Tell Tale Signs
Sources:
TELL TALE SIGNS: THE BOOTLEG SERIES VOL. 8 RARE AND
UNRELEASED 1989-2006
As I walked out tonight in the mystic garden,
The wounded flowers were dangling from the vine,
I was passin’ by yong cool and crystal fountain,
Someone hit me from behind.
Ain’t talkin’, just walkin’
Through this weary world of woe.
Heart burnin’, still yearnin’
No one on earth would ever know.
They say prayer has the power to heal, so pray for me, mother.
In the human heart, an evil spirit will dwell.
I’m tryin’ to love my neighbor and do good unto others,
But oh, mother things ain’t goin’ well
Ain’t talkin’, just walkin’
I’ll burn that bridge before you get across.
Heart burnin’, still yearnin’
There’ll be no mercy for you once you’ve lost
I’m all worn out from weeping,
My eyes are full of tears and my lips are dry.
If I ever catch my opponents sleeping,
I’ll slaughter them where they lie.
Ain’t talkin’, just walkin’
Through a world mysterious and vague.
Heart burnin’, still yearnin’
Walkin’ through the cities of the plague.
The whole world
is filled with speculation,
The whole world
which people say is round
I've got no time
for idle conversation
I need to find a
doctor in this town
Ain't talking,
just walking
All rails leading
to the west
Heart burning,
still yearning
I'm gonna throw
myself upon your loving breast
It's the first
new day of a grand and a glorious Autumn
The queen of love
is coming across the grass
None dare call
her anything but madam
No one flirts
with her or even makes a pass
Ain't talking,
just walking
Standing outside
the gates of wrath
Heart burning,
still yearning
Take a little
trip down the primrose path
I got the worst
old feeling and it's getting stronger
I'm worn out with
public service, I'm beginning to crack
I won't stay on
any longer
I'll avenge my
father's death then I'll step back
Ain't talking,
just walking
Hand me down my
walking cane
Heart burning,
still yearning
Trying to get you
out of my miserable brain
As I walked out
tonight in the mystic garden
The wounded
flowers were dangling from the vine
I was passing by
yong cool and crystal fountain
Someone hit me
from behind
Ain't talking,
just walking
You ride 'em high
and down you go
Heart burning,
still yearning
No one on earth
will ever know
[TOP]
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Version 2
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In the lonely
night In the stardust
of a pale blue light I think of you
in black and white When we were
made of dreams I walk alone
through the shaking street Listening to my
heart beat In the
record-breaking heat When we were
born in time Just when I
thought You were gone,
you came back Just when I was
ready To receive you You were
smooth, you were rough You were more
than enough Oh babe, why
did I ever leave you? Or grieve you? On the rising
curve Where the ways
of nature will test every nerve I took you
close and got what I deserved When we were
born in time Just when I
knew Who to thank,
you went blank Just when the firelight Was gleaming You were snow,
you were rain You were
striped, you were plain Oh babe, could
it be that you were scheming? Or was I
dreaming? In the hills of
mystery In the foggy
web of destiny You're still so
deep inside of me When we were
born in time |
In the lonely
night In the smoking
stardust of a pale blue light You're standing
there in black and white Where we were
made of dreams I walk alone
through the shaky streets Listening to my
heart beat In the
record-breaking heat Where we were
born in time Just when I
thought You were gone,
you came back Just when I
knew It was for
certain You were high,
you were low You were so
easy to know Oh babe, now
it's time to raise the curtain I'm hurting Up on the
rising curve Where the ways
of nature will test every nerve Took me in and I
got what I deserved Where we were
born in time Just when I
knew Who to thank,
you went blank Just when the
home-fires Start smoking You were snow,
you were rain You were
striped, you were plain Oh babe, truer
words have not been spoken Or broken In the hills of
mystery In the foggy
web of destiny You're still so
deep inside of me Where we were
born in time |
[TOP]
Oh the evening
train is rolling
All
along the homeward way
All
my hopes are over the horizon
All
my dreams have gone away
The
hillside darkly shaded
Stars
fall from above
All
the joys of earth have faded
The
night's untouched my love
I'll be here 'til
tomorrow
Beneath a shroud
of grey
I pretend I'm
free of sorrow
My heart is miles
away
The dead bells
are ringing
My train is
overdue
To your memory
I'm clinging
I can't escape
from you
Well I hear the
sound of thunder
Roaring loud and
long
Sometimes you've
got to wonder
God knows I've
done no wrong
You've wasted all
your power
You threw out the
Christmas pie
Now you're
withering like a flower
You'll play the
fool and die
I'm neither sad
nor sorry
I'm all dressed
up in black
I fought for fame
and glory
You tried to
break my back
In the far off sweet
forever
The sunshine
peeking through
We should have
walked together
I can't escape
from you
I cannot grasp
the shadows
That gather near
the door
Rain falls round
my window
I wish I'd seen
you more
The path is
ever-winding
The stars they
never age
The morning light
is blinding
All the world's a
stage
Should be the
time of gladness
Happy faces
everywhere
The mystery of
madness
Is propagating in
the air
I don't like the
city
Not like some folks
do
Isn't it a pity
I can't escape
from you
We ploughed the
fields of heaven
Right down to the
end
I hope I can be
forgiven
If any words of
mine offend
All our days were
splendid
They were simple,
they were plain
It never should
have ended
I should have
kissed you in the rain
I've been
thinking things all over
All the moments
full of grace
The primrose and
the clover
Your
ever-changing face
Can't help
looking at you
You made love
with god-knows-who
Never found a gal
to match you
I can't escape
from you
[TOP]
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I can't wait Wait for you to
change your mind I can't wait Waiting just
making me go blind Do you ever lay awake at night Your face
turned to the wall Drowning in
your thoughtlessness And cut off
from it all I don't know Maybe for you
it's not that late But as for me Don't know how
much longer I can wait It's got to end Everything
about it just feels wrong I pretend Being close to
her is where I don't belong Well my back is to the sun Because the light
is too intense I can see what
everybody In the world is
up against I'll stay here Where I can
feel the hand of fate And I don't
know How much longer
I can wait Skies are grey Life is short
and I think of her a lot I can't say If I want the
pain to end or not Well the blindness overtaking me Is beating like
a drum I don't know
where it starts Or where it's
coming from That's how it is Well, try to
concentrate And I don't
know How much longer
I can wait I been drinking Drinking
forbidden juices I been living Living on lame
excuses My hands are
cold The end of time
has just begun I'm getting old Anything can
happen now to anyone I walk across the floor 'Til I wear out
my shoes You think
you've lost it all There's always
more to lose I’m so clear She can keep my
head on straight And I don't
know How much longer
I can wait |
I can't wait Wait for you to
change your mind I can't wait For you to walk
the line You ever feel just like your brain Been bolted to
the wall That you're
drowning in your thoughtlessness And cut off
from it all I don't know Maybe for you
it's not that late But as for me I don't know
how much longer I can wait It's got to end Everything
about it just feels wrong I'll pretend Being close to
her is where I don't belong Well my back is
to the sun Because the
light is too intense I can see what
everybody In the world is
up against That's how it is When things
disintegrate And I don't
know How much longer
I can wait Skies are grey Life is short
and I think of her a lot Every day I can't say
whether I want the pain to even end or not Well I'm trying my best To stand on my
own two feet Not have to
lean on Everybody that
I meet I'm breathing hard I'm trying to
concentrate And I don't know How much longer
I can wait I'm torn and
I'm tattered I been rolling
through the stormy weather My heart's been
shattered But I'm holding
all the parts of it together My hands are
cold The end of time
has just begun I'm getting old Anything can
happen now to anyone Loneliness around me Digging in me
like a rake What a piece of
work she is To cause my
heart to break I thought somehow That I'd be
spared this fate And I don't
know How much longer
I can wait |
[TOP]
Fat man
looking in a Ferris wheel
Yellow
man looking in his last meal
Hollow
man looking in a cottonfield
For
dignity
Wise man looking
in a blade of grass
Young man looking
in the days that pass
Poor man looking
through painted glass
For dignity
Dignity is a
woman that knows
Dignity moves
like a tropical wind that blows
Into the cities,
into the towns
Into the land of
the midnight sun
I'm searching
high, I'm searching low
Searching
everywhere I know
Asking the cops
wherever I go
Have you seen
dignity?
Drunk man listens
to a voice he hears
In a crowded room
full of covered-up mirrors
Looking into the
lost, forgotten years
For dignity
Don Juan was
talking to Don Miguel
Standing outside
of the gates of hell
There ain't
nothing to say, it ain't nothing to tell
About dignity
Dignity is a
woman unspoiled
By fame and greed
and snakes that are coiled
In the damp
woods, on the river's edge
Near the green,
green grass of home
Pull into the
platform, step off the train
Walk thirty
steps, it begins to rain
I'm asking
somebody with water on his brain
Have you seen
dignity?
Cities in a mess
of jackhammer beats
Buses roll by with
burned-out seats
A child's eyes
look through the creeping streets
For dignity
Prince Phillip
was talking to Miss Mary Lou
She said don't
let nobody see me talking to you
She's afraid to
tell him what she knew
About dignity
Dignity is a
woman that's light
She don't tease,
she don't travel at night
Dignity is a
woman that bleeds
Like the hot
Egyptian sun
I'm looking east,
looking west
See people
cursed, see people blessed
Asking everybody
like a man possessed
Have you seen
dignity?
Blind man
breaking out of a trance
Puts both of his
hands in the pockets of chance
Hoping to find
one circumstance
Of dignity
Englishman
stranded in the blackheart wind
Combing his hair
back, his future looks thin
Bites the bullet
and he looks within
For dignity
Somebody showed
me a picture and I just laughed
Dignity never
been photographed
Dignity got no
starting-point
No beginning, no
middle, no end
Looking at a
glass that's half-filled
Looking at a
dream that's just been killed
Asking everybody
that's strong-willed
Have you seen
dignity?
[TOP]
The light in this
place is really bad
Like being at the
bottom of a stream
Any minute now
I'm expecting to
wake up from a dream
Means so much
The softest touch
Like the grave of
some child,
Who neither wept
or smiled
I
pondered my fate in the rain
I've been
dreaming of you
That's all I do
And it's driving
me insane
Somewhere dawn is
breaking
Light is
streaking across the floor
Church-bells are
ringing
I wonder who
they're ringing for
Travel under any star
You'll see me
wherever you are
The shadowy past
Is so vague and
so vast
I'm sleeping in the palace of pain
I've been
dreaming of you
That's all I do
But it's driving
me insane
Maybe they'll get
me, maybe they won't
But whatever it
won't be tonight
I wish your hand
was in mine right now
We could go where
the moon is white
For years they had me locked in a cage
Then they threw
me onto the stage
Some things just
last longer than you thought they would
And they never
ever explain
I've been
dreaming of you
That's all I do
And it's driving
me insane
Well I eat when
I'm hungry, drink when I'm dry
Live my life on
the square
Even if the flesh
falls off my face
It won't matter,
long as you're there
Feel like a ghost in love
Underneath the
heavens above
Feel further away
than I ever did before
Feel further I
can take
Dreamin’ of you
Is all I do
But it's driving
me insane
Everything in the
way is so shiny today
In queer and
unusual form
Spirals of golden
haze here and there in a blaze
Like beams of
light in a storm
Maybe you were here and maybe you weren't
Maybe you touched
somebody and got burnt
The silent sun
has got me on the run
Burning a hole in
my brain
I'm dreamin’ of
you
That's all I do
But it's driving
me insane
[TOP]
Well I wandered
alone through a desert of stone
And I dreamt of
my future wife
My sword's in my
hand and I'm next in command
In this version
of death called life
My plate and my
cup are right straight up
I took a rose
from the hand of a child
When I kiss your
lips, the honey drips
I'm gonna have to
put you down for a while
Every day we meet
on any old street
And you're in
your girlish prime
The short and the
tall are coming to the ball
I go there all
the time
Behind every
tree, there's something to see
The river is
wider than a mile
I tried you
twice, you can't be nice
I'm gonna have to
put you down for a while
Here come the
nurse with money in her purse
Here come the
ladies and men
You push it all
in and you've no chance to win
You play 'em on
down to the end
I'm laying in the
sand, getting a sunshine tan
Moving along,
riding in style
From my toes to
my head, you knock me dead
I'm gonna have to
put you down for a while
I count the years
and I shed no tears
I'm blinded to
what might have been
Nature's voice
makes my heart rejoice
Play me the wild
song of the wind
I found hopeless
love in the room above
When the sun and
the weather were mild
You're as fine as
wine, I ain't handing you no line
I'm gonna have to
put you down for a while
All the merry
little elves can go hang themselves
My faith is as
cold as can be
I'm stacked high
to the roof and I'm not without proof
If you don't
believe me, come see
You think I'm
blue, I think so too
In my words, you'll
find no guile
The game's gotten
old, the deck's gone cold
And I'm gonna
have to put you down for a while
The game's gotten
old, the deck's gone cold
I'm gonna have to
put you down for a while
[TOP]
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Version 2
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Well I'm
sitting in church In an old
wooden chair I knew nobody Would look for
me there Sorrow and pity Rule the earth
and the skies Looking for
nothing Anyone's eyes Once I had pretty
girls Did me wrong Now I'm marchin’
to the city And the road
ain't long Snowflakes are
falling Around my head Lord have mercy It feel heavy
like lead I been hit too
hard Seen too much Nothing can
heal me now But your touch Once I had a
pretty girl She done me
wrong Now I'm marchin’
to the city And the road
ain't long Loneliness Got a mind of
its own The more people
around The more you
feel alone I'm chained to
the earth Like a silent
slave Trying to break
free Out of death's
dark cave Once I had a
pretty girl Done me wrong Now I'm marchin’
to the city And the road
ain't long Boys in the
street Beginning to
play Girls like birds Flying away I'm carrying
the roses That were given
to me And I'm
thinking about paradise Wondering what
it might be Once I had a
pretty girl She done me
wrong Now I'm marchin’
to the city And the road
ain't long Go over to Maybe gay Follow the
river You get to the
sea I was hoping we
could drink from Life's clear
streams I was hoping we
could dream Life's pleasant
dreams Once I had a
pretty girl But she done me
wrong Now I'm marchin’
to the city And the road
ain't long Well the weak
get weaker And the strong
stay strong The train keeps
rolling All night long She looked at
me With an irresistible
glance With a smile That could make
all the planets dance Once I had a
pretty girl She did me
wrong Now I'm marchin’
to the city And the road
ain't long My house is on
fire Burning to the
skies I thought the
rain clouds But the clouds
passed by When I'm gone You'll remember
my name I'm gonna win
my way To wealth and
fame Once I had a
pretty girl But she did me
wrong Now I'm marchin’
to the city And the road
ain't long |
Loneliness Got a mind of
its own More people
around More you feel
alone I've been
chained to the earth Like a silent
slave I'm trying to
break free Out of death's
dark cave Once I had a
pretty girl She did me
wrong Now I'm marchin’
to the city, boys And the road
ain't long I was hoping to
my soul That we'd never
part You took all
the madness Right out of my
heart I was hoping we
could drink from Life's clear
streams I was hopning
we could dream from Life's busy dreams Once I had a
pretty girl She did me
wrong Now I'm marchin’
to the city, boys And the road
ain't long My house is
burning Up to the sky I thought it
would rain But the clouds
passed by Sorrow and pity Rule the earth
and the skies I'm not looking
for nothing In anyone's
eyes Once I had a
pretty girl She did me
wrong Now I'm marchin’
to the city, boys And the road
ain't long Wind is blowing All troubles
and dirt It's time to
get away Or someone gets
hurt I just don't
know What I'm
a-gonna do I was all right 'Til I fell in
love with you Once I had a
pretty girl She did me
wrong Now I'm marchin’
to the city, boys And the road
ain't long |
[TOP]
I'm standing in
the shadows with an aching heart
I'm looking at
the world tear itself apart
Minutes turn to
hours, hours turn to days
I'm still loving
you in a million ways
Well the devil's
in the alley, there's a mule kicking in my stall
Say anything you
want to, I have heard it all
I was raised in
the country, I been working in town
I been in trouble
ever since I set my suitcase down
Well I ain't got
nothing for you, I had nothing before
Don't even have
anything for myself anymore
The sky's full of
fire, pain is pouring down
There's nothing
you can sell me, I'll see you around
Well, I got here
following the southern star
I crossed that
river just to be where you are
There's only one
thing I did wrong
Stayed in
Well I been
loving you too long, I know you ain't no good
It don't make a
bit of difference to me, don't see why it should
I was thinking
about the things that Rosie said
I was dreaming I
was sleeping in Rosie's bed
Well I'm walking
through the leaves falling from the trees
I feel like a
stranger nobody sees
So many things we
never will undo
I know you're
sorry, I'm sorry too
Some people will
offer you their hand and some won't
Last night I knew
you, tonight I don't
I need something
strong to distract my mind
I'm gonna look at
you 'til my eyes go blind
Well everybody's
moving, god knows where
But I'm still
here and you're still there
Only one thing I
did wrong
Stayed in
Well my ship's
been split to splinters and it's sinking fast
I'm drowning in
the poison, got no future, got no past
But my heart is
not weary, it's light and it's free
I got nothing but
affection for those who have sailed with me
Winter goes into
summer, summer goes into fall
I look into the
mirror, don't see anything at all
Stick with me
baby, stick with me anyhow
Things should
start to get interesting right about now
My clothes are
wet, tight on my skin
Not as tight as
the corner that I painted myself in
I know that
fortune is waiting to be kind
So give me your
hand and say you'll be mine
The emptiness is
endless, cold as the clay
You can always
come back, but you can't come back all the way
Only one thing
that I did wrong
Stayed in
[TOP]
Some of us turn
off the lights and we live
In the moonlight
shooting by
Some of us scare
ourselves to death in the dark
To be where the
angels fly
Pretty maids all
in a row lined up
Outside my cabin
door
I've never wanted
any of 'em wanting me
Except the girl
from the red river shore
Well I sat by her
side and for a while I tried
To make that girl
my wife
She gave me her
best advice and she said
Go home and lead
a quiet life
Well I been to
the east and I been to the west
And I been out
where the black winds roar
Somehow though I
never did get that far
With the girl
from the red river shore
Well I knew when
I first laid eyes on her
I could never be
free
One look at her
and I knew right away
She should always
be with me
Well the dream
dried up a long time ago
Don't know where
it is anymore
True to life,
true to me
Was the girl from
the red river shore
Well I'm wearing
the cloak of misery
And I've tasted
jilted love
And the frozen
smile upon my face
Fits me like a
glove
Well I can't
escape from the memory
Of the one I'll
always adore
All those nights
when I lay in the arms
Of the girl from
the red river shore
Well we're living
in the shadows of a fading past
Trapped in the
fires of time
I've tried not to
ever hurt anybody
And to stay out
of the life of crime
And when it's all
been said and done
I never did know
the score
One more day is
another day away
From the girl
from the red river shore
Well I'm a
stranger here in a strange land
But I know this
is where I belong
I'll ramble and
gamble for the one I love
And the hills
will give me a song
Though nothing
looks familiar to me
I know I've
stayed here before
Once a thousand
nights ago
With the girl
from the red river shore
Well I went back
to see about her once
Went back to
straighten it out
Everybody that I
talked to had seen us there
Said they didn't
know who I was talking about
Well the sun went
down on me a long time ago
I've had to pull
back from the door
I wish I could
have spent every hour of my life
With the girl
from the red river shore
Now I heard of a
guy who lived a long time ago
A man full of
sorrow and strife
That if someone
around him died and was dead
He knew how to
bring 'em on back to life
Well I don't know
what kind of language he used
Or if they do
that kind of thing anymore
Sometimes I think
nobody ever saw me here at all
Except the girl
from the red river shore
[TOP]
I don't care what you do, don't care what you say
Don't care where you go, or how long you stay
Someday baby, you ain't gonna worry poor me any more
You take my money and you turn me out
You fill me up with self-doubt
Someday baby, you ain't gonna worry poor me any more
You made me eat a ton of dust
You're potentially dangerous, and not worthy of trust
Someday baby, you ain't gonna worry poor me any more
Little by little, bit by bit
Every day I'm becoming more of a hypocrite
Someday baby, you ain't gonna worry poor me any more
You've got my mind tied up in knots
I just keep recycling the same old thoughts
Someday baby, you ain't gonna worry poor me any more
When I heard you was cold, I bought you a coat and hat
I think you must have forgotten about that
Someday baby, you ain't gonna worry poor me any more
Gonna blow out your mind, and make you pure
I've taken about as much of this as I can endure
Someday baby, you ain't gonna worry poor me any more
You put me down from a ??? creek
That's all right, to you I turn the other cheek
Someday baby, you ain't gonna worry poor me any more
You say you need me, how would I know?
You say you love me, but it can't be so
Someday baby, you ain't gonna worry poor me any more
I don't want to brag, but I'll wring your neck
When all else fails, I'll make it a matter of
self-respect
Someday baby, you ain't gonna worry poor me any more
Living this way ain't a natural thing to do
Why was I born to love you?
Someday baby, you ain't gonna worry poor me any more
[TOP]
This page last
updated 15 October 2008.