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"Cheating At Solitaire"

The Devil in Miss Jones (M. Ness)

The days of wine and roses
Were a long time ago
The proms, teenage cruisin'
And the picture show
You tried so hard
To fix your outsides
Until you realized that I took
Everything dear inside

Chorus
Give me your heart
Give me your soul
I'll take you when you're young
The devil in Miss Jones

Your daddy had a funny way
Of showing you his love
It's a shame you've hid well
From the Lord up above
There's something inside
That burns like a fire
And you realize you've been blessed
With a wild desire

Repeat Chorus

Your parochial background
Vanished in the wind
Perhaps a pornographic future
And a million dollar friend
You tried so hard to always be the one
You're loved by all men, but respected by none

Repeat Chorus

I'll take you when you're young
And I'll leave you when you're old
 

Don' think twice (Bob Dylan)

Misery Loves Company (M. Ness)

I used to roam all night long
I lurked the streets late at night
I ain't never comin' home
But loneliness
Is part of the game
And misery loves company

I used to think that I was a king
Fancy cars, fancy clothes and diamond rings
Yeah but happiness is a funny thing
And misery just loves company

Bridge

Don't even try to understand
What goes on inside this man
As a boy I used to dream
Cuz' sometimes life ain't what it seems

We used to dance under moonlight
But then the tears began to fall
And baby that ain't right
Cuz' losin' you
Was part of the game
And misery loves company
Cuz' fuckin' up
Was part of the game
And misery loves company

Crime Don't Pay (M. Ness)

Drinking, gambling and women
Stealin' hearts and playin' with guns
But the laws the law and baby that's a fact
And now I'm on the run

Chorus:
But this song ain't about none of the above
We're not punished for our sins, but "by them"
Thought I'd get myself a little passion play
But I can still hear them sayin'That crime don't pay

My poor heart is aching
It never did before
It seems my "indiscretion" served a "painful lesson"
And I'm still begging for more

Chorus:
I tried to mix romance with deceit
A little pleasure now with my pain
And I felt the loss on judgement day
And I can still hear them sayin'That crime don't pay!

Pour yourself a drink now
Make it a double and chase it with tears
But take heed my friends to this warning I give
Before you're faced with all your fears

Chorus:
I'd rather face ten men than have a broken heart
My crimes of passion have done me in
I'm sentenced to life each and every lonely day
And I can still hear you sayin'That crime don't pay!

Rest Of Our Lives (M. Ness)

Eighteen years in a traveling band
Seen a lot of one night stands
And still I found myself so very much alone

And it took those years to find myself
Wasn't lookin' for no one else
And then I found you girl
But you were there all along

And we'll spend each day like it's the last day of the rest of our lives

I'll be the king you'll be my wife
Gonna make it thru this thing called life
Gonna raise these kids on our own
The very best we can

And sixteen hours is a long, long time
When you gotta love that's on your mind
Can you tell that I'm not right?
I'm a little distraught

And we'll spend each day like it's the last day of the rest of our lives
Everyday we'll fall in love just a little more
For the rest of our lives

Sittin' here in the county jail
Ain't no one to go my bail
I shoulda been there with you
For some sympathy and tea

And eighteen years in at traveling band
Seen a lot of one night stands
And still I found myself so very much alone

Repeat chorus
 

You win again (Hank Williams)
 
 

Cheating at Solitaire (M. Ness)

You can lie to yourself, you can lie to the world
You can lie to the one you call your girl
You can humble yourself to the hearts that you stole
Wondering who's gonna love you when you grow old?

With a fistful of courage and a heart full of rage
I realized I'd locked myself in a cage
I'll be the one standing there with the watery eyes
I'll be the fool in the mirror asking you whyasking why

When I got to the end of my dirty rainbow
And I found that there was no pot of gold
Well, I learned that I was empty and not quite as strong
For I had robbed my heart and cheated my soul

Look for the one with the watery eyes
I'll be the fool in the mirror asking you why
Cursing lovers in a warm tender embrace
Scoffing at the world and the whole human race

Chorus:
You can run, you can hide
You can feed your foolish pride
You can use and abuse
In the end you'll always loseat the game

Chorus:
You can run, you can hide
You can feed your foolish pride
With the hearts that you stole
And an empty pot of gold
And the lover's warm embrace
And the whole damned human race
You can use and abuse
In the end you'll always loseat the game

"For I cheated myself at solitaire."

No Man's Friend (M. Ness)

Don't ask me why I'm so angry
Or why I'm so disturbed
Unless you got a couple of good hours
To hear of my troubling words
You talk of truth, honor and respect
You talk of living, but you haven't lived
Seems to me you're always on the take
That's because you ain't got nothing to give

Chorus:
Don't ask me why! I will not pretend!
Just walk on by! Cuz today I'm no man's friend!

Seems to me you got a couple of your wires crossed
You're in the right place at the wrong time!
You don't seem to be bothering anybody else now,
But you're sure taking up space in my mind!

Repeat Chorus
 

Charmed Life

Some say it's the strong who survive
Sometimes I wonder if there's any truth to that at all
I've been lucky and that's a fact in a crazy world
I've led a charmed life

I know judges and I know priests
I know gangsters, bad cops and lawyers too
But I don't need none of them to sing this song
I've led a charmed life

Chorus:
No this ain't no hard luck story
Some have had better and some have had worse
Then again until you've walked my way
You'd have to say I've led a charmed life

I'm not so scared of dying
I've got my health , my friends and family too
I'm just afraid of living and not being sure
I've led a charmed life

Chorus:
No this ain't no hard luck story
Some have had better and some have had worse
But then again until you've walked in my shoes
You'd have to say I've led a charmed life

Bridge:
When the dice come tumbling down I'll be waiting
To see what luck comes my way
When the cards get passed around I'll be waiting
To see what hand I should play
I believe it's neither wrong or right
To cross that line from the dark to the light
And I say, "Even in the worst of times against all odds,
I seem to have led a charmed life."

Repeat Chorus
 
 

Dope Fiend Blues (M. Ness)

In a police car I feel so very small
I see my lover's face and I watch her teardrops fall
And I try to figure out where I'd fallen off the track
I sold my soul to the devil and then I stole it back

Chorus
And in the end, you know a dope fiend ain't got no friends
And a junkie is a junkie to the bitter end
Hope to die now, cuz you know I'm better off dead
Hey brother, won't you lend me a helpin' hand?

I tie myself off, shoot it in my veins
I feel like Marlon Brando and I've hid another day's pain
I'm goin' back where it's safe, goin' back to the womb
I find my mother's comfort, here in a needle and spoon

Chorus:
And Christmas for a dope fiend ain't no fun
Waitin' for good times that seem to never come
Goin' out now, gonna get myself a gun
Please stop me, don't you know I'm on a run?

Aren't you tired of the detox and the places in the mind?
Aren't you tired of the misery, aren't you tired of doin' time?
And I try to figure out where I'd fallen off the track
You know I sold my soul to the devil and then I stole it back

Chorus:
I'm a dope fiend, I'm a liar, a cheat and a thief
At my funeral, won't you bring me a red rose wreath?
Dress in black now, show everyone your grief
Well, I'm gone now, you can all feel relief!
 
 

Ballad Of A Lonely Man (M. Ness)

I'm young and I'm strong
I've got this God forsaken world by the balls!
I've got a one-way ticket to freedom
Ain't got no one now gonna take it from me

I was a soldier, age twenty-one
In a war I'm not sure what I was fighting for
And yet I turned from a boy to a man there
Goodbye to innocence and a sweet sixteen

Chorus:
My whole life I could not arrange
My wicked ways I could never change
Don't try, don't try now to understand
For this is the ballad of a lonely man

Close to me is a photograph
Of a family left far, far behind
At once I had love it slipped away from
I searched a lifetime but could not find

In a hospital bed, I'm violently ill
Just one more drink nurse I swear to God!
I've got my St. Anthony and my whiskey
Yes I'm a veteran of three foreign wars!

Repeat Chorus
 

I'm in Love w/My Car (M. Ness)

Ain't got a girl
I ain't got many friends
Gonna drive that car of mine
To the living end
My baby likes to run
Run as fast as you can
And when I'm in her
I feel like a manI'm in love with my car.

Got a V-8 motor
Listen to her purr
And when I put my pedal down
My whole world's a blur
Cruisin' down the highway
My lead sled's mean and low
The police behind me
I ain't ready to goI'm in love with my car.

Got twin carburetors
I got dual exhaust
And it don't matter baby
If we get lost
Make love to me girl
In my back seat
The radio's a playin' something
Slow and sweetI'm in love with my car.
 

If You Leave Before Me (M. Ness)

If you leave this world before me
I promise to you I shall keep
I won't fall in love with another one
Over your ashes I shall weep

If you leave before me
A promise I never will tell
About all the things we talked about
Our dark secrets I'll keep well

Chorus:
Aren't you glad, there ain't nobody listening?
Aren't you glad, that no one seems to care what we do?
Aren't you glad there ain't no one here to tell us what's right or wrong?
While we sit and we talk about nothing

What if there's no God in Heaven?
What if there's no God at all?
I promise these last years of loving you
Will be the best years of them all

This don't look like Heaven
I'm surrounded by fiery walls
For if I were to live here without you
That'd be the greatest sin of them all

Repeat Chorus
 

Long Black Veil (Bill Wilkin)

Send her back (A. Ferrier)