Graveyard Shift [Uncle Tupelo]
Hometown, same town blues
Same old walls closing in
Oh what a life a mess can be
I'm sitting here thinking of you, won't you give
A few thoughts to me
Well, time won't wait, better open the gate
Get up and start what needs to be done
It's winding down, there's much you missed
Working on that graveyard shift
Well, I'm not saying there's nothing wrong as the day comes along
If what I see is true I could learn to believe
Can't look away
The powers that be might take it all away
Together we burn, together we burn away
Some say a land of paradise
Some say a land of pain
Well, which side are you looking from
Some people have it all
Some all to gain
Well a man in a tie gonna break his twenty dollar bill
There's plenty of reasons in this world
To sit around or stand there still
But I'm not saying there's nothing wrong as the day comes along
If what I see is true I could learn to believe
Can't look away
The powers that be might take it all away
Together we burn, together we burn away
There's too much time spent looking for a reason
It's the simple ones that beat the most truth
Oh, what a life a mess can be
I'm sitting here thinking of you, won't you give
A few thoughts to me
Well, time won't wait, better open the gate
Get up and start what needs to be done
It's running down, there's much you missed
Working on that graveyard shift
But I'm not saying there's nothing wrong as the day comes along
If what I see is true I could learn to believe
Can't look away
The powers that be might take it all away
Together we burn, together we burn away
Written by Jeff Tweedy, Jay Farrar, Mike Heidorn
That Year (Uncle Tupelo)
The thousand times I lived before were just in my dreams
Well, I woke up to realize it didn't mean a thing
I've seen several better places, several better times
Somehow those memories got left behind
Give me back that year, good or bad
Give me back something that I never knew I had
I guess it all boils down to it was just a second guess
So god damn long ago it's hard to feel I did my best
And I think of our relationship and all it’s distant ties
And why I can't see that anymore in your eyes
Give me back that year, good or bad
Give me back something that I never knew I had
Well, I sit and watch it go by
Well, I sit and watch shit go by
Go by
That year
written by Jay Farrar, Jeff Tweedy and Mike Heidorn
Before I Break (Uncle Tupelo)
On liquor I spend my last dime
Sunday morning, 8am
Cursing myself again
Drinking like this one might be my last
Memories of making jokes
Too much beer and talk-show hosts
One of them that's fading fast
Here's to waking up at night
Drunk and undressed by the side of the road
You're still thinking
That you can't go on like this
Before I break down
You keep saying thanks so much, I can't live
Thanks so much, I've had enough
Well, it'd do me just fine to make it through the night
On liquor I spend my last dime
A worried man drinks a healthy drink
But he drinks nine or ten until he's done
Then he'll tell you his life story
But he won't stop until he's told you and everyone
Here's to waking up at night
Drunk and undressed by the side of the road
You're still thinking
That you can't go on like this
Before I break down
You keep saying thanks so much, I can't live
Thanks so much, I've had enough
Well, it'd do me just fine to make it through the night
On liquor I spend my last dime
Memories of making jokes
Too much beer and talk-show hosts
One of them that's fading fast
Here's to waking up at night
Drunk and undressed by the side of the road
You're still thinking
That you can't go on like this
Before I break down
You keep saying thanks so much, I can't live
Thanks so much, I've had enough
Well, it'd do me just fine to make it through the night
On liquor I spend my last dime
written by Jay Farrar, Jeff Tweedy, Mike Heidorn
No Depression (Uncle Tupelo/AP Carter cover)
Fear the hearts of men are failing
These our latter days we know
The great depression now is spreading
God's word declared it would be so
I'm going where there's no depression
To a better land that's free from care
I'll leave this world of toil and trouble
My home's in heaven
I'm going there
In this dark hour, midnight nearing
The tribulation time will come
The storms will hurl the midnight fear
And sweep lost millions to their doom
I'm going where there's no depression
To a better land that's free from care
I'll leave this world of toil and trouble
My home's in heaven
I'm going there
I'm going where there's no depression
To a better land that's free from care
I'll leave this world of toil and trouble
My home's in heaven
I'm going there
I'm going where there's no depression
To a better land that's free from care
I'll leave this world of toil and trouble
My home's in heaven
I'm going there
written by AP Carter
Factory Belt (Uncle Tupelo)
It's funny how it all works out
Mad men in suits walking about
I'd like to change your point of view someday
But I feel my patience slipping away
Looks like it's time to lay this burden down
Stop messing around
Don't want to go to the grave without a sound
Give this whole place a rest
Not to ride on the factory belt
Not to ride on the factory belt
You do all you can to just get by
With poison all around
It needs no disguise
You can see it on faces
Parcel at your door
You know there ain't no chance our respect is no more
Looks like it's time to lay this burden down
Stop messing around
Don't want to hurry to the grave in the ground
Give this whole place a rest
Not to ride on the factory belt
Not to ride on the factory belt
It's funny how it all works out
Mad men in suits walking about
Well I’ve heard it said
That after seven years of factory belt
It gets in your head
Looks like it’s time to lay this burden down
Stop messing around
Don’t want to go to the grave without a sound
Give the soul a place a rest
Not to ride on the factory belt
Not to ride on the factory belt
written by Jay Farrar, Jeff Tweedy, Mike Heidorn
Whiskey Bottle (Uncle Tupelo)
Persuaded, paraded, inebriated, and down
Still aware of everything life carries on without
'Cause there's one too many faces with dollar sign smiles
Gotta find the shortest path to the bar for a while
A long way from happiness
In a three hour away town
Whiskey bottle over Jesus
Not forever, just for now
Not forever, just for now
There's a trouble around, it's never far away
The same trouble's been around for a life and a day
I can't forget the sound, 'cause it's here to stay
The sound of people chasing money and money getting away
A long way from happiness
In a three hour away town
Whiskey bottle over Jesus
Not forever, just for now
Not forever, just for now
In between the dirt and disgust there must be
Some air to breathe and something to believe
“Liquor and Guns” the sign says quite plain
Somehow life goes on in a place so insane
A long way from happiness
In a three hour away town
Whiskey bottle over Jesus
Not forever, just for now
Not forever, just for now
written by Jay Farrar, Jeff Tweedy, Mike Heidorn
Outdone (Uncle Tupelo)
Everything's fine for now
No one's really laughing
Everything's just all right, or is it now?
Turn up to the round, but keep moving on
You can cut the cord now, just dragging along
Now there's too many people trying too hard
Not to be outdone
They follow close behind their proud smoking gun
It's up to you and me whether to pay them any mind
Some people turn to tomorrow, and some, a bottle of wine
Remember back when there could be no wrong
It's different for everyone until it's gone
Now there's too many people trying too hard
Not to be outdone
They follow close behind their proud smoking gun
Things are breaking down
Not being patched up
Think it over again
Dreams come and go, and one thing remains
In the back of your mind, it won't go away
Saying, "take a look around and tell me everything's just fine
From what I can see now, we'd be fools or lying"
Now there's too many people trying too hard
Not to be outdone
They follow close behind their proud smoking gun
They say take your leave from the common view
First look around past the college grounds
Were people aware of more than themselves, they'd care
written by Jay Farrar, Jeff Tweedy, Mike Heidorn
Train (Uncle Tupelo)
A quarter after two
Sittin' in my car, watching
Waiting on a train
Ninety-seven flatcars
Loaded down with troop trucks and tanks
Rolling by
I'm twenty-one, and I'm scared as hell
I quit school, I'm healthy as a horse
Because of all that I'll be the first one to die in a war
The whole damn town was sleeping
Dreaming the same dream
The radio was playing
Roger McGuinn singing
"To each and every thing there's a time and a season
I'm twenty-one, and I'm scared as hell
I quit school, I'm healthy as a horse
Because of all that I'll be the first one to die in a war
Yes, I have the right to say
We all die anyway
But I'd just like to know
Where does my dying go
What for
What for
A quarter after two
Sittin' in my car, watching
Waiting on a train
Ninety-seven flatcars
Loaded down with troop trucks and tanks
Rolling by
written by Jay Farrar, Jeff Tweedy, Mike Heidorn
Life Worth Livin' (Uncle Tupelo)
This song is sung for anyone that's listening
This song is for the broken-spirited man
This song is for anyone left standing
After the strain of a slow, sad end
It seems everybody wants what someone else has
There's sorrow enough for all
Just go in any bar and ask
With a beer in each hand and a smile in between
All around's a world grown mean
We've all had our ups and downs
It's been mostly down around here
Now this whole damn mess is becoming quite clear
Looks like we're all looking for a life worth livin'
That's why we drink ourselves to sleep
Yeah, we're all looking for a life worth livin'
That's why we pray for our souls to keep
There's nothing left now but broken pieces
Of one man's broken will to care
And in the end before all is said and done
How many others might follow him there?
This song is sung for anyone that's listening
This song is for the broken-spirited man
This song is for anyone left standing
After the strain of a slow, sad end
Midnight is comin' 'round
Still mostly down around here
Now this whole damn mess is becoming quite clear
Looks like we're all looking for a life worth livin'
That's why we drink ourselves to sleep
Yeah, we're all looking for a life worth livin'
That's why we pray for our souls to keep
written by Jay Farrar, Jeff Tweedy, Mike Heidorn
Flatness (Uncle Tupelo)
Beer makes you weary
But you need something to get along
You stare at the flatness
Beside the dark home
They'll not hear you whisper
This isn't where it ends
Your hand holds the bottle
That has become your last and only friend
I've lost all hope
There's hope for you
If not just in the possibility
Of a better next day
If not just in the simple fact
There's no other way
You lie on that couch
And try to dream once more
But your only goal is to sleep
Until the news is over
And outside the leaves are all changing
But you drink to forget
Someone you once met
Stands blocking the bright orange sunset
I've lost all hope
There's hope for you
If not just in the possibility
Of a better next day
If not just in the simple fact
There's no other way
So open up those curtains
And drink up the daylight
Just by the brightness
Open your doors wide
'Cause things don't get better
But some people do
There's darkness in this life
But the brighter side we also may view
There's darkness in this life
But the brighter side we also may view
written by Jay Farrar, Jeff Tweedy, Mike Heidorn
So Called Friend (Uncle Tupelo)
Never again, your so called friend
Will leave you sick and dry
This friend has a name
Knows the gutter and shame
This so called friend of you and I
Oh, great soul
The long-term goals
Are to leave this friend behind
He knows what I lack
Is a place under the sack
For every other tie that binds
This last night on the town
Might be your last fun time out
And you think to yourself
There must be a better way than the same routine
For more than once, you pay
More than once, you pay
Butt full of lead, stuck in your web
Held captive by the stream
Thoughts in your head
The minute I sped
And you still had time to dream
This last night on the town
Might be your last above ground
And you smile at things and wave goodbye
More excuses to never even try
As you wave goodbye
Forget what I said, your friend's not dead
He's only gone for a while
Come back to that crack
Between what's white and what's black
And give you one last smile
This last night on the town
Might be your last fun time out
And you think to yourself
There must be a better way than the same routine
For more than once, you pay
More than once, you pay
written by Jay Farrar, Jeff Tweedy, Mike Heidorn
Screen Door (Uncle Tupelo)
Down here, where's we're at
The weather changes, that's the way it goes
Sometimes it snows, when everything's wrong
Sometimes it snows, but when it does, it doesn't last long
Down here, where we're at
All we do is sit out on the porch
And play our songs, and nothing's wrong
Sometime friends come around, they all sing along
Down here, where we're at
Everybody is equally poor
Down here, we don't care
We don't care what happens outside the screen door
Down here, where we're at
Sweat drips from the tip of your nose
You wear loose clothes, and you try to stay cool
We all still have a lot of fun, never saw much school
Down here, where we're at
Everybody is equally poor
Down here, we don't care
We don't care what happens outside the screen door
The screen door
The screen door
written by Jay Farrar, Jeff Tweedy, Mike Heidorn
John Hardy (Uncle Tupelo/ H. Ledbetter cover)
John Hardy, he was a desperate little man
Carried two guns every day
Shot a man down on the West Virginia line
They saw John Hardy gettin’ away
They saw John Hardy gettin’ away
They cornered John Hardy on the Tombstone bridge
He thought that he was free
'Til the deputy sheriff came and grabbed him by the arm
Said "Johnny, come along with me"
"Johnny, come along with me"
John Hardy, he stood inside his cell
Tears running down his eyes
Said "I've seen the death of many a poor boy
Now I'm ready to die
Now I'm ready to die
Well, I've been to the east and I've been to the west
I've been the whole world round
I've been to the north and I've been to the south
Now I'm going to my hanging ground
I'm going to my hanging ground
written by H. Ledbetter