radio city serenade
from 'privateering'

You've got to have no credit cards
To know how good it feels
The howling of the bridges
The sidewalks bound with steel
Sitting on the sidewalk
With a party to arrange
May you never change

I stay out when I want to
Still she takes me back
Don't know another girl
Would cut me so much slack
Every wounded soldier
Needs a lady with a light
To help him through the night

So blow a kiss to Radio City

My forever silhouette
Oh, you are so pretty
My beautiful Rockette
You've got my arms
And the crosstown horns
Going on - we've got it going on

Have I got you a river view
This one tops the list
Got a head full of you
And Irish Mist
I know I owe it
To the lady by the sea
Who still looks out for me

So blow a kiss to Radio City
My forever silhouette
Oh, you are so pretty
My beautiful Rockette
You've got my arms
And the crosstown horns
Going on - we've got it going on

You've got my arms
And the crosstown horns
Going on - we've got it going on
We've got it going on

When jack frost came for Christmas
With a brass monkey date
The rail-king and the scarecrow
Hopped a Florida freight
And they blew on their paper cups
And stared through the steam
Then they drank half a bottle
Of ragpicker's dream where

The whiskey keeps following
Cold pitchers of beer
Me and my associate
Like the clientele here get
The onions and the 'taters
Rib-eyes on the grill
Toothpicks and luckies
And a coffee refill as

The rail-king lay rocking
He was leaving the ground
Then he was flying like Santa Claus
Over the town where
He came to the window
Of a house by a stream
It was a family Christmas
In the ragpicker's dream there

Were kids at the table
All aglow in the light
Music in the wintertime
Sure carries at night there
Was turkey and gravy
Pie and ice-cream
And gifts for each and everyone
In the ragpicker's dream where

The red-eye keeps tumbling
In our glasses of beer
Me and my associate
Like the service in here there's
A ten for your trouble
You have beautiful hair
Make the last one two doubles
It's a cold one out there where

The scarecrow and the rail-king
Have started to dance
But a nightstick and a billyclub
Won't give peace a chance here
I think they went thataways
Your song and dance team
Heading home for the holidays
With the ragpicker's dream on

His knees like a fighter
The rail-riding king
Like a sack of potatoes
Like a bull in the ring where
The scarecrow falls over
With a tear in the seam
Home for the rover
In the ragpicker's dream where

The red-eye keeps tumbling
Like tears in our beer
Me and my associate
Like the ambience here where
They cornered two castaways
In a white flashlight beam
Merry Christmas and happy days
In the ragpicker's dream

Last I saw of you was in the rear view
That rear view mirror of mine
Last I saw of you was in the rear view mirror
Getting so much smaller all the time

And when I think of you you’re in the rear view
That rear view mirror of mine
When I think of you you’re in the rear view mirror
Getting so much smaller all the time

Do I owe you for letting me know
Do I? I guess so
Do I owe you for letting me know
So I’m thanking you for letting me go

Do I owe you for letting me know
Do I? I guess so
Do I owe you for letting me know
So I’m thanking you for letting me go

Do I owe you for letting me know
Do I? I guess so
Do I owe you for letting me know
So I’m thanking you for letting me go

So when I think of you you’re in the rear view
That rear view mirror of mine
Oh, when I think of you you’re in the rear view mirror
Getting so much smaller all the time
Getting so much smaller all the time
Getting so much smaller all the time

Getting so much smaller, baby
So long, baby

If i was staggerwing plane
A staggerwingpainted red
I'd fly over to your house, baby
Buzz you in your bed
If i was a taperwing
A taperwing painted blue
I'd be barrell-rolling over you
You're gonna need a rider anyhow
Let me be your rider now

If i was a Maserati
A red 300s
I'd ride around to your house, baby
Give you a driving test
If i was a mustang racer
White with a stripe of blue
You could ride me, baby
Whenever you wanted to
You're gonna need a rider anyhow
Let me be your rider now

If i was a Fender Guitar
A Fender painted red
You could play me, darlin'
Until your fingers bled
If i was one of them Gibsons
Like a '58 or '9
You could plug me in
And play me anytime
You're gonna need a rider anyhow
Let me be your rider now

If i was a Motorcycle
A vincent red rapide
I'd ride around to your house, baby
Get you up to speed
If I was short track racer
I'd be an Indian
You could ride me around
And ride me round again
You're gonna need a rider anyhow
Let me be your rider now
You're gonna need a rider anyhow
Let me be your rider now

Hunted down, I came upon
A place of ferns and grass
Gathered to a redbud tree
And now their footsteps pass
Where I crouch in dread
Discovery my certain death
Her leaves reaching for my head
As I suspend my breath

Redbud tree, shelter me, shelter me
Redbud tree, shelter me, shelter me

Those days of fear are gone
Yet I am pledged to her
As to my only one
My lovely protector

Redbud tree, shelter me, shelter me
Redbud tree, shelter me, shelter me
Redbud tree, shelter me, shelter me
Redbud tree, shelter me, shelter me

On your maypole green
see the winding morris men
Angry Alfie, Bill and Ken
waving hankies, sticks and boots
- all the earth and roots
Standing at the crease
the batsman takes a look around
The boys are fielding on home ground
The steeple sharp against the blue
- when I think of you
Sam and Andy, Jack and John
Charlie, Martin, Jamie, Ron
Harry, Stephen, Will and Don
Matthew, Michael - on and on

We will remember them
remember them, remember them
We will remember them
remember them, remember them

Time has slipped away
The summer sky to autumn yields
A haze of smoke across the fields
Let’s up and fight another round
and walk the stubbled ground

When November brings
the poppies on Remembrance Day
when the vicar comes to say
‘May God bless them, every one
Lest we forget our sons’
We will remember them
remember them, remember them
We will remember them
remember them, remember them

Miles between us here we are
Side by side a stranded car
Right now, baby right now
And it's too dark to see
Anyhow so where are we
Right now,baby, right now
You could say we've both come down
To a place called lonesome town
When did you lose a hold on me
Anyhow and where are we
Right now, oh baby, right now

We stood up and said 'I do'
Vowed to see each other through
Right now, baby right now
I'm looking down this road tonight
And I don't see a light
Right now, baby right now
If we're so clever tell me how
We're waiting for the wrecker now
Let's forget what used to be
Anyhow and where are we
Right now,oh baby right now

By day I sell them my soul
I'll work like a mole
Under the shop
By night I'll drink in The Coal Hole
Or down in The Nine Foot Drop
By day I'm the company mule
The wage slaving fool
They chain up like a dog
By night I'll be sailing away on my stool
On a river of grog
River of grog

Two drinks in my line of sight
But that can't be right
I know it's untrue
I'm seeing double tonight
But there could only be one of you
I've loaded my pockets with stones
To bury my bones in the mud of the bog
So let me go sailing away on my own
On a river of grog
River of grog

If you miss me where I go
It's been a barrel of fun
I'm going to miss you when I go
But down in the bottle
There's a song for me waiting, I know

I've loaded my pocket with stones
To bury my bones in the mud of the bog
So let me go sailing away on my own
On a river of grog
River of grog
River of grog

I came in three days early
To meet my boat
It ain’t the life of Riley
But it’s keeping me afloat
It’s quiet over Christmas
If you got no place to go
I got my home from river rats
The only home I know

I found myself a flophouse
And I hit the streets at nine
Get some grub and drink a beer
Maybe go down the line
These chips will take your money
Shake a young man down
It’s the same in every one of these
Sorry river towns

River towns, sorry river towns
River towns
River towns, sorry river towns
River towns

Well I picked me up a bottle
To take back to the room
Then I saw a young girl standing
In a doorway in the gloom
We’d hardly started talking
The old scenario
And I just let her work me over
Down by the Ohio

River towns, sorry river towns
River towns
River towns, sorry river towns
River towns

When I asked her if she’d like to stay
She was down my stairs so quick
I never asked what got her started
With the sorry river tricks
So I get the bottle open
But something’s hit a nerve
And I’m looking in the mirror
At the face that I deserve

River towns, sorry river towns
River towns
River towns, sorry river towns
River towns

Been kickin’ sawdust
In these clothes
For a blue moon
And a red nose
The boys will put 'em up
And tear 'em down
We’ll wash away
The dirt
Just a glass a day
Ain’t gonna hurt
Pretty soon we’ll move on
Out of town

We pass them by
Across the plains
We don’t even try
To catch the names
It’s supper time and their kids
Are home from school
They draw the shades
On their shops
While we go a'checking
Through the props
And putting on the paint
To play the fool

Then we're rollin’ on
Rollin' on
Feeling, better
Than we did last night
Rollin’ on rollin’ on
It’s hard sometimes
Pretty much it’s alright
I’ll go soft shoe
when it rains
I’ll go shuffle through
The aches and pains
Mr. Young at heart
That’s what I try to be
They all laugh
And cry
They get to feeling better
And that is why
If it was good for you
Truly it was good for me

Then we're rollin’ on
Rollin’ on
Feeling better
Than we did last night
Rollin’ on,
rollin’ on It’s hard sometimes
Pretty much it’s alright