SOBER SONG Hey I been drinkin', I bet you couldn't tell The way I'm stinkin', as if you couldn't smell But what I'm thinkin', you just can't ever tell And that's the way that I want it to stay. And now I'm sinkin', guess once again I fell My head is shrinkin', where once it used to swell Your friends are winkin', but they can all go straight to hell I'm tired of them and their condescending grins. You say I'll never find the answers to what's on my mind Waiting in the bottom of some glass And I must agree with you, your words, they all ring true The answer's in the liquor -- make it last. That's all I'm trying to do is make it ... Last night I saw you ... with some boy from town And I didn't want to ... so I drank a few more rounds And I tried to call you ... but he said you weren't around And I know that he lied, but you can't say I didn't try. So I kept boozin' ... 'til the night wore thin While you kept smoozin' with all kinds of men I guess I'm losin' that precious upperhand But that's O.K. I don't need it much these days. See, there's this friend of mine -- he's always by my side He gives me a place to go when things get bleak He's always there for me ... He rubs my eyes for me Gives me strength when I'm feelin' weak ... He makes me numb when I feel like a freak. SOLO You say I'll never find the answers to what's on my mind Waiting in the bottom of some glass And I must agree with you, your words, they all ring true The answer's in the liquor -- make it last. That's all I'm trying to do is make it last ... BREAK You say he's good to you, but I do things he'd never do There's a certain kind of love you can't dispute I'll bum you smokes ... I'll buy you beer ... I'll pick you up off the back porch, dear ... Hold your hair when you have to puke ... That's what I'm trying to tell you ... That I've been drinkin', I bet you couldn't tell The way I'm stinkin', as if you couldn't smell But what I'm thinkin', you just can't ever tell And that's the way that I want things to stay. And now I'm sinkin', guess once again I fell My head is shrinkin', where once it used to swell Your friends are winkin', but they can all go straight to hell There thinkin' I should just move on, give up the wine and beer But drinkin' ain't the only reason that I loved you, dear So why should I give up the only thing I like to do? There's just no gettin' sober over you ... No gettin' sober over you .... WHISKEY GLASS EYE I can remember a time you could see the sunshine, we were so fine And I can remember a time when darkness only fell on you in the night-time Then there came a time when all we did was bitch and bicker And I can remember a time when this shot glass here was full of liquor, but ... I know what you feelin' I know what you thinkin' 'Cause you're thinkin' so loud it's coming out your mouth I know what your hearin' I know what your seein' But you're lookin' so hard and your eyes are bleedin' Oh yeah, you're lookin' with your whiskey glass eye ... And so as time went by, I watched you sinkin' deeper and deeper And you tried with all your might to catch yourself one that might be a keeper Should've come as no surprise to find out things just ain't that easy And you had your hand on the prize but it slipped right out 'cause your hands were greasy, but ... I know what you feelin' I know what you thinkin' 'Cause you're thinkin' so loud it's coming out your mouth I know what your hearin' I know what your seein' But you're lookin' so hard and your eyes are bleedin' Oh yeah, and you're lookin' with your whiskey glass eye ... SOLO And now you're stuck in mud and your gears are low and your wheels are spinnin' And it don't look like your gonna ever free yourself from drinkin' smokin' fightin' cryin' and sinnin', but, I know what you feelin' I know what you thinkin' 'Cause you're thinkin' so loud it's coming out your mouth I know what your hearin' I know what your seein' But you're lookin' so hard and your eyes are bleedin' Oh yeah, and you're lookin' with your whiskey glass eye ... Whiskey glass eye ... NO MAN AMONG MEN Mother-scratchin', chicken-shittin', onion gravy Fightin' with the woman's 'bout to drive me crazy: Swears to holy God there ain't none more lazy And I'm headed out the door 'cause I know she's right Blue tick in the yard, he's yelpin' and howlin' My youngest kids cryin', his stomach's a-growlin' Never kept a job 'cause of drinkin' and prowlin' I'm stinkin' and a-stumblin' almost every night I know I ain't no man among men Jesus, I pray you'll take me in I Find a little lovin', do a little o' gamblin' Sheriff comes around and I'm off and ramblin' Never found a bottle that wasn't worth samplin' I never paid a dime I was ever lent Never lived a life, but the one that I want to That's the kind of life that'll come back and haunt you All your stupid sins gonna gang up and taunt you Try to change your ways, but you know you can't I know I ain't no man among men Jesus, I pray you'll take me in BREAK SPOKEN: Mother-scratchin', chicken-shittin', onion gravy Fightin' with the woman's 'bout to drive me crazy: Swears to holy God there ain't none more lazy And I'm headed out the door 'cause I know she's right Blue tick in the yard, he's yelpin' and howlin' My youngest kids cryin', his stomach's a-growlin' Never kept a job 'cause of drinkin' and prowlin' I'm stinkin' and a-stumblin' almost every night I know I ain't no man among men Jesus, I pray you'll take me in I know I ain't no man among men Jesus, I pray you'll take me in Now hold on baby, 'cause I like to go ... You swing the kid around in a do-si-do ... Try to fuck with me and I'll stop the show ... Myself. SHOOT YOU DEAD When I first saw your face, it turned my whole world upside-down You put my heart into a headlock and through it on the ground You stood, stomped stepped on it and kicked it all around Like some empty can of Miller or some mangy blue-tick hound. Yeah but a rolling heart gathers no moss, only shit and sticks and stones So I left those days behind me, and I struck out on my own Now it's three o'clock in the morning and you call me on the phone You say your life has gone to horseshit and you wanna come back home ... Well if you're thinkin' 'bout comin' down, Better think again, better look around, Don't go tryin' to mess with my head, 'Cause I got myself a gun and I'm gonna shoot you dead. See, I got myself another but she ain't nothin' like you, dear She don't feel the need to slap me or stick pencils in my ear So what's she have that you ain't got to spur this little tryst? Well there's sanity for starters, oh hell, I'll just make a list. And, yeah, I'm getting married, so just let me clear the air Hell no, you're not invited, but I know that you don't care And you'll be there with guns and goofy ribbons in your hair So I made me a big ol' sign says: "Crazy, jilted hag! Beware!" So if you're thinkin' 'bout comin' down, Better think again, better look around, Don't go tryin' to mess with my head, 'Cause I got myself a gun and I'm gonna shoot you dead. Ah ... shoot her dead, Mike ... SOLO So you think I'm over-reacting, you think I've gone too far, Well that's something I considered, 'til you tied yourself to my car I still see you in my rear-view mirror, your hands and face all scarred And it was just then that I realized what a loon you really are. So, if you're thinkin' 'bout comin' down, Better think again, better look around, Don't go tryin' to mess with my head, 'Cause I got myself a gun and I'm gonna shoot you dead. Yeah, if you're thinkin' 'bout comin' down, Better think again, better look around, Don't go tryin' to mess with my head, 'Cause I got myself a gun and I'm gonna shoot you dead. I got myself a gun ... (I CAN TELL) YOUR LOVE IS WANING Not much in this trailer, now A picture book, remote control, and a cookie jar shaped like a cow, A macram‚ frame, 'round a picture of me, Sittin' in a pool of stale beer, on a black and white T.V. There's a baby in the bedroom that doesn't know your there As you're lying in the bathtub with shampoo in your hair And the radio is playing some fucked up country song ... And sorta like us it's sad and sweet, but it won't last for long ... 'Cause I can tell your love is waning from the looks and smell of it, Like getting caught behind a cattle truck and all you smell is shit ... Getting caught behind a cattle truck and all you smell is shit ... I don't know ... Not much in this trailer, now A picture book, remote control, and a cookie jar shaped like a cow, A macram‚ frame, 'round a picture of me, Sittin' in a pool of stale beer, on a black and white T.V. There's a baby in the bedroom that doesn't know your there As you're lying in the bathtub running water through your hair And the radio is plays "Mack the Knife" ... And I begin to think as I pull myself a steaknife from the bottom of the kitchen sink ... 'Cause I can tell your love is waning from the looks and smell of it, Like getting caught behind a cattle truck and all you smell is shit ... Getting caught behind a cattle truck and all you smell is shit ... I still don't know ... I don't know ... SOLO Not much in this trailer, now A picture book, remote control, and a cookie jar shaped like a cow, A macram‚ frame, 'round a picture of me, Sittin' in a pool of stale beer, on a black and white T.V. There's a baby in the bedroom -- doesn't know your there As you're lying in the bathtub with blood all in your hair And the radio plays so damn loud I can't hear myself think ... As I wash the blood from my fingers and the knife in the bathroom sink ... 'Cause I could tell your love was waning from the looks and smell of it, Like getting caught behind a cattle truck and all you smell is shit ... Getting caught behind a cattle truck and all you smell is shit ... But I know that if we could just get past, these foul moods we're in ... We could drive on down the highway, girl, with all our windows rolled down once again ... RUIN YOUR DAY It's not something I say to you And it's not something I have to do It's just the urge to tell you once to go to hell But I guess that if I don't it's just as well. I've never been a vindictive guy But I'd like to hear you when you cry And I'd like to hear you when you say that you messed up So I guess I'm pretty sad, I guess I suck. It's not something that I think of everyday Only on the ones when you're away. Solo Yeah, it's not something that I think of everyday Only on the ones when you're away There's one more thing I need to say I never meant to ruin your day It's just some crap you have that I could never buy And I should have known better than to even try Than to ever even try ... I tried ... oh yeah STUMBLIN' So I picked a fight with Jesus Christ, now I'm thinkin' I was wrong 'Cause when you pick a fight with the Prince of Peace, you won't last for long It's a one-lane highway straight to Hell ... And I driven it so many times, you can bet I know it well. He said "Trust in me, I'm the King of kings, and you, my friend, are in a rut." But what I was looking for was the king of beers so I said, "Won't you be my bud." It's a back-slide spiral -- I'm drownin' fast But if this is my last drownin' chance, you can bet I'll make it last I once called you my friend, now I'm stumblin' once again I'm slurrin' words & bustin' bottles over the heads of saints I know it's been so long, but I still see you when your gone I still feel the weight of that look upon your face almost every day. Now I'm stumblin' like some drunken preacher, drooling on his vest I'm mumblin' like some old proud bum, who swears he knew him best It's a back-slide spiral -- I'm drownin' fast But if this is my last drownin' chance, you can bet I'll make it last I once called you my friend, now I'm stumblin' once again I'm slurrin' words and bustin' bottles over the heads of saints I know it's been so long, but I still see you when your gone I still feel the weight of that look upon your face almost every day. SOLO God knows it's true, and so do you, that something's got to change But if change is really all around me, I think I'll stay the same What's the point in change when nothing lasts? I once could keep myself afloat, but now I'm sinkin' fast ... Can't you see I once called you my friend, now I'm stumblin' once again I'm slurrin' words & bustin' bottles over the heads of saints I know it's been so long, but I still see you when your gone I still feel the weight of that look upon your face almost every day. 16 DAYS For sixteen days, I've stayed in this bedroom And this Indian Summer, It's made me sick I don't use the phone, I don't write no letters All I can do is lay here and sweat And this wretched house, IT falls down around me The air has turned foul, the walls have turned brown And they rot in the glow of a single light bulb Once there was paint, now there's just dust And I don't know why I'm kept a prisoner here But there's no fear in these eyes And I don't know why no one talks to me But it's so clear when you try ... She had grace, and a natural beauty She was a girl raised on a farm A constant source of disappointment To both of her folks, and they don't know why 'Cause she had a love for a life she suspected Lay somewhere else, beyond these crops But she couldn't speak, and they wouldn't listen So her dreams lay fallow and hope turned to dust And I don't know why I'm kept a prisoner here But there's no fear in these eyes And I don't know why no one talks to me But it's so clear when you try ... SOLO We sit in the yard, on broken-down loungers Tryin' to grill food on a rusted out grill Drinkin' a beer and burnin' our fingers Watching the dog pee on the car And the trees all look sick now and the grass has turned brown And the bird bath's broken, and the fence fallen down And the gate, it hangs crooked on rusted out hinges And the heat never leaves when the sun sinks down And once we had meaning, but now, we're just hollow Once we felt pain, but now we're just numb Once there were words, but now there's just glances And once we were smart but now we're just dumb ... just dumb And I don't know why I'm kept a prisoner here But there's no fear in these eyes And I don't know why no one talks to me But it's so clear when you try ... LITTLE SISTER My sister sent me to come and get you in, It's time to take your dinner and you know you're to come in when your called. I can see you up on the highest limb And the sky looks to be stormin' and you'll be cold by mornin' When I returned without you, her head was filled with words Her tongue could not withhold, see, so she let them fly to scold me I told I'd seen you up on the highest limb She said the night was stormin' and you'd be cold by mornin' Little sister where have you gone In the night I hear you cryin' and the days are so damn long. Sometimes I wish that I could've gone instead of you, And I wonder if you were sittin' here, would you be wishin' that too. The woods were damp and the air was green. A beautiful spring morning, now what could serve as warning. And I'd often seen it, rotten wood and broken bricks, A long rope and a pail, and a hole going straight to hell. And your big brother, you'd do anything to catch his smile But you couldn't catch him runnin', so you'd just duck and hide for awhile. And I didn't hear you, I didn't even try I was a hundred yards away and I thought you'd run off somewhere to play. CHORUS SOLO (Guitar) The ground was clay, we dug a shallow grave. And laid ourselves to sleep, there just outside the fields where we once played. And I remember, the way we mourned and cried And tried to start the healing, but what the stone was revealing was a lie ... 'Cause it was I. CHORUS CHORUS TILT-A-WHIRL Have you ever been drivin' home, late at night And found yourself enraptured by a captivating site The mystical allure of blinkin', twinklin', twirly lights Shinin' in your baby's eyes can seem so right And that girl, she makes you stop, in that Wal-Mart parking lot The smell of sweaty people on the summer's air so hot You buy a roll of tickets at fifty cents a pop Your thinkin' that it's gonna be cool, but I'm tellin' you that it's not, no ... 'Cause looks can be deceiving if you know what I mean A shiny patch of happiness may not be what it seems I learned that lesson long ago, much to my chagrin But not before the whole damn thing came crashin' to an end It looked so cool ... looked so fun, I thought The picture-perfect perch from which to get me some -- the top But the wheel, it was junk and that carny, he was drunk And they sent my baby flyin' across the parking lot Tilt-A-Whirl ... it took my girl ... it took my happiness away from me And it put me in traction, it's the Devil's contraption It's the bane of my existence, fellas, listen to me! It's no mechanical cupid ... don't be stupid ... No matter how she begs and whines, don't listen to that girl If you know how to handle her, you'll ride the Scrambler ... But keep away from that Tilt-A-Whirl ... But looks can be deceiving if you know what I mean A shiny patch of happiness may not be what it seems I learned that lesson long ago, much to my chagrin But not before the whole damn thing came crashin' to an end It looked so cool ... looked so fun, I thought The picture-perfect perch from which to get me some -- the top But the wheel, it was junk and that carny, he was drunk And they sent my baby flyin' across the parking lot Tilt-A-Whirl ... you took my girl ... you took my happiness away from me And it put me in traction, it's the Devil's contraption It's the bane of my existence, fellas, listen to me! It's no mechanical cupid ... don't be stupid ... No matter how she begs and whines, don't listen to that girl If you know how to handle her, you'll ride the Scrambler ... But keep away from that Tilt-A-Whirl ... Tilt-A-Whirl ... you took my girl ... Tilt-A-Whirl ... you took my girl ... DUNK YOU IN THE RIVER So it seems I pissed you off And can throw a fit, fuss, holler and spit ... Cuss and bitch and scoff And true, if I were in your shoes, I'd do the same, my friend, Then I'd dunk you in the river once again. So you talked to all my friends And you fed them lines, lies and alibis Tried to do me in They're all braced for a knock-down bout, but I don't care who wins I'll just dunk you in the river once again. It's a long road outa here And paved, it seems, with misplaced dreams Heartache, doubt and fear But I've finally found a drink to wash away all the world's sins And I'll dunk you in the river once again. 'Cause if we can't fight, then be all right, we're done for in the end ... I'll just dunk you in the river, once again, oh my friend ... I'll just dunk you in the river once again ... (c)1995 Bait Sandwich Songs (ASCAP) and Elttilood Publishing (ASCAP). All rights reserved.