You jumped when the air hit your eyes You wanted t’ go back but there wadn’t none Now you been going back for so long That you think there is one It makes me laugh to hear you say how far you’ve come When you barely know how to use your thumb So you know how t’ count t’ one You messed in the sky picked a banana an’ threw it At the sun You saw a flash in the water now there ain’t one You brought back somethin’ that wasn’t there You brought back somethin’ that wasn’t fair Pull back the adhesive tape You’reRead More →

When I get lonesome the wind begin t’ moan When I trip fallin’ ditch Somebody wanna’ throw the dirt right down When I feel like dyin’ the sun come out ‘n stole m’ fear ‘n gone Who’s afraid of the spirit with the bluesferbones Who’s afraid of the fallin’ ditch Fallin’ ditch ain’t gonna get my bones How’s that for the spirit How’s that for the things Ain’t my fault the thing’s gone wrong ‘n when I’m smilin’ my face wrinkles up real warm ‘n when um frownin’ things just turn t’ stone Fallin’ ditch ain’t gonna get my bones ‘n when I get lonesomeRead More →

Ella Guru as imagined by OpenAI

Now here she comes walkin’ Lookin’ like uh zoo Hello Moon Hello Moon Hi Ella high Ella Guru She know all the colors that nature do High Ella high Ella Guru High yella high red high blue she blew High Ella high Ella Guru She do what she mean ‘n she do what she do Got sumptin’ fo’ me sumptin’ fo’ you She sho’ sumptin’ She’s young too Ella Guru Ella Guru Ella Guru Ella Guru Ha ha right right Just dig it That’s right “The Mascara Snake” Fast ‘n bulbous Tight also Ella Guru Ella Guru Ella Guru Ella Guru Ella Guru (1969) OriginallyRead More →

Singin through you to me Thunder-bolts caught easily Shouts the truth peacefully E-LEC-TRI-CITY High-voltage man kisses night to bring the light to those who need t’ hide their shadow deed Go into bright, find the light and know that friends don’t mind just how you grow Bearded cowboy stains in black and reads dark roads without a map seeking: electricity, E-LEC-TRI-CITY Light-house beacon straight ahead, straight ahead across blank seas to free seeking: electricity, E-LEC-TRI-CITY High-voltage man kisses night to bring the light to those who need t’ hide their shadow-deed hide their shadow-deed (repeat) Seek electricity……….. (1967)   Checked with Herb Bermann’s original lyric sheetRead More →

My eyes are burnt and bleeding and all that looks like a monkey on a silver bar … big poop hatch with a cotton hatch – hatch holes that the light shows in and the light shows out … and the little red fence … and the wire and the wood … and the barbs and the berries … and the tires and the bottles and the car up on rims … and the heat swims on its fenders and the dust collects and the rust of autumn surrenders into gold … trumpet poop on the ground with peanuts its bell was blocking an ant’sRead More →

There’s ole Gray with ‘er dove-winged hat Threre’s ole Green with her sewing machine Where’s the bobbin at? Tote’n old grain in uh printed sack The dust blows forward ‘n dust blows back And the wind blows black thru the sky And the smokestack blows up in suns eye What am I gonna die? Uh white flake riverboat just flew by Bubbles popped big ‘n uh lipstick Kleenex hung on uh pointed forked twig Reminds of the bobby girls Never was my hobby girls Hand full uh worms and uh pole fishin’ Cork bobbin’ like uh hot red bulb ‘n uh blue jay squeaks HisRead More →

You wanna do what?, you wanna do what? I told you what, I told you what You wanna do what?, you wanna do what? I told you what, I told you what Go t’school, go t’school Go t’school, go t’school Just cain’t, just cain’t Just cain’t, just cain’t Dropout, dropout, dropout, dropout Cain’t get a job, cain’t get a job Don’t know what it, don’t know what it What it’s all about, what it’s all about You told her you love her so bring her to mother You love her, adapt her, you love her, adapt her Adapt her, adapter, adapt her, adapter ‘n’ whatRead More →

Carry me and my baby to colored land Drink paint run run Drink paint run run When the sun goes down, we’ll be done Drink paint run run Drink paint run run Pick up ypur glass, baby, ‘n’ look me in the eyes We’ll drink paint, toast our love in the sun Drink paint run run Carry me and my baby to colored land Drink paint run run Drink paint run run When the sun goes down, we’ll be done Drink paint run run Drink paint run run Carry me and my baby to colored land Drink paint run run When the sun holds handsRead More →

Mama, mama, here come Doctor Dark Horse clippin’, clappin’ ‘n his ol’ hooves makin’ sparks Black leather lady Lord carried her bags The hell horn, hell horn, hell horn Horn rim crimped Glasses look out on the pale hell bent Moon milk run O’ lady go home Lord they done cookin’ done Black lady Black leather lady Done had a white, white, white poor son Mama, mama, here come Doctor Dark Horse clippin’, clappin’ ‘n his ol’ hooves makin’ sparks Gotta git me who I want to God, Lord knows I’ve got to oh see that Doctor Dark Mama, mama, here come Doctor Dark HorseRead More →

Unreleased 1971 version Uh life(?) turned into a while ‘n’ then into a mile A shirt to work, a back to ache And someday we’ll smile, Oh, I will ‘n’ you will But that ain’t gonna bend you down ‘n’ tie your workin’ shoe Don’t you wish you never met her Dirty Blue Gene A mile after mile Stand there bubblin’ like a open cola in the sun Troublin’ n fizzlin’ in the noonday sun Wonderin’ if you got the time to get clean Empty headed handed pockets ‘n’ shoes A Dirty Blue Gene, boys, is achin’ hard to lose Don’t you wish you never metRead More →

The shiny beast of thought If you got ears You gotta listen Old woman sweat Young girls glisten The extract you thought is the extract you got Pop in a thought Ex-extract D’you hear me? Hope these are hard[?] drops Grooves you away Drop by drop Light by bright Night by light There ain’t no good ‘n’ there ain’t no blame Not hip Ain’t no aim You make the fault You cause the blame Devil the same Pop in a thought Ex-extract Shiny beast of thought You hang up Now you’re caught If you got ears You gotta listen Old woman sweat Young girls glistenRead More →

Dachau blues those poor Jews Dachau blues those poor Jews Dachau blues, Dachau blues those poor Jews Still cryin’ ’bout the burnin’ back in World War Two’s One mad man six million lose Down in Dachau blues, down in Dachau blues The world can’t forget that misery ‘n the young ones now beggin’ the old ones please t’ stop bein’ madmen ‘fore they have t’ tell their children ’bout the burnin’s back in World War Three’s War One was balls ‘n powder ‘n blood ‘n snow War Two rained death ‘n showers ‘n skeletons Dancin’ ‘n screamin’ ‘n dyin’ in the ovens Cough ‘n smokeRead More →

Crazy Little Thing has just gone crazy Girl, how’d ya get a name like Crazy Little Thing Probably the name that drove you crazy all along How’d ya get a walk How’d ya get it all to move so smooth and lazy How’d ya learn to talk real low like that To where it makes all the men go crazy Every little thing, every little thing has just gone crazy The way she move, there ain’t no maybe Talkin’ way low like that To where all the men go crazy She brings things down lower than they should be She brings things up higher thanRead More →

The clouds are full of wine Not whiskey or rye ‘n the sky is full of bluebrains, Bluejays, mermaids Bluebrains, bluejays, bluebirds, mermaids bluejays, bluebirds, rainbows ‘n the night is full of rhinestones, Pinecones, telephones ‘n the sky is full of rhinestones, pinecones, telephones Wolfhowls, milkcows Shadows to some hows ‘n the clouds are full of wine Not whiskey or rye ‘n the sky is full of bluebrains, Baboons, rhinos, fools ‘n buffoons ‘n my eyes are full of bloodbones, Snowcones, serenaders ‘n sen-n-n-oritas ‘n so on… Melodies that go on, go on, Go on, go on, go on, go on, Go off, go off,Read More →

Two trains Two railroad tracks One goin’ ‘n the other one comin’ back There goes my baby on that ole train I say come back come back baby come back Click clack click clack There’s my baby wavin’ her handkerchief down My ears stand up when I hear that sound This time it sound like it’s for keeps Click clack click clack I get down on the ground With the gravel around I pray t’ the Lord That the train will stop Turn right around ‘N never stop till it drop my baby off Now I had this girl Threatened ‘n leave me all theRead More →

I have to run so far to find a clear spot Sun’s all hottin’ and a rottin’ hot Swamp’s all rotten ‘n stinkin’ uhh Vegetation’s hot Sleepin’ in a bayou on a old rotten cot Can’t find my kind of folks havin’ fun I have to run run run run Run to find a clear spot Can’t shadow down, the sun big brown Mosquitos ‘n moccasins steppin’ all around ‘fraid I’m gonna get hit Sun’s all hottin’ and a rottin’ hot Vegetation’s hot Sleepin’ in a bayou on a old rotten cot Can’t find my kind of folks havin’ fun Got to run run runRead More →

Once you find out the circumstances Then you can uh go out, whoa yeah Once you find out the circumstances Then you can uh go out, whoa yeah Little girl don’t you know that the stars up above are runnin’ on love Little girl don’t you know that they’re blinkin’ at you Now the sun can sun burn you but Not as bad as those old people do, yeah Ah once you find out the circumstances Then you can uh go out, whoa yeah Little girl don’t you know that the stars up above are runnin’ on love Little girl don’t you know that uhRead More →

I don’t wanna kill my china pig No I don’t Uh man’s gotta live Uh man’s gotta eat Uh man’s gotta have shoes t’ walk out on the street I don’t wanna kill my china pig Ell he was uh baby I want yuh t’ see I don’t wanna kill my china pig Well I used t’ go t’ school With uh’ little red box ‘n I used to have m’ pig go with me We walked for blocks I don’t wanna kill my china pig His tail curled five times in uh circle round It’s glazed He’s got uh slot in his back flowersRead More →