Lyrics to Songs Not Yet Recorded
Listed by where I was living when they were made up
Chippewa
Falls 1974-1983
a white wood frame house by the Chippewa River,
20 below in the land of Leinenkugel's
Grampa Shine
copyright 1976 Robert
'One-Man' Johnson
We called him Grampa Shine ‘cause he was smiling all the time
/ Always making others laugh and sing / Wanted nothing for himself, just his friends and
family’s health / And for all of us he’d do most anything / He had no hair upon his head, ‘It’s what’s inside,’ he said,
/ ‘That makes a man more than just a man. / There’s no sense in feeling sad, / Take the good times with the bad,
/ Live life to the fullest that you can’ / Grampa Shine said to me, ‘Son, your life is just begun
/ While mine is very nearly at its end. / You’ll find it works out best to be concerned about the rest
/ You help yourself each time you help a friend.’ / We’d sit there all day long, as he told us in a song
/ Of his life and times out rambling on the road / As his stories grew and grew,
/ His happy wisdom still came through / He tried to say. we reaped just what we sowed
/ Grampa Shine to me, ‘Bob, its your most important job
/ to make as many people happy as you can.’ / well he isn’t with us now, but it was he who showed us how
/ to be good to others...thank you, Grampa shine!
Take Me Back Home
copyright 1977 Robert
'One-Man' Johnson
Take me back home where life still lives like yesterday
/ Take me back home hard times are all just used to be / I need a place to lay my head, a feather pillow for my bed
/ And time to think of things I've said / Take me back home /
The city lights have stolen all my happiness
/ The crowded streets have filled me with their emptiness / My eyes are closed, still I can see, the only place
I want to be / The roads reach out in front of me / To take me back home
/ I need to find the things that really matter
/ But life's so short, it dwindles day by day / I've seen my dreams like broken mirrors shattered
/ On the road along the way / Take me back home where birds still sing up in the trees/
Take me back home return me to my memories / Ma and pa wait at the door, they know what I'm coming for
/ It's peace of mind and nothing more / Take me back home
Frenchtown
Saturday Night
copyright 1978 Robert
'One-Man' Johnson
Cross that main street river bridge,
/ Hurry down the south side of town / Happy people will welcome you to / A Frenchtown Saturday night
/ You don’t have to be no king,
/ Just relax and do your thing / Pretty soon things start to swing on / A Frenchtown Saturday night
/ just walk in any place
/ they’re glad to see your face / order a beer, order a wine, a whiskey / or anything you choose
/ you’ll quickly realize / there’s no place else like here / It’s a Frenchtown Saturday night /
Hurry up, people don’t be late / Don’t hesitate or procrastinate / Come alone or bring a date / It’s a Frenchtown Saturday night
I Can’t Do A
Damn Thing
copyright 1977 Robert
'One-Man' Johnson
I can't do a damn thing without you
/ I can't make it without you by my side / In chains to our passion, in bondage to our love
/ You're the only one who keeps me satisfied / You possess me with your mind and with your body
/ Make me do the things that I don't wanna do / But it seems I've got no choice I object but have no voice
/ I can't do a damn thing without you / Cryin'
oooeee! gonna set out on the highway / Find somebody that'll set me free /
Cryin' ooo no! I can't do a damn thing without you / I can’t get myself up in the morning
/ I can’t fix my coffee, cook my morning bread / My lonely life’s on hold, this empty bed is cold
/ There’s a sad dull pain that’s achin’ in my head / You possess me with your mind and with your body
/ Make me do the things that I don't wanna do / But it seems I've got no choice I object but have no voice
/ I can't do a damn thing without you / Cryin'
oooeee! gonna set out on the highway / Find somebody that'll set me free /
Cryin' ooo no! I can't do a damn thing without you
I Don't
Care What You Call Me
copyright 1980 Robert
'One-Man' Johnson
My daddy named me Robert,
/ But some folks call me 'Bob' / My sweetheart calls me 'Loverboy', / But I'm 'One-Man' on the job
/ Now if there's still a question in your mind / I don't care what you call me,
/ Please don't call me 'Late For Suppertime' / Down at the neighborhood tavern,
/ People used to call me Slim / But it seems the more I eat and drink, / The less I look like him
/ I guess I'll belly up and have another stein / I don't care what you call me,
/ Please don't call me 'Late For Suppertime' / Fancy people call’em omelets,
/ To me they’re just scrambled eggs / When I sit at the kitchen table, /
Plain food is all I beg / I s’pose that quiche and crepes and cordon bleu are fine
/ I don't care what you call me, / Please don't call me 'late for suppertime'
I ain't gonna eat no escargot,
/ Don't want no truffles too / Can't stand the taste of bouillabaise, / That's just fishhead stew / If there's still a question in your mind
/ I don't care what you call me, / Please don't call me 'late for suppertime'
The Setting of the
Sun
copyright 1979 Robert
'One-Man' Johnson
Summer's almost over the races all have been run
/ Horses all have been ridden / the wagers all have been won / Still the game isn't ended it seems like it's only begun
/ Spending our winnings together in the setting of the sun /
We built our share of bridges crossed them one by one
Yeah, me and you might have burned quite a few / But the past’s in the past and it's done
/ Some people feel that they've got a good deal
/ They think that they have all the fun But they never take time to see the reason and rhyme
In the setting of the sun
Watch a
Little TV
copyright 1979 Robert
'One-Man' Johnson
Watch a little TV together in a chair
/ My arms around her fingers runnin' through my hair / After while we get a little crazy in the head
/ Turn off David Letterman go up to bed / Gee, it's great to be back home
/ I could spend my whole life here / No one like you on the road / Nothing else could quite compare
/ Eat a little popcorn drink a little juice
/ Come on baby, what do you say? hey, let's get loose / We'll make a little whoopee pitch a little woo
/ Lord, I love you when you do the things you do
The Ballad of
Dirty Jack and Diamond Lil
copyright 1980 Robert
'One-Man' Johnson
His name was Dirty Jack and he was known throughout the land
/ His all-consuming passion, it was combat, hand-to-hand / He’d gouge your eyes, bruise your lips and spit right in your face
/ But Jack’s no longer dirty, he’s a man of style and grace / chorus:
/ He’s changed, he’s changed / his reckless way of life is rearranged
/ A buxom, winsome miss stole his heart with just one kiss / Now there’s no more hit or miss because he’s changed /
They said that Dirty Jack could fell a man with just a glance
/ Bad boys came from miles around to take a daring chance / Jack never lost a single match until, without a blow,
/
Cupid shot his little dart and laid that rounder low /
chorus:
/ He met a girl named Diamond Lil ( he changed, he changed )
/ She gave his big old heart a thrill ( he changed, he changed ) / She really put that tough guy down ( he changed, he changed )
/ Their home is on the edge of town ( he changed, he changed ) /
Now Jack and Lil are parents of two little baby boys
/ But those rotten tots refuse to play with little baby toys / They strangle rats and torture cats, beat up the neighbor kid
/ But Jack and Lil just smile and say remember what Jack did /
chorus:
Million Dollar
Mama
copyright 1981 Robert
'One-Man' Johnson
Mmm, my oh my mmm, my oh my
/ Million dollar mama thinks I'm just 5 and dime / Mama told me auntie told me too
/ Mama told me auntie told me too / Million dollar mama will be the death of you
/ It's a 2 dollar meal, 3 dollar bed,
/ Pain in my pocket aching in my head / Beat me, Bang me, Bring me to my knees /
Million dollar mama is impossible to please / Mmm, my oh my! mmm, my oh my!
/ Million dollar mama thinks
I'm just 5 and dime /
Nickel gets a shoeshine,
dime
gets a hat / Dollar for a sharkskin suit and polka dot cravat / A quarter buys a cab ride, a sawbuck buys the cops
/ Step inside the juke joint where the music never stops /
Mmm, my oh my! mmm, my oh my!
/ Million dollar mama thinks I'm just 5 and dime
Soft
Shoulders, Dangerous Curves
copyright 1982 Robert
'One-Man' Johnson
chorus: / Soft shoulders and dangerous curves
/ Eatin' on my mind workin' at my nerves / All those highway signs remind me of her
/ Thinkin 'bout those soft shoulders and dangerous curves All alone and lonesome rollin down the road
/ Back home in Wisconsin, I know it's freezin cold / Here in Luzianna, my rig is
runnin' right / Lord I'd love to lay with her tonight / Thinkin' 'bout those
/ chorus: / Just passed a driver in a no passin' zone / My mind so disconnected from these hours all alone / If baby was here with me, she could set me straight
/ 2 more days, boys I can hardly wait / Thinkin' 'bout those / chorus:
/ Wipers slappin' almost nappin' tryin to stay awake
/ Think I better exit here and have a coffee break / Flashin' yellow indicates a detour up ahead
/ Wish I was home a-sleepin' in my bed / Next to those / chorus:
/ Lights are flashin' horns are honkin' like a stock car race
/ In my mind my memory is fixed upon her face / Traffic on this interstate about to make me cry
/ A northbound sign's reflecting in my eye / chorus
Paradise in Her
Eyes
copyright 1981 Robert
'One-Man' Johnson
Sometimes, when day is done,
/ I think about when we were one / And realize that paradise was in her eyes
/ Sometimes, just before dawn, / I might reach out and find her gone
/ And realize that paradise was in her eyes / We didn't fight, but it just wasn't right
/ So she left me to find it on her own / Sometimes, in the afternoon,
/ In fullest light I see the moon / And realize that paradise was in her eyes
/ We didn't change, we only rearranged
/ And sent up our secrets to the sky / Sometimes, in the fading light,
/ I think about our final night / And realize that paradise was in her eyes
Pipedreams (revisited)
copyright 1983 Robert
'One-Man' Johnson
15, maybe 25 watt bulb on the ceiling
/ 6-legged something crawling up and down the wall / Can't remember where I been, don't know where I'm going
/ Just trying to pick myself up when I fall / chorus:
/ This life is definitely indefinite, certainly uncertain /Gotta take a chance and dance with reality
/ Forget about me! / Standin on one foot trying to get clean in a men's room
/ Green soap shave spillin blood speckles on the floor / 723-2428...for a good time
/ Kilroy was here but he ripped off the bathroom door / chorus: / Sleepin in the truck even though it's 9 below zero / Had to make a choice between food and a motel bed
/ Start the motor up, run the heater just a few minutes / Down sleeping bag, a guitar case under my head
/ chorus: / Money talks, honey walks,
/ Mumbling words 'bout "the good life" / 3 square meals, a job and a bit of rest
/ Is it too much to ask for a lack of discomfort? / How can you win when there is no better or best?
/ chorus:
One Man’s
Jeopardycopyright 1983 Robert
'One-Man' Johnson
I spent most of my life and times in jeopardy
/ Trying to motivate between points A and B / Only one thing runnin through the back of my mind
/ How to get home safely to that woman of mine / chorus:
/ It’s a long hard road, trying to make a buck / Very little lovin and very little luck
/ A long hard road never seems to end / Looking for the pot of gold / At the rainbow’s end
/ I drove a million miles it seems white-knuckled at the wheel
/ Driving through the mountain passes, flying through by feel / Peered through the pouring rain, blinded by the snow
/ Still there’s only one thing that I absolutely know / chorus:
/ And when I die and my life flashes past my eyes
/ I’ll realize I wasn’t healthy, wealthy or wise / I slept too late, I drank too much and never gave a damn
/ But what you see is what you get, I am just who I am / chorus:
A Song about
Life
copyright 1982 Robert
'One-Man' Johnson
Life is rough first it's there and then it's gone
/Life is tough but you must keep on keepin' on / Life's a treat if you don't weaken
/ Let the bastards beat you down / Life is rough but it's the only game in town
/ I got a secret I will tell it here to you
/ Have no regret, just do the things you do / If you're doin' what you wanna / When St. Peter comes around
/ You'll be laughin' when they finally lower you down / Life is short, it's seldom sweet, it sometimes makes you mad
/ When it's gone you'll realize it really weren't half bad / Just enjoy it, hope the others like theirs too
/ Don't destroy it, nothin's gained by feelin blue / And if you're laughin' and
a-gigglin' / 'Bout the way the world went round / If you're doin' what you want to
/ When they finally lower you down / If you can grin while all the bastards
/ Try their best to beat you down / It was rough...but it was the only game in town
Leavin Home
copyright 1981 Robert
'One-Man' Johnson
Leavin home parts unknown /
No time to cool my heels waiting for you to come home / Packed my bags threads and rags
/ I'm off down the road doing what I gotta do / She said to me
/ She didn't want me to be hanging around anymore / Well that's ok, I'm on my way
/ That's what these feet are for / I need time and space, where's my guitar case
/ Don't blink your eyes too much open'em up and I'm gone / She said to me
/ What's your hurry, here's your coat and hat / I smiled and said you stay here,
/ Mobility is where it's at / One more thing on my mind
/ why did I
stay so long? / I was just wastin my time
Ooh,
Baby Ooh!
copyright 1982 Robert
'One-Man' Johnson
Ooh, baby ooh! honey when you do what you do
/ Ooh, baby ooh! honey when you do what you do / Make me wanna holler make me wanna go and follow you
/ Ooh, baby ooh! honey when you say what you say
/ Ooh, baby ooh! honey when you say what you say / Make me happy knowing I’m the only one you do this way
/ You got charm you got grace such a
beautiful face / You got looks you got class I love the way you move your little /
Ooh, baby ooh! honey when you do what you do
/ Make me wanna holler make me wanna go and follow you / You got looks you got style and such a beautiful smile
/ You got money to spare and I love to run my fingers through your
/ Ooh, baby ooh! honey when you do what you do
/ Make me wanna holler make me wanna go and follow you
Istanbul 1983-1988
Our first overseas
experience. Revelation. A thousand minarets piercing the sky.
The most beautiful city on earth.
Bad, Bad Boy
copyright 1986 Robert 'One-Man'
Johnson
chorus: / He's just a bad, bad boy just a bad, bad boy
/ He's just a low down, no good / Never does the things he should / Bad, bad boy /
He's such a social disgrace he doesn't know his place
/ His behavior is a crying shame / He stays out late at night / Plays till the morning light
/ Puts a blot upon his family name / He's just an ungrateful child / His demeanor is wild
/ He's just a low buck, outa luck / Wants to drive a pickup truck / Ungrateful child
/ chorus: / There's always something wrong
/ His hair's a little too long / Some folks are never satisfied / And while I must confess
/ He seldom looks his best / There's more before you than what meets the eye / You see he's got to have his fun
/ Probably will until he's done / Though the society crowd / Says fun just isn't allowed
/ He's got to have his fun / chorus:
One Sided Lovers
copyright 1987 Robert 'One-Man'
Johnson
A little too cool a little too cute
/ Stiletto heels a bathing suit / I was young, a little bit shy / She grabbed my face looked me in the eye
/ chorus: / Now she's gone, gone, gone,
I don't know where / One-sided lovers cover up their love affairs /
I was young a little bit naive
/ She said some things I wanted to believe / Left on my cheek a lipstick trace
/ I close my eyes I still see her face / chorus:
/ Next thing y' know I'm in love again
/ Aint felt the pain since I don't know when / This one was tall her legs were long
/ Shoulda realized she'd do me wrong / chorus:
/ Next one was short you might say petite
/ Looked so fine she knocked me off my feet / But nothing's changed it's all the same
/ Can't score a point in life's lovin' game / chorus:
What's
Your Problem? copyright 1987
Robert 'One-Man' Johnson
Blind man sittin by the side of the road sees more than you do
/ Hungry child with a runny nose don't care about the price of gold / Old lady laying up alone in bed
/ Black and white pictures runnin through her head / Wino waitin' in a welfare line with trouble on his mind
/ chorus: What's your problem? quit your bitchin' bout the way things are
/ What's your problem? with your color TV and your VCR / What's your problem? quit your bitchin'
bout the way things used to be? / What's your problem? Look in the mirror and
see the Bloody problem? / Deaf man listens to his life go by, he hears more than you do
/ Orphan kid to scared to cry don't know where his mom and daddy are / Gray-headed man in an old folks home waits in vain for a long-lost relative
/ Widow-woman sittin all alone livin in a dream / chorus: What's your problem? quit your bitchin'
bout the way things are / What's your problem? with your Gucci shoes and your
German car / What's your problem? quit your bitchin' bout the way things used
to be? / Look in the mirror and see the Bloody problem? Silent man by the side of the road teaches without speaking
/ Trucks full of food, then they mine the road / What became of a thing called charity?
/ Mouths are filled with the taste of war / Generals dream of arms and artillery
/ In the end if it all comes down/ / They'll be lucky if they don't survive
/ chorus: What's your problem? quit your bitchin' bout the way things are
/ What's your problem? with your Chardonnay and your fine cigar / What's your problem? quit your bitchin'
bout the way things used to be? / Look in the mirror and see the Bloody problem?
I Ain't
That Kinda Guy
copyright
1987 Robert 'One-Man' Johnson
The hen chased a rooster said she didn't know why
/ Rooster turned around and looked her in the eye / he said / You shouldn't do that / You shouldn't do like that / Shouldn't do like that / Because I ain't that kinda guy
/ Mare said to the donkey I ain't no fool / You acting like a
donkey, but you're nothing but a mule / You shouldn't do that / You shouldn't do
like that / Shouldn't do like that / Because I ain't that kinda guy/ Walked into a night club, it was getting late
/ Man sat down beside me asked me for a date / chorus: / Saw a pretty lady standing on the street
/ She made an invitation that was hard to beat / You shouldn't do that / You
shouldn't do like that / Shouldn't do like that / Because I ain't that kinda guy
Put Your Money Where Your
Mouth Is
copyright
1987 Robert 'One-Man' Johnson
Remember Mama when you said your love was free? / Now you can prove it /
Give your love to me / Put your money where your mouth is / Gimme a little kiss
/ Those lips look warm and tender on a nasty night like this / Remember Mama,
when you said your love was warm? / Come a little bit closer gimme some
shelter from the storm / Put your money where your mouth is / Gimme a little
kiss / Your lips look warm and tasty on a nasty night like this / Feel like a
rich man and it's you I got to thank / Your sweet honey's just like money in the
bank / Put your money where your mouth is / Gimme a little kiss / your
lips look so inviting / on a nasty night like this.
Nothing
Comes For Free copyright 1987
Robert 'One-Man' Johnson
You can have the things you want
/ If you want the things you have / But people never want the things they need
/ tag: / And you can take it from me, nothing comes for free
/ You can buy what the people sell
/ But people seldom sell the things you need / So anyway, you buy almost anything you see
/ tag: / bridge: / Buy and sell and kiss and tell, it's all the same old game / Desire comes, desire goes, you only change its name
/ You can love anybody that you're with
/ If you're with anybody that you want / But that kinda love is never what you need
/ tag: / bridge:
/ You must choose, but its hard to make a choice
/ Wise men speak, but you don't hear their voice / The hardest choice is seldom what you choose
/ tag:
Something's Rainin' On Me
copyright 1987 Robert 'One-Man' Johnson
Something's rainin' on me fallin' from the sky
/ Something's rainin' on me cloudin' up my eye / Something's rainin' on me down from above
/ But I ain't complainin' that something is love / Something's
gainin' on me I can't win this race/
Something's gainin' on me I gotta give up the chase / Something's gainin' on me like a hawk on a dove
/ But I ain't complainin' that something is love / Something's liftin' me up I'm light on my feet
/ Something's liftin' me up my heart just skipped a beat / Something's liftin' me up but when push comes to shove
/ I ain't complainin' that something is love / Something's holdin' me tight I can't catch my breath
/ Something's holdin' me tight scares me half to death / Something's holdin' me tight like a hand in a glove
/ But I ain't complainin' that something is love
The
Conversation copyright 1987
Robert 'One-Man' Johnson
Where is this conversation going?
/ Or is there something I forgot to say? / The feelings in your heart are showing
/ You try to hide 'em but there is no way / These sad ideas you're expressing
/ Where did they come from, / They're all new to me / You're only trying to keep me guessing
/ Your eyes are closed and you refuse to see / tag:
/ This is foolish! It seems so foolish!
/ This is foolish! It seems so foolish! / Where is this conversation heading?
/ Should we continue? Do you think it's wise? / Why doncha stop the tears you're shedding?
/ Do me a favor, baby dry your eyes / tag:
/ Where is this conversation leading?
/ It's solving nothin it's just causing strife. / Your words have cut me and I'm bleeding!
/ I need a tourniquet to save my life!
I Saw Her
Again copyright 1987
Robert 'One-Man' Johnson
I
saw her again
I saw her last evening / She smiled at me then it was when
I was leaving / I realized by the look in her eyes / There was potential romantic potential
/ I recognized that expediency was essential / Yes, it was essential
/ Then I saw her again on the street she was walking
/ I caught up to her and we started talking / I walked her home she invited me in for some conversation
/ some stimulation / Talk it was sweet like the coffee she brewed / Sweeter than
honey / / And the morning was sunny / I saw her again it was when I was leaving
/ But I knew I'd return from the spell she was weaving / That's how it goes there is fortune to find
/ When you least expect it / You never expect it / That's how it goes you just follow your nose
/ Sneak up behind it if you want it you find it
Back to
Reality
copyright 1987 Robert 'One-Man' Johnson
Back to reality back to the U.S.A.
/ Back to reality face to face with the day to day / chorus:
/ Momma, momma, pin a rose on me / You can't go back to what used to be
/ Back to reality back to the old home town
/ Back to reality side by side with the up and down / chorus:
/ Back to reality back to the middle west
/ Back to reality east is east and you know the rest / chorus:
/ Back to reality back to the folks at home
/ Back to reality a gypsy boy no more to roam / chorus:
/ Back to reality back to the things we love
/ Back to reality where push is push and shove is shove /
chorus:
/ Home town/ James Brown / Sweet corn/ soft porn
/ Fast cars/ all night bars / Condos/ condoms/ condemnation
The Fight at the Well
copyright
1987 Robert 'One-Man' Johnson
You shoulda seen the fight
/ Down at the well that night / Under the neon light the boys were fallin' down
/ You shoulda seen the fight
/ Down at the well that night / Under the neon light the boys were fallin' down
/ Who do you think coulda caused such a scene?
/ Whadda you think coulda made the men so mean? / It was her /
She had the harem hair and oriental eyes / When she smiled her smile she flipped you upside down /
She had the harem hair and oriental eyes
/
When she smiled her smile she flipped you upside down /
How could you blame the boys for being bad
/ Wanting what you can't have can drive you mad / It was her /
She walked away that night she left a mess behind
/ She acted unconcerned her heart as cold as ice / She walked away that night she left a mess behind
/ She acted unconcerned her heart as cold as ice / Now all the boys just sit and stare in space
/ Dreaming about the magic in her face / It was her /
She came from I don't know, took off for who knows where / She left some broken hearts hoping for paradise
/ She came from I don't know,
took off for who knows where / She left some broken hearts hoping for paradise
/ I was the only one who didn't mind / Who am I trying to kid?
she left me crying
Lonely For
You
copyright
1987 Robert 'One-Man' Johnson
Trapped in an elevator
/ Didn't know what to do / Alone in the gloom of a moveable tomb / Wishin' I was trapped with you
/ Stranded in the jungle / Lost as I could be
/
I contemplate this unusual fate / Wishin' you were trapped with me /
chorus:
/ Lonely for you Only for you Lonely for you / Are you lonely for me too?
/ Marooned on a desert island
/ Sharks swimmin all around / I could walk on the water baby / If I knew where you'd be found
/ Crawlin cross the desert /
About to die of thirst / If I had choice of a drink or a kiss / Your lips would touch me first
/ chorus: / Mugged in New York City,
/ Left with nothing but my pride / I don't need much of anything / If you are by my side
/ Lonely for you Only for you Lonely for you
/
Are you lonely for me too?
I Turn to
You copyright
1987 Robert 'One-Man' Johnson
Who do I turn to when I'm feelin' blue?
/ Who do I turn to? well, I turn to you / Who do I turn to when I'm old not new?
/ Who do I turn to? It's you / Who do I turn to when the sun won't shine?
/ Who do I turn to? well, I turn to you / Who do I turn to when I've lost what's mine?
/ Who do I turn to, It's you / Who's gonna scratch my back? give me what
I lack? / Who's gonna scratch my back and never let me down? /
Who do I turn to when the cold winds blow?
/ Who do I turn to? well I turn to you / Who do I turn to when I'm feelin' low?
/ Who do I turn to? It's you / Who's gonna pick me up? fill up my
lovin' cup? / Who's gonna pick me up and never let me down? / Who do I turn to when I'm on the run?
/ Who do I turn to? well I turn to you / Who do I turn to when I'm almost done?
/ Who do I turn to? It's you
And When I
Leave copyright
1987 Robert 'One-Man' Johnson
And when I leave / And when I leave and go away
/ And when I leave and go and lock the door behind me, / Please don't try to find me
/ I ain't comin' back this way again / And when you sit
/ And when you sit and count the hours / And when you sit and count the hours and minutes we have given,
/ Don't tell me that was livin' / Those minutes were / The worst years of our lives
/ And when you look / And when you look inside yourself
/ And when you look inside yourself and see a face of sorrow, / Don't hold out for tomorrow
/ My daddy said "Tomorrow never comes"
Leavin'
Again copyright
1987 Robert 'One-Man' Johnson
Standing on the sidewalk, stunned by the sunset
/ oceans of emotion, but I'm not drownin yet / Sounds of foolish laughter, people having fun
/ I'll be disappearing like the red of the setting sun / I am leaving again, but I'll never forget
/ All the lovely faces of the people I have met
/ I am leaving again, but I'll never forget / All the lovely faces of the people I have met
/ Now the world awaits me outside, but
I'm torn up on the inside / Thinking of the places and the faces I have known / But I take something with me,
/ something I can treasure / The reoccurring pleasure of the memory of you
/ I am leaving again, but I'll never forget / all the lovely faces of the people I have met / I am leaving again, but I'll never forget
/ All the lovely faces of the people I have met / It must be the gypsy in me that keeps me on the ramble
/ Some folks think that it’s a gamble never knowing what's in store / But the ultimate romance is reflected in the glances
/ And the smiles of chance acquaintances, / Of buddies, pals and friends
/ I am leaving again, but I'll never forget
/ All the lovely faces of the people I have met / I am leaving again, but I'll never forget
/ All the lovely faces of the people I have met
Iowa City 1988-1990
corn and pigs and home on seventh avenue
Hymn for the
Crusaders
copyright 1988 Robert
'One-Man' Johnson
Passing through this world of woe
/ Wiping tears not truly shed / Everybody has a row to hoe / Planting seeds of fear and dread
/ Passing through this world of grief
/
Saving souls by taking lives / Barefoot tiptoe-sneaking like a thief / Clutching hypocritic knives
/ Passing through this world of pain
/ Never looking in the mirror / Proudly hold our flag of Cain / Winning victories with fear /
Passing through this world of spite
/ Gath'ring stones for us to throw / Tintype photos black and white / Flood of blood upon the snow
/ Passing through this world of tears
/ Thinking only of ourselves / What we've sacrificed to win the race / Lord knows time will only tell
/ When at last we find our final rest
/ All our trials at an end / Thumping books mortifying flesh / Contemplating sweet revenge /
When at last we reach our final goal
/ Groping blindly in the night / Realizing as our fates unfold / We were blinded by the light
What You
See Is What You Get copyright 1989 Robert
'One-Man' Johnson
What you see is what you get /
The cards are played, the bets are bet / The dice are thrown, the stakes are set
/ What you see is what you get /
What you eat is what you are
/ Soda crackers or caviar / Derelict or movie star / What you eat is what you are
/ Who you are is who you know / Hold me tight and don't let go
/ What you are is what you ea / / One man's poison is another man's meat /
What you see is what you get
/ I'm the best thing you seen yet / So go on girl get yourself set / What you see is what you get
/ All you people out on the take /
Folks are hungry n' you're eatin' cake / Pretty soon they start to scrambling round
/ You better watch yourself before they pull you down /
What you see is what you get
/ I'm the best thing you seen yet / So go on girl get yourself set / What you see is what you get
Don’t
Cry For Me
copyright 1988 Robert
'One-Man' Johnson
There's a big ol' list on your kitchen table
/ Of the things that you have to do / you try to check'em off at their conclusion
/ But it seems that you never get through / This one step forward and two steps back / Is a dance done by every one / An expressway called the road to hell
/ Good intentions that you never get done /
tag:
/ But there’s one thing on the household list
/ You really don't have to do / Don't cry for me when I'm gone/ You can mop the floor, oil the hinges,
/ Wash and wax the car / Go downtown do the shopping / Have a drink at the neighborhood bar
/ Walk the dog, put out the cat, rearrange the furniture / Catalog your CD collection stop wearing animal fur /
tag: / /
You can march downtown try to stop the war
/ Call a friend who's feeling all alone / Volunteer for a telethon give a stray dog a bone
MTV, see BS, watch a war on CNN / do everything that you have to do / but you'll have to do it all again
/ tag
Skintight
copyright 1988 Robert
'One-Man' Johnson
Skintight! Don't see how they can walk that way
/ Skintight! Accentuating the swing and sway / Tonight! I wonder what all of the boys will say
/ Skintight! /
Skintight! love the way you shake that thing
/ Skintight! look out! you're liable to break that thing / Tonight I hope you'll be giving my bell a ring / Skintight! /
Stumblin’,mumblin’, rumblin’ boys out on the street
/ Scufflin’, shufflin’, rufflin’ feathers of all they meet / All of sudden attention directed to ‘look that way!’
/ Unconventional sin-sensational swing and sway /
Skintight! Strut and stroll so nonchalant
/ Skintight! Show everybody just what you want / Tonight everyone knows you're a bon vivant
/ Skintight!
She’s
Got Big Hair
copyright 1988 Robert
'One-Man' Johnson
She’s got big hair she wears foundation garments
/ She’s trying to look like she’s on MTV / She don’t care about her daddy’s comments
/ She’s gonna be the way she wants to be / His jeans are tight, he wears a leather jacket
/ He’s got confusing sexuality / From his ears he hangs his true religion / Salvation through commerciality
/ tag: /
It’s vanity insanity what ever happened to humanity
/ It’s television video hypnotism a substitution for reality /
The preacher
sobs. He says that
God forgives him / The Devil made him do it, don’t you know / And if you want to get to heaven with him
/ Mail in some money to his TV show /tag: /
She’s got big hair she wears foundation garments
/ Shakin her bacon for the boys to see / Her legs are long she’s anorexically skinny
/ Just what they see in her’s a mystery / tag:
Yanbu Saudi Arabia
Five years of sand, home-made beer and the
beautiful Red Sea
Yanbu Blues
copyright 1996 Robert
'One-Man' Johnson
Out from the commission to the streets of old
Yanbu /Anywhere you look there sure ain’t nothin much to do /
chorus:
/ I got the Yanbu blues I got the Yanbu blues I got the Yanbu blues
/ But there is no other place for me to choose / Looking for a woman, I went down to
Ladies Street / In their head to toe abayyas all you see is just their feet /
chorus: / Even at al-Hassi (that’s a place on the
Red Sea) / Girls like whales in veils only wade up to their knee / chorus:
/ Driving in this city takes a lot of skill and luck
/ Wrong way down a one way in a Nissan pickup truck / chorus: /
We’re all in the same boat, we just came here to work
/ Pakistani, Pilipino, Brit or Yank or Turk
/ chorus:
I Ain’t No
Monkey on a Stick
copyright 1997 Robert
'One-Man' Johnson
I ain’t no monkey on a stick,
/ I ain’t no puppet on a string / You move your fingers and expect me to jump
/ I ain’t about to do no such thing / I ain’t no monkey on a stick,
/ I ain’t no lion in a zoo / I ain’t no dancing bear on a chain, / So what is up with you
/ You’re living in a dream, / Trying to fit me in your
scheme / Like I’ve already stated, / I won’t be manipulated / I got no
problems with self-esteem / I ain’t no monkey on
stick / I ain’t no parrot in a cage / I ain’t no pampered poodle on your leash,
/ Maybe it’s time you act your age / You know you’re living in the past
/ Trying to make this romance last / You are paying the cost / By trying to be the boss
/ you're throwing stones in a house of glass / I ain’t no monkey on a stick I ain’t no monkey on a stick
/ This situation is making me sick / I ain’t no monkey on a stick
I’ll Do
My Best
copyright 1998 Robert
'One-Man' Johnson
Tell me what you want, tell me what you need,
/ Tell me what you want, tell me what you need, / I’ll do my best to please you
/ Tell me your desire, whatever you require,
/ Tell me your desire whatever you require, / I’ll do my best to please you
/ Oh, I’m down on my knee / Oh, just tell me what you want / Baby it’s all yours for free
/ What is your request, / I’ll do my very best, / Just tell me your request I’ll do my very best
/ I’ll do my best to please you
Istanbul 2000
Back again for two years to
spend time with friends and investigate again our favorite place
A Thousand Times a Day
copyright 2000
Robert 'One-Man' Johnson
He falls in love a thousand times
a day / With every girl he passes on his way / And as he passes he peers through
his glasses / They don’t notice him much / He knows it‘s look but don’t
touch / So it’s better this way / Imagination is his consolation / He knows
that it’s better this way / He falls in love a thousand times a day / He
falls in love a thousand times a day / And thinks of all the things that he
might say / A song or a sonnet, his heartstrings upon it / The lyrics stay stuck
in eyes / To say something wouldn’t be wise / So it’s better this way /
Imagination is his consolation / He knows that it’s better this way / He falls
in love a thousand times a day / He falls in love a thousand times a day / and
thinks about the one that got away / he dreams of a place and remembers a face
and a madness that tore him a part / she's still a part of his heart but it's
better this way/ imagination is his consolation / he knows that it's better this
way / and so he falls in love a thousand times a day
'81 Mercedes
copyright 2000 Robert
'One-Man' Johnson
Bought a car
the other day / My buddies laughed and walked away / But women think the car’s a gas
/ Might be old, but it’s still got class / It’s an ‘81 Mercedes, A big hit with the ladies
/ ‘81 Mercedes and the
ladies all love t’ ride, ride, ride /Like me it ain’t
brand new, / Overheats, sometimes, it’s true / Big, butt-ugly, gray Sedan / Built for comfort like I am
/ ‘81 Mercedes It’s a hit
with the ladies / ‘81 Mercedes and the
ladies all love t’ ride, ride, ride / Come on girls. Climb on
in! / Buckle up, we’ll take a spin / Straight ahead, eyes open wide / I’m sure you will be satisfied
/ Brand new cars can
catch your eye / On the road, they sure can fly / But ask a girl from any place
/ Slow and easy…wins the race / It’s an ‘81 Mercedes, a big hit with the ladies
/ ‘81 Mercedes and the
ladies all love t’ ride, ride, ride
The
Thing She Calls Love
copyright 2000 Robert
'One-Man' Johnson
I don't know what it's
all about / Makes me tremble, makes me shout / Sad confusion forming in my mind
/ Sneaking up on me from behind / I don't know but I been told
/
Everything shiny might not be gold / I don't know what's come over me / Things I hear and the things I see
/ I know all the things I'm guilty of / So suspicious of the thing she calls love
/ I can't eat and I can't
drink, / I can't talk and I can't think
/ I can't run, I can't hide / I can't walk, refuse to ride / I don't know why I feel this way
/ What's come over me today? / All the things they accuse me of / So suspicious of the thing she calls love
/ The thing called love's
gotta hold on me / Living in a skinful of misery
/ I don't remember how I got this way / A big mistake was what I made that day /
I can't stand, I can't
sit / So impatient I can't wait for it / Can't speed up, won't slow down / My name is Mud in this old town
/ I can't laugh and I can't weep / I toss and turn, afraid to sleep / Those sweet dreams she deprives me of
/ So suspicious of the thing
she calls love / The thing called love
is abusing me / The way she acts is confusing me / She says she doesn't see what she sees in me
/ I guess she was only teasing me / I don't know what's on
her mind / Or why she treats me so unkind / I ain't gonna fuss or fight / I might as well just say goodnight
/ A battle fought, no one won /The bond of love has come undone / The pain in my eyes she's proudest of
/ So suspicious of the thing
she calls love
Nagoya
1990-1993
Sakana, sushi and sashimi, sumo and
sake, Sapporo and sakura
Do Me
copyright 1992 Robert
'One-Man' Johnson
Do me wrong, do me right, / Do me day, do me night...just do me
/ Do me high, do me low / I don't have a place to go...do me /
Need some affection,
/ Need some attention to my needs / Can't stand rejection / A life so lonely that it bleeds
/ Do me in, do me out / Show me what its all about, just do me / Do me wild, do me tame / I'll forget my mama's name, if you'll...do me
/ I need some romance / A chance to dance the dance of love
/ I saw your love glance / Like shining light from up above /
Do me up, do me down
/ Do me all around this town, just do me / Show me how you play this game / I’ll forsake my daddy’s name, if you'll
do me
Speed of
Love
copyright 1992 Robert
'One-Man' Johnson
I heard a voice moving at the speed of sound
/ Tried to locate the source but there was no one else around / Crawling through the alleyways sneaking down the street
/ Pounding down the pathways shuffling my feet / Looking for a lover moving at the speed of sound
/ I saw a flash of her face moving at the speed of light
/ Tried to catch another glimpse but there was no one in sight / Looking in the windows peeping in the doors
/ Spying through a telescope crawling on all fours / Looking for a lover moving at the speed of light
/ Now I'm a million miles a minute of emotion
/ Speeding through a vast uncharted ocean /
I felt lightning tingle moving at the speed of love
/ Heaven and hell calling from below and above / Magic and wonder flowing through my veins
/ Lightning and thunder blowing through my brain / Ecstatic electricity moving at the speed of love
/ I was livin all my life in slow motion
/ I have just become a victim of love's potion /
I felt a feeling moving at the speed of life
/ Rocking and reeling, careening and cutting like a knife / Nothing I could say, nothing i could do
/ First there was nothing then there was you / Moving and grooving, moving at the speed of life
Nothing Ventured, Nothing Gained
copyright 1991 Robert
'One-Man' Johnson
If you wanna get a
glimpse of the angel fish / you gotta dive in with the sharks / If you wanna get
a look at the moon and stars / You can't be afraid of the dark / If you wanna
plant your flag on a mountain top / There's a chance that you're gonna fall / It
you wanna hit a home run in the game of life / You might just get hit by the ball
/ You gotta take a chance of life / You gotta take a chance on
love / Standin on the edge of the precipice / It only takes a little shove
/ If you wanna understand people from Japan / You have to eat
some raw fish / You gotta get in and experience / You can't just sit around and
wish / If you wanna win some money in the lottery / You gotta spend a little
money on a chance / There's always the risk of a broken heart / In the gamble
that they call romance / You gotta take a chance on love /
You gotta take a chance on life / A woman can cut you with her kiss / quicker
than a kid with a switchblade knife / If you wanna get to
London on a jumbo jet plane / There's a chance that the sucker's gonna crash /
If you wanna be a player on Wall Street / You gotta invest a little cash
/ Every bungee jumper knows it's a painful bounce / If your cord's just a little
too long / Nobody's gonna hear what you have to say / If you're afraid to sing
your song / Nothing ventured and there's nothing gained /
Find some pleasure and there's bound to be some pain / Nothing ventured and
there's nothing gained / Find a rainbow and you'll probably find some rain
Shanghai
2001 to the present
Shanghai Blues copyright
2003 Robert 'One-Man' Johnson
Taxi on
the Gaojia looking
at Pudong
A
day of sun and then here comes the rain /
A day of sun and then here comes the rain /
A little bit of passion then here comes the pain / One
day you’re healthy then here come the flu
Too Much Yang
copyright 2004
Robert ‘One-Man’ Johnson
Went to a doctor down in old Shanghai / Not feeling too good, I said, “I wanna
know why!” / He stuck me fulla needles, made me drink some green tea / He poked
and he prodded and he tortured me / Then he threw up his hands and said, I can’t
do a thing / Cuz you got too much Yang and not enough Ying / Too much Yang!
Not enough Ying! / Too much Yang! Not enough Ying! / He threw up his hands
and said, I can’t do a thing / Cuz you got too much Yang and not enough Ying / I
called up my baby looking for advice / She said, “Don’t bug me!” She was cold as
ice. / I knocked on her door. She finally let me in. / She said our relationship
was wearing thin. / That’s when she returned my engagement right / Cuz I had too
much Yang and not enough Ying! / Too much Yang! Not enough Ying! / Too much
Yang! Not enough Ying! / That’s when she returned our engagement right / Cuz
I had too much Yang and not enough Ying! / Went to see a Gypsy feeling lonesome
and blue / She looked in my palm, reads a crystal ball too, / Sprinkled
goofer dust and said a magic spell / Tossed a silver dollar down a wishing well /
She read my tea leaves and she threw the I Ching / But I had too
much Yang and not enough Ying / So I climbed a mountain seeking someone wise /
the cave I found was empty but to my surprise / I found a piece of paper
underneath a rock / the words that were written there were such a shock / the
note said, "Robert, go and have yourself a fling, cuz you got too much
yang and not enough ying".
December Man
Copyright 2005 Robert ‘One-Man’
Johnson Housedog Music
There might be snow on the roof, but inside the fire is hot / December man will stir up something in that cooking pot / Lines on his forehead, a wrinkle in his jaw / But there’s a twinkle in his eye, he might break the county law / Silver in the stubble when he makes his morning shave / But there’s liable to be trouble ‘fore they put him in his grave / Watch all you women, he’s gonna show you what he’s got / Snow on the roof, but inside the fire is hot / OK, his hair is getting thinner and his abdomen ain’t flat / But his resume in romance shows he knows just where it’s at / True, he’s built for comfort. Clearly, he’s not built for speed / But this chef has got the recipe for what the young girls need / Watch all you women, he’s gonna show you what he’s got / Snow on the roof, but inside the fire is hot / He might move a little slowly but he’ll surely win the race / Satisfies desires with a slow but steady pace / If you have an itch, the man was born to scratch / If you want your fire lit, he’s an expert with a match / Look out pretty mama, he’s gonna show you what he’s got / Snow on the roof, but inside the fire is hot
The Blues Chose Me
Copyright Robert ‘One-Man’ Johnson 2005 Housedog Music BMII was the number one contender for the young girl’s heart / Along came a pretender, tore my dream apart / Now I’m drifting like a ship on love’s stormy sea / I did not choose to have the blues, the blues chose me / I gave that pretty little girl all I could / But I was whistling in the dark, knocking on wood / An inept detective trying to solve love’s mystery / I did not choose to have the blues, but the blues chose me / The blues chose me. The blues chose me. / I did not choose to have the blues, but the blues chose me / I shoulda seen the situation from the start / Sometimes an artist has to suffer for his art / Sometimes a lover has to get down on his bended knee / I did not choose to have the blues, but the blues chose me / The blues chose me. The blues chose me. / I did not choose to have the blues, but the blues chose me / Sometimes love is beautiful, sometimes sad / Sometimes it’s the worst pain you’ve ever had / Sometimes you can’t see the forest for those darn old trees / I did not choose to have the blues, but the blues chose me / The blues chose me. The blues chose me. / I did not choose to have the blues, but the blues chose me
Your Turn to be Blue
copyright 2005 Robert 'One-Man' Johnson Housedog MusicYou made my life a misery / Because your heart is made of stone / You boogie woogie all night long / While I stay home alone / You're burning up the midnight candle / Baby at both ends / I have no time for disrespect / from you and all your funky friends / I got news for you / It's your turn to be blue / Mornings when I go to work / You're out there on some spending spree / Fast and loose was good for you / Honey, now it's good for me / I got news for you / It's your turn to be blue / Your egocentric point of view / My existence is a waste / Can you condemn the recipe / When you ain't even had a taste / Open up your door tonight / You'll find Sugar Daddy gone / The message on the mantlepiece / This time it's time for moving on / I got news for you / It's your turn to be blue / Your pessimistic point of view / Is tour relationship's a bitch / Your bucket's empty, mine's half full / with all that nonsense that you pitch / When the house is feeling lonely / Baby wipe your weeping eyes / You thought I was your one and only / Why don't you try this on for size / I got news for you / It's your turn to be blue
Disconnection copyright 2006 Robert ‘One-Man’ Johnson Housedog Music
Ipod jamming that hiphop in your head / Eyes are open but you look like you might be dead / No nerves left inside your ears / Ain’t said a word for several years / You never listened to what your mama said / Prowl the street your ear glued to a phone / Growling like a dog that’s got a bone / Barking at someone you can’t see / Caged by your technology / Tail is wagging but your mind is not your own / Bridge: She said, “Old man, Do your own thing, I’ll do mine. / Those days are gone and you’re way out of line. / The times have changed, you’re far behind / Just mind your business, don’t mind mine / What were you doing back in ’59?” / Thumbs are sore from playing that computer game / Violently doling out the pain / Fantasy is what you seek / Defeat the strong, destroy the weak / Blood fixation driving the boy insane / Bridge again: / The internet has trapped you in your house / You can’t escape; your hand’s glued to the mouse / Imagination gone, but then / It must be true, it’s CNN / The lights are on, but no one’s home / Your techno mind is not your own / You’re disconnected from reality / I guess that means they’ve trapped you just like me.
How Could I Know copyright 2007 Robert ‘One-Man’ Johnson Housedog Music
How could I know she would treat me this-a way / I didn’t see her changing day by day / The more that I learn the less that I know / About a woman’s glance and how the cold winds blow / Standing at a crossroads wondering which way I should go / How could I know? / How could I know she would walk out that door? / How could I know she didn’t love me anymore? / The longer that I live, the less I understand / About the ways of a woman and the weakness of a man / She holds his fragile future in the palm of her hand / But how could I know? / I didn’t see the forest that was hidden by the trees / Unrequited love brought me down on bended knees / Infected my heart with the lover’s dread disease / I didn’t know, How could I know? / How could I know that love was gonna end? / That she would shun me and disavow me as her friend / I’ll try to pull myself together and act just like a man / Start my life all over and do everything I can / To jump from the fire back into true love’s frying pan / How could I know?
Talk to
the Hand
Sick and tired
of the cry baby cry
You’re
the One
You and me were meant
to be together
The Song of Love copyright 2008 Robert ‘One-Man’ Johnson Housedog Music
There is a sound that echoes in your ear /A simple song that you can hardly hear /No matter how you concentrate / It will not disappear / The song of love / When you’re alone, it haunts your reverie / There are no words but the meaning’s plain to see / You close your eyes and try to sleep / But it won’t let you be / The song of love / Driving in your car, you don’t see the exit sign / You don’t know where you are, you’re running out of time / Feeling so distracted but you cannot counteract / The song of love / When you’re at work, you’re staring into space / You hear a melody that conjures up a face / Your bosses are dissatisfied but you cannot erase / The song of love / A little song is running round your brain / It won’t let up, it’s driving you insane / No matter how you concentrate, that melody remains / The song of love
No Money Down copyright 2007 Robert ‘One-Man’ Johnson Housedog Music
No money down, that’s what the sales people say / No money down, zero interest and 10 years to pay / It’s painless with plastic. It feels so fantastic! / It’s the American way! No money down / Gimme that 60” plasma TV / Throw in unlimited satellite too / Do the deluxe home-theatre thing / With that computer the one that’s brand new / No money down Let’s buy some more things today / It’s painless with plastic. It feels so fantastic! / It’s the American way! No money down / I need that big ass, yellow Hum-Vee. / Three miles per gallon, did I hear you say?/ Screw all that bleeding-heart liberal TV. / Gimme the keys and get out of my way! / No money down, That’s life in the US of A / It’s painless with plastic. It feels so fantastic! / It’s the American way! No money down / Bridge: / Armani bankers with Gold Mont Blanc pens / Patiently wait in the wings / While the President’s soldiers and the President’s men / Put Humpty Dumpty together again. / No money down Stock market rallied today / It’s painless with plastic. It feels so fantastic! / It’s the American way! No money down / Look at that three-storey house on the hill / The sign says the owner must sell! / 26 rooms and a ten car garage. / 2 million big ones, but hey, what the hell! / No money down, what a great game to play! / It’s painless with plastic. It feels so fantastic! / It’s the American way! No money down