Texas Sapphires 	

1. The Emerald Outlaw
(B. Malkus, R. Cannon)

he's all alone in his prison of love
he couldn't never compromise
his four walls slowly lost their luster for life
his inspiration withered
into a rutty hole
he knows what he wants
but the path is missing

chorus:
happiness is a party of fools
and dreams are the birds
on broken wings
how he really needs to fly
from his stool
again time's got her hold on everything

there's no room for me here he says
he just mumbles and he moans
he's just a silent ticking
in these dark places he calls home
with feet in the green river
as the emerald is stone
he clenched the ground to sow
now these vines won't let him go

repeat chorus

he's still in his prison alone
with all that he compromised
these four walls they no more
have their luster for life
his inspiration slithered
further down the hole
the vine's under snow just left to glisten


2. Driftin' In
(A. Hill)

well she sails the ocean wide
on a fearless driftin' tide
searching for a light upon the shore
a sparkling glass of wine
a flashing neon sign
a harbor she can slip in for one more

chorus:
driftin' in
driftin' in
holding helpless on a sea of lies and gin
you may think that she's gone under
hoping she'll rise up again
'cause every bars a harbor
when she comes driftin' in

every day she puts to sea
searching for a memory
a sailor who has left her far behind
when evening rushes in
she will head out on the wind
and slip into the first bar she can find

repeat chorus

she's a lonely sailor girl
driftin' all around the world
leaving empty bottles in her wake
she may never find her man
but she'll always find dry land
'cause a splash of water's more than she can take

3. Ladyfest, TX
(B. Malkus)

i'm goin' down to lady fest baby
watch me as i put my red dress on

there was a band named lincoln
wanted me to play
pick a little on the resonator
and sing some harmony
and then that gal she says to me
guess you better not
'cause we done got testerone already in our slot

so i'm goin down to ladyfest baby
watch me as i put my red dress on

if you can't lick 'em
join 'em
hell, what can i say
then again so many of them
tend to dress just like me anyway

the moral of this story
guess there isn't one
i'll get all gussied up
just to pick and to have some fun
like brother jimmy martin
but more flamboyantly
how many of you that sit and judge me
have got the guts to say that i'm
goin down to ladyfest baby
watch me as i put my red dress on


4. Bring out the Bible (We ain't Got a Prayer)
(B. Malkus, A. Hill)

bring out the bible
we ain't got a prayer
we've been through the fire
and it got us nowhere
turn to the chapter
and pull up a chair
bring out the bible
we ain't got a prayer

chorus:
there stands the mountain
that we tumbled down
that rough rocky shoreline
where we ran aground
there's peace in the valley
we never made it down there
so bring out the bible
we ain't got a prayer

the angels stood watching
our slow tangled fall
reaching for heaven
in spite of it all
they can't do a thing
for the people downstairs
bring out the bible
we ain't got a prayer


5. Break This Fool
(B. Malkus)

another day you just keep me hangin' on
ain't no way i'm gonna dance
another soft show into your arms
you got a lot of those fanciful words
you see they seem plausible
but not to me
like the way daddy did those horse
back in 19 and 74
he said gal you wanna break 'em
step right up now
and show them who is boss
now your head's too high
and molasses is so patient and sweet
and so am i
but i'm risin' on up like them
bisquits you done sopped me up with boy

it's time i get on over and break this fool again

i could go away
like some felon with his back turned to the wind
or i could stay
go my own bail from this calaboose i'm in
are those roses for me
mr. i can see the utter madness in your game
you can lend a glad hand but you should understand
it's a low fixed interested rate

it's time i get on over and break this fool again


6. Dirty Me, Dirty Me (I'm Disgusted with Myself)
(B. Malkus)

well, dirty me i'm droolin' on my pillow
when the morning comes
i'll strip these linens down
see my good gal she don't like the way i'm doin'
so i'll make me down a pallet on this ground

dirty me
dirty me
i'm disgusted with myself

i went out on the town the other evenin'
i came stumblin' home in one red shoe
those seven digits crumpled in my pocket
i can't bring myself to dial
so it's no use

repeat chorus

well dirty my i missed my granny's birthday
then came and went her anniversary too
i see belated cards there in the grocery
but my bottom dollar buys me redman chew


7. Dirty Tattered House Shoes
(B. Malkus)

well i found that silver lining on the day that you were gone
satin sheets surrounded me all night then all day long
soon i got to movin' now i'm havin' so much fun
old resilient me i'll never come undone

chorus:
now that you're gone
it's such a good thing
there's a shine upon my floor
as these dirty tattered house shoes
they keep walkin' back and forth
down the hallway to the bedroom
i'm just soaking up the sun
from reflections on the hardwood
all thanks to what you have done

things keep getting brighter
fact i'm lit up all the time
burgandy, blue ribbon and back into that box of wine
say i look disheveled i'm together as can be
thanked the lord so much my pants wore out their knees

repeat chorus


8. Deep Gap Blue
(B. Malkus)

i'm busted to where i can't make it on time
this old road she's fading in line
i'm sorry my friend
i could share some with you
it's a shame though
the sorrow's all mine

i lie alone in this valley so steep
the black oaks enslaved with sore spines
this new road of water
she's paved from on high
it hauls me down that crooked line

you're like some willow
you won't weep til' you're grown
but the people don't understand
ride me on down to deep gap again
and bathe in these frivolous faults of a man
so keep right on searching
and still you won't find
and then you'll know
the sorrow's all mine


9. Cold Silver Ring
(B. Malkus)

you build your shrine in the hallway
so very blue green
dear mother of God
would you hang around
and watch over these things
no point in telling you
how i placed that ring with care
now you've gone and done the same thing
in our home's chilly air

i too am nestled down
for a long cold one
in the hopes that spring won't care
but dakota calls
and it hauls you oh so
far away from here
the roses on my trellis
flow like you up through those plains
not for too long
will they hang on
so who's the one to blame

chorus:
there was something on my mind
that you can't realize what for
as you just stand there cryin'
about leaving me
with your head pressed on the door
i ain't back in line for the gossip
still those words are bound to cling
when there's this talk in town
that i'm buring you
yeah well you left me cold
like that silver ring

i'm just working on a building
got so hard just to keep it clean
but these benders 'round 'bout flag day
they don't seem all that obscene
how i poured it on last summer
on st. swithen's day
to rain on all those other ones
from which you went away

repeat chorus

no point in telling you
how we lost it on the way
no use in chewing on what's frayed

repeat chorus


10. Down Hard
(B. Malkus)

you're done like some ash can
given the end
tossed away but then
still flaring freely
the barbs that receive you
suspended impaired
break today
you pronghorn come on through
shatter these things there's no use
the gray on the ceiling
a weight weary heart forced to choose

go tithe to the booking man
go home again
i ain't never seen you that alone
and then they called for the wrecker
you done went in the ditch
down hard with that last swallow

so roll on buddy
why don't you roll on
such a shame that your wheels
they keep spinning
you dead stupid blind man
you entered the fray
blood washing on down the great basin
shatter these things
there's no use
the gray on the ceiling
a weight weary heart forced to choose


11. Barstow Barstool
(B. Malkus)

hush up your new ways
i don't want to stay here no more
face down on this floor
out here in barstow, california
how many more 'til i get to go
and won't you be there for me
just to step in line
and heed my hell to pay

in barstow on a barstool
with something to right down in bakersfield
but they tore down that blackboard
this i know
between the angels and sin city
the mojave takes so many
like the rounder gal who burns you on the road

chorus:
it's not so elating
it's all relating
to my sinful mind it seems
i best be gettin' gone
but i'm stuck here sittin' on
this barstow barstool
making it up to me

so go on lay into me
i crossed that fault line here for sure
deep inside the border
out here in barstow, california
you broke the drunk
who done drunk you broke
two time zones cushion me
on the sunken bed in which i now must lay


12. Las Vegas
(G. Parsons, R. Grech)

chorus:
ooh, Las Vegas, ain't no place for a poor boy like me
ooh, Las Vegas, ain't no place for a poor boy like me
every time I hit your crystal city
you know you're gonna make a wreck out of me

well, the first time I lose I drink whiskey
second time I lose I drink gin
third time I lose I drink anything
'cause I think I'm gonna win

repeat chorus

well, the queen of spades is a friend of mine
the queen of hearts is a bitch
someday when I clean up my mind
I'll find out which is which

repeat chorus

well, I spend all night with the dealer
tryin' to get ahead
spend all day at the Holiday Inn
trying to get out of bed

repeat chorus