THE WALKABOUTS

THE WALKABOUTS

DEVIL'S ROAD (1995)

  1. The Light Will Stay On
  2. Rebecca Wild
  3. The Stopping Off Place
  4. Cold Eye
  5. Christmas Valley
  6. Blue Head Flame
  7. When Fortune Smiles
  8. All For This
  9. Fairground Blues
10. The Leaving Kind
11. Forgiveness Song

THE WALKABOUTS

DEVIL'S ROAD

1. THE LIGHT WILL STAY ON

I go to sleep, before
the devil wakes
and I wake up, before
the angels take

all my worldly desires
all my yardsticks of fear

all my secrets untold
all my motives unclear

hangin' down in the fire
burnin' them higher
won't take them away from here

and long after we're gone
the light will stay on
the light will stay on

watched the city...city of crows
watched them fly, watched
'em all flyin' low

out above the flood plain
just above the dirt road
they were hungry as winter,
hungry as us
not afraid to be flyin', not
afraid to be lost

and long after we're gone
the light will stay on
the light will stay on

and if you bury me, add
three feet to it
one for your sorrow, two
for your sweat
three for the strange
things we never forget

and long after we're gone
the light will stay on
the light will stay on

and long after we're safe
the lights will not fade
the lights will not fade.

2. REBECCA WILD

Gathered by the riverside
the current pulls a 100 years
each way

savin' souls and singin' songs
They beg and smile, but
murder just the same

watch me slip into the trees
breakin' brush past darkness
and the cold

gray crosses mark the ridge
reached her grave and fell
down in the snow

that's when I dreamed
that I was Rebecca Wild
that's when I dreamed who she was

who she was

Rebecca stood in the union hall
said: "your hands are weak from
holdin' on too strong"

that was the last night she ever spoke
a company man, he drove
her off the road

that's when I dreamed that
I was Rebecca Wild
that's when I dreamed who she was

who she was

that's when I dreamed that
I was Rebecca Wild
that's when I dreamed who she was

last night I dreamed that
I was Rebecca Wild
last night I dreamed who she was

Rebecca Wild.

3. THE STOPPING - OFF PLACE

Well the fog's rollin' thick in the trees
and the fire burns deep in the hole
my conscience a wound with no salve
it betrays me wherever I go

said the best way a man can go down
is to die with his face to the street
and you guessed that the
way I'd go down
like a gambler who rolls off to sleep

but that night on the mountain,
I staged my own death
left my clothes scattered far
down the trail
and I dreamed of your neck,
your raven - haired crown
with no trace, I jumped over the rail

Move along, cannot stay
The Stoppin' - off place
Move along, cannot stay
The Stoppin' - off place

plain clothes knows nothin' bout me
and the plain clothes knows
nothin' bout you
he'll call off the chase in a snap
he'll give up the chase if you ask

and I promised to you, that I'd
see my way clear
and I'd come back to get
you someday
with silver for teeth and blood
in my hair
I'd come back and get you someday

Move along, cannot stay
The Stoppin' - off place
Move along, cannot stay
The Stoppin' - off place

Move along, cannot stay
The Stoppin' - off place
Move along, cannot stay
The Stoppin' - off place.

4. COLD EYE

Painted so many towns
painted them up and down
down to the broken ground
painted the last one, for now

soon I will stow away
into the cool nightshade
watching fireworks fly
in the reservation sky

found only hell to pay
draggin' these bones all day
sun - up to cocktail time
dragged 'em till I was blind

the field full also - rans
stealin' my used up plans
all of my friends were there
They couldn't believe I cared

when I put my cold eye to it
when I put my cold eye to it
and I couldn't say no

luck is the thing I make
luck is the thing you break
after it all went wrong
before I was good as gone

deep in the beggin' bowl
I found some scraps to take
drank from your poison jar
found I was wide awake

when I, put my cold eye to it
when I, put my cold eye to it
and I never said no, no I
never said no

when I, put my cold eye to it
when I, put my cold eye to it
Yes, I put my cold eye to it
and I never said no, no I
never said no.

5. CHRISTMAS VALLEY

It's breathin' time
In Christmas valley
herons fly by night
and crash into the pines
and when we're gone
from Christmas Valley
no one will remember you
leave nothin' to remind
to remind

climbed up onto Fort Rock
and I looked unto the town
the aquifer works so hard
to consecrate the ground

all the way to Wagontire
just a shimmer in the haze
all the way to Wagontire
no one's beggin' us to stay

it's breathin' time
in Christmas valley
herons fly by night
and crash into the pines
and when we're gone
from Christmas Valley
no one will remember you
leave nothin' to remind
to remind

If what you want is tarpaper
blown off in the wind
If what you want is tarpaper
then hold here to the end

Sister says on Lewiston
three rivers come to meet
she'll get us jobs in a restaurant
we can stagger home each night

It's breathin' time
in Christmas Valley
herons fly by night
and crash into the pines
and when we're home
from Christmas Valley

no one will remember you
leave nothin' to remind
to remind.

6. BLUE HEAD FLAME

tongue tied, said my prayers
20 years or more
seems like yesterday

hung your secrets from
the judas tree
watched 'em blow down
to the valley floor
blowin' home, watched
'em blow away

and what I fear is what we all fear
a fortune lost, a fortune gained
cursed by the power of the
blue head flame

got so drunk, I took things back
things I never said
things I never stole from anymore

dug in the clay, red on my hands
guilty to the elbows,
never mind my hands
kept my nose clean,
kept it that way for you

now what I fear, is what we all fear
a fortune lost, a fortune gained
cursed by the power of the
blue head flame

watched the freights from
the railroad tie
spun a rustly nail, and I closed
both eyes
as I told my tale, as the
freights went by

straw of pity on the
courthouse stairs
wait till doomsday, you said
wait for years
I couldn't wait that long,
I shoulda' killed for less

now what I fear, is what we all fear
a fortune lost, a fortune gained
cursed by the power of the
blue head flame

ya what I fear, is what we all fear
humble orgins all betrayed
lost to the power, we were
lost to the flame

tongue tied, said my prayers
20 years or more
seems like yesterday

got so drunk, I took things back
things I never stole, things
I never said to anyone
I should'a killed for less.

7. WHEN FORTUNE SMILES

even the mightiest rivers will bend
before they vanish, in the sand
even the tallest of timbers will fall
easy to fall, ain't easy to land

well that's a curse of mine
seems everything I find
keeps fallin' till it cannot fall
well that's a curse of mine
in the best of times
keep fallin' till I cannot fall

That's when fortune smiled on you
I'd say fortune smiled
when you went runnin'
away from these arms

the first will be last and the
last will be drunk
goes down, easy, easy come

well that's a curse of mine
never look behind
don't look into the swath I cut
well that's a curse of mine
never look behind
deep into the swath I cut

That's when fortune smiled on you
i'd say fortune smiled
when you went runnin'
away from these arms
these are the last things,
the things that will last
the knife in my tears, the
jail of my fears

well that's a curse of mine
well that's a curse of mine
well that's a curse of mine
wicked and divine
shoulda' never tried to love me

That's when fortune smiled on you
I'd say fortune smiled
when you went runnin'
away from these arms

when you went runnin'
away from these arms
hmmmmm...when you went runnin'.

8. ALL FOR THIS

I came from nowhere
I was nowhere bound

never once believed
this was my restin' ground

but somewhere between
here and that rest
I heard ya callin' my name

All for this, I have traveled
All for this, I have roamed
All for this, I have stumbled
All for this, I will carry you home

9 days of rain wshed across my face

9 days of liquor, 9 days of fate

watched me blow it up to
blow it back again
but you kept callin' my name

All for this, I have traveled
All for this, I have roamed
All for this, I have stumbled
All for this, I will carry you home

Comfort me, and bring no sorrow
keep on movin', gone tomorrow
I don't care
I just don't care

gone to heaven, gone to hell
they both looked the same
everywhere I go
you called my name

All for this, I have traveled
All for this, I have roamed
All for this, I have stumbled
All for this, I will carry you home

haeard ya callin'
gone tomorrow
heard ya callin'
heard ya call my name

and when I find you, gone tomorrow
when I find you, I'II carry you home.

9. FAIRGROUND BUES

I can still remember
the coat I wore that day
yellow as a plastic moon
with a weave as thick as chains

walkin' past the sideshow tents
drunker than we knew
could never fill my brother's shoes
got them Fairground Blues
got them Fairground Blues

was gone so long, I didn't know
if my brother'd still be there
when I got back to the
burlesque show
four cops were standin' on the stairs

brother's hands were stuck in irons
sweat had soaked his hair
said "you missed te fun in there
missed all the fun in there
you missed the fun in there"

brother's face was red and wild
cop said: "do you know this boy?
Choked a man for just his smile
this one's a killer not a boy."

My brother spit and laughed
and said: "I shoulda' stuck with you
big brother shoulda' stuck with you."

got them Fairground Blues
got them Fairground Blues

got them Fairground Blues
got them Fairground Blues.

10. THE LEAVING KIND

Trying hard to remember your voice
it seems so faraway

all choked up by the heat and
the dust
it seems so faraway

I'm going give you a call, from this
air conditioned bar
goinna give it one more crack

before these cocktail lights
all disappear
like the night wind on my back

I'm not the leavin' kind
but I've got leavin' on my mind
from Jim Town, to Halfway, then back
across the riverside

it's not hard to build a flat,
straight road
across this treeless plain

just follow, the sharp - edge
of the earth
and never, never stray

I'm not the leavin' kind
though I've got leavin' on my mind

from JIm Town, to Halfway,
then back across the riverside
I'm not the leavin' kind
though I"II be leavin' one more time
from Jim Town, to Flatop, the down
along the riverside

From Jim Town, to Halfway
then back across the riverside
From Jim Town, to Flatop
then down along the riverside
from Jim Town, to Halfway
then back across the riverside
From Jim Town, to Flatop...

11. FORGIVENESS SONG

Bang out the night song
on a old kettle drum
don't ask for no ransom
ain't payin you none

ground to a halt
with suspicion for all
you say "watch me fly"

I suppose that you're gone
but I don't care to look
don't give me the truth
give me shackles

bang out the night song
from deep in my chest
are you listening?

But last night (Oh last night)
late last night (late last night)
last night, you were forgiveness
And last night (Oh last night)
late last night (late last night)
last night you were the end

walked to the dawn
along misery's mile
stopped under a streetlight
and burned off my smile

trust was your mirror
and trust was your fool
are you listenin'

and now that I'm gone
give the tears to your friends
I'II take what I'm due
then I"II strangle
bang out the night song
you can beat it to death
you can watch me fly

But last night (Oh last night)
late last night (late last night)
last night, you were forgiveness
And last night (Oh last night)
late last night (late last night)
last night you were the and

raisin' my spirits
my head on the floor
turned around fast
walkin' back to your door

this run of bad luck
stuck like sleep in yer eyes
couldn't see a thing

But last night, late last night
last night, you were forgiveness
oh last night, late last night
last night you were the end

I'm comin' back to ya
no religion to sell
bang out the night song
ain't stuck in this hell
oh last night
late last night
last night you were forgivin.

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