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1. |
Whiteline Moonshine
04:18
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Whiteline Moonshine
M. Litton
(title: Walt Wesselowski)
Dingy old tavern at the edge of town
Overhead there’s a long black cloud
Inside they begin to rock ‘n roll
Why do the heathen rage?
Good Lord, I’ll tell ya if ya wanna know...
Come on children now clap your hands
Throw off your burden and start to dance
Y’all don’t need no whiskey, wine, or gin
Here’s a special recipe, you can try it again and again
It’s called Whiteline Moonshine, in like a lamb out like a lion
Ain’t no quicker path to paradise
I’m leavin’ the low road, takin’ the high road tonight...
“Whiteline” in the mirror down my life’s highway
“Moonshine” through the trees where the shadows play
Now I’m a sinner and I don’t mind dyin’
I said dyin’, hear me dying, O Lord I’m dyin’
I’m a sinner good Lord and I really don’t mind dyin’...
Just give me Whiteline Moonshine, in like a lamb out like a lion
Ain’t no quicker path to paradise
I’m leavin’ the low road, takin’ the high road tonight
Amen brother, let’s all rejoice
Hereon after it’s our Lady’s choice
So just relax and play it off the wall
The first will be last, there ain’t no hurry at all...
Give me Whiteline Moonshine, in like a lamb out like a lion
Ain’t no quicker path to paradise
I’m leavin’ the the low road, takin’ the high road tonight.
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2. |
Bootleggin' Lady
05:25
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Bottleggin’ Lady
M. Litton
I should of went to prison, should of went to jail
Went with her to heaven, now I’m back in hell, O Lord
You’ll find hot water in most every pot
You think you’re free and then you’re really caught
Uh-huh, oh-ho, oh yeah...
Pappa told me, mamma told, brother told me, sister told me
They all told me, “Watch that woman can be so cruel
“You’ll start out feelin’ like a prince
“And end up lookin’ just like a fool...”
I cry sweet Jesus each and every mornin’
It’s still the devil every night
Y’all can stare at the noonday sun
I’d rather gaze into her eyes...
Bootleggin’ Lady don’t walk on by
Bootleggin’ Lady my throat’s dry
Some like their whiskey, some like their booze
Me, I just like you
I got no sense, got no lovin’, ain’t got no luck
Just a dollar for a bottle and an old pickup
And oh, I believe it’s true
I’d dig the gold between my teeth to pay for you
Bootleggin’ Lady is the devil’s child
Bootleggin’ Lady is wild
She’s got long lean legs and long black hair
Anything ya think she’ll dare
She’ll stop a locamotive on a dime
She’ll lift you face from the hand of time
She’ll come around when the moon shines on the river
And lead you down
Singing, “Bootleggin’ Lady my throat’s dry...”
Just lay two dollars down by the bushes
She’ll answer your wishes
Bootleggin’ Lady gonna set you free, forget your misery
When it’s hot in the shade and hell in the field
The well’s gone dry and your jug needs filled
She’ll call your name in the wind
And if you go to her you’ll feel no pain
Bootleggin’ Lady don’t walk on by
Bootleggin’ Lady my throat’s dry...
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3. |
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Wildflower
M. Litton
She cut me deeper than the Colorado River as it rages through the hills
Ain’t nothin’ on this earth cut you deeper than the hurt from a woman will
She cut me deeper than our Savor’s hands
When they nailed him to the cross, when they nailed him to the cross...
The dress she wore hung down so loose from her shoulders
She was a soft-shaded light
But the woman that glowed beneath those clothes cut me deeper than a knife
She was once my wife, the mother of my child
But she was a flower that had grown wild
She was meant to dance and drink the wine
And listen to a guitar wine
She was a wild-flower, she was a wild-flower...
So listen to me now, my son, and remember
Fort there is one thing you must know
Don’t ever play your heart against a card that the devil holds
She’ll cut you deeper than our Savor’s hands
When they nailed him to the cross
One day she’ll go away and take your sunshine
And leave her darkness in your heart and mind
She’ll leave her darkness in your heart and mind
She was once my wife, the mother of my child
She was a flower that had grown wild
She was a wild-flower, she was a wild-flower...
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4. |
Rootless Seed
04:15
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Rootless Seed
M. Litton
Daddy was a soldier, momma was a flower-child
She believed in peace and love, but only for awhile
He came home form the army but could not leave the war
I was just a boy of five when he left and slammed the door...
I’d see him out on the street sometimes, he’d hand me a buck or two
Say, “You’re the son of a rootless seed...”
And that’s just how I grew
A rootless seed...
He’d set his boots by the bedpost, hang his hat on a nail
Come to her like a shadow, leave that old whiskey smell
I hated him for comin’, you know I hated to see him go
Just why she let him in her bed was a thing I could not know...
I stood alone at her grave in the winter of ’91
She died of a cancer while he was on the bum
Like a rootless seed...
A rootless seed ain’t got no soul to save
A rootless seed will find a shallow grave
A rootless seed goes whichever way the wind blows the leaves
A rootless seed...
I heard he was out in Denver, in jail in New Orleans
The last I heard he was working a boat smuggling off the Keys
I look to every sunrise, I look to the moonlit night
I look to find a path that’ll lead me through this life...
I drift on down the byroads, I ride the empty freights
Face ash, dust, cinder smoke, the wind, snow, and rain
I’m a rootless seed...
A rootless seed ain’t got no soul to save
A rootless seed will find a shallow grave
A rootless seed goes whichever was the wind blows the leaves
A rootless seed...
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5. |
Ramblin' Man
03:05
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Ramblin’ Man
Hank Williams, Sr.
I can settle down and be doin’ just fine
Til I hear an old freight rollin’ down the line
Then I hurry straight home and pack
And if I didn’t go, I believe I’d blow my stack
I love you baby, but you gotta understand
When the Lord made me
He made a Ramblin’ Man
Some folks might say that I’m no good
That I wouldn’t settle down if I could
But when that open road starts to callin’ me
There’s something o’er the hill that I gotta see
Sometimes it’s hard but you gotta understand
When the Lord made me
He made a Ramblin’ Man
I love to see the towns a-passin’ by
And to ride these rails ‘neath God’s blue sky
Let me travel this land from the mountains to the sea
‘Cause that’s the life I believe he meant for me
And when I’m gone and at my grave you stand
Just say God called home your Ramblin’ Man.
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6. |
Night Train
06:24
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Night Train
M. Litton
Down and out one moonlit night, a-runnin’ from a gun
I crossed the county on a chance I’d catch the night-train run
I swam the muddy river, waded the slew
Up beyond the willows where the water hemlock grew
That ol’ Night Train thundered from the sky
That ol’ Night Train wore the moon’s disguise
The engineer was named Mr. Nibbs
And as his devil whistle wailed
He said, “You can ride if you sign your soul to hell...”
He carried the evil freight of our dreadful times
Many a soul I’d known
I saw my father manning the tender car
And as he fed the fire with bones
He said, “Son, don’t ride, you must heed these words I moan...”
That ol’ Night Train, hear it’s engine roar
That ol’ Night Train, callin’ all aboard
Those who ride this train are cursed forever
And will burn!
I heard the bloodhounds on my trail, terror filled my soul
The question flashed into my mind to answer yes or no
“Git behind me, Satan!” – I fell to my knees
Prayed to God in Heaven, “ Have mercy on me...”
That ol’ Night Train rides the rail of sin
That ol’ Night Train, it’s journey never ends
Mr. Nibbs, he just laughed and said
“Well if you ever change your mind
“Just remember, boy, I make this run each night...”
That ol’ Night Train, hear it’s engine roar
That ol’ Night Train, callin’ all abroad
Those who ride this train are cursed forever
And will burn!
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7. |
There Goes the Sun
03:02
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There Goes the Sun
M. Litton
There goes the sun, there goes the sun
There goes the sun behind the hill...
They say, Jesus, boy he’s your Savor
I pray he saves me soon
Seems I saw the sun goin’ down for the last time
Girl, you took the sunshine with you
Here comes the train, here comes the train
Here comes the train a-rollin’ by...
You took the train and headed out to California
Where the sunshine fills the sky
You sent back your love everafter
Everafter love dies
I see the moon, I see the moon, I see the moon
Above the hill...
You left the taste of stale smoke and whiskey
Now I live that hangover dream
I watch my life turn to dust by the window
Girl, you took your life from me
There goes the sun, here comes the train
I see the moon, I see the moon, I see the moon
Above the hill...!
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8. |
Hittin' Hard Flint
05:47
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Hittin’ Hard Flint
M. Litton
You can break your back and labor in the mines
Or risk your neck and lay it all on the line
But the only gold you’ll likely ever find
Are the sparks of cold steel hittin’ hard flint
Hittin’ hard flint, boy, you’re hittin’ hard flint...
And it’s a 4 in the morning night again
Been out drinkin’ on the dark side
With the moon, stars, shadows, and the midnight wind
I’ll make it home, make it home, make it home, come sunrise
I had a dream, I’s ridin’ on the high plains
I felt the freedom of the wide open range
Her flesh was hot, I’s bleedin’ from a cold pain
Wanted dead or alive, dead or alive, dead or alive...
There was a halo high above the mountains
A great white cloud circled the sky
The kiss of life flowed from a fountain
Through the valley, the valley
Through the valley where she lies
The choice is yours, you can cut the cloth to fit
Play along, pretend and forgot
Or break the mold and go out after it
They may come to stop you
Hell, let ‘em try, let ‘em try, I say let ‘em try...
And make your courage soar up like a rocket
Obey the law that serves your heart and soul
But keep a loaded pistol and your lover’s locket
‘Cause they’ll be waitin’, always waitin’
Awaitin’ wherever you go
You can break your back and labor in the mines
Or risk your neck and lay it all on the line
But the only gold you’ll likely ever find
Are the sparks of cold steel hittin’ hard flint
Hittin’ hard flint, boy, you’re hittin’ hard flint
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9. |
Momma's Song
03:09
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Momma’s Song
M. Litton
I’ve been fightin’ it, I ain’t denyin’ it
Makin’ waves where seas are calm
I’m the kinda guy that makes his mamma cry
Everything I do is wrong
So Mamma why do you even try
To help me carry on...
Take my picture off the mantle, throw it in the fire
Git my suitcase out from behind the couch
And send your love by wire
I swear I wasn’t born to plant no corn
Nor mow the meadow hay
And I’ll never plow no matter how much the landlord pays
He beat my father down into the ground
Into a dirty tenant grave...
So take my picture off the mantle, throw it in the fire
Git my suitcase out from behind the couch
And send your love by wire
‘Cause I’m headed straight down the interstate
I’ll take the highway to the sea
I gonna ride the rails till I sail through that drifter’s dream
And if I fail, don’t ever tell ‘em
That you cried for me
And if I fail, don’t ever tell
That you cried for me.
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10. |
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11. |
El Azteca
03:57
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El Azteca
M. Litton
Shots rang out late Saturday night
Outside the El Azteca as a young girl died
Down in east Topeka where the big freights roll
Down in east Topeka they shot Angela Quintero
Only 15, no more than a child
Out looking for action, running wild
Outside the El Azteca beneath the dim street lights
She stepped in an alley and down that alley she died
Outside the El Azteca lies a bleeding rose
Outside the El Azteca lies Angela Quintero
A fight broke out over something said
The tavern emptied out like a blow to the head
There were flashing lights and sirens as the police came
Outside the El Azteca and no one knew who to blame
The fight broke up, the crowd headed home
They heard three shots fired, a scream and a moan
Angela lay dyin’, a stranger held her hand
Outside the El Azteca there ran a wanted man
Down in east Topeka where the big freights roll
Down in east Topeka hear the scream of a dyin’ soul
So ask as you pray, “Will the sun still shine
“On the face of the fool who done that crime?”
Ask as you pray, “Will the rose still bloom?”
Well the sun may shine on the killer’s face
When he walks free from prison some ol’ day
The sun may even shine to the bottom of the mine
But the sun will never shine on Angela in her grave
Down in east Topeka where the big freights roll
Down in east Topeka hear the scream of a dyin’ soul
Outside the El Azteca hear the train whistle blow
Fadin’ in the night as the wind blows cold
Outside the El Azteca, outside the El Azteca
Outside the El Azteca hear the scream of a dyin’ soul...
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12. |
Mad Dog Blues
05:35
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Mad Dog Blues
M. Litton
It’s a rough ol’ world, you’re born to surrender
Though you may run n’ hide like an old outlaw
It’s a rough ol’ world and none are delivered
She’ll shoot ya down, my friend
Shoot ya down one and all
When a dog goes mad they’ll shoot him at sunrise
Let the barn cats come and lap up his blood
If he lives so long that he’s old and near blind
They’ll stake ‘im by the river when it’s starting to flood
When I was a child I walked into the pasture
Found bones bleached white by the sun and the rain
I recognized my old dog’s brown-black fur
I curse the hour I first felt my soul give way
Now the lilac bloomed in the cemetery breeze
And mixed her perfume with the stench of death
Beneath those bones the grass grew green
The earth feeds each and by each she is fed
It’s a rough ol’ world, you’re born to surrender
Though you may run n’ hide like an old outlaw
It’s a rough ol’ world and none are delivered
She’ll shoot you down, my friend
Shoot you down one and all
When a man goes mad he best jump in the river
If he don’t jump fast they’ll haul him away
In the give and take some are taken by the Giver
While others put up gold for their buryin’ day
You can rest in the shade while the sun beats down
Far from the wrath of your mad dog mind
If you break your cover he’ll run ya to the ground
If you lay low he may take you from behind
So tell my sons there’ll be peace in the valley
Tell my daughters that the lilac blooms
You can tell ‘em all I’ve gone out a-huntin’
Gonna shoot a mad dog in the afternoon
Shoot a mad dog in the afternoon.
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13. |
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When I’m Over the Heartache
M. Litton
When I reached out this morning
When I reached out to take your hand
O what a feeling to find there was nothing
Now there’s nothing that I understand
When I’m over the heartache for you I’ll nevermore cry
When I’m over the heartache I’ll only be lonely
Lord, I wish I wasn’t lonely tonight
O girl I’d pray, but what good would it do?
Each night and day, filled with memories of you
Through heartache and rhyme, sweet rhythm and time
The dream still won’t come true
When the wind blows wild
And the dove like a child cries from his dark solitude
Like the lonely refrain from a century-old song
Or an old man who longs for his youth
That’s the ache my heart feels for you...
That night we walked the high hill
And gazed on the stars as they shined
We held it all in that moment
Some moments seem to last for all time
Climbing the staircase all the way up to our room
As I step to each tread my heart fills with dread
For I face another night without you
When I’m over the heartache for you I’ll nevermore cry
When I’m over the heartache I’ll only be lonely
Lord, I wish I wasn’t lonely tonight
O girl I’d pray, but what good would it do?
Each night and day, filled with memories of you
Through heartache and rhyme, sweet rhythm and time
The dream still won’t come true.
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14. |
Feel the Fever
05:14
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Feel the Fever
M. Litton / Calvin Bennett
You sit in your place unaware of the wind
And that’s when you start feeling again
Life will start up and you have to begin
And that’s when you start feeling again
Your mind is made up and you’re not going to win
And that’s when you start feeling again...
You sit in your place unaware of the wind
The door swings open and she walks in
She touches your lips and brushes your skin
And that’s when you start feeling again
You feel the fever, the heat and fever of the moonlight
You feel the fever, the heat and fever of the moon
She moves with the shadows cast on the wall
As the dancing flames leap and fall
The wolves in the distance are starting to call
You reach for her, you’re wanting it all
You feel the fever, the heat and fever of the moonlight
You feel the fever, the heat and fever of the moon
Ah feel the fever, the heat and fever
Come feel the fever...
She’s a Gypsy child of the hunted breed
She know no shame, she knows no grief
She’s old as the wind, as the surf of the sea
If you want her love you’ve got to believe
And feel the fever, the heat and fever of the moonlight
Feel the fever, the heat and fever of the moon
Ah feel the fever, the heat and fever
Come feel the fever...
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15. |
Jimi's Hymn
03:40
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16. |
Life Is Sweet
05:26
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Life Is Sweet
M. Litton
Hold me darlin’, you call me Rhett, I’ll call you Scarlet
We’ll waltz around the gazebo as the music plays
Life is sweet, hear the rhythm and the melody
While the minstrels sing that “Ol’ Swanee”
In three-part harmony...
Life is sweet on a summer’s evenin’
Life is sweet, hear the crickets singin’
Where the river winds and lovers rendezvous
Beneath the cottonwood trees where the moon shines through
Let it shine on me...
Life is sweet, it’s a wise ol’ sayin’
Life is sweet, hear the children playin’
While the ol’ folks talk and fireflies glow
Around the front-porch steps of our family home
Sweet home...
Take me back, I’ll not complain
Take me back, I want everything to be the same
There’s a baseball game and a rodeo
Fireworks in the sky explode
There’s a carnival at the edge of town
With a Ferris Wheel and a merry-go-round
And around...
Git the rock-salt and a gunny sack
Bust the ice with the flat of the ax
Then turn the crank and start to dream
About chocolate cake and homemade ice cream
I scream...
Take me back, I’ll not complain
Take me back, I want everything to be the same
The same...
Life is sweet, oh so sweet...
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The Gothic Cowboy/The Border Band Lawrence, Kansas
I'm a creekbank ghetto boy. Began my singin' near half a century ago in Canada, then hit northeast, down thru Nashville, Austin, out to Colorado and back to Kansas where I started out and will likely remain. My influences are Leadbelly, Jimmie Rodgers, CCR and The Band, while the juices of a hundred others flavor my music, not to mention the devil himself if that's what it takes to make a song... ... more
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