Don't Shoot Me I'm Only The Piano Player (1973)

---

Daniel
Daniel is travelling tonight on a plane
I can see the red tail lights heading for Spain
Oh and I can see Daniel waving goodbye
God, it looks like Daniel, must be the clouds in my eyes

Oh, Daniel my brother
You are older than me
Do you still feel the pain
Of the scars that won't heal
Your eyes have died
But you see more than I
Daniel you're a star
In the face of the sky

They say Spain is pretty, though I've never been
Well, Daniel says it's the best place that he's ever seen
Oh, and he should know, he's been there enough
Lord, I miss Daniel, oh I miss him so much

Oh, Daniel my brother
You are older than me
Do you still feel the pain
Of the scars that won't heal
Your eyes have died
But you see more than I
Daniel you're a star
In the face of the sky

Daniel is travelling tonight on a plane
I can see the red tail lights heading for Spain
Oh and I can see Daniel waving goodbye
God, it looks like Daniel, must be the clouds in my eyes

Oh, Daniel my brother
You are older than me
Do you still feel the pain
Of the scars that won't heal
Your eyes have died
But you see more than I
Daniel you're a star
In the face of the sky

Daniel my brother
You are older than me
Do you still feel the pain
Of the scars that won't heal
Your eyes have died
But you see more than I
Daniel you're a star
In the face of the sky

Daniel is travelling tonight on a plane
I can see the red tail lights heading for Spain
Oh and I can see Daniel waving goodbye
God, it looks like Daniel, must be the clouds in my eyes
Oh, God, it looks like Daniel, must be the clouds in my eyes
Oh, God, it looks like Daniel, must be the clouds in my eyes


Teacher I Need You
I was sitting in the classroom
Trying to look intelligent
In case the teacher looked at me
She was long and she was lean
She's a middle-aged dream
And that lady means the whole world to me

It's a natural achievement
Conquering my homework
With her image pounding in my brain
She's an inspiration
For my graduation
And she helps to keep the classroom sane

Oh teacher I need you like a little child
You got something in you to drive a schoolboy wild
You give me education in the lovesick blues
Help me get straight come out and say
Teacher I, teacher I, teacher I, teacher I need you

I have to write a letter
Tell about my feelings
Just to let her know the scene
Focus my attention
On some further education
In connection with the birdies and the bees

So I'm sitting in the classroom
I'm looking like a zombie
I'm waiting for the bell to ring
I've got John Wayne stances
I've got Erroll Flynn advances
And it doesn't mean a doggoned thing

Oh teacher I need you like a little child
You got something in you to drive a schoolboy wild
You give me education in the lovesick blues
Help me get straight come out and say
Teacher I, teacher I, teacher I, teacher I need you

Oh teacher I need you like a little child
You got something in you to drive a schoolboy wild
You give me education in the lovesick blues
Help me get straight come out and say
Teacher I, teacher I, teacher I, teacher I need you


Elderberry Wine
There's a fly in the window
A dog in the yard
And a year since I saw you
There's a trunk in the corner
I keep all my letters
My bills and demands I keep too

Well I can't help thinking
About the times
You were a wife of mine
You aimed to please me
Cooked black-eyed peas-me
Made elderberry wine

Drunk all the time
Feeling fine on elderberry wine
Those were the days
We'd lay in the haze
Forget depressive times
How can I ever get it together
Without a wife in line
To pick the crop and get me hot
On elderberry wine

Round a tree in the summer
A fire in the fall
Flat out when they couldn't stand
The bottle went round
Like a woman down south
Passed on from hand to hand

Well I can't help thinking
About the times
You were a wife of mine
You aimed to please me
Cooked black-eyed peas-me
Made elderberry wine

Drunk all the time
Feeling fine on elderberry wine
Those were the days
We'd lay in the haze
Forget depressive times
How can I ever get it together
Without a wife in line
To pick the crop and get me hot
On elderberry wine

Drunk all the time
Feeling fine on elderberry wine
Those were the days
We'd lay in the haze
Forget depressive times
How can I ever get it together
Without a wife in line
To pick the crop and get me hot
On elderberry wine

Elderberry wine
Elderberry wine
Elderberry wine
Elderberry wine
Elderberry wine
Elderberry wine
Elderberry wine


Blues For Baby And Me
Your old man got mad when I told him we were leaving
He cursed and he raged and he swore at the ceiling
He called you his child, said honey get wise to his game
He'll get you in trouble I know it, those bums are all the same
There's a greyhound outside in the lane, it's waiting for us
So tell him goodbye, we gotta go west on that bus

And it's all over now
Don't you worry no more
Gonna go west to the sea
The greyhound is swaying
And the radio is playing
Some blues for baby and me

And the highway looks like it never did
Lord it looks so sweet and so free
And I can't forget that trip to the west
Singing blues for baby and me

Saw your hands trembling, your eyes opened in surprise
It's ninety in the shade babe, and there ain't a cloud in the sky
I called you my child, said honey now this is our game
There's two of us to play it and I'm happy to be home again
There's a greyhound outside in the lane, it's waiting for us
So tell him goodbye, we gotta go west on that bus


Midnight Creeper
Walk a mile in my tennis shoes
Tina Turner gave me the highway blues
But I don't love nobody but you honey
I'm true rat for the things I done
Second cousin to a son of a gun
I'm gonna wipe out your mama if she puts me on honey

'Cause I'm a midnight creeper
Ain't gonna lose no sleep over you
When there's a nightmare I'm there
Tempting you to blow a fuse

Well there's no more sleeping
When I'm midnight creeping over you
Watch out honey, watch out honey
Watch the things you do

Long haired ladies well they look so fine
Locked in my cellar full of cheap red wine
But, I don't think those ladies they really mind honey
I still don't know why you hate me so
A little bit of fun never stopped no show
Well I just want to loosen up my soul honey


Have Mercy On The Criminal
Have you heard the dogs at night,
Somewhere on the hill.
Chasing some poor criminal,
And I guess they're out to kill.
Oh, there must be shackles, on his feet,
And mother, in his eyes, stumbling through the devil-dark
With the hound pack in full cry.

Have Mercy on the criminal,
Who is running from the law,
Are you blind to the
Winds of change?
Don't you hear him any more?

Praying Lord you gotta help me,
I am never gonna sin again.
Just take, these chains
From around my legs,
Sweet Jesus I'll be your friend.

Now have you ever seen
The white teeth gleam,
While you lie on a
Cold damp ground.
You're taking in the face of a rifle butt,
While the wardens hold you down.
And you're never seen a friend in years,
Oh, it turns your heart to stone.
You jump the walls,
And the dogs run free,
And the grave's gonna be your home.

Oh, have Mercy on the criminal,
Who is running from the law,
Are you blind to the
Winds of change?
Don't you hear him any more?

Praying Lord you gotta help me,
I am never gonna sin again.
Just take, these chains
From around my legs,
Sweet Jesus I'll be your friend.

Oh, have Mercy on the criminal,
Who is running from the law,
Are you blind to the
Winds of change?
Don't you hear him any more?

Praying Lord you gotta help me,
I am never gonna sin again.
Just take, these chains
From around my legs,
Sweet Jesus I'll be your friend.


I'm Going To Be A Teenage Idol
Well there's slim times when my words won't rhyme
And the hills I face are a long hard climb
I just sit cross legged with my old guitar
It kind of makes me feel like a rock and roll star

Well it makes me laugh Lord it makes me cry
And I think for once let me just get high
Let me get electric put a silk suit on
Turn my old guitar into a tommy gun

And root-toot-shoot myself to fame
Every kid alive gonna know my name
An overnight phenomenon like there's never been
A motivated supersonic king of the scene

I'll be a teenage idol, just give me a break
I'm gonna be a teenage idol no matter how long it takes
You can't imagine what it means to me
I'm gonna grab myself a place in history
A teenage idol that's what I'm gonna be

Well life is short and the world is rough
And if you're gonna boogie boy you got to be tough
Nobody knows if I'm dead or alive
I just drink myself to sleep each night

And so I pray to the teenage god of rock
If I make it big let me stay on top
You got to cut me loose from this one room dive
Put me on the ladder keep this boy alive


Texan Love Song
I heard from a friend you'd been messing around
With a cute little thing I'd been dating uptown
Well I don't know if I like that idea much
Well you'd better stay clear I might start acting rough

You out of town guys sure think you're real keen
Think all of us boys are homespun and green
But that's wrong my friend so get this through your head
We're tough and we're Texan with necks good and red

So it's Ki yi yippie yi yi
You long hairs are sure gonna die
Our American home was clean till you came
And kids still respected the president's name

And the eagle still flew in the sky
Hearts filled with national pride
Then you came along with your drug-crazy songs
Goddamit you're all gonna die

How dare you sit there and drink all our beer
Oh it's made for us workers who sweat spit and swear
The minds of our daughters are poisoned by you
With your communistic politics and them negro blues

Well I'm gonna quit talking and take action now
Run all of you fairies clean out of this town
Oh I'm dog tired of watching you mess up our lives
Spending the summertime naturally high


Crocodile Rock
I remember when rock was young
Me and Suzie had so much fun
Holding hands and skimming stones
Had an old gold Chevy and a place of my own
But the biggest kick I ever got
Was doing a thing called the Crocodile Rock
While the other kids were Rocking Round the Clock
We were hopping and bopping to the Crocodile Rock

Well Crocodile Rocking is something shocking
When your feet just can't keep still
I never knew me a better time and I guess I never will
Oh Lordy Mama those Friday nights
When Suzie wore her dresses tight
And Crocodile Rocking was out of sight

(La la la la la la la la)
(La la la la la la la la)
(La la la la la la la la la)

But the years went by and the rock just died
Suzie went and left us for some foreign guy
Long nights crying by the record machine
Dreaming of my Chevy and my old blue jeans
But they'll never kill the thrills we've got
Burning up to the Crocodile Rock
Learning fast as the weeks went past
We really thought the Crocodile Rock would last

Well Crocodile Rocking is something shocking
When your feet just can't keep still
I never knew me a better time and I guess I never will
Oh Lordy Mama those Friday nights
When Suzie wore her dresses tight
And Crocodile Rocking was out of sight

(La la la la la la la la)
(La la la la la la la la)
(La la la la la la la la la)

(Suzie wore her dresses tight)
(Crocodile Rocking was out of...)
(La la la la la la la la la)

I remember when rock was young
Me and Suzie had so much fun
Holding hands and skimming stones
Had an old gold Chevy and a place of my own
But the biggest kick I ever got
Was doing a thing called the Crocodile Rock
While the other kids were Rocking Round the Clock
We were hopping and bopping to the Crocodile Rock

Well Crocodile Rocking is something shocking
When your feet just can't keep still
I never knew me a better time and I guess I never will
Oh Lordy Mama those Friday nights
When Suzie wore her dresses tight
And Crocodile Rocking was out of sight

(La la la la la la la la)
(La la la la la la la la)
(La la la la la la la la)
(La la la la la la la la)
(La la la la la la la la)
(La la la la la la la la)
(La la la la la la la la)
(La la la la la la la la)
(La la la la la la la la)
(La la la la la la la la)
(La la la la la la la la)...


High Flying Bird
You wore a little cross of gold around your neck
I saw it as you flew between my reason
Like a raven in the night time when you left
I wear a chain upon my wrist that bears no name
You touched it and you wore it
And you kept it in your pillow all the same

My high-flying bird has flown from out my arms
I thought myself her keeper
She thought I meant her harm
She thought I was the archer
A weather man of words
But I could never shoot down
My high-flying bird

The white walls of your dressing room are stained in scarlet red
You bled upon the cold stone like a young man
In the foreign field of death
Wouldn't it be wonderful is all I heard you say
You never closed your eyes at night and learned to love daylight
Instead you moved away

My high-flying bird has flown from out my arms
I thought myself her keeper
She thought I meant her harm
She thought I was the archer
A weather man of words
But I could never shoot down
My, my high-flying bird has flown from out my arms
I thought myself her keeper
She thought I meant her harm
She thought I was the archer
A weather man of words
But I could never shoot down
My high-flying bird

My high-flying, high-flying bird
My high-flying, high-flying bird
My high-flying, high-flying bird
My high-flying, high-flying bird


Screw You (Young Man's Blues)
When I was a boy I had a lot of fun
I lived by the sea, I was a fisherman's son
My mother she was a fisherman's wife
She was scrubbing floors most of her life

They said screw you
I ain't got nothing to lose
I could paper a matchbox
With the money I use

At the school I attended I got into fights
I was beaten in an alley on a cold winter night
The teachers cared less for the blood in our veins
They got most of their thrills out of using a cane

They said screw you
Oh you bloody young fools
I could get more sense
Out of the back end of a mule

So you see there's man who get paid for being slaves
And men who get paid for being free
And there's men behind bars who pray for the light
And men in the suburbs who pray for the night
And they're all trying to climb to the top of the mine
And all of them say most of the way
Screw you

I worked in the mill from seven till nine
Tears in my eyes nearly drove me half-blind
Trying to make wages that weren't even there
Taking hell from a foreman with the build of a bear

He said screw you
This is all you'll ever do
It's the only existence for someone like you


Jack Rabbit
Go jack-rabbit running through the wood
You had a good night and you feel real loose
Heard they got you going round the goosecreek shed
Trying to fill your belly full of buckshot lead

Go jack-rabbit get the cabbage patch
Farmer left the back porch door on the latch
Heard you coming and he got his gun
Better go jack-rabbit better start to run

Go jack-rabbit running through the wood
You had a good night and you feel real loose
Gunfire breaking up the peaceful night
Jack-rabbit lying in the cold daylight


Whenever You're Ready (We'll go Steady Again)
I lived in a tenement six floors above
I lent you my records and I lent you my love
But you left me on the weekend without a by-your-leave
That's a dirty and a low-down trick
My folks all think you're mean

But I don't mind, that's kind of nifty
You always see those break-ups in the movies
And just like a light honey you put me out
Now I'm gonna do my best
To get you back in the nest you came from

You can erase me if you want to
Turn your back on other men
But whenever you're ready
Honey, we'll go steady again

It's nasty without you in my little room
I miss you like crazy, please come back soon
I was joking with those things I said
I couldn't have been thinking
If you don't come back I think I'll crack
Just like my old ceiling


Skyline Pigeon
Turn me loose from your hands
Let me fly to distant lands
Over green fields, trees and mountains
Flowers and forest fountains
Home along the lanes of the skyway

For this dark and lonely room
Projects a shadow cast in gloom
And my eyes are mirrors
Of the world outside
Thinking of the way
That the wind can turn the tide
And these shadows turn
From purple into grey

For just a Skyline Pigeon
Dreaming of the open
Waiting for the day
He can spread his wings
And fly away again
Fly away skyline pigeon fly
Towards the dreams
You've left so very far behind
Fly away skyline pigeon fly
Towards the dreams
You've left so very far behind

Just let me wake up in the morning
To the smell of new mown hay
To laugh and cry, to live and die
In the brightness of my day

I want to hear the pealing bells
Of distant churches sing
But most of all please free me
From this aching metal ring
And open out this cage towards the sun

For just a Skyline Pigeon
Dreaming of the open
Waiting for the day
He can spread his wings
And fly away again
Fly away skyline pigeon fly
Towards the dreams
You've left so very far behind
Fly away skyline pigeon fly
Towards the dreams
You've left so very, so very far behind