heed the warnings

©

we’ve got war on the poor . limit on the debt
keep strangling your sister to find out what you get
people coming to the street . take your white hoods down
gonna bring a new message to the folks uptown
bring some lunch, lot’s of water . come ready to stay
put some love in your anger . singing day after day
we shall all overcome this maniacal greed
we are coming together . plant and nurture the seed
of hope surely growing out from under blacktop
when concrete is shattered and the autos all stop
when silence is roaring, casting judgement on us
there won’t be any wonder . we emerge from the dust
of desire, self loathing . crawl away from debris
scrape hate from our eyes so we finely can see
deep lies and deception . elected in force
we proclaim us the winners of an ugly divorce
from this abusive landowner, self-proclaimed boss
of my future i celebrate . then mourn the loss
of my comrades . we peer through the wreckage of shame
we peer through decades for someone to blame
as we look in the mirror, the culprit stares back
now we know we have faltered . it’s time to retrack
put ourselves on a new path . time to shift gears
make music and lyrics so everyone hears
we all gather near water . remember our pain
pick ourselves up from grieving . there’s nothing to gain
from our terrible history but warnings of doom
we can look for tomorrow or wallow in gloom
heed the warnings . we turn ourselves back to the sun
now we know our beginning has almost begun
heed the warnings . we turn ourselves back to the sun
now we know our beginning has only begun

heed the warnings . we turn ourselves back to the sun
now we know our beginning has finally begun

measured time

©

saving the daylight
minimize fright
while tossing off biorhythms
beams of early morning go back to sleep
shifting consciousness
profit margin rules the clock
makes a mockery of time
toe the line of rigid measured
parcels of moments on end
saving tomorrow
our future’s not to spend another dime
before we get there
measured time

womanpath

©

where do we walk? we walk in the fire
where do we dance? we dance on the moon
just like that grandmother living inside her
we have the power of life in the womb

we cannot sail by the breath of the north wind
without protection from impending doom
look, there is guidance in the sun’s reflection
womanpath in the cycles of the moon

each step we take on our path through the fire
give us the freedom to take one step more
just like old jericho, as we desire
the walls will crumble we’ll dance through the door

rage

©

rage
the great equalizer
from love it emerges, swerves, charges
ducks and shimmies
enlarges the heart
a page from the book of art
it paints itself huge in the eyes of true enemies
shining light on pain
rage refuses to back down
making it’s own path through a rain of tears
rage pulls near to it’s target with justified screaming
internal beaming lights drown out fear
when rage enters a room
the air shimmers with glee
while naysayers flee the power of this
naked lover of truth
rage dispels myths
repels lies
defeats shadowy deals
lays to waste polite banter
brings hurt to it’s knees
rage sees itself as the keys
knows the deep combination of love and battle
rage sees truth in the mirror

to john

©

the morning was so normal

the afternoon was, too

i took the day in stride

a thing i always do

then off to a good friend’s house

i rode there on my bike

just to see on the tv news

a thing i didn’t like

there was that anchor lady she was

tellin’ us the news

i didn’t think that we were gonna

end up with the blues

your picture flashed across the screen

sadness crossed my mind 

i knew she was about to say

a thing that was unkind

before that woman read her story

tears came to my eyes

then she read the words before her

john lennon dies

john lennon dies

at the mercy 

of a man without a cause

he called your name

then he shot you down . now you’re gone

at the mercy of a man without a cause

he called your name

he looked you in the eye

he pulled the trigger

then he watched you die

you’ll never write another song

you’ll ask for peace no more

but at least there’s one good thing

you won’t be here for the war

even though your body’s gone

your song remains the same

we won’t forget your energy

we won’t forget your name

it’s sad the things some people do

that’s the way things are

your life here has been sacrificed

we’ve lost another star

we’ve lost another star

at the mercy

of a man without a cause

i guess he couldn’t stand your fame

he couldn’t let it be

he took your life on earth

but i think he set you free

i know he set you free

he set you free

© 1980

to john . recorded in one take . forgive my errors . © 1980

pollution blues

©

there’s no stain on your collar . no sweat rollin’ down your brow
there’s no stain on your collar . no sweat rollin’ down your brow
when we talk to you about hunger, you say it’s something america won’t allow

you’ got your sirloin on the table, cows are grazing in the field
you’ got your sirloin on the table, live ones out there grazing in the field
at least a hundred thousand workers could live on the grain that ground would yield

i wash my clothes down by the river . water makes holes all in my sleeve
i wash my clothes down by the river . that water makes holes all in my sleeves
the fish can’t see what they’re drinking, but i can see the air that i breathe

you’ got investments in your pocket, driving a brand new limousine
investments in your pocket, driving a brand new limousine
all the dividends from wall street won’t buy you a clear, bubblin’ mountain stream

the cleaning lady

©

i’ got a job that drives me crazy
with some people that make me mad
but when it comes to money well i’ll tell ya honey
it’s the best gig i ever had …

i wake up in the morning, put on my dirty clothes
it’s not the kind of gig you go to smelling like a rose
rubber gloves in pocket and i’m ready for the job
it’s really not much fun when the visitors are slobs
well i’ll do your laundry, and i’ll make your bed
but don’t you get superior ideas in your head

i’m the cleaning lady . you think i’m overpaid
i’m the cleaning lady . i don’t serve lemonade
don’t give me no lip and don’t give me no jive
’cause takin’ your money is the pleasure i derive
i’m the cleaning lady, but i’m not the maid

i vacuum the carpets, pull the cobwebs off the walls
shine up your picture frames and dust your china dolls
i wash your windows so you can see outside
i clean your nasty toilet bowls with dignity and pride
i wipe the boogers and bad breath from the phone
but you’d better treat me nicely or i’ll leave you on your own

i’m the cleaning lady . you think i’m overpaid
i’m the cleaning lady . i don’t serve lemonade
don’t give me no lip and don’t give me no jive
’cause takin’ your money is the pleasure i derive
i’m the cleaning lady, but i’m not the maid

i’m the cleaning lady, and i just got paid!!!

my surprise

©

it won’t be long ’til you are here
it won’t be long ’til i can hold you in my arms
it won’t be long until you face the sunrise

my surprise . my surprise

i see you standing in the moonlight
i see you dancing in the sun
i see you hiding in the shadow

my surprise . my surprise
my surprise . my surprise

there are ways that we can think about you
pray you will not be deprived
but we can not know the future
we won’t know you ’til you arrive

we won’t know you ’til you arrive
my surprise . my surprise

now you are growing like a spiral
growing wings that keep your feet just off the ground
growing taller than your mama ever dreamed

my surprise . my surprise
my surprise . my surprise

there are ways that we can think about you
pray you will not be deprived
but we can not know the future
we won’t know you ’til you arrive

we won’t know you ’til you arrive
my surprise . my surprise

it’s a shame

©

i didn’t use to be afraid of the dark
but living in the city has made it’s mark on me
now when i take a walk alone downtown
got to keep on looking around and ’round
never know when some brain damaged, deranged creep
‘ll sneak up and send me to my final sleep

it’s a shame to walk in a hurry
it’s a shame . instead of shuffling i have to scurry
it’s a doggone shame, but that’s the way it goes
even the nicest looking kids could be a gang of foes
so don’t go strolling down the sidewalk with your eyes in a cast
but take the middle of the lane, and keep on looking fast

it used to be a family spent the night at home
all the kids could play outside when it was safe to roam
we sneaked out in the moonlight leaving truth for dare
used to make up lies and stories for a good night scare
now our ghosts and all our goblins seem like pastel hues
compared to what’s in living color on the evening news

it’s a shame to walk in a hurry
it’s a shame . instead of shuffling i have to scurry
it’s a doggone shame, but that’s the way it goes
even the nicest looking kids could be a gang of foes
so don’t go strolling down the sidewalk with your eyes in a cast
but take the middle of the lane, and keep on looking fast

bicycle song

©

i am a member of the human race
i donate my blood for any medical case
i don’t mind to give it up if you’ll use it carefully
but when you shoot me it squirts all over the place

i don’t wanna go to war
don’t wanna fight no more
you can have your oil, i’ll keep my grain
i’d rather ride my bicycle with my own energy
than a wheelchair with a bullet in my brain

i don’t wanna go to war
don’t wanna fight no more
i’d rather throw baseballs than grenades
my hands were made for holding, not for pulling pins
my fingers were made for rings and not band-aids

i am a member of the human race
i donate my blood for any medical case
i don’t mind to give it up if you’ll use it carefully
but when you shoot me it squirts all over the place

i don’t wanna go to war
don’t wanna fight no more
my head’s just the right size for my ears
and if it gets blown off, they won’t have no place to go
and then i won’t be able to hear

i don’t wanna go to war
don’t wanna fight no more
you can have your oil, i’ll keep my grain
i’d rather ride my bicycle with my own energy
than a wheelchair with a bullet in my brain