DOWNTOWN AMERICA The Lyrics

THE GHOST OF PREACHER CASEY (D. Sharp)


Broken down drifters
Hobos and junkies
Half dead on the ground
In a twilight hooker`s avenue
There`s another gang fight goin` down
Six o`clock sound bytes of CNN news
Got the latest on a hostage uptown
Between inside and out of this satellite hell
It`s strange how it all comes around
The young neo facists have found a new voice
A new churc and new faith
This is The Ghost of Preacher Casey callin` from the grave
Callin` from the grave

Crippled young wodows in cardboard boxes
Say "I`m starved, and don`t pass me by"
TV evangelists with bibles in hand
Cruise the neighboorhood most every night
New mental rockers at the top of the dial
Say "hey, everything is all right"
While nervous senators on TV debates
Vote for judges who ain`t fit to preside
No tellin` now as they send a man down
What future the`re trying to create
This is The Ghost of Preacher Casey callin` from the grave
Callin` from the grave

Welcome back here to the ghetto now
There`s got to be some good will left in this place
For as the big wheel turns the grafitti spreads
From the schoolhouse walls to the Whitehouse gates
And the 155 Hard Rock Cafes` the vigilantes talk out their
Face about eh border patrols the U.S. Sien Fienn
The death row statistics, religion, and aids
These are the days of political change
Out here it all looks the same
This is The Ghost of Preacher Casey callin` from the grave
Callin` from the grave


IT`S A MEAN MEAN HAND (D. Sharp)


Now look alive you fellows fine
And listen to this song
And hear of timeturn freedom bells
Through dungeons dark and strong
Blossoms that once bloomed so fair
Are faded soon and gone
And beacon fires once burnin` bright
Grow colder one by one
Seasons are for changin` tho`
All order be disturbed
Just so as there is a mean mean hand
Gotta hold upon this world

Jigsaw ways of walls and wire
Feed fear now far and wide
From North and South the darkest mass
Of men are bound to rise
They`ll heave upon the draglines of
All weak and withrin` minds
Whose work is all for none but they
Whose aim is to divide
Now turnin` turnin` and
Turn again and let it all be heard
Just so as there is a mean mean hand
Gotta hold upon this world

You murderers of nations now
Bring number to your days
Your grip will not be held too long
As time winds down the day
All this life`s a circle and
The wheel`s turned again
Your wrecker`s light is dimming fast
It shines its hollow haze
Silver singin` waters
Are now risin` rivers stirred
Just so as there is a mean mean hand
Gotta hold upon this world


DOWNTOWN AMERICA (D. Sharp)


I`m staring straight up from the sidewalk
At the stars high above me tonight
Those stars were made for you and me
But they`re no longer shining so bright
At the crossroad down by the traffic lights
There`s a man dressed in tatters and rags
He says God bless you now I`ll work for food
I`ve been to Vietnam and back with the draft

Well they say that`s life in Downtown America
And you live it as best as you can
It`s time time to believe in Downtown America
Every woman every child every man

At the mission shelter in midtown
There`s an old timer wastin` away
Says I`ve been rolled 18 times in the past 6 weeks
And they`ll get to me one of these days
And sister Suzanne works the nightshift there
She`s bust trying to figure out how
All the applause of the electronic town halls
Is gonna heave the industrial plough

Well they say that`s life in Downtown America
And you live it as best as you can
It`s time time to believe in Downtown America
Every woman every child every man
We`ll be together in the Promised Land

Now I`ve listened to words spoke in high places
They say the new world will come in good time
They`ll speak of renewed hope and glory
And I`ll swallow it down like red wine
Don`t it feel like the union is driftin`
The excuses are all growin` old
I`ll take any man here out to the parking lot now
Tries tellin` me that isn`t so

They say that`s life in Downtown America
And you live it as best as you can
It`s time time to believe in Downtown America
Every woman every child every man
And be together in the Promised Land
Say a prayer for the common man


DRIVE THESE BLUES AWAY (D. Sharp)


Now the wind blows cold
Bells ring out
Way across
Town tonight
It`s gettin` too dark to see
Steel glass rain
Starin` at the
Bright headlights
It`s dark as a dungeoned house
Ooh and for heavens` sakes
Heart is as black as coal
It don`t have to be this way

Waitin` on that sunnyland train
You`re gonna make it any day
Get onboard that sunnyland train
Drive these blues away
Well it don`t have to be this way

Down in the alley by the liquor store
Gotta get some joy
Nobody knows folks like these
They`re gonna do what they can tonight
Oh Lord
To get a little sweet
Sweet relief
My last dollar is gone and spent
These ain`t christian days
Livin` off fat back meat
It don`t have to be this way

Waitin` on that sunnyland train
You`re gonna make it any day
Get onboard that sunnyland train
Drive these blues away
Well it don`t have to be this way

Well now the train pulls in
Every quarter hour
Believe it friend
Don`t matter who you are
It`s one for the ticket
Two for the tracks
Three to get ready
Don`t be looking
Looking back

Waitin` on that sunnyland train
You`re gonna make it any day
Get onboard that sunnyland train
Drive these blues away
Well it don`t have to be this way

Well it don`t have to be this way

Well it don`t have to be this way


GIVE ME BACK MY JOB (J. Garland)


I don`t want
Your millions mister
I can`t use no diamond ring
I want the right
To live mister
Give me back
My job again

I don`t want your
Rolls Royce mister
I can`t use no pleasure yacht
I want some food
For these children
Give to me
My old job back

We work to build
This country mister
While you enoy`d
Your life of ease
You steal
All`d we build mister
Got to see them folks
They starve and freeze

Now call me dumb
If you wish mister
Call me green
Or blue or red
This one
They sure know mister
These hungry folks
They got to be fed

I don`t want
Your millions mister
I can`t use
No diamond ring
I want some
Food
For this children
Give me back
My job again

Now I don`t want
Your millions mister
I can`t use
No diamond ring
I want the right
To live mister
Give me back
My job again


THE REBEL (D. Sharp)


Which side are you on boys
Are you in or are you out
What`s the plan where`s the action
Is anybody keepin` count
Are you makin` any distance
Through the fogged avenues
Over the miles of desolation
Beneath your old leather shoes

Backed up against a mountain
Stacked as high as old deceit
Take one good look around you
Can you still say that old rocky road to helltown
Is a million miles from where you`ll ever be
Can you still say in the bright lights of the city
As Saturday rolls `round the rails
And you drink another whiskey
There is no way in this world for you to fail

You`re like a rebel now
Feel like it`s all you`ve ever been
You`re like a rebel now
And for the sake of sweet freedom
I only hope you win
I only hope you win

And so released upon the nation
With a baseball hat and shades
Like so many more before you
No sir you`re not afraid
Now as rivers roll against you
As troubled waters rise
One by one all dreams desert you
Maybe it`s time to realize
For too long you have been sinkin`
Deep in pit `a shiftin` sand
Gotta hold tight around your throat
And you know that`s when it gets to be like murder
Bustin` you back against the land
Born with a debt that`s held in service
Somewhere deep inside the mines
With old mother Jones a singin`
It`s more than enough to bury any man alive

You`re like a rebel now
Feel like it`s all you`ve ever been
You`re like a rebel now
And for the sake of sweet freedom
I only hope you win
I only hope you win

Sweet as all the other
Well everybody knows she`s a lot like spear and grind
All the boards are made of tree color
There`s no such thing as yours or mine
Are you in or out allthough you`re right

You`re like a rebel now
Feel like it`s all you`ve ever been
You`re like a rebel now
And for the sake of sweet freedom
I only hope you win
I only hope you win
I only hope you win

You`re like a rebel now
Feel like it`s all you`ve ever been
You`re like a rebel now
And for the sake of sweet freedom
I only hope you win
I only hope you win
I only hope you win


TENDER MERCY (D. Sharp)


I guess you know this is a wonderful life
You got to be so glad to be livin'
All along the golden delta skyway underneath the southern moon
Out of New England towards Santa Fe
West now my pretty milkin' maid
Fresh horses just for to carry you
You're gonna make it in a day or two
Sunrise, this garden of Eden
Got to keep walkin' on 'til the sun goes down
Some days you get six feet under
Some days you hit higher ground

But if you run like hell when there's a storm rollin' in
Well, you had sure better have a prayer, Lord,
And some Tender Mercy within.

As you rise up Gillgharra mountainside
Walkin' down Strawberry Avenue
There is a weight of old Spanish iron
You'd better keep out a watch tonight
And the borderline of this restless wandering
And the will for to seek out the light
Go anyplace now, walk in peace
It's gonna be alright, Lord, it's gonna be alright

Well if you reach out you're gonna heave it in
You're gonna move it on, you're gonna share it out
But if you hold on there will always be something so strong within

As this mornin' light turns to slumber now
As these city streets make do for shelter, Lord,
This land a pillow now, come rest your weary head
Look out, look in, look out, look in

But if you run like hell . . .


ROAD TO MEXICO (D. Sharp)


Crazy days in New York on Avenue A
Somewhere through the streetlights you can hear the music play
Everybody's swingin' to a change of pace
Candy Corona down here in the market place
Gang men along the bridge twisted from the start
Say, "Hold on, you're way of course;
This time you've gone too far;
Just remember what you started-
Ain't it time for you to blow back to workin' for the dollar
On the Road to Mexico

Way down on Paradise Street, a wing and prayer
It was hard movin' up-harder comin' down there
Roads in all directions, division by degrees
That's how the deals go down here on Paradise Street
There are some amongst us-they know just who they are
All gold along the path-you couldn't ask for more
But the deaf and the blind and the speechless
You got to learn to rock and roll
If you're lookin' for a better deal on the Road . . .
In the shadows in the boulevards the odds were 20 to 1
Rockin' Ron' could keep the whole thing rollin' along
Move it to the left through the bleeding, drivin' rain
If the crew don't make it through nothin' ever be the same
One thing worth talkin' about, swear it won't take long
Some days you got to move without a look at the water beyond
Along the windin' road that's how the story goes
Take it or leave it on the road . . .

Reachin' for the borderline with heart so strong
Cold sweat and a desire to belong
Mixed up in a hurricane like you never seen before
Wasn't much to talk about-everybody hit the floor
Sweet angel of mercy, won't you shine your light
Just around the mountainside-El Paso shinin' bright
If'n you be yearnin' for to ramble and to roam
Remember how it all goes down on the Road to Mexico.


TWISTIN` WIND (D. Sharp)


You're runnin' wild with ragged face
Wrong time, wrong place
It's a cryin' shame, look at the state you're in
Way gone in the twistin' wind

You took a wrong turn, seems you just can't wait
To get a black spot, and that's hard fate
Oh, Lord, you've been star crossed
You're way out west, and now you're lost
You don't know where you started 'cause you don't know where you've been
And that's way gone . . .

You're just too much of a big fuss
You get tangled up in that old devil's dust
At crack of doom with shell shock
You need one last 


THE LAST FAIR DEAL (D. Sharp)


What of this land with these mountains rising high
Never seen a mountain that never could be climbed
What of these times rivers running fast and wide
No water run too deep for to reach the other side
I'll bet any money that when the whole world is down on you
You can do anything-you can take it on
Let it in
Let it turn you through

There's only one road on up to high high ground
'Rollin on and on
'Til there's no way down
Pretty soon these drivin' wheels will all be turned around
You got the last fair deal going down

What of back luck beneath these shaken, shattered storms
Rain is fallin' it's bitter and it's cold
What of your heart the sweetest thing was ever known
Like seasons spinnin' within dreams blue silver red and gold
I'll bet any money
That when the rain is fallin' down on you
You can do anything now
You can take it on let it in let it turn you through

Alight in the distance
There is a burnin' field of fire
Right here in the black and white
Of the hear and now
You got to move on higher
You got a little piece of a big big soul

There's only one road on