(Charlie Whitney/Roger Chapman)
Road maps revive an old story,
Showing the distance from you.
Look to the sea,
Between blue and me,
And it's you.
And though there are words we're exchanging,
When will I see you again?
It's been a year
Since you were here,
My friend.
Waves of emotion, sea of joy,
Times of sadness and one small boy.
Empty harbor, ship set sail,
I'm home to nothing 'cept a siren's wail.
His father's a sailor and a traveling man,
Yes, he left this morning with a shake of the hand.
His mother's a lady who forgets she's a wife,
And she's making sure on a different score of life.
Waves of emotion, sea of joy,
Times of sadness and one small boy.
Empty harbor, ship set sail,
I'm home to nothing 'cept a siren's wail.
His father's a sailor and a traveling man,
Yes, he left this morning for a faraway land.
His mother's a lady who forgets she's a wife,
Yes, she's making sure on a different score of life.
Look to the sea,
Between blue and me,
It's you . . ..
--
"Sat'd'y Barfly"
(Charlie Whitney/Roger Chapman)
Well, I was downtown cruisin' in my low-slung cat,
Diamond pin and a funky hat,
Mohair suit and new white spats.
Spot a juke joint blastin' and I cut my boost,
Well it's Sat'd'y night and I'm hangin' loose.
I'm looking out to cut my juice.
Well, I swing those doors and I burst right in.
I see Louise there and I, I just grin,
Unroll my hip and shout, "Hey, gimme a gin!"
The band's still wailin' and it's 4 A.M.
Me and Louise, we're just hangin' on in.
We're drinkin' wine now, they ran out of gin.
Ooh, we're drunk as hell but we're feeling fine,
If we leave now, then we'll just have time.
Where we goin', Louise, your place or mine?
Woo, Sat'd'y night . . ..
What's that, Louise, what's that in sight?
Little ol' Mustang, now, we're gonna . . .
Gonna pass on the right.
Hey, Mustang, we gotta wait all night . . .
Huhh, huhh huhh, we gotta wait all night for you.
Whoa, Louise, Sat'd'y night's gonna do.
Move a little closer there,
Get up, get up and tighten up.
Leave it out, Louise, ha ha, leave it out . . ..
--
"Larf and Sing"
(Poli Palmer)
Life begins to write a book across my face,
The stories that are me, the views I hold.
My years on earth begin to turn into a race,
And I resign myself to growing old.
That's why we all larf and sing
Whenever we all feel new.
You should see the way we grin
Whenever you feel it, too.
Love, oh mother life, she's the only kin we got.
Everything about me has a poker face,
A purposeless existence overgrown.
Whoever would've thought amongst our mighty race,
A man could feel so terribly alone?
Losing sometimes means you win
If you let the true you through.
You will always find us in
If you keep the seed in view.
Drink, old mother life, she's the only kin we got.
(REPEAT FIRST VERSE)
(REPEAT FIRST CHORUS)
--
"Spanish Tide"
(Charlie Whitney/Roger Chapman)
Slowly watch the tide turn,
Far too late, then we learn
There are only stars that are burning.
Then, quietly the room folds into two
As mirror and window hold the view.
Bright on all sides, holding the eye,
Leaving, you stand on Spanish Tide.
Here it begins, leading me on . . ..
Destiny will show soon
As arrows start to fly,
The brightest ring around the moon
Will darken as you cry.
Services demanded,
For who puts claim to some?
A million stars to ask for
Could only think of one.
Now it's for real, taking me down . . ..
Slowly watch the tide turn,
Circle years, we could learn
There are only stars that are burning.
--
"Save Some For Thee"
(Charlie Whitney/Roger Chapman)
Took my life slower
So as not to fall over, no.
As living's for free,
I'm going to save some for thee,
I'm going to save some for thee.
Each day I try harder
To say what I'm thinking, yeah.
I know as the time slips away,
I say more each coming day
With much more to say.
With much more to say, oh yeah.
The slower I take it,
The easier it gets me, yeah.
As living's for free,
I'm going to save some for thee,
I'm going to save some for thee.
I'm going to save some . . .
I'm going to save some for thee.
As much as I carry
Is as much as I'm giving.
You see, not much for some,
But a great deal . . .
But a great deal for me,
But a great deal for me.
But the slower I take it,
The easier it gets me, yeah.
As living's for free,
I'm going to save some for thee,
I'm going to save some for thee.
I'm going to . . . save some . . .
I'm going to . . . for thee.
--
"Take Your Partners"
(Charlie Whitney/Roger Chapman/Poli Palmer)
God knows I'm hip,
But I ain't yours or his -
Everybody's arse is up for kicks!
Every critic thinks he's cool,
Man and word, a criss-cross jewel,
But me, I got my own little rules!
One for you, one for me,
I know it don't come easily,
But when it does, then we'll agree.
Take your partners, what for?
Ain't you just kicked in the door?
How come I don't believe you anymore?
Here, boy, have a snake,
That's where you're sleeping, and I'll wake,
But don't strut me and my way.
God knows I'm hip,
But I ain't yours or his -
Everybody's arse is up for kicks!
--
"Children"
(Charlie Whitney/Roger Chapman)
Children, can you laugh me
All your young life's meaning?
Playing, as you do, I feel that the truth,
It's in you.
Young girl in sparkle,
Well, I can see some beauty.
Growing as you do, I see that the beauty's in you.
Do do do, do do do . . .
Young girl, children and wise . . ..
Open my eyes, this song I sing you.
I've got a lot to learn,
Buy may I say, oh, this song concerns you.
Wise men in your wisdom,
Tell me where we're going.
Seeing as I do, there seems to be
So much to do.
La, la la la la . . ..
--
"Crinkly Grin"
(Poli Palmer)
Instrumental
--
"Blind"
(Charlie Whitney/Roger Chapman)
Blind boy, although you wish you could see,
I've even thought, if you could be me,
Have eyes to see pictures of people in pain.
And it looks like I'll see them again, again.
Deaf man, although you sure want to hear,
Would you turn your ears to shots that are near?
Sounds of a city in near civil war,
And it seems like you'd hear it some more, some more.
And here we sit down with nothing to do,
Just give out a song and hope it rings true
To those not so deaf but who lead us so blind.
May it soon be approaching their time, time.
--
"Burning Bridges"
(Charlie Whitney/Roger Chapman/Poli Palmer)
Visions, they're dancing like puppets on strings,
Wait for the face in the choir to sing.
Cymbals and symbols you clang in my ear,
While rainclouds burst out into tears.
Burning your bridges on God's Holy Fire,
And all of the children you sire.
Over and over my blues start to roll,
Bypass my body, head straight for my soul.
While speeches ain't silent and silence ain't gold
When left in the dirt there to mold.
Burning your bridges on God's Holy Fire
And all of, all of the children you sire.
Rainwater preachers hang vines on the road,
Lamplight reflections all turned into stone
Of tall handsome strangers who pray down their nose,
And they're nailed to the cross, I suppose.
Burning your bridges on God's Holy Fire,
And all the children you sire . . .
And all the children you sire.
Whenever we all feel new.
You should see the way we grin
Whenever you feel it, too.
Love, oh mother life, she's the only kin we got.
Everything about me has a poker face,
A purposeless existence overgrown.
Whoever would've thought amongst our mighty race,
A man could feel so terribly alone?
Losing sometimes means you win
If you let the true you through.
You will always find us in
If you keep the seed in view.
Drink, old mother life, she's the only kin we got.
(REPEAT FIRST VERSE)
(REPEAT FIRST CHORUS)
--
"Spanish Tide"
(Charlie Whitney/Roger Chapman)
Slowly watch the tide turn,
Far too late, then we learn
There are only stars that are burning.
Then, quietly the room folds into two
As mirror and window hold the view.
Bright on all sides, holding the eye,
Leaving, you stand on Spanish Tide.
Here it begins, leading me on . . ..
Destiny will show soon
As arrows start to fly,
The brightest ring around the moon
Will darken as you cry.
Services demanded,
For who puts claim to some?
A million stars to ask for
Could only think of one.
Now it's for real, taking me down . . ..
Slowly watch the tide turn,
Circle years, we could learn
There are only stars that are burning.
--
"Save Some For Thee"
(Charlie Whitney/Roger Chapman)
Took my life slower
So as not to fall over, no.
As living's for free,
I'm going to save some for thee,
I'm going to save some for thee.
Each day I try harder
To say what I'm thinking, yeah.
I know as the time slips away,
I say more each coming day
With much more to say.
With much more to say, oh yeah.
The slower I take it,
The easier it gets me, yeah.
As living's for free,
I'm going to save some for thee,
I'm going to save some for thee.
I'm going to save some . . .
I'm going to save some for thee.
As much as I carry
Is as much as I'm giving.
You see, not much for some,
But a great deal . . .
But a great deal for me,
But a great deal for me.
But the slower I take it,
The easier it gets me, yeah.
As living's for free,
I'm going to save some for thee,
I'm going to save some for thee.
I'm going to . . . save some . . .
I'm going to . . . for thee.
--
"Take Your Partners"
(Charlie Whitney/Roger Chapman/Poli Palmer)
God knows I'm hip,
But I ain't yours or his -
Everybody's arse is up for kicks!
Every critic thinks he's cool,
Man and word, a criss-cross jewel,
But me, I got my own little rules!
One for you, one for me,
I know it don't come easily,
But when it does, then we'll agree.
Take your partners, what for?
Ain't you just kicked in the door?
How come I don't believe you anymore?
Here, boy, have a snake,
That's where you're sleeping, and I'll wake,
But don't strut me and my way.
God knows I'm hip,
But I ain't yours or his -
Everybody's arse is up for kicks!
--
"Children"
(Charlie Whitney/Roger Chapman)
Children, can you laugh me
All your young life's meaning?
Playing, as you do, I feel that the truth,
It's in you.
Young girl in sparkle,
Well, I can see some beauty.
Growing as you do, I see that the beauty's in you.
Do do do, do do do . . .
Young girl, children and wise . . ..
Open my eyes, this song I sing you.
I've got a lot to learn,
Buy may I say, oh, this song concerns you.
Wise men in your wisdom,
Tell me where we're going.
Seeing as I do, there seems to be
So much to do.
La, la la la la . . ..
--
"Crinkly Grin"
(Poli Palmer)
Instrumental
--
"Blind"
(Charlie Whitney/Roger Chapman)
Blind boy, although you wish you could see,
I've even thought, if you could be me,
Have eyes to see pictures of people in pain.
And it looks like I'll see them again, again.
Deaf man, although you sure want to hear,
Would you turn your ears to shots that are near?
Sounds of a city in near civil war,
And it seems like you'd hear it some more, some more.
And here we sit down with nothing to do,
Just give out a song and hope it rings true
To those not so deaf but who lead us so blind.
May it soon be approaching their time, time.
--
"Burning Bridges"
(Charlie Whitney/Roger Chapman/Poli Palmer)
Visions, they're dancing like puppets on strings,
Wait for the face in the choir to sing.
Cymbals and symbols you clang in my ear,
While rainclouds burst out into tears.
Burning your bridges on God's Holy Fire,
And all of the children you sire.
Over and over my blues start to roll,
Bypass my body, head straight for my soul.
While speeches ain't silent and silence ain't gold
When left in the dirt there to mold.
Burning your bridges on God's Holy Fire
And all of, all of the children you sire.
Rainwater preachers hang vines on the road,
Lamplight reflections all turned into stone
Of tall handsome strangers who pray down their nose,
And they're nailed to the cross, I suppose.
Burning your bridges on God's Holy Fire,
And all the children you sire . . .
And all the children you sire.
