1. THE GOOD HAND

I am nothing without
his ghost within
And all your wooden eyes cannot see
The good hand upon me

I took my shelter neath a familyre tree
I'm livin where i come from
I am i am my father's son
See the good hand
See what the good hand done

Leave it lye
Let it go to ruin
To be blown thin by the wind
A heavy drone
A heavy sway
Girl i love to see you talk that way

I live
I live among them
And they breathe forth fire
I run
I run fast and then
I do not tire
For the good hand upon me

I see you've chosen to lose your way
To greed with a clank for nothin'
Keep your word
Captive in thought
You will give all
You will give all you've got
To the good hand upon me

She will understand
From the bottom of her heart
Embellished by pains engraving
Just how great thou art


2. MY RUSSIA

The morning comes
I've not yet closed my eyes
Cold and bright as I need it
The sun does rise

These were my thoughts as I
Passed neath your window
Saw you through stained glass
With only one eye

Hide me in your hand
With the mother of my children
Where the land sinks deep in it's color
Bless the ground where we kneel
Safe in your woven creel
We follow for you speak
You speak as no other

No one asked any questions
For fear that I might answer
They covered their ears to your song

Have I shown them compassion
Have I shown them any love
I hope they know it come
From the father above

Self righteous self pity
This I do not doubt
Bind and turn the strong man out
For you know my frame
The sound of my new name
As I hold forth nothing worth saving

For I am everything
I am everything
I am everything that he is not


3. BLUE PAIL FEVER

Thy will be done
Here on this highway
In every house and field i pray
All in meekness yield
Aided by want
Among stranger people
To disgrace so soon i've come

Drift like sleep into the hotel montana
Lay low for thy name's sake
El matador louisiana

Full of bulls' blood and what not
Coarse jest to a tight knot
You are not acquainted with your own heart
Frozen prayer upon my lips
Inside the blood runs hot
He was reviled
Yet he reviled not

Like a voice in an empty house
Breathe your breath
And speak to me
Speak to me

It's a dry leaf
That shivers on the branch
What matter if the wind cast it down
With a ruthless hand
Cause we remember always
That it took place forever
Thy kingdom come in
Whosoever


4. GLASS EYE

Deeply shaken see I come that way
I'll at ease in my own skin
I hum along to the down home drone
Down in my soul to stay
Ain't gonna listen to my own noise
Even though I love the sound
It come back hollow on hollow
When it come back around
Back around

Quick to anger and quick to speak
Afraid to lose these things not mine to keep
The spirit is willing the flesh is weak

How long have you been standing there
Only here a lonley man
I do
I get behind myself
Grieved in my spirit by my hands
Seemes he has turned his head
This collector of useless clutter
Somethin now has caught his eye
Now his words only stumble out in stutters


5. WOODEN BROTHER

We hit the floor
Just like her blue silk slip
Dark puritan rose
To the curve ofher hip
I did not know
It was too much
Too much for me to handle
To be shown to the heart of the matter
By your holy candle

The clank of your second hand
The stare of your glass eye
Have I no wisdom
That is not wise
In that way we laid the rail
A woven handmade indian
I spoke and understood
Your golden virginian

Still not a day goes by
Something always
Something always by and by

Sing the same old song
In the same old way
Through mystic maze of memory
Our days of disarray
Stood still in the same place twice
Just to cast a shadow
Cast down by a western sun
You have the right to know


6. AIN'T NO SUNSHINE

Ain't no sunshine when she's gone
It's not warm when she's away
Ain't no sunshine when she's gone
She's gone much too long
Any time she goes away

Ain't no sunshine when she's gone
Wonder if she's gone to stay
Ain't no sunshine when she's gone
And this house just ain't no home
Anytime she goes away

I know
She's gone to stay
It's breakin' me up
Anytime she goes away
Gotta leave the young thing alone
There ain't no sunshine when she's gone

Ain't no sunshine when she's gone
It's not warm when she's away
Ain't no sunshine when she's gone
And she's gone much too long
Any time she goes away

Ain't no sunshine when she's gone
I wonder if she's gone to stay
There ain't no sunshine when she's gone
And this house just ain't a home
Any time she goes away

I know
She's gone to stay
It's breaking me up
Any time she goes away
Gotta leave the young thing alone
There ain't no sunshine when she's gone

Ain't no sunshine when she's gone
I wonder if she's gone to stay
Ain't no sunshine when she's gone
And this house just ain't no home
Any time she goes away


7. STORY AND PICTURES

Shook out my salvation
In all four corners of my room
Lowly is the dust
Trustworthy the broom

White lady
Growlin on a chain
Peacock caw the sound of my lover's name
The tone was pure and played on gut
From your birdhouse aflame

Your fire burns for me
Red as grace
The blush came easily to your face
Your fire burns for me
Red as grace
And she says that none would have her

As a boy I too drew near
To the love of dust
Toughskin blue light cowboy
Idle hands they rust

Your fire burns for me
Red as grace
The blush came easily to your face
Your fire burns for me
Red as grace
And she says that none would have her

Let us allow the character to build
Wise as serpents and harmless as doves
Let's allow the emptiness to fill
Rich mercy and brotherly love

Your fire burns for me
Red as grace
The blush came easily to your face
Your fire burns for me
Red as grace
And she says that none would have her


8. ARROWHEAD

Do tell
How is
The little pilgrims progress
Does he endeavour to perservere
Close mantled to knives and kisses
Just like
When you were here
What little he had
From him it was taken
For in the small things he could not be trusted
Arrowhead
Arrowhead
Run motor city rusted
Nailed to the floor by an old time gaze

Who is who was who is to come
Given to other lips
Spoken on other tounges
Where are you and where have you been
Hold fast hold fast
Till he come again

Would it do
Would it do any good
To be able to remember
The white of the page
The black of the ink
Thrown overboard lest the whole ship sink
You talk this way
As you go walkin
Weavin your way through the straw
It comes so slow
And leaves so quick
Under grace
We strike the striken law


9. YOUR RUSSIA

Medicine tounge and a heavy hand
Together made a fist
They put me down and i do not rise
And now as an old child
I'll hand it down
I'll hand it down
Then blow around
See me blow around
Just like dirty paper

I crossed my mind
Ahead of us
Just there where the trees give way
Do forgive
Do forgive I will forget your name
Far be it from me
Far be it from me to take care

By word of mouth
All young men do stagger
And all come to shambles by heart
We will see just as we believe no lie
Time will tell us
We'll see his face and know why
Did i cross your heart
Behind my back just then
Just then as time went marching by
I must push on
In prayer and take it by force
Though you've said it
You say it better
With more conviction than I

Medicine tounge and a heavy hand
Together made a list
Row on row
Of cold and hardened hearts that wish
My weeds and flowers
Would together both grow wild
From a distance
From a distance
They come up close to smile


10. LAST FIST

What are you about
Say something secret
In an old order hush
Trouble and suffering in a lovely rhythm
A homespun clapboard blackstrap thrush

Devoted loyal
Undertake the toil
Beware of what come natural
Undertake the spoil
In a fist

It was cruel
And it came all too natural
As a younger child
A headstrong folklore strawrifle crutch
Thresh a crop defiles

In a fist full of sand
It came natural in a fist
Full of land