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Best of the Asylum Years
- Volume One
Steve Goodman, Steve Burgh
The day you're born
they sign a piece of paper
To certify the date of your birth
And the day you die they sign another
Just to prove you've gone back to the earth
And between those two pieces of paper
There's the truth that is so hard to find
And the story of your life is written, but
You must read in between the lines
Now when you're young
you think it doesn't matter
If you leap before you look
But those old folks are wiser and sadder
From the chances that they took
Now when your chance comes along, you must take it
Just be careful and take your time
And the chances are good you will make it
If you could read in between the lines
And when someone tells you they love you
And that no one has ever loved you more
It is wise to stop and consider how many
Times they might have said that before
Because when love leaves you cryin'
You will surely lose your mind
And you might have known love was lying
If you could read in between the lines.
PRODUCED BY STEVE GOODMAN FOR RED PAJAMAS PRODUCTIONS, AND STEVE
BURGH
From the album Vvbrds We Can Dance To
Copyright 1976 Big Ears Music, Inc./
Red Pajamas Music, Inc. (ASCAP)
Steve Goodman, Bill Swofford
Instrumental
PRODUCED BY STEVE GOODMAN FOR RED PAJAMAS PRODUCTIONS
From the album Jessie's Jig And
Other Favorites
Copyright 1975 Big Ears Music, Inc./
Red Pajamas Music, Inc. (ASCAP)
Steve Goodman
We had a city hall wedding
And our friends all laughed
And they started betting
On how long it would last
Some give it a week some give it a year
Now the honeymoon's over and we're still here
I've got to hand it to you babe
You've changed my life
I never thought that any woman
Would ever be my wife
I've got to give credit where credit is due;
And now that I've said it
I've got to hand it to you
We started out together
And made a big oath
That would be good for one
Would be good for both
Throw in the towels that say his and hers
We might have done better
But we could have done worse
I kissed the bride. and we settled down
And it wasn't very long before the stork come round
He's got three little babies and a mortgage too
When I get my pay check
I've got to hand it to you.
PRODUCED BY STEVE GOODMAN
FOR RED PAJAMAS PRODUCTIONS
From the album High And Outside
Copyright 1979 Big Ears Music, Inc./
Red Pajamas Music, Inc. (ASCAP)
Steve Goodman, Steve Burgh, Jeff
Gutcheon, Jim Rothermel, Lew London,
Saul Broudy, and Ken Kosek
The traveling salesman stopped for gas
As it was getting late
He sure was feeling tired
And it was snowing on the interstate
He said "Won't cha fill'er up with gas
And see if my oil's alright
And do you know a place where
a tired-out traveling man
Might spend the night?"
The attendant winked at him and said
"I'll bet you been around
The man who puts up lodgers here is
Known as Farmer Brown
You'll find him in that old stone house
Just at the edge of town
And he's got a 15 year old daughter
Who likes to fool around"
The salesman winked right back at him
And a smile came to his lip
He paid for the gas and oil
And then he gave that man a tip
He started up and pushed that old gas pedal to the floor
Went off like a bat and in nothing flat
He was at the farmer's door
The door opened up and a beautiful girl said
"Won't you come on in"
The traveling salesman's tongue
was hanging out like Rin-Tin-Tin
"That old gas station attendant said
I would find you here
And do you have a suitable room
To rent to me my Dear?"
She said "Kind Sir, I'm sorry,
but the last one's gone you see,
So if you want to spend the night
You'll have to sleep with me. "
He said "How fortuitous, my pretty little miss"
And he throws his arms around her
And he gives that girl a kiss
Her warm and tender ruby lips
He scarcely could believe
He never saw the hammer
She had hidden up her sleeve
She said "I'm getting sleepy,
Why don't we go to bed?"
And as they turned to climb the stairs
She whopped him on the head
The very next day the salesman's car
With brand new license plates
Was sitting at Farmer Brown's super service
bout a mile from the interstate
So all you traveling salesmen
Who might be passing through
You better watch your step
Or that traveling salesman joke might be on you.
PRODUCED BY STEVE GOODMAN FOR RED PAJAMAS PRODUCTIONS. AND
STEVE BURGH
From the album Words We Can Dance To Copyright 1976 Big Ears
Music. Inc./ Red Pajamas Music, Inc. (ASCAP)
Steve Goodman, Peter Bunetta and Rick Chudacoff
Nobody said it was easy to be true to your lover
You never think that she's leaving until it happens to you
And it hurts you so deeply, when she's gone for another
And you can't fight those tears back For all the good that they
do
Still tryin' to care baby
Tryin' to be the one you run to
If you need someone to come to
I will always be there
Still tryin' to care
When you're fallin'in love with somebody
You don't really plan it
Let your feelings take over
And then you go for the ride
But when you give it everything that you've got
And she takes it for granted
It's so hard to keep hoping
When you're broken inside
Still tryin' to care baby
Everynight I ask the stars above you
Won't they help me find a way to love you
Anytime, anywhere
Still tryin' to care
So tell me why should I worry
When I know that it's over
And this pain that I'm feeling
Is only my pride
Well if I never met her
Then maybe I could forget her
But I'd rather be lonely tonight
Than to think that she lied
Still tryin' to care baby
Trying to be the one you run to
Well if you need someone to come to
I will always be there
Still tryin' to care
PRODUCED BY PETER BUNETTA AND RICK CHUDACOFF FOR RIPE
PRODUCTIONS
From the album Hot Spot
Copyright 1980 Big Ears Music, Inc./ Red Pajamas Musir-, Inc.
(ASCAP)
Steve Goodman, John Prine
Back in 1899 when everybody sang
Auld Lang Syne
a hundred years took a long, long time for every boy and girl
Now there's only one thing I'd like to know
where did the 20,th century go
I'd swear it was here just a minute ago
all over this world.
Does anyone remember the Great Depression
I read all about it in True Confessions
Sorry I was late for the recording sessions
but somebody put me on hold;
Has anybody seen my linoleum floors,
Petroleum jelly
and two World Wars;
They got stuck in the revolving doors
all over this world.
Winter's getting colder,
summer's getting hotter
Wishing well's wishing for another drop of water
Mother Earth's blushin' 'cause somebody caught her
making love to the man in the moon
How you gonna keep 'em down on the farm,
now that outer space has lost its charm,
Somebody set off the burglar alarm
and not a moment too soon.
Old Father Time has got his toes a tappin:
standin' in the window grumblin' and a rappin'
Everybody's waiting for something to happen,
tell me if it happens to you
The Judgement Day is getting nearer,
there it is in the rear view mirror
If you duck down. I could see a little clearer
all over this world.
The 20th century is almost over almost over, almost over
The 20th century is almost over, all over this world.
All over this world, all over this world.
The 20th century is almost over all over this world.
PRODUCED BY JOEL DORN FOR THE
MASKED ANNOUNCER CORR
From the album Say It In Private
Copyright 1977 Big Ears Music, Inc./
Steve Goodman, Steve Burgh and
Jim Rothermel
Down to the Banana Republics
Down to the tropical sun
Come the expatriated Americans
Expecting to have some fun
Some of them come for the sailing
Drawn by the lure of the sea
To cure the spirit that's ailing
From living in the land of the free
Some of them are running from lovers
Leaving no forward address
Some of them are running marajuana
Some are running from the IRS
Late at night you can see them
In the cheap hotels and bars
Hustling the senoritas
As they dance beneath the stars
Spending the renegade pesos
On a bottle of rum and a lime
Singing give me some words I can
Dance to and a melody that rhymes
Once you learn the native customs
And a word of Spanish or two
Then you know you can't trust them
Because they know they can't trust you
Down in Banana Republics
It is not always as warm as it seems
When none of the natives are buying
Any second hand American Dreams
Expatriated Americans
Are feeling so all alone
Telling themselves the same lies
That they told themselves at home
PRODUCED BY STEVE GOODMAN FOR RED PAJAMAS PRODUCTIONS, AND STEVE
BURGH
From the album Words @ Can Dance To
Copyright 1976 Big Ears Music, Inc./
Red Pajamas Music, Inc. (ASCAP)
William "Smokey" Robinson
I've got two lovers and I ain't ashamed
Two lovers and I love them both the same.
Let me tell you about my first lover.
She treats me good like a lover should
Treats me fine and she's mine all mine
And I love her, I really love her
Oh. I love her so and I'll do everything
I can to let her know.
But I've got two lovers and I ain't ashamed
Two lovers and I love them both the same.
Let me tell you about the other lover
She treats me bad and makes me mad
Makes me cry but I can't deny
That I love her, I really love her
Oh. I love her so and I'll do everything
I can to let her know.
Darling well. don't you think that I can tell
That, whenever I'm with you that you think I'm untrue
'cause I say that I love two but I really, really do.
'Cause you're a split personality and in reality
both of them are you.
PRODUCED BY JOEL DORN FOR THE MASKED ANNOUNCER CORP
From the album Say It In Private
Copyright 1962 Jobete Music Company Inc CASCAP)
Steve Goodman, Rick Chudacoff
You better watch out
if you don't want me around all the time
'cause I'm attracted to you
You've got the way to keep me interested
in the things that you do
The sides you show to me and
the ones you keep concealed
Oooo- They are pulling me into
your magnetic field, so
you better watch out
if you don't want me around all the time
'cause I'm attracted to you.
You better watch out.
if you don't want me around all the time
'cause I'm attracted to you
Everywhere you look
you're gonna see a good friend of mine
looking right back at you
We'll be eye to eye and me to you
that's that way I was attracted to
oooo- The only one of you
And I'm the only one who loves you I like I do
so you better watch out
if you don't want me around all the time
cause I'm attracted to you.
PRODUCED BY JOEL DORN FOR THE MASKED ANNOUNCER CORP From the
album Say It In Private Copyright 1977 Big Ears Music, Inc,/ Red
Pajamas Music, Inc.; Gouda Music Co. (ASCAP)
Music by Steve Goodman and Steve Burgh
Words by Steve Goodman
All night long you've been sending those signals
The ones you know I couldn't help but see
You won't be satisfied until you satisfy your curiosity
I don't mean to sound ungrateful
Am I not the fool for flattery
But you don't know what you're saying
Or you wouldn't be saying it to me
Back where I come from
We don't take these things lightly
We don't say the words just to hear
How they sound
I need the one who will love me nightly
And the one who will still be there
When you're not around
Wasn't this the Garden of Eden
Way back when I was Adam
And you were Eve
But you just want one bite of the apple
And then you want to put the rest
Back up on the tree
PRODUCED BY STEVE GOODMAN
FOR RED PAJAMAS PRODUCTIONS
From the album High And Outside
Copyright 1977 Big Ears Music, Inc./
Red Pajamas Music, Inc. (ASCAP)
Steve Goodman
Two old middle aged men
Were sittin' up in the corner bar
They were lying about what
Wonderful lovers they are
Bending each other's ear
They were bending their elbows too
Holding their arms apart
Just the way fishermen do, singing
You should have seen the one that got away
You should have seen the one that got away
Two old middle aged girls
Were sittin' in the beauty salon
Just waiting for their nails to dry
They were trading the recipes
And all of the ways to save
One hundred and one night stands
With a brand new permanent wave,
singing
You should have seen the one that got away
You should have seen the one that got away
Hindsight makes the heart grow fonder
And that's what it cost
When you run around saying I love you
With your fingers crossed
And it's too late to go back now
And that's just about as good as it gets
For rock'n'roll Romeos and their jukebox Juliets
And you can see them out on the street
Tryin' to figure out what it all means
When they try to make their lives complete
In the safety of their dreams
By putting their arms around the one that got away
And you should have seen the one that got away
oh you should have seen the one that got away
And you should have seen the one that got away
PRODUCED BY STEVE GOODMAN
FOR RED PAJAMAS PRODUCTIONS
From the album High And Outside
Copyright 1979 Big Ears$Ausic, Inc,/
Red Pajamas Music, Inc. (ASCAP)
