HAPPYTOWN
(Bert Hodge)
I can’t go home I’ve been gone too long, and the roads I used to run have gone bad
Can’t stay here because the wolf is out to get me and her pups have gone barking mad
I thought I had a shot at a contender’s spot but I missed it by a country mile
I gotta find a place where I can show my face without the risk of compromising my smil
(chorus)
I’m leaving here, my train is tracked and ready
I’ve got room to spare, I’ve got room for you and your buddy
Now that the coast is clear, I’m gonna give it no more study
I’m headed on down to Happytown, I’m gonna live like a native there
Whistle in the distance, don’t look back when you’re running down the tracks in the dark
And don’t expect your feet to set the night on fire, but they’d better strike a heck of a spark
The future’s coming faster than a natural disaster, and the whistle says get out of the way
And don’t stop to wonder if the world is going under, ‘cause there’s bound to be a price to pay
(chorus)
A man in a suit tried to sell me fruit But I didn’t like the look in his eyes
He gave me a banana in a red bandana And he told me not to mind the flies
I put it in a sack until it all turned black and then I threw it in a ditch in the mud
Cause on the very very back of that fat contract I found the Devil’s name signed in blood(my blood!)
(chorus)
A ghost came hiking down a hard-luck highway, looking for a place to light
Got no pack, he’s got no pajamas, got nothing but a hole in the night
Might be you it might be your momma, might be your commander-in-chief
‘Cause when the truth hits the table it’s a fact and not a fable that Fate ain’t nothing but a thief
FORGET THE FUTURE
(Bert Hodge)
(chorus)Shoulder up and heave boys, and clear this track away
If we can make it to the hills and the high ground we’ll last another day
Shoulder up and heave boys, and clear this track away
If we can make it to the hills and the high ground we’ll last another day
There’s a song I used to sing about the future
Until the future came to see what it could be
And then he counted up my options on his fingers
And one by one he took them away from me
And he left me here with a single destiny
(cho.)
I’ve been up and down a dozen roads to Heaven
But the scenery always looked the same to me
But when the fire dies down and the stars come out in the evening
You can see just about as far as you want to see
And you can take a little taste of eternity
(cho.)
I’ve got a picture of a woman in my pocket
But I don’t remember who she used to be
I’m gonna wear in on a chain in a silver locket
Because I know she must have meant the world to me
And I want her back just like we used to be
There’s a train that’s leaving town sometime tomorrow
And my ticket says take care, and don’t be late
But they took the tracks away in 1960
And the shack where the Stationmaster used to wait
And the Redcaps rode away to another state
(cho.2X)
ROSWELL
(Bert Hodge)
Star light, star bright, very first star that I see tonight…
Take me back to Roswell (Take me back to Roswell)
Drop me in the desert where my spaceship fell
Take me back to Roswell (Take me back to Roswell)
My friends will come to get me yes I know they will
The stars are in alignment and they’re calling to me
The gates are swinging open to infinity
It’s time for you to cut me slack and set me free
Release me, I just want to go home
The sky was clear the night my ship came crashing down
A sucker punch delivered by some Air Force clown
We must have strewn debris across a mile of ground
Weather balloons and swamp gas just don’t make that sound
We came to bring you greetings from our galaxy
We thought we had a handle on your lunacy
Our diplomat did not survive your “autopsy”
Release me, I just want to go home.
You took all the technology from my spaceship
You took all our Velcro and our microchips
You used our polyester for your leisure suits
Our special spaceman footwear made your go-go boots
I even gave you tips on how your DNA works
But all you did was give to those CSI jerks
Living here’s like being dead without the perks
Release me I just want to go home
Take me back to Roswell (Take me back to Roswell)
Drop me in the desert where my spaceship fell
Take me back to Roswell (Take me back to Roswell)
My friends will come to get me yes I know they will
The stars are in alignment and they’re calling to me
The gates are swinging open to infinity
It’s time for you to cut me slack and set me free
Release me, I just want to go home
Deep space, strange place, who could have dreamed up the human race?
FOOL FOR YOU
(Bert Hodge)
Take me back to the Virgin Islands, take me to where there's music in the air
Songs of the sailboats fill the harbor, times and tides don't make no difference there
Flowers are blooming on the street where we met
I carry their fragrance in my memory yet
My senses conspire to take me back where I'm a fool for you
Can you see where the stars are rising, can you smell the ocean on the air?
Can you remember nights unending, can you remember flowers in your hair?
Tell me you love me when you take my hand
Breezes are blowing in that tropical land
Waiting for me to take you back where I'm a fool for you
Turn your lamp just a little lower, I want to see the moonlight on your skin
Maybe the moon is half the reason I can't seem to explain the shape that I am in
Summer's in blue, and you are on my mind
Half of the night, and nearly all of the time
Can't understand it but the fact is, I'm a fool for you
Summer's in blue and you are on my mind
Half of the night and nearly all of the time
My heart's in the islands but the fact is, I'm a fool for you
WHEN THE LAST OLD HIPPIE DIES
(Chris Clark)
What do we do when the last old hippie dies?
Every day goes by seems more and more like a battle
America Incorporated turning us all into cattle
Things have been going down and they haven't been looking good
Is anybody left to stand against the things that we think we should?
(Chorus)
What do we do when the last old hippie dies?
Who's gonna protest wars when we feel that they just ain't right?
Who's gonna hold up signs that say "Peace to all mankind?"
Who's gonna say "I love you, man" in such a hateful time? tell me
What do we do when the last old hippie dies?
This fellow I knew, not so well, seemed like a real nice guy
We spread his ashes on the garden he grew, we all had to say "Bye bye"
Seemed like a "last Mohican," last hippie I can recall
Except for a few of his buddies, and they're all slowly growing old
(Chorus)
Our world is cracking up and it seems like such a shame
We don't need any more proof of what it is to blame
Is anyone left to strip the veil of a corporate entity?
Is anyone left to lock their arms on the steps in Washington DC?
(Chorus)
Campsites these days come with cable TV
Anything you can bring from home fits nicely in your big RV
But, Who’s gonna sleep outside, make sure al stars are aline?
Listen to the chirping of the crickets and the bugs keeping them all in time?
What do we do when the last old hippy dies? (X4)
RODMAN DAM
(Bert Hodge)
(cho.)
I worked all summer on the Rodman Dam
The job’s not done but I damn sure am
The water’s gonna rise and river’s gonna die
So we can watch that Texas oil float by
LBJ was a great big boy, but Big Oil bought him like a Texas toy
They put him on a string and they told him when He could do a little something for the Texas men
They told him then that a great big ditch through the heart of Florida would make them all rich
So they conjured up the Florida Barge Canal and they brought the scrapers in
The Oklawaha River ran ten thousand years through a peaceful land
From the St Johns River to the Silver Springs the snakes and the alligator ruled as kings
Pushing down the trees and digging up the muck came a D-9 Dozer and a ten-ton truck
Building up a dam just to make a big pool where the cypress sighs and the scrub jay sings
(cho)
It didn’t all happen in a single day, but the water came up, and it came to stay
The turkey and the thrush took wing to the west, and the panther died that highway death
And when the last of the timber had drowned, word from Washington shut it down
And not a single drop of that Texas gold ever crossed the lake where they laid that river to rest
Now if you don’t believe this story’s true there’s a great big lake I can take you to
There’s locks and bridges and the dam I built and it all comes to nothing when the day is through
I can’t take back the sweat I shed, and I can’t raise up again the river it fed
So I sing this song and pray for the best, that it just might make a little bit of difference to you
(cho)
MALLORCA
(Bert Hodge)
We passed on the square when the evening bells rang in Mallorca
I turned to follow your fragrance and you caught my eye
We walked where the distant guitarists were strumming flamenco
We kissed by water and under a moon-bright sky
And if such a moon were to show me a thousand such faces
And if my guitar learned to sing with the voice of a dove
It won’t match the moon on the night that we met in Mallorca
And it can’t sing the song that ignited the flames of our love
The days pass by quickly when love is abroad in Mallorca
And the cafés of Palma conceal how the time trickles by
We met every night at the foot of the Plaza Mallorca
Where the moon on the water paid court to the moon in the sky
And if such a moon were to show me a thousand such faces
And if my guitar learned to sing with the voice of a dove
It won’t match the moon on the night that we met in Mallorca
And it can’t sing the song that ignited the flames of our love
The years have gone by like a breeze through the night in Mallorca
And the songs I remember have faded like cloth in the sun
But sometimes I find in your hair just a hint of that fragrance
And I relive the magic you made me when our love was young
And if such a love were to show me a thousand such faces
And if my guitar learned to sing with the voice of a dove
It might match the love on the night that we met in Mallorca
And it might sing the song that ignited the flames of our love
BIG BOTTLE O’ WINE
(Chris Clark)
You Wanna break up baby
You never tell me why
It ain’t gonna happen maybe
God I’d wish you’d do it this time
You say I’ll never make it
In this little house all alone
Babe, I could just fake it
Down here in the big unknown
(bridge)
you could leave me sittin’ here
for the very, very longest time
I could always find a little comfort
in a great big bottle of wine
(Chorus)
Big Bottle a’ wine(3X)
You say I’m killing you baby
You say I drive you to drink
Well maybe we should both get off this boat
I’m thinkin’ it’s gonna sink
Forget about me baby
Like everything in your purse
Just roll me up like a lipstick pen
‘cause baby I forgot you first
(Bridge)
Once upon a time
I thought our love would never end
But the way you slam that door
I don’t think were gonna be friends
(Chorus)
We ain't gonna be friends(3X)
We're like oil and water
We're like stones and sticks
Broken bones on our little home
Since the day we tried to mix
While your leavin’ me baby
Just in case you wondering why
I wrote you here this sad, sad song
instead of sayin’ goodbye
(bridge)
You can take all your things
you can even take some of mine
but don’t you dare touch that
Great big bottle of wine
(Chorus)
Big bottle of wine(6X)
PAPA DOC
(Bert Hodge)
He’s a devil of a man...He’s the man who stripped the soul from the heart of Haiti
He’s Baron Samedi...and he walks out dressed in black in the heat of Saturday
He’s a devil of a man...And the news of his demise would be good news to me
Lock your windows...He’ll be waiting in the dark with a band of Jumbies
Papa Doc, Papa Doc, they stopped his clock,
But they could not keep his coffin locked
Every night when you hear those headstones knock
It means you’d better watch out for Baron Samedi!
You might pass him walking...But he won’t wave back if you offer him a greeting
You might hear him talking...You might hear the sound of the voices he’s not speaking
He don’t want your money...Cause you don’t need much when you’re living with the walking dead
He’s Baron Samedi...And he’s hungry for your soul and he must be fed
You might see him dancing on the square,
When you look again he won’t be there
But you just might find a hank of hair
And a bit of bone that smells like Baron Samedi!
If you hear me knock don’t shoot...I’m alone and the light of the moon is all I’ve got to see
I might be TonTon Macoute...So you can’t refuse to open up your door to me
I’ve got a message for the Doc...He’s late for a date with a duppie for a mate in Haiti
It’s gonna give him quite a shock, But the Legba said he’ll be dancing with the dead for eternity
Papa Doc, Papa Doc, they stopped his clock,
But they could not keep his coffin locked
Every night when you hear those headstones knock
It means you’d better watch out for Baron Samedi!
PROTECT YOU GIRL
(Bert Hodge)
Don’t ask about the cop out in the hallway
Don’t ask about the voices on your phone
You’re gonna get your pizza on the doorstep
Cause I’m gonna keep you locked up in your home
You want to do the things that bring you trouble
I can see that shining in your face
You want to wreck your life, and do it double
You want to disappear without a trace
But I’m here to protect you girl
Protect you from the woman you should be
I’m here to protect you girl
So don’t you try to play your trick on me
Everybody knows your modus operandi
Everybody knows the names you call yourself
You’re gonna have to give up incognito
You better put your costumes on the shelf
You’re gonna wait in line to take a number
You’d better write it black against your skin
You’d better tell the faces you remember
You won’t ever act this way again
But I’m here to protect you girl
Protect you from the woman you should be
I’m here to protect you girl
So don’t you try to play your trick on me
Can you hear that ship out on the ocean,
Blowing ‘cause she’s blinded by the fog?
Sometimes you can take a crazy notion
Turn around and bite me like a dog
I’m gonna take control of all your assets
I’m gonna take the knobs off of your TV
I’m gonna have to pay off all your bad debts
So don’t you dare to stamp your foot at me
‘Cause I’m here to protect you girl
Protect you from the woman you should be
I’m here to protect you girl
So don’t you try to play your trick on me
I’m here to protect you girl
Can’t you see your life belongs to me?
I’m here to protect you girl
But who’s gonna be protecting you from me?
NO PRESSURE
(Chris Clark)
Who made all though’s houses in the suburb look the same?
Who left that sofa on the side of the freeway?
Who left that kitty in the window and that doggy on the chain?
Who’s face is on the evening news blushing with shame?
And that homeless guy, I wonder where his mamma is?
Was he anything like Bert when he was just a kid?
He could be the next elect if we new his “real” name.
Fingers pick and point so what’s the point-who‘s to blame?
Have you made up your mind yet?
Got to be a party representing your views
Have you made up your mind yet?
Is it considered a choice if you decide not to choose?
No pressure...everybody’s counting on you(4x)
Health care & minimum wage are bad words these days
So you best stay healthy if you wanna get paid
Be cautious to express- politically incorrect
Because the man on the pulpit says we’re going straight to heck!
Now we all have friends on both sides of the room
To the right and the left and the one down the middle...He’s leaving us real soon
Civility is a virtue when it’s time for placing bets
We can talk about this crazy war and no one gets upset
Have you made up your mind yet?
Got to be a party representing your views
Have you made up your mind yet?
It’s so hard to fill the crack between the red and blue
No pressure...everybody’s counting on you(4x)
Kids of today, they have there own way
They hide the answers to our problems in their pocket size video games
And they’re watching us all on the 5 o’clock news
Do you expect them to get exited steppin’ in these shoes?
We’re all romantic warriors upon this earth which we’re bound
Some of us get lonely, most of us get down
We can return to forever if you ever come around
We’ll throw a Disney parade down main street here in “Happytown”
Have you made up your mind yet?
Got to be a party representing your views
Have you made up your mind yet?
If you fall between the crack...we’ll come up with a name for you!
No pressure...everybody’s counting on you(4x)
FOLKSINGER’S FAREWELL
(Bert Hodge)
I met an awful lot of people on the way through town
There were some looked up, and some looked down
Now I’m standing at the station all alone
There were some that tried to make me stay a little while longer
But the hunger in my heart just… got stronger
Now I’m waiting for the train that’s gonna take me home
I made a lot of fine friends in some really fine places
And they told me their names, and I remember their faces
Now I’m standing at the station all alone
Living in your city seems mighty mighty fine
And the roses in your park smell just like mine
But I’m waiting for the train that’s gonna take me home.
I had a pocket full of poetry I wanted to deliver
But the time slipped by like a… muddy river
Now I’m standing at the station all alone
There’s a woman at the window wishing I could come home
There’s a bunny in the garden where my songs are grown
And I’m waiting for the train that’s gonna take me home.