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ALL SONGS WRITTEN BY MAURICE MATTEI


ANCHORED IN DUST
ANDREANNA
ASA K

BABY DOLL
BABY DON'T LOVE ME
BABY ME
BAD KID
BACKWARDS DOWN THE STAIRS
BANKERS & BROKERS
BETTER PUT CASSANDRA DOWN
BIG BELLS RING
BIG BLONDE
BLACK TIE AFFAIR
BREAKDOWN LANE
BRIDGETOWN GIRL

CAN WE LEAVE WITHOUT BABY?
CALIFORNIA MAN
CAREFREE LIFE
CARNIVAL DELIVERY
CHORE BOY
CLAUDETTE
CLAUDIA BUCKLES
CLIFTON HAND-JOB
COUSIN AMANDA
CRAWFORD HEIGHTS
CROSS PLAINES
CROWN VIC
CRUEL MASTER

DEAD RAILS
DON'T BE THAT WAY
DRAGGIN' MY HEELS

EVANSTON

FIFTEEN MINUTES FROM NOWHERE
FIFTY LOSERS AGO
FIFTY-THREE COUNTS
FIND THE TIME
FORGIVEN
FULTON AVENUE

GENTLEMAN BRIDE
GRANDVIEW
GRAND AT THE GAME
GREENWICH TIME

HALF A DOZEN ROSES
HALF A MIND
HEAVEN, SEND ME A STRANGER
HE NEVER WAS THE MAN HE USED TO BE
HE'S JUST LIKE ME

I CAME TO DANCE
I CAN'T STOP (LONG ENOUGH TO SLOW DOWN)
IF LOVE IS A SONG
I'M ONLY A BOY
IN THE COMPANY OF GENTLEMEN
IT'S TOO LATE TO SAY I TOLD YOU SO
I WANT IT BACK
I WAS A STRANGER THERE
I WON'T WORRY ABOUT YOU

JACKIE'S BAMBALANCE
JANE GANG
JIMMY KANE
JIMMY SADERS
JUNGLE LINE
JUSTIN'S BLUES

LAST BOY STANDING
LEGAL LIMIT
LET ME KNOW
LONG BEFORE I KNEW
LOSERS ON PARADE
LOST ON YOU
LOVER MAN
LOVE'S BEEN GOOD TO ME

MADE A MESS OF IT
MANDATORY MINIMUM
MINUTES SEEM LIKE HOURS
MY BABY LEFT HERE WALKIN'
MY QUEEN'S LOGIC

NEWPORT BY THE BAY
NO ONE'S HOME
NOT ANYTIME SOON
NOT ENOUGH
NOT ENOUGH TO STAY

OLD DETROIT
ONE HUNDRED COFFINS
ON THE OUTS

PLAYTHING

REFUGE
RING OF SMOKE
RUNNING AWAY

SET THE WORLD ON FIRE
(SHE WANTS) A LOT OF SOMETHING ELSE
SLAG
SLIM & PEG
SOMEDAY, THAT'LL BE ME
SOME DOORS ARE ALWAYS OPEN
SOUTH OF DUCHESS
SOUTHERN LEAN
STRANGE NEW DANCE
STRUM & DRAG
SUIT OF CLOTHES

THAT'S CLOSE ENOUGH
THAT'S MY NAME
THAT'S WHAT I WANT
THE DAILY RIOT
THE LAST TIME I SAW RICHARD
THE LIGHTS OF TOWN
THE LOSIN' KIND
THE MAN YOU CALLED
THE OTHER SIDE OF THE WORLD
THE PALACE ROSES
THE WHORE OF CORRYVILLE
THERE GOES THE LIFE OF THE PARTY
THERE HE GOES AGAIN
THIRTY DOLLAR WEDDING
TREACLED HARLOT
TWENTY-FOOT DROP

UNDER WHIP AND CHAIN

VOLPINA

WELCOME TO RICHMOND PARK DOWNS
WE'LL SING AND DANCE TOMORROW
WESTERN SKIES
WESTWOOD SEX CLUB
WHATEVER HAPPENED TO GEORGE?
WHEN DID I SURRENDER?
WHERE WORLDS COLLIDE
WHERE YOU GOIN' NOW?
WIDOW'S WALK
WORTHLESS TREASURE

YOU CAN TAKE WHAT'S LEFT
YOU'D BE WRONG
YOU KEPT ME HERE WAITING FOR THIS
YOUNG MAN'S WAYS
YOUR DADDY WANTS TO KNOW




ANCHORED IN DUST

Take a page from these salty letters I've touched
You'll see
That more than a little bit is too much
For me
I caught myself thinking of things
Like briny-town strutters and black diamond rings
I caught myself talking out loud
Under the doorstop, holding a bough
Full of rust
Anchored in rust

She was a liar and I was a thief
and it's true
I recall all the details but I'll keep it brief
For you
I may not be all that I seem
But I'll still be waiting out there in-between
You may have found something, I'm sure
Something you've never seen there before
And I trust
It's anchored in dust

I know you're lost
Nailed to Herod's cross

Strangers have all got my number I know
And they
Solicit my time and ask me to go
Away
But even if you're not around
I'll follow the slime trail and I'll track you down
So please keep in touch and we'll see
whether the things that you did to me
were just
anchored in dust

(From Welcome Love)

[TOP]



ANDREANNA

"Heaven help me if the time is right
Have the goods arrived?
When I got here it was still daylight
Andrea by my side"
"We paid good money for that bag of bones"
Replied my weary friend
"But now the angel from the great unknown
We may not see again
Is this how it will end
My long lost friend?"

Can't you see what my Andreanna's done?
If she's not here by morning she may never come

Dodging the law, the caché came and went
I called the Grenadines
We got a line on a load they sent
On down to Abilene
Joselito and the Cadré Crew
Somewhere in shanty town
Told us all about a rendevous
At Reno's Underground
With pistoleros down
From there in shanty town

Can't you tell me what my Andreanna said?
The door is open and the border guards are up ahead

Across the valley they would sell for gold
The youngest and the brave
In Santa Cruz that's what we were told
So plans were made
To join my brothers on the Verde Plain
Beyond the blue foothills
We waited there but they never came
Don't think they ever will
The air was cold and still
Beyond the blue foothills

Can you tell me where my Andreanna's been?
If you see her coming will you let her in?

Not long ago I was satisfied
I thought of only you
The wind is blowing, let us go inside
There's nothing left to do

Beneath a sky of blue and lavender
Our finest skills were used
For the service of a messenger
Who bore untimely news
In the village by the fields below
Strangers crowd the square
Few are chosen but their numbers grow
At night they gather there
The locals stand and stare
As strangers gather there

Can you tell me where my Andreanna's gone?
It's getting late and we've been waiting here so long

(From Treated and Released)

[TOP]



ASA K

Redi-rock, Icy candy, so fine
Here's a 20 but the 40, that's mine
You got the money, honey I got the time
Time for what you been givin' away

Better watch out when the coppers come through
Someone said they were lookin' for you
Another prize for the boys dressed in blue
Asa K got married today

She had steel on her boots and a cast iron suit
When her daddy came to give her away
She was dressed for a fight when that thief in the night
Took his precious reward, Asa K

All the boys come and gather around
Loaded guns here to take us all down
Crazy eyes, soon they'll be glory bound
Asked 'em in, I never thought they would stay

Got some money hidden down in my shoe
Got some money that I want to give you
For some things that I want you to do
Asa K got married today

She had red satin lips and a gun on her hip
And another one hidden away
A beautiful bride with the law by her side
That precious young girl Asa K

Grab the change from my mama's fruit jar
Run'n'step, you don't have to go far
Don't get cute you know I know who you are
And I know what you been wantin' today

Take my nickels but don't take my dimes
When in need, they ain't easy to find
For a dollar you know I'd leave you behind
Asa K got married today

With her clothes in a sack and a wreath on her back
Painted silver, blue, red and gray
She had no time to choose and nothin' to loose
That precious young girl Asa K

Pack it up, push the black char on through
Pack it tight, you know what to do
Why is it that when I'm talkin' to you
You turn your back and start walkin' away

Look around I know you've been here before
Pull the shade, check the lock on the door
Come over here, I saved a place on the floor
Asa K got married today

Lyin' there next to me as calm as can be
Linin' cigarettes up on a tray
With a small on her face wearin' leather and lace
That precious young girl Asa K

The lights are on and the night is still young
I'm goin' out, I think I'll make one more run
Take a ride down around Evanston
We'll pick up Mark and Marie on the way

It's just a thought for all those concerned
I know you're ready and you're willin' to learn
This sugar daddy's got money to burn
Asa K got married today

When I come back around I'll put my end back down
We'll do it up, up and out of the way
Through the door on the right she'll be leavin' tonight
That precious young girl Asa K

(From Grandview and Under Whip And Chain)

[TOP]



BABY DOLL

They gave you flowers and candy
But you threw them out when you left the room
Don't ask or diamonds and furs
If all you want is cheap perfume
Standing there like a broken toy
Running around making all that noise

But why should you settle for nothing
When you can have it all
I'd like to tell you something
about you and your baby doll

The bright lights of the city
Don't they look pretty when the sun goes down?
Another spin on the roulette wheel
And your number comes spinning around
Set her up and knock her off her feet
Now watch that girl on a losing streak

But he'll still be there to hold you
If you should ever fall
I'm sure that that's what he told
He's not lying baby doll

Tell me why, tell me why did you say that
I thought you were my friend
But here we go again
Arm in arm, side by side, hand in hand
your every wish, my every command

All those boys and all those girls
Looking for love all over the world
But there's no one here to harm you
There's no one here at all
With those arms around you
You're my satin baby doll

(From Mandatory Minimum and Under Whip And Chain)

[TOP]



BABY DON'T LOVE ME

By the oceanside, Visconti's on Del Ray
Sipping Spanish wine at a table by the bay
Only for a moment she was here and now she's gone
Jimmy, tell me dear, did I say something wrong?

Baby don't love me
Baby don't love me
Baby don't love me

Quentin, bring the check and leave us to ourselves
Out here on the deck entangled in the spell
That our young girl wove before she disappeared
And left us all alone wishing that she were still here

Baby don't love me
Baby don't love me
Baby don't love me
Baby don't love me

Every time I think of all the things we could have done
In La Brea there's a place
I like to take them there when they're that young
She had her eyes wide open
The poor thing, she was choking
Her arms and legs were broken
And Jimmy, I was hoping
We could have done something like that with our new friend
Now we may not see her again
And if we do, who knows where or when?
Who knows where or when?

Baby don't love me
Baby don't love me
Baby don't love me
Baby don't love me
Baby don't love me
Baby don't love me
Baby don't love me
Baby don't love me

(Unreleased)

[TOP]



BABY ME

Baby me
I am so delighted that you're here
What on earth is there for you to fear?
Please don't run away
Honey why not stay
Where you should be?
Underneath this swaying Cyprus tree
Pretty darling won't you baby me?

Can't you see?
There is something that I want to know
If you love me can you tell me so?
The sun is going down
There's no one around
It's heavenly
And to complete this perfect harmony
All you have to do is baby me

Who knows where and who knows when
We may ever meet again
I've made my mistakes, I know it's true
But I won't regret ever wanting you

It's my lovers plea
If you listen you will understand
All I want to do is hold your hand
You can have your fun
'Til the day is done
I'll wait patiently
For, my darling, you're my destiny
How I wish that you would baby me

(From World On Fire)

[TOP]



BACKWARDS DOWN THE STAIRS

It won't be long before I'm gone
Look who's whistlin' dixie now
Look who's ridin' on the snow-white ferris wheel
Look who pawned their clothes so they could buy a meal
If you're right I must be wrong
But we'll do all the law allows
The bulls are makin' rounds, it's Christmas everyday
For the workin' girls of Cisco's Cabaret

Should I fall backwards down the stairs
Who'll pick me up if I'm not there?
Who'll write me letters when I'm in the calaboose?
Who'll be there watchin' when they turn that rummy loose?

I've made my bed, now you make yours
Comb your hair and shine your shoes
We could sell and trade our sky blue Adelines
On the corner of Tuskegee and Divine
But it's too late to do the chores
While Miss Crista reads the news
She's got her wedding dress hiked up above her knees
Another hometown girl who only aims to please

Should I fall backwards down the stairs
Who'll pick me up if I'm not there?
Who'll take my temperature and keep my powder dry?
Who'll stand behind me when the law comes drivin' by?

I'm all coughed up and on the dime
You better take a look around
I lost my money playin' sink or swim 'til dawn
Why don't you come on home, back where you belong?
You missed your mark and I'm half-blind
Let's take a carriage into town
The Daphne Sitters book the Delecroix Hotel
The river's risin' and the baby's in the well

Should I fall backwards down the stairs
Who'll pick me up if I'm not there?
Who'll feed the cats and dogs on Tested Avenue?
Who'll still be hangin' round when the rent is due?

(From Welcome Love)

[TOP]



BAD KID

You don't come from the street and talk like that
You try, I understand I try a little bit to
But what's it matter to a bad kid like you

Who's the first in line, who's the last one called
So hard, so hard to please and there's so little to do
But what's it matter to a bad kid like you

You look so surprised
You're just having fun
That look in your eyes
That I recognize
Must be your favorite one

It's right and it's wrong, I really don't know
Don't push, I know you're here
I'm standing right next to you
But what's a bad little kid supposed to do

(Single)

[TOP]



BANKERS & BROKERS

Locked inside the Dalton for the night
Playin' Bankers and Brokers in the hall
If you make a bet don't ask me for a light
I'll strike a match and raise a cannonball
I been wonderin' who you were
Since you walked out of that room
And now I'm still not sure
So you better step away before the next hand drops
I don't know what I'm playin' for but it might be a lot
And if I start to lean on you I may never stop
It'll be just like the day
On Monterey Bay

Stuck the Queen of Diamonds up my sleeve
She was a tawdry tart an' mama told me so
I hope nobody here is set to leave
If you are tell me where you gonna go?
'Cause the rain keeps comin' down
An' I been waitin' all night long
For the boy I sent to town
To bring me back some sugar in a little silver tin
I'm getting' kinda worried, I don't know where he's been
If you see him down the passway won't you let him in?
Then maybe when I'm through
I'll give some to you

40 days and 40 nights is such along, long time
To be waitin' in this station for the sun to shine
When you're half-blind but I don't mind

Any day now, I been told, we'll all be paid
With cash money comin' up from Dixieland
But right now I think I'll pass the Jack of Spades
I did my best but I can't shake this losin' hand
If I only had a slice
Of Melissa's cherry pie
She serves it up so nice
I know that you remember who I'm talkin' about
You were sittin' right beside me when she came walkin' out
Dressed up like a school girl lookin' for a castin' couch
Then again, I could be wrong
You might'a been gone

(From Ring Of Smoke and The Tempers Perform The Best Of Maurice Mattei Vol. 3)

[TOP]



BETTER PUT CASSANDRA DOWN

Was that a bullet that went flyin' by?
Or maybe it was a pocket knife
I've never seen such a riot of color
In all my life
I used to like the funny things she'd say
Until her brother moved to East LA
Now she just wants to hang around
Askin' for directions to the lost and found
I said Eddie, better put Cassandra down

I didn't know you were an acrobat
Doin' cart wheels on the ceiling
Ropin' doggies in a house of cards
Such a crazy feeling
She told my mother, as I recall
She had front row seats to your downfall
Our high-hat baby, she's Broadway bound
She don't like comin' to this part of town
I said Eddie, better put Cassandra down

Word is everybody layin' low
Lookin' for another place to go
Heard her yellin' from across the room
Like a big bass drum goin' boom, boom, boom

Wish I'd known she was here tonight
Hope my better half is showin'
Why she puttin' on a plastic mask
Wonder where she's goin?
Long ago we were hypnotized
By her long blonde hair an' those big blue eyes
Now she's spinnin' like a merry-go-round
Walkin' through the house in a hospital gown
I said Eddie, better put Cassandra down

(From Dead Rails)

[TOP]



BIG BELLS RING

Tell me princess, can you see
That man hanging from a tree
Rivers flowin' north to south
Put this tulip in your mouth
We may be the last to know
When our ship comes in
When it does please tell me so
And I won't ask again

Wheat fields burnin', this year's crop
Is goin' up in flames
The waterin' hose is tied in knots
I hope those clouds bring rain
But if they don't well that's alright
We'll go out on the town tonight
Girl, you're such a silly thing
Listen to those big bells ring

My name's known for miles around
But I can't sleep when I lay down
It seems my troubles multiply
Every time I close my eyes
I saw a young girl yesterday
Stoppin' traffic like she do
Walkin' down the Appian Way
Or was it Dalton Avenue?

What was her name? I can't recall
Where was she goin'? To and fro
Was she short? No, she was tall
Where she live? Well, I don't know
Could be she's from Arkansas
Maybe runnin' from the law
Danglin' jokers on a string
Listenin' to those big bells ring

I can't seem to find the time
To keep all my good friends in line
If, by chance, I get on track
They try an' knife me in the back
So I count on you my love
To carry on this memory
I trust in you, darling, because
No one else would talk to me

This whistle stop it still abides
The road no longer turns
The cars are bumpin' side to side
But I am not concerned
I've got my hatchet and my book
My leather gloves, here take a look
Sittin' on my front porch swing
Listenin' to those big bells ring

(From Dead Rails and The Tempers Perform The Best Of Maurice Mattei Vol. 3)

[TOP]



BIG BLONDE

Strange love, big blonde kept me up 'til dawn
Lookin' back I wonder who let her in?
Black stripes, cat fights kept me up all night
Can't remember where I been

Pack your bags, shut your mouth Let me show you out
You got a bad luck streak about a mile long
Leave me alone, you ain't welcome at home
That's for me and my big blonde

She was standin' there at the top of the stairs
She looked at me and asked me "Honey, what's wrong?"
I felt so disgraced, I felt so out of place
With that poker-faced big blonde

With her whips and her chains and her midnight train
It got up in my head and daddy I was gone
Couldn't get enough, I guess I ain't so tough
I guess she called my bluff, my big blonde

Couldn't get enough of that evil stuff
She likes her lovin' rough, my big blonde

(From Carefree Life and Under Whip And Chain)

[TOP]



BLACK TIE AFFAIR

Where did you end up going not so long ago?
When I asked you didn't tell me, you just said you had to go
Did you go out on the town? Did someone see you there?
Dancin' 'til the break of dawn at that black tie affair.

You left without your party dress, do you remember this at all?
You said that you would phone me back but then you didn't call
Maybe you were busy keepin' strangers occupied
I wish that you'd told me the truth, I wish you hadn't lied

You said you didn't have the time
Then you turned and walked away
Did it ever cross your mind
You might have to come back here one day?

I gave you what you wanted, why did you have to leave?
I don't mind bein' cheated on, just don't do it by degrees

If you'd come back to call on me
Knockin' at my door
Do you think I'd let you in
The way I did before?

Was the music softly playin'? Were there lights hung 'round the room?
Did you go out for a midnight walk beneath the summer moon?
Were the stars above all shining? Was there magic in the air?
Did you have yourself a good time at that black tie affair?

(From Grandview and Under Whip And Chain)

[TOP]



BREAKDOWN LANE


The lights of the city look pretty from the overpass
Cars are drivin' by, some of 'em are goin' real fast
I'm takin' in the sights from a different point of view
'Cause things don't look the same
In the breakdown lane

I thought Miranda told me we'd be gettin' home by dawn
We hit a few snags, somethin' musta gone wrong
Got some money in my pocket but that ain't gonna get us too far
And it's'a lookin' like rain
In the breakdown lane

Straight ahead tell me can you see
A cloud of smoke from up above comin' down on me

The whiskey in the glove box, can you pass it my way?
That ginny's backin' up, I hope they ain't plannin' to stay
Truth is honey, I ain't dressed for company
And we're all outta champaigne
In the breakdown lane

Maybe I should leave but I'm standin' still
Just because I said I'd go doesn't mean I will

The lights of the city look pretty from the overpass
The wind is pickin' up, I wonder how long it'll last?
I got a hand full'a dust and a head full'a nothin' at all
But there's no need to complain
In the breakdown lane

(From Dead Rails and The Tempers Perform The Best Of Maurice Mattei Vol. 3)

[TOP]



BRIDGETOWN GIRL

She was sittin' there with her comic book
It was a special one, I had to take a look
Giant Man was raidin' Poisonville
And the Wasp was trapped deep down
Inside the iron mill

Bridgetown Girl

When I tried to speak with my blood red tongue
She kept her long white fingers on her plastic gun
I said "My dear, is that your laser beam?"
She said "You had me fooled
You're not as punch drunk as you seem
So let's not get hung up, I'm only tellin' you
If you'd move a little I could slide right through
'Cause I'm a dedicated diplomat
But tell me Jack where did you get a hat like that?"

Bridgetown Girl

"There's just one more thing before I'm asked to go
Do you come here often? I'd like to know"
"Not as often as it may appear
Only when I'm called and there's danger near"

Bridgetown Girl

(From Dead Rails)

[TOP]



CAN WE LEAVE WITHOUT BABY?

Can we leave with out baby
She'll be fine on her own
It's gettin' late and I wanna go home

I'm up early tomorrow
It's already past two
I can't wait here much longer for you

She seems to be quite at home in this crowd
That gathers 'round her, you must be so proud

Can we leave without darling?
There's no reason to stay
She won't miss us if we slip away

Looking at her, now it's all very clear
She seems to say, "What are you doing here?"

Are you more or less listening?
She's alright, can't you see?
There's nowhere that she'd rather be

Can we leave without baby?
I'll be there, by the door
I don't know what you're waiting for

(From The Tempers Perform The Best Of Maurice Mattei Vol. 3)

[TOP]



CALIFORNIA MAN

It might not be too cool to stand outside the door
You better come in here and sit down on the floor
I'll tell your little boy, I'll tell him who I am
And that you're waitin' for your California man

Before the daylight breaks
He'll be comin' round
And then we're gonna shake
Shake that rambler down

It's like the wishing well across Delaney Bridge
You said you'd take me there but you never did
Like the loop the loop on Thomas Laurie Hill
You said you want to ride but you never will

Tell me where to run
Tell me where can I go?
But the answer son
Is "well, I don't really know

Come to me and don't put up a fight
There's things to do before we leave tonight
I've got my bags packed up and on the bed
If he don't show we'll flag a ride instead

So please don't let me down, I've told everyone
About this friend of yours and now if he don't come

I'll have to hide away
You know that's what I've heard
I'm gonna have to pay
I gave my partners my word

(From Maurice Mattei & A Roomful Of Victims)

[TOP]



CAREFREE LIFE

I live a carefree life
I do what I want to do
Up here in Heaven the world seems right
How does it look to you?
Music is playing so quietly
Lets stay for one more song
One with a sweeter melody
Maybe I'll sing along

Why should I struggle night and day?
Why should I sacrifice?
The more you work, the less you play
It's much too high a price

The moon is so pretty up in the sky
I could stay here all night
Staring at people as they walk by
Out past the harbor lights.

Coming and going as you please
Is there something stopping you?
Living your life on bended knees
That must be hard to do

I live a carefree life
I live it day to day
And when it doesn't turn out right
Then I just go away

(From Carefree Life and Under Whip And Chain)

[TOP]



CARNIVAL DELIVERY

I was born in Dunham, Texas, born with ramblin' on my mind
When I grew up I thought I'd move out East to see what I could find
It was hard at first, I must admit, 'neath the lights of ol'Broadway
Until I hooked up with the man I'm workin' with today

On a carnival delivery, was it you who ordered clowns?
It seems we stop by every time that we're out makin' rounds

Tony in the Bronx, he wants to see the flying trapeze
His brother Joey can't resist a circus made of fleas
Across in Staten Island Julie wants a trotting horse
"They're out of stock," my partner says, "But we'll find you one, of course"

On a carnival delivery, was it you who ordered clowns?
It seems we stop by every time that we're out makin' rounds

Palaces line central park in the setting sun
We make deliveries after dark, our work is never done

The juggler goes to Eddie in Queens, remember him?
He hadn't called us in a year, I wonder how he's been?
Spinning plates in wooden crates bring gaiety and mirth
It's little things, I found, that make the greatest show on Earth

On a carnival delivery, was it you who ordered clowns?
It seems we stop by every time that we're out makin' rounds

On a carnival delivery I nearly had to laugh
The drunk magician grabs a sword and cuts the pretty girl in half

(From Ring Of Smoke and The Tempers Perform The Best Of Maurice Mattei Vol. 3)

[TOP]



CHORE BOY

Chore boy, chore boy
Sweepin' up the floor boy
Sweepin' up all the dirt
I like to sit and watch you work
It picks me up when I'm feeling down

I know that you're my chore boy
But I ain't keepin' score boy
There's other boys just like you
Who do the same things that you do
They help out when you're not around

Take a look and tell me what you see
Is everything the way you thought it'd be?
I ain't here to try and make it right
If you can't help me today, don't bother me tonight

That must be my chore boy
Knockin' on the door boy
All the way from here to there
It may not be polite to stare
But where'd you find all those hand-me-downs?

Take a look and tell me what you see
Is everything the way you thought it'd be?
I ain't here to try and make it right
If you can't help me today, don't bother me tonight

You can't have no more boy
Get up off the floor boy
You know what I'm talkin' about
I'm gonna have to kick you out
But I'll be here when you come back around

(From Mandatory Minimum)

[TOP]



CLAUDETTE

A little bit tired of your hustling
Wasting my time waiting for nothing
Give me a sign I can follow
I might make it up this time tomorrow

Claudette
Claudette
Claudette

Coughing it up, no need to worry
This joker won't wait but I'm in no hurry
Something you said left me shaking
Look up all your doors, I'll still be here waiting

Claudette
Claudette
Claudette

(Unreleased)

[TOP]



CLAUDIA BUCKLES

I want the dress with the velvet collar
Yellow sash trimmed black and red
I like a nice fit, should I talk louder?
Black and red, yeah, that's what I said

Claudia buckles under the weight
Of the telephone calls and the rendezvous
Claudia crumbles when she shows up late
For her dinner date at "the Tale Of Two"

"Give me a minute, I got to get ready
Under the hat box, there's an address book
Open it up and hold it steady
Is that a problem honey, what's with the look?"

Claudia shatters from the strain
The drag, the local runaround
Private parties, as yet unnamed
The lackeys, the losers, the gossip hounds

"This place is too noisy, the waiters are rude
Their heads would look good on a tray
One of them's mannered, the other's confused
The third is a walking cliché

Who could be calling, get their number
I'll call 'em back in a year or two
Come over here, sometimes I wonder
What the fuck is wrong with you"

Claudia hedges in regards
To opening doors and walkin' through
Nobody knows who put her in charge
It wasn't me and I know it wasn't you

(From Carefree Life and Under Whip And Chain)

[TOP]



CLIFTON HAND-JOB

Got a Clifton hand-job in the Richfield Mews
I felt cheated and she felt used
She was in a hurry, I don't know why
That wayward angel with the wandering eye
In the front seat of my Connie, the black and whites driving by

Got a Clifton hand-job on old short Vine
I came up empty but she was fine
She talked about playin' in a Rock'n'Roll band
While strokin' Mr. Henry with the palm of her hand
I know it ain'y easy, baby, I understand

Nowhere to run. lets have some fun
Me and my sisters want to know
If you'll agree to humor me
I'll take you anywhere you want to go

Got a Clifton hand-job over on Calhoun
Me and Miss Pierson by the light of the moon
Her mama's worried and her daddy don't approve
She think's I'm common, He thinks I'm rude
I may be crazy but I know I got to move

(From Under Whip And Chain)

[TOP]



COUSIN AMANDA

Young, dumb, come an' get you some
A place to hide when you're on the run
Let's take a walk up around the bend
Watch your step an' come on in
Curly blonde hair, dressed in black
Lyin' on a mattress in a shotgun shack
Cousin Amanda
Cousin Amanda

She was a dancer, the back street kind
A dingy ballerina for the less refined
She lost her step an' her time was due
Set t'moonlightin' on the avenue
I found her out peddlin' an' brought her here
Providin' motivation for her new career
Cousin Amanda
Cousin Amanda

Perhaps I should have thought before I spoke
A habit learned from all these years livin' out among the common folk
Perhaps you need some time to think this through
Leave the details up to me an', like they say, the rest is up to you

Young, dumb, come an' get you some
Lose your leave, have some fun
Take a look, now ain't she cute
In those tattered old heels and her birthday suit
Do what you want, it's all right
If you pay a little more you can stay the night
Cousin Amanda
Cousin Amanda

(From Mandatory Minimum and Under Whip And Chain)

[TOP]



CRAWFORD HEIGHTS

I cast my line thinkin' that I might get a bite
But soon I found myself somewhere in Crawford Heights
Ballin' the jack with strangers in the Queen's Motel
Walkin' the streets at night, cleanin' out the wishing well
I'm sittin' pretty by the glowin' billboard lights
It's open city over here in Crawford Heights
I know the drill, I always do what I must do
You want my number Johnny, well let me write it down for you

Here comes my sister, go talk to her a while
She's just like but she's got a lot more style

Well look down there now tell me can that be my ride?
A rusted Caddy movin' frontward side to side
A real gone daddy, wonder what he's lookin' for?
If I can flag him down he's bound to open up his door
I had a good friend once, he knew his way around
Until he got caught runnin' trade in Crawford Town
They sent him far away, now I may never see
That low down two-bit rounder that meant so much to me

If you keep talkin' I'll turn the meter on
The streets are empty, where's everybody gone?

I stand here long enough and I might blow away
A wind will sweep out across the Crawford Bay
Into the arms of some sweet daddy who will be
The kind of rider who might spend some time with me
He'll take me dancin' to the Elgin Dance Hall
An' he'll come runnin' for me everytime I call
And then this Crawford town, it won't be like before
You'll find somebody else 'cause I won't be here any more

I gotta go now but I'll be back real soon
Maybe come mornin', maybe tomorrow noon

(From Ring Of Smoke)

[TOP]



CROSS PLAINES

I live in Cross Plaines, yes it's true
And I know you live in Cross Plaines too
Ain't got no plans, don't have a clue
underneath this sky of blue

Nothin' seems to bother me at all
I got my schedule up here on the wall
In the mornin' time they let me in
And in the evenin' I walk out again

A friend of mine came here from Mexico
He said he heard this was the place to go
Found him a job layin' sand and clay
Now he don't wanna go away

The grass is green, the rivers rise
I got a doll baby by my side
The buildin's tall, the streets are wide
Out across the great divide

Listen Sally, come here Sam
Let me tell you who I am
Mr. Cash & Carry, that's my name
Hangin' on a stoop in ol' Cross Plaines

(On-line release for Blue Jordan Records)

[TOP]



CROWN VIC

I can't show my face 'round here without doing time
With daddy's girls and lady's men braking on a dime
To order up another round
Come on lay your money down
It's one more night when one more clown
Won't fit
In your Crown Vic

I love your ride, it's smooth and wide, I can hear it moan
In the alleyway while I'm getting played like a sinking stone
Miss Janie's working on my file
She's got class and she's got style
We'll have a drink and then
we'll split
In your Crown Vic

Open up but darling, don't forget
I haven't really come down since we met
No darling, not yet

Don't push me when I'm standing here propping up the bar
Just lead the way out to the street and pour me in the car
I've been over served and underpaid
Send a nurse and call the maid
Maybe I could work in trade
For it
For you Crown Vic

(From Maurice Mattei & A Roomful Of Victims)

[TOP]



CRUEL MASTER

Sometimes these sleepless nights, they fill my head
Starin' at the ceiling, lyin' in my bed
The crowd next door, I can hear 'em through the wall
A young man's barkin' like an old bloodhound
An' Miss Audrey bringin' the hammer down
It's a wonder I can sleep at all
That's when I get myself back on my feet
Go out ridin' down these empty streets
An' when I'm all alone, that's when I hear him call

He don't waste time, don't show no sympathy
Some nights I think he gets the best of me
On the turn off into Detroit once again
Walkin' the street outside some downtown dive
Daddy's little girl with the pale gray eyes
I might be wrong but could it be she needs a friend
Tell me where else is she gonna go?
If it ain't me somebody else, I know
Will be spendin' time with her on the losin' end

Please don't talk 'cause I won't listen
An' don't you move without permission

Ragged clothes, a mess'a tangled hair
Layin' low, no money anywhere
Look here mama, look at what your boy done found
She ain't too pretty but I guess that's alright
I hope she don't wanna put up a fight
'Cause if she does I'm gonna have to beat her down
Ain't that the same thing that you would do
If my cruel master had his hooks in you?
You'd be on your knees everytime he came around

(From The Tempers Perform The Best Of Maurice Mattei Vol. 3)

[TOP]



DEAD RAILS

I been livin' at Shelley's doin' stand up at night
And that lady on Sunset Strip that's no whore, that's my wife
We been playin' the circuit, we don't get home 'til dawn
Everytime I think I won't go back but I keep ridin' on

These dead rails, dead rails
Girl, you look pale
Couldn't make bail
Been ridin' the dead rails too long

What'd you say 'bout my girlfriend? How would you even know?
Step back up on the ledge young man, I'll be waitin' below
Some are here for the bounty, some are here for the show
Pay the fare before you walk in, lock the door when you go

On those dead rails, dead rails
You're on the wrong trail
And you're bound to fail
Been ridin' down the dead rails too slow

All I want is a bridle and a horse that'll run
In a half-track of rivals, short of 14 by one

Lisa needs some protection she got lights in her eyes
Maybe we should be gettin' her help but nobody here tries
Why you lookin' so puzzled? What's'a matter, you lost?
Have a seat, keep your hands to yourself, turn the waterworks off

On these dead rails, dead rails
We'll be settin' sail
In a full force gail
Gonna take the dead rails across

(From Dead Rails and The Tempers Perform The Best Of Maurice Mattei Vol. 3)

[TOP]



DON'T BE THAT WAY

If I'd'a heard that you'd been waitin' this long
I'd left Baltimore a few days ago
I read your note, I must'a got it all wrong
Can't tell you why 'cause I don't really know
Yes, I admit that I was taken my time
I'm sorry,baby, what more can I say?
I didn't think that it would be such a crime
Don't be, don't be that way

I went to Wanda's Grill for black oyster stew
I ordered seconds, had to stay there the night
It was so good, girl, I brought some for you
Now tell me, ain't your papa treatin' you right?
But all you wanna do is break down and shout
"You go and find yourself somewhere else to stay
'Cause your mama's set on kickin' you out"
Don't be, don't be that way

I had a whole lotta things on my mind
And one of them sweetheart, was you
Why would you want to treat me unkind?
You know there's nothin' I wouldn't do, it's true

My friend Belinda from the Empire room
Payed for my fare and I lit out on a bus
Sat with a lady there, we left around noon
But all I did, you know, was talk about us
'Bout how I met you on your way to a show
When you were workin' at the Spice Cabaret
So baby, please don't tell me to go
Don't be, don't be that way

(From Ring Of Smoke)

[TOP]



DRAGGIN' MY HEELS

The blanks are rigged and I'm unhinged
I've lost my waistcoat, let's begin
Before the clock strikes 12, my friend
We'll have to stock the shelves again
But I can't help the way I am
I just wish you would understand
I've had enough, I don't want more
I'm not like I was before

I'm tired of draggin' my heels around
I'm tired of livin' in this town
Runnin' the same ol' numbers down
Draggin' my heels around

Take me out and buy me things
I need some clothes and guitar strings
A chain of silver tied in knots
All I want is all you got
Now it's a crime that I can't stay
But look, here comes that rainy day
I was crossed, I must decline
Two bits short and out of time

I'm tired of draggin' my heels around
I'm tired of livin' in this town
Runnin' the same ol' numbers down
Draggin' my heels around

This is not where I belong
I know that it's true
Will you miss me when I'm gone?
Darling, I'll be missing you

Make some plans and seal them tight
I'll try to get some sleep tonight
Lock the doors and raise the chairs
Leave the keys beneath the stairs
The blinds are drawn so please don't fail
To make the beds and check the mail
And should I turn before I go
Please don't say I told you so

I'm tired of draggin' my heels around
I'm tired of livin' in this town
Runnin' the same ol' numbers down
Draggin' my heels around

(From Girl On Girl)

[TOP]



EVANSTON

I got a one-way ticket down
The neighbor boy an' me
You might want to come along
But you can't come for free
Pay me now or pay me later
Ain't that what they say?
You know you'll find a friend down there
And then you'll want to stay

By the look that's in your eyes
I think you must be due
All this time spent double-talkin'
Must mean a lot to you
It don't mean that much to me
Ask this boy of mine
No need to use your charmin' ways
'Cause they won't buy my time

Check your purse and fix your face
Make yourself at home
This car we're in ain't got no brakes
But you ain't here alone

The birds, they fly from tree to tree
Their feathers red and black
We've got room enough for three
With you there in the back
Your daddy's ride keeps wearin' down
He don't seem too sure
Whatever keeps you comin' 'round
That mama's boy can't cure

The black and whites you think you see
Passin' by real slow
If they ever come for me
I'll tell 'em where to go
Where you goin' where you been?
What's a boy to do?
I'm always here at half-past ten
Waitin' 'round for you

Your favorite daughter hitched a ride
I saw her standin' there
With painted nails and flashin' eyes
And ribbons in her hair
Inside a room marked 103
Workin' on her bended knee
Someone I thought I'd never see
Down in Evanston

Tell me true, how is it so,
I promise not to say
Someone like you would ever know
How to play her ride this way?

(From Grandview)

[TOP]



FIFTEEN MINUTES FROM NOWHERE

Suzy lost her looks somewhere on the road
Between Cleveland and Kokomo
She broke a string trying to tune her guitar
On the way to another show
She thought she had a backup but she hadn't packed it
In her cobra skin makeup case
The one she found in Dayton at a place called
Dewana's Second-Hand Face Ta Face
Cindy says "what ya gonna do? you can't play
'Don't Love Me' if your e-string is gone"
"I'll do my best" says Suzy "anyway, you know,
I never even liked that song

Dressed in rags and hand-me-downs
Broken bootstraps in my hair
Can it be I see the lights of town
15 minutes from nowhere?"

Cindy sleeps in an empty warehouse
In front of Juice Boy's Wishing Well
Her old man delivers papers and cleans the floors
At the Fulton Hotel
Sometimes he's late 'cause he can't find a ride
Sometimes he doesn't show up at all
The next day he's got to work twice as hard
'Cause they leave the trash piled up in the hall
"I'm gonna take you away from all this"
Cindy says as she's readin' the trades
"If we can hook up with Jimmy in Portland
We're gonna have it made in the shade"

Like a dead weight with a wighat on
Tumblin' down a flight of broken stairs
I thought I saw a light but I was wrong
I'm 15 minutes from nowhere

Strange sparrows huddled on the rooftops
Flying in with the new Brighton Sound
Duplex movies playin' up the street
Where Jimmy is walkin' around
"One hand washes the other" he says
"There's no place on the turnpike for you
Give me a minute, let me check my watch
I got a couple of things left to do"
He's waitin' on his girlfriend
Ridin' down a shady grove in Aliston Heights
They've got a room lined up at the Regency
They're gonna be stayin' the night
With Blood Simple and the Three Ton Chains
Spiderpuppy and His Gentlemen
And word is the Six-Pence From Sunday
Are comin' into town with them
Last time they played the Royalton Arms
Jackie Finch blew a hole in the stage
I heard talk that in West Hollywood
Puppy's Spiderwalk is all the rage
"Leave a little for me" Jimmy says
As Miss Clara passes 'round Puppy's cake
"I think I got room for one more piece
I hope I didn't get here too late"

Unloadin' in the alleyway
Bummin' quarters on Washington Square
I been thinkin' I might have to stay
15 minutes from nowhere

(From Western Skies)

[TOP]



FIFTY LOSERS AGO

The sun burns hot, the tide rolls in
I always thought it would
The boys board up the Lion's Den
But it won't do no good
All this talk about the General Lee
Who really wants to know?
I'd a'clued you in if you'd asked me
Fifty losers ago

I sit atop the slack machine
And watch my pants spin dry
The prettiest girl I've ever seen
Just went walking by
She made her name in this old town
As a pricey jelly roll
Back when grain sold by the pound
Fifty losers ago

Annabelle plays the lead
on a pipe-end willy-hook
She's not the type to be deceived
But she's often overlooked

We read the news and then retire
My uncle brings the mail
His clothes are worn and uninspired
He's puzzled and derailed
A footman for nobility
Now he dangles to and fro
He's not the man he used to be
Fifty losers ago

(From Mandatory Minimum)

[TOP]



FIFTY-THREE COUNTS

They got word of the way I was heading
Caught wind of your scent in my hair
Though I covered the tracks I was treading
Somehow someone saw they were there
Of the nine, to this day they have sent three
To collect all past debts which are due
There are fifty-three counts held against me
And each one of them darling, is true

I hid out, trying to lose them in Covedale
'Neath the blossoming Sycamore trees
Robbed a newsboy for money to post bail
But a stranger said "Son, if you please
There's no silver or gold that will undo
What you did to the lady so fair
With the fifty-three counts held against you
You can't barter to pay back your share"

Left a note for my brother last night late
It read "Jim, I'll be back here by dawn"
Got myself in a scrape out by Queensgate
When I got back my brother was gone
Grabbed a bottle of Gin from the table
And your lovely black velvet band
With the fifty-three counts, were they able
They would take me down here where I stand

Have you noticed a change in the weather?
There's a strong wind blowin' through town
It's tearin' through buildings and rippin' out trees
It's liftin' 'em up off the ground

I would never have come here but listen
Are those footsteps coming my way
'Cross the river that flows as it glistens
Much like it did on the day
That I came to this place without knowing
What I'd find as I rambled around
Down the side streets where others were going
It was you, all alone, that I found

(From Ring Of Smoke and The Tempers Perform The Best Of Maurice Mattei Vol.
3)

[TOP]



FIND THE TIME

No one wants to spoil the child
No one wants to see her grow up wild
Spending all her time out on the street
Without a penny in her pocket or shoes on her feet
She gives up pacing, walking 'round the floor
And says "Why don't we do something we've never done before"
Now don't you think we make a perfect pair
Me in my suit of lights, her with those diamonds in her hair

Despite what you may know about her
If one day she should cross your mind
And you can't seem to do without her
I'm sure that she could find the time

Why must I do those things to you?
Why don't we take some time and think things through?
Should I stay here? Perhaps I should go
I'll leave a little money on the dresser, no one has to know
She sits there staring in the corner of the room
And says "Why don't you leave here and if you don't come back it'll be too soon"
Now isn't that a funny thing for her to say?
After all this time it's like I still get in the way

With all the talk that seems to hound her
You might have left her far behind
But if she'd need someone around her
I'm sure that you would find the time

(From Mandatory Minimum)

[TOP]



FORGIVEN

It's not a mystery, it doesn't matter all that much to me
That's nothing you don't know, don't act like I never told you so
I think it's true, you might say it isn't
I'm hoping soon I will be forgiven

Don't want to ask for much, a little time would be enough
But there's things to do, I think it's funny but it bothers you
Your eyes are closed and your face is hidden
Someone like you should be forgiven

The laughs are loud and the jokes are cheap
Another puzzled girl out on the street
That hansom stranger's not here to waste his time
Running around these dead end streets, what did you think you'd find?

Better watch your step, something tells me that you might be next
You've got a wicked tongue, now won't you look at what it's gone and done
It's just a thought for this life worth living
Maybe forgotten but not forgiven

(Unreleased)

[TOP]



FULTON AVENUE

The door is always open on Fulton Avenue
Inside a backstreet hideaway, a room with a view
It looks out on a vacant lot, the cars pass down below
Get your things together if you want to go

Put on your shoes and find that dress
The one you always wear
A friend or two, I must confess,
might be waiting there

Up and down on Liberty the girls play lost and found
Sittin' in the doorways 'till daddy comes around
Why would I need to call on you, why would I even try?
I knew that you'd be comin' back when I saw you walk by

I can tell by your crosstown ways, before the night is through
For a few crumbs off the table there's not much that you won't do
I can tell by the way you walk and the things I hear you say
Your not some mother's daughter who somehow lost her way

The door is always open on Fulton Avenue
Inside a backstreet hideaway, a room with a view
It looks out on a vacant lot, the cars pass down below
Get your things together if you want to go

(From Carefree Life)

[TOP]



GENTLEMAN BRIDE

He puts his trousers on
One leg at a time
Misses his baby when she's gone
Done to the five and dime
What did that young girl say?
When is she comin' home?
She set about the break of day
Now it's gettin' dark and he's all alone

My, my
He's a gentleman
He's a gentleman bride

The little birdies sing
Up in the tallest trees
The doorbell don't ring
Where oh wherecan that poor girl be?
Walkin' from room to room
Starin' at the walls
Maybe she'll be here soon
But if he goes out she's bound to call

My, my
He's a gentleman
He's a gentleman bride

Cleanin' the kitchen, sweepin' the floor
Look out the window, open the door
Go upstairs and take a look around
Nobody's there, come back down

He'll take a late night drive
And maybe he'll catch a show
Down by the riverside
But before too long he'll have to go

My, my
He's a gentleman
He's a gentleman bride

(From Girl On Girl and World On Fire)

[TOP]



GRAND AT THE GAME

Last night I saw you dancing with someone I used to know
He held you close and kissed your lips as I did long ago
I may have been mistaken but why should I explain?
You're so grand, you're so grand at the game

While I recalled the carefree days and nights I spent with you
I saw you turn and look my way and I wondered if you knew
But you didn't miss a step, I guess that some things never change
You're so grand, you're so grand at the game

You're so happy when you're lost out in the crowd
Where the talk is cheap and the lights are bright
And the music's playing loud

Do you recall the things we said so many years ago?
Was I a fool, was I misled for trusting your heart so?
Why should I hang on to the memory of a love in vain?
You're so grand, you're so grand at the game

(From Treated and Released and World On Fire)

[TOP]



GRANDVIEW

I suppose my words were not so well chosen
Now I can't go crawlin' back without the money I owe them
I'm so tired, can't you see?
If I had all I desired you wouldn't be standin' here next to me

I can tell that you feel your time has been wasted
I still have what you want but you're not strong enough to take it
And whatever you say well you know I've heard it before
If I had my way you wouldn't be comin' by here anymore

From the start inside Grandview
There are things that you should know
Check your ride, play your time out
before you turn to go
Down the hall, up the stairs, someone's waiting there
The boys in the back down here from Laurel Square

Jenny waits beneath the Grandview arch with her brother
Actin' like their surprised, passin looks to one another
Pickin' up crumbs off the floor and waitin' for a knock at the door
She said "excuse me now honey but I don't believe that I've ever seen
That boy comin' by here before"

If you're smart, inside Grandview
There are things that you will do
There's no handouts from the doorsteps
like on St. James Avenue
Down the street, up the block standing at the light
There's no need to hurry 'cause Grandview is open all night

I was on the steps makin' my way towards the hall
Taggin' behind was a good friend of mine
who's name and who's face I can't seem to recall
She walked in with a key in her hand
Had her hair in a black velvet band
She said "I'll be back here soon, Johnny got me a room
Down on State by his daddy's trinket stand

For my part, inside Grandview
I was callin' out my ride
with my hands in my pocket and my eyes open wide
Caught their look at the front door when I heard someone say
"Come back here tomorrow, there's nothin' for you today"

(From Grandview)

[TOP]



GREENWICH TIME

I knew that you were gone
Thanks for showing me around
It doesn't seem that long
Since you got back in town
No, it's not too much
I'm sure that you'll do fine
'Cause when the band strikes up
It's back to Greenwich Time

Ronnie hits the lights
Is everybody ready?
The band plays "Treat Me Right"
The beat is smooth and steady

I'd love a ringside seat
Down with the jigaboos
They like their whiskey neat
I guess this rounds on you
Don't want to spoil the fun
Before the night begins
But weren't you the one
Who brought those hustlers in?

Nicky's on the rail
He's overworked and hassled
Since he got out on bail
He's been trading fleece for tassels

Papa plays his game
From Evanston to Fairmount
The girls all know his name
They call him Mr. Bodycount

Another rim shot please
Before I have to go
The girl who's on her knees
That's someone I should know
Tomorrow night we'll see
We'll see what she can do
She can have the best of me
But she'll get the worst of you

(B-Side of promo single)

[TOP]



HALF A DOZEN ROSES

A half a dozen roses don't mean that much to me
A dozen would be better, I'm sure you would agree
A 50 dollar bill would treat me really fine
But a hundred would be better, a real good friend of mine

Across the street they're dancin', I can almost hear the sound
Watch 'em walk in hand in hand and lay their money down
Tell 'em that you'll be there if they want to know
Dressed up for a good time with no place to go

Half a dozen roses layin' side by side
Climb on in and take a seat, we'll go out for a ride
The city lights, so big and bright, they're such a sight to see
A half a dozen roses don't mean that much to me

Don't need to ask for favors or money in advance
You know you'll be there waiting, you wouldn't miss the chance
To play a hand or roll the dice for treasures bought and sold
Diamond rings and pretty things of silver and of gold

Half a dozen roses layin' on the floor
Pack your kit and don't forget when you come to my door
Don't waste your time, this heart of mine's not won so easily
A half a dozen roses don't mean that much to me.

(From Grandview)

[TOP]



HALF A MIND

I got a sweetheart and I got a ball'n'chain
One takes my money, the other carries my name
I'd give 'em both up an' hand the shackles to you
if I had half a mind, that's what I'd do

When I saw your picture, honey, I had to look twice
Page 27, bottom corner "Readers' Wives"
Shot in the backyard of your semi-detached
My pulse started racin', I almost had a heart attack

Buckles an' bows studded with diamonds an' pearls
Lookin' like you're half alive
I may not be like other guys
I don't know why but, honey, you're my kind of girl

I'm ragged an' dirty, maybe you're feelin' the same
Down in the trenches inside the pourin' rain
Kickin' the stall an' tired of walkin' the line
Climbin' the walls, honey, I wish you were mine

Satin red lips and tangled curly black hair
Shattered from pillar to post
Lookin' like you seen a ghost
Sittin' on a fence, legs danglin' up in the air

I'm walkin' the main drag, I got nowhere else to go
Anita's at the Regal, maybe I'll take in a show
I ain't got a friend but I'd rather be alone
It's gettin' late and I don't want to go home

(From Girl On Girl and World On Fire)

[TOP]



HEAVEN, SEND ME A STRANGER

I believed in many things, the handcuffs on the slip
The hatchet and the rose I held between my lips
Walking down the hallway I assume a gentle air
Shouting out for service and playing with my hair
How I hate these wasted nights in a house of queens
Sitting in the corner while I order lime and cream
Living under curfew, we played a roundelay
Now wasn't I alarming 'til darling went away?

Heaven, send me a stranger
Have I been less than true?
If this telling should need correction
One inspection won't do

With the little time I've had I believe that I've done well
Bribing every sentry on a pathway down to Hell
Wasn't he delicious and usefully discreet?
Fit to be committed yet sadly incomplete
Lets have another drink, leave everything to chance
You're boring me to death, watch me while I dance
I must have been an heiress in another time and place
My lineage is noble, can't you see it in my face?

Heaven send me a stranger
I've no need of a friend
Though I stutter at my admission
This condition must end

May I say that I despise the longing in your eyes
The worthless things you say take my breath away
Tell me, I must know, have you nowhere else to go?

Another day will pass not soon enough for me
It's more than I can bear, I'm tired, can't you see?
Tired of the trellis and the ivy hanging down
The rows of golden delias buried in the ground

Heaven send me a stranger
Down on his hands and knees
Of the many that I've commissioned
No edition has pleased

(From World On Fire)

[TOP]



HE NEVER WAS THE MAN HE USED TO BE

Where are you going? Your face is a mess
What have you done? Have you come to confess?
Something has brought you to knock at my door
A shadow of someone I once knew before

Have you been deceived? Was someone untrue?
Did you believe all the lies told to you?
Did they take you for granted and leave you behind?
Forsaken forever by the wandering kind

But he never was the man he used to be
Sometimes when you're in love, you're blind, you can not see
The time will soon come when you'll be telling me
That he never was the man he used to be

There in the night some things are allowed
In the dimly lit hallways, by the lure of the crowd
Every gesture a promise, every wish a command
That cannot be shackled by a gold wedding band

Cold-hearted lovers, rapacious and cruel
Angel-faced strangers, hellishly schooled
No rest for the wicked, no hope for the damned
One day, pretty lady, you'll understand

That he never was the man he used to be
Sometimes when you're in love, you're blind, you can not see
The time will soon come when you'll be telling me
That he never was the man he used to be

(From Carefree Life and Under Whip And Chain)

[TOP]



HE'S JUST LIKE ME

The way he takes your hand to dance
The way he speaks of love entranced
Quoting poets from across the sea
His words recall another time
He seeks, in vain, somewhere to find
A land of honor and of chivalry
He walks with you through garden paths,
Saying "Our love will outlast
Any trial or cruel adversity"
He's just like me, he's just like me

It seems somehow with each new day
He has a clever word to say
Fills your heart with numbing flattery
His lips caress your cheek at night
His eyes reflect the candlelight
Setting moods both dear and heavenly
He sends you flowers of a sort
Which arrive from distant ports
To initiate love's perigee
He's just like me, he's just like me

And though he leads his own parade
All the plans that he had made
For a rendezvous on Half-Moon Bay
Turned into a house of cards
This seemingly ill-starred
Loverboy must have his way
Come what may

His fingers fumble in the dark
He offers stumbling remarks
meant to ease the sting of calumny
He's never puzzled or unsure
He'll walk through any open door
In search of romance that was meant to be
He says "My Lord, what have I done
I thought you would be the one
Who would plant the seeds of destiny"
He's just like me, he's just like me

(From Welcome Love and World On Fire)

[TOP]



I CAME TO DANCE

This summer night a light shines dimly down the avenue
I hear somebody shouting, maybe they're calling you
Each step I take brings me closer than I need to be
the slightest move I make
Is cause for so much sorrow
But I can't wait tonight
I'll have to come back here tomorrow

I came to dance
I came to have a good time
But I must go away

On marble steps the tourists sit and talk the whole night through
One lights a cigarette while others strain to get a better view
The locals stand there staring it seems like a comedy
We order one more drink
And find our way back to the room
Outside the passersby
Gather in groups beneath the crescent moon

I came to dance,
I came to have a good time
But I must go away

Along the square, a marketplace of thieves
Each one exchanging rounds
These ancient streets once so welcoming
Are filled with vacant sounds
The buses come and go
Bringing more jokers into town

I came to dance,
I came to have a good time,
But I must go away

(From Mandatory Minimum and Under Whip And Chain)

[TOP]



I CAN'T STOP (LONG ENOUGH TO SLOW DOWN)

Ridin' a wagon wheel of pine and tar
I hang ten mama on this melody
If you can tell me who you are
I might tell you who I want to be

Check my coat, I know it's spent
The sleeves are frayed, air is peekin' through
Sometimes I wonder where my money went
I got about a nickle I can spend on you

I can't stop long enough to slow down
It takes a lot for me to turn around
Knock, knock, what's that crazy sound?
Hearts must be breakin' all over town

I'd give you my number, I don't have a phone
I'm loose and janglin', ain't that a man?
Is there a place that you call home?
Check my pulse if you understand

Tip City papa needs some fuel
And I been waitin' all night long
I know a place called Jenny's Jewel
It's back-woods honey, it's half gone

I can't stop long enough to slow down
It takes a lot for me to turn around
Drip, drop, what's that crazy sound?
Hearts must be breakin' all over town

How can you just stand there all alone?
Why don't you roll away
Why don't you roll away
Roll away the stone?

Jenny cooks biscuits in a frying pan
With buckets of gravy and collard greens
She's got a pocketful of country ham
Homemade grits and pork & beans

Salt-back salad, here I come
Greasy mashed potatoes and catfish pie
Memphis candy, dandelion rum
Black-eyed peas in Tupelo rye

I can't stop long enough to slow down
It takes a lot for me to turn around
Why not catch an out bound hound?
Hearts must be breakin' all over town

I can't stop long enough to slow down
It takes a lot for me to turn around
Double-shot, buy me another round
Hearts must be breakin' all over town

(Unreleased alternate version of Legal Limit)

[TOP]



IF LOVE IS A SONG

If love is a song then something is wrong
It's such a pity to see
The melody's good but misunderstood
The lyrics are troubling me
They seem incomplete, I don't like the beat
It's either too fast or too slow
If love is a song then something is wrong
What it is I don't really know

If love is a song it's a little too long
It always turns out the same
I can't find the hook, I don't want to look
I already know the refrain
The message is clear, I don't want to hear
That stepping three quarter time
If love is a song it's a little too long
Or else I'm a little too blind

I made the wrong turn and got myself burned
Now what can I do?
Please try you best and give it a rest
Honey, I'm begging you

If love is a song it comes on too strong
A little to up-front for me
The band leader plays the same old clichés
The same old used harmonies
What once was a thrill now gives me the chills
You better take it outside
If love is a song it comes on too strong
Hey porter, won't you give me a ride?

A solo won't fit, I have to admit
I've heard more than enough
I'll show you the door, who needs an encore
When once is already too much?

If love is a song then something is wrong
Please don't play it again
I'd be inclined to leave it behind
I thought you were my friend
The final verse is always the worst
I think I better go
If love is a song then something is wrong
What it is I don't want to know

(From Welcome Love)

[TOP]



I'M ONLY A BOY

Pack your bags and come on down
I'll meet you there on Sunday
We could have real good time
I'll have to come back Monday
I'll be in Miss Crystal's five & dime
With my good friend Chester Valentine
Hope everybody there is doin' fine

I'm only a boy, you don't understand
I'm only a boy, mama needs a man

I do the chores, I work all day
I get up every mornin'
But Mama always gets her way
There's never any warnin'
I better go before it gets too late
If I can make it to the station gate
I'll be on my way by half-past eight

I'm only a boy, I do what I can
I'm only a boy, Mama needs a man

Before I get started I better make sure I can get back home
I don't know what I'd do if I found myself there all alone

So pack your bags and come on down
And don't tell anybody
There's a lot to do in town
I've got a little money
I'll bring my songbook and my mandolin
And I'll tell Chester you'll be comin' in
He keeps askin' me where you been

(From Treated and Released)

[TOP]



IN THE COMPANY OF GENTLEMEN

Do you remember when
We flew to Vegas with your friends?
They shipwrecked the Starlite Room
And you claimed they never told you why
But wasn't that more or less a lie?

I thought I was in the company of gentlemen
'Til I saw you laugh at that photograph
then I knew it was the same old you

It seems to me one time
You picked me up on 4th and Vine
Outside of Lexington
Your boys unfurled my gabardine
Wasn't that more or less obscene?

I thought I was in the company of gentlemen
'Til I saw you crawl half-way up the wall
Then I knew it was the same old you.

In certain circles ladies are inclined
To draw conclusions that sometime seem unkind

I thought I was in the company of gentlemen
'Til I heard you shout at that roustabout
Then I knew it was the same old you

(Unreleased)



IT'S TOO LATE TO SAY I TOLD YOU SO

You've had enough but still you only beg for more
Why would you come to me, ain't you been here before?
I haven't got the time
And though you're a friend of mine
Can't you see that I'm walkin' out the door?

No need to talk, don't waste your time, they're only words
Whatever you gotta say, I've already heard
You need some sympathy
But that's not up to me
Though you might disagree, I ain't got the nerve

I can't remember what it was I said
To you that night not so long ago
But it wasn't me that made your bed
It's too late to say I told you so

Out across the park, the gilded avenue
Strangers ask for change from homeless parvenus
It always starts the same
It seems like such a shame
I ain't got time for games
That's all I get from you

It doesn't matter where you been
Or what you've done, I don't want to know
I won't go down that dead end road again
It's too late to say I told you so

So if you're through I think that you should take your turn
Raise a glass and drink to what you'll never learn
A round will do you good
If one won't another should
You're so misunderstood and I'm so unconcerned

See the street lights wind their way up town
They'll take you anywhere you want to go
I thought you said you knew your way around
It's too late to say I told you so

(From Grandview)

[TOP]



I WANT IT BACK

Everything is more or less the same
As when you left about a year ago
A dew drop hangs out on the window pane
My plow is still stuck out there in the snow

There's one thing that I think I gave to you
You took it and you put it in your sack
Before you headed out for somewhere new
I gave it up and now I want it back

I had a list of things to do today
I lost it somewhere, wonder where it went?
There's always somethin' gettin' in my way
Someone wantin' money I already spent

But if you'd take a look perhaps you'd see
I think I wrapped it in a cloth of black
It wasn't much, I now, but honestly
I gave it up and now I want it back

The men in charge won't let me know
If I should stay or I should go
And I can't make a move until I hear
There's work upstate, I guess it's true
And maybe that's what you can do
But I can't really go until I'm clear

Of debts I owe back to the company
I pay up everytime they come around
I need some sugar, need some jasmine tea
But no one here wants to go to town

But if you'd take a look I think you'd find
Before you head back down the railroad tracks
I gave you something you must leave behind
I need it now and I want it back

(From Maurice Mattei & A Roomful Of Victims and The Tempers Perform The Best Of Maurice Mattei Vol. 3)

[TOP]



I WAS A STRANGER THERE

Lovely dancers on the floor
It was all that they could do
To keep dancing as before
Though the music wasn't through
I asked my friend to explain but he just stared
I was a stranger there

We jumped through a ring of smoke
Landed on the other side
With a few uncommon folks
And though my eyes were open wide
I couldn't seem to find my way back anywhere
I was a stranger there.

What I've seen comes back to me
As if it were a dream
Things may be what they claim to be
but they're seldom what they seem

When we caught the last ship here
I had plans and I must say
One by one they've disappeared
But that was yesterday
What's the worry? What's the wonder? Why should I care?
I was a stranger there.

(From The Tempers Perform The Best Of Maurice Mattei Vol. 3)

[TOP]



I WON'T WORRY ABOUT YOU

It's gettin' dark and maybe we should go
For a walk down by the riverside
I'll bring my flag and whistle, wick and bow
Out to the water's edge at eventide

I'm set'n'ready and the road is near
They've shut the lights but we'll find our way
You know the place, it's not too far from here
Across the levee where those rounders stay

Then I won't worry about you
I'll push you in the water, I'll push you in the water
I won't worry about you
Then I won't have to bother, I'll push you in the water

Where'd you find that scarf of blue and red?
You're lookin' good, don't misunderstand
I think I see it darlin' up ahead
Come here beside me, let me hold your hand

The leaves are shakin' in the summer wind
Look at the moon shinin' through the trees
That moon may never shine for you again
You'll se it better when your on your knees

Then I won't worry about you
I'll push you in the water, I'll push you in the water
I won't worry about you
Then I won't have to bother, I'll push you in the water

Time has come. it's long past due
It's time to go on home
I spent all day findin' you
So we could be alone

My precious angel, your head hung down
Don't spread your wings to fly away
I'll clip 'em all and lay 'em on the ground
You'll be forgotten by the break of day

Then I won't worry about you
I'll push you in the water, I'll push you in the water
I won't worry about you
Then I won't have to bother, I'll push you in the water

(From Girl On Girl and World On Fire)

[TOP]



JACKIE'S BAMBALANCE

I never thought I'd fall for that
Skinny-legged workin' man's wife
'Til she showed off her wares
And I give her my ratchet knife
We were quite a pair in the ol' cafes
'Til I got tired of her down home ways
I went back to the street
She went back to her country life

I gotta get things together
Whenever they fall apart
Let's have another round
'Cause Jim, I don't know where to start
Lanny says we gotta take it from the top
He's losin' light an' needs a money shot
I thought we did it already
Well....maybe not

Sometimes I fall asleep when I'm in my bed
Then I wake up laughin' over what you said
I'm not Mr. Clean, yeah I understand
But try an' fix your face darlin' if you can

In the middle of nowhere
Man, that's where I'd love to be
With the seals and the trollops
The birdie flyin' up in the tree
Get busy and find me a rack o' lamb
Cook it up for sista if you can
When she left for work
That was the last thing that she told me

She's been bringin' home the bacon
From her 6 to 5 at Gotlieb's mill
She says she gonna quit soon
But I don't think she ever will
Isn't it pretty when the paychecks come
When the money's gone everybody runs
No more ramblers and gamblers
Stickin' their hands in the till

If you line 'em up I can shoot 'em down
I may not look tough but I been around
I don't run the cards like everybody else does
Not like some ol' has been that never was

I took a ride through the city
In Jackie's bambalance
She shakes a sweet money maker
But you gotta pay her in advance
She got a voice like a siren, better keep it brief
Got gold teeth rattlin' on a funeral wreath
So roll them bones and stop
Givin' the lady grief

(From The Tempers Perform The Best Of Maurice Mattei Vol. 3)

[TOP]



JANE GANG

Everyone I see is walking round here in other people's clothes
Naugahyde and velvet are a must with tattered fishnet hose
But I can't see the crowd for the writing on the wall
Featuring attractions like Penny Wise and the Human Cannonball
Pleasing weary clientele whose names and faces I cannot recall
And I don't want to be in the Jane Gang
I hear a harmony someone else sang
At an uptown jamboree for the Jane Gang.

Boredom's past the legal limit I see her in the corner of my eye
Underneath a sign that reads "Local Wanna-Be's Need Not Apply"
I thought it was 10 o'clock but it was only 9
If I order one more drink I'll have to tip the barman one more time,
And though he may look dashing, I think my dear he's crashing by design
And I don't want to be in the Jane Gang
Beneath a dim marquee where a crowd hangs
Engaged in vacant repartee with the Jane Gang.

Fix me up, I think I'm broke, lead me to the door
Madam, find a hangman's rope and let me dangle head-first off the floor
You don't have to get excited, I already know
Your better half becomes ignited after every show
I'm the one who acts delighted whenever you're the one who wants to go.
And I don't want to be in the Jane Gang
I lost the melody between the fuzz and twang
Played for noted devotees of the Jane Gang

(From Welcome Love and World On Fire)

[TOP]



JIMMY KANE

Puttin' on my walkin' shoes
Pickin' out my coat and hat
Tell me which one I should choose
I got a price tag on my back
Baby I must be confused
Come over here and take a look at that
Lift the latch up off the door
I need to catch a train
I'm gonna go out to the shore
I hope that it don't rain
You know who I'm lookin' for
I think his name is Jimmy Kane

Skippin' to the floor below
Like a real man do
I don't know which way to go
Why m'I askin' you?

Can you give me two for one
I'm gonna need a map
Better take my tommy-gun
Put it on my lap
You'll know I found him, hon'
If you see me come runnin' back

Pack a watch clip in my chain
There's a man I need to see
Don't you think it'd be a shame
If he wasn't waitin' there for me

I believe I'm ten feet tall
From my head down to my feet
When I'm walkin' down the hall
When I'm shufflin' up the street
Prop me up against the wall
There's a man I got to meet

Leave a note for papa's kin
Leave a note for Annie Lee
Tell 'em all where I been
Tell 'em who I went to see

I ride my horse to the marketplace
Katie's starin' up at the moon
Stickin' clover in a copper vase
In the middle of the afternoon
Can't you look me in my face?
Thought I told you I'd be back home soon

(From Girl On Girl)

[TOP]



JIMMY SADERS

Well I first met Jimmy Saders down on 8th and State and my baby said
"Can we please ride him on up to Grand?
A friend of his is waitin with a little bit of somethin' there
Now honey I know you understand"

Laughin' all the way about all them cops and robbers
Duckin' down when we came up around the bend
"Hang on my son" he said to me, there's someone here I need to see
That young girl up there claims to be my friend"

She looked like a bag of bones
Standin' there alone
"Jimmy, where you been?"
I thought I heard her say
She'd be comin' back this way
"Jimmy, come on in"

Well he dug out his old hitter and passed it down to my baby
She pulled it through while he was burnin' char
"Don't she seem to complicate the simplest of things?" he said
"Now give it here before we stop the car"

He took it back and pulled the char on through, he lit it up and took it down
And then he gave it back to her
She did the same and round and round it went past all the boulevards and streets
They'd do it up at every curve

She looked like a bag of bones
Standin' there alone
"Jimmy, where you been?"
I thought I heard her say
She'd be comin' back this way
"Jimmy, come on in"

As we drove past the Chatterbox she kept goin' on about
The postman who'd be comin' 'round at 10
"Well, I hope you're right" said Jimmy" but if Katie's got him all tied up
I don't think he'll be comin' back again"

He said "It'd been a month since I'd seen him when he passed by the other day,
I hope he's got the sense to make it right
If he don't show I know a place she might've taken him and if she did
he'll be there for the night"

She looked like a bag of bones
On the street alone
"Jimmy, where you been?"
I thought I heard her say
She'd be comin' back this way
"Jimmy, come on in"

(From Grandview)

[TOP]



JUNGLE LINE

This train keeps going, I hope it stops
There's lots of room at the bottom but there's none on top
It's passing every station they've got

Rolling 'cross the city from side to side
Missing all it's connections on it's moonlight ride
Everybody welcome inside

So climb on board and go take a number
There's no time to pack and no need to wonder

Skipping 'cross the curcuit like a double e
I'm standing six feet deep in apologies
I'm looking at you looking at me

Late night station on the jungle line
It's a semaphore signal to a friend of mine
He's catching up fast but he's a minute behind

The green lights mean go but the red lights keep flashing
And we're picking up sped with each light that we're passing

When you told me to be ready I was hoping and praying
I thought it only meant one thing
With a ticket in my pocket I was begging for corrections
Hanging on each word and taking down directions

This train keeps going, I hope it stops
There's lots of room at the bottom but there's none on top
You might think that you're leaving but I know that you're not

With your eyes on the trigger your intentions are showing
I'll be right here waiting when the whistle starts blowing

(Unreleased)

[TOP]



JUSTIN'S BLUES

I didn't do what I was asked to do
I let my guard down and the wolves slipped through
I was leanin' on the whippin' post
Surfin' the rip tide on the Western Coast
I wasn't where I said I'd be
When the graveyard met the bow
I wish I'd done things differently
But I can't think about that now

I don't like this place anymore
Something's changed, that's for sure
Look at me, what I'm wearin' baby
Dressed in black and green, I think maybe
I should go where the palm trees sway
Ridin' whitecaps, chasin' foam
About a million miles away
from my Chula Vista home

And over at Redondo Beach
All the golden boys and girls
Are walkin' up and down the streets
Far from the breakin' curls

The clubs are empty, baby it's no fun
I'd like to leave but there's nowhere to run
The talk is filled with GI thrills and spills
Crossfire searches, rebels in the hills
My day's comin', what can I do?
Except to wait my turn in line
Pretty soon they'll be comin' 'round for you
It's just a matter of time

Ricky Sunset and his girlfriend Dee
I heard they moved down to Peru
Lookin' back, that's where you and me
Should'a gone if we'd of thought it through

The waves are poundin' outside my front door
I'm lookin' out the window at the shore
A bum is stumblin', walkin' through the mist
Starin' at the sky shakin' his fist
At vapor trails as the jets go past
Just some flyboys headin' home
I call my baby "Wendy come here fast"
But she's talkin' on the phone

(From Western Skies)

[TOP]



LAST BOY STANDING

Will you write me a letter
And then please call the nurse?
Things may be much better
But they could be much worse
If you move my plate an inch
I fear I'll waste away
I need you more than words
Can ever say

I was the last boy standing, I know this must be true
Can you now return the days that I once gave to you?

Talk to me but slowly
Tell me if I'm wrong
I see you there below me
Is that where you belong?
Is it to much to ask of you
To hold these wandering hands?
Do the best that you can do
Help me if you can

I was the last boy standing, your eyes were open wide
I was the last boy standing by your side

I was the last boy standing, do you know where we met?
I was the last boy standing, don't forget

(From Girl On Girl)

[TOP]



LEGAL LIMIT

I got a wagon wheel of pine and tar
What's that movin' up next to me?
If you can tell me who you are
I might tell you who I want to be

Check my coat, I know it's spent
The sleeves are frayed, air is peekin' through
Sometimes I wonder where my money went
I got about a nickle I can spend on you

The legal limit is all I want before I drop
I'd like to know
Down to the bottom or up on top
Can you tell me where you want to go?

I'd give you my number, I don't have a phone
I'm loose and janglin', ain't that a man?
Is there a place that you call home?
Check my pulse if you understand

Tip City papa needs some fuel
And I been waitin' all night long
I know a place called Jenny's Jewel
It's back-woods honey, it's half gone

The legal limit is all I want before I drop
I'd like to know
Down to the bottom or up on top
Can you tell me where you want to go?

Jenny cooks biscuits in a frying pan
With buckets of gravy and collard greens
She's got a pocketful of country ham
Homemade grits and pork & beans

Salt-back sugar, here I come
Mama's red potatoes and catfish pie
Memphis candy, dandelion rum
Black-eyed peas in Tupelo rye

The legal limit is all I want before I drop
I'd like to know
Down to the bottom or up on top
Can you tell me where you want to go?

(From Girl On Girl and World On Fire)

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LET ME KNOW

If your good ol' friends fill you full of lead
And drop you to the bottom of a river bed
Howlin' at the moon while you're sinkin' down
Gimme a call, maybe I'll come around

Let me know
Let me know
Let me know

If the man you love turns his back on you
And throws you in a dungeon, cuts you half in two
Burns your house down, robs you blind
Pass the word along if you find the time

Let me know
Let me know
Let me know

Well you may be hungry, you may be poor
You may be crawlin' from door to door
Lookin' for a handout, a place to sleep
Sellin' your wares on a downtown street

Let me know
Let me know
Let me know

Swallow the poison, Satan's on the loose
Stick your head in a hangman's noose
It doesn't matter darlin' where you run
You're gonna have to pay for what you've done

Listen for the bloodhounds, keep a low profile
Move down the line if someone tells you, "Stay a while"
Locked inside the tombs across from Hudson Bay
Tryin' to hitch a ride down the lost highway

Let me know
Let me know
Let me know

Pray for deliverance, pray for release
The salvation you bought, well, it might be fleece
Swing down chariot swing down low
It doesn't matter darlin', where you go

So if your good ol' friends fill you full of lead
And drop you to the bottom of a river bed
Howlin' at the moon while you're sinkin' down
Gimme a call, maybe I'll come around

Let me know
Let me know
Let me know

(From Western Skies and The Tempers Perform The Best Of Maurice Mattei Vol. 3)

[TOP]



LONG BEFORE I KNEW

My head was filled with poison
But I didn't want to dim your attitude
You weren't even talking
Could it be perhaps, that I was being rude?
As I had another drink
I saw you slowly cloy the lovely Miss Bernard
I played the beloved
While she responded with a colloquial en gard

Sitting on the sofa
That Mumu had just bought for you uptown
Like a queen unstripped
Guzzling ale and looking for her crown
"I may have left it in the pantry
Underneath the Brixton chocolate candy charms"
"No" I said "I think I saw it
On the shelf next to your German coat of arms"

It was long before I knew
Long before I knew you were lying
Hours from the minutes when
I found out that you weren't even trying

How was I to know the feathers of this plume
Were filth to noble eyes?
How could I have seen and why should I have cared?
I guess I took a stab or two before I realized
That you weren't really sleeping
You were only paralyzed

Unamazed and quartered
In the entryway we were debating
On the points of etiquette
While your second face was poised for baiting
Thoughts of rearranging flowers
From the rusted ledge of your front balcony
Or perhaps of all the callers
Who would soon arrive when you were through with me

It was long before I knew
Long before I knew you were blinded
By the whispers
And it took a while before I was reminded

(From Girl On Girl)

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LOSERS ON PARADE

The local fare
Are Jack the Lads and could've beens
Standing there
Talking about who just walked in
"Now wasn't he the rage
A year or two ago
But up there on the stage
Nobody wants to know"

It's a shame
Maybe what I heard was right
They're all the same
I see them almost every night
At the newstands and the halls
In a thousand photographs
But it isn't news at all
It's nothing but a laugh

So shouldn't we be getting paid
To watch these losers on parade?

My phone won't ring
And I don't know what's wrong
I was a pretty thing
'Til that wrecking ball came along

The misery beat
Won't fill a room or pay the rent
It takes a seat
Somewhere below what's heaven sent
Where the boys are like the girls
And nothing's really new
But all the money in the world
Wouldn't change their point of view

I don't know why we have to stay
To watch these losers on parade

(From Girl On Girl and World On Fire)

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LOST ON YOU

It may surprise you but I've never seen
Such beautiful things so casually ignored
Along the stairway there are photographs
A Paris Match lies on the bedroom floor

The dress you're wearing you may never wear again and it's true
The stylish patterns are refined and compliment the things you do
They're very lovely but I think they're lost on you

Where has he gone, tell me, where could he be?
Now I can see, it hasn't crossed your mind
Perhaps you're waiting for me to object but I suspect
You've often heard that line

Between the paintings and the gold leaf picture frames there are two
Precious souvenirs from streets off Contrapaine Avenue
It's all so touching but I think it's lost on you

While he's away the Duchess likes to play
A roundelay uncommonly composed.
There's something wicked in the melody
As you agree to gracefully unfold

the lace and leather from around your looking glass and through
Every beating that you took behind the mask I knew
The sky could fall and it would all be lost on you

(From Welcome Love)

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LOVER MAN

It ain't change in my pocket that's a'jinglin around
It's a picture locket my daddy found
He gave it to me wrapped up in a bow
With a note that read "for Miss So and So"

Lover Man gone somewhere
maybe across town
What I ain't got he might find there
Then he'll come back around

No need to worry if he turns up late
'Cause my lover man, he don't like to wait
I work all night to pay him what I owe
And if I come up light he always lets me know

Lover Man gone somewhere
maybe across town
What I ain't got he might find there
Then he'll come back around

Ain't no picture in my pocket, no change in my coat
All I got on me is my daddy's note
When he comes by here he don't have much to say
Keeps the doors all locked 'til he goes away

(From Grandview and Under Whip And Chain)

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LOVE'S BEEN GOOD TO ME

I walk with my head held high
Come my darling, you will see
And this is the reason why
Because love's been good to me

Though I've had my share of falls
And my share of misery
In the end, all in all
I think love's been good to me

If you want to stay
Well, it's all right
I've been out all day
But I'll be back tonight

My lover comes and goes
She steals my heart away
She's gone but heaven knows
Her love is here to stay

Seems somehow
She's been away too long.
Tell me now
Do you know where my good friend's gone?

And if you call on me
Keep those bells a-ringin'
It ain't a bird you see
It's just my baby in the front room singin'

But if my songbird flies
Into another's tree
My girlfriend won't deny
The love she gave to me

(From Western Skies)

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MADE A MESS OF IT

I did the time, I know I did
I got nothin' but regrets
Sold it for the lowest bid
But you must not forget
To write me from your seaside home
Call me when you find a phone
Post your notes to parts unknown,
If you come please bring a comb
And kit
I made a mess of it

The lamp light grows dim
That's all I got to say
Why let the big girl in
If she don't want to stay
I been suckin' on the shortest straw
Makin' a list of everything I saw
One step away from my kitty's claw
til' she jump up & cut me on my jaw
And lip
She made a mess of it

This room is fill with smoke
It's hard to believe
I'm on the wrong end of a rope
But I don't want to leave
We're tap dancin' in a minstrel show,
She's Miss Hi-De-Hey I'm Mr. Hi-De-Ho
Look at all the ladies in the front row
Every body says it's not where you go
It's where you sit
I made a mess of it

Got too much money in the hole right now
I don't know why & I don't care how
Listen to the vixen in the ol' hoosegow
Funny that's the only kinda milk cow
I can't quit

(From The Tempers Perform The Best Of Maurice Mattei Vol. 3)

(Top)


MANDATORY MINIMUM

A big old house, a winding driveway with a gate in front
Only the best, but even the best is not enough
When you travel the world you tire of seeing the same old suff
Those dreary cabalieros under the window as the sun comes up
You wanted to ride, you didn't want to stop
But the mandatory minimum is what you got.

Icy diamonds, social climbing in the city of light
Sittin' pretty, front row center on opening night
Friends in high places, aces, and catamites
A slight imperfection, on closer inspection, is not so slight
You wanted to climb up to the top
But the mandatory minimum is what you got

The people that bowed and knelt down before you
Are turning their backs, doing their best to ignore you
Bridges are burned and doubts are confirmed
The fortunes that once looked your way have now turned

Half alive, gold-plated dives and cabarets
Endless nights, aimless walks on aimless days
The toast of the town takes aim from her gilded cage
Beauty adorned is politely informed she's no longer the rage
You wanted it all, every last drop
But the mandatory minimum is what you got.

(From Mandatory Minimum and Under Whip And Chain)

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MINUTES SEEM LIKE HOURS

I's dodgin' all them bullets down at the shoppin' mart
But when the clerk stuck his knife in me it nearly broke my heart
You gotta watch your back girl 'cause no one else here will
You can't help sleepin' at the wheel when time is standin' still

Minutes seem like hours, hours seem like days
My hands are shakin', my feet are made of clay

They're rollin' up the sidewalks and I done thought it through
Ever since they closed the Chatterbox there ain't been much to do
Sittin' on the rooftop hopin' for a fight
But in the jungle, the mighty jungle the lion sleeps tonight

Minutes seem like hours, hours seem like days
The bridge is out and the sky is turning grey

On my way back into town I ran into your man
He told me he was Knoxville bound and then he shook my hand

Our clocks are stuck on midnight or maybe it's half-past
I spent all day tryin' to find my pulse, there it is at last
Those lights across the highway I shot out one or two
Renee panicked when the law came by what else is new?

Minutes seem like hours, hours seem like days
I wanna move but your standin' in the way

(From The Tempers Perform The Best Of Maurice Mattei Vol. 3)

[TOP]



MY BABY LEFT HERE WALKIN'

My baby left here walkin'
Took everything that she owned
Packed up her clothes in a suitcase
Left me here sittin' alone
Some of my friends tried to tell me
But I never thought that she would
My baby left here walkin'
Said she was gone for good

Where can she be? how I wonder
Is she alright? I don't know
We had some words between us
I said the wrong thing, I suppose
It seemed to happen so quickly
I didn't have time to explain
My baby left here walkin'
But I still love her the same

Nights are so empty without her
What in the world can I do?
It's such a long time since I've seen her
I guess that we're really through
Could it be she's found another?
Well, I can't think about that
My baby left here walkin'
And I don't think she's comin' back

(From Dead Rails and The Tempers Perform The Best Of Maurice Mattei Vol. 3)

[TOP]



MY QUEEN'S LOGIC

The Queen Mary sails on rusted iron rails
A stack of steel is laced with intricate detail
"Picture this," my mother says, "Your love has gone somewhere
But in these carvings lies a key that she has hidden there"
Above the manifold a comedy transpires
Laughter peels the paint in here, the mountebank retires
I'll take the minutes, keep the notes
At nearly any cost
Outside I hear my father's ghost
Whisper "All is lost"

My Queen's logic seems to say that I've done something wrong
I better not go anywhere I'll have to stay for long

Boatmen line the path that leads across the prow
Messina saves a chair for me beneath the shanty's bow
She lifts a flagon full of mere
An absinthe progeny
And speaks of places far from here
Where she would rather be
Riflin' through the drawers, Messina came and went
Daughter please let loose these straps, I promise to repent
My sins are many, turn around
Answer if you can
In Albany the sluts call me
Their sixty-minute man

My Queen's logic lifts her sails and I will soon be gone
We better not go anywhere we'll have to stay for long

"Penalties abide" the lovely barman calls
"Each word is chosen for its length beyond the galley walls"
Clayton holds the torch above
While others wait below
Our Lady's found a brand-new love
From Shelly's Candi-O
The sun shines bright and low, we open every door
The steward waits with prong and blade upon the thistled shore
He speaks in verse, a backwards rhyme
Of ancient memories
I tap my foot to pass the time
And sing a melody

My Queen's logic anchors fast and pines a gypsy song
I better not go anywhere I'll have to stay for long

Past portals framed with dust, "Why must I be alone?
Am I not your only son? Can I not come home?
Why could we not have stayed in lands
where we were meant to be
instead of traveling hand in hand
across the wicked sea?"
"I beg you to recall" my mother soon replies
"You've given me but grief and fear a nd told me only lies
You've made your bed, your sins have led
Us to this bleak return
Now the bow is bent and all my blood
Is cast from stem to stern

Your Queen's logic sets the course and we must both press on
You better not go anywhere you'll have to stay for long"

(From Treated and Released)

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NEWPORT BY THE BAY

If you're restless or you're tired
There's something that I found
I can offer you a chance
To find a new romance
And turn your world around
If you want to follow me
It's not too far away
And I think that once you see
You might want to stay
In Newport, by the bay

Madam sets the atmosphere
Dims the lights and walks the floor
If your heart is on your sleeve
They may ask you to leave
Your troubles at the door
It's not much of a request
For what you had to pay
After all, you're just a guest
Inside the cabaret
In Newport, by the bay

The ladies want to talk about their working week
And these fine gentlemen listen when they speak
Perhaps before the night is over they'll be dancing cheek to cheek

In a place not far from here
Where there's always one or two
Who await with open arms
Seduce with tender charms
For a pittance which is due
On debts that are incurred
While held in passion's sway
Tell me, have you ever heard
And do you know the way
To Newport, by the bay?

(From Western Skies)

[TOP]



NO ONE'S HOME

Last night I went out for a ride
I wasn't here when you came by
When I got back it was late
I hope you didn't sit and wait
I hope you weren't upset with me
I wasn't where I said I'd be
But I don't choose my company
I take what I can take

Someone I knew asked me to
A quiet little rendezvous
Down Ellington on the right
Behind the trees, the trailer lights
I didn't have a lot to say
I didn't know how long I'd stay
But if I let him have his way
I'd been there half the night

When no one's home
You should go away
When no one's there to let you in
Why would you want to stay?
Please go away, please go away

The neighborhood was dark and still
I had no plans to leave until
I got a call from Mon Amour
Someone who I had seen before
Asked the service of my time
I didn't want to be unkind
And though you are a friend of mine
I turned and closed the door

When no one's home
You should go away
When no one's there to let you in
Why would you want to stay?
Please go away, please go away

The clientele knows so well
And the management conspires
The girls are nice and for a price
They'll bow to your desires

Last night I went out for a ride
I wasn't here when you came by
I had other things to do
Somethings old and somethings new
So if you should come by again
Please don't be surprised when
The door is locked and I'm not in
I'm only telling you

When no one's home
You should go away
When no one's there to let you in
Why would you want to stay?
Please go away, please go away

(From Treated and Released)

[TOP]



NOT ANYTIME SOON

Sara was an angel
She's sell her pussy for a few crumbs of crack
Papa at the Greenwich, he had a hand in it
The shit heel, now he's back
I used to take her to the Fulton
She'd think the cops were lookin' at us through the tv set
When will I see her again? Well, I don't know but I would bet

Not anytime soon I fear
She must be far away
Staring up at the moon, my dear
With nothing to say

I used to walk through
The streets of Florence, in Italy
Walking all alone, so amazed and puzzled
By the things I'd see
How it might have been different
If long ago in that other time and place, we had stayed
Wonder if I'll ever go back? well, right now I'd have to say

Not anytime soon I fear
There's so much to do
Staring up a the moon, my dear
Looking back down at you

Sometimes I listen to the radio
The talk shows keep me company
Somewhere down the band late at night
I hear the Marvelettes singing "You're My Remedy"
The DJ says "They don't write 'em like that anymore"
And I suppose I would agree
Maybe someday they will, but when? well, if you ask me

Not anytime soon I fear
The radio plays
Staring up at the moon, my dear
I've been here for days

(Top)

(From Welcome Love and World On Fire)



NOT ENOUGH

Where's my pretty baby, I wonder where she's gone?
I thought that she'd be comin' back, maybe I was wrong
She left me here waitin' tied up to the railroad tracks
And drove off in a Coupe de Ville with the diamond in the back

Where's the girl I once knew, I don't understand
Tell me please what should I do? I'll do it if I can
My wandering desires have left me in double-dutch
Two is one too many and one is not enough

I called out to the brakeman, he untied me from the tracks
I went on down the street tryin' to get her back
I ran into someone I knew from the neighborhood
He said "Why you wastin' time with that, you know she ain't no good

I may not get around but I've seen her kind before,
Next time you see it comin' lock up all the doors
A lot won't do you any good and a little won't do much
Two is one too many and one is not enough"

Drinkin' and dancin' down Sunset Boulevard
You got me guessin'
and I'm undressin'you with my best regards

It was then I saw her car pull up outside of Jungle Jakes
I started out to cross the street as she put on the brakes
But when I saw her gettin' out she had lover boy in tow
A cracker from the east side, someone I didn't know

Standin' in the shadows, starin' from afar
as Miss So&So and her gigolo walked into the bar
The meter keeps on runnin' but my time is all used up
Two is one too many and one is not enough

(From Carefree Life and Under Whip And Chain)

[TOP]



NOT ENOUGH TO STAY

Strike a match and light your cigarette
While I take in the view
Let's have a drink to all our friends
The ones we never knew
If I call Loretta one more time
I wonder what she'd say?
I love this town, why wouldn't I?
But not enough to stay

Take a left on Grand to Echo Park
Look, there's the calaboose
Let's drive down to the Funhouse Bar
And turn this young man loose
He'll try to lift old Rosie's dress
If she lets him have his way
I've done my time, I've done my best
But I don't want to stay

While you laugh and drinks are flowing
Point me to the nearest door
I don't know which way I'm going
But when you pin me to the floor
Can you tell me what we're waiting for?

At Million's Benny comes and goes
In his jitney newsboy truck
He brings in Mrs. Claw and Crow
And tapes her eyelids shut
He'll plunge a nightstick down her throat
Before the break of day
That's all I know, that's all she wrote
Now can I please go away?

(From Girl On Girl and World On Fire)

[TOP]