Printable Acoustic Amatory Lyric Book
Credits
All words and music-joe Wilford except for 'The Iron Lady' by Phil Ochs
Lead vocals on 'Treasure' by Carrie.
Recorded July-December 1988 in Scotch Plains, NJ
©1988 Scotchwood Music
Original Cassette Cover
I’ve been in one place far too long
Locked up inside societies shell
You’ve held my hand the whole way through
But now you’re leading me straight to hell
I can’t begin to tell you why
I feel I’m bursting up inside
My freedom is nowhere to be found
Inside your world where we collide
Your love—hazing like a dream
Piercing as a scream
Devouring all my will
I’m your living loving kill
The road is calling for my soul
Yet how can I let you go
I want to sling my guitar
Right upon my back
I want to drive so far
Into the sunset
For years I’ve climbed the ladder
For years I’ve worried I would fall
Now I’ve finally reached the top of it
And I find it’s up against the wrong wall
Well I know you’re searching
But for what I just can’t tell
And I can feel you slipping
Farther and farther away each day
No—nothing ever held you back
From doing what you thought you had to do
No-no one ever tied you down
Still you felt you had chains to break
So now you’re on you’re way
Looking out over the world
Tell me what you see there
Is there any hope left at all
Well I sure as hell hope you find some faith
God knows there still should be some left
And if you don’t I hope you have some of your own
To help you find your way back home
There’s a flower in the hand of every child
And sunlight passes through the morning mist
Long blades of grass bend in the wind
Innocence discovered then
Now gone
Through the trees a stream flows endlessly
Frozen to the bed there lies a stone
Waiting to be hurled into the air
Anger bred without a care
Remains
In the deepening stillness of the night
There’s a treasure wishing there was light
Buried in a sea of disillusioned eyes
Plagued by a voice within that cries
Misunderstanding
You’re all misunderstanding
Silent is the willow—it’s ashes floating toward the sky
From where rain slithers down upon the field
Washing blackness into the stream
Life reborn within the seams
Of itself
(Words and Music-Phil Ochs)
Here I sink into a river of emotions
It runs no deeper than my pain
My cry for love is unheeded
As is the deserts cry for rain
While I drift lifelessly down the stream
Memories drown me from within
I see us standing together along the shore
I see myself diving in
You were the spark that burst into flame
And I so willingly burned
You were the light that blinded my eyes
And still I refused to turn
Thrust into life outside our shield of love
We are discovered worlds apart
I search for you but you can’t feel me
Crying out within your heart
I know it’s over even though we’ve just begun
Compassion aching for release
Still we know we’ll be together
As the illusion begins to cease
I’m feeling like I’m all mixed up inside my head
Tangled up in a web of hopes and realities
Now it’s late at night and I try to recall the words you said
And I wish to god you were here to tell me over again
I’m standing here wondering about the decisions I have to make
Questions are at high tide and I’m sinking fast
In the maze of love I cannot choose a path to take
And I wish to god you were here to tell me over again
The words
When I opened up and poured out all of my life to you
I was burning up and choking in a clouded world
Listening first then you spoke and all of your words rang true
And I wish to god you were here to tell me over again
I’m lying here staring deep into your eyes
And I can’t help but dream we were so far away
Freedom from the world and all of it’s broken lives
And I say thank god you’re here to tell me
The words
You are the seeds planted deep into my soul
We grew together as the seasons passed us by
Now so far apart and so many miles between
Still it hasn’t changed the way I feel inside
Now I look out over this land
It’s still so beautiful today
And I wonder about this land
Will it all be swept away?
I lie awake at night and wonder
Just what’s going to happen if we don’t draw the line somewhere
How long before we realize something has to give
And somehow no one seems to care
Now I look out over this world
I’m not so sure of what I see
And I wonder about this world
Is it so safe to let it be?
(Instrumental)
Blistering heat in the sweltering night
I can’t sleep and I can’t stand the light
I can’t stand much of anything these days
The ridiculous roles that everyone plays
I hate your friends and their phony smiles
In front of your parents I feel I’m on trial
I can’t stand you – I can’t even stand myself
What can you do when no one answers your cry for help
I wonder just who the hell I am
Can’t find my place in this dead end town
But where can I go to the ends of the earth
Still the stinking rat race runs me right to the ground
I separate myself from everything
Some people are saying that I’ve gone too far
I don’t give a fuck what anyone says
Just give me some room and my own guitar
The only thing
There’s a raging storm building up
But it’s not outdoors it’s inside my head
So hard to deal with all this pain
Sometimes I feel I’m better off dead
I find my solace in only one thing
It’s the strike of a chord and a vibrating string
The only thing that spares my fall
The only thing that hears my call
It’s 4 am and the lines are showing me the way
California bound and maybe there we’ll stay
The radio’s playing softly –Dylan’s Highway 61
I look at you sleeping there and I wonder what I’ve done
I still remember looking deep into your eyes
They held me for so long I could not break away
There were so many things I didn’t realize
How much I need you with me here today
I had always told myself my feelings were untrue
Deceived by innocence my heart turned black and blue
Talking to you eased the weight of the world
And back out of the void of love my soul was hurled
And so we made our plans and took right to the road
I said please take my hand let’s leave the world behind
My mind was filled with things I needed to unload
As long as we’re together I could care less what we find
And now my headlights dim as the sun bursts in the sky
The border is close but I pull over and don’t know why
Although I feel so good I know I’ve gone too far
By holding on I destroy everything you are
No matter where I am you’ll always be with me
In my heart and mind you cannot be replaced
Forever young forever wild forever free
Never forget the world we once embraced
