Smoke

Our Sunshine
Written with Michael Thomas

There came a man on a stolen horse
And he rode right onto the page
Burning bright but not for long
Lit up with a holy rage
No turning back for the child of grace
With the blood red on his hand
Never known to hurt a woman
He never robbed an honest man
His mother held in jail, his daddy dead
And daily rising the price upon his head

Our sunshine, our sunshine
Through fire and flood, through tears and blood
Through dust and mud still riding on

Forever trapped in a suit of steel
With the hotel burning behind
Betrayed by his companions
And the train waiting down the line
Forever tall on a bareback horse
Getting through by the skin of his teeth
It’s one more for the ladies
Now one more for the police
Riding all night hungry, tired and cold
Into the misty morning
He’ll never grow old

Our sunshine, our sunshine
Through fire and flood, through tears and blood
Through dust and mud still riding on

As he stood before the judge’s chair
He said ‘I’m free and easy-I’ll see you there!’

Our sunshine, our sunshine
Through fire and flood, through tears and blood
Through dust and mud still riding on

You Can’t Take It With You

You might have a happy family, nice house, fine car
You might be successful in real estate
You could even be a football star
You might have a prime-time TV show seen in every home and bar
But you can’t take it with you

You might own a great big factory, oil wells on sacred land
You might be in line for promotion, with a foolproof retirement plan
You might have your money in copper, textiles or imports from Japan
But you can’t take it with you

You can’t take it with you though you might pile it up high
It’s so much easier for a camel to pass through a needle’s eye

You might have a body of fine proportion and a hungry mind
A handsome face and a flashing wit, lips that kiss and eyes that shine
There might be a queue all around the block
Long before your starting time
But you can’t take it with you

You might have a great reputation so carefully made
And a set of high ideals, polished up and so well displayed
You might have a burning love inside, so refined, such a special grade
But you can’t take it with you

Until Death Do Them Part

We are gathered here today to join a woman and a man
And to witness what they say as before us they stand
In sickness and in health, through the rich times and the poor
They are bound to be together and to live under God’s law

Until death do them part
Or the stars fall from the sky
Until death do them part
And the rivers all run dry
What God has joined together
Let no one tear apart
They are bound to love each other
Until death do them part

We are gathered here today to join a husband and a wife
So I call on you to pray for good luck in their life
Through thick and through thin, through the good times and the bad
May they always be respectful and make each other glad

Until death do them part
When God calls from on high
Until death do them part
And it’s time to say goodbye
What God has joined together
Let no one tear apart
They are bound to love each other
Until death do them part
Yes they are bound to be together
Until death do them part

I Can’t Believe We Were Married

We danced in the kitchen on Boxing Day
I held you swaying in my arms to Marvin Gaye
Our Christmas ham turned green by New Year’s Eve
We weren’t hungry anyway
Now sometimes we see each other on the street
Maybe at a hotel or some party
We say hello, then we have to go
I can’t believe we were married
That we were wed

Our houses were a shambles, our love conspiracy
Your hand was always down my pants before our guests could leave
They didn’t like our drugs, our children or our dogs
The way we made it up each day
Now the kids have grown we talk on the phone
If one of them is sick or needs some money
Our words are dry, so measured and polite
I can’t believe we were married
That we were wed

Now maybe if I’m with someone you come into my mind
The one I knew with your certain little cries
You’re not the only one to come rushing in
It’s like a party line

Yeah sometimes we see each other on the street
Maybe at a concert or some party
We say hello, talk about the show
I can’t believe we were married
Yeah we say hello, then we have to go
You send your regards to all my family
And the years have changed even the sound of your name
I can’t believe we were married
That we were wed

I Don’t Remember A Thing

1 woke up one morning, my head was feeling sore
Woke up to the sound of knocking, detectives at my door
There were two of them, they walked right in, 1 said What’s going on?’
The sergeant shook his head and said ‘Don’t you know what you have done?’
I don’t remember a thing

They took me to a house, 1 knew that I’d been there before
There were men with tape and pencils, there was blood upon the floor
The sergeant asked me softly ‘Now do you recalI?’
It all looked so familiar as though I’d dreamt it all
I don’t remember a thing

There was a photo on the dresser of a man who looked like me
He was kissing a girl all in white, she was sitting on his knee
A note was on the mantle, written in my hand
It said ‘I love you, darling, more than I can stand’
I don’t remember a thing

Teach Me Tonight

I know I have a lot to learn
I am young, I’ve got love to burn
So take me by the hand
And show me how to read you right
Won’t you teach me tonight?

I can tell by your eyes that you know
More than you ever like to show
Won’t you take me to your room
And show me what’s never seen the light?
Come on teach me tonight

I am just a boy who hasn’t had much schooling
No no no no no no no
But I can learn fast, you won’t catch me sleeping
No no no no no no no

Now I’m waiting for the class to begin
And I’m jumping right out of my skin
I’m standing at attention
I’m gonna study you with all my might
Won’t you teach me tonight?
Come on teach me tonight

Sydney From A 747

Have you ever seen Sydney from a 727 at night?
Sydney shines such a beautiful light
And I can see Bondi through my window way off to the right
And the curling waves on a distant break
And the sleeping city just about to wake
Have you ever seen Sydney from a 727 at night?

Now the red roofs are catching the first rays of the morning sun
My eyes are full of sand from my midnight run
And the captain says ‘Belt up now, we’ll be touching down in ten’
So I press my seat and I straighten up
I fold my tray and I stash my cup
As the red roofs are catching the first rays of the morning sun

Have you ever fallen for a girl with different coloured eyes?
And sent her letters full of lies
Have you ever longed to see the sun fall where it used to rise?
And quit your job on the spot
Bought that ticket, yeah, spent the lot
Have you ever fallen for a girl with different coloured eyes?

Have you ever seen Sydney from a 727 at night?
Have you ever seen Sydney from a 727 at night?
Have you ever seen Sydney from a 727 at night?
Me I’ve never seen Dallas from a DC9

Night After Night

Weekends when I go out walking
Friends stop and they say hello
They ask me how things are going
I put on a show, a very good show
I tell them that I’m doing fine now
They smile and then they go on their way
It’s so easy to put on a brave face
In the bright light of day before stars hold sway

But I still miss you
Whenever I turn out the light
I still miss you
Night after night after night after night

They say that time is a healer
And all bad things come to an end
Well sometimes I almost believe it
Then darkness comes in and I fall again
I wish I could sleep like a baby
I wish I could sink like a stone
I wish that I could not remember
Your sweet loving moan when we were alone

And I still miss you
Whenever I turn out the light
I still miss you
Night after night after night after night

Whistling Bird

Never ever see you
Never see you no more

Never even knew you
Never knew you at all

I got a bird that whistles
I got a bird that sings

Rolling tyres on the highway
Sounding like a choir

Fell asleep by the roadside
Woke up to a choir

Stories Of Me

Ever since you said goodbye
I’ve had a reputation
I’m not drinking on the sly
I’m the star attraction
Every morning I wake up
Fill my cup and listen bitterly
To stories of me

They say a man is going round
He looks a lot like me
They say that man is going down
It’s looking pretty likely
Every morning he wakes up
Fills his cup and listens shamefully
To stories of me

Everybody come on down
Set ’em up and pass ’em round
We’re all here for a drowning

I was down at Baker’s Hall
I heard somebody talking
That’s the last thing I recall
Then my mind went walking
I woke up with a heavy head
On a hard bed trying to believe
These stories of me

Yeah I woke up in a stranger’s bed
Wondering about the things she said to me
These stories of me

Taught By Experts

You stand there looking so surprised
Sad confusion in your eyes
I know what you’re going through
Oh, baby, I’ve been there too
And it hurts
I was taught by experts

You say I playa cheating game
I never keep the rules the same
I learned a thing or two
What I learned I learned from you
And it works
I was taught by experts

You put the weapon in my hand
You made me what I am

Now everything has turned around
Down is up and up is down
You got your fingers burned
Your little worm has turned
In the dirt
I was taught by experts
Don’t it hurt
I was taught by experts

Gathering Storm

I had a dream
I saw you walking down the road
In a gathering storm

Wind on the rise
A black crow was flying
You alone in a gathering storm

I wake up alone in my bed
There’s nothing before my eyes
And outside the door
Only the sighing
And you out there in a gathering storm

So cover your head
Keep your eyes open
Make speed in the gathering storm

I rise up and turn on the light
Now it’s shining in my window
My walls are strong
My chimney’s smoking
God speed you
In the gathering storm

Shy Before You Lord

I’m so shy before you, Lord
I’m so shy before you, Lord
I’m just looking for a word
I’m just looking for a word
I’m so shy before you, Lord
Round here nothing ever stirred
Round here nothing ever stirred
I’m so shy before you, Lord
You were calling, I never heard
You were calling, I never heard
I’m so shy before you, Lord