Almost heaven, West Virginia,
Blue Ridge Mountains, Shenandoah River.
Life is old there, older than the trees,
younger than the mountains
growin' like a breeze.
Ref.) Take me home, country roads to the place I belong.
West Virginia, Mountain momma, take me home Country roads
All my memories, gather round her,
miner's lady, stranger to blue water.
Dark and dusty, painted on the sky,
misty taste of moonshine
teardrop in my eye.
Rit: Take me home, country...
I hear her voice in the morning hour she calls me,
the radio reminds me of my home far away
and driving down the road I get a feeling
that I should have been home yesterday, yesterday.
Ref.) Country roads........
LEAVING ON A JET PLANE
All my bags are packed, I'm ready to go,
I'm standing here outside your door,
I hate to wake you up to say good-bye,
But the dawn is breakin', it's early morn,
The taxi is waitin', he's blowin' his horn,
Already I'm so lonesome I could die.
So kiss me and smile for me,
Tell me that you'll wait for me,
Hold me like you'll never let me go,
'Cause I'm leaving on a jet plane,
Don't know when I'll be back again,
Oh, babe, I hate to go.
There's so many times I've let you down,
So many times I've fucked around,
I tell you now they don't mean a thing,
Every place I go I'll think of you,
Every song I sing I'll sing for you,
When I come back I'll bring your wedding ring.
So kiss me and smile for me,
Tell me that you'll wait for me,
Hold me like you'll never let me go,
'Cause I'm leaving on a jet plane,
Don't know when I'll be back again,
Oh, babe, I hate to go.
Now the time has come to leave you,
One more time let me kiss you,
Then close your eyes I'll be on my way,
Dream about the days to come,
When I won't have to be alone,
About the times I won't have to say:
Kiss me and smile for me,
Tell me that you'll wait for me,
Hold me like you'll never let me go,
'Cause I'm leaving on a jet plane,
Don't know when I'll be back again,
Oh, babe, I hate to go.
I'm leaving on a jet plane,
Don't know when I'll be back again,
Oh, babe, I hate to go.
ONLY THE GOOD DIE YOUNG
Come out Virginia, don't let me me wait
You Catholic girls start much too late
But sooner or later it comes down to fate
I might as well be the one
They showed you a statue and told you to pray
They built you a temple and locked you away
But they never told you the price that you pay
For things that you might have done.....
Only the good die young
You might have heard I run with a dangerous crowd
We ain't too pretty we ain't too proud
We might be laughing a bit too loud
But that never hurt no one
Come on Virginia show me a sign
Send up a signal I'll throw you the line
The stained-glass curtain you're hiding behind
Never lets in the sun
And only the good die young
You got a nice white dress and a party on your confirmation
You got a brand new soul
And a cross of gold
But Virginia they didn't give you quite enough information
You didn't count on me
When you were counting on your rosary
They say there's a heaven for those who will wait
Some say it's better but I say it ain't
I'd rather laugh with the sinners than cry with the saints
Sinners are much more fun...
And only the good die young
You say your mother told you all that I could give you was a reputation
She never cared for me
But did she ever say a prayer for me?
UPTOWN GIRL
Uptown girl
She's been living in her uptown world
I bet she never had a back street guy
I bet her mama never told her why
I'm gonna try for an uptown girl
She's been living in her white bread world
As long as anyone with hot blood can
And now she's looking for a downtown man
That's what I am
And when she knows what
She wants from her time
And when she wakes up
And makes up her mind
She'll see I'm not so tough
Just because
I'm in love with an uptown girl
You know I've seen her in her uptown world
She's getting tired of her high class toys
And all her presents from her uptown boys
She's got a choice
Uptown girl
You know I can't afford to buy her pearls
But maybe someday when my ship comes in
She'll understand what kind of guy I've been
And then I'll win
And when she's walking
She's looking so fine
And when she's talking
She'll say that she's mine
She'll say I'm not so tough
Just because
I'm in love
With and uptown girl
She's been living in her white bread world
As long as anyone with hot blood can
And now she's looking for a downtown man
That's what I am
Uptown girl
She's my uptown girl
You know I'm in love
With an uptown girl
My uptown girl
You know I'm in love
With an uptown girl
My uptown girl
You know I'm in love
With an uptown girl
My uptown girl
MANDY
I remember all my life
Raining down as cold as ice
Shadows of a man a face through a window
Cryin' in the night the night goes into
Morning just another day
Happy people pass my way
Looking in their eyes I see a memory
I never realized how happy you made me
Oh Mandy well you came and you gave without taking
But I sent you away
Oh Mandy well you kissed me and stopped me from shaking
And I need you today oh Mandy
I'm standing on the edge of time
I've walked away when love was mine
Caught up in a world of uphill climbing
The tears are in my mind and nothing is rhyming
Oh Mandy well you came and you gave without taking
But I sent you away
Oh Mandy well you kissed me and stopped me from shaking
And I need you today
Yesterday is a dream, I face the morning
Crying on the dreams the pain is calling
Oh Mandy well you came and you gave without taking
But I sent you away
Oh Mandy well you kissed me and stopped me from shaking
And I need you today
Oh Mandy well you came and you gave without taking
And I sent you away
Oh Mandy well you kissed me and stopped me from shaking
And I need you
Yeah!
I WRITE THE SONGS
I've been alive forever
And I wrote the very first song
I put the words and the melodies together
I am music, and I write the songs
CHORUS:
I write the songs that make the whole world sing
I write the songs of love and special things
I write the songs that make the young girls cry
I write the songs, I write the songs
My home lies within you
And I've got my own place in your sole
Now when I look out through your eyes
I'm young again, even though I'm very old
CHORUS
Oh my music makes you dance
And gives you spirit to take a chance
And I wrote some rock 'n' roll so you can move
Music fills your heart, well that's a real fine place to start
It's from me it's for you
It's from you, it's from me
It's a world wide symphony
CHORUS
SWEET CAROLINE
Where it began I can't begin to knowin'
But then I know it's growing strong
Was in the spring, and spring became the summer
Who'd have believed that you'd come along
Hands
Tounchin' hands
Reachin' out
Touchin' me, touchin' you
CHORUS:
Sweet Caroline
The time never seemed so good
I've been inclined
To believe they never would
But now I look at the night, and it don't seem so lonely
We fill it up with only two
And when I hurt hurtin' runs off my shoulders
How can I hurt when I'm alone with you
Warm
Touchin' warm
Reachin' out
Touchin' me, touchin' you
CHORUS
Oh, no, yeay!
Yeah
CHORUS (2x)
Sweet Caroline
Yeay, yeay, yeay, yeay
COMING TO AMERICA
Far, we've been traveling far
Without a home but not without a star
Free, only want to be free
We huddle close, hang on to a dream
On the boats and on the planes
They're coming to America
Never looking back again
They're coming to America
Home, don't it seem so far away
Oh we're traveling light today
In the eye of the storm
In the eye of the storm
Home, to a new and shiny place
Make our bed, and we'll say our grace
Freedom's light burning warm
Freedom's light burning warm
Everywhere around the world
They're coming to America
Every time that flag's unfurled
They're coming to America
Got a dream to take 'em there
They're coming to America
Got a dream they've come to share
They're coming to America
They're coming to America (4x)
Today (4x)
Today! My country 'tis of thee
Today! Sweet land of liberty
Today! Of thee I sing
Today! Of thee I sing, yeah
ME AND JULIO DOWN BY THE SCHOOLYARD
The mama pajama rolled out of bed,
And she ran to the police station,
When the papa found out, he began to shout,
And he started the investigation.
It's against the law, it was against the law,
What the mama saw, it was against the law.
The mama looked down and spit on the ground,
Every time my name gets mentioned,
The papa said, "Oy, if I get that boy,
I'm gonna stick him in the house of detention".
Well, I'm on my way,
I don't know where I'm going,
I'm on my way,
I'm taking my time but I don't know where.
Goodbye to Rosie, the Queen of Corona,
See you, Me and Julio down by the schoolyard,
See you, Me and Julio down by the schoolyard.
In a couple of days they come and take me away,
But the press let the story leak,
And when the radical priest come to get me released,
We was all on the cover of Newsweek.
Well, I'm on my way,
I don't know where I'm going,
I'm on my way,
I'm taking my time but I don't know where.
Goodbye to Rosie, the Queen of Corona,
See you, Me and Julio down by the schoolyard,
See you, Me and Julio down by the schoolyard,
See you, Me and Julio down by the schoolyard.
MOTHER AND CHILD REUNION
CHORUS:
No I would not give you false hope
On this strange and mournful day
But the mother and child reunion
Is only a motion away
Oh little darling of mine I can't for the life of me
Remember a sadder day I know they say to let it be
But it just don't work out that way
In the course of a lifetime runs over and over again
CHORUS
Oh little darling of mine I just can't believe it's so
Though it seems strange to say I never been laid so low
In such a mysterious way
And the course of a lifetime runs over and over again
CHORUS
But the mother and child reunion
Is only a mother away
But the mother and child reunion
Is only a moment away
(repeat)
Only a moment away
Yeay oh yeay
ROCKET MAN
She packed my bags last night pre-flight,
Zero hour nine a.m.
And I'm gonna be high as a kite by then,
I miss the earth so much I miss my wife,
It's lonely out in space,
On such a timeless flight.
And I think it's gonna be a long long time,
Till touch down brings me round again to find,
I'm not the man they think I am at home,
Oh no no no I am a rocket man,
Rocket man burning out his fuse up here alone.
Mars ain't the kind of place to raise your kids,
In fact it's cold as hell,
And there's no one there to raise them if you did,
And all this science I don't understand,
It's just my job five days a week,
A rocket man, a rocket man
And I think it's gonna be a long long time,
Till touch down brings me round again to find,
I'm not the man they think I am at home,
Oh no no no I am a rocket man,
Rocket man burning out his fuse up here alone.
And I think it's gonna be a long long time....
DANY'S SONG
People smile and tell me I'm a lucky one
And we've just begun, think I'm gonna have a son
He will be like she and me as free as a dove
Conceived in love, the sun is gonna shine above
CHORUS:
Even though we ain't got money I'm so in love with ya honey
Everything will bring a chain of love
In the morning when I rise, bring a tear of joy to my eyes
Tell me everything's gonna be alright
Pisces, Virgo rising is a very good sign
Strong and kind and the little boy is mine
Now I see a family where there once was none
Now we've just begun yeay we're gonna fly to the sun
CHORUS
Love the girl who holds the world in a paper cup
Come on and drink it up, love her and she'll bring me luck
If you find she helps your mind, better take her home
Don't you live alone, try to earn what lovers own, go!
CHORUS
I AM A ROCK
A winter's day in a deep and dark December
I am alone
Gazing from my window to the streets below
On a freshly fallen silent shroud of snow
I am a rock
I am an island
I've built walls, a fortress deep and mighty
That none may penetrate
I have no need for friendship, friendship causes pain
It's laughter and it's loving I disdain
I am a rock
I am an island
Don't talk of love, but I've heard the word before
It's sleeping in my memory
I won't disturb the slumber of feelings that have died
If I never loved I never would have cried
I am a rock
I am an island
I have my books and my poetry to protect me
I am shielded in my arm
Hiding in my room, safe within my womb
I touch no one and no one touches me
I am a rock
I am an island
And a rock feels no pain
And an island never cries
ONE TIN SOLDIER
Listen children to a story that's been written long ago
'Bout a kingdom on a mountain and the valley folk below
On the mountain was a treasure buried deep beneath a stone
And the valley people swore they'd have it for their very own
Go ahead and hate your neighbor, go ahead and cheat a friend
Do it in the name of heaven, you'll be justified in the end
There won't be any trumpets blowing come the judgement day
On the bloody morning afternoon, one tin soldier rides away
So the people from the valley sent a message up the hill
Asking for the buried treasure, tons of gold for which they'd kill
Came an answer from the kingdom "With our brothers we will share
All the secrets of our mountain, all the riches buried there"
Now the valley cried with anger, mount your horses, draw your swords
And they killed the mountain people so they won their just reward
Now they stood beside the treasure on the mountain, dark and red
Turned the stone and looked beneath it "Peace on Earth" was all it said
So go ahead and hate your neighbor, go ahead and cheat a friend
Do it in the name of heaven, you'll be justified in the end
There won't be any trumpets blowing come the judgement day
On the bloody morning afternoon, one tin soldier rides away
SEASONS IN THE SUN
Goodbye to you my trusted friend
We've know each other since we were nine or ten
Together we've climbed hills and trees
Learned of love and ABC's, skinned our hearts and skinned our knees
Goodbye my friend, it's hard to die
When all the birds are singing in the sky
Now that spring is in the air
Pretty girls are everywhere, think of me and I'll be there
We had joy we had fun we had seasons in the sun
But the hills that we climb were just seasons out of time
Goodbye papa please pray for me
I was the black sheep of the family
You tried to teach me right from wrong
Too much whine and too much song, wonder how I got along
Goodbye papa it's hard to die
When all the birds are singing in the sky
Now that spring is in the air
Little children everywhere when you'll see them I'll be there
We had joy we had fun we had seasons in the sun
But the whine and the song like the seasons have all gone
(twice)
Goodbye Rochelle my little one
You gave me love and helped me find the sun
And everytime that I was down
You would always come around and get my feet back on the ground
Goodbye Rochelle it's hard to die
When all the birds are singing in the sky
Now that spring is in the air
With the flowers everywhere I wish that we could both be there
1,2,3 We had joy we had fun we had seasons in the sun
But the stars we could reach were just starfish on the beach
(twice)
We head joy we had fun we had seasons in the sun
But the whine and the song like the seasons have all gone
All our lives we had fun we had seasons in the sun
But the hills that we climb were just seasons out of time
FIRE AND RAIN
Just yesterday morning they let me know you were gone
Suzanne the plans they made put an end to you
I walked out this mornin' and I wrote down this song
I just can't remember who to send it to
CHORUS:
I've seen fire and I've seen rain
I've seen sunny days that I thought would never end
I've seen lonely times when I could not find a friend
But I always thought that I'd see you again
Won't you look down upon me Jesus you gotta help me make a stand
You just got to see me through another day
My body's achin' and my time is at hand
And I won't make it any other way, oh
CHORUS
NOBODY DOES IT BETTER
Nobody does it better
Makes me feel sad for the rest
Nobody does it half as good as you
Baby you're the best
I wasn't looking, but somehow you found me
I tried to hide from your love light
But like heaven above me, the spy who loved me
Is keeping all my secrets safe tonight
And nobody does it better
Sometimes I wish someone could
Nobody does it quite the way you do
Why'd you have to to be so good
The way that you hold me, whenever you hold me
There's some kind of magic inside you
That keeps me from running, but just keep it coming
How'd you learn to do the things you do?
And nobody does it better
Makes me feel sad for the rest
Nobody does it half as good as you
Baby, baby, oh man, you're the best
