FRANK CONVERSATIONS
FRANK CONVERSATIONS
I don’t mind I said if the man calls my name I don’t mind I said if the man calls my name
I heard a man died a tube in his vein He didn’t see it coming when he went there again
Had a dirty conversation with the devil himself Took him out to Venus on the back of an elf
I don’t mind I said if I don’t get a ride I don’t mind I said if I don’t get a ride
I heard a girl saying she was good for a night She’d heard it all before was a good one all right
Had a frank conversation with a man she don’t know Took him out to Venus with a second class blow
I don’t mind I said if we celebrate the night I don’t mind I said if we celebrate the night
There’s lots of smiling people. They’re all doing their deals while a greaser’s throwing bog laps in his hotted up wheels
Has an open conversation with a couple of chicks Took them out to Venus with white line fix
The man keeps talking but he don’t see me I only see his face on my colour TV
A frank conversation but I’ve had it before Truth is I don’t want to have it no more
I don’t mind I said if the man calls my name I don’t mind I said if the man calls my name
I’ve had a good lot I’ve seen all the sights I’ve dined with the man and I got through it all right
A dirty conversation but I had the last word He’s coming back tomorrow for a while so I’ve heard
EVENTUALLY
Did you ever see me coming? Did you ever call my name?
Did I answer with a question? Did I play your silly game?
Did I offer consolation? Did I get the question wrong?
Did I write an ode to friendship or an anthem drinking song?
Did I question all your motives? Did I push my point of view?
Did I raise the bar a bit too far to suit the likes of you?
Did I use the candle wisely or burn it at both ends?
Did I time it right to set my sights and get there in the end?
Can I hear the rustling shadows? Can I smell the quarter moon?
Can I face the thought of leaving or the thought of breaking through?
Can I dance a light fantastic? Can I breathe the salty air?
Can you give me twenty cents to phone someone who really cares?
Can I coin a phrase of wisdom - a lesson for my sons?
Can I feel their touch without so much as a heartbeat of the young?
Can I take a lot of chances with some money that I lent?
Did I time it right to set my sights and get there in the end?
I don’t know what I’m saying. I don’t know what to do.
I don’t know what the score is. I don’t know my point of view.
I don’t know about the future - just a bit about the past.
I’m just a little crawler in a world that’s bloody fast.
Got a race car in my driveway - does a hundred in a flash.
But I’m too scared to drive it cause I can’t see past the dash.
Got a house with sixteen bedrooms but I live on my own
So I tried to get a girlfriend on the sex talk telephone.
They said I mustn’t ring her. She’s really not my friend.
It just the business that’s she’s in – not a shop for lonely men.
So I relived all my memories just in case I forget.
Gotta time it right to set my sights and get there in the end
Did I wave the flag at Suvler? Did I think of horror days?
Did I show them that the things they did are important to us A’s?
Did I follow in the footsteps of the men who went before?
And try to understand the fruitlessness of bloody war.
Did I hear voice that whispered “Have you come to take me home?
I’ve got a girl in Bunbury and she’s waiting all alone.”
Is the message in the bottle or is it spirit that I send?
Did I time it right to set my sights and get there in the end?
Did I hear my country calling? Is it time to come inside?
Is it time to think of home again and wonder why they died?
WATERED DOWN WHISKEY
Sometimes you get lucky Sometimes it's just fate You say don't give a sucker an even break
You save all your whiskey and save all your wine You don't need no friends to have a good time
They say when you gamble the things that you risk Are often the things that you’ll really miss
You tell about good times but never the bad You know about the things that you used to have
Well the people keep saying they’re really not sure Sometimes behind one is just another closed door
And the wine and the whisky is still watered down You might think you should smile but all you've got is a frown
So heed me you artists it's not what you think The spirit you seek might not be in the drink
Take all of your wisdom and all of your pain And ask all your friends to come back again
And the people keep saying they’re really not sure Sometimes behind one is just another closed door
And the wine and the whisky is still watered down Tonight you might find you're alone in this town
MEMORIES
I’ve got this funny feeling that I’ve been this way before
A memory’s just back there in my brain
I’ve seen that house with the iron roof and the red wrought iron door
Behind that hedge and the lead light window pane
But I’m wondering how my mind could see a place I’ve never been
Wondering how I recognise some place I’ve never seen. How could it be?
I met this man with a stranger’s eyes Yet I felt I knew him well
And his voice gave me a sense of coming home
Well he looked at me with the look of someone seeing I could tell
An old friend who once had left him there alone
And when he smiled I knew right then that I had seen his face before
Like an old familiar stage where once I’d played a music score. But who was it for?
I can’t explain the way it feels when I get this sense of mine
And I’m wondering if there’s a force some where
Moving memories down the line. Making up time
So if you see an old oak tree with a strange familiar lean
Or a child who thinks it’s fine to say hello
Don’t be alarmed or think you’re seeing the world in a stranger’s dream
It just that you don’t know the things you know
Who knows what or why it is or how those feeling’s grow
A sense of having been before is a sense of comfort known. A welcome home
HOME
No one on the bus now. We’re sitting here on our own.
Had some time for thinking. Spent three days on the road.
Been a while since I have been there - but now I’m going home.
Left home in a hurry. Went to live out on the street
Thought I knew it all you know when I was seventeen
I thought my folks were crazy. Left one night while they’re asleep
Front gate hinge was missing - house looked pretty much the same
Front door lock was open. Seven years I’d been away
Hello there I’m home Mum. Yeah I missed you too. Gee you hair’s gone grey
Glad I’m home Mum Wipe away those tears
Meet your grandson John Mum. Just last week he turned five
A real little boy Mum. Always getting into strife
Looks a lot like you Mum with curly hair and hazel eyes
I know it’s been a while - seven years is a long time
I know it’s been a while - seven years is a long time
Can we leave the past behind Mum - come back into your life?
PAPER MACHE GIRL
It might have been the fact that I was drinking. I can’t recall now and it’s really got me beat
I made my way home from the club where I go. I remember when the cab drove up my street
I know the time was somewhere in the morning A TV bloke was selling things to make you fit
A few minutes a day and all your fat will go away A grand is cheap when you think of the benefits
I recall her hair was blonde and she had an accent. It was Irish – no it was Danish – or maybe a Scot
But I remember that she danced with a grace and elegance that made the others dancing turn and stop
I spoke to her and asked about her travels. Her eyes lit up whenever she talked of Rome
She told me that she had come to find a bloke somewhere to love but she hadn’t and now she was going home
We talked and laughed and chatted there for hours. I knew that she was someone good for me
So when she gave me her name and said to call her again I couldn’t believe that love had finally come to me
She wrote her name and slipped it in my pocket with her number so we could meet another day
Then I kissed her just once and after that she was gone. Well I caught the cab whistling all the way
Well I’m sad to tell you now, and I know you won’t believe it
But the coat I wore was lying on the floor
And when my mum growled and said get yourself up out of bed
I rolled and moaned and slept some hours more
So while I slept my mum did all my washing and when at last I woke the tragedy hit me then
Mum said she didn’t see the note the girl had slipped inside my coat but she was sure that it would work out in the end
Now the girl I met is just a paper mache. Forever just a girl inside my dreams
A paper Mache girl who could have changed my lonely world instead of being a blockage in mum’s old washing machine
I USED TO CARE
Used to think that I could make a difference. Used to think that I could make a change
Glass half full was always my opinion. Now things have changed and I don’t feel the same
Hang in there and things will work out better. “Never give up” used to be my point of view
“My life is good” I’d say upon reflection “And I hope your life has been good for you too”
But the blokes I thought would be there when I stumbled
The friends I thought would give a helping hand
Have all turned out to be somewhat self-centred
Well I used to care - now I don’t give a damn
Used to think hard work would be rewarded. Loyalty was a thing earned with respect
Do good things and good things always happen but it seems you never know now what you’ll get
PENNY WHISTLE CAFÉ
It’s a hard thing to carry but you know I’ll always do my best
Maybe I look a little different but I’m not that far from all o’ the rest
The goal’s still waiting if I can only make up the time
Cos sooner or later it’s a thing I’m gonna leave behind
Seven days later I was standing on the boards near a train
Watching for the carriage that was taking me away from this pain
A face looked out and said “Tell me when you’re ready to ride”
My jaw must of dropped because he smiled back said “Surprise”
It seems kinda useless I just can’t get a break
Everything I do just leaves me holding the cake
The time has come for me to give it away
Penny Whistle Café
Over and over I keep telling myself that it’s true
He can’t do it for me nowhere near as much as I need him to
A lotta time wasted just trying change some life long ways
Its hard and its tiring but it’ll help me to the end of my days
It seems kinda useless I just can’t get a break
Everything I do just leaves me holding the cake
The time has come for me to give it away
Penny Whistle Café
MICHELLE
Got a new bike with chrome spoked wheels The guy that sold it said it was a steal
Former owner didn’t use to ride. Washed it once a week until the day he died
Only owned it cause he liked to play Now its mine for me to ride away
Took it driving down the Old Coast Road Saw a cop but I was driving slow
Felt a big grin come across my face As I pushed her out to test her cruising pace
Well you wouldn’t guess what the policeman did Set up a camera near old Australind
Well it’s just my luck they would lay that trap But they didn’t get me - I saw the headlights flash
I met a lady when I stopped for fuel She was kinda friendly and I was too
Got to talking ‘bout the time of year And how the weather was really clear
Said she was heading down to Busselton And she’d be happy if I tagged along
I asked her name and she said Michelle I told her mine and then we got on well
But it made me think about the Beatles song I started humming as we walked along
Jesus Christ she said you’re all the same I wish I’d never got that awful name
I wish I got a dollar every time some ass Sang that song to me to try and make a pass
Well I give you my name and you sing that shit So I’m gonna leave now cos I’m sick of it
Doesn’t really matter if you got a new bike Or you dress up to be a fashion tyke
Or talk real smooth cos I know too well When you meet a girl and her names Michelle
Forget all about that old Beatles song If you are thinking you might get along
Cos she’ll just turn and say “You can go to hell” If you start on singing that tune Michelle”
(IT’S TIME THAT YOU) CAME HOME
I went looking for my brother - was a job that I had to do
I’ve come to take you home now - your time here boy is through
Our Mum has cried enough now and Dad just sits alone
I know you fought for country but it’s time that you came home
I watched you work the fields from the day that you turned ten
Dad always said the work you did was good as any men
But fifteen was too young lad to war for you to go
I know you fought for country but it’s time that you came home
The things I saw at Suvler no man should have to see
I don’t know how you stood it lad it shook the best in me
You can’t head to the Western Front your luck might not go on
I know you fought for country but it’s time that you came home
The rain is staying off now your marching’s nearly done
The ground seems so much harder when your nearly 91
You walk there with the diggers remembering your foes
I know you fought for country and I’m glad you made it home
THE BAR
He’s sitting in a bar drinking beers with a shot
Alone with his thoughts and the things he’s running from
Another please barman. Make it a double and I wont complain
Well the bar is full of people who are there all alone
With their fears and their dreams and their mobile telephones
They see the world going crazy
And they hate the things that they can’t change
Joanne’s cleaning tables with a dish rag smile
Looking at the people and their clothes and their style
They’re all wearing faces to hide the way they feel
The diamonds are all glitter but the tension is real
The barman wanders over wiping glasses with a towel
“I think you’ve had enough he said I think you have somehow
I wouldn’t want to see you driving homeward in the state you’re in”
“What State is that” he said “aint I in WA.
I think that’s where I am” he said “least I was yesterday”
“That’s pretty quick!” the barman laughed –
And gave him one more beer with a grin
He sees a lady sitting on a stool across the floor
Drinking milk and Baileys and looking a bit bored
He smiles and says “Gidday. Can I buy you a drink?”
“No thanks” she says “It isn’t quite what you think”
He drinks his beer and leaves his change upon the bar
“Buy yourself a drink” he says “and thanks for being cool”
He walks up to the lady and says “it’s not all caviar!!”
She nods her head and smiles and says “Yeah I know that’s true”
“Time” calls the barman “We have to close the doors.
Thank you all for coming” he said “and please come back some more.
There’s a few cabs waiting outside to keep you out of the rain.”
He turns on all the lights and hangs the mats across the bar
She smiles at him and says “You know I really like this part”
When your work is done and we can close up and go home again.”
Her husband smiles back and says “I’m really glad you’re here.
Thanks a lot for waiting. Jo’s just closing off the beer”
They douse the lights and lock the door She holds on to his arm
Her head against his shoulder Feels the comfort of his warmth
HIGH HOUSE BLUES
Hang no posters clean those walls The band don’t play round here no more
Scene’s kinda lazy and I miss those days The high house blues and the purple haze
Front man singing with a whiskey growl You can take a short trip but never leave the house
You can go travelling in a hundred ways Through the high house blues and the purple haze
Carrying a load down a city lane The 4 x 12’s had a lot of weight
But the bottom end shuffled right across the door Crept up and hit you as you passed the door
Long hair curled but it wasn’t tied But the T shirts were and the flares were wide
Velvet hats with a satin braid Through the high house blues and the purple haze
Sit down lay back don’t cross the line I heard a number called but it wasn’t mine
The old Vaux viva seemed to know the way Through the high house blues and the purple haze
Take a trip back and have a look around We all learned a lot about someone else
The people and the passions the riffs and the plays The high house blues and the purple haze
REVOLUTION
I can hear the sounds of a revolution All the kids are crying out to make a change
There’s a business man and he’s talking about pollution
We’ll do something when we can see What it’ll do to the economy
We’ll only set the targets, Get rid of this muck When we know that our companies’ profits are up
I can hear the sounds of a revolution All this PC stuff has gone a bit too far
People say all they want is a fair solution
Let the kids be kids we grew up okay Are things all really so different today?
Don’t mess with the Santa or the golliwog man A toy is a toy in a little kid’s innocent hand
The world’s gone crazy I’ve heard it said The things people do make you shake your head
What happened to the old style common sense? Watch out for the splinters from that fence
I can hear the sounds of a revolution People say that the man went a bit too far
Now he turns to us seeking absolution
Why’d he do it? No one can say I wonder will he live to fight another day
A crazy old man with a crazy intent Trying to defend now a war that he cannot defend
THE WORKERS LINE
Form a line there boys form a line with your mates
Form a line and hold up the flag
We’ll keep up the fight ‘till they treat us right
Form a line and hold up the flag
Said the factory man I’ll look after you boys If things start getting tough around here
You’ve worked bloody hard you’re like one of me own You’ve stuck by me for twenty long years
But the profits were sinking and the boys they were thinking that maybe the pays would be cut
Then I came here today but they sent me away with a Nothing but a “Go home we’re shut”
We know times are tough but our wants are few A roof over our head and a warm plate of stew
And the books that we need to send our kids to school Form a line there boys form a line
Seems loyalty and mates have gone out of the gate When you think about profit and loss
They’ll do what it takes for the profits they makes and not worry about people like us
So for twenty long years we gave our blood sweat and tears To help them to build up the show
And all that we get for all of that sweat Is a kick in the guts when we go
SMILIN' ON THE INSIDE
NOTHING ON YOU
She’s got hair that shines, She’s got laughter lines She’s got nice round hips and a firm behind
Long slender legs and short skirts too But wherever she’s got She’s got nothing on you
She’s got a nice hair style and a big wide smile She’s the type of girl to make you walk a mile
She’s got sensual hands and a rose tattoo But whatever she’s got She’s got nothing on you
You’re my love you’ve got my heart You’ve had it all along right from the start
It doesn’t really matter what the other girls do Cause whatever they’ve got,
They’ve got nothing on you
She owns a Porsche that she lends to me Her daddy owns a pub he gives me drinks for free
Fancy flat with an ocean view But whatever she’s got She’s got nothing on you
SOMETHING’S DIFFERENT
My body’s moving but my mind it is numb I’m sitting here waiting for the feeling to come
One fold for me is normally fine But something’s different this time
My man’s on James Street he lives down by the park His stuff is good he’s always there when I’m stuck
Owe him a few bills but he tells me that’s fine But something’s different this time
You own my body and you own my soul I worship your rhythm and dance to your beat
Give myself wholly no matter the toll You are my day, my nights complete
I’ve heard the word there’s bad shit on the street This pain inside me tells me I’ve scored the heat
My soul is leaving but I don’t see no light My body’s frozen my mind is in fright
There’s something wrong here Am I gonna die Cause something’s different this time
IMMIGRANT BLUES
I called my mum when I heard the news today She said, “It’s a pity son you’re so far away”
You’re father cried when the policeman brought the news A broken heart just made heavier by those Immigrant Blues
Your brother was riding on his Harley in the rain Drunk man run him down and he died in a Cornwall drain
Been a while since you seen him yeah he’d just turned twenty two Long way from that 12 year old made longer by those Immigrant Blues
Came here to Australia in December eighty eight I met a girl and we fell in love. Yeah things were going great
But when I heard my mother crying and there was nothin I could do The time had come cos phones don’t cure those Immigrant Blues
Where’d you say you’re from mate Where’s that? Is it east or west?
Good you came to Australia. As a place mate it’s the best
Don’t worry about family? You can always use the phone
World’s getting small Technology’s tall
What’s that? You’re going home?
She took me to the airport Our sadness filled the day Saw her standing in the window As the plane taxied away
I had to make a choice here but whatever may I lose You know I’ve fallen victim to those Immigrant Blues
THESE DAYS
Man in the backroom just gave a heavy sigh Said I don’t understand it I don’t see no reason why
Kids these days they seem to not give a damn But the things that I ask of them are of a reasonable man
And he looked at me and he kept on saying Why does it have to be this way
It’s a hard game now that we’re playing I don’t want to give it all away To these days
I spoke back quietly said I think I understood Seems ya do a kid a favour don’t seem to do you no good
But the world’s not that harsh you know they’re not all that bad Had a boy with me last Christmas worked as hard as any man
But he looked at me and he kept on saying Why does it have to be this way
It’s a hard game now that we’re playing I don’t want to give it all away These days These days these days
It doesn’t really matter it’s only a game Just like in a movie show or a theatre play
But you can make a difference if you wanna stay Do you wanna stay? Do you wanna play? These days
I woke on Sunday and my head felt like crap Red wine filled my brain felt like I had a dagger in my back
I turned on the TV saw a plane lying on its side News man said no one was hurt but 20 people died
But he looked at me and he kept on saying Why does it have to be this way
It’s a hard game now that we’re playing I don’t want to give it all away These days
Don’t want to be here on my own Don’t want to sit her by the phone
Don’t want to live here all alone these day
Don’t want to give up all I got Don’t want to be something that I’m not
Don’t want to fake it all a lot these days
The big man’s talkin' telling me how it’s gonna be But I think he’s telling me lies he’s trying to put one over me
He says we gotta send our boys in we gotta show that man the light Journo said “Well Jesus Christ that doesn’t make it right
Well he looked at me and he kept on saying Why does it have to be this way
It’s a hard game now that we’re playing I don’t want to give it all away These days These days these days
SACKLIN STREET
Well the words came out kinda funny I didn’t want them to sound so mean
Young boys playing soccer with a tin can As the sun goes down on Sacklin Street
Daddy hasn’t worked since back in 90 When the timber mill last turned a wheel
Town went down on a broken promise Shops closed down on Sacklin Street
Tried finding work down at the orchards Tried learning new skills down at DEET
Tried lining up to see the dole man Only place that works on Sacklin Street
I used to have a dream I would raise a family In a quite little town where the folk are friendly
The air is clean and my friends are near me
But my dream just died when a politician Sold me out for a couple a votes from
A group’a green people and a false position
Truck pulls out the house is empty Just drive away it aint worth a heap
Looking for a new life in the city Looking for a way from Sacklin Street
Scrubbed my boots and pushed my hair back Went downtown to meet the train
Scrubbed my boots and pushed my hair back Went downtown to meet the train
Been waiting since this time Friday Won’t make the same mistake again
Well the station man was calling Pease stand back the train is near
Well the station man was calling Please stand back the train is near
I heard that engine growling And hoped it blew away my fears
Warder gave me sixteen dollars Said I’d earned it as my pay
Warder gave me sixteen dollars Said I’d earned it as my pay
I gotta find me some way easier To earn my money its too hard this way
When the sun comes up this morning Be my first full day as a free man
When the sun comes up this morning Be my first full day as a free man
I hope this train will take me forward To somewhere better than a stinking can
Well my cell it was a small place 6 feet wide and 8 feet long
Well my cell it was a small place 6 feet wide and 8 feet long
I aint never going back there Wonder if they’ll miss me when I’m gone
STORIES FROM THE CITY - LIVE
ATTITUDE BLUES
Been thinking about it lately. It worries me a lot
Lot of people in this world aint happy with what they got
They talk about bringing their guns out. They talk about planting bombs
Don’t talk about the good things. Only moan about what is wrong
Well you never hear them say things are going okay
They got a low down, life sucks, fucked up attitude hey.
Been talking to my neighbour. Says he’s worried too.
Saw a bloke beat up pretty badly for wearing some fancy shows
Do-gooders say “Well that happens - the kids from a broken family.
Didn’t know what he was =doing. You got to treat him tenderly”.
But you never hear them say “the kids gotta pay”
They got a low down, life sucks, fucked up attitude hey.
Well the place is a joke. The crims they just grin.
“Like taking candy from a baby” is the way that they think.
The business men are laughing - they sell us alarms
The media’s making a profit from all of this harm
The old folks they stay home now. They don’t go out at night
Don’t go out to the movies Just keep their doors locked tight.
The system don’t protect them. They’ve got no special friends.
Business men sell them more alarms and they’re laughing all the way again
You never hear leader’s say something’s gotta change
They got a low down, life sucks, fucked up attitude hey.
THE TRADER
I got a gun now I need a war You just tell me what I’m fighting for
Pick a side I don’t care what You pay the money you get my support
The principle is this its for the bucks I’ll lay a wire or I’ll drive a truck
I’ll tell the press that it’s a holy war ‘til someone else comes along and pays me more
The lords are calling they need like me Fought for Castro back in 63
Southern Europe used to pay quite well Stir the kids to meet the journo’s bell
The birds are singing like they do in Perth This could be the prettiest place on earth
But we drown them all out with our guns of war Tell me what it is that we’re fighting for
Been getting calls from a friend or two Government’s fallen to an army coup
Need supplies to wreck another land It isn’t mine so I don’t give a damn
HOW'D IT EVER COME TO THIS
Shut the door said the man in the panama I wouldn’t want the people to see us this way
In a voice impaired he said “How’d you come this far from that seaside town on the coast of W.A?”
Well we talked about some business and the things we had to do
I listened to his words through his lisp
Then I wandered back to my home on the Avenue and I thought
How’d it ever come to this?
Not going to work, said the barman with a grin Yeah things a bit tough in your game these days
I just gave him a scowl and he gave me a double gin I thought about the man and what he’d had to say
The juke box was playing an oldie about crying in the raise
And another about old Deano getting pissed
Then I wandered down the road looking for someone to blame and I thought
How’d it ever come to this?
Telephone calls in the middle of the night Yeah gotta keep them doors locked nice and tight
Gotta keep trying to keep these men away
But the debts still owing and the money’s not growing On trees so I know that I gotta keep going
Gotta find a way to get that man his pay
Can I have a few words said the man in the uniform Yeah I hear you got a few bills you’re having trouble paying
Your boss man said his accounts a bit overdrawn Yeah just a few words and I’ll be on my way
The magistrate gave me five to nine he said I had a debt to pay
He’d warned me once before but I couldn’t resist
And my family watched as the cops led me away and I thought
How’d it ever come to this?
CLUELESS
I sat in a bar supping beer from a jar Watching the girls on parade
It was four in the morning and there’d been lots of warnings But it seems no difference it’s made
An angry young man with a rusty old van Was surveying the scene as well
Seemed strange to me that the women couldn’t see that His was the road to hell
I finished my beer I caught the bartender’s ear And I asked her if knew the man
She shrugged “I don’t know. Yeah I’ve seen him come and go. He drinks Bourbon and coke from a can
I don’t know his name and if it’s all the same Well I’d rather not be involved.”
As I watched her go I licked the paper Tally Ho of the non-filter Drum I had rolled
My mind was just racing at the task I was facing I just stared at the scorch on the self
The case was pretty thin but it led straight to him I needed one more clue I said to myself
And then a woman walked by with that look in her eye said she’d no idea what was around
I was watching him again he was drinking and then he moved out. Was it about to go down?
Things are just great when the roads is all straight and the bends are just gentle and smooth
But when the road’s full of holes and fallen light poles it’s harder to detect the clues
So I went out to meet my man out on the street To see what he’d been able to find
He said he’d drawn a blank Some people thought he drank But no one had paid him no mind
And then the penny just fell and I knew very well That I had missed the most obvious sign
The cuffs were applied I threw him inside The judge said he'd give him five to nine.
RETRIBUTION
There’s a big cloud coming rolling down the mountain Man its gonna blow a storm
Been hauling these logs since the day started showing Got a hundred and fifty more to go
The man keeps yelling down the hillside bend your back and get a day’s work done
Working side by side for a dollar forty five with the sweat pouring out in the sun
Big trains coming Steam while blowing Got to lay a track to ride
Sixteen men been buried in the tunnel before we made the other side
I got fifteen years for dealing with the man When he was through messing with my wife
I’ll be out of this hell by the time I’m forty five He’ll be rotting in his for life
The policeman said I know just how you feel It’s hard when a man takes your wife
But you gotta understand that you can’t use your hand for retribution against the man who took her life
Soup carts coming rolling down the alleyway Got to get a feed before I go
Got to go and see my girl on the other side of town Just a walk and then a tram down Centre Road
Fifteen years seem to pass kinda slowly and I used to think about her every day
Now I see her every day and we while the time away Putting daisies in a jar upon her grave.
YOU KNOW I CAN'T CHANGE (IT'S JUST THE WAY I AM)
Cigarettes stashed in my tee-shirt sleeve. I got my DA greased with my Dad’s Brylcream
The shoes I wear match my buckle and belt and I’m pretty think skinned about the cards I’m dealt
Well I talk real slow so I sound cool But my duck won’t swim in my swimming pool
Sometimes it gets me in a bit of a jam You know I can’t change it’s just the way I am
My friends all call to come around and stay when I go and get my cheque on pension day
They drink my beer and they drink my wine and then they keep on drinking till the bottom line
Well I keep on trying to buy new friends but the cost is high for the things I get
Same old story with the same old end You know I can’t change it’s just the way I am
I had a dog but he bit the neighbour The magistrate gave me a month’s hard labour
My Mum just cried – she said that I made her But that’s just the way I am
I wear torn jeans - they’re all the fashion The girls like me because I’m good at pashing
But their Dad’s just give me a good tongue lashing But that’s just the way I am
I eat cheese cake because I like the flavour I had to shoot the dog because it bit the neighbour
The council charged me for the favour But that’s just the way I am
I change my mind with a frequency but that’s okay because its up to me
I say I’m going then I say I’m not then I go anyway just to stir the pot
I smoke my share and I get too drunk and I end up crashing in a bedroom bunk
I mess the sheets and I miss the can You know I can change it’s just the way I am.
DIGNITY
Hey there man have you got a coin to buy me a mug of tea
Been sitting here since the early morning old Jack Frost got me
Spent last night on a news print bed. Cold kept me awake
Hey there man just one coin to get me past the shakes
Used to have a family once - said that they loved me
But I lost my job and I lost my life now I lost my dignity
Found myself a new home. Found some different friends
Now my home is where I roam my path is where I tread
Sometimes I hear these voices and I argue with myself
I don’t seem to make much sense If I do say so myself
So if you see some bloke like me hanging around some square
Don’t assume that I’m immune - that I don’t see your stare
Life can take a U turn. Before you know you’re done
You’re like me living on the streets. You’re the homeless one
I still dream about family I still dream about home
I still dream about those I love About not being alone
Hey there man have you got a coin to buy me a mug of tea
Been sitting here since the early morning old Jack Frost got me
Spent last night in a news print bed Cold kept we awake
Hey there man just one coin to drive my dreams away
MISSISSIPPI LULLABY
Met a woman in New Orleans just about a year ago
She was singing the blues in the sidewalk rodeo
An old harp player stopped by sat down and began to blow
So I threw down a chord and a low down bottom end note
I’ve never heard the blues sung quite so sweet and high
She was a Mississippi girl singing Mississippi lullabies
Well she threw down a dollar in a tatty old guitar case
And I watched her singing and the lines of life on her face
She was singing she was good she was singing for some self-respect
She was singing of a life of getting what she could get
Well the way she sung the blues made all the young men cry
She was a Mississippi girl singing Mississippi lullabies
Then she sung a middle eight like an angel with a glint in her eye
Talking of her life and the times of the days gone by
I was wondering if my guitar playing was really doing her right
She was a Mississippi girl singing Mississippi lullabies
Well the people walking by all stopped and stood to hear her voice
It was something they were drawn to do they didn’t have much choice
And as she graciously bowed and thanked them for their kind acclaim
The rattle of her case said he efforts hadn’t been in vain
I’ve never heard the blues sung quite so sweet and high
She was a Mississippi girl singing Mississippi Lullabies
NO BOYS AT ALL
The twenties saw him come home from the war to end all wars
Spent a few more years in another man’s land trying to right the battles’ score
And then he thought about his future but a grave digger’s lot was bare
So he headed on out to Western Australia where a group plot waited him ther
Well he cleared big trees by ringing. He only found good water down deep
And the wheat and sheep and the oats and the hay were all lost in the dust and the heat
And though he worked and toiled the sandy soil he was just making money for the bank
So when they walked away from a land burned grey A new generation’s hopes sank
What you think you’re doing? You know that’s mine no how
Been sitting here for twenty four years and I aint gonna change it not
Then the old man took his seat as the train left the Midland yard
And a young man learned a new lesson about riding in railway cars
Well he built those trains on the forged black rims and he learned a wood work trade
And every nail tacked or spoke shaved back was another tip stored away
And then he walked the beat - Newcastle street - met a girl with a similar dream
So when they walked away on their wedding They had a new generation’s dreams
Heave those beams boy we gotta build a new life now
The sun’s still up we can work a few more hours
Hey boys I need your help here won’t you heed me when I call
But a boy’s a boy, two boys are a half and three boys are no boys at all.
You know that we made a journey - went back to the old farmyard
Photo of the troupe - 96 Group - barely showed how life was hard
But then I saw his mind go back there to his time there as a boy
And I saw that through the hard times there were also times of joy
Well three score years have gone past now and he still recalls those times
Buttermilk cows and schoolwork - and hanging down the well in a fire
Ah the lessons learned and the dreams that burned - they put character in man
And as the years get slow I’ve come to know The man that is my Dad