From The Mars Hotel

As i was walkin' 'round grosvenor square
Not a chill to the winter but a nip to the air,
From the other direction, she was calling my eye,
It could be an illusion, but i might as well try, might as well try.

She had rings on her fingers and bells on her shoes.
And i knew without askin' she was into the blues.
She wore scarlet begonias tucked into her curls,
I knew right away she was not like other girls, other girls.

In the thick of the evening when the dealing got rough,
She was too pat to open and too cool to bluff.
As i picked up my matches and was closing the door,
I had one of those flashes i'd been there before, been there before.

Well, i ain't always right but i've never been wrong.
Seldom turns out the way it does in a song.
Once in a while you get shown the light
In the strangest of places if you look at it right.

Well there ain't nothing wrong with the way she moves,
Scarlet begonias or a touch of the blues.
And there's nothing wrong with the look that's in her eyes,

Wind in the willow's playin' "tea for two";
The sky was yellow and the sun was blue,
Strangers stoppin' strangers just to shake their hand,
Everybody's playing in the heart of gold band, heart of gold band.

Out on the edge of an empty highway, howling at the blood on the moon,
Big diesel mack truck rolling down my way, can't hit that border too soon.
Running hard out of muskrat flats, it was sixty days or double life,
Hail on my back like a shotgun blast, high wind chimes in the night.

Oh, oh the pride of cucamonga, oh, oh bitter olives in the sun,
Oh, oh i had me some lovin', and i done some time.

Since i came down from oregon, there's a lesson or two i've learned
By standing in the road alone, standing watching the fires burn.
The northern sky it stinks with greed, you can smell it for miles around,
Good ole boys in the greystone hotel, sitting doing that git on down.

Oh, oh the pride of cucamonga, of, of silver apples in the sun,

I see your silver shining town, but i know i can't go there --
Your streets run deep with poisoned wine, your doorways crawl with fear.
So i think i'll drift for ol' where it's at, where the weed grows green and fine
And wrap myself around a bush of that bright, whoa, on oaxaca vine.

Yes, it's me, i'm the pride of cucamonga, i can see golden forests in the sun.

Red and white, blue suede shoes, i'm uncle sam, how do you do?
Gimme five, i'm still alive, ain't no luck, i learned to duck.
Check my pulse, it don't change. stay seventy-two come shine or rain.
Wave the flag, pop the bag, rock the boat, skin the goat.
Wave that flag, wave it wide and high.
Summertime done, come and gone, my, oh, my.

I'm uncle sam, that's who i am; been hidin' out in a rock and roll band.
Shake the hand that shook the hand of p.t. barnum and charlie chan.
Shine your shoes, light your fuse. can you use them ol' u.s. blues?
I'll drink your health, share your wealth, run your life, steal your wife.
Wave that flag, wave it wide and high.
Summertime done, come and gone, my, oh, my.

Back to back chicken shack. son of a gun, better change your act.
We're all confused, what's to lose?
Wave that flag, wave it wide and high.
Summertime done, come and gone, my, oh, my.

Went to see the captain, strangest i could find,
Laid my proposition down, laid it on the line.
I won't slave for beggar's pay, likewise gold and jewels,
But i would slave to learn the way to sink your ship of fools.

Ship of fools on a cruel sea, ship of fools sail away from me.
It was later than i thought when i first believed you,
Now i cannot share your laughter, ship of fools.

Saw your first ship sink and drown, from rockin' of the boat,
And all that could not sink or swim was just left there to float.
I won't leave you drifting down, but woh it makes me wild,
With thirty years upon my head to have you call me child.

Ship of fools on a cruel sea, ship of fools sail away from me.
It was later than i thought when i first believed you,
Now i cannot share your laughter, ship of fools.

The bottles stand as empty, as they were filled before.
Time there was and plenty, but from that cup no more.
Though i could not caution all, i still might warn a few:
Don't lend your hand to raise no flag atop no ship of fools.

Ship of fools on a cruel sea, ship of fools sail away from me.
It was later than i thought, when i first believed you,
Now i cannot share your laughter, ship of fools.

It was later than i thought when i first believed you,
Now i cannot share your laughter, ship of fools.