Tempting Fate [CD]

We're lighting up our cigarettes
Three smokes on every match
Tempting fate and bad luck 
We're impossible to catch 
 
Sell a grain of truth
In a sandbag full of lies
Nobody weighs it anyway
When it's all they want to buy
 
I've seen men go down for less
They don't come back from these trenches
Both sides have fought all day
Now we're clearing out the benches
 
The enemy has Zippos
They don't need your matches anymore
& we're standing on the precipice
Between fragile peace and certain war
 
II:
I hate the weight of my gun
To have to wear it don't seem fair
I'd like to melt it down
Into a shiny new plowshare
 
But this soil ain't fit for tilling 
& the water ain't fit to drink
I'm trying to be a good soldier 
But I've been pushed past the brink
 
In three days we'll be evicted 
God knows where we'll go 
I gotta get some money
& the legal way is too slow
 
I don't want to be this desperate
I don't want to rob this store
I'm standing on the precipice 
Of fragile peace and certain war
 
Bridge: 
I long to live in peace
That's so much more than lack of violence 
But right now we see injustice 
And our collective response is silence
We have to lift each other up
Or lay scattered on the floor
We're all struggling on the precipice 
Of fragile peace and certain war
 
III:
Funny there's no money 
When poor kids need some food
We'll subsidize the richest man 
To drown in cheaper crude
 
Jamie's off to college
Jaime's bound for jail
You say that's the price for freedom
I say freedom's not for sale
 
Charlatans and preachers
Recruiting day & night
It's just as well, it's hard to tell 
Who's really on your side
 
The rich don't have the answers,
Neither do the poor
We're all standing on the precipice 
Of fragile peace
...and certain war

I'm a Texas girl
I've got boots for the dirt
Boots to play dress up
I throw away ones that hurt
 
Boots for the rain
And boots for the mud
Boots that go dancing 
And boots that go thud
 
But the boots that leave me wanting more-
Are my baby's boots at night 
When they hit the floor
Texas girls, I swear
We’ve always got more than one pair
 
---
 
This Texas girl 
Fears no snake in the grass
I’ve got some big, bad boots baby
That’ll glide across glass
 
I've got boots that climb ladders
Over any height of wall
Boots to give my sisters
Who ain't got no boots at all
 
But the boots that leave me wanting more
Are my baby's boots at night when they hit the floor
Texas girls, I swear
An occasion for every pair
 
---
 
I might waltz the night away
With friends of mine
Or shuffle down to Antone's
For a shine
Stumble straight into trouble
And sashay about
If I go astray, my boots save the day
I’ll just two step my way out
---
 
I'm a Texas girl
So don't go starting no fight
I've already sized you up
& my boot fits just right
 
I've got boots made for marching
Cause I seem to march a lot
The boots I wear while drinking
Make me stand straight when I'm not
 
But the boots that leave me wanting more
Are my baby's boots at night 
When they hit the floor 
Texas girls, I swear
We always have more than one pair

You took all my money
Smoked all my cigarettes
Drank all of my whiskey 
That ain’t the worst of it yet 
You cut my heart out
And threw it on the floor
You never even looked back, baby
You just walked right out the door
 
I must have been blinded
by my love for you
I gave all I had to you, Love
I thought that we shared a true love
Them broken hearted blues
Them broken hearted blues//
 
 
I saved up all I could
To buy you nice things
Then you wrecked the car I gave you
And lost your diamond ring
I could forgive you that, darling
If that was all that you done
But when you pawned my momma’s necklace 
I knew that I had to cut and run
 
I must have been blinded
by my love for you
I gave all I had to you, Love
I thought that we shared a true love
Them broken hearted blues
Them broken hearted blues//
 
Solos
 
I gave you my promise 
You gave me yours, too
We both jumped in blind
Like young lovers do
I can’t believe I was so trusting
I best believe you are gone
Now I’ve got my eyes open 
For what I should have seen all along
 
I must have been blinded
by my love for you
I gave all I had to you, Love
I thought that we shared a true love
Them broken hearted blues
Them broken hearted blues

I try not to curse at the sun when it’s rising
But I’ve been burned before so it’s not so surprising 
I cuss
Make a fuss
Start thinking about us
 
Sometimes our friends do us no favors
Adding fuel to the fire with various flavors
Of booze 
From which to choose
They all lead to the blues
 
CH: And that’s the condition in which you’ll find me
I can’t cut nor unbind these chains until finally
I’m through
Although I’m way overdue
I’m one of the fortunate few
 
Empty bottles and the promise of a new day
I’m not the only one to ever stand in my own way
What I’ve got
Or not
Is all going to pot
 
CH
 

There’s a crack in the wall
The leaders are afraid what might seep in, 
and the rest of of us are thirsty for a drop of what might come
in the fall
There’s a crack in the wall
 
Philomena, she weeps
She’s preparing the last meal in the kitchen she keeps
She dreams of a new home and peace only comes when she sleeps 
Philomena, she weeps
 
She runs slow with her child
The coyotes left them and her body still hurts
Gotta find water that wasn’t kicked on the dirt 
By evil men out in the wild
She runs slow with her child
 
There’s a heart plain to see
The gaze of a child’s eyes pleading with you
“¡Quiero a mi mami!” she cries, her heart torn in two
She sits on a floor in a cage in the land of the free
There’s a heart plain to see
 
There’s a crack in the wall
The leaders are afraid what might seep in, 
and the rest of of us are thirsty for a drop of what might come
in the fall
There’s a crack in the wall

The time must surely come
For the laws to fit the times
The time must surely come
For the laws to fit the times
But while the law is standing
You gotta open up your minds
 
It seems to be the fashion
To say you're right and they are wrong
It seems to be the fashion
To say you're right and they are wrong
But you gotta see both sides
You'll find yourself in jail 'fore long
 
You're screamin' at policemen
But they're only doin' a gig
You're screamin' at policemen
But they are only doin' a gig
Gotta try and take the time
To figure out how the issue got that big
 
Lenny Bruce was trying to tell you
Many things before he died
Lenny Bruce was trying to tell you
Many things before he died
Don't throw rocks at policemen
But get the knots of law untied
 
Every time you're holdin'
You are guilty of a crime
Every time you're holdin'
You are guilty of a crime
The laws must change one day
But it's goin' to take some time

CH:  Honey Bee, Honey Bee, You know I love you
Come on darlin’ let me hold your little hand
You know I could never put no one above you
Honey Bee, I want to be your loving man
 
I recall the first day I ever did see her
She was walking with her schoolbooks in her hand
When I finally figured out a way to meet her
I was shaking so I could not even talk
 
CH
 
She’s the sweetest little thing this side of Heaven
She’s a walking talking wonder of the world
Some day soon I’m gonna reach right out and grab her
Honey Bee you’re gonna be my loving girl
 
CH
 
 

I may trip I may fall
Stumble in front of you all
But I’ll be on my feet again
With the help of a few good friends
 
Obstacles in my way
Sorrow I’ll keep you at bay
Because I’ll be on my feet again
With the help of a few good friends
 
On my feet again 
Standing tall until the end
 
Solos
 
When we make amends
Another round and then
I’ll be on my feet again
With the help of a few good friends
 
On my feet again
Standing tall until the end
 
Love is in the air
Embrace it everywhere
And we’ll be on our feet again
With the help of a few good friends
 
YesYes we’ll all be on our feet again
With the help, with the help, of a few good friends

Well, I ride on a mailtrain, baby
Can't buy a thrill
Well, I've been up all night, baby
Leanin' on the windowsill
Well, if I die
On top of the hill
And if I don't make it
You know my baby will
 
Don't the moon look good, mama
Shinin' through the trees?
Don't the brakeman look good, mama
Flagging down the "Double E?"
Don't the sun look good
Goin' down over the sea?
Don't my gal look fine
When she's comin' after me?
 
Now the wintertime is coming
The windows are filled with frost
I went to tell everybody
But I could not get across
Well, I wanna be your lover, baby
I don't wanna be your boss
Don't say I never warned you
When your train gets lost

If I had a gun for every ace I've drawn
I could arm a town the size of Abilene
Don't you push me baby cause I'm moaning low
You know I'm only in it for the gold
 
All that I am asking for is ten gold dollars
I could pay you back with one good hand
You can look around about the wide world over
You'll never find another honest man
 
Last fair deal in the country, sweet Suzy
Last fair deal in the town
Put your gold money where your love is, baby
Before you let my deal go down
 
Don't you push me baby
Because I'm moaning low
I know a little something
You won't ever know
Don't you touch hard liquor just a cup of cold coffee
Gonna get up in the morning and go
 
Everybody's bragging and drinking that wine
I can tell the Queen of Diamonds by the way she shine
Come to Daddy on an inside straight
I got no chance of losing this time
No, I got no chance of losing this time