first time that I saw you 
you couldn’t hear what I said 
I mumbled the jumble that was there in my head 
now it’s this much time later 
we’re still looking for words 
to capture our story 
to say what we’ve heard hey 

feast or famine 
day or dark night 
here or yonder 
clouds or blue 
peace and love 
struggle and fight 
all this time 
me and you 

yeah I’m strumming in the moonlight 
for revelers and knaves 
can’t stop now want the bills to be paid 
and oh how they pass by 
like moving scenery 
from time to time one may stop and say hey 

feast or famine 
day or dark night 
here or yonder 
clouds or blue 
peace and love 
struggle and fight 
all this time 
me and you 

there’s a whole long list of things 
on an old paper I have in my pocket 
crossed them off one by one with you baby 
took more time than we thought but then maybe 
what is it they say? 
the destination is the journey 

oh I get put through the paces 
out on that road 
you say I can do it 
I say I don’t know 
so I’m leaving the believing 
to you for a while 
I’ll pick up the slack when it’s my turn to smile 

feast or famine 
day or dark night 
here or yonder 
clouds or blue 
peace and love 
struggle and fight 
all this time 
me and you


Down In JA

want what I want when I want it that’s the spirit of the age 
you call it the zeitgeist when they write so many words upon the page 
you hear the tick tick of the clock clock then the click click then the shot shot 
another empire come to dance upon the world then fade away 
load up the back of the v dub bus 
sign on the back say ‘Hillshire Beach or Bust’ 
smaller and smaller in the mirror goes the town 
as we drop into this new sound 

down in JA we sing and dance in the pouring rain 
spirit moves through the crowd 
can you hear the sound now of my home island’s soul? 
warm you up when you feeling cold 
you don’t have to jump the next ship to bring it home! no! 

the night dark, the goat black, the gate pen is open 
what’s broke in the past cannot be unbroken 
well I miss her so very much, this bears repeating, so very much 
I miss the touch of the warm air - sometimes these things I cannot bear 
so tired you’re drunk in the evening time 
work is over just relax your mind 
hey young man what you got in your hand? 
you could lose it beating the bushes and then where would we stand? 

down in JA we sing and dance in the pouring rain 
spirit moves through the crowd 
can you hear the sound now of my home island’s soul? 
warm you up when you feeling cold 
you don’t have to jump the next ship to bring it home! no! 
down in JA we sing and dance in the pouring rain 
spirit moves through the crowd 
can you hear the sound now of my home island’s soul? 
warm you up when you feeling cold 
you don’t have to jump the next ship to bring it home


Godspeed

where’re you going? 
can i come with? 
I’m just here throwing my voice in the wind 
and no one shouts back 
so I assume it got lost on the way 
cuz the distance was too great 

it’s off a ways 
but not too far 
I go there often so I don’t lose the spark 
and the times that I have had some company never hurt me none 
so come on and join me if you want 

I’m falling down from the sky and I’m searching for thermals to rise 
I’ve had my near-death ride and no surprise - it’s hard to talk about it 

godspeed to you 
godspeed to me 
it’s funny God’s a word I don’t use usually 
and I’m feeling brave 
I’m feeling strong 
I don’t care if they think I’m right or wrong 

I’m falling down from the sky and I’m searching for thermals to rise 
I’ve had my near-death ride and no surprise - it’s hard to talk about it 

well I’m feeling brave 
I’m feeling strong 
I don’t care if they think I’m right or wrong


The Dust Has Settled Now

the dust has settled now 
so count your fingers and toes 
the dust has settled now 
why we were fighting 
nobody knows 

panic hit when the cannery in the coal mine 
fell from its perch 
group-think got synced and sunk the ship 
now we’re waiting for the lights from the search 
that’s OK man it’s just one big circle 
started turning long ago 
each generation thinks it’s dodged the bullet 
now we know what we didn’t know 

the dust has settled now 
so count your fingers and toes 
the dust has settled now 
why we were fighting 
nobody knows 

blue tides of tv light 
shimmering on your face 
talking heads from the box 
telling you what is and what isn’t the case 
the weatherman can’t always show you 
which way the wind blows 
sometimes you got to step outside 
and know it goes where it goes 

the dust has settled now 
so count your fingers and toes 
the dust has settled now 
why we were fighting 
nobody knows


Funny Thing

funny thing about loneliness 
always comes when you least expect it 
always just tip toes in 
with all the other invited guests 
funny thing about love 
always is, always was 
even when you think it’s gone 

if you try too hard 
you might just break before you’re done 
if you leave just because 
you think they want you gone then you’re gone 
if you walk out the door saying that you won’t be back no more 
who you really hurting oh? 

funny thing about war 
each side seems to think it’s God they’ve got on board 
as they’re praying in their foxholes that one last time 
funny thing about peace 
chase it all your life you still end up on your knees 
begging please come shine a light 

funny thing about control 
that others don’t have it is easy to know 
but you can’t turn your eyes on your own face though 
and the image in the mirror ain’t right 
funny thing about a man’s soul 
ain’t his to sell yet the price is set so low 
follow me down to the crossroad 
at midnight you’ll have to wait in line


Gone Fishing

gone fishing 
gone fishing in my pond 
gone fishing 
it’s a thing of which I’m fond 
I jump over that hill 
that’s just beyond them trees 
gone fishing 
and I’m whistling a song 

well it’s not that I’m not social 
but I sure would be obliged 
if you waited here on the porch 
and didn’t come wailing by 
you see this is the one part of the week 
where it’s me, myself and I 
so grab yourself a lemonade 
and rest your feet a while 

cuz I gone fishing 
gone fishing in my pond 
gone fishing 
it’s a thing of which I’m fond 
I jump over that hill 
that’s just beyond them trees 
gone fishing 
and I’m whistling me a song 

this is my own personal eden 
wholesome, living and clean 
the water is teeming 
with trout that’s jumping just for me 
well there ain’t no place on earth 
where I feel such peace of mind 
if the lord chose to take me now 
I’d run off to his side 

well the first thing you’ll see 
is my nappy head of hair 
next thing my body will surely soon appear 
coming over that hill 
if it’s not too dark a time 
you’ll also see upon my face 
a smile a half mile wide 

cuz I gone fishing 
I gone fishing in my pond 
gone fishing 
it’s a thing of which I’m fond 
I jump over that hill that’s just beyond them trees 
gone fishing, I gone fishing 
gone fishing and I’m whistling a song


Change of Plans

(instrumental)


Cold And Cruel

whistle back to me 
the worker’s song that made them strong so I can hear their story 
it’s a sign of the times when the wishing wells and the church’s bells cannot call us to their sides 

well this time if I choose I could just slip on a pair of old shoes 
could suffer and struggle cuz it’s what I do 
when the world is cold and cruel 
when the world is cold and cruel 
if I choose I could just slip on a pair of old shoes 
could suffer and struggle it’s what I do 
when the world is cold and cruel 
when the world is cold and cruel 

well a leech is a leech 
when put to skin, sucks blood in without even giving warning 
if i put a fire to its back, how long before lust so bold is trumped by the pain? 

how long must I train the sun through this glass upon the leaves for there to spring a flame? 
ears to the ground 
how far behind did I fall last night when I melted into the crowd?