Seems so long ago, but I could never forget you
I was Marlon Brando, you were my biggest fan
I never knew your name, to me you were beauty
I wanted you so bad, I wanted more than I could have
You told me you were a dreamer, look at the world out there
There’s people with broken hearts, Marlon I’m scared
You told me you were a wondering heart, but you’ve become a little stuck
So I kiss the cross around my neck and whisper, lord wish me luck
If I could tell you tonight, that your world would be fine
All the problems I’d take from your shoulders, and make them all mine

Took me by the hand, I placed a ring on your finger
Girl I can write love songs all night long, but I ain’t no singer
Then you look in my eyes, tell me you’ll never forget me
I am Marlon Brando, you’re my biggest fan
And all those nights we shared, honey like I was the only one
And all those nights we laughed, where have those nights gone
Cigarette smoke lingers, wine stains on the floor
Our arguments still drift through the air, my heads pressed against the door

And when I look at you, I still see
The woman so long ago, that wanted me
Somewhere beneath all the heartbreak, crossed words we said
I’ll hold on to you tightly girl, your heart’s not getting broken yet
I was Marlon Brando, you were my biggest fan
But without you by my side girl, I’m just an ordinary man
You told me you’re just an ordinary girl
I’m your biggest fan

When I was a boy, I’d watch the rain
race down the window pane
I’d look out into the autumn street and watch lovers hand in hand, leaves at their feet
and I grew a little older
and the days were long and colder
the rain drops kept on falling
and I could feel your beauty calling, I fell for you
look at you over there, your long brown hair, your sun kissed skin I beg you let me in
look at your big green eyes, how I wish those soft pink lips were mine
there have been a million beauty’s
but you just cut straight through me
and your face was just a picture, it haunted me in the dead of the night
in this town I call my home,
I take up the throne I’m the king of kings
and in the bustling bars of my desires, I’m my own victim
there’s no other girl around,
in the streets that scar this town that I’d rather hold
and you must know this throne, I’d give it all up for you
look at you over there, your long brown hair, your sun kissed skin, I beg you let me in
look at your big green eyes, how I wish those soft pink lips were mine
and when you walk out from your shelter,
I just melt, and I see the way the boys look too
just give me one chance ?
sure there are other girls, I cold romance
but you went out fishing,
I was in the ocean wishing, I saw you and you hooked me
my god you’re such a beauty
I wish you could just see my heart weep
I’ve seen your face a thousand nights, a million times and for lips to taste as good as yours well it should be a crime
tell me are you real ?
Let every other boy, have there toys, let every prince, have his war to win, let every queen, have her dream I want nothing else but you
Louise, look at me, I’m just a dreamer all laid out to bare,
you could **** me right now, with a single stare, don’t look at me like that
If I can’t hold you once, then I know this life’s unfair, just look at you …. Over there
In this war where there’s only one soldier, please just let me hold you
And stop fighting, it’ll be alright, let me release the burden of your beauty, tonight
Look at you over there, your long brown hair, your sun kissed skin I beg of you please, let me in
Look at your big green eyes, how I wish those soft pink lips were mine, well they are tonight
And if tonight’s the only night you love me I could die tomorrow, let some other fool watch you, then have their piece of sorrow
Because one night with you louise is all it’s going to take
to let me live unburdened but my foundations will be shaken
I’ve had my chance, my chance was taken, I’ve dreamed of you and my dreams were made, I can rest easy now, knowing I’ve known you … my sweet Louise , knowing I’ve known you.

The door was open
And from then on I condemned myself
I was lost and I was broken
Inside the store where in the light of day
Pretty women buy new clothes
The lights were out but the locks weren't on even though the sign read closed
I took my chance and lined my pockets with money from the till
And from the window across the pavement watching with tears on her cheeks was stacey, she was still
I raced in the shadows of the bingo halls
Fives flew from my pocket
Landed in a puddle I fell to my knees
Picked one up and then I dropped it

The sirens ran out
They filled the air my blood ran cold this wasn't what I wanted
I used to have a job that paid the bills and filled my rover
Until one winters morning the forman came in and said "sorry guys the work is over"
Then all I had was the clothes on my back and last months money in the bank
Not even enough remained to fill my trusty rovers tank
Things got so bad my wife packed her bags
And headed off down town
Now she dances with the sirens that
Hunt these streets just trying to track me down

In a darkened corner
I lift my blanket over me behind the skip trying to stay warm
Awoken by the screaming and hounds Barking they jumped me like a swarm
I was caught in the glow of the blue lights flashing and hatred in their eyes
They pulled me up and pushed me out onto
the main street and into the sky

And there was stacey
Her long brown hair was still as young as the day we first met
Fifteen years ago I held her in my arms where in the church we were wed
I bowed my head in shame as she asked me to explain
And all I said was

The door was open
And from then on I've condemned myself
I'm lost and I am broken
I'm hungry and confused, it feels like I am over
I used to have a wife, a house I used to have a rover
Until the works shut down and I was left wondering around chasing fivers along the ground
My fingers bleed from scratching he dirt and my skin is cracked and broken
....The door was open

Burning candles and red painted wood, in the corner of the room
That’s where the stolen bar stool stood, that’s where you sit every night
Just playing with your guitar, in your long red gypsy skirt, encased in candle smoke and red painted wood
You invited me back to yours, never told me what for, for that you left my mind guessing
But I see you see the way I look at you; I guess this is my confession
In the kitchen sink, pots are collecting dust; i sort of figured you don’t have much company
On the floor the clothes you wore yesterday, laid out like an epiphany of what’s to be
You’re brown eyes, they saw me looking, then you walked over to me
You could have walked forever; you could have cut straight through me
With each step you take, your clothes slipped off, until all you wore was that red laced thong
Still lingering in the air was your guitar song and my confession
The window partly open, I smelt the pine trees, felt the autumn breeze
My hands wrapped around your waist so hard, you let out a beautiful scream
That never came out, your lips rode across my body, I was your highway, you were a lost passenger trying to find your way home so throughout the night you rode me
My hard hands were scarred, from the years of work and drinking games I’d played, the sun turned out her light, I shut the blinds, my hands ventured to the air between your thighs as on the bed you laid
Her bare breast left nothing much to the imagination, my fingers rolled across them; I’m just a red blooded male here to fill my obligations
She opened herself to me so I let myself in, the sweat poured from my forehead straight to her skin,
I kissed her feet; my tongue stroked her legs, and then ventured back to her bare chest
On the way her mouth opened her sweet neck tipped straight back
Exposing the whiteness beneath her chin and in my hands was her hair, a beautiful jet black
And in that moment, her white skin felt so soft, as we lay and touch each other tenderly
Then she mentioned something about us being forever, I got dressed and took my leave
I’m just a ******* red blooded man trying to fill my boots, not looking for committed relations
I left that woman lying on the bed, remembering all of my confessions
She could be there, a long, long time

Sunday morning, should have been some warning, something I didn’t see
You pulled up into my life with your ripped jeans on and said “come and take a ride with me”
The ride won’t be easy, people might get hurt but we’re gonna have some fun
Like with the car roof down and the radio screaming tramps like us are born to run
In that 5 door ford, those summer nights I adored when we would just drive along the beach
Picking up those girls in their short summer skirts outside the bar on Clifton Street
Remember when we pulled up the car and headed into the town
Those nights you knew something was, going down
Remember when I had your back, I knew that you had mine, like two brothers from a separate blood line
I took you home to my family, I was 19 years old you were twenty three, that was the only difference between the two of us, we’re just two unrelated brothers out to have us some fun
Those random drives, those random nights those beautiful random girls and those random fights
The bruises you made from the words that you said, forgotten on a Sunday morning when I went home to bed
And the very next day you would call me, asking when will I next be free
When I’m with you I laugh like all the old friends do, I say you just get me and you know I get you!
At twenty one, the fun had only begun, our arms we matched with the same colored ink
And if I saw a girl I thought I could marry one day I’d always ask you my brother “what do you think”
Out in the love hunting bars, we search for those town girls, it seems like that was a different world
You told me you were getting married, I told you that I was too
I was the best man by your side at the altar, when you told my replacement that I do
Even in the darkest hours, my phone waits for you to ring
The sun comes up every morning, and the birds still sing
My phone gathers dust waiting for you next to call
I thought aint life just a funny old thing

There's a snowflake drifting down the alley
And it lands In a puddle of rain
The puddle freezes over, the snowflakes growing it will, never fly again
Well, way above the alley there's a flat with a bedroom light on
In the corner of the room was a baby's crib surrounded by a newborn, dad and mom
I lay in the next room, listening to all of your cries,  
my daddy scooped me up in his big strong arms and rested me right by your side
From that moment, we were bonded by more than just blood,
there's some magic tonight in this endless night, you know it's my job to teach you good
I watched you growing faster than that snowflake ever did
We would mess around in the scrapyard ground and you would mimic all i did
I was the biggest giant you were David, you cut me down
Then you'd pull me up with your tiny palms from that ***** little scrapyard town
Out in the street, sometimes I'd catch you looking at me,
I was the hero of a.child who looked up to his brother, that brother was me
It wasn't all easy, you my brother were never all good
But whenever we'd fall out I'd lift the hair from your ear and whisper softly were more than just blood
Do you remember those dark nights when the world was asleep
Pull out a picnic blanket in the middle of our room and make this night, our own to keep
Talking, for hours you asked me how do I make my way in this world
I said I don't know yet but when I figure it out I promise I'll tell you
On your first day of school I sat and watched in the window on the alley top
I watch you walk on by with pride in your step you looked back to me but you never stopped
In my mind you were always one of a kind smiling each and every step of the way
I always hoped that those lessons I thought you, you could teach your own one day
There's a snowflake drifting down the street and it lands on the tip of my tongue
There's some radio playing from the alley flats and it's playing our fun song
There's two boys running down the street chasing around rolling in the mud
One of those boys pulls the other one down and I hear him whisper ... it's more than just blood

You remind me darling, of a dream I once had
I was fishing by the river, with a rod in my hand
From my pocket fell a penny and hid in the grass
and from the fields next door I could hear the children laugh
I closed my eyes and I tipped back my head
Remember when me and Maggie lay together in bed
And the only sound made was the rustling of the sheets
And the cats in the alley fighting out in the street
Maggie told me her sins and I washed them away
Maggie begged me to hold her and like children we played
Unsusre of ourselves or what we should do
I asked for her forgiveness, Maggie said I forgive you
She reminded me of a story I knew
Where the odd behavior or the lunatic and fool
As they danced together in the crimson sunlight
Me and my Maggie hid right out of site
I smile to myself as I remember those days
I remember old habbits and funny old ways
I think of the days when my bones used to work
And my teeth were my own and I had many girls
But these days, my eyes see shorter than they did
And I sometimes think Davey, aint life so ****
The way that person you were feels like an old movie star
And the memories you have of cold nights in your car
Feel so far away but yet they feel so close
And those memories haunt you like a ghost
Until all that’s left is a chair and a rod
And the muddy foot holes in the fields where you trod
And at the end of the day I sit here wasting away
With a rod in my hand throwing penny’s in the lake
Listening to children laugh, to the wind as she blows
Remember thinking will Maggie love me this much when I’m old

Smile, he said and it’ll all be over soon
She forced a smile upon her face
Her head turned away
He thought she loved it too
In a dark lit motel room
Unwashed curtains partly open
Upon her face that smile retained
And with it, the pain of what she did every night
Lucinda from Annawan came
Left school and moved away
The promise of a job well paid
That’s the pull that took her away
But when the factory closed, she still needed food and to be clothed, that’s when things got desperate
And so she walked the streets, holes in her shoes, water in her feet
Stain upon the dress she tried to keep neat, her hair blowing in the breeze
“How much do you think you’re worth”
this guy whispered into her ear
“I used to think a lot, but maybe now not so much,
how much have you got ? my dear”
And so that was that, men would come and men would go
Slip her money and never look back, time passed so slow
By 1984, she saved and saved
Even got her own little place
A child, a cat and bills were paid,
Only because of her body that was worth more than the living wage.
At night she would work
Her boy all tucked up in bed
"you know the score I’ll be home in the morning"
That was what Lucinda said
But in the day she didn’t sleep, she just sat up and cried
At the end of the day she had little money, and in her home she had no pride
With every man that came, they took a piece of her soul
Until at the age of 34 she looked so old
That’s when business was slow, times got hard real fast, like the youth and beauty she took for granted her money ran out fast
Until all that’s left was some hollow shell of a woman, her eyes still cry in the daylight, for that soul she sold for money

Mary and Jake holding hands by the lake
His lost soul broken her slender body aches
The weight of the world, turns there heart to stone
Two broken foreheads meet, their heads bowed to the ground
His hands pressed on her cheek, slowly down Jake's hand slides
Capture in his palms those dry tears Mary cried
So come on over Lucile, baby you can join us too
This right here is our therapy, we can make room for you
Over she slipped, the three huddled together out of sight
Jake guides his hand through Lucile's hair, Mary was smiling
Off they came, Mary slipped free from her clothes lay all to bare
Lucile guided her fingers over Mary's skin, like some long forgotten prayer
The moon was watching, dancing to every beat we made
In a world haunted by tragedy, look at the magic we created
The grass was wet, a firm imprint where Lucile lay
Like one of those white chalk lines of some lost soul, that will wash away with the rain
In the morning it was all done, together in some euphoria far, far away
Mary smiles and turns to them "let's do this again some day"
Jake pressed his head against Mary's ear, you'll never create this magic again
Stands in the conquered grasslands beneath the morning sun, buttons up his jeans and walks away

I sit down; take a long look at the man staring at me
That man in the mirror, crooked nose, eyes full of hope
In their reflections I see the ghost, of a man haunted by his past
The lines on my face, I didn’t make them
They just appeared, now I don’t have a name
I’m just a man in the mirror
Lavinia turns the gas stove on, My boy with his guitar playing me a song reminding me of when I was young
My bones ache, how can that be ? I thought I was only twenty three, I’m a champion boxer, yeah that’s me but look at my fingers, there all crooked
Photographs line the wall, an old trophy gathers dust in the hall
I hear the guitar playing and Lavinia’s call, you’ll always be a champion to me
What she doesn’t know, is when she’s away I put on a show, reach for my glove, dim down the light, getting ready for the big fight
But the hand doesn’t really fit that glove no more, and those shorts are kind of small, you could even say they were a little tight, I stand beneath the light
I’m ready now, sip some whisky and ponder round, waiting for the champ to come out, this one will be over by the fourth
Go back to the mirror in the hall, who’s this ******* guy standing in my shorts, wearing my gloves that are gathering dust, with 2 front teeth missing
A body too big for his clothes, and that ridiculous crooked nose, gray hair like it’s been gathering the dust too,
Suddenly the light comes on, **** Lavinia’s home, catches me standing all alone a sight for sore eyes
She takes me by the hand, sits me down, covers my pasty body with my old boxing gown, my vacant eyes looking around
She whispers “you’ll always be a champion to me”

Daniel raced some ****** in the year of the monkey
For a brand new set of vintage strings
Beat the ****** real easy, took the vintage guitar
And smiled “hey man it’s just one of these things”
Placed the guitar over his shoulder, like a baby he held her
Closed his eyes and played some chords
With the chords came some lyrics, in the darkness he sat
In the center of Jensen Grand Concert Hall
The ghost on the piano, she preformed a haunting solo
Behind him was a phantom band
In front a phantom crowd
In the pre-warm up show, he rocked the empty old concert hall stand
Outside some kids from Coltman,
Drinking some beer and just smoking some crack
He and the phantom band headed home
Past the house of the Pocatello Nymphomaniac
Daniel walked up the stairs, sat on his chair, pulled out his guitar and played
Next door the neighbors sat with their ears to the wall listening to the midnight serenade
The old boy across the road in Jasmine Street opened the window, to hear the guitar crying
Listening to the sound of the junkies strings and the, silent neighbors smiling
In the morning he was still playing, his fingers red, they were getting tired,
The audience next door exhausted on the floor but, still smiling
Now back to the grand concert hall for his first ever gig, and the posters all around the town
Read Daniel and his 6 ****** strings are going to bring the house down
The local poet society, were reciting poetry to me, empty chairs in the hall, I stand on the stage looking for familiarity,on this day I’ve waited for
The first ones through the door were the neighbors who made love to my music
Tears still in their eyes from last night’s show, they took my gift of music and abused it
And the man from down the block he’s here too he shouted “Daniel this world needs more **** musicians like you”
Fat Shane from Mobile Alabama who’s just come out the slammer on day release to just see me
Soon the hall’s filled with 1200 faces all crowded in this space but there’s just 2 empty seats
One is for my mother who’s 3 years passed and told me son always follow your dreams
And the others for the ****** and the Monkey who lost the race and gifted these vintage strings to me

Here I am jus standing in the rain
I'm 24 years old right now
But for twelve I've been feeling pain
I've often wondered how you feel
Or if you hurt the same
So tell me now, do you hurt the same ?

Here I am just waiting in the rain
I've known you all these years
But always been afraid to say it
Like silence beats rejection
So in silence I'll pray
For you to notice me, standing here in pain

But there I was again waiting in the rain
I told myself one evening
That when it rains I'd say it
I'd tell you how I long for you
And you'd say you want me too
We could walk off in the sunset
And my silence would be broken
I'd hold you all night long
But no words would be spoken

I saw you walk right to me
But by your smile I faltered
The rain clouds guide you to me
Our paths still to be altered
But you leave me here just standing in the rain
If you need me dear I'll be waiting in the rain

There's this tiny little place in a big old town
Where chimneys watch over men as they work
Many years ago they were just ten thousand bricks
But soon they rose above us like ghosts from the earth
Some say eight hundred men now walk these roads
Some at night, some come at day
Some don't even sleep they just close their eyes
And some are half dead that's what the folk say
If you're lucky enough when your hands are sore
And you feel you can't give any more
You'll feel sweat kiss your eyes then you'll look up and smile because you've seen the angel of the works
Some people say she ain't real and other men say she's made from their dreams
Listen carefully to the town folk talk they say she's haunted them since twenty thirteen
So many men, they fall down again when they pull themselves up from the floor
As soon as her long blonde hair and her bright blue eyes glide past the workshop door
It could be a hot summers day, there could be bullets of rain, January or even September
But I promise you this when your driving along and you see that blonde hair you'll always remember
She's as rare as an albino blackbird, as beautiful as a velvet black Swan
Whenever I'm feeling down I just keep driving around wondering where has my angel gone.

The Pit River soaked the Alturas earth, beneath the light of the hospital a woman giving birth
Inside the local bar was a man drinking gin, the church of the sacred heart full of repenting sins
All of those places are lost on me; I keep walking the Alturas streets, kicking the scorched earth, with my naked feet
Just dancing along North West Street
They’re making it harder for me to live; I’ve got nothing more to give
I got a job, what money I make, the government fat cats take and take
One day, I took up traveling, one day I ran away
In a bar in Nevada I found Louisa, and with me she came
We were the modern day Bonnie & Clyde
Her hair more red than any autumn leaf, or those fires from hell,
we spent so long together, we got on real well
Found ourselves in Bodie, where we danced with those ghosts
Headed down to Manzanar, slept beneath the heavens stars it was her laugh, I loved the most
Made love beneath the Klamath Mountains, where my soul, Bonnie Stole
Washed our feet in the Klamath River, packed our bags and carried on
Soon we had no money, something had to be done
When it looked like it was all over, Bonnie showed me her gun
Should have been easy, just a hold up, no one had to get hurt
Bonnie ran the tip of the revolver along her lips then slipped it into her skirt
We walked for days, until we came to Hornbrook where a man on his porch
Caught us rustling in his trash can, in the light of his torch
Bonnie got so mad that she panicked, grabbed the old man and pushed him down
Placed her arms around the grey hairs that grace his neck, took a look around
Forced him through the wooden doors of his home, and said “give us all you got”
The old man he had nothing, her shaking hands pulled the trigger, the grey haired man, she shot
I just stood there and sighed "Louisa, what have you done"
Faster than the bullet that pressed it’s self into the stranger’s chest, Louisa started to Run
Shortly after, the sirens rang out; I was left standing in the porch
Watching the silhouette of my Louisa in the light of the law enforcement torch
I see her reach that smoking revolver her arms straight towards the local cop’s car
Hear the shots run out, her silhouette falls to the ground, her lifeless body beneath the stars
Spent some months, on the run didn’t hang around
But I still dream of my Bonny Louisa, and the warmth in those cold nights we found

The red stained cloth stroked the plastic sheet in a greasy down town café
Sally swept the hard yellow floors, wiped those grease filled walls and washed the dirt away
Put her apron on its hook, took one final look and said “See you in the morning”
Sam smiled as he turned the closed light on and slept until the dawn
The dawn came round faster than a comet in the night his eyes shut then they opened
People filled the greasy café looking for something more than the food that should be condemned
In walked Sally from Manhattan she took her place by Sam
Her daughter slipped in the side door, in search of the ideal man
Sophie was 4 years younger, her body showed that awful well
Her eyes lit those greasy café walls like an angel lit up hell
And the smell of grease around the room turned to roses and perfume
Sam took one look at Sophie and from that day was doomed
Another day was over, my god another day had begun
In his sleep as he lie next to his girl of seven years Sam dreamed of another one
And Sophie took home jail release boys and thugs from the hard estate
Sally worked the café and swept the rooms from morning until late
She’d get home and see Sophie with some **** and say get with someone like Sam
The jail **** drug runner got given the kick in place of another man
One night Sam was cleaning up and Sally cleaned up too
They tired from the day’s work and the sentence of the greasy spoon
"Are you happy with that 7 year girl back home or have you yet got that awful itch
Sophie’s at home why don’t you go see her and together you can sit"
Sam wipes the sweat from his head the temptation wears him down
Shuts out the light of the old closed sign “Sally I’ll see you around”
Sally prays her daughter just finds an honest man
Some kisses in the rain on James Street, a ring and then some babies with some one like Sam
She sits over an empty coffee cup, in some empty coffee bar
See’s her old friend Orion and wished upon a star
Sam’s walking home all alone, in the shadows Sophie stands
Have you ever seen such perfection on those perfectly manicured hands?
Sam’s stood in shock as she placed a kiss softly on his lips
Her face comes from the shadows his hands rest on her hips
Grease mixed with perfume to create something I can’t even tell
He remembers that girl waiting home and knows he’s going to hell
But if hell tastes like this tongue that Sophie placed on mine
Then lord for me that’s fine
I’ll pay the price, do the sentence like a man and do my handed time
In the shadows they discover each other, he never knew she had a tattoo there
Sophie’s tongue rests on Sam’s ear and her nose buried in his hair
Sally’s still wishing in her coffee cup completely unaware
And Sam’s girl back home ain’t got no clue as she’s sitting in the chair
Two hours later exhausted by love and everything he discovered that night
He explored the beauty of the world in the shadows out of sight
In the arms of whom he dreamed of my god my dreams were not enough
To tell me how your face would look when to you I made sweet love
In at 2 he walked back through his broken hinged front door
He see’s that seven year girl fast asleep on the hard wooden polished floor
She wakes and kissed his hard neck and said you smell of sweet perfume
Have you really been working to pay the bills at the condemned greasy spoon ?
He smiles “the grease smelt of roses tonight and I got covered in that rose smelling grease”
Sophie watches the silhouette of Sam and his 7 year loved huddled together from the deserted evening street
Sophie sits by her mother under Orion and prays one day to settle down; Sam goes to bed one more night and dreams of his dance in the shadows down town

He lie in bed next to number seven, hides beneath the covers and the shame
Said as long as I live I know that grease and dirt will never smell the same

Green leaves sleeping on the trees
The sky is getting dark but still fighting to stay bright
Sun so angry I can feel it putting up a fight
Trying to hold on
The streets were dry, it hadn't rained for seven days
And there was something in the air that Wednesday, back in July
Empty tin cans crushed under my feet
Half drunken bottles discarded in the street
But I can relate, that bottle is me
The paths I've walked a thousand times
The shops round here with no lights on cos it's way past closing time
It's beautifully haunting when you're walking down the road
But your all alone

I was 22 years old, I slipped into a night club
To escape the cold
I see this girl she's smiling from the corner of the room
Her friends crowded around her and they're all laughing too
She looks over at me, my head bows
Humbled by the beauty she possesses
I look back up and she's still looking too but why
That's anyone's guess
Her long black hair turned green then red with the changing of the light
Walked over to me gave me her hand then i sighed
I receive it like a gift of all the riches in the world

Then her hand fell upon my chest

I never asked her name, nor did our lips ever meet
For if I knew your name I'd walk these ancient streets
Searching once again for your hand upon my chest
So maybe not knowing your name is for the best
Then I can still dream of how perfect you are
In that little black dress, matching. Long black hair
And those Crimson lips on pale skin, or your tiny dancing feet
Holding on to this half empty bottle
that just rolls down silent streets

Last night i woke up, i turned but you were gone
I sat up in the darkness of my home
As i walk through the hallway to my living room suite
I see you're rose red lips and your naked dancing feet
All the other boys in town turn their heads as you walk by
Our hands they touch as i hold yours and you hold mine
As i feel the breath you take, my hands they squeeze
Then i close my eyes and all i see is Louise
Other boys they come and then they go
Every man in town wants you but you say no
Sometimes you walk through the evening street
And when you take each step even the cobbles kiss your feet
You've left me drained and empty but yet so full
And girl no other woman can kiss me quite like you
So at the end of each day i pray for faith and peace
Then i close my eyes and all i see is Louise
Preachers and heretics, martyrs line the road
Each hone with no purpose nor no place to go
Boys watch from the wayside, in your window to catch a glimpse of you
Combing your silk black hair like only the way you do
Well me i can walk the same cobbles that you have
But the people won't turn and i won't catch a kiss from the path
But you found a travelling boy and knocked him to his knees
Now every time i close my eyes all i see is Louise

In and old abandoned corn shed
Where men calve lumps of stone
Sitting in some old abandoned corner
Young Johnny sits all alone
See Johnny's wife, she left him
For some Sacramento stud
Now his tears they hit the corn shed floor
While the stones wash in his blood

In a down town whisky bar
Where the drinks will bring you down
Make you feel like you've won the fight
But there's no one else around
Sit's a beautiful woman who has no place to go
But a thousand down town men that want to take her home

But a village by the name of Palmetto
Where the lanes are named the same
Lived beautiful young Louisa
Who made my heart beat lame
And for all the worlds riches now seem worthless
Like nothing could ever rise above this
But when she stands there waiting with those shot-gun lips
My eyes they travel from her jawbone to her hips
She asks me to come in and make a sacrifice
Leave my heart on the doorstep to paradise

Soft kisses in the night, softly and with such despair in those eyes
whispers stay here with me tonight, stay with me at least until sunrise
So i carry the cross of David
For all those worshipers tonight
For all the children with no food to share
or those who've just lost sight

As we walk up those stairs i made a promise to keep her safe
Now i'm covered in her beauty but simply lost in all of her faith

Sing along girl to the group of men all dancing in the bar
I stand stranded alone between them
Sing for me not one of those drinking playing games
The lights dance to the tune you play tonight, the smoke spells out your name
Sing along girl we could do something magical tonight
After you stop playing around, singing we could venture into the night
Where there is no light, that’s just the way it goes
When you stop, you place your guitar over your left shoulder; I see the way you walk away,
Cigarettes in the ash trays smolder
Time keeps ticking, the night is getting older, let me show you something to sing about
Sing along girl let me open your eyes to the promenade
The fortune tellers standing, old gypsy woman got your card
Let’s sneak away from the dancing men and all the silent nights
I’ve know this place some miles away, we can make it tonight
Just you and I
Silently we sit in my brand new second hand Ford; the only sound made now is the engine breathing
The owls watching, the moon falling as I fall for you
Sing along girl we don’t have much more time
Soon enough the sun will rise then fall a second time
The moon will return and then will you to take you place down town
Where the drunken men stand once again to listen to the sound
The strings of your guitar make whilst your voice fills the room
I again shall stand alone between the crowds of men
To watch my sing along girl
So sing along …… sing along girl ……

Deep breath, sit still, you’ll love it, I know you will
That’s when I closed my eyes and nothing was ever the same
It went so deep down to where my demons sleep
Black ink spell your name and nothing’s ever gona be the same
I can tell you all about, the fun we had, the night walks along the beach
I can tell you about the flowers I pulled from the spring fields covered in autumn leaves
But when it’s all over now and I wonder how something so good could end
I look way down onto my side and am reminded of an old friend
It spells out your name in black there’s no going back, I was for keeps you said
Remember the first night we drank and ran through the towns then ended up in my bed
And you told me I’m your king; you can be my queen of a distant country
You just lay there with desperation in your eyes and said come and conquer me
I can’t tell you, how much I loved you; the mark you left upon me is a black scar upon my skin
The first time you saw your name laid out on me so perfectly
Tender at the touch of your silk skin, young love was you and me
Like we were two caged birds just let out ready to rule the world
And the streets could be on fire, the world could fall but that don’t matter cos I’ve got this girl
This girl who told me I’m her king, she’s my queen and, in an empty candle lit ball room we danced
Me with my shirt half opened and your name obscured, never been good at romance
So it must mean this ink etched skin and the name within it mean we’re for keeps
We’re going to get married, have some kids and watch them as they sleep
Where have you gone? Where are you my dear, one moment you’re in my arms now you’re no longer here
Those long cold nights of shouting and screaming; now these fingers stroke your name searching for the meaning
Like a magician one minute you were stood here then the next my angel you disappear
But your name is forever scared on me, reminding me of how beautiful young love can me

The soft kiss of your lips, it felt like I’d been born all over again
You’d never been kissed before; those were the words that you said
And in the shelter of the shadows that were hiding from the sunlight
In the middle of the world, you were always there by my side
Close your eyes and take a breath, feel the electric
Darling I can hold you tight, and promise this kiss you’ll never forget it
We were just two desperate lovers, with youth on our side
Caught up in the moment, so beautiful the street beggar cried
Wishing she was youthful again and remembering the feeling
Of her own first kiss some moons ago beneath the run down school hall ceiling

Time she moved fast, is anything this good really meant to last ?
Your kiss is still mine, and for your sweet love, I still pine
I was besotted by the thought of you and you make me kind of crazy
Tell me I can kiss your lips once more, tell me pretty lady
I aint good enough to be your man and is this just a joke
You were an angel in my wildest dreams emerging from the smoke
And months they passed our silence grew as we ran out of things to say
When all we ever did before was French kissing night and day
The honeymoon periods over, pack up your bags and run
I said I’m sorry Maria, it’s all been kind of fun
But we don’t have that much in common when it’s all said and done
And maybe I was caught in the moment thinking my first kiss was the one
I walk down the same street, past the spot where we first kissed
And now and then I glance over and see our ghosts caught in the bliss
Of an eternal love locked kiss

I’d lie at night and dream one day you’ll be mine
Watch you from one of those passing cars
Slowing down to get a glimpse of you looking so fine
Sitting in the window of some coffee bar
Sipping some skinny late,
And I’d wish that cup in your hand was me

I’d dream I was that cup in your hand
And your lipstick would be stained on me too
I wish I could get as close to you
As those waiters do
Who bring your coffee cup
I stare intoxicated, drunk on your beautiful looks

I’d dream I was the person sitting in your company
I dream about you a lot but hey a boy got to dream
It’s the fuel that guides me
And keeps me going when I know I have no chance
Of being the mug your lips kiss, or the waiter who longs for
Something more than a summer romance

Maybe I could stop my car and stare no more
If I sat near you then maybe I’d see
That stolen cars and coffee bars are just places within my dreams
I see you smile but hey, what does that smile mean ?
It’s the not knowing and always guessing that keeps this red blooded man keen
It’s not the rejection that’ll hurt, for being with you might not be all that it seems
Because if I’m with you and your not as good as you were last night in my dreams
Then I’m cheated of my desires, my dreams are all lies
And I won’t know who I am anymore!
So I’m happy being that guy, driving some rusty car always slowing down past the coffee bar
Admiring you from afar and I’m going to dream of you again tonight!

Daniel left for work, late last night
Past the rusty cars and sports hall clubs where fat Eddie Shaw got his title fight
Walking the streets, lunch box in hand, through the hard metal gates where the gate house sits
Through the entrance of the steel mills land
There’s a furnace over there blasting out smoke but is smoke all its making?
There’s some politician sitting in his executive suite always just taking
Like you give your life and blood to these mills but it’s never really going to be enough
When times are good my god they’re great but when they’re bad they’re awful tough
Tonight I saw the steelers come from the mills like a snake from beneath a rock
Such empty eyes trying to read past the Westminster lies wondering how much more work he’s got
Then they fall through the floodgates with banners in their hand chanting please don’t close our mills
I’ve a wife at home, and some children to keep, I’ve got a mortgage, I’ve got bills
Into the Concast plant where Big max stands with sweat dripping from his hand
There’s something wrong, is there a conspiracy, is our fate already planned ?
And little Tommy McCann on his first school trip was told this mill’s where your grandfather worked
They want to close it down, his legacy will be lost, they want to raise this mill to the earth
Maybe in some office there’s a plan on it’s way
But it’s getting too late, save our children they say
And the workers who worked there working life at these works still pleading something needs to be done
Daniel he walked into the smoke of the four queens, towering over the houses and chimney stacks, have you ever seen them
Into the furnace, he shelters from the rain, looks up to the stars over the steel town that’ll never be the same
And he remembers as a boy he’d sit on the knee of his grandpa below the pipe from his lips as he choked
Grandpa rubbed my back, his lips pressed to my ear and told me one day you’ll taste the furnace smoke
You see in this town there’s nothing else around and my boy it’s a done deal
The tracks the trains roll on and supports that hold up the towers are all built from this towns steel
One day Daniel you’ll take your place in the line like me and my daddy before me
And when you have some kids they too will work the mills and you can tell them all my steelmaking story’s
Like when I was thirteen years old and watched a man go cold after getting covered in molten metal
And the way the furnace roars then settles down, the Devils cry from hell
Back in the cold air, on top of the furnace, a shooting star shot past him and upon it he made a wish
My grandpa died, back in 93
although I miss him I’m pleased he’s gone so he don’t have to see
The closing of the mills and the tears in the eyes of all the desperate men
Telling their wife and kids they can’t pay the bills and can’t pay the rent
Daniels sixty three now, the mills closed a long time ago
Sits his grandchildren on his frail knees and tells them of the town that once blew smoke
And they stare at him, with amazement in their eyes,
Daniel’s getting ready for work back at the convenience store but his heart’s grown weary and tired
Long after I’m gone remember the words I tell about the mighty steel mills
My darling grandson keep safe those stories, promise grandpa that you will
They were a sacred land in the middle of a town and they should never have closed the beautiful place down
And now all that’s left of the mills and where they stood is some open grass field

Will you tell me please my darling, what have I done
Will you tell me is it those words I spoke, tell me what’s wrong
We’ve been holding hands now for six years, and seven days
Will you tell me sweetheart, has our love ran away
You just stood there standing in your evening gown, just walking these walls of our old town house
And the only thing you tell me now is that you’re filled with doubt, and you don’t know where to go
You see before there was only you and me, then you gave birth and it was so sweet
But it left you confused and needing me, but you didn’t tell me how you feel
So I pulled out the wooden chair,
took hold of your hand and guided you there
Sat you down and told you my ears are now yours
You said some days I just don’t want to get up, some days I’m happy, others I’ve had enough
When I look in the mirror I’m a little lost, and I just want to close my eyes
And when you’re there it’s really great but in those evening when it’s dark and it’s getting late
There’s a baby she’s screaming for something to eat and I’ve not yet found my own feet
And for these feelings I have do they make me bad
I’m the mother you are the dad
But does that mean we now forget all the fun we had, before we settled down
It feels like these four walls are now my life, but your my husband and I’m your wife
And you’re not strong enough to hold the tears I cry so I just keep on going on
Then you stand up and give me a smile
I kiss your head and tell you it might take a while
But anything you ever need, darling come see me
The very next day you were singing around, dancing with our baby ******* the ground
Laughing and smiling, I love that sound,
baby look at you both, now you’re fixed You told me you were never broken
It’s not a condition I have that’s been diagnosed It’s just I feel a little heart broken
And I don’t know what for, because it’s still you I adore
I just need to feel like me again, instead of sitting here I should be out in the rain
Breathing the air from the world and washing away the pain
So when I’m down, when I’m in a mood, when I say some things that hurt and I shout at you
It’s because the clocks still ticking but time don’t move
And I just want you to hold me in your arms

It's never been my goal in life to make lots of money
It's just, something I learned along the way now honey
I'm just stranded in this big old world trying to make my way through
With no money but pockets full of love to give I try to take care of you
We would sit together in our rags, those evenings when it's no longer sunny
And I'd still laugh at all your silly little jokes even when they ain't that funny
But now I'm laughing, laughing at those things we've done
Because I love you, you know I do but I don't know where we're going
I'm still laughing, laughing back at you, you see
Girl one day I hate you but the next I love you enough to set you free
Those things we talked about, in the evenings
You said you feel trapped girl, so I packed my bags, I'm leaving
But hey that ain't really, really what you want
I say I want to leave you but my heart tells me I can't
What are we doing, to ourselves my pretty girl
All we are is two small dots on the face of this small earth
And now you're laughing .... How I loved our laugh so sweet
I want to walk right over to you, and sweep you off your feet
Smiling at me, why can't we just get along
Every night I dream about you and by the day about you I write songs
I think about you, with every single breath I take
It's a constant struggle with you by my side in this world to make it
Lets laugh .... Laugh together at what we've done
Let me hold your hand when you need a friend or a shoulder to cry on
Together honey, it's pretty clear we ain't that good no more
But I cherish the love we used to have and you know I still adore you
And just maybe, when we both know what we want
We could meet up, then just maybe we could have then what we now can't
Let me kiss you, just one last time kiss me
Then I promise I'll love you just enough to set my baby free

It was never enough; my love was never good enough they said
For you, for you, for you
You were the daughter of a father who, would never let us be
I was the lover of a daughter who fell in love with me
Secret nights we spent together, beneath the summer rain
Secret nights I sat alone in my room wondering if I will see you again
But those warm nights in the empty town when there’s no one else around
When our hands kiss and our lips stroke and your breath is the only sound
I would open my eyes and see, the girl who haunts my dreams
If you ever open your eyes enough you’d see nothing’s ever quite as it seems
If I could hold you forever I’d pull you close to me
If I had the strength my love I’d pull so hard until you became one with me
And if you only remember a few words I spoke, when you sit alone in your room
Remember the promise I made when I said my love was for you, for you, for you

We were forever growing older, but nothing moves that fast, I beg for your hand but you told me
Daddy said it would never last
Run away with me, I’ll run right by your side, and our feelings that shame us, we’d no longer hide
Open hands in the day time, and walks along the beach, and when the winter storm clouds gather, we can shelter out of reach,
Far away from the cynics, from all the doubters in the town, we’d just be two silent lovers in the downpour, with all our love around
Maybe we would stay together, then again maybe we won’t,
But we’ll always keep on guessing my love if our chance to take, we don’t
Look at us sitting here, you’re a lover, I’m a fool
But remember those promises I made when I promised my love was for you, for you, for you

I saw them, those delicate cracks that cover your once red lips; I felt them as they pressed against my tiny cheeks, my eyes shut tight as I felt every rupture and the pain your lips carry, my unwrinkled skin received your kiss like a long awaited gift and then …. It was gone
I saw them, those eyes once full, they reflected everything around them, like a sponge absorbing the very essence of life, and how your eyes used to shine at me, but now as you stare at me they carry an uninhabited look about them, where have you gone?
I saw them, the convulsing of your once great hands, the same hands that cradled my infant form are now too weak to bear the weight of one’s own bones, let me hold you for a while
I hear you when you whisper to me that I am never alone, and I hold that thought forever, that is my comfort
And so here we are, your final twitch, our goodbye for now, for 48 summers you carried yourself along on this journey, should I see 49 I wish only to be half as beautiful as you
I close my eyes and you were gone, and the room was desolate with all but my love for you
The thirteenth day of June becomes a mere marker of the distance between us
And now all of these years later I sit in my own dwelling, still daydreaming of you, and within the 18 summers that have raced passed me I have borne my own offspring
And when they play as I used to, when they nestle amongst themselves and laugh, the laughter of innocence I smile and I hope wherever you are you can smile too and say “I saw them”

I remember those mornings when I'd drive down the street and see you, wanting to pause time forever so that moment would be framed and I could admire you for eternity
Those days when you weren't mine to hold and I'd dream that maybe one day I may be with someone who's soul is as beautiful as yours

I remember those nights when we'd sit in the same room, on the same sofa and all that lay between us was a cushion and our insecurities, a cushion and uncertainties
Then I'd go home and try to remember what you looked like and smile because I've just breathed the same air as you for ten minutes

I remember those nervous laughs that conceal how I truly felt as we sat across the coffee bar table, and I try to stare but not for too long just to know the colour of your eyes
A mix of brown and green, that shouldn't work but for your beauty one eye colour could never be enough to suffice and compliment the complexion of your sun kissed skin

I remember how I felt when you said we should just be friends, like a rain sodden child on a Decembers night thwarted by a bolt of lightning through the heart, that I will always remember
Then I remember time as a distance and for what seemed like a thousand miles my naked feet had walked since your face I last saw. You emerged when I fell and held me, your arms were my sanctuary, my heart still belonged to you

I remember the first time we kissed, so unexpected yet so welcome, for ten seconds my heart stopped as our lips tenderly stroked, my hands for the first time ventured to places only in a forbidden dream that was locked away to stop the hurt of not holding you

And then my hands rested delicately against the skin that graced your hips, a groove perfectly created for my hands to sit, as fitting as a glass slipper, I held you for what seemed like forever, not wanting to move in case i woke, but could life be so cruel ?

I remember those nights when you'd stand in the evening window, wearing only your nakedness, so elegant and strong even the moon couldn't break through your form
You stood silhouetted in that window, the smoke dancing around your skin, how jealous I was of that smoke

I remember your laugh, your enchanting laugh, and how you said you loved me, begging me to hold you, and I complied, I was a slave to your beauty, you asked for my love and so my love was surrendered

I remember the day you bore me a child, My love for you was split in two and then multiplied, and I watch you cradle our son, the purest form of life lying delicately upon my dreams

I remember the day you became my wife, I held out my finger and you embraced it, I have you now, but you are still the woman I wish I could hold forever

I still remember the day we became homeowners, I wish we could lock ourselves away from this world, I've still not explored all of you yet

Those days how could I ever forget

In 1933, my darling Martha and me
Took a ride out past the boat lake
Where the only other things there were trees
We layed out a picnic blanket
She fell to the grass, we both ate it
For desert she said it’s love to be had, but I’ve not yet made it
Together we made love
Alongside the river where frogs and fish come together
The trees were waving at me, how could this be happening to me
I asked for her hand and got down on one knee
I built a house for the two of us
Made a couple of extra rooms for the kids
We’ve got none yet and there’s no rush
We’ve got our lives together, my Martha and me
Then came 1939, you know the date, you know the time
I found myself standing in the enrollment line
Martha said I’d not go, you’re not medically fit you know
She was with child; surely they’d keep me home
Stand up straight said the major, I want your height and your date of birth
Your next of kin and the names of the parents that made you
And if in the muddy fields you should die
Do you have yourself a wife?
We need someone to tell when those ******* take your life
I write down Martha Nathaniel, an unborn baby named Daniel, he'll have the most beautiful laugh, you know it’s kind of sweet
I come from Measham parish, past the coal pits and bad habits; my address sir is 27 Bosworth Street
Down came the red stamp, the moist air, the walls were damp, a line of boys being sent to their death,
You’re medically fit man, the soldier shook my hand I closed my eyes and took one last breath
Went home to Martha and told her, in my arms I held her and said, I’d be back for Christmas day
I found myself flying so high, in the evening sky where the sun was pushing up and guiding us the way
Over to Germany, a photo of Martha and me lie in my wallet next to where my heart beat so with me she will stay
Then I heard a sound, the pilot turned around “we’ve been hit” prepare to escape
I didn’t see nothing but white, a mighty big old light, maybe it was time for my judgment day
A bullet, a bang and some lightning, below us the wounded were lying
The men still fighting I fall from the sky like an angel with no wings
I hit the earth and kept falling, all around me soldiers mourning, “I think that’s Michael, the sergeant major sings”
A knock on the door back home, Martha holds Daniel in her arms and smiles when she see’s the uniform
Then she realizes it ain’t me, she fell to the ground and cried for weeks, they said he was a brave man and died with dignity
There’s a picture of me on the mantel piece, where before my baby goes to sleep
She tells him “that is your daddy” he fought for this country
And although he isn’t here with you and me
He loved you ever so dearly and he lies somewhere in the fields where for him the willows weep, My boy he lives in your blue eyes, but he sleeps forever neath the dust and the skies, where he rests in an eternal sleep.

Watching all the grey haired men, propping up the bar with the lines of age on their face
Their sordid desires pretty clear as they watch you dance in this place
Your skin is framed right above your knee high boots and below your little skirt
I just watch you from the corner of the bar dancing on the dust and dirt
I see the wildness in your eyes your brown hair flows to your waist
You don't want none of her they tell me, keep your distance or you'll loose your faith
But Rosie, I've seen you running barefoot through the puddles, screaming at the top of your voice
Rosie I don't want to need you like this but you leave me little choice
The way you dress, it's absolutely crazy, like your ahead of the game
And when e fat trucker orders 5 pints you say I'll have he same
When you should have been studdyimg real hard you were always out playing
Catching the eyes of the white collar boys with the beauty you were displaying
Running off in the summer heat, carrying the puddle water that still clings to your feet
Singing loudly, when the lights are all turned out, that must be Rosie the boys all start to shout
You can often see her, dancing in the all boys bar, or getting into the back seat of some random boys car
Wearing nothing, walking along the beach, Rosie tell me why it is you never notice me
I don't have nothing much to give I could be the anchor that grounds you
You could bring to me the laughter you have or the madness that surrounds you
Rosie where do you live, I hear it's a tent out on the pier
Come into the mainland and walk with me you have nothing left to fear
Who's the show for, what went wrong let me find out
Rosie if I could walk with you just please in me don't doubt
I want to find out the ingredients that were used to create someone so wild
You told me two crazy lovers had some fun and then along came a child
So you walk these streets, and never play by the rules
You said people that live there life to please offers well aren't they all just fools
You said I see the way, the old men stare in the bar I'm the one thing they can't have
And if I was only half as wild they wouldn't want me half as bad
Those girls who are never tied down they're the best you see
But maybe when I'm old and grey I'll settle down they they'll look for another Rosie

The fairground music played, under the palm trees
And the beggar running around having himself some fun
The sweet song serenade, it was our song to take
So we took it and we begun
Under the shadow of, the ancient Ferris wheel
Where teenage lovers locked lips and hands held tight
I hear the screaming of young love in the summer
Screaming promise you’ll always stay by my side
The gypsy danced, she was just magic
Then she fell to her knees
Her crimson dress, laced with yellow ribbon
Just a penny, for your thoughts if you will please
I see the magic, of the fairground, I see the lost lovers waiting to be found
I feel the passion of those soft kisses, and the fear of the old state ghost train in the fair ground
Maria came to me, I’d seen her in my dreams, her voice, was never what I thought
Let’s just stay right here, under the Ferris wheel and catch those lovers as they fall
We took a ride, through the house of mirrors and as I thought life’s never as it seems
Maria sang to me, her tongue tasted sweet, from the dungeons I hear the children scream
We took a walk, over the sandy streets, where the grains and the earth stuck to our feet
The boys in denim vests, shaved chests, I see the way they look at you Maria
I don't have the looks, but i can look at you with more passion than they do
I grab you by the hand, we run into the shadows of the travelers burlesque ball room
i saw Samantha in her, black laced corset, Little jimmy outside blasting music from his newly polished corvette
I see the way the other women look at me dear, but i'm just tasting paradise with Maria
I’m smiling, you were laughing, your teeth as white as the stars in the sky
Your sweet voice laying over the fairground song, was sweet enough to make a man cry
The juggler and hot dog stands, sit on the arid land, the rust gathers over the roller coaster
Me and Maria I think my dear we could just walk hand in hand through the fairground forever