Laura Veirs Album

Did you see that lady there
They stripped her to her underwear
She took it one step further and stripped to bare

Through the rising flames
And smoke she laughed as all the police choked
And then she danced in the government pyre

The jailhouse is on fire
The jailhouse is on fire

She grabbed a guard and stole his keys unlocked the cells
And set us free and we ran and caught our pants
On the old barbed wire

We hit the dirt, we hit the road we jumped the fence
We kissed a toad and we hollared at the ladies
In the churchyard choir

The jailhouse is on fire
The jailhouse is on fire

I hopped a train and headed west free woman
Now just like the rest all the hobos on the line called me a liar

The train it choked and spewed and spat and coal smoke billowed thick
And black and she was everywhere and rising higher

She set the jailhouse on fire
She set the jailhouse on fire
She set the jailhouse on fire

Billy was a young man gone astray
Bottle at his lips all night and day
Mama said they're gonna send you up the river someday
Mama said they're gonna send you up the river someday

Whiskey ate big holes in Billy's head
Summer's day he shot spud murphy dead
He said I'm headed up the river as he watched the blood pour red
Yeah headed up the river as he watched the blood pour red

Mama asked Lord Jesus what to do
At the door came knocking boys in blue
We're gonna send him up the river and make him pay his dues ma'am
We're gonna send him up the river and make him pay his dues

And so she watched him round that riverbend go
Billy felt a chill pass 'cross him cold
They sent him up the river to turn a young man old
Yeah They sent him up the river to turn a young man old

Hear the whistle blow far off
In the still night without stars
See the tracks laid flat with a hammer's might
They're the spike driver's scars
They're the spike driver's scars

By the railroad ties there a hammer lies it's all painted in red
It's all painted in red, it's all painted in red

By the railroad ties there a hammer lies it's all painted in red
It's all painted in red, it's all painted in red

The west springs up from the spike driver's blues
And the captain's new shiny shoes take to him this hat
And hammer and tell him I'm gone I'm gone I'm gone I'm gone I'm gone

By the railroad ties there a hammer lies it's all painted in red
It's all painted in red, it's all painted in red

By the railroad ties there a hammer lies it's all painted in red
It's all painted in red, it's all painted in red

It's all painted in red, it's all painted in red, it's all painted in red
It's all painted in red, it's all painted in red, it's all painted in red

Twenty days walking so lonely and talking to myself and the rocks and sand
Got me to thinking 'bout going and drinking in a tavern with a clean-shaven man

Just when I thought all souls had been bought by the devil here long ago
There did I see when I knelt to my knee I little texas flower grow

Black-eyed susan by the roadside blooming all yellow like sunshine red like wine
Flower like you in a desert this cruel my my you're a rare rare find

Well my newfound friend gave my heart a mend I sang her songs of my wayward ways
As day turned to night in the crystal moonlight I confirmed her unwavering gaze

As the days unraveled I stayed in the gravel and susan kept her eye on me
With my eye on her I felt my heart all astir with the joy of camaraderie

Black-eyed susan by the roadside blooming all yellow like sunshine red like wine
Flower like you in a desert this cruel my my you're a rare rare find

I don't know where I come from but I know it's a place here on earth
Somewhere in a desert near a mountain was the place of my birth

If you could tell me I would cry if you could tell me
I would fly there if you could tell me my oh my my oh my

Somewhere out there in the blossoms of the cactus
I lost my mare walked up a ridge and at the top
I saw her running off I don't know where

If you could tell me I would cry if you could tell me
I would fly there if you could tell me my oh my my oh my

The naked sun she burns me down she turns my flesh to this dark brown
Won't someone please give me a place to go I assure you I don't ever ever know

If you could tell me I would cry if you could tell me
I would fly there if you could tell me my oh my my oh my

I'm falling off the barstool mama in this old ghost town saloon
Where sunlight moves like sadness across the room
Oh my sweet mama if you could only see me
Now drunk as a skunk falling out of this rundown lacy gown

This blue ink this blue ink this blue ink
Across the page I write to you

I'm sitting in these thorny cowboy boots
And scabby knees wondering why I left you mama
Just to do as I please no hat has a brim
Wide enough to block out the blazing sun
I met the devil on the road but I had no legs to run

This blue ink this blue ink this blue ink
Across the page I write to you

Silver ran off two towns ago I been walking alone
I been walking slow my eyes are dry from the desert wind
I know I ain't coming home to you again

I'll take off into the deep blue sky
When I'm dead and gone and the buzzards fly this blue ink across the page
I write to you mama if you love me you're the only one who do

The yellow wind sends brambles through the dust
The tractor wheels won't turn for all the rust the corn has died
And dried upon the stalk her lips are cracked it hurts to talk it hurts to talk

Birds were falling from the sky all leaves had turned to brown
The heartless cold froze everything and took my poor red down

Poor old red she's dead and gone her eyes
I do remember at least I have this old guitar
To get me through December through December

Her eyes were dark as winter's night both
Somehow young and old I loved her most
The day she died her hair was colored gold

Poor old red she's dead and gone her eyes
I do remember at least I have this old guitar
To get me through December through December

Old man winter at my door the sky heavy with snow all's cold
But my heart poor red it's hard to let you go

Poor old red she's dead and gone her eyes
I do remember at least I have this old guitar
To get me through December through December

The sky's a raven marching band black blizzard blowing across the land
Come darling take my hand I'm whiskey poured into the sand

Star blossoms bloom the night falling now burning fire bright
Come darling take my hand I'm whiskey poured into the sand

The silver tracks lie long and straight perfect means for my escape
Come darling take my hand I'm whiskey poured into the sand

Light of the morning day
Sadly it will not stay
This perfect pink for too long couple of hours from now
All the sunflowers will frown and turn
For the sun is too strong

I'll be movin' along yeah I'll be movin' along

I'll head for those distant hills
Find some good land to till a river to sing me a song
When winter snows blow in
I'll pack up my bags again guess I'll be movin' along

I'll be movin' along yeah I'll be movin' along