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1. |
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HOWLING MONKEY IN A TINY CAGE
the red velvet curtain rose
the audience stared at the darkened stage
then a spotlight turned on
and cast a blinding light
at a howling monkey in a tiny cage
the audience burst into applause
the golden cage beneath the spotlight gleaming
the audience rose in a standing ovation
the monkey shook the cage and kept on screaming
a howling monkey in a tiny cage
his sharp teeth bared in a grimace of rage
the people left the theater looking satisfied
the-next day’s papers all had glowing reviews
a monkey in the spotlight, howling in his cage
they said this bold work of art really lit a fuse
the monkey got booked on all the talk shows
he’d howl just like he did for his stage debut
his piercing scream just seemed to come so natural
didn’t need no teleprompter didn’t need no cue
a howling monkey in a tiny cage
they called him a symbol of our angry age
hear him howling
hear him scream
hey that’s showbiz man
that monkey’s living the dream
see him grimace
see him scowl
ain't there something so familiar
about that monkey’s tortured howl?
but one night he escaped and ran away
across the city rooftops to the edge of town
he looked out toward the darkness,
the blackness of the forest
he gave a little sigh, then turned around
he crawled into the window, got back in his cage
next day they took him to appear on a TV show
he screamed and howled as was expected
but something was different,
it wasn’t the same you know
this howling monkey now seemed like a fake
his righteous rage
now just another dull heartbreak
a howling monkey in a tiny cage
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2. |
Old Flood Song
03:29
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OLD FLOOD SONG
the rain is coming you’d best beware
those old floodwaters they just don’t care
those old floodwaters they sure don’t play
they’ll pull you under and
carry you away, carry you away
carry you away
my woman went down to Luzianne
said she gonna find her a better man
but it weren’t no good man
the poor girl found
in deep floodwaters that
poor girl drowned, poor girl drowned
poor girl drowned
you think that river is your good friend
flowing lazy around the bend
but come a storm it'll surge and swell
your gentle river will turn to hell
turn to hell
turn to hell
from a three story building just across town
i was watchin’ the rain come pouring down
underneath that stormy sky
saw my best friends
house float by, house float by
house float by
you think that river is your good friend
flowing lazy around the bend
but come a storm it'll surge and swell
your gentle river will turn to hell
turn to hell
turn to hell
oh, lordy lord lord....
i believe i been here a bit too long
i’m tired of singing this old flood song
i’d best be moving to higher ground
this very evening i’m
northward bound, northward bound
northward bound
tired of singing this old flood song
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3. |
One Thin Dime
04:35
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ONE THIN DIME
i was lost in space
you were biding your time
i was weighing the options
for my one thin dime
i could spend it on whiskey
or give it all to the poor
you told me I should invest it
but you couldn’t be sure
cause THERE ain’t nothing for certain
so let’s draw the curtain
honey time’s a-wasting
time’s a-wasting
i got a ten foot pole
you got a line on the truth
i got a ticket to Cleveland
i’m gonna stop in Duluth
we tried to wrestle the grizzly
looks like the grizzly won
ah but that shouldn’t oughtta stop us
from trying to have some fun
cause there ain’t nothing for certain
so let’s draw the curtain
honey time’s a wasting
time’s a-wasting
you think you got all the time
all the time in the world
until death walks in with his banner
his banner unfurled
he says "come with me now
cause now, brother, now’s your time!"
you say “but death, i never had a chance to
spend that one thin dime!”
so if death’ll only spare me over
for another year
i wanna spend it with you babe
i wanna spend it right here
i’ll put the dime in your pocket
and a smile on your face
and when it’s time to check out babe
we’ll have made a friendlier place
cause there ain’t nothing for certain
so let’s draw the curtain
honey time’s a wasting
time’s a-wasting
time’s a-wasting
time’s a-wasting
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4. |
Do What You're Able
03:33
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Do What You're Able
last night i was talking to a friend of mine
you don’t know him, his name is Jack
he said Sammy I’m gonna catch a freight train
i'm gonna ride it down that railroad track
my baby went down to New Orleans
i’m gonnna go down there and get her back
i said go ahead and do what you’re able
go ahead and do what you’re able
go ahead and do what you’re able
that’s all you can do
now Jesus had his twelve disciples
they all came to Jesus and said
Jesus our lord and our savior
what in the world are we gonna do when you’re dead
he said well every now and then you’ll lose a button
so you better get good with a needle and thread
and then go ahead and do what you’re able
go ahead and do what you’re able
go ahead and do what you’re able
that’s all you can do
your life is real it ain’t no fable
you ain’t Dick Clark
you ain’t Clark Gable
so just put your cards on the table
then go ahead and do what you’re able
now friends, my woman left me this morning
said she couldn’t take another day with me
i sat around all afternoon with my head in my hands
a picture of abject misery
but i’m going out tonight cause i believe what mama said
she said there’s more than one fish in the sea
i'm gonna go ahead and do what i'm able
go ahead and do what i'm able
go ahead and do what i'm able
that’s all you can do
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5. |
Over Amsterdam
05:03
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OVER AMSTERDAM
i got off the train
stepped out of Centraal Station
i'd made it to that little brick city
my eager destination
and as i walked those magic little streets
for the very first time
i thought that i could take this city
and make it mine
a pale grey sun was shining behind the clouds
over Amsterdam
she was just pretending
ah but i fell in love so hard
i was young and foolish
she played me like a card
i still remember waiting on her doorstep
i waited there all night
some junkies were mumbling in the alley
i waited 'til the morning light
a pale grey sun was rising behind the clouds
over Amsterdam
got up off her doorstep
'bout as sad as i'd ever been
walked along the canals
crossed those tiny little bridges
over and over again
you walk so long in that town
you think you've gotten somewhere
but you're right back
where you started, my friend
right back
where you started, my friend
how many years have passed since then?
brother don't make me count
however you want to add it up
it's the wrong amount
you ask me would i go back there
well now, what would i go back for?
wouldn't wanna ride that little trolley
that rolls right past her door
or see that pale grey moon
hanging behind the clouds
over Amsterdam
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6. |
Better Take Care of Me
04:20
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BETTER TAKE CARE OF ME
when the dust blows through your teeth
and there's no more fat to chew
a hole opens in the sky
and the moon just falls right through
you better take care of me
you better take care of me
when the train has jumped the track
and the party's past its peak
when there ain’t no fingers left
but the dike has sprung another leak
you better take care of me
you better take care of me
when it all goes up in smoke
and the wind won't cry no name
when the chariot swings too low
and there's only God to blame
you better take care of me
you better take care of me
i knew a man who weathered the storm
ah but the flood waters never receded
he got everything he wanted
and nothing that he needed
you better take care of me
you better take care of me
you better take care of me
you better take care of me
take care of me, take care of me...
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7. |
Sing Along With Mitch
03:53
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SING ALONG WITH MITCH
there’s a man who wants you to sing along
just follow the bouncing ball like you're playing ping pong
pour yourself a nice tall glass of gin
raise up your voice, and join right in
sing along with Mitch
he’s a prickly pear that son of a bitch
just go right ahead sing along with that fool
he’s the bona fide king, the king of uncool
but don’t you worry ‘bout that
don’t let that stop you man
sing a long, sing along
just as loud as you can
sing along with Mitch
might be a song about about a hole in the ground
or some drunken Sinatra at the edge of town
but whatever the words just join right in
and once that song is over the next one begins
he‘s got a million tunes and you can learn ‘em all
they roll off your tongue like a bowling ball
sing along with Mitch
he's got a stiff delivery and a lousy pitch
just go right ahead sing along with that fool
he’s the the undisputed king of uncool
and even if you’re getting the words all wrong
sing along, sing along, sing a long
sing along with Mitch
now Mitch don’t like no rock and roll
forget your rhythm and blues,
your hip hop and your soul
and ’ol Mitch won't bring you no funky beat
he’s the whitest white man you’ll ever meet
so put away your inhibition put away your doubt
just open your mouth and let it all come out
it’s all good as the Americans say
cause ain’t nobody listening anyway
sing along with Mitch
he's got a pencil up his ass i heard his family is rich
just go right ahead, sing along with that fool
cause by now you know, he’s the king of uncool
but don’tchu worry ‘bout that
don’t let that stop you man,
sing a long, sing along just as loud as you can ...
sing along with Mitch
sing along with Mitch
sing along!
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8. |
Funtown
05:07
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Funtown
heard my father falling
falling off the mountain
he couldn’t see the moon
floating on the river
above, a flock of birds
was passing through the night sky
i counted every feather
and then set off a-walking
so hear me now
so hear me now
so hear me now
i‘m on my way
to Funtown
heard a baby crying
crying like a bonfire
the wind was blowin’ the sound
out across the graveyard
a train was passing by
it turned into a june bug
it came a sudden rainfall
some lightning struck a gravestone
so hear me now
so hear me now
so hear me now
i‘m on my way
to Funtown
to Funtown
i dropped a dollar bill
the ground began to tremble
i saw a woman crawling
crawling toward a smokestack
and now a snake is hissing
coiled around a moonbeam
a hurricane is brewing
on some distant planet’s ocean
so hear me now
so hear me now
so hear me now
i‘m on my way
to Funtown
to Funtown
to Funtown
to Funtown
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9. |
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Nothing Left To Say But Goodbye
i used to think that there was something
something we could do
to retrieve, darling, what we had
but now the ways seem few
matter of fact they’re long gone
every path we might have explored
no way to buy back the time we lost
no way that we could afford
nothing left to try
nothing left to say but goodbye
oh darling weren’t we full of hope
the future looked real good
we were gonna beat the odds
ah, we were sure we could
but it seems the cards were marked
the dice were loaded too
and anyway we were lousy gamblers
baby you know it’s true
nothing left to try
nothing left to say but goodbye
so here we are together now
sitting here at this table
this shabby little diner
well ain’t it a hell of a place
to end our little fable
the waitress pouring our coffee
she’s as bored as bored can be
and there’s a distant sadness in her eye
that envelopes you and me
you and me
it’s starting to rain outside
umbrellas are coming up
the waitress is giving me dirty looks
as she refills my coffee cup
guess it’s time to get outta here
out into the nasty weather
you go ahead and leave
i’m gonna stay here a while
ain’t no point in leaving together
nothing left to try
nothing left to say but goodbye
goodbye
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10. |
The New Bob Dylan Song
11:39
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THE NEW BOB DYLAN SONG
there’s a rare endangered earthworm that’s just gone extinct
there’s a chicken about to cross the road
there’s a rumor going round 'bout your uncle's mistress
there’s a stranger offering to carry your heavy load
there’s a new kid on the block with a perfect haircut
he says there ain’t no line between right and wrong
he’s aimed a plastic water pistol at my head
while I listen to the new Bob Dylan song
listen to the new Bob Dylan song
there’s a clown applying his greasepaint in the graveyard
"there’s a time and place for everything", he says
the funeral goers dance and throw confetti
a passing Shriner smiles and doffs his fez
and that might be thunder rumbling in the distance
or the low pulse of an ancient temple gong
but none of that can pierce my solid concentration
as I listen to the new Bob Dylan song
listening to the new Bob Dylan song
a tour bus full of PT Barnum circus freaks
is rolling down the midtown avenues
they point and laugh at office workers passing by
then they scream "you got no right to sing the blues!"
meanwhile way up high, atop the Empire State
swatting at airplanes there he is, King Kong
i’d go look out the window but i’m busy now
see i’m listening to the new Bob Dylan song
listening to the new Bob Dylan song
the president is sleeping in his presidential bed
his wife's all wrapped up with his Chief of Staff
the governor is knocking back some whiskeys
he and his secret boyfriend share a nervous laugh
and the mayor’s catching up on late night paper work
his secretary’s stripped down to her thong
but my mind is not on on sex, nor even politics
no, i’m listening to the new Bob Dylan song
listening to the new Bob Dylan song
outside the sirens wail, the babies cry, the lovers moan
the birds and butterflies are on the wing
the ghost of Elvis Presley in a ghostly Cadillac
borrows money from the ghost of BB King
a traveling guitar salesman’s at the front door
right on cue the doorbell rings ding dong
but i won’t be needing, no, no new guitars today
i’m listening to the new Bob Dylan song
listening to the new Bob Dylan song
deep within the jungle there’s a naked man
he points his arrow toward some jungle beast
his aim is true the arrow meets its target
so tonight there’s gonna be a jungle feast
and me i’ll grab some noodles down at the noodle shop
you know they cook ‘em like they do in old Hong Kong
and even though I’m hungry I can’t go just yet
yeah, i’m listening to the new Bob Dylan song
listening to the new Bob Dylan song
there’s a demonstration happening down near City Hall
and it’s happy hour at all the nearby bars
half price on Molotov cocktails, two for one
you can toss ‘em at the passing police cars
orangutans and ballet dancers weave their way
all throughout the tear gas shrouded throng
i guess i’ll read about it in tomorrow’s papers
but now I’m listening to the new Bob Dylan song
listening to the new Bob Dylan song
the midnight train is passing ‘neath the moonlight
it’s bound for someplace better some might say
but anyway, where’ere you go, well there you are my friend
there’ll only be some new landlord to pay
there’s a question on your lips, it seems quite urgent
you need a swift reply, you say you can’t wait long
i’ll do my best to answer, oh I swear I will
once I’ve listened to the new Bob Dylan song
listen to the new Bob Dylan song
soon as i’ve listened,
soon as i’ve listened...
to the new...
to the new Bob Dylan song
i got to turn up the sound
hey hey
All words and music Copyright 2021 Samm Bennett - All Rights Reserved
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Samm Bennett - Polarity Records Tokyo, Japan
Singer and songwriter, player of unusual string instruments such as 3-string and 1-string guitar, plus jaw harps, mouthbow, electronics and junk, plus all manner of drums and percussion.
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