Edwin McCain Album

One little gutter town 3:00 in the morning
I whispered these words I believed
Said leave me alone girl
I'm so tied down and broken
It's too late it's too late to save me
Ain't no wish in this world slight of this moment
No dream I could dream that comes near
No heaven or hope that comes near
No wish in this world except you right here
It's cold and it's dark and I'm sure it makes you crazy
Runnin' to grass so green
Dangerous road but it's not going to change me
Paved with 10 million broken dreams

Chorus
Sometimes I feel it's the end of the ride
Like distant water the well keeps running dry

Chorus

And you right here
And you right here...

Another beautiful morning under stars and bars
And F series pickups and rusted out cars
And they're eating breakfast at the strip bar
Just to have a peek...
And the beer soaked angels spread their wings
And dream of twenties and diamonds and things
And somehow that might ease the sting
Of the company they keep
Yeah...
And the vets still talk about the Tet offensive
And the freshmen boys all look so pensive
Because living large is so expensive
Hope daddy fueled the jet...
And we'll all fly out to the Hard Rock casino
And we'll put on our neatly pressed and fine chinos
And we'll laugh at the guy in the El Camino
Is that the only car he could get?

Chorus:
It's a beautiful life
It's just as advertised
It's all for one low price
Just read the fine print, and you'll be content
With your beautiful life

And record smoothies say "What a sound"
You're the greatest thing we've found
But you're gonna have to lose a few pounds
We're gonna put you on TV
And don't think our place is so swank
Don't worry about that guy, he's high on crank
That's exactly why his last record tanked
And let that be a lesson to me

Chorus

And all our churches glow
Communion wafers trash TV shows
Say "Hey, at least you don't have this strife"
'Cause you'll be warm and safe
In your beautiful life
Yeah...

And it's hard to tell what's true compassion
When it's dressed up in hair and nails and fashion
And the tabloids all rush to cash in on what we should believe
And I hope I never see the day
When there's nothing left on the planet left to save
And oxygen is the designer crusade
As we all fight to breathe...

Chorus

Promise of you
It sleeps in the air
The air that I breathe
And I know that it's true
Don't have to convince myself to believe
What secrets sleep in the heart of a man
So much love wasted Slip right through my hands
See it in the eyes of the lonely
As they make their weary way
Shimmer in the eyes of longing
I hear it say
Promise of you
It sleeps in the air
The air that I breathe
And I know that it's true
Don't have to convince myself to believe
To believe...

What secrets sleep in the heart of the night
Dreams of salvation
Slipping out of sight
In the shimmering moments of twilight
Closing up the shine
Whisper on the wind of a rescue
Savior in time
Promise of you
It sleeps in the air
The air that I breathe
And I know that it's true
Don't have to convince myself to believe
All this time
I've been fighting my own private war
All this time
You were the peace I was looking for

Ghost on the street today
Doorways of Jackson Square
In tinsel and tap shoes
Mardi Gras beads in her hair
Down to the graveyard
She wrung out her hands
As if he will meet her
All day she stands
So don't leave me
And I know you're justified
So don't leave me
'Cause a part of you in me died
We wish ourselves beautiful
We cry in the night
And it's not the love you feared
But the fall from the height
My personal ledges
Afraid to look down
My crepe paper bridges
Enough water to drown

Chorus
And I see the lonely souls
Searchin'
But before the heartbreak rose
Draw the curtain

I'm a ghost on the streets today
Surrounded by eyes
I feel them peer through me
And my harlequin disguise
If it makes you feel better
Come join me the while
And there's love in these open arms
Some love in my spirits' smiles

Chorus

Lying here with you
Listening to the rain
Smiling just to see the smile upon your face
These are the moments I thank God that I'm alive
These are the moments
I'll remember all my life
I found all I've waited for
And I could not ask for more

Looking in your eyes
Seeing all I need
Everything you are is everything to me
These are the moments
I know heaven must exist
These are the moments I know all I need is this
I have all I've waited for
And I could not ask for more

I could not ask for more than this time together
I could not ask for more than this time with you
Every prayer has been answered
Every dream I have's come true
And right here in this moment is right where I'm meant to be
Here with you here with me
These are the moments I thank God that I'm alive
These are the moments I'll remember all my life
I've got all I've waited for
And I could not ask for more
I could not ask for more than the love you give me
'Coz it's all I've waited for
And I could not ask for more
I could not ask for more

Just do your thing
If it makes you feel better
Go on and sing
If it makes you feel better
Shufflin' feet
Snuck up on me now
This young man's lost his way
He don't believe
All the stuff they told him
He's caught up in the fray
He said I've got this great big
Bag full of dreams
And I don't know what to do
I said a wise man gave me
The key to life
And now I give it to you
And I said
Just do your thing
If it makes you feel better
You're running that race
A little bit faster now
Towards your finish lines
Such a disgrace
You missed all the beautiful
You can't buy back the time
So stop and love
And dance and live
And laugh until you cry
Don't wake up to realize that
Your time has passed you by
Just do your thing
If it makes you feel better
Go on and sing
If it makes you feel better
You can cling to your fears if you want to
To your heart and your soul
You must be true

Let them in, Peter
For they are very tired
Give them couches where the angels sleep
And light those fires
Let them wake whole again
To brand new dawns
Fired by the sun
Not war-times bloody guns
May their peace be deep
Remember where the broken bodies lie
God knows how young they were
To have to die

You know God knows how young they were
To have to die

Give them things they like
Let them make some noise
Give dance hall bands not golden harps
To these our boys
Let them love Peter
For they've had no time
They should have bird songs and trees
And hills to climb
The taste of summer
And a ripened pear
And girls as sweet as meadow wind
And flowing hair
And tell them how they are missed
But say not to fear
It's gonna be all right
With us down here

Let them in, Peter
For they are very tired
Give them couches where the angels sleep
And light those fires
Let them wake whole again
To brand new dawns
Fired by the sun
Not war-times bloody guns
May their peace be deep
Remember where the broken bodies lie
God knows how young they were
To have to die

You know God knows how young they were
To have to die

And tell them how they are missed
But say not to fear
It's gonna be all right
With us down here

It's gonna be all right
With us down here

Perfumed and smoky
She swears that she knows me
She's falling down drunk again
I say she's mistaken
She's visibly shaken
Emotions all drowned in gin
She said I used to be beautiful
But now it's all gone
I let my dreams slip away from me
That's where it went wrong
Go be young, go be free
Follow your heart where it leads you
Don't end up like me
The Indian in the guardhouse used to spin me yarns
Stories of canyons and Boston in winter
And losing his family's farms
He said I've outlived my three sons, they died in three wars
I laughed and I cried while they lived and they died
And I know that they deserve more

Chorus
Perfumed and smoky
I'm falling down drunk again
I say she's mistaken
She's visibly shaken
Emotions all drowned in gin
I say I used to be powerful
But now it's all gone
I let my dreams take control of me
That's where it went wrong

Chorus

Rolled in last night
To the dawn, the porch, and both our floodlights
No excuse
But we were having such a good time
Why, oh why
Can't I just walk the straight and narrow
So ashamed But I'll do it all again tomorrow
Maybe you're the only one that sees
Anything good about me
Anything good about me
I found a friend
To get the number just to call you
Line was jammed I tried and tried, but could not get through
All these calls
To warn you of my scoundrel heart
But these walls
And still they can't keep us apart

Chorus
And I promise to take care
And love you
If you promise to keep seeing
Anything good about me
And I swear sometimes
There's asphalt running through my veins
And let me go
And never ever pull my reins
And I'll return
With cuts and bruises scarred but smarter
Lick my wounds
And try again but twice as hard

Chorus

The strands in your eyes that color them wonderful
Stop me and steal my breath
Emeralds from mountains thrust towards the sky
Never revealing their depth
Tell me that we belong together Dress it up with the trappings of love
I'll be captivated, I'll hang from your lips
Instead of the gallows of heartache that hang from above

I'll be your cryin' shoulder
I'll be love suicide
I'll be better when I'm older
I'll be the greatest fan of your life

Rain falls angry on the tin roof
As we lie awake in my bed
You're my survival, you're my living proof
My love is alive and not dead
Tell me that we belong together
Dress it up in the trappings of love
I'll be captivated, I'll hang from your lips
Instead of the gallows of heartache that hang from above

Chorus

I've dropped out, burned up, fought my way back from the dead
Tuned in, turned on, remembered the thing you said

Chorus

Wendy's sittin' next to me
She's trying hard to drink it away
And I feel the rumble of the subway
Beneath the stage
And her eyes are screaming
And her lips are pursed
And this ain't her first heartache
But it feels like, it feels like the worst
And she says
Can someone tell me how this can happen
And I guess that God only knows
My heart used to be
The sweet shop of love
But now the sign on the door
It says sorry we're closed
And I hear myself tell her
Some old words I know they won't help
And then I feel guilty
'Cause I closed some sweet shops myself
And we all talk about timing
And lifestyles and such
But to a heart that's been shattered
Those words don't mean that much
And all of our pining
It just goes to show
Don't you enter a shop
With the sign on the door
Saying sorry we're closed
And she's been through all the pain
That one can endure
And her new man thinks she loves him
But he can't be sure
And his heart pines for Wendy
She says that's how it goes
How am I supposed to know
He can't read the sign saying
Sorry we're closed
Yeah we're closed
And she says
Can someone tell me how this can happen
And I guess that God only knows
My heart used to be
The sweet shop of love
But there's a sign on the door
There's a sign on the door (3 x's)
One more sign...

She's a Blue Ridge cradle
She's a mother to some
And home to the laughter
Of road weary ones
So we'll sing all the old songs
Sing to grandmama road
And we'll sing cause we miss her
And we're sad she had to go
If I could see off this mountain
Through the clouds in my eyes
I would see off this mountain
On the nights stars fell
And see off this mountain
Through the tears in my eyes
I would see off this mountain
And the stars fell from the skies
In the air I hear a fiddle
Down along Hickory Way
And the mandolin guitar
Like we used to play
And down on Dunn's rock
Brothers boasting a dare
We tell them they're crazy
And pretend we don't care
If I could see off this mountain
Through the clouds in my eyes
I would see off this mountain
On the nights stars fell
And see off this mountain
Through the tears in my eyes
I would see off this mountain
And the stars fell from the skies
The air tastes like moonshine
In the wind a carnival tune
It soars with our laughter
But we'll all leave too soon
So I raise a toast to family
Put thanks in my glass
In the arms of your loved ones
It's the only home that lasts
If I could see off this mountain
Through the clouds in my eyes
I would see off this mountain
On the night the stars fell
And see off this mountain
Through the tears in my eyes
I could see off this mountain
When the stars fell from the skies
When the stars fell from the skies
Going up to grandmama road
Going up to grandmama road
I'm happy as can be
'Cause can't you see
I'm going up to grandmama road