1) Oleanders

Oleanders grew here by your gate I well remember,
They looked so good,
first day I rode along,
And the oleanders blew here in the warm winds of September,
I remember being here with you,
making plans all Summer long.

We were dancing in the big house when someone stopped the music,
And told us all the fighting had begun,
And I well remember leaving,
and you not understanding,
That a man from Massachusetts couldn’t wear a Southern gun.

Oh, Miranda,
we had our reasons then,
but like the seasons then they changed,
And so did you,
I know, Miranda,
our world went mad around us,
We only did the things we thought we had to do.

Oleanders grew there on a hill in Pennsylvania,
I saw them as I lie there on the stones,
And while these Southern cannons blasted everything around me,
My mind was back here with you in your Mississippi home.

And I could almost hear you laughing,
Feel you walking close beside me,
See you riding down the road we used to ride,
And it was hard to fight a war,
I wasn’t sure that I believed in,
But it was harder when I knew that you were on the other side.

Oh, Miranda,
we had our reasons then,
but like the seasons then they changed,
And so did I,
I know, Miranda,
the war is still between us,
But we could make it if we gave it one more try.

Oleanders blossomed in the cool days of November,
I remember how they’d scatter on the ground,
And I can almost hear you crying,
As you came running from the big house,
I can almost hear the thunder,
of the fires that brought it down.

Oh, Miranda,
we had all reasons then,
but like the seasons then they changed, And now they’ve gone,
So, Miranda,
the time has come to live,
The world will still be going on,
long after we are gone.

2) Never Know your Luck (In a Big City)

Things are going to be different,
Things mightn’t go as they should,
I might try my whole life through,
And things may never be as good.

But I wanted things to be different,
and I had this need inside,
Maybe it was fear I’d end up here,
maybe it was foolish pride,
I don’t know, but at least I’ll know I tried.

‘Cos you never know your luck in a big city,
Never know what’s gonna come your way,
Things can be tough in a big city,
And be no better off than you are today,
But maybe you’ll find your fortune,
And maybe you’ll find your fame,
If you live your whole life with caution,
Then your life is going to stay the same,
And when you’ve got big intentions,
Then you’ve gotta have different rules,
You’ll never make waves in the ocean,
Being a ripple in a little pool.

Wasted days by the telephone,
waiting for my chance to come,
Waiting for the world to find out,
about all the things I’d done.

Wasted days when I should have known,
That the world doesn’t know I’m around,
And it won’t come looking for a two-bit singer,
In a one-horse country town,
I have to go,
have to spread myself around.

‘Cos you never know your luck in a big city,
Never know what’s gonna come your way,
Things can be tough in a big city,
And be no better off than you are today,
People’ll say it’s crazy,
and I say maybe it is,
But if you’re after a piece of the action,
Gotta get where the action is,
And when you’ve got big intentions,
Then you’ve gotta have different rules,
You’ll never make waves in the ocean,
Being a ripple in a little pool.

REPEAT

3) Ev’ry Day

It wasn’t long ago,
that life meant nothing more,
Than making sure to win in every game,
But the life that I once cared nothing for,
Has never been the same,
never since you came.

I lie down,
I turn round,
I follow my feet over new ground,
I while away an hour or two,
but wherever I look I just see you,
And I say to myself this phase will just fade away,
But I'm seeing you more,
ev’ry day.

They told me,
it could be,
that talking to someone might help me,
But I hear you,
I hear you,
as clearly as tho’ I were near you,
And I say to myself,
that somehow I'll find a way,
But I’m hearing you more,
ev’ry day.

I do things,
such foolish things,
I run through the house when the phone rings,
I see you,
I hear you,
I simply can’t wait to be near you,
And I say to myself,
if I try I can stay away,
But I’m wanting you more ev’ry day.

4) Paraguayan Sunset

On the strength of early judgement,
she was labelled in my mind,
As the kind of girl I would easily forget,
A man who’s always moving couldn’t really be expected,
To remember every girl he’s ever met,
There were many new directions and so many roads to go,
And it really looked so easy to forget,
With a mind upon tomorrow and a care for nothing more,
I rode off into the Paraguayan sunset.

In the course of early findings of a young man on the road,
Every girl would be a reason I should stay,
But romantic young illusions slowed me down along the road,
So they faded with the passing of each day,
There were many new tomorrows and so many ways to go,
And I thought it would be easy to forget,
But on wings of early morning and a hundred nights before,
I’ve come to know the meaning of regret.

On the wings of early morning,
And the first plane out of here,
With nothing but a suitcase and a prayer,
Just the distant destination coming closer all the time,
And a hope to God I find she’ll still be there,
There were many new beginnings and I gave them all a go,
But it wasn’t quite so easy to forget,
On the wings of early morning and a hundred nights before,
I’ve come to know the meaning of regret.

5) Rollin’ (All I’ve Ever Needed)

Standing by the side of the big old highway,
watching the cars rolling by,
There’s sure to be a driver who’ll be going my way,
And maybe I’ll just catch his eye.
And that’s all I’ve got and that’s all I’ve ever needed,
Yesterday rollin’ behind me,
And a better day waiting to find me.

Sitting in the back of a big Cadillac,
that’s winding its way through the morning sun,
Get to the East Coast and a job on the tugboats,
They don’t pay much but it’s sure to be fun,
And that’s all I’ve got,
and that’s all I’ve ever needed,
The old town rollin’ behind me,
and another town waitin’ to find me.

Bedford Indiana,
headed for Savannah and the summertime,
Going through Loredo on the way to San Diego,
got a woman in mind,
She’s a friend of mine and I’m half inclined to stay there.

Gonna have to write me a long letter home,
And tell them the places I’ve been,
Tell them it’ll be better if they’d just forget me,
Till I’ve seen all the things I haven’t seen,
‘Cos all I’ve got is all I’ve ever needed,
Yesterday rollin’ behind me and another day waitin’ to find me.

6) I Came to Somerset

Summer headed south in ’64,
and found me there in my beat up car,
My sole possessions came to nothing more,
Than my travelling bags,
and an old guitar,
Wine and pretty women were the life of me,
And the devil rode along for my company,
Singing and picking I did the rounds,
Of a score of southern country towns.

I came to Somerset when summer’s leaves were turning yellow,
And summer’s songs had all been sung,
by fellows such as I,
I came to Somerset to sow the seeds of wild abandon,
And people there came out to stand and watch me passing by.

Was in the chill of that early autumn,
in the breathless still of an afternoon,
When I felt a sudden strange contentment,
Lying there in Matilda’s room,
Matilda’s arms were warm and willing,
Matilda’s arms were mind to share,
And it seems they found a need within me,
I never ever knew was there.

I came to Somerset,
when summer’s leaves were turning yellow,
And summer’s songs were reckless songs,
For fellows such as I,
I came to Somerset to sow the seeds of wild abandon,
People there seemed to understand,
And they watched me passing by.

Some people say they’re like their mother,
Other people say they’ve got my ways,
And it seems kinda quiet around there,
Since they started school,
The other day.

I came to Somerset when summer’s leaves were turning yellow,
And summer’s songs had all been sung,
By fellows such as I,
I came to Somerset to sow the seeds of wild abandon People there come out to stand,
And they watch us passing by.

7) The Next Plane to New Mexico

Take the next plane down to New Mexico,
And I’ll be waiting here in Alamagordo, I’ll have the pickup packed up and ready to go,
To a somewhere, south of nowhere,
Little place I know. There are so many times I’ve been trying to say,
All the so many things I’ve been dying to say,
And there’s so many feelings I’m feeling today,
And I’m calling to say I’ve gotta take you away Susannah.

It’s been a long time,
and I know this is the wrong time,
For you and me to be,
trying desperately to be together.
It’s the wrong time,
and I’m not trying to say it’s right,
But I’d rather share in the trouble and strife,
Rather share in a part of your life Than to let you go forever.

So take the next plane down to New Mexico,
And I’ll be waiting here in Alamagordo.
I’ll have the pickup packed up and ready to go,
To a somewhere south of nowhere little place I know.
We’ve been lying and trying our best to go through,
With all the sensible things we’re expected to do,
But all the lying and the trying and starting anew,
Whatever I do,
I’ve just gotta be with you Susannah.

There are times girl,
when it seems as though the whole world Is there between us,
and doesn’t mean us to be together again,
But then there are times girl,
to try and push the world away,
And try to live a few precious moments,
‘Cos we know these precious moments May never come again.

So take the next place down to New Mexico,
And I’ll be waiting here in Alamagordo.
I’ll have the pickup packed up and ready to go To a somewhere south of nowhere little place I know.
There are so many times I’ve been trying to say,
All the so many things I’ve been dying to say,
And there’s so many feelings I’m feeling today,
And I’m calling to say,
I’ve gotta take you away Susannah.

8) Love Knows Where to Find You

Once upon a time,
I thought it would be easy,
Just to tiptoe to the door and then to leave without a sound,
But it’s not easy.
Once upon a time,
I thought it would mean nothing,
Just to lead you on,
and then to let you down,
But it’s not easy.

Love comes in and catches you,
Throws your plans behind you,
Try to run and try to hind Love knows where to find you.

Yes it’s funny when I stop to think it over,
After saying for so long that I would leave you now I find That I don’t want to,
And it’s funny how I only meant to use you And the thought of love had never crossed my mind,
But now I want you.

Love comes in and catches you,
Creeps right up behind you Try to run and try to hide Love knows where to find you.

9) All Our Favourite Songs

I’ve been gone such a long time,
Perhaps I left at the wrong time,
All the things I remember to clearly remember,
Don’t seem the same,
All the people who are stopping by,
Just to claim my long lost friendship,
The people smiling from the open doors,
Where I knocked before in vain.

Yes I remember the first times,
I used to think were the worst times,
But at least it was easier then to accept all the things I could see,
And now it seems as though a whole lot of people are changing their opinions of me.

CHORUS
Well let their parties roll on till the sun comes up,
Till the moon comes tumbling round,
I remember the ones who stuck by me,
And the ones who pushed me down,
So with a bottle or two of brandy,
And some friends of mine along,
I’ll be out the back of Jeanie’s,
Singing all our favourite songs.

Yes they all seem to know me now,
They’re all trying to show me how,
They’re willing to give me the kind of attention,
That’s worthy of me,
But I remember the long hard years,
When there was nobody here I could turn to,
And all the best Champagne in the world,
Ain’t gonna dim my memory.

CHORUS

10) The Comeback Trail

No one ever said it was easy street,
And no-one ever said it was meant to be,
And no one ever said if I made it one time,
The rest of my life would be rosy The higher it is you climb somewhere,
The quicker it is to come down,
Seems you never notice you’ve got somewhere,
Until you’re right back there,
Right back there where you started.

The money comes like pouring rain,
And the good times seem to find it,
When a million people know your name,
It’s so easy to ride behind it.
Hours go like minutes in the day,
And the years go somewhere,
Before you know it’s all slipping away You can be right back there,
Right back there where you started.

CHORUS
But now I’m on the comeback trail,
Got a chance to fail,
Got a chance to make it,
I’ll let the worst prevail,
could be a sorry tale,
But I’ll take it.
When you reach the bottom,
I guess you know There’s only one way left to go,
There's no use waiting and hesitating,
Thinking that the world might follow,
Set your sights on those shimmering heights,
And set your mind on tomorrow.

Yes no one ever said it was a one way street,
And no one ever said it was meant to be,
And no one ever said if I came down one time,
I’d have to accept it was the end of me,
The higher it is you get somewhere,
The harder it is when you’re down,
Seems you really notice you’ve been somewhere When you’re right back there,
Right back there where you started.

CHORUS