moonshine
to cause tears to spill?

i've been so long here
i could lie here
under dying sky
this thirst and hunger
holds no wonder
i'm just killing time

i await your return
there's no other one

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Lilac Wine (J. Shelton) Tablature

i lost myself on a cool damp night
gave myself in that misty light
was hypnotized by a strange delight
under a lilac tree

i made wine from the lilac tree
put my heart in its recipe
it makes me see what i want to see
and be what i want to be

when i think more than i want to think
do things i never should do
i drink much more that i ought to drink
because i brings me back you

lilac wine is sweet and heady, like my love
lilac wine, i feel unsteady, like my love

listen to me... i cannot see clearly
isn't that she coming to me nearly here

lilac wine is sweet and heady where's my love
lilac wine, i feel unsteady, where's my love

listen to me, why is everything so hazy
isn't that she, or am i just going crazy, dear

lilac wine, i feel unready for my love

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Lost Highway (H. Williams)

i'm a rollin' stone all alone and lost
for a life of sin I have paid the cost
when I walk by all the people say
just another guy on the lost highway

just a deck of cards and a jug of wine
and a woman's lies makes a life like mine
all the day we met, i went astray
i started rolling down this lost highway

i was just a lad, nearly twenty two
neither good nor bad, just a kid like you
and now i'm lost, too late to pray
lord i pai d a cost, on the lost highway

now boy's don't start to ramblin' round
on this road of sin are you sorrow bound
take my advice or you'll curse the day
you started rollin' down that lost highway

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Madame George (V. Morrison)
Source

down on cyprus avenue
with a child-like vision leaping into view.
the clicking clacking of the high-heeled shoes,
ford and fitzroy; madam george.
marching with the soldierboy behind
he's much older now with hat on, drinking wine
and the smell of sweet perfume comes drifting thru
in the cool night breeze like shalimar
and then your self control lets go
and suddenly you're up against the bathroom door.
the hallway lights are finely getting dim
you're in the front row touching him
and outside they're making all the stops
the kinds out in the streets collecting bottle tops,
going for cigarettes and matches to the shops,
happy talking, madam george
and that's when you fall, oh,
oh, that's when you fall

and you fall into a trance
sitting on a sofa playing games of chance
with your folded arms in history books you glance
into the eyes of madam george
and you think you've found your bag,
you're getting weaker and your knees begin to sag
and in the corner playing dominoes in drag,
the one and only madam george
and outside the frosty window raps
she says "be cool, i think that it's the cops"
stands up, drops everything she gots,
it's not easy now you know
now you know you gotta go
catch a train from dublin up to sandy row,
in the wind, rain & fog & slush & snow
keep on going on
say good-bye we know you're pretty far out
and all the little boys comin' round
they got gold cigarette lighters in their pockets
walking away from it all, so cool.
that's when you fall.

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Mama, You Been On My Mind (B. Dylan)

perhaps it's the color of the sun cut flat
an' cov'rin' the crossroads I'm standing at,
or maybe it's the weather or something like that,
but mama , you been on my mind.

i don't mean trouble, please don't put me down or get upset,
i am not pleadin' or sayin', "i can't forget."
i do not walk the floor bowed down an'bent, but yet,
mama, you been on my mind.

even though my mind is hazy an' my thoughts they might be narrow,
where you been don't bother me nor bring me down in sorrow.
it don't even matter to me where you're wakin' up tomorrow,
but mama, you're just on my mind.

i am not askin' you to say words like "yes" or "no,"
please understand me, i got no place for you t'go.
i'm just breathin' to myself, pretendin' not that i don't know,
mama, you been on my mind.

when you wake up in the mornin', baby, look inside your mirror.
you know i won't be next to you, you know i won't be near.
i'd just be curious to know if you can see yourself as clear
as someone who has had you on his mind.

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Once I Was (T. Buckley)
Source

once i was a soldier
and i fought on foreign sands for you
once i was a hunter
and i brought home fresh meat for you
once i was a lover
and i searched behind your eyes for you
and soon there'll be another
to tell you i was just a lie

and sometimes i wonder
just for a while
will you remember me

and though you have forgotten
all of our rubbish dreams
i find myself searching
through the ashes of our ruins
for the days when we smiled
and the hours that ran wild
with the magic of our eyes
and the silence of our words

and sometimes i wonder
just for a while
will you remember me

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People's Parties (J. Mitchell)
Source

all the people at this party
they've got a lot of style
they've got stamps of many countries
they've got passport smiles
some are friendly
some are cutting
some are watching it from the wings
some are standing in the centre
giving to get something

photo beauty gets attention
then her eye paint's running down
she's got a rose in her teeth
and a lampshade crown
one minute she's so happy
then she's crying on someone's knee
saying laughing and crying
you know it's the same release

i told you when i met you
i was crazy
cry for us all beauty
cry for eddie in the corner
thinking he's nobody
and jack behind his joker
and stone-cold grace behind her fan
and me in my frightened silence
thinking i don't understand

i feel like i'm sleeping
can you wake me
you seem to have a broader sensibility
i'm just living on nerves and feelings
with a weak and a lazy mind
and coming to peoples parties
fumbling deaf dumb and blind

i wish i had more sense of humor
keeping the sadness at bay
throwing the lightness on these things
laughing it all away
laughing it all away
laughing it all away

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Satisfied Mind (D. Houston)

how many times have you heard someone say
if I had his money, I would do things my way
but little they know, that it's so hard to find
one rich man in ten with a satisfied mind

money can't buy back your youth when you're old
friend when you're lonely, oh peace to your soul
the wealthiest person is a pauper at times
compared to the man with a satisfied mind

my life is over and my time has run out
my friends and my loved ones, i'll leave these no doubt
one things for certain, when it comes my time
i'll leave this old world with a satisfied mind
i'll leave this old world with a satisfied mind
my life is over and my time has run out

my friends and my loved ones, i'll leave these no doubt
but one things for certain, when it comes my time
i'll leave this old world with a satisfied mind
one things for certain, when it comes my time
i'll leave this old world with a satisfied mind

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Sefronia - The King's Chain (T. Buckley)
Source

i couldn't buy you with a hundred cattle
but you hike in shells and feathers
up the african beach,
i am king here, tied to this hut by the king's chain
my power's like a tree and green taboo to me

the chameleon lies in your dusty fingers,
and blue flies circle your head like stars;
jump into me now, I must not see the water,
let me sip weakness from your dark nipples

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Strange Fruit (Written by Lewis Allen, Performed by Billie Holiday)

southern trees bear strange fruit,
blood on the leaves and blood at the root,
black bodies swinging in the southern breeze,
strange fruit hanging from the poplar trees.

pastoral scene of the gallant south,
the bulging eyes and the twisted mouth,
scent of magnolias, sweet and fresh,
then the sudden smell of burning flesh.

here is fruit for the crows to pluck,
for the rain to gather, for the wind to suck,
for the sun to rot, for the trees to drop,
here is a strange and bitter crop.

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Sweet Thing (V. Morrison)

and i will stroll the merry way
and jump the hedges first
and i will drink the clear
clean water for to quench my thirst
and i shall watch the ferry-boats
and they'll get high
on a bluer ocean
against tomorrow's sky

and i will never grow so old again
and i will walk and talk
in gardens all wet with rain
'hey, it's me, i'm dynamite
and i don't know why'
we shall walk and talk
in gardens all misty and wet with rain
my, my, my, my, my sweet thing

and i will raise my hand up
into the night time sky
and count the stars
that's shining in your eye
and i'll be satisfied
in gardens all wet with rain

and i will never, ever, ever, ever
grow so old again.
oh sweet thing, sweet thing
sugar-baby with your champagne eyes
and your saint-like smile....

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That's All I Ask (H. Ott/sung by N. Simone)

nobody nobody nobody nobody knows
how deep my love for you really goes

don't try to blow out the sun for me
i'm not hopin' for what i know can't be
all that i ask is for a smile or two
nothing in this world could be too good for you

i wouldn't ask you to lift up this great big world
yes i know you're not that kind of a girl
all I ask is for a kiss each day
i'll give you love that can never blow away

yes i will

nobody nobody nobody nobody knows
how deep my love for you really goes
and i want you to know
i wouldn't ask you to hold back the light of dawn

that's just a little too much to ask of anyone

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The Boy With The Thorn In His Side
(Words by Morrisey, Music by Johnny Marr)
Source

the boy with the thorn in his side
behind the hatred there lies
a murderous desire for love
how can they look into my eyes
and still they dont believe me
how can they hear me say those words
and still they dont believe me
and if they don't believe me now
will they ever believe me?
and if they don't believe me now
will they ever believe me?

the boy with the thorn in his side
behind the hatred there lies
a plundering desire for love
how can they see the love in our eyes
and still they don't believe us
and after all this time
they don't want to believe us
and if they dont believe us now
will they ever believe us?
and when you want to live
how do you start?
where do you go?
who do you know?

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The Man That Got Away (Words by Ira Gershwin, Music by Harold Arlen)
(Performed by Judy Garland) Source

the night is bitter,
the stars have lost their glitter;
the winds grow colder
and suddenly you're older -
and all because of the man that got away.

no more his eager call,
the writing's on the wall;
the dreams you dreamed have all
gone astray.

the man that won you
has gone off and undone you.
that great beginning
has seen the final inning.
don't know what happened. it's all a crazy game!

no more that all-time thrill,
for you've been through the mill -
and never a new love will
be the same.

good riddance, good-bye!
ev'ry trick of his you're on to.
but, fools will be fools -
and where's he gone to?

the road gets rougher,
it's lonelier and tougher.
with hope you burn up -
tomorrow he may turn up.
there's just no letup the live-long night and day!

ever since this world began
there is nothing sadder than
a one-man woman looking for
the man that got away....
the man that got away.

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The Other Woman (N. Simone)

the other woman finds time to manicure her nails
the other woman is perfect where her rival fails
and she's never seen with pin curls in her hair

the other woman enchants her clothes with french perfume
the other woman keeps fresh cut flowers in each room
there are never toys that's scattered everywhere

and when her baby comes to call
he'll find her waiting like a lonesome queen
cos when she's by his side
it's such a change from old routine

but the other woman will always cry herself to sleep
the other woman will never have his love to keep
and as the years go by the other woman
will spend her life alone

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The Way Young Lovers Do (V. Morrison)

we strolled through fields all wet with rain
and back along the lane again
there in the sun shine
in the sweet summertime
oh the way that young lovers do

i kissed you on the lips once more
we said goodbye at your front door
there in the nighttime
oh that's the right time
to feel the way that young lovers do

then we sat on our own star and dreamed of the way that we were
and the way that we wanted to be
then we sat on our own star and dreamed of the way that i was for you
and that you were for me

and then we danced the night away
and turned in to each other saying 'i love you, baby i love you'
oh the way that young lovers do

do, do, do, do...

then we sat on our own star and dreamed of the way that we were
and the way that we wanted to be
then we sat on our own star and dreamed of the way that i was for you
and that you were for me

and then we danced the night away
turned in to each other saying 'i love you, baby i love you'
the way that young lovers do, lovers do, lovers do

do, do, do, do

i held her with her looking down
and i kissed her with the snow falling down
there in the streetlight
oh there was a sweet light
and the way...

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Three is a Magic Number (Schoolhouse Rock)

three is a magic number, yes it is, it's a magic number.
somewhere in the ancient, mystic trinity, you get three as a magic number.
the past and the present and the future,
faith hope and charity,
the heart and the brain and the body,
give you three as a magic number.

it takes three legs to make a tripod, or to make a table stand.
it takes three wheels to make a vehicle called a tricycle.
ev'ry triangle has three corners; ev'ry triangle has three sides.
no more , no less; you don't have to guess.
when it's three, you can see it's a magic number.

a man and a woman had a little baby.
yes they did.
they had three in the family.
and that's a magic number.

three, six, nine, twelve, fifteen, eighteen,
twenty-one twenty-four, twenty-seven, thirty.

three, six, nine, twelve, fifteen, eighteen,
twenty-one twenty-four, twenty-seven, thirty.

three times ten is thirty. three times nine is twenty-seven.
three times eight is twenty-four. three times seven is twenty-one.
three times six is eighteen. three times five is fifteen.
three times four is twelve, and three times three is nine,
and three times two is six, and three times one is three, of course.

three times one: what is it? three!
that's a magic number.

a man and a woman had a little baby.
yes they did.
they had three in the family.
and that's a magic number.

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Wild Is the Wind (D. Tiomkin, N. Washington)
(Performed by Nina Simone) Source

love me love me love me
say you do
let me fly away
with you
for my love is like
the wind
and wild is the wind

give me more
than one caress
satisfy this
hungriness
let the wind
blow through your heart

for wild is the wind
you...
touch me...
i hear the sound
of mandolins
you...
kiss me...
with your kiss
my life begins
you're spring to me
all things
to me

don't you know you're
life itself
like a leaf clings
to a tree
oh my darling,
cling to me
for we're creatures
of the wind
and wild is the wind
so wild is the wind

wild is the wind
wild is the wind

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Will The Circle Be Unbroken (Traditional)
Source

i was standing by my window
on a cold and cloudy day,
when i saw the hearse come rollin'
for to take my mother away.

will the circle be unbroken?
by and by Lord, by and by,
there's a better home a-waitin'
in the sky Lord, in the sky.

i told the undertaker,
"undertaker, please drive slow,
for this body you are haulin'
lord, i hate to see her go."

will the circle be unbroken?
by and by Lord, by and by,
there's a better home a-waitin'
in the sky Lord, in the sky.

well i followed close behind her,
tried to hold up and be brave,
but i could not hide my sorrow
when they laid her in the grave

will the circle be unbroken?
by and by Lord, by and by,
there's a better home a-waitin'
in the sky Lord, in the sky.

i went back home, my home was lonesome,
missed my mother she was gone.
all my brothers and sisters crying
in our home so sad and alone.

will the circle be unbroken?
by and by Lord, by and by,
there's a better home a-waitin'
in the sky Lord, in the sky.

we sang the songs of childhood,
hymns of faith that made us strong,
ones that our mother had taught us,
hear the angels sing along

will the circle be unbroken?
by and by Lord, by and by,
there's a better home a-waitin'
in the sky Lord, in the sky.

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Yard Of Blonde Girls (A. Clark)

through the yard, through the yard of blonde girls.
through the river and the sea.
gold sharks glittering.
a tree of white breaks the earth.
the streets where lola played.
very sexy, very sexy.

okay, okay.
fear, we may come. (X 4)

so run, run, run, run, run, run, run.

it's in your heart, it's in your art, your beauty.
even in this world of lies, there's purity,
you've got innocence in your eyes.
even in this world of lies, you're still hopeful.
very sexy, very sexy,
okay, okay.
fear, we may come. (X 4)

so run, run, run, run, run, run, run.

through the yard, through the yard of blonde girls.
through the river and the sea.
gold sharks glittering.
a tree of white breaks the earth.
the streets where lola played.
very sexy, very sexy.

okay, okay.
fear, we may come. (X 4)

so run, run, run, run, run, run, run.

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