Live In Central Park

tombstone blues

The sweet pretty things are in bed now of course
The city fathers they're trying to endorse
The reincarnation of paul revere's horse
But the town has no need to be nervous

The ghost of belle starr she hands down her wits
To jezebel the nun who violently knits
A bald wig for jack the ripper who sits
At the head of the chamber of commerce

Mama's in the fact'ry
She ain't got no shoes
Daddy's in the alley
He's lookin' for the fuse
I'm in the streets
With the tombstone blues

The hysterical bride in the penny arcade
Screaming she moans, "i've just been made"
Then she sends out for the doctor who pulls down the shade
Says, "my advice is to not let the boys in"

Now the medicine man comes and he shuffles inside
He walks with a swagger and he says to the bride
"stop all this weeping, swallow your pride
You will not die, it's not poison"

Mama's in the fact'ry
She ain't got no shoes
Daddy's in the alley
He's lookin' for the fuse
I'm in the streets
With the tombstone blues

Well, john the baptist after torturing a thief
Looks up to his hero the commander-in-chief
"tell me great hero, but please make it brief
Is there a hole for me to get sick in?"

Commander-in-chief answers him while chasing a fly
Saying, "death to all those who would whimper and cry"
And dropping a bar bell he points to the sky
Saving, "the sun is not yellow it is chicken"

Mama's in the fact'ry
She ain't got no shoes
Daddy's in the alley
He's lookin' for the fuse
I'm in the streets
With the tombstone blues

it don't hurt like it did.
I can sing my song again.
It don't hurt like it did.
I can sing my song again.

I scraped the paper off the wall.
I put down carpet in the hall.
I left no trace of you at all.
And i can sing my song again.

I don't dream 'cuz i don't sleep.
The moon is hanging like your hat.
The sun comes up, well i don't see
Curtains tied up like a bat.

The electric man looks good today.
Maybe not, well i'm trying hard.
Trying hard to feel that way,
The electric man's a good place to start.

Took your paintings off the wall.
That one of me that you called doll.
I added on 'cuz the house was feeling small.
Now i can sing my song again.

I don't think of you no more
Except for everyday or two.
I don't think of you no more
Except for in between the sun and moon.

Packed up and moved out after all.
Bulldozed the house and watched it fall.
That blessed sight i still recall
I can sing my song again
I can sing my song again

It don't hurt like it did, it hurts worse.
Who do i kid?

(sheryl crow/jeff trott)

Life springs eternal
On a gaudy neon street
Not that i care at all
I spent the best part of my losing streak
In an army jeep
For what i can't recall
Oh i'm banging on my tv set
And i check the odds
And i place my bet
I pour a drink
And i pull the blinds
And i wonder what i'll find

I'm leaving las vegas
Lights so bright
Palm sweat, blackjack
On a saturday night
Leaving las vegas
Leaving for good, for good
I'm leaving for good
I'm leaving for good

Used to be i could drive up to
Barstow for the night
Find some crossroad trucker
To demonstrate his might
But these days it seems
Nowhere is far enough away
So i'm leaving las vegas today

I'm leaving las vegas
Lights so bright
Palm sweat, blackjack
On a saturday night
Leaving las vegas
Leaving for good, for good
I'm leaving for good
I'm leaving for good

I'm standing in the middle of the desert
Waiting for my ship to come in
But now no joker, no jack, no king
Can take this loser hand
And make it win

I'm leaving las vegas
Lights so bright
Palm sweat, blackjack
On a saturday night
Leaving las vegas
Leaving for good, for good
I'm leaving for good
I'm leaving for good

I quit my job as a dancer
At the lido des girls
Dealing blackjack until one or two
Such a muddly line between
The things you want
And the things you have to do

I'm leaving las vegas
Lights so bright
Palm sweat, blackjack
On a saturday night
Leaving las vegas
Leaving for good, for good
I'm leaving for good
I'm leaving for good

I'm leaving las vegas
And i won't be back
No i won't be back
Not this time

(sheryl crow/bill bottrell/david baerwald/kevin gilbert/david
Ricketts)

Hit it!
This ain't no disco
It ain't no country club either
This is la!

"all i wanna do is have a little fun before i die,"
Says the man next to me out of nowhere
It's apropos of nothing
He says his name's william but i'm sure
He's bill or billy or mac or buddy
And he's plain ugly to me
And i wonder if he's ever had a day of fun in his whole life
We are drinking beer at noon on tuesday
In a bar that faces a giant car wash
The good people of the world are washing their cars
On their lunch break, hosing and scrubbing
As best they can in skirts in suits
They drive their shiny datsuns and buicks
Back to the phone company, the record store too
Well, they're nothing like billy and me, cause

All i wanna do is have some fun
I got a feeling i'm not the only one
All i wanna do is have some fun
I got a feeling i'm not the only one
All i wanna do is have some fun
Until the sun comes up over santa monica boulevard

I like a good beer buzz early in the morning
And billy likes to peel the labels
From his bottles of bud
He shreds them on the bar
Then he lights every match in an oversized pack
Letting each one burn down to his thick fingers
Before blowing and cursing them out
And he's watching the bottles of bud as they spin on the floor
And a happy couple enters the bar
Dangerously close to one another
The bartender looks up from his want ads

All i wanna do is have some fun
I got a feeling i'm not the only one
All i wanna do is have some fun
I got a feeling i'm not the only one
All i wanna do is have some fun
Until the sun comes up over santa monica boulevard

Otherwise the bar is ours,
The day and the night and the car wash too
The matches and the buds and the clean and dirty cars
The sun and the moon but

All i wanna do is have some fun
I got a feeling i'm not the only one
All i wanna do is have some fun
I got a feeling i'm not the only one
All i wanna do is have some fun
Until the sun comes up over santa monica boulevard

(wyn cooper/sheryl crow/bill bottrell/david baerwald/kevin gilbert)

god, i feel like hell tonight
Tears of rage i cannot fight
I'd be the last to help you understand
Are you strong enough to be my man?

Nothing's true and nothing's right
So let me be alone tonight
Cause you can't change the way i am
Are you strong enough to be my man?

Lie to me
I promise i'll believe
Lie to me
But please don't leave

I have a face i cannot show
I make the rules up as i go
It's try and love me if you can
Are you strong enough to be my man?

When i've shown you that i just don't care
When i'm throwing punches in the air
When i'm broken down and i can't stand
Will you be man enough to be my man?

Lie to me
I promise i'll believe
Lie to me
But please don't leave

Ten years living in a paperbag
Feedback baby, he's a flipped out cat
He's a platinum canary, drinkin' falstaff beer
Mercedes rule, and a rented lear
Bottom feeder insincere
Prophet lo-fi pioneer
Sell the house and go to school
Get a young girlfriend, daddy's jewel

A change would do you good
A change would do you good

God's little gift is on the rag
Poster girl posing in a fashion mag
Canine, feline, jekyll and hyde
Wear your fake fur on the inside
Queen of south beach, aging blues
Dinner's at six, wear your cement shoes
I thought you were singing your heart out to me
Your lips were syncing and now i see

A change would do you good
A change would do you good

Chasing dragons with plastic swords
Jack off jimmy, everybody wants more
Scully and angel on the kitchen floor
And i'm calling buddy on the ouija board
I've been thinking 'bout catching a train
Leave my phone machine by the radar range
Hello it's me, i'm not at home
If you'd like to reach me, leave me alone

A change would do you good
A change would do you good
Hello, it's me, i'm not at home
If you'd like to reach me, leave me alone

A change would do you good
A change would do you good

(sheryl crow/jeff trott/brian macleod)