WORDS FILL MY HEAD

Late songs

Waitin’ For You

‘Cross The Green Mountain

I cross the green mountain, I sit by the stream

Heaven blazing in my head, I dreamt a monstrous dream

Something came up out of the sea

Swept through the land of the rich and the free

I look into the eyes of my merciful friend

And then I ask myself, is this the end?

Memories linger, sad yet sweet

And I think of the souls in heaven who will meet

Altars are burning with flames far and wide

The foe has crossed over from the other side

They tip their caps from the top of the hill

You can feel them come, more brave blood to spill

Along the dim Atlantic line

The ravaged land lies for miles behind

The light's coming forward and the streets are broad

All must yield to the avenging God

The world is old, the world is gray

Lessons of life, can't be learned in a day

I watch and I wait, and I listen while I stand

To the music that comes from a far better land

Close the eyes of our captain, peace may he know

His long night is done, the great leader is laid low

He was ready to fall, he was quick to defend

Killed outright he was, by his own men

It's the last day's last hour, of the last happy year

I feel that the unknown world is so near

Pride will vanish and glory will rot

But virtue lives and cannot be forgot

The bells of leavening have rung

There's blasphemy on every tongue

Let 'em say that I walked in fair nature's light

And that I was loyal to truth and to right

Serve God and be cheerful, look upward, beyond

Beyond the darkness of masks, the surprises of dawn

In the deep green grasses of the blood-stained world

They never dreamed of surrenderin', they fell where they stood

Stars fell over Alabama, I saw each star

You're walkin' in dreams, whoever you are

Chilled are the skies, keen as the frost

The grounds froze hard and the morning is lost

A letter to mother came today

Gunshot wound to the breast is what it did say

But he'll be better soon, he's in a hospital bed

But he'll never be better - he's already dead

I'm ten miles outside the city, and I'm lifted away

In an ancient light, that is not of day

They were calm, they were blunt, we knew 'em all too well

We loved each other more than we ever dared to tell

[Source: released version on the Gods And Generals soundtrack]

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Tell Ol’ Bill

(released version)

The river whispers in my ear

I've hardly a penny to my name

The heavens have never seemed so near

All my body glows with flame.

The tempest struggles in the air

And to myself alone I sing

It could sink me then and there

I can hear the echoes ring.

I tried to find one smilin' face

To drive the shadow from my head

I'm stranded in this nameless place

Lyin' restless in a heavy bed.

Tell me straight out if you will

Why must you torture me within?

Why must you come down off your high hill?

Throw my fate to the clouds and wind.

Far away in a silent land

Secret thoughts are hard to bear

Remember me, you'll understand

Emotions we can never share.

You trampled on me as you passed

Left the coldest kiss upon my brow

All my doubts and fears have gone at last

I've nothing more to tell you now.

I walk by tranquil lakes and streams

As each new season's dawn awaits

I lay awake at night with troubled dreams

The enemy is at the gate.

Beneath the thunder-blasted trees

The words are ringin' off your tongue

The ground is hard in times like these

Stars are cold, the night is young.

The rocks are bleak, the trees are bare

Iron clouds go floatin' by

Snowflakes falling in my hair

Beneath the gray and stormy sky.

The evenin' sun is sinking low

The woods are dark, the town is too

They'll drag you down, they run the show

Ain't no tellin' what they'll do.

Tell Ol' Bill when he comes home

Anything is worth a try

Tell him that I'm not alone

That the hour has come to do or die.

All the world I would defy

Let me make it plain as day

I look at you now and I sigh

How could it be any other way?

[Source: released version on the North Country soundtrack]

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Tell Ol’ Bill

(alternate version with one more verse)

The river whispers in my ear

I've hardly a penny to my name

The heavens never seemed so near

And all my body glows with flame.

The tempest struggles in the air

And to my lone myself I sing

It could sink me then and there

I can hear the echoes ring.

I tried to find one smilin' face

To drive the shadow from my head

I'm stranded in this lonesome place

Layin' restless in a heavy bed.

Tell me straight out if you will

Why must you torture me within?

Why must you come from your high hill?

Throw my fate to the clouds and wind.

Far away in a silent land

Secret thoughts are hard to bear

Remember me, you'll understand

Emotions we can never share.

You trampled on me as you passed

Left the coldest kiss upon my brow

All my doubts and fears have gone at last

I've nothing more to tell you now.

I walk by tranquil lakes and streams

As each new season's dawn awaits

I lay awake at night with troubled dreams

The enemy is at the gate.

Beneath the thunder-blasted trees

The words are ringin' off your tongue

The ground is hard in times like these

The stars are cold, the night is young.

From white to green, from brown to black

Not one more minute can I waste

They go too far, they drive me black

At a slow and steady pace.

The rocks are bleak, the trees are bare

Iron clouds go floatin' by

Snowflakes falling in my hair

Beneath the dark and stormy sky.

The evenin' sun is sinking low

The woods are dark, the town is too

They'll drag you down, they run the show

Ain't no tellin' what they'll do.

Tell Ol' Bill when he come home

Anything is worth of try

Tell him that I'm not alone

And that the hour has come to do or die.

All the world I would defy

Let me make it plain as day

I look at you and now I die

How could it be any other way?

[Source: circulating session recording]

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Waitin’ For You

I never dreamed it could be
A someone made just for me.
When I'm letting her have her way,
I'm here to see what she has to say.
Ah, the poor girl always wins the day.
I'm stayin' ahead of the game,
And she's a-doin' the same,
And the whiskey flyin' into my head.
The fiddler's arm has gone dead,
And talk is beginning to spread

When did our love go bad?
Whatever happened to the best friend that I had?
It's been so long since I held you tight
Been so long since we said goodnight.
The taste of tears is bittersweet.
When you're near me, my heart forgets to beat.
You're there every night
Among the good and the true,
And I'll be around, waitin' for you.

Well, the king of them all
Is starting to fall.
I lost my gal at the boatman's ball.
The night has a thousand hearts and eyes.
Hope may vanish, but it never dies.
I'll see you tomorrow when freedom rings.
I'm gonna stay on top of things.
It's the middle of summer,
And the moon is blue.
And I'll be around, waitin' for you.

Another deal gone down,
Another man done gone.
You put up with it all, and you carry on.
Something holding you back,
But you'll come through.
I'd bet the world and everything in it on you.
Happiness is but a state of mind.
Anytime you want, you can cross the state line.
You don't need to be rich or well-to-do
I'll be around, waitin' for you.

[Source: released version on the Divine Secrets Of The Ya-Ya Sisterhood soundtrack]

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This page last updated 12 October 2006.