1. |
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I saw this film a while ago
The title of it I don’t know
This knight was playing chess with death
Recounting more would waste my breath
The whole thing just confused me so
But I guess some folks disagree
Though I find that a mystery
A hundred critics were surveyed
Called it the best film ever made
That only proves one thing to me
CHORUS:
You either get it or you don’t
You’ll either like it or you won’t
Maybe it resonates with you
Maybe you haven’t got a clue
You either get it or you don’t
I’m quite a fan of Neil Young
Love every song he’s ever sung
Even that early ‘80s phase
Trans, Reactor and Old Ways
My favorite records they’re among
But some folks can’t get past the voice
That high-pitched whine that he employs
I guess that they would just as soon
Hear something slightly more in tune
I think they’re wrong, but that’s their choice
REPEAT CHORUS
What speaks to you may not speak to me
The things you like may be Greek to me
What moves my soul is unique to me
And I know the same is true for you
But here’s hoping we can share a few
We haven’t known each other long
And I suppose I could be wrong
But it seems obvious to me
We share a sensibility
So you’ll appreciate this song
REPEAT CHORUS (2X)
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2. |
I Didn't Do Anything
03:09
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When she said goodbye
She didn’t say why
Even now I still can feel the sting
But I know all the same
That I wasn’t to blame
Cause I didn’t do anything
She had issues I guess
That she had to address
So she’s no longer wearing my ring
I don’t know what they were
Guess you’d have to ask her
Cause I didn’t do anything
I didn’t bother calling
Those nights she was home alone
I didn’t send her flowers
That stuff is so overblown
I didn’t take her strolling
On moonlit nights in the spring
So whatever it was
You can’t blame me because
I didn’t do anything
There’ve been women before
That have walked out my door
She’s just the latest in a very long string
But I chalk it all up
To a run of bad luck
Cause I didn’t do anything
So if you see her tonight
You tell her I’ll be alright
No matter what the future might bring
I find that it really helps
To keep on telling myself
I didn’t do anything
I didn’t give her foot rubs
Cause I’m just not into that
I didn’t buy her candy
Cause that would’ve made her fat
When she asked me for a love song
I couldn’t find one to sing
Ask why she went away
And I bet you she’d say
I didn’t do anything
Yes whatever it was
You can’t blame me because
I didn’t do anything
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3. |
War Movies And Westerns
04:17
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I think it was a Zenith
Stood on a shelf in the den
I would slip into there in the dead of night
While my parents thought I was sleeping tight
I was just nine or ten
They used to show double features
I would sit there enthralled
That’s where I watched Sergeant York and Shane
And Fort Apache, which starred John Wayne
I remember ‘em all
CHORUS:
War movies and westerns
Friday nights on the late, late show
War movies and westerns
Taught me everything I know
They stormed the Normandy beaches
Tamed the wild frontier
But to me what those cowboys and soldiers showed
Was that there was a sort of unwritten code
To which a man should adhere
Some things you gotta fight for
No matter how long the odds
Keep your wits about you when the bullets fly
Tip your hat to the ladies when they walk by
And get the hell out of Dodge
REPEAT CHORUS
Now I know the real world has shades of gray
That those old films never could fully convey
Whether they were in Technicolor or black and white
But call me a relic, call me naïve
I’m still old-fashioned enough to believe
A man ought to know the difference between wrong and right
They say that valor’s outdated
They say that chivalry’s dead
And that women all fall for the flash and hype
There’s no place for the strong and silent type
Or at least so it’s said
Now I ain’t much of a talker
But I want you to know
That I’ll love and protect you for all my days
To me honor and faithfulness aren’t clichés
I learned a long time ago, from
REPEAT CHORUS
(Reprise):
War movies and westerns
From a long time ago
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4. |
A Single Drop Of Water
03:33
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A single drop of water
Ain’t gonna quench your thirst
A single drop of water
Ain’t gonna quench your thirst
No your throat will still be parched
And your lips will still be pursed
A single copper penny
Ain’t gonna change your luck
A single copper penny
Ain’t gonna change your luck
You could find a hundred of ‘em
All you’d have’s a lousy buck
Well people may tell you it’s the small things that count
But that’s only if you got ‘em in a very large amount
Cause when you can’t find no loving though Lord knows you’re craving it
You need a whole lot more than just a little bit
A single shot of whiskey
Ain’t gonna kill your pain
A single shot of whiskey
Ain’t gonna kill your pain
You could drink the whole damn bottle
Still your tears will fall like rain
A single drop of water
Ain’t gonna quench your thirst
A single drop of water
Ain’t gonna quench your thirst
You may die of dehydration
If them blues don’t kill you first
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5. |
Beer View Mirror
03:27
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How many did I have last night; guess I lost count
But something tells me it was some ungodly amount
I wish my memory of what transpired was a little bit clearer
But everything seems blurry when you’re looking through the beer view mirror
Maybe it was Heineken, maybe it was Miller or Bud
All I know is that it feels like my brain cells are caked with mud
I always order by the pitcher when closing time starts drawing nearer
So now it ain’t a pretty picture looking through the beer view mirror
Well I’m trying to get my bearings, so I take it nice and cautious
Yeah but when I look behind me I just end up feeling nauseous
Cause I know that on my tail I got a heap of troubles there
And I got a feeling that they’re closer than they might appear
Once I had a wife and kids but I don’t know where they are today
Seems that I was at the bar when they just packed up and moved away
Well they were very dear to me, but there was something I held even dearer
So I can’t see them at all as I’m looking through the beer view mirror
I keep my eyes on the road, but the road’s always littered
With the wreckage of regrets and decisions ill-considered
So I stay between the lines and I try to take it slow
But whatever’s lying behind me I don’t think I want to know
Got my hands on the wheel but I guess my mind is somewhere else
I glance up at my reflection and I hardly recognize myself
When it comes to bad news, nobody wants to be the bearer
But now it’s staring me in the face as I’m looking through the beer view mirror
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6. |
The Story
03:33
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Writers write their novels and they’re filed under fiction
To signify that they’re not really true
Somehow that’s always struck me as a kind of contradiction
Cause they don’t just make ‘em up out of the blue
No there’s a story behind every story
And there’s a story behind every song
A thousand songs I must have written
I mostly try to keep it hidden
But you’ve been the story all along
Sometimes it might be nothing more than just a passing reference
An inside joke designed to make you smile
And anybody else who listens wouldn’t know the difference
But that’s exactly what makes it worthwhile
Cause there’s a story behind every story
And there’s a story behind every song
And though I know it may not seem
That mine all share a common theme
You’ve been the story all along
Like a preacher needs his Bible, a writer needs his muse
And you’re the only one that I have ever had to use
Once you know what to look for it’s not hard to see the signs
The way I feel about you can be found between the lines
Don’t need no rhyming dictionary; don’t need no thesaurus
No saintly visions needed to inspire
Cause you’re in every melody, and every verse and chorus
That’s all the inspiration I require
Yes there’s a story behind every story
And there’s a story behind every song
Might change the names, might change the places
But one thing that remains the case is
You’ve been the story all along
Yes you’ve been the story all along
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7. |
Kitty Is A Cougar
03:31
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When Kitty got married she was 22
Now she’s 37 and the marriage is through
So she’s got a lot of lost time to try to make up for somehow
Hold on to your hats boys; Kitty is a cougar now
No kids this weekend; they’re off with the ex
So she’s looking for some pampering and guilt free sex
And with that red dress on she could make most any man say wow
It’s a jungle out there, and Kitty is a cougar now
At a trendy new bar, she checks out the guys
They look so freshly scrubbed in their jackets and ties
She’s stalking her prey; she’s taking her aim
She’s dressed to kill, or at least maim
She picks up the scent of some Stetson cologne
A little fresh meat sure tastes good off the bone
Then out come the claws as she’s wiping down his fevered brow
He’s just a little bit of catnip, cause Kitty is a cougar now
Those young corporate types with their bachelors’ degrees
They do what they’re told and they’re eager to please
They treat her like gold and bring presents for her
Cause all they want to do is just make Kitty purr
Tomorrow night she’ll be on the prowl again
Looking for another trophy to bring back to her den
And with oh so many men all thinking they’re the cat’s meow
They’ll make a beeline for the feline, cause Kitty is a cougar now
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8. |
Cowboy Dreams
04:30
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Little man’s a cowboy
He’s outside ropin’ tree stumps in the yard
Takes a swig of lemonade
Cause he knows that a cowboy’s life is hard
Got a squirt gun in his holster
A hat with big red stars around the brim
Nearly covers up his eyes
But somehow that don’t seem to bother him
CHORUS:
Sleep well little cowboy
May your trails all run true
May your horses be swift
And your enemies few
May your canteen be full
May your campfire burn bright
And may you have cowboy dreams
All through the night
Sometimes we watch westerns
Or old reruns of Gunsmoke on TV
We’re building a collection
We get ‘em at the store on DVD
His friends are into football
Computer games and Star Wars figurines
But my little man’s a cowboy
In his ketchup covered flannel shirt and jeans
REPEAT CHORUS
You know I’ve never told him
‘Bout how I used to ride the rodeo
Before I had a family
Feels like a million years ago
But I guess he’s seen my cowboy boots
And dusty spurs I keep up on the shelf
And in the quiet of the night
Sometimes I guess he hears me tell myself
REPEAT CHORUS
Sleep well, you old cowboy, etc.
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9. |
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Greasy spoons and country tunes and diesel gasoline
Heavy loads and blacktop roads and plenty of caffeine
Case of cokes, pack of smokes, a Hustler magazine
Oh greasy spoons and country tunes, my everyday routine
Think I’ll have the eggs with ham
Coffee black, thank you ma’am
This truck stop service ain’t too bad
Best I’ve had since Birmingham
Today I’m hauling 20 tons from Fayetteville to Galveston
Unload and then I’m off again
Toward Lafayette down Highway 10
Greasy spoons and country tunes and diesel gasoline
Day-old sub and diner grub, the finest of cuisine
Case of cokes, pack of smokes, a blue amphetamine
Oh greasy spoons and country tunes, my everyday routine
Got CDs filled with cheating songs
Bar-room tales, done me wrongs
That pedal steel provides to me
Good company when nights are long
Whizzing past them highway signs
Guardrail posts, thin white lines
Cops won’t take me by surprise
Got every speed trap memorized
Got a kid in Baltimore
How old now, I’m not sure
The years flew by, his mom and I
We ain’t on speaking terms no more
I hope that there may come a day
I’ll make it up to him someway
And if he asks me where I’ve been
This is what I’ll say to him
Greasy spoons and country tunes and diesel gasoline
From Newport News to Santa Cruz and everywhere between
Case of cokes, pack of smokes, an eighteen wheel machine
Oh greasy spoons and country tunes, my everyday routine
Yes greasy spoons and country tunes, my everyday routine
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10. |
Cold Blood
07:00
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She said she saw my ad in the telephone book
Her sink it was leaking, could I take a look?
She gave me her address and I wrote it down
Then I drove my truck over to the rich part of town
I walked up the drive from the quiet cul-de-sac
I heard a voice tell me to come round the back
She stood in the shadows and beckoned me in
That’s when I saw the bruises just under her chin
And cold blood ran through my veins
Cold as the storms on the Alberta plains
That many a time cause the rivers to flood
Yes I felt the rushing of cold, cold blood
Guess she needed someone in whom to confide
So she opened the door and she showed me inside
We sat in the kitchen; she poured us some tea
I could smell her perfume as she sat down next to me
Her husband, she said, owned the Second Street Bank
And his temper was bad and was worse when he drank
Which she said pretty much every day was the case
Then he’d come home at night and put a fist to her face
And cold blood ran through my veins
Cold as the hail through the Iowa rains
That can cause a spring crop to be nipped in the bud
Yes my heart was pumping out cold, cold blood
It was seven long years since I’d been in the hole
Yeah but technically I was still on parole
So I wasn’t supposed to be packing a gun
Oh but you can be sure I knew how to get one
The very next morning, as you might have read
I stormed into the bank and put the gun to his head
He pleaded and begged me to spare him his life
Saying “Don’t hurt me Mister, I’ve got a young wife”
And cold blood ran through my veins
Cold as the pistol I held to his brains
Then I watched as he fell with a sickening thud
Yes I shot that bastard in cold, cold blood
The newspapers called it a botched robbery
A crazy ex-con on a murderous spree
With no explanation for his evil ways
And a young widow left now to mourn all her days
My sentence was long, but my trial it was short
She sat the whole time in the back of the court
No show of emotion, no words did she say
But her eyes looked at mine as they took me away
And cold blood ran through my veins
Cold as the iron on these shackles and chains
That I’ll wear till I’m laid ‘neath the earth and the mud
And my body’s been drained of its cold, cold blood
Meanwhile far away in the rich part of town
She pours a martini and lets her hair down
It goes down so easy, that Tanqueray gin
As easy as drawing a bruise on her chin
The truth is her husband was kind and sincere
He loved her to pieces; he bored her to tears
She longed for his money and bided her time
I guess that her blood’s even colder than mine
Yes cold blood runs through her veins
On her mantle’s a vase with her husband’s remains
While she’s sleeping tonight with some handsome young stud
Well her flesh may be warm, but she’s got cold, cold blood
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11. |
Whatever In The World
02:07
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Whatever in the world will I do with you?
Whatever will I do with you?
Fly you down to Rio for some rice and beans
Or have ourselves a hurricane in New Orleans
Whatever in the world will I do with you?
Anything you want me to
Whatever in the world will I do with you?
Whatever will I do with you?
Hop around Australia like a wallaby
Or take a little holiday in Waikiki
Whatever in the world will I do with you?
Anything you want me to
Whatever in the world will I do with you?
With your smile so bright and your eyes so blue
Been a long time together but I still don’t see
Whatever in the world are you doing with me?
Whatever in the world will I do with you?
Whatever will I do with you?
Go to a museum in the heart of Prague
Or down to Coney Island for a chili dog
Whatever in the world will I do with you?
Anything you want me to
Whatever in the world will I do with you?
With your face so fair and your heart so true
After all this time together it’s a mystery
Whatever in the world are you doing with me?
Whatever in the world will I do with you?
Whatever will I do with you?
Strolling arm in arm down the Champs de Elyse
Or soaking up the sun down in Saint Tropez
Whatever in the world will I do with you?
Anything you want me to
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12. |
Pretty Damn Blue
03:45
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There was but one day left for Julianne to be with me
We spent it by the lake at Prospect Park
We brought a picnic basket and a bottle of Chablis
We didn’t leave till it was nearly dark
The sun cut through the trees to cast an incandescent sheen
As from a hilltop we admired the view
May not have been the bluest sky the world has ever seen
But still, it was pretty damn blue
The dusk was falling quickly, just as quickly I suppose
As the wild and anxious pounding of my heart
I held her in my arms until a crescent moon arose
That told us soon we needed to depart
I gazed into her eyes there on the rolling fields of green
And swore my love would be forever true
May not have been the bluest eyes the world has ever seen
But still, they were pretty damn blue
That night she took the train back to the place where she was from
A place that’s half a continent away
A distance in the end that was too far to overcome
But still I think about her every day
I hope she’s found a life where she’s contented and serene
That’s something I could never seem to do
I may not be the bluest man the world has ever seen
But still, I’m pretty damn blue
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Mark Stepakoff Boston, Massachusetts
"One of the best songwriters I have ever heard" - Christine Lavin
Singer-songwriter
Mark Stepakoff has been widely admired on the Boston folk and roots music scene for more than 20 years. His songs comprise a mix of humorous and poignant material in a style reminiscent of artists like John Prine or more contemporary songwriters such as Hayes Carll, and have drawn raves locally and nationally.
... more
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