WARREN HAYNES LYRICS
album: "Ashes & Dust" (2015)
Is It Me Or You
(feat. Railroad Earth)
Tears on the inside of your face
But none on the outside
No pain could penetrate the callouses
Palaces you've built from the ground floor
Show only the dark side of your past
So long since you've tried
To replace the wooden mask that
Hangs around your neck
Like some token of war
A survivor
Is what you call yourself
But have you looked through
The eyes of someone else?
Is it me or you that's killing you, baby?
Is it me or you that's trying to hang on?
Like a bullet dancing in your breast
You hide the answer
And point it at my chest
With your aiming eyes
The same eyes that used to be my window
The denier
Never seeking help
But has it grown too late to help yourself?
Is it me or you that's killing you, baby?
Is it me or you that's trying to hang on?
You say "Nobody wants to save you
Nothing in this world could save you"
But maybe I could save you if only I knew
Is it me or you?
Tears on the inside of your face
But none on the outside
No pain could penetrate the callouses
Palaces you've built from the ground floor
*******************************************
Coal Tattoo
(feat. Railroad Earth)
Travelling down this coal town road
Listening to my rubber tires whine
Good-bye to buckeye and white sycamore
I'm leaving you behind
I've been a coal man all my life
Laying down track in the hole
Got a back like an ironwood,
Warped by the wind,
Blood veins as blue as the coal
Blood veins as blue as the coal
Somebody said "That's a strange tattoo
You have on the side of your head"
I said "That's the blueprint left by the coal
A little more and I'd be dead"
Well, I love the rumble and I love the dark
I love the cool of the slate
But this travelling around, looking for a job
Travelling and looking I hate
Travelling and looking I hate
I stood in line for the union
Fought against the company
Stood for the U.M.W.A.
Now who's gonna stand by me?
I got no job and I got no pay
I just got a weary soul
And this blue tattoo on the side of my face
Left by the number nine coal
Left by the number nine coal
Someday, when I'm dead and gone
To heaven, the land of my dreams
I won't have to worry on losing my job
To hard times and big machines
And I ain't gonna pay my money away
On dues and hospital plans
I'm gonna pick coal, where the blue heaven's roll
And sign with the angel band
Sing with the angel band...
*******************************************
Blue Maiden's Tale
(feat. Railroad Earth)
The sun did rise, yesterday, on that frozen hill
As the crow flies, about twenty miles from Brownsville
As I lay asleep
Comfortably caught in my dream
Visions of you
Wading in a mountain stream
And there's a story
No one knows if it's true
About a maiden
Just as pretty as you
It's a tale of a soldier who
Left that maiden blue
As I walk alone
This path that I chose long ago
Try as I may
I can't keep my demons below
And every tear that I've caused
Comes back twelvefold
And my destiny is to walk through
The rain and the cold
And there's a story
No one knows if it's true
About a maiden
Just as pretty as you
It's a tale of a soldier who
Left that maiden blue
The sun did set, last night,
On Brownsville town
And the darkness that fell
We hope never again shall be found
And I lay awake
Hearing echoes
Of a young maiden's song
And sleep never came
Just the thoughts of the one I did wrong
The one I did wrong
*******************************************
Company Man
(feat. Railroad Earth)
I started working here when I was twenty-one
Summer of '56
My life had just begun
Back then this place was some place to be
Thought I could grow with the company
Never took a dime
Never raised a fuss
Right is right
Even for those of us
Who make a dollar while the man makes ten
They say hard work pays off in the end
Everything I got
I got with my own hands
Never wanted to be no company man
So I kept my eyes open and my mouth shut
Saw my workload increase and my pay cut
But I bought a house
Started a family
Still had some faith in the company
Hard time's hit '67 late
Devil must've opened up the flood gates
My wife, she left me for some other guy
And in my heart I guess I always knew why
She was never gonna understand
Never wanted to be no company man
'79 brought a dose of reality
We'd all heard the rumours about the company
One day they shut us down
Throughout the south
And keeping my job meant moving out
So I got hired on at the local factory
Couldn't see uprooting my whole family
Never thought I'd be starting over at this stage
Taking shit from some punk
Half my age
No retirement
No hospital plan
Never wanted to be no company man
Long since retired, now, from the factory
Hardly ever think about the company
Kinda lonesome, now the kids are grown
Moved away
Families of their own
Got me a little house and a piece of land
Never wanted to be no company man
Sometimes in this world you gotta make a stand
Never wanted to be no company man
*******************************************
New Year's Eve
(feat. Railroad Earth)
Next year's gonna be better
Next year will surely be the one
And it's right around the corner
Hell, it's just about begun
So what am I still sitting here for
When everyone's inside?
What am I doing drinking whiskey
And looking for a place to hide?
Yeah, old buddy, I sure miss you
You and old "What's his name?"
And I know if y'all were here now
This party wouldn't be so damn lame
There'd be dancing, and fighting,
And cussing, and laughing
Raise our voices to the sky
Bring the new year in right
Instead of watching time go by
Yeah, sometimes I wonder what
The world would be like
If I didn't have strangers as my best friends
I'm sitting here on new year's
Thinking 'bout old friends and old times
We'll never see them again
Yeah, sometimes I still wonder what
My life would've been like
If I didn't have angels at my defense
I'm sitting here on new year's
Singing 'bout old friends and old times
We'll never see them again
But next year's gonna be better
Next year will surely be great
Well, I guess I should say "This year"
Geez, how did it get so late?
What am I doing still sitting here for?
When did everybody leave?
What am I doing here drinking whiskey?
Oh yeah, it's New Year's Eve
*******************************************
Stranded In Self-Pity
(feat. Railroad Earth)
Oh, the daydreams I can create
When the moonbeam is on the snowflake
And lonesome is my only friend
Yeah, I feel so forsaken
Like the good times are on vacation
And ain't coming home again
Sitting here without her
I get to thinking about her
You know that feeling just ain't right
'Cause she's in New York City
And I'm stranded in self-pity
Don't you play no blues tonight.
'Cause your guitar will get to crying
And I'll sure get to sighing
Form my hat down to my soul
Yeah, there's a favor you can do me
Don't sing no sad songs to me
'Cause buddy I already know
If my lick would change
I'd catch myself and airplane
I'd leave you and these damned old blues behind
But she's in New York City
And I'm stranded in self-pity
Don't you sink no blues tonight
Yeah, she's in New York City
And I'm stranded in self-pity
Don't you sing no blues tonight
*******************************************
Glory Road
Tonight I'm gonna sleep in a good hotel
A nice warm bed, if all goes well
I've been out in the badlands, twenty one days
Tracking my bounty down
He was only a kid, maybe seventeen
But he traded love away for a streak of mean
Now he's tied to my saddle, with his head hung low
Out on the Glory Road
So all you downtown ladies, won't you
(Dress sense) down
Got some gold in my saddle bags
I'd trade it for a smile
Let have dinner on the devil tonight
Tomorrow there'll be hell to pay
Won't you come along
I'll be riding on
The Glory Road someday
Two men painted painted on a midnight sky
One slung low, the other riding high
I wonder if anybody knows just why
I had to shoot him down
And now I'd lay me down to rest
God bless the boy, my bullet in his chest
But you can't bless me, 'cause I lost my soul
Out on the Glory Road
So all you downtown ladies, won't you
(Dress sense) down
Got some gold in my saddle bags
I'd trade it for a smile
Let have dinner on the devil tonight
Tomorrow there'll be hell to pay
Won't you come along
I'll be riding on
The Glory Road someday
Won't you come along
I'll be riding on
The Glory Road someday
*******************************************
Gold Dust Woman
(feat. Railroad Earth & Grace Potter)
Rock on gold dust woman
Take your silver spoon
Dig your grave
Heartless challenge
Pick your path and I'll pray
Wake up in the morning
See your sunrise loves to go down
Lousy lovers pick their prey
But they never cry out loud
Did she make you cry
Make you break down
Shatter your illusions of love
Is it over now do you know how
Pick up the pieces and go home
Rock on ancient queen
Follow those who pale
In your shadow
Rulers make bad lovers
You better put your kingdom up for sale
Well did she make you cry
Make you break down
Shatter your illusions of love
And is it over now, do you know how
Pick up the pieces and go home
*******************************************
Beat Down The Dust
(feat. Railroad Earth)
He said "man, there's got to be a plan
There's always been a plan and
What's happening ain't right
And we can't let go of our power
'Cause we're rich and we're straight and we're white
Content with our sins
But don't you go calling us selfish
Comfortable in our own skin
As long as it doesn't touch anyone else's
Time to beat down the dust
Can't have it dragging us down
Can't have it clinging to us
Can't have it turning us brown"
He said "Man has always been the man
And that's always been the way it should be
And they don't need to understand
As long as we make them
Believe that they're free
And keep everyone scared
That something's being taken away
That's the only way to keep
Things 'Back in the day'"
Time to beat down the dust
Can't have it dragging us down
Can't have it clinging to us
Can't have it turning us brown
Time to beat down the dust
Can't have it rising you see
Time to beat down the dust
Keep it off [?] you and me
And when the day finally comes
We'll be so far away
They'll never know what we stole
It'll be all hidden away
And we can supply our own energy
God knows we own enough companies
Maybe even start our own country
Where all rich, white men are free
Time to beat down the dust
Can't have it dragging us down
Can't have it clinging to us
Can't have it turning us brown
Time to beat down the dust
Can't have it rising you see
Time to beat down the dust
Keep it off [?] you and me
*******************************************
Wanderlust
(feat. Railroad Earth)
Waycross boy,
Self-medicated prophet
Freight train running through your heart
No way to stop it
The love of all the angels
Couldn't fill the hole it left
Songs and whiskey eased the pain
But the weary never rest
Wanderlust
It's bigger than the best of us
Like so many before you
You took the big bird to the west coast
But California gold ain't what you craved most
Beauteous Harmony with your lover's what you missed
But you can't stop your rambling
Once your soul's been kissed
Wanderlust
It's bigger than the best of us
So many roads
So many shattered dreams
So much southern pride
Bursting at the seams
No talent hacks
Trying to tell you who you are
Waycross boy shoots the moon
Winds up a star
So you take the journey
Maybe for the last time
But your heart's still beating
Somewhere in Carolina
And you're still burning
Down by the Joshua tree
And we all come to see you now
In the garden of memories
Wanderlust
It's bigger than the best of us
*******************************************
Spots Of Time
(feat. Railroad Earth)
Spots of time flash before my eyes
Like ribbons of light
Helplessly I try to touch them
Before they disappear into the night
Running fearlessly as in a dream
Headlong into the wind
Cool night air, blowing through our hair
Moonlight dancing on your skin
Do you remember
How young we were or is it just me
Imagining like I always do
When we were once wild and free
Young man yearning for days gone by
Innocence once removed
Familiar feeling of a front porch swing
And a song, always soothes
Spots of time like windows appear
You can look out or in
But you can't get to the future I regret
By going through the past, my friend
Do you remember
How young we were or is it just me
Imagining like I always do
That we were once wild and free
A mother's tears, a sparrow's wing
A lover's eyes softly glistening
Memories that to me are everything
But to others maybe only ashes and dust
Do you remember
How young we were or is it just me
Imagining like I always do
When we were once wild and free
Do you remember
How young we were or is it just me
Imagining like I always do
When we were once wild and free
Wild and free
*******************************************
Hallelujah Boulevard
(feat. Railroad Earth)
Everything is shiny and surrounded by light
Endless rows of halos
Like stars in the night
Sidewalks paved with diamonds
Up on hallelujah boulevard
He saw it on the T.V.
And it looked so clean
Like some enchanted island
Like he stepping into a dream
Now he's hell bent for glory
To get to hallelujah boulevard
And a soapbox preacher with
His busload of faith
Fueled by his religion
Gonna charge through the gate
And he won't slow down till he
gets to hallelujah boulevard
We don't need a miracle
We don't need nothing but ourselves
A boy walks the streets when
He should be in school
Gold chains around his neck
But no golden rule
He says he'll do what he has to do
To get to hallelujah boulevard
And a homeless junkie knows he's home at last
Knows he'll never have to watch
Another rich, white man pass
And he can see those lights a 'shining
Up on hallelujah boulevard
Is that a sword in your side or just a thorn?
Do we tear ourselves apart
Just to know we're torn
So we can grow forlorn?
Are we climbing a mountain
That's not even there?
Building a rocket ship that runs
On hopes and prayers?
Trying to leave this world behind
In search of hallelujah boulevard?
We don't need a miracle
We don't need a miracle
We don't need a miracle
We don't need nothing but ourselves
*******************************************
Word On The Wind
(feat. Railroad Earth)
The time is right for looking in the mirror
The time is wrong for holding on to the past
Look around you'll see the world is changing
Changing all too fast
Time is of the essence so they say
We're not supposed to waste it so we do
The changes that we need are gonna come
But it's up to me and you
We gotta listen to the word on the wind
Higher voices calling
You gotta listen to the word on the wind
We got to get together
If we're gonna make it, my friend
Love is really never not the answer
And hate is never far enough away
The question of our future lies
Inside the games that politicians play
We gotta listen to the word on the wind
Higher voices calling
You gotta listen to the word on the wind
We got to get together
If we're gonna make it, my friend
Time to believe in what you know
Time to surrender
Surrender to what you don't
The time is never wrong for understanding
The time is never right until it's here
The danger of deception is we all
Hide behind what's so unclear
Word on the wind
We got to get together
If we're gonna make it, my friend
