THE WALKABOUTS

TO HELL AND BACK

LIVE IN EUROPA 1994 (1994)

SET ONE

  1. Satisfied Mind
  2. Polly
  3. The River People
  4. Promised
  5. Buffalo Ballet
  6. Will You Miss Me When I'm Gone
  7. Loom Of The Land

SET TWO

  8. Good Luck Morning
  9. Firetrap
10. Bordertown
11. Grand Theft Auto
12. Jack Candy
13. Pass Me On Over
14. Snake Mountain Blues



The Walkabouts - To Hell And Back - Live In Europa

THE WALKABOUTS

TO HELL AND BACK

LIVE IN EUROPA 1994

SET ONE

  1. SATISFIED MIND

How many times have you heard someone say
"If I had his money, I could do things my way?"
Little they know that it's so hard to find
One rich man in ten with a satisfied mind

Once I was waitin' for fortune and fame
Everything that I dreamed for to get a start in life's game
Suddenly it happened, I lost every dime
But I'm richer by far with a satisfied mind

Money can't buy back your youth when you're old
Or a friend when you're lonely, or a love that's grown cold
The wealthiest person is a pauper at times
Compared to the man with a satisfied mind

When my life is ended, my time has run out
My trials and my loved ones, I'll leave them no doubt
But one thing's for certain, when it comes my time
I'll leave this old world with a satisfied mind (2 x).

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  2. POLLY

If the wild-bird could speak
He'd tell of places you have been
He's been in my dreams
And he knows all the ways of the winds

Polly, come home again
Spread your wings to the wind
I fell much of the pain
As it begins

Dreams cover much time
Still they leve blind the will to begin
I searched for you there
And now look for you within

Polly, come home again
Spread your wings to the wind
I fell much of the pain
As it begins

Polly, come home again
Spread your wings to the wind
I fell much of the pain
As it begins.

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  3. THE RIVER PEOPLE

Down here everyone says that the River People don't really belong here
I know what it's like to be a stranger and divide a town beside a frontier
People want your business and little more
I've watched shadows lengthen from a closed door

Mountains wide, nothing is clearer to the River People than what the others try and hide
You spoke, pushed your chair back at the meeting and I could tell that you were petrified
You said the best people can suddenly oppose
The sight of good will and then it arose
Two people, four people crossed the floor
I saw children run, I wept amidst the uproar

Around here your stranded face before moonlight, the color of the sea
You came up to the house after swimming on sunset and the flattened sea
The sky had opened, it had gone bust
You and I watched the River People swim before us
The sky had opened, it had gone bust
You and I watched the river people swim before us

You said the best people could suddenly oppose
The sight of good will and then it arose
Two people, four people crossed the floor
I saw children run, I wept amidst the uproar
Down here . . .
You came . . .

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  4. PROMISED

Promise me my soul to keep
And promise me you'll never sleep
And promise me that when it's over,
We will drink the whole world sober
Promise me that lines get drawn
Point no point to wish me well
Promise me there's no denying,
And you will stop to wish me well
Oh promise me
Promise me it'll all get done
And a lion's share of good will last
Promise me you'll turn away first,
And promise me you won't turn back
For all the years we kept on trying,
It wasn't 'cause we were scared to quit
Promise me there'll be no pity,
And promise me there'll be safer bets
Oh promise me

You won't make these promises

With calloused hands we forged this hammer,
Broke these rocks into equal parts
Sent the sparks, flyin' off the handle
Asked for nothing, but delivered much
Never were the main event,
Always played the sideshow tent
The drunken cowards came to look us over
Can you promise we did not belong there?
Oh promise me

You won't make these promises

Promise me the best you know
And promise me you'll break down slow
And when you find the nerve to quit,
Pass it 'round and we'll share in it

There is somethin' cruel about this,
But I know hopeful it's not far behind
What was unknown just hours ago,
Is now the killer with the angel's eye
Oh promise me
Oh promise me.

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  5. BUFFALO BALLET

When Abilene was young and gay
And thunder storms filled up the days
The cattle roam outside the town
Sleeping in the midday sun (4 x)

Then tracks were laid across the plain
By broken old men in torrid rain
The towns grew up, and the people were still
Sleeping in the midday sun (4 x)

We all joined in
And we all joined hands
We all joined in
To help run this land
Then the soldiers came, long long ago
Rode through the town
And mowed down those
Sleeping in the midday sun (4 x)

Gold came and went, quickly spent
And the people broke down
And often drowned
From the wealth and the pain
Of old Abilene
Sleeping in the midday sun (8 x).

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  6. WILL YOU MISS ME WHEN I'M GONE

When death shall close these eyelids
And this heart shall cease to beat
And they lay me down to rest
In some flowery-bound retreat

Will you miss me, miss me, when I'm gone
Will you miss me, miss me, miss me when I'm gone (2 x)
Will you miss mew hen I'm gone

Perhaps you'll plant a flower
On my poor unworthy grave
And come sit alone beside me
When the roses nod and wave

Will you miss me, miss me, when I'm gone
Will you miss me, miss me, miss me when I'm gone (2 x)
Will you miss me when I'm gone

One sweet thought my soul shall cherish
Till this fleeting life has flown
This sweet thought will cheer when dying
You will miss me when I'm gone

Will you miss me, miss me, when I'm gone
Will you miss me, miss me, miss me when I'm gone (2 x)
Will you miss me when I'm gone.

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  7. LOOM OF THE LAND

It was the dirty end of winter
Along the loom of the land
When I walked with sweet Henry
Hand upon hand
And the wind it bit bitter
For a girl of no means
With no shoes on her feet
And a knife in her jeans
Along the loom of the land
The mission bells peeled
From the tower at Saint Mary's
Down to Reprobate Fields
And I saw the world
All blessed and bright
And Henry breathed softly
In the majestic night
O baby please don't cry
And try to keep
Your little head upon my shoulder
Now we'll go to sleep
The elms and the poplars
Were turning their backs
Past the rumbling station
We followed their tracks
My hands they burned
In the folds of his coat
Breathing milky white air
From deep in his throat
O baby please don't cry
And try to keep
Your little head upon my shoulder
Now we'll go to sleep

I told him the moon
Was a magical thing
That it shone gold in winter
And silver in spring
And we walked and we walked
Across the endless sands
Just me and my Henry
Along the loom of the land
O baby please don't cry
And try to keep
O baby please don't cry
And try to keep
Your little head upon my shoulder
Now we'll go to sleep.

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SET TWO

  8. GOOD LUCK MORNING

Maybe you should disappear,
And now I've warned you so
Bury your clothes out in the woods,
And hide your letters 'neath the stove

There's a big house down in Wilkeson,
where you can dance on tabletops
There's a card room in the back,
where you can dance on tabletops

You'd better light a fire,
underneath yourself,
You'd better light a fire,
right here where it counts,
You'd better light a fire,
you'd best believe the warning,
You'd better light a fire,
this is your good luck morning

Take my savings and my ring
And buy yourself somethin' to wear
The bus rolls out of here at five,
They'll still be up when you get there

Say hello to them in Wilkeson,
and tell 'em that I'll be back soon
I know you'll do alright in Wilkeson,
you tell 'em that I'll be back soon

You'd better light a fire,
underneath yourself,
You'd better light a fire,
right here where it counts,
You'd better light a fire,
you'd best believe the warning,
You'd better light a fire,
this is your good luck morning

You'd better light a fire,
underneath yourself,
You'd better light a fire,
right here where it counts,
You'd better light a fire,
you'd best believe the warning,
You'd better light a fire,
this is your good luck morning,
This is your good luck day,
This is your good luck charm,
They'll try to do you right,
Won't ever do you harm,
You'd better light a fire,
you'd best believe the warning,
You'd better light a fire,
this is your good luck.

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  9. FIRETRAP

Come back in the winter,
Won't steal away too long
And when I'm back I'll set it all ablaze
Got Jesus in my pocket
And matches in my coat
I won't have to work alone this time

From the trees upon the hill top,
I'll watch the old house close
You can guard your back but my patience will be endless
And all your stiff-jaw quiet,
won't conceal what you have done
You warned us all to sell or pay the price

Now I wanna burn, now I wanna burn,
Not only you can burn

The newspaper and TV fools came trudging 'cross our fields
Said the shots that killed my brother came from his own hand
But that don't explain the tire tracks that came down from your house
To make it look like suicide had always been your plan

Now I wanna burn, now I wanna burn,
Not only you can burn
I wanna burn this signal fire,
I wanna burn this firetrap,
Not only you can burn
And it belongs to me now,
Right or wrong,

I'll come back in the winter,
On a trail of no remorse
And my footprints will get covered by the frozen snow
And no one in your family, will talk of me again
Flames will die, and silence will return

Now I wanna burn, now I wanna burn,
Not only you can burn
I wanna burn this signal fire,
I wanna burn this firetrap,
Not only you can burn
And it belongs to me now,
Right or wrong
Yes it belongs to me now,
Right or wrong.

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10. BORDERTOWN

I can sleep it off,
Sleep it back to sleep,
I can be most anything I want
A long way from the shade,
The north side of the moon
Down here only rich men lose their shirts

And John Law wakes to sweep,
The morning off the street,
But no one cares if he has done his job
And postcards never came,
From race tracks by the sea
From a gambler who says: "You are still my lucky thing."

Bordertown,
There's been an accident in Bordertown

Bordertown,
I am your accident in Bordertown

Coyotes stirs the drinks,
And drives his stolen jeep,
And drives the kingsnake to its happy hole
But I stand in the clear,
The only place he fears,
The only place he's never seen me stand

Bordertown,
There's been an accident in Bordertown

Bordertown,
I am your accident in Bordertown

There ain't no seasons here,
But the freezin' still appears,
Everytime I call this home
Can't be enough alone

I can sleep it off,
Sleep it back to sleep,
I can be most anything I want
A long way from the shade,
The north side of the moon
Down here only taxi drivers know my name.

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11. GRAND THEFT AUTO

In this town
The blood will make you rich
Yeah
In this town
The blood will make you rich
In this town
I will do you one better
I'll change the thruth
When I change the weather
In this town
The blood will make you rich

And when you're down
You can buy the Jesus pose
'Cause in this town
All roads lead to this
And when you're down
I will kill it again
I'll give ya something
To forget about him
When you're down
All roads lead to this

And come tonight
Yeah
Come tonight
We'll take a ride
And come tonight
Yeah
Come tonight
We'll see the sights
You will lead and I will follow
You will lead me
Down to the hollow
you will lead me down
Grand theft auto
You will lead me down

In this town
We have got the midas touch
And in this town
The gold will make you blush
Some of it swims
And some of it glitters
In this town
We got the midas touch
And come tonight
Yeah
Come tonight
We'll take a ride
And come tonight
Yeah
Come tonight
We'll see the sights
You will lead and I will follow
You will lead me
Down to the hollow
you will lead me down
Grand theft auto
You will lead me down
Grand theft auto (4 x).

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12. JACK CANDY

Jack Candy was as old as my father
But still I took a likin' to him
He said you will be somebody's treasure
But no one has discovered you yet

Jack Candy lived on Sky Valley Road
And that's where he did hid business, I gues
They say he sold a truckload of cocaine
But he never showed me any of that

This is a story that I've prayed to tell
This is a story that I've prayed to tell
About the day they drove him from this town
About the day I lost Jack Candy

I was walkin' up to Jack Candy's trailer
When he shouted I had better head home
The curtains closed as he went back inside
And I trembled 'cause he wasn't alone

This is a story that I've prayed to tell
This is a story that I've prayed to tell
About the day they drove him from this town
About the day I lost Jack Candy

Some say they took him out to a clearin'
And made him crawl until he confessed
Some say they hung him up by his bootstraps
Some say they let him swing in the wind

I walk along the Sky Valley Road
And out onto the great Northern Bridge
And for hours I stare into the cold
Sick and tired of denying I love him

This is a story that I've prayed to tell
This is a story that I've prayed to tell
About the day they drove him from this town
About the day I lost Jack Candy

I've lived a lie and I have lived it well
this is the story that I've prayed to tell
About a love and how I let him down
About the day I lost Jack Candy.

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13. PASS ME ON OVER

Lead you over to the water,
Said "Hold it down until it does not breathe"
Tried drowning it on dry land for too long,
But it was not supposed to be
This recklessness might kill you,
But I know you would miss it if it died
This recklessness is not a curse,
It's just the old convictions runnin' out of time

Pass me on over,
Let it pass me by
We'll keep on movin',
Leave this shit behind
Take all our money,
But ya know we'll never quit
Pass me on over,
But don't pass,
Me back to this

Birds on empty watertowers,
Owned it all but did not own a thing
Prisoners of dry land for to long,
Until only our love remained
By this river, we laugh loud
And leave for dead what we cannot explain
Head out to the hiding place,
Covered in the strong arms of the aspen trees

Pass me on over,
Let it pass me by
We'll keep on movin',
Leave this shit behind
Take all our money,
But ya know we'll never quit
Pass me on over,
But don't pass,
Me back to this

Pass me on over,
Let it pass me by
We'll keep on movin',
Leave this shit behind
Take all our money,
But ya know we'll never quit
Pass me on over,
But don't pass,
Me back to this

But don't pass,
Me back to this.

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14. SNAKE MOUNTAIN BLUES
      (No Lyrics)

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Jan's Lyrics - All lyrics are copyright protected