THERE'S A STORY IN TOWN
OUR EYES CAN NOT DECIPHER
MY TORCH IS OUT OF FUEL
AND I DON'T KNOW WHERE YOU ARE
THERE'S A GOLD RUSH GOIN' ON
'ROUND INSIDE MY HEAD
WITH A THOUSAND '49ERS
AND A HUNDRED TONS OF LEAD
THE POPE'S AT THE COLONIAL
SINGIN' DESOLATION ROW
TO FIFTY PRETTY WOMEN
IN SURROUND SOUND STEREO
THEY ALL DIG HIS ROBE
AND HIS MONUMENTAL HAT
HIS BOOTS ARE PATENT LEATHER
YES, HE KNOWS WHERE IT'S AT
HE PLAYS VISIONS OF JOHANNA
HIS GUITAR IS OUT OF TUNE
HIS HARP IS IN THE WRONG KEY
BUT, THE AUDIENCE SEEMS IMMUNE
BECAUSE, MEMBERSHIP HAS IT'S BENEFITS
YOU'LL FIND OUT WHEN YOU JOIN
AND FIFTY WOMEN FOLLOW YOU
FROM SOHO TO DES MOINES
I PAID MY DUE AT DEJA VU
BENEATH MICROPHONES
FOR MY FRIEND I PLAYED A SONG OF EIGHT
IN A LINE OF 'ENERYS
WE SWORE WE SAW KAWLIGA
OVER BY THE KITCHEN DOOR
HIS EYES WERE FIXED ON THE INDIAN MAID
AS SHE FUSED FAST TO THE FLOOR
I PAID MY TAB TO KATERINA
AND CROSSED THE THRESHOLD OF MY LIVES
STUMBLED INTO THE COOL NIGHT AIR
MY ANGEL GUARDIAN ARRIVES
AND BEARS MY BURDEN FAITHFULLY
AND CARRIES ME AWAY
AND DRIFTS ME HOME, TO BE ALONE
AND CLOSE ANOTHER DAY
MY BODY PURGED OF SPIRIT
MY SAVIOR TILTS MY HEAD AWAY
RIGHT OR WRONG, SHE RESURRECTED ME
AS ON MY BACK I LAY
AND AS I MUMBLED OFF TO SLEEP
SHE STAYED BY MY BEDSIDE
TO SEE ME SAFELY RETURNED TO
MY THRESHOLD'S OTHER SIDE
NOW, THE POPE CLOSED OUT HIS SHOW
WITH A SONG THAT WE ALL KNOW
'BOUT HIS SISTER, AND HIS BEST FRIEND
AND HIS LOVER JENNY-O
HE SUNG OF DESOLATION
AND HE SUNG OF LOVE AND LUCK
AND ABOUT THE LONELY STICKMAN
AND HIS SHIRT THAT HE DON'T TUCK
NOW, YOU DON'T HAVE TO TELL ME
OF HOW THINGS IN LIFE GO WRONG
THE VISCIOUS, NEVER ENDING CIRCLE'S
ONE MORE REASON FOR THIS SONG
AND IN THE THIRD DIMENSION, STICKMAN
GOT THE SHORT END OF THE STRAW
AND THAT'S WHAT I FIND WRONG TODAY
WITH THE LONG ARM OF THE LAW
THIS SONG IS JUST A TESTAMENT
TO THE ODDITY THAT WE CALL LIFE
TO THE STRANGE ABNORMALITIES
FROM WHICH IT'S PAIN THAT WE DERIVE
AND I WILL NEVER UNDERSTAND
WHY THIS HAPPENS IN THE SPRING
BUT, IN MY MIND, FOR THE REST OF MY LIFE
THE MEMORY WILL RING
YES, MEMBERSHIP HAS IT'S BENEFITS
YOU'LL FIND OUT WHEN YOU'VE JOINED
AND PEOPLE IN A BAR YELL OUT
A PHRASE THAT YOU HAVE COINED
Copyright 1994/2003, by David L. Heilman
PERSONNEL:
DAVE HEILMAN- VOCALS, HARMONICA, ACOUSTIC & ELECTRIC GUITARS, SLIDE GUITAR AND BASS
ZACH BAILEY- DRUMS
GUITAR AND HARMONICA TRACKS RECORDED IN 1994, ON ANALOG TAPE, AT GREEN SHAG STUDIOS, LEBANON, PA.
ENGINEER- DAVE HEILMAN
BASS, DRUMS AND NEW VOCALS RECORDED IN 2002. ENGINEER- ZACH BAILEY
PRODUCED BY DAVE HEILMAN AND ZACH BAILEY
