THE ITINERANT
I came in from the east
Welcome to the wild frontier
Sun setting in the valley
I'm counting all the bubbles in my beer
Some towns are gentle on my mind
Like walking in the early autumn rain
I arrived in thunder and was treated like a leper on a train
You might find it on a map
It's a dump between Holiday and Hell
When the locals knew my secret they crossed the street and rang a little bell
When I left I heard them em celebrate
"He's gone. Hip hip hooray."
I ripped off all my bandages and moved on up the road a little way.
Like everybody else it was work that dragged me from my bed
I'd faked a new identity
Grew eyes in the back of my head
Spraying weeds and fixing fences
Sweating through the summer hauling wheat
Nothing seemed to matter
I was just another coward and cheat
Hiding from my enemies while running from a war I wouldn't fight
Sneaking out in the morning
Creeping through my backdoor in the night
If pushing came to shoving I knew I'd be deep down in the clay
So I learned to walk on tiptoes as I moved on up the road a little way
Down that mountain and around that bend
Heading to the great unknown
I pat my dog and talk about the weather
And the wind high up in the trees is gonna blow me to a brand new home
One day I went looking for a woman who was looking for a man
Making love in the flickering light of an overhead fan
We'd been talking on the telephone
Somebody must have overheard the call
The pigs all started grunting and the horses started kicking down the stall
They dumped me one a vacant lot
Laying face down on the mud
I woke to with broken teeth, a headache and belly full of b.ood.
I don't remember nothing
The faces all faded into grey
I pumped up all my tyres and moved on up the road a little way
The big ol' moon shining on the water and acting as my chaperone
I drink my coffee from a paper cup
And the wind high up in the trees is gonna blow me to a brand new home
Then rat race is for losers
Winners just hang around and wait
Yesterdays is dead and dusted
Next week's just tomorrow running late
Once I knew the future
Now I wouldn't even know the time of day
I'm walking in the shade as I move on up the road a little way
Looking at the sunrise and watching it burn
Maybe I was born to roam
Floating on my back in a bubbling stream
And the wind high up in the trees is gonna bow me to a brand new home
THE TRAIN DON'T STOP HERE ANYMORE
The nights are getting warmer and the days are growing long
The bridge is out there's roadworks up ahead
Listen to the jackass cackle as it welcomes in the day
And greets the sun climbing from its bed
Spick and span I rise to the occasion
Knowing all the rules and keeping score
I sold my ringside tickets when the circus came to town
The trains don't stop here anymore
Man on the radio is crying
He's forgetting to remember to forget
Telling everybody who'll listen there'll always be a first time
I'm not so sure it hasn't happened yet
All I ever need was a compass, a mud map and the stars
Lots of new roads out there to exp[lore
I wish I had tho courage to start again but I'm running out of steam
The trains don't stop here anymore
Could've been a hero
Could've have saved the days
Could've gone the distance with the champ
Could've been a jockey all dressed in silk
Could've hit the winning run
Could've had my face printed on a postage stamp
But thew animals need feeding and water's on the boil
Swallow feathers scattered on the floor
Spring might follow winter but rain don't chase the plough
The town is grey and silent just like a faded dream
Rotten fruit hanging from the trees
Spider in the letterbox and nothing in the mail
The house looks like a ghost ship on the sea
Kids are shooting light globes down on the highway
Moths cling to the fly screen on the door
Diesel fumes are shimmering and the bottle's in the bag
The trains don't stop here anymore
SMOKEY BAY INCIDENT
We were standing on the verandah
Checking out the scenery from home sweet home
Lapping up the sunset
I was glad to be alive
She was cranking up the music on the radio
I never heard the car approaching
Crucnching though the gravel on the drive
Two hours later I was sleeping
She was in the kitchen with a knife in her hand
Talking to a stranger who’d been lurking in the shade
I heard their whispers
I heard their footsteps
They tapped me on the shoulder
I was blinded by the light of the full moon shining in the blade
I should known my days were numbered
When the crows began to circle
Should’ve recognised the omens
Should’ve read the signs
They wrapped me in a hessian bag and threw me in the ocean
They woke me up just to stay goodbye
Now I’m up here in the ether
Floating like a feather in the crazy wind
Up and down and around and around
I bet nobody cares
An eternity in limbo
No sense of pain or pleasure
Tomorrow on the slippery dip
The next day climbing up the stairs
She should have wrote a warning
With lipstick on the mirror
She should’ve said, “I’m out of here
I got new fish to fry.”
There were two plates on the table
They were carving up the chicken
They woke me up just to say goodbye
NOWHERE TO HIDE
Wanna tear this whole town down, Lord
Tear this whole town down
But if I do there'd be nowhere I can hide
Left this gritty ol' city
Looking for adventure and fun
Nothing out there to write home about
I followed the setting sun
I came across a mountain
Hoping to breath fresh air
Made it to the top but I ran back down
Lots of fussin' and fightin' up there
Wanna tear this whole town down, Lord
Tear this whole town down
But if I do there'd be nowhere I can hide
Met a charming madamoilselle
A woman with a friendly face
She pointed at something and when I turned to look
She stole my parking space
I felt the red mist rising
Sweat dripped from my brow
"Dog eat dog," she said and smiled
"I thought you would've learnt by now
Wanna tear this whole town down, Lord
Tear this whole town down
But if I do there'd be nowhere I can hide
Sandpit kids just play for fun
Big kids play for keeps
I'm sick of counting bruises when I should be counting sheep
Wanna tear this whole town down, Lord
Tear this whole town down
But if I do there'd be nowhere I can hide
I'm no V8 Alpha dog
I'd rather run that fight
But in the sprawl it's a free for all
We're racing to the next red light
Everybody's either taking off or coming into land
I'm down here stuck knee deep
In something that don't smell like sand
Wanna tear this whole town down, Lord
Tear this whole town down
But if I do there'd be nowhere I can hide
I'm heading out over Razorback
Along the Deadly Hume
Don't know where I'm going but I hope I get there soon
Wanna tear this whole town down, Lord
Tear this whole town down
But if I do there'd be nowhere I can hide
WINDOWS OF THE BUS
Driver takes your ticket at the station gate x 3
And you're waving through the windows of the bus
Hope your winter jacket's gonna keep you warm x 3
And you're waving through the windows of the bus
Another week without you and I'll lose my mind x 3
And you're waving through the windows of the bus
Tail lights fading on the dead of night x 3
And you're waving through the windows of the bus
Hands are in my pockets and my head's down low x 3
And you're waving through the windows of the bus
Heading back home in the drizzling rain x 3
And you're waving through the windows of the bus
MARILYN IS PREGNANT
Marilyn is pregnant. East coast 10 o’clock
It’s Friday night and New Year’s Eve
The city’s chock-a-block
Expensive drinks in blood-house bars
Wounds of love and lifelong scars
Ice cold kisses and tattoo tears
Red hot cameras and luke warm beers
The card machines are screaming
The juice box starts to howl
Marilyn is pregnant and she’s feeling fat and foul
She combs her hair in the plate glass window
She lumps a travel case
Toothbrush, thriller and a change of clothes
Make-up for her pretty face
Skinny legs in cowboy boots
Nylon shirts under summer suits
Karaoke crooner singing Auld Lang Syne
Marilyn is pregnant and she’s due at any time
Marilyn is pregnant. She’s moving interstate
The traffic light has one black eye
There’s a bus to catch and she’s running late
Leopard skin coats in limousines
Plastic covered magazine
Spruikers, pimps and raconteurs
Racehorse owners and restauranteurs
Felafel with tabouli. Food for local strays
Marilyn is pregnant and she counting down the days
Marilyn is pregnant
She’s heading for the sunshine hills
Rock hard seat and aching feet
Prescription sleeping pills
Wailing babies and weekend punks
Part-time hippies and full-time drunks
Elvis on black velvet stapled up with pins
Marilyn is pregnant he big enough for twins
MY DOCTOR TOLD ME
My doctor told me I'd hit the skids
"Rest easy you need a break
Send a message to your one and only
Take a holiday for goodness sake
Get out now
Change your name
Pretend your dead
Male a claim
Return to the town where you were born and bred."
That's what he topls me
That's what he said
My doctor told me I was out of date
"You're rusted over like a stump-jump plow
"It's been a while since the Bossa Nova
I'll teach you how to do it
But I don't know how
Stand in line
Jump that queue
Scratcth that name from that old tattoo
Paddle like a dog or you'll sink like lead."
That's what he told that's what he said
"Ride them rails
Jump that fence
Treat your life as a business expense
Sell your soul
Steal it back
Leave behind a widow all dressed in black."
My doctor told me my mind was fading
"Your pretty flowers have turned to seed
What you need is magic potion
No mirrors guaranteed
Eat from a tin plate
Drink from a mug
Make love on a discount Persian rug
Celebrate with a flagon of red."
That's what he told me
That's what he said
"Slam that door
Bolt that gate
Moan about the trains being two minutes late
The great grey plain is a two-wheel track
Head out on the wallaby and never come back."
Found another snapshot
Took it on my holiday
Fool for a friendly face
Bells are ringing
Everybody singing
Water flowing by me like a big brown snake
The moon is a silver sixpence on a waiter’s tray
Music on the radio
Another summer Saturday
Barbecue burning on the sand
Starring at flames
Remembering names
Wrote down your number on the back of my hand
Times like these will never be forgotten
Sweetest moments always stay the same
Down in the valley in a field of weeds
An old abandoned mine
Tried my best
Stood the test
Swapped my coffee for a jug of wine
The water’s wet and sun keeps pouring down, down, down
Times like these will never be forgotten
Sweetest moments always stay the same
Sleeping in the shade when the trees started whispering
Washed in an old tin can
Went for drive
Arrived alive
Took my chances and here I am
Times like these will never be forgotten
Sweetest moments always stay the same
ON THE WING
WATCH ME FALL TO PIECES
Bird singing at my window. The city starts to wake
Lights are flickering high on the hill
A brand new dawn’s about to break
Something woke me in the night
The image just won’t fade
I’m banging a drum in a lonely heart’s parade
Should I sweep ‘em from my mind?
Should I dust my broom?
I’m hopeless in the morning
But watch me fall to pieces in the afternoon
Looking back ain’t easy. Sometimes it’s a curse
Drifting like a piece of junk in space
Lost in the universe
My safety was never guaranteed. You caught me by surprise
Landed by them fishhooks in your eyes
“My, my my,” said the spider to the fly,
“Welcome to the Black Lagoon.”
I’m hopeless in the morning……
But swatch me fall to pieces in the afternoon
That’s life. That’s what people say
Flying high in April. Shot down in May
Had a big fall like Humpy Dumpty then read a little Mills and Boon
I’m hopeless in the morning
But watch me fall to pieces in the afternoon
I’ve learnt to read my lines out loud. Soon I’ll act my age
Keep the mystery up-to-date
Rip out the final page
Some people play with matches
Some people play with guns
Me, well I just hedge my bets and run
Throw myself a party
With cupcakes and balloons
I’m hopeless in the morning
But watch me fall to pieces in the afternoon
WAITING FOR THE RAIN
Dragged a cupboard from the room downstairs
Rolled a carpet on the floor
Found some paint slapped it on the ceiling
Bought myself a lock and screwed it to the door
Hallway light is broken. Stairwell smells like soap
Cloud in the sky but its two miles high
Gonna drag it down with a rope
Organised a meeting with the local representative
I got an axe to grind
Mayor’s got a mistress and the whole town knows
City engineer taking money on the side
They don’t do nothing for no-one
I’m always squeezing blood from a stone
The sewage pipe is broken and the smell if bad
And the plumbers he’s never home
I’m waiting for the rain. Hot February night
Nothing I can do but make my bed in the cool refrigerator light
Humidity driving me crazy
Dripping tap driving nails in my brain
Send it down Huey. I’m waiting foe the rain
Man across the corridor never seems to sleep
He’s angry when he comes home late
Yelling, screaming and punching at the wall
Boiled cabbage piled high on his plate
He’s got a job in the abattoir
Working in the freezer for his day
He comes from Lithuania. Reminds him of home
Cold every hours of the day
I’m waiting for the rain
Perspiration on my sheets
Maybe I should knock and organise a swap
I’ll be cool slicing ups the meat
I’m riding on a one trick pony
Prancing over rough terrain
Send it down Huey. I’m waiting for the rain
Feeling like a loser. Hope it doesn’t show
Rotten way too start the week
Living in a hole. Think I need a ladder
Having trouble standing on why own two feet
I’m restless and my skin’s like glue
May bark is turning to a bite
Too tired for working in the morning
Too hot for sleeping in the night
I’m waiting for the rain. Hoping for a breeze.
Air’s so thin it would ruffles feather of birds sweating in the trees
Gas leaking from the two ring burner
Greasy cracks on the window pane
Send it down Huey I’m waiting for the rain
SOMETIMES (I CRY )
Sometimes I drive aroundSometimes I wind my window down
Sometimes I,m sitting on the bar door step
Watching twilight shadows fall
Sometimes I’ll chew my fingernails
Sometimes I’m brave
Sometimes I’m just plain shy
Sometimes when I’m deep in doubt you’ll be there to drag me out
Sometimes, like now, I cry
Sometimes I travel to the country
Sometimes I sleep in town
Sometimes I’ll unroll my swag and listen to the she oaks sing
Sometimes we’re like to and toast
Sometimes you’re there when I need you most
Sometimes you just don't mean a thing
Sometimes I’ll walk the block
Sometimes I’ll rewind the clock
Sometimes I’m too far gone to try
Sometimes I don’t make no sense but I’ll accept the consequence
Sometimes, like now, I cry
Sometimes I stay awake at night and drink my bottle dry
Sometimes, like now, I cry
Sometimes I'll hide inside
Sometimes I’ll catch the turning tide
Sometimes I’ll reach out for the sky
Sometimes when you’re sad and blue I’ll be there to rescue you
Sometimes, like now, I’ll cry
Sometimes I rest easy to the sound of a lullaby
Sometimes, like now, I cry
SLEEPING WITH THE DEVIL
Yes sir, I plead guilty
No sir, I don’t feel bad
Shot him the head when he was sleeping in his bed
He talked too much and it drove me mad
My mind blanked out but I kept on drinkin’
My memory was shot and my breath was stale
Made it to the campsite just around midnight
The blue blades were spinning as the siren whaled
I’m sleeping with the devil and waiting for the break of day
Booked myself a seat on a long, slow journey from the city to the bay
Hooked him on the fence like a wedge tail eagle
Hauled him on the bridge in a woolpack bag
Mutton to the slaughter he never hit the water
Hanging in the moonlight on a river tree snag
Running through the scrubland
Hiding in a rain ditch
Walking with a limp but I never felt pain
No more cheap tricks
Poking me with burnt sticks
He’ll never get a mortgage and never pay tax again
Scratching as the sandstone. Peeling at the calendar
Remembering the taste of blood on my tongue
No more tappin’ and rap rap rappin’
He named his tine and his song was song
I’m sleeping with the devil and waiting for the break of day
Booked myself a seat on a long slow journey from the city to the bay
Yes sir, I plead guilty
No sir, I don’t feel bad.
ONCE UPON A TIME
Dead owl in the schoolyard
Tom Bowler in the bag
Car wrecks out in the thistles by the creek
If you lick your wounds and taste your own blood you gonna live forever
Once upon a time
Climbing high to catch the moon
Diving deep in the dam for mud
Someone smashed the leadlight down in the church
And that bone-handled knife in the gun shop window is gonna be mine one day
Once upon a time
Once upon a time I had everything
I had everything the world was mine
Once upon a time I had everything
I had everything once upon a time
Once upon a time I had everything
I had everything the world was mine
Once upon a time I had everything
I had everything once upon a time
Rabbit traps and rat shot
A dog with a thorn in its paw
Bucket seats and fox tails in the wind
Old men on oil drums looking at the sky and telling everybody is gonna rain
Once upon a time
Once upon a time I had everything
I had everything the world was mine
Once upon a time I had everything
The world was mine
Once upon a time
The cops are still searching for the bloke who stole the smokes from the cinema
He used an axe to hack in through the roof
Hey, what’s that in the sugar bag? Yeah, the sugar bag you’re hiding behind your back
Once upon a time
PUMPING HEART
Romantic love is like a head on crash
You lose your head at the point of impact
You’re pinned down like a row of thumbtacks
And contact means the end
The wreck’s on its roof and your broken body’s numb
You don’t feel pain and you think the end has come
Lights are spinning ‘round and
Faces in the windscreen looking stunned
And you wish, you wish you wish you never was born
They drag you out and like a fool you take the blame
But the very next day you file an insurance claim
Your heart is pump, pumping chemicals through your veins
And you’re seeing things that just aren't there
At first your shaken but you try and try again
One hundred miles an hour around the nearest “s” bend
Your foot’s flat on the floor and your eyes are glued on the road ahead
And very soon you’re back on the roof again.
WHEN THE RAIN CAME TUMBLING DOWN
When the rain came tumbling down
I was working out the back
Loading bit and pieces of this and that in a hessian sack
The house looked like a sinking ship in a flooded lake
Somebody yelled, “Hey come inside. Let’s bake a cake.’’
I wiped my feet on the welcome mat and made it to the kitchen door
Standing there like a drowning rat in a puddle on the floor
“Eggs,” I said as I closed the fridge. “I’ll buy ‘em in the town.
If there’s anything else you need or want you’d better write it down.”
When it rained the other day when it rained
When it rained the other day when it rained
Outside the wind was howling
You could smell the burning logs
Rain was drumming on the roof
The windows were caked with fog
“Brandy for the mix,” she said. “And fruit to make it sweet.”
So I loaded that sack in the back the van and headed down the street.
When it rained the other day when it rained
When it rained the other day when it rained
WEEPING IN THE WEEDS
I’m weeping in the weeds
I wanna play the ukelele
The nurse says she comes from a country town
We can talk about rural love
They found me in my neighbour's shed
My family hate me and my wife is dead
Walking through molasses and weeping in the weeds
Parrot talking on the radio
Missed the queue for the bacon and eggs
The doctor drives a two-tone Peugeot
One day he thinks I’ll be OK
I wanna joint a marching band
Find a cop who needs a helping hand
Walking through molasses and weeping in the weeds
I’m gonna jump down from this cage
Rob the stock exchange
Tinkle on a baby grand
Shave the hairs from the palm of my hand
Count the petty cash a run
Build a happy life in the tropical sun
Walking though molasses and weeping in the weeds
Weeping in the weeds
One day I’ll rule this big brown land
Lizard on there window lost its tail
I’m about to lose my hair
Hate the sound of pouring rain
Hate the smell of burning sugar cane
Walking through molasses and weeping in the weeds
Feeling like a fruit came
Can’t wait until the long weekend
If I behave and tell the truth I know they gonna send me home
The conversation drives me mad
My sheets are dirty and the coffee tastes bad
Walking through molasses and weeping in the weeds
Somebody told me you got lucky
Times were hard
I bought myself a get well card
He was good looking
He said he liked your mother's cooking
Then he finished of his lunch and munched into a big fat pizza
I forgot to fill the bucket up with water
I watched you burning bridges all over town
The moral to this story is be nice to all them pretty people while you riding on a rocket to the stars
‘Cause the chances are your gonna have to meet ‘em on the way back down
Once upon a time you were a rough-cut diamond
You dug down deep into my soul
But then you switched the light
Changed the daytime into night
Yeah, lately you’ve turned back into coal
I fell asleep and you left the party
Nothing to say
Nobody wanted to play
You grabbed your bat and your big red ball and dragged your boyfriend down the hall
He grew himself a moustache and banged a drum out in the jungle
I glad I seen that special moment
Watched you holding hands and staring into space
I couldn’t help but chuckle when I saw all them tears building in his eyes
And he got mad and kicked dirt into my face
Once upon a time you were a rough-cut diamond
You dug down deep into my soul
But then you switched the light
Changed the daytime into night
Yeah, lately you’ve turned back into coal
SORROW
Sorrow is a lonely dip who stays awake ‘til dawn
Sorrow is a stray dog in the lane
Sorrow is a cocktail waitress counting out her tips
Sorrow is the last suburban train
Sorrow is an empty bar when the tables have been cleared
Sorrow is a woman’s parting wink
Sorrow is a an exit sign at the bottom of the stairs
Sorrow is that one last fatal drink
Sorrow is a bouncer who thinks he owns the world
Sorrow is a cleaner with a broom
Sorrow is the hissing sound of taxis passing in the rain
Sorrow is that big fat silver moon
Sorrow is a pizza cook who’s just turned off the gas
Sorrow is a broken telephone
Sorrow is the bright lights on an empty early morning bus
Sorrow is when your walking home alone
WRONG WAY HOME
I’ve slept like a baby and woken up in pain
I’ve taught the wildest animal to beg
The room smells like creosote, diesel and perform
I’ve taken the wrong way home
Raindrops on a Tally-Ho
Teardrops on a train
Razor wire wrapped around my chair
I seen the sunrise in her face and the sunset in her hair
I’ve taken the wrong way home
When I won a double-headed penny I knew it meant bad luck
I yelled out: “Come in spinner” but it landed on the edge
The guilt witch sang but that’s all I remember
I’ve taken the wrong way home
I woke in fright when I heard I was living in the land of milk and honey
Stayed awake until noon next dat counting out my money
Thistles on the river bed
Sandbank on the road
The taillights of a tow truck lead the way
Moved from the edge of paradise to a place that drained my soul
I’ve taken the wrong way home
TOENAIL MOON
Pack away your winter clothes
Take me where the warm wind blows
Wash me in a waterfall. Rinse me in the spray
Find a needle. Find a thread. Find my old silk suit
Sow it in the shape of a parachute
Drop me from a mountain and watch me float away
Lay me flat upon my back
On an old abandoned track
Cover me with powder dust. Place stones on my eyes
Blow a trumpet. Bang a gong
Catch a brace of currawong
They'll fly like black angels as they haul trough the sky
I've done my time in history
Now the final mystery
I feel the cold approaching take me by the hand
Bury all my memories the sand
There's a shadow on the toenail moon and footprints in the clay
Wrap me in a blanket send your tears on a holiday
I'll give you all some sound advice
Never tell the same joke twice
I won't be tomorrow 'cause I left yesterday
 |
| Lake Mungo, 2017 |
COMING SOON
Somebody Followed Me Home
Painting By Numbers
Magpie In they Distance
