Music From Big Pink Lyrics

Tears Of Rage
We carried you in our arms on Independence Day
And now you throw us all aside and put us all away
Oh, what dear daughter 'neath the sun could treat her father so?
To wait upon him hand and foot yet always tell him ``No''

Tears of rage, tears of grief
Why must I always be the thief?
Come to me now, you know we're so alone
And life is clean

It was all so very painless when you ran out to receive
All that false instruction which we never could believe
And now the heart is filled with gold as if it was a purse
But, oh, what kind of love is this which goes from bad to worse?

We pointed you the way to go and scratched your name in sand
Though you just thought it was nothing more than a place for you to stand
I want you to know that while we watched you discover no one would be true
That I myself was among the ones who thought it was just a childish thing to do

To Kingdom Come
``Fought for the party to kingdom come,'' sadly told his only son
``Just be careful what you do, it all comes back on you
False witness spread the news, somebody's gonna lose
Either she or me or you, nothing we could do''

``So don't you say a word or repeat a thing you heard
Time will tell you well if the truth truly fell
Tarred and feathered, yeah, thistled and thorned
One or the other,'' he kindly warned
``Now you look out the window, tell me what do you see?''
``I see a golden calf pointing back at me''

Well, they'd set their ... for so darn long, waiting for the end to come along
... or on the brink, I'd take a choice, swim or sink
False witness cast an evil eye, said I cannot tell a lie
Kings and saints don't bother me, I'm not alone you see

In A Station
Once I walked through the halls of a station
Someone called your name
In the streets I heard children laughing
They all sound the same

Wonder could you ever know me
Know the reason why I live?
Is there nothing you can show me
Life seems so little to give

Once I climbed up the face of a mountain
And ate the wild fruit there
Fell asleep until the moonlight woke me
And I could taste your hair

Isn't everybody dreaming?
Then the voice I hear is real
Out of all the idle scheming
Can't we have something to feel?

Once upon a time they used me indeed
Tomorrow never comes
I could sing the sound of your laughter
Still I don't know your name

Must be some way to repay you
Out of all the good you gave
If a rumour should delay you
Love seems so little to say

Caledonia Mission
She reads the leaves and she leads the life
That she learned so well from the old wives
It's so strange to arrange it, you know I wouldn't change it
But hear me if you're near me, can I just rearrange it?

The watchman covers me
With his remedy
I can't see and it's hard to feel
I think his magic might be real

I can't get to you from your garden gate
You know it's always locked by the magistrate
Now he don't care why you cry, he thinks it's just a lie
To get out, I don't doubt that you'd make a try

If the good times get you through
I know the dogs won't bother you
We'll be gone in moonshine time
I've got a place they'll never find

You know I do believe in your hexagram
But can you tell me how they all knew the plan?
Did you trip or slip on their gifts you know were just a con?
You knew it, why d'you do it, I've been hiding in the dawn

Now I must be on my way
I guess you really have to stay
Inside the mission walls
Down in Modark, Arkansas

The Weight
I pulled in to Nazareth, was feeling 'bout half past dead
I just need some place where I can lay my head
``Hey mister, can you tell me where a man might find a bed?''
He just grinned and shook my hand, ``No'' was all he said

Take a load off, Fanny
Take a load for free
Take a load off, Fanny
And you put the load right on me

I picked up my bag, I went looking for a place to hide
When I saw Carmen and the Devil walking side by side
I said ``Hey Carmen, come on, let's go downtown''
She said ``I gotta go but my friend can stick around''

Go down Miss Moses, there's nothing you can say
It's just old Luke, and Luke's waiting on the judgement day
``Well, Luke my friend, what about young Anna-Lee?''
He said ``Do me a favour son, won't you stay and keep Anna-Lee company?''

Crazy Chester followed me and he caught me in the fog
He said ``I will fix your rat if you'll take Jack my dog''
I said ``Wait a minute Chester, you know I'm a peaceful man''
He said ``That's okay boy, won't you feed him when you can?''

Catch a cannonball now to take me down the line
My bag is sinking low and I do believe it's time
To get back to Miss Fanny, you know she's the only one
Who sent me here with her regards for everyone

We Can Talk
We can talk about it now
It's that same old riddle only starting from the middle
I'd fix it but I don't know how
Well, we could try to reason but you might think it's treason

One voice for all
Echoing along the hall
Don't give up on father clock
We can talk about it now

Come, let me show you how
To keep the wheels turning you've got to keep the engine churning
But did you ever milk a cow?
I had the chance one day but I was all dressed up for Sunday

Everybody, everywhere
Do you really care?
Well then, pick up your heads and walk
We can talk about it now

It seems to me we've been holding something underneath our tongues
I'm afraid if you ever got a pat on the back it would likely burst your lungs
Stop me if I should sound kinda down in the mouth
But I'd rather be burned in Canada than to freeze here in the south

Moving that eternal plough
We've got to find a sharper blade or have a new one made
Rest awhile and cool your brow
Don't you see there's no need to slave, the whip is in the grave

No ... , no trance
It's safe now to take a backward glance
Because the flames have turned to chalk
We can talk about it now

Long Black Veil
Ten years ago on a cool dark night
There was someone killed 'neath the town hall light
There were few at the scene and they all did agree
That the man who ran looked a lot like me

The judge said ``Son, what is your alibi?
If you were somewhere else then you won't have to die''
I spoke not a word although it meant my life
I had been in the arms of my best friend's wife

She walks these hills in a long black veil
She visits my grave where the night winds wail
Nobody knows, no, and nobody sees
Nobody knows but me

The sky froze high and eternity neared
She stood in the crowd and shed not a tear
But sometimes at night when the cold wind moans
In a long black veil she cries over my bones

Chest Fever
I know she's a tracker, any style that would back her
They say she's a chooser but I just can't refuse her
She was just there, but then she can't be here no more

And as my mind unwheels
I feel the freeze down in my knees
But just before she leaves, she receives

She's been down in the dunes and she's dealt with the goons
Now she drinks from a bitter cup, I'm trying to get her to give it up
She was just here, I fear she can't be there no more

It's long, long when she's gone
I get weary holding on
Now I'm coldly fading fast
I don't think I'm gonna last

She's ... sweet and the moon
Well, I might go fight for it ... with my eyes in the ...
She was just there somewhere and here I am again

Lonesome Suzie
Lonesome Suzie never got the breaks
She's always losing and so she sits and cries and shakes
It's hard just to watch her and if I touch her
Oh, poor Suzie, I'm wondering what to do

She just sits there hoping for a friend
I don't fit here but I may have a friend to lend
Maybe I mistook her but I can't overlook her
Must be someone who can pull her through

Anyone who's felt that bad could tell me what to say
Even if she just got mad she might be better off that way

And where is all the understanding?
Her problems can't be that demanding
Why is it she looks my way
Every time she starts to cry

Lonesome Suzie, I can't watch you cry no longer
If you can use me until you feel a little stronger
I guess just watching you has made me lonesome too
Why don't we get together, what else can we do?

Wheels On Fire
If your memory serves you well, we're going to meet again and wait
So I'm going to unpack all my things and sit before it gets too late
No matter what, we'll come to you with another tale to tell
And you know that we shall meet again if your memory serves you well

Wheels on fire
Rolling down the road
Just notify my next of kin
This wheel shall explode

If your memory serves you well, I was going to confiscate your lace
And wrap it up in a sailor's knot and hide it in your case
If I knew for sure that it was yours, and it was oh so hard to tell
And you know that we shall meet again if your memory serves you well

If your memory serves you well, you'll remember that you're the one
Who called on them to call on me to get you your favours done
And after every plan had failed and there was nothing more to tell
And you know that we shall meet again if your memory serves you well

I Shall Be Released
They say everything can be replaced
They say every distance is not near
So I remember every face
Of every man who put me here

I see my light come shining
From the west down to the east
Any day now, any day now
I shall be released

They say every man needs protection
They say that every man must fall
Yet I swear I see my reflection
Somewhere so high above this wall

Now yonder stands a man in this lonely crowd
A man who swears he's not to blame
All day long I hear him shouting so loud
Just crying out that he was framed