Self Portrait

Went out last night to take a little round.
I met my little sadie and i brought her down.
I ran right home and i went to bed
With a forty-four smokeless under my head.

I began to think what a deed i'd done,
I grabbed my hat and i began to run.
I made a god run but i ran too slow;
They overtook me down in jericho

Standing on a corner ringin' my bell,
Up stepped the sheriff from thomasville.
He said "young man is you name brown?
Remember the night you blowed little sadie down."

"oh, yes sir, my name is lee.
I murdered little sadie in the first degree.
First degree and second degree,
If you've got any papers will you serve them to me?"

Well they took me down town and they dressed me in black.
They put me on a train and they brought me back.
I had no one for to go my bail;
They crammed me back into the county jail.

The judge and the jury they took their stand.
The judge had the papers in his right hand.
Forty-one days, forty-one nights;
Forty-one years to wear the ball and the stripes.

All the tired horses in the sun
How'm i supposed to get any ridin' done? hmm.

Alberta let your hair hang low
Alberta let your hair hang low
I'll give you more gold
Than your apron can hold
If you'd only let your hair hang low

Alberta what's on your mind
Alberta what's on your mind
You keep me worried and bothered
All of the time
Alberta what's on your mind

Alberta don't you treat me unkind
Alberta don't you treat me unkind
Oh my heart is so sad
Cause i want you so bad
Alberta don't you treat me unkind

Alberta let your hair hang low
Alberta let your hair hang low
I'll give you more gold
Than your apron can hold
If you'll only let your hair hang low

Why must you always try to make me over ?
Take me as i am or let me go
White lilies never grow on stalks of clover
Take me as i am or let me go.

You're trying to reshape me in a moment
In the image of someone you used to know
I won't be a stand-in for an old love
Take me as i am or let me go.

You've tried to change me ever since you've met me
Take me as i am or let me go.
If you cannot overlook my faults, forget me
Take me as i am or let me go.

You're trying to reshape me in a mould love
In the image of someone you used to know
But i won't be a stand-in for an old love
Take me as i am or let me go.

I'm just a poor boy
Though my story's seldom told
I have squadered my resistance
For a pocketful of numbles
Such are promises, all lies and jest
Still a man hears what he wants to hear
And disregards the rest.

When i left my home and family
I was no more than a boy
In the company of strangers
In the quiet of the railway station
Running scared, laying low
Seeking out the poorer quarters
Where the ragged people go
Looking for the places only they would know.

Asking only workman's wages
I come looking for a job
But i get no offers
Just a come-on from the whores on seventh avenue
I do declare
There were times when i was so lonesome
I took some comfort there.

Then i'm laying out my winter clothes
And wishing i was gone, going home
Where the new york city winters aren't bleeding me
Leading me
Going home.

In the clearing stands a boxer
And a fighter by his trade
And he carries the reminders
Of every glove that laid him down
And cut him till he cried out
In his anger and his shame
"i am leaving, i am leaving"
But the fighter still remains.

Since you've been gone,
I've been walking around
With my head bowed down to my shoes.
I've been living the blues
Ev'ry night without you.

I don't have to go far
To know where you are,
Strangers all give me the news.
I've been living the blues
Ev'ry night without you.

I think that it's best,
I soon get some rest
And forget my pride.
But i can't deny
This feeling that i
Carry for you deep down inside.

If you see me this way,
You'd come back and you'd stay,
Oh, how could you refuse.
I've been living the blues
Ev'ry night without you.

Went out last night to take a little round.
I met my little sadie and i brought her down.
I ran right home and i went to bed
With a forty-four smokeless under my head.

I began to think what a deed i'd done.
I grabbed my hat and i began to run.
I made a god run but i ran too slow;
They overtook me down in jericho

Standing on a corner a ringin' my bell,
Up stepped the sheriff from thomasville.
He said 'young man is you name brown?
Remember you blowed sadie down."

"oh yes sir, my name is lee.
I murdered little sadie in the first degree.
First degree and second degree.
If you've got any papers will you serve them to me?"

Well they took me down town and they dressed me in black,
They put me on a train and they sent me back.
I had no one to go my bail;
They crammed me back into the county jail.

Oh, yes they did.
The judge and the jury they took their stand.
The judge had the papers in his right hand.

Forty-one days, forty-one nights;
Forty-one years to wear the ball and the stripes;
Oh, no!

Went out last night to take a little round.
I met little sadie and i blowed her down.
I ran right home and i went to bed,
A forty-four smokeless under my head.

Once upon a time you dressed so fine
You threw the bums a dime in your prime, didn't you?
People'd call, say, "beware doll, you're bound to fall"
You thought they were all kiddin' you
You used to laugh about
Everybody that was hangin' out
Now you don't talk so loud
Now you don't seem so proud
About having to be scrounging for your next meal.

How does it feel
How does it feel
To be without a home
Like a complete unknown
Like a rolling stone?

You've gone to the finest school all right, miss lonely
But you know you only used to get juiced in it
And nobody has ever taught you how to live on the street
And now you find out you're gonna have to get used to it
You said you'd never compromise
With the mystery tramp, but now you realize
He's not selling any alibis
As you stare into the vacuum of his eyes
And ask him do you want to make a deal?

How does it feel
How does it feel
To be on your own
With no direction home
Like a complete unknown
Like a rolling stone?

You never turned around to see the frowns on the jugglers and the clowns
When they all come down and did tricks for you
You never understood that it ain't no good
You shouldn't let other people get your kicks for you
You used to ride on the chrome horse with your diplomat
Who carried on his shoulder a siamese cat
Ain't it hard when you discover that
He really wasn't where it's at
After he took from you everything he could steal.

How does it feel
How does it feel
To be on your own
With no direction home
Like a complete unknown
Like a rolling stone?

Princess on the steeple and all the pretty people
They're drinkin', thinkin' that they got it made
Exchanging all kinds of precious gifts and things
But you'd better lift your diamond ring, you'd better pawn it babe
You used to be so amused
At napoleon in rags and the language that he used
Go to him now, he calls you, you can't refuse
When you got nothing, you got nothing to lose
You're invisible now, you got no secrets to conceal.

How does it feel
How does it feel
To be on your own
With no direction home
Like a complete unknown
Like a rolling stone?

Who's gonna throw that minstrel boy a coin?
Who's gonna let it roll?
Who's gonna throw that minstrel boy a coin?
Who's gonna let it down easy to save his soul?

Oh, lucky's been drivin' a long, long time
And now he's stuck on top of the hill.
With twelve forward gears, it's been a long hard climb,
And with all of them ladies, though, he's lonely still.

Who's gonna throw that minstrel boy a coin?
Who's gonna let it roll?
Who's gonna throw that minstrel boy a coin?
Who's gonna let it down easy to save his soul?

Well, he deep in number and heavy in toil,
Mighty mockingbird, he still has such a heavy load.
Beneath his bound'ries, what more can i tell,
With all of his trav'lin', but i'm still on that road.

Who's gonna throw that minstrel boy a coin?
Who's gonna let it roll?
Who's gonna throw that minstrel boy a coin?
Who's gonna let it down easy to save his soul?

Done laid around and stayed around this old town to long
Sommers almost gone yeh winters commin on
Done laid around and stayed around this old town to long
And i feel like i gotta travel on

There's a lonesome freight at six'o eight commin through the town
Commin through the town yeh i'll be homeward bound
A lonesome freight at six'o eight a commin through the town
But i feel like i gotta travel on

That chilly wind will soon begin but i'll be on my way
I'll be on my way yeh i'll be home to stay
That chilly wind will soon begin and i'll be on my way
But i feel like i gotta travel on

(not sure on next verse)

High police and sherriff are commin after me
Yeh commin after me yeh commin after me
The high police and sherriff are comin after me
And i feel like i gotta travel on

Wanna see my honey, wanna see her bad
Wanna see my honey, wanna see her bad
She's the best girl a man could ever have

Papa writes to johnny but johnny can't come home
Johnny can't come home no johnny can't come home
Papa writes to johnny but johnny can't come home
Cause he's been on the chain gaing to long

Blue moon, you saw me standing alone
Without a dream in my heart, without a love of my own.

Blue moon, you knew just what i was there for
You heard me saying a prayet for someone i really could care for.

And suddenly there appeared before me the only one my arms could ever hold
I heard someone whisper, "please, adore me"
And when i looked my moon had turned to gold.

Blue moon, now i'm no longer alone
Without a dream in my heart, without a love of my own
Without a love of my own.