Lyrics

A little hot around the collar
a little long in the tooth
a little bit nostalgic for the errors of the youth
everybody says you're crazy
everybody says you're nuts
everybody say "you just picked up and ran? man that takes guts"

free and easy
miserable and confused
guilty as charged!
the trial sparation blues

you used to romanticize about your better days
you used to fantasize about more difficult ways
now it's enough for you to stay awake until you sleep
you used to count your blessings
now you're just counting sheep

free and easy
miserable and confused
guilty as charged!
the trial sparation blues

the bottle is empty
your wife is on the phone
you like when nobody's around
but you hate to be alone
if I know, if they know
if we know, if she knows
if we all know, why didn't somebody say so?

free and easy
miserable and confused
guilty as charged!
the trial sparation blues

Lyrics

The rains came down on this year's man
I left my wallet at home again
didn't have no change, didn't have no dollar bill
all alone at the top of the hill

murdered my brother, I betrayed my best friend
I held my breath and I counted to ten
let out the air and said "thou shalt not kill"
all alone at the top of the hill

the end of the world is coming soon
put blood on my door so they'll pass my room
I got a chain-link fence and a siren that goes off at will
no cause for alarm at the top of the hill

rabble rousers speak their minds
why change the system when everything is fine
but the tears from my eyes can't wash down this bitter pill
something's gone wrong at the top of the hill

Lyrics

wipe the smile off your face, baby
this stuff just ain't enough
smashed all of the 78s, baby
made up a song for Lester Young
improvised on the waffle iron
tore up the back room in D-natural
wipe the smile off your face, baby
this stuff just ain't enough

emptied out the medicine chest
I drank a toast to your health
chased the diet pills with Nyquil, honey
felt pretty good myself
had a dream I was Lester Young
at the Savoy on a Saturday night
wipe the smile off your face, baby
it's gonna be alright

got the tape recorder running, honey
we'll send a copy to your mom
roll off the high end, baby
this ain't no cause for alarm
stompin' down at the Savoy
yeah, this one goes out to the Prez
raise up another high ball, babe
and lay it down to
rest

Lyrics

down in Abeline on a midnight cruise
three dead, four wounded, saw the story on the news
motorcycle boy, motorcycle boy, motorcycle boy
lay your legend down

three creeps in Dallas
three fish-eyed stares
three dozen roses and three last prayers
motorcycle boy
lay your legend down

Subway Sammy, he got out of line
swan dive, no survivors
out of sight, out of mind
motorcycle boy
lay your legend down

over in Virginia, no reason, no rhyme
the girl was named Virginia,
that was good enough this time
motorcycle boy
lay your legend down

maybe it was Oxnard where the surfers play
they got nothing better to do
with themselves all day
motorcycle boy
lay your legend down

Lyrics

well, the Knicks lost big to Cleveland
at the Garden Friday night
so I wandered down Eight Avenue
to get a little tight
got into a little scuffle all because of Willis Reed
now there's one more bar in New York
I can't get me what I need

one by one, the doors are closing
one by one, they're shutting down
one by one, the word is spreading
one by one, all over town
one by one, my many options
one by one, they're falling down
dropping off like flies
one by one

well, I had a job last summer writing copy for the Post
the hours were a bummer,
the pay was worse than most
missed a couple deadlines and I got the bum's rush
another golden opportunity turned to mush

ch.

well, I spent my last ten dollars on a longshot at the track
hit on the exacta, I got 700 back
now my rent is paid, I've got some groceries and some wine
one by one, it all is working out
everything is fine

ch.

Lyrics

saw you standing in Richmond last winter
lips were chapped and your face was blush
in a warm room, looking out through the window
lips were warning not to be rushed

ah, are you looking for some kind of sign?
I'll be waiting for you
when you make up your mind
when you make up your mind

bet you were something when you were younger
bet you were something in a previous life
I can see you asleep in the fields
I bet you make someone a beautiful wife

ch.

bet you were something... etc.

Lyrics

started with letters from the telephone man
even though the phone was never broken
answers to questions that were never asked
words that were never spoken

you better think
you better think again
check behind the walls
check under the bed
blind acceptance only gets you so far
when you say that you're not mad
but you know that you are

and I'm so tired of running around
I'm tired of laying tracks all over this town

everytime I think I wanna walk out the door
I say: stop and think it over
everytime I think I can't take anymore
everything is better than it ever was before

you better think, etc.

Lyrics

it's raining down in Eastern Pawtucket
it's raining down in Philly, too
stood outside praying to get wet
and I ended up with mud all over my shoes

Crazy Bobby on the water tower
spraying bullets and catching flies
he got no victims, he got no targets
no competition so he took first prize

oh lord, it's hard to rely
when everything you need is falling from the sky

live telecast of the Academy Awards
every nomination was mine
started laughing, started shaking hands
when a write-in vote took me down 10 to 9
got me a brand-new '57 Chevy
it's got no tires but it stops on a dime
why change the water, man, why change the oil?
why change a thing when everything is fine?

ch.

well, Chicken Little met the Jolly Green Giant
coming home from the fair
Chicken Little said to the Jolly Green Giant
man, you should have seen what I seen there
there were 20 blackbirds and 17 pigeons
they were baking down in a pie
I took a bite, man I started running
when it started coming down from the sky

ch.

Lyrics

40-watt bulb fills half the room
and then the other half is filled with gloom
Fontella Bass is on the stereo
I wish someone would come along and rescue me

please don't hold back
there's nothing missing
there's nothing you lack
please don't hold back

there's just a few things that you can't forget
and then you stub them out like your cigarette
shape yourself until you think it's right
and then you're still afraid to go out at night

ch.

late at night when the city sleeps
villains laugh and lovers weep
eyes sealed shut and we don't let on
that we're counting every second until the dawn

ch.

Lyrics

don't ever talk to strangers
no matter what you do
cause the person that it angers
might be stranger than me or you

couldn't go to church on Sunday
where the God-fearing congregate
the bible-belt is getting tighter
do you accept this indoctrinate?

he will reveal his sins on prime-time
and try to reach the destitute
but in the back of a station wagon
I saw the preacher and the prostitute

one jump into the darkness
of emotional abyss
try to land on both feet standing
in the storm that we will start to miss

everybody seems to be calling
bring me your humble and your meek
while I still believe that I'm falling
it's just the truth that now I wanna speak

he will reveal his sins on prime-time
and try to reach the destitute
but in the back of a station wagon
I saw the preacher and the prostitute

Lyrics

got a rented Chevy, it's an out-of-towner
leaning on the rack by the check-out counter
got the Globe and the Star and some cayenne pepper
promise to bring her back just the way that I left her

they say that good things come in two's
here's a little news you can use
everybody says you've nothing to lose
you look good in patent leather shoes

I hear your mama was a teenage queen
cover of November Sassy Magazine
well, it's not your mama that I crave
where did you ever learn to behave?

ch.

I hear the boys are lining up outside of your house
24 hours a day you've been drawing crowds
well, I bet you've got something there that you wanna hide
cause everybody want's to get inside

ch.

hey, going my way...
how old did you say you were..

Lyrics

rain falls on my window
rain floods through my house
bad luck comes like a tired reprise
and I'm waiting for a blessing in disguise

what's the use in praying
when you don't know what you want
I'll play dumb; I like to be surprised
and I'm waiting for a blessing in disguise
and I'm waiting for a blessing in disguise

never complain when the cards don't fall my way
never called out for anyone
I always take whatever comes my way
when it comes, when it comes...

I don't believe in superstition
I don't believe in good advice
I believe in the roll of the dice
and I'm waiting for a blessing in disguise
and I'm waiting for a blessing in disguise