Box Cars CD - Song Lyrics

BOX CARS
Kevin Danzig

You're doing what you think is right
In other people's eyes
It looks all wrong
Trying hard to make amends
For what you've done
Still, it's the same old song

So, I'm going away on a west bound train To a place where nobody knows my name One ghost keeps haunting me The one I'm running away from
CHORUS:
Thinking 'bout these box cars and how they remain attached Over Rocky Mountain passes On twisting turning tracks And I wonder, Lord how I wonder Why we can't conduct ourselves right And tough it out together alot more like These old box cars

And the rain beats down upon the track
Until it's slippery as grease on a heated skillet Still, the engineer will keep his heavy hand on the throttle He knows he has to make it through For the company and his crew

I'm writing you this letter now
To tell you how I'm feeling
It ain't true
I couldn't wait another day
I had to be alone
I had to think things through

REPEAT CHORUS

These old box cars

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Feet Of Clay
Written by Kevin Danzig

Please don't tell 'em
I said whatever I've said
This isn't me talking when I say
You're alright with me
The town where I'm from is so small
They'd run me right over
If they knew that I thought
The way I think about you
Please don't tell 'em
How I feel about you
Please don't tell 'em
Even though it is true

From the day we are born
We're taught what's right
We're taught what's wrong
It ain't necessarily founded on truth
People tell lies
The very same people
We're told to trust
Sometimes
The gavel comes down without any proof

Please don't tell 'em
How I feel about you
Please don't tell 'em
Even though it is true

You've always been friendly
To me and my family
People talk ugly
I try not to listen
It's so hard to do...

If I had my way
I'd tell them all just how I feel
But, I'd only end up in the very same boat So I bite my tongue For the sake of my children And hope for the day I can walk through this town Without feet of clay

Please don't tell 'em
How I feel about you
Please don't tell 'em
Even though it is true
I'm beggin' you now
How I feel
Even though it is true
How I feel about you

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The Promised Land
Written By Kevin Danzig

There's a land that I'm told
Is a sight to behold
To the west
In a place they call Kansas
Way down deep in my soul
There's a feeling I hold
For the man
Who has come to deliver us

Point me to the promised land
Shine your light on the road to freedom
Point me to the promised land
Let me go home

Long ago
I remember
What it meant to be free
But, it's been such an awful long time
I can't get the thought off my mind
Off my mind

Point me to the promised land
Shine your light on the road to freedom
Point me to the promised land
I want to go home
Point me to the promised land
Lead us on the wild frontier
Point me to the promised land
Far away from here
So far away
We're gonna lay down our burden
We're gonna work our own fields
We're gonna raise up our children
Without hate
Without fear
To be free
Point me
Point me to the promised land

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We Won't Live Like This
Written By Kevin Danzig

Knowing what I know now, I'm afraid
I no longer trust in what you say
Judging by the nature of your lies
There is more to you than meets the eye
I've taken what you've given us and used it in good faith But, all it's brought is misery and pain We won't live like this

When you first appeared here years ago
With your new religon and new clothes
I believed "Great Spirit" had you come
To improve our lives
But, I was wrong
This great book that you have given us to teach us right from wrong It's strange how you're not better Having used it for so long We have no ears to hear it Be gone!

CHORUS

We won't live like this
Forfeiting the ways we have known
Handed down for ages
From Father to Son
We won't live like this
Scrounging like a church mouse for truths Scavenging for tid bits Underneath the pews We refuse to live like this

Unsure of your intentions
It's so hard to understand
Are you here to save our souls
Or are you here
To take our land?

Oklahoma Twilight
Written By Wayne Parker

CHORUS
In the Oklahoma twilight
When the wind sweeps down the plain
I can hear my Cherokee Mama
Calling out in Pain
Captain John goes riding out
With the thunder and the rain
In the Oklahoma twilight
I can live it all again

In the winter of '61
A soldier saved her life
As her body lay half frozen in the snow
As he warmed her flesh
He warmed her heart
And she became his wife
She swore she'd follow
Anywhere he'd go
Sister Moon looked after her
And blessed he with a child
And the wind blew away the troubles from her mind Still, a military man keeps movin' on She knew the time would come She would always meet him Further down the line

REPEAT CHORUS

In the winter of '68
The captain rode away
To the Cheyenne war
That laid him in his grave
When the word came down
Mama made sure that I was going to be OK Then, she left to keep a promise she'd once made She wandered through the Washita Where the eagle meets the crow And she climbed the highest mountain she could climb She flew into eternity But captain John had gone before She would always meet him Further down the line...

REPEAT CHORUS

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Who's Livin' It Up Now
Written By Kevin Danzig

Nellie's got her red light flashing
From the second story window
If you're in the mood for some Action
Nell Star is the one to follow
She's a dynomite attraction
She's the one you'll talk about
She can fire up your passion
She can make you scream and Shout

Who's livin' it up now
Who's givin' it up now, baby
Who's livin' it up now
Who's givin it up now, baby

Drovers driving in from Texas
Nellie stalks them like a cat
Starts her white hot light a flashin'
Shows 'em where the action's at
She says, "If you've got the time for playin'
Chances are you'll win my game
Treat me right and I will take you
Places that you've never been"

Who's livin' it up now
Who's givin it up now, baby
Who's livin' it up now
Who's givin' it up now, baby...

Once a month the county Marshall
Rounds her up with all her friends
Fines them all eleven dollars
And sets them on the streets again
She's a dynomite attraction
She's the one you'll talk about
She can fire up your passion
She can make you scream and shout

Who's livin' it up now
Who's givin' it up now, baby
Who's livin' it up now
Who's giving it up now, baby etc...

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PADUCAH
Written By Don Oja Dunaway

(Author's Note)
When I wrote "Pacucah" I imagined this old man remembering this young woman that he had fallen in love with in Lexington, Kentucky. In lieu of an engagement ring, he offers her his little dog; stung by the rebuff of his proposal, he takes the dog back, and his misadventure really begins when he wanders out to Lawrence, Kansas, which was settled by abolitionists and "freesoilers". Missouri Red Legs descended on the town, armed with Sharps rifles. Henry Ward Beecher had proclaimed that some of God's greatest work would be done with these fearsome weapons; hence the
name, "Beecher's Bibles ---Don Oja Dunaway

I've had me this old dog here
Ever since he was a pup
I got him for a girl in a gingham dress
She's still living in Kentucky
I don't expect to see another one like her I only mention this in passing I swear she was the sweetest thing The good lord ever fashioned She named the little dog Paducah In honor of my home town She smiled when I asked her to marry me Then politely turned me down Well, there wasn't no way that I could stay She took a chunk out of my pride I took back that little dog I giv'd her I was hoping I could make her cry It was the clumsiest thing I'd ever done No wonder she shunned my advances She stayed on in Lexington The dog and me went on out to Kansas

I found my way into Lawrence
A "free soilers" little town
A posse from Missouri came over one day
They burned the old hotel down
They was carryin' "Beecher's Bibles"
I never seen such a fearsome display
When I thought about that girl back home in Kentucky I thanked God things worked out this way There was some shooting and some killing Before the day was done It don't pride me none to say it But, I took that little dog and I run Well, there wasn't no way that I could stay Nobody would take us in The town was stripped to the bone Most of my money was gone The pickins would be gettin' mighty slim With a handful of roasted acorns And a dollar and nineteen cents Lawrence lay in an ash heap I ain't had reason to go back there sense...

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THE OKLAHOMA MINER

Lyrics by Arman C. Lassiter
Music by Kevin Danzig

Come along to Oklahoma where the mining whistles blow Where the tailing piles are looming like the Rocky Mountain snow Come and see the black smoke rolling from the 4 by 60 stacks And the engineer a' snoozing while the jigman "balls the jack"

You can hear the hoister's rattle like the rumble of a train While the hoister man is flirting with an "Oklahoma Jane"
Come and see the big mills grinding, then just slip into the ground Hear the "powder monkey" cussin' cause he's failed to break his rounds

The machinist's in the heading, there's the ground boss on the stops Now a cokey tells the herder, "Bud, we're going to take the rope"
The cokey's wanted boulders, but their dirt was shot up fine For they knew by building "windies" they could get the 99

They didn't like the layout as the dirt was on the rough So they sent the "super" warning that he didn't pay enough Then the cokey herders startled and the "supers" throwed a fit When a cokey told a ground boss that the whole darn smear had quit

The "super" raised their wages then the cokeys all went back And loaded up the silos, and pushed them down the track Then the ground boss put on helpers so the cokeys wouldn't pine Now, they say they're "settin' purty" in the Oklahoma mines.

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YOU CAN SEE FOREVER
By Kevin Danzig

You can see forever
You can see for miles and miles
You can see forever
Way up here we are kings
On the chat pile

One time my friend, Gabe and I dug a tunnel That went all the way to China Then, other times we’d climb so high It was almost like being in Heaven Without the angels Gabe, says I can see my house in Hockerville And I say I see the Coleman in Miami It’s the greatest theater one could ever know The best place to see a show in Oklahoma One time I saw Sally Rand Gabe talks about Will Rogers and Harry Blackstone He was the mightiest magician of his day And the Wurlitzer was played by Mister Larson Lynn could take you far away If you closed your eyes To places in the world Where you can see forever You can see for miles and miles

Sometimes it’s hard to get to sleep
Because of all the blasting in the mines Then there’s the locomotives billowing their smoke Over on state line…

When it gets hot
My friends and I go swimming
In a creek we call the Alkalai
We like the pretty colored water
It’s orange on the bottom and foamy on the top Like a beer

You can see forever
You can see for miles and miles
You can see forever way up here
We are kings on the chat pile

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TOBY
By Kevin Danzig

It's another hot day, here in Galena
In the great state of Kansas
I'm reminiscing about one of my old friends

Toby was one of a kind
Not just your every day "Mule in the mine"
He was faithful to all of his men
I'm not ashamed to say he was a friend of mine

Though sometimes belligerent
He would be gallantly bellowing
Every morning, when that whistle would blow You hear him shuffle his hooves and you'd know He was rarin' to go I'd shovel rocks in the cans 'til it felt like It’s breakin' my back But, Toby would pull half a ton On down the railroad track like it was nothing

Toby knew when danger was near
He'd hear something fall up ahead in the darkness And he would stand still The beast wouldn't budge If you'd try to pass he would bite you Then, sure enough A moment of two would go by And the walls would begin crumbling

They say that mules can't smile
But, I've seen one grin
Most of the men came to depend on Toby

Then came the day when the lead was all gone They would close down the mine Hoist Toby topside and put him out to pasture The very next day Old Toby died

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UNTIL THE SIRENS CALL
By Kevin Danzig

Gonna camp out in Baxter Springs
Gonna lay low
Until the Marshall figures out
Just where we are
Bonnie, Clyde, Blanche and I
C.W. Moss
Gonna stay here until the sirens call

Then we'll load up our weapons
And all of our cash
Into the car
And make our getaway
It's only a mile or so
To the Oklahoma Border
And the Indian Territory

Where the Shawnee, Cherokee, and the Ottawa Thrive The Seneca-Cayuga, too Where the Wyandotte, the Modoc, Peoria, Miami And the Quapaw are one big happy family

Clyde shot a man last week
After robbing a bank in Joplin
Somehow, we got away clean
But, we had to rescue Blanche
She was running down the street, screaming Half dressed, we headed out for Kansas

Gonna camp out in Baxter Springs
Gonna lay low
Until the Marshall figures out
Where we are
Bonnie, Clyde, Blanche, and I
C.W. Moss
Gonna stay here until the sirens call
Gonna stay here until the sirens call
Gonna stay right here in Baxter Springs

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Spooklight!
By Kevin Danzig

There's something wicked down on the "Devil's Promenade"
Nobody knows what it is or where it comes from They only know that it exists It's been making its appearance Most every night After dusk...

They call it...
Spooklight!

Now, the legend tells of a miner who was buried without his head Every night he swings a lantern trying to find it Then, another story tells of two lovers Who leapt to their deaths They're represented by the light in question...

Which light?
The Spooklight!

Just what it is
Nobody is sure
But, it's been haunting these here hills One hundred years or more Even "Spooky" Middleton who runs the museum Can't really say He just knows There's something out there Unexplainable

Back in 1946, the Army Corp of Engineers Decided they would solve this spooky mystery But, the apparition fooled even them And even thought they tried to shoot it The light dodged every bullet

Which light?
The Spooklight!
That's right

So, if you're ever driving just outside of Joplin Near the Oklahoma line You'd best see it for yourself It might help if you've got someone that you love Riding "shotgun"
Because the light tends to be partial to that stuff...

Which light?
The Spooklight!

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ROUTE 66
(I didn’t know this road went through Kansas)

By Kevin Danzig

Dad: I didn’t know this road went through Kansas
Daughter: I didn’t know it either
Dad: Route 66
Daughter: Route 66!
Dad: I knew it went through Illinois
Daughter: Oh boy! I like Illinois
Dad: I knew it went through Missouri
Daughter: Let’s hurry through St. Louie
Dad: Why?
Daughter: So we can get to Kansas!
Dad: I didn’t know it went through Kansas the line here on this map shows it going straight to Oklahoma and then on into Amarillo…
Daughter: Psst… doesn't that mean yellow?
Dad: There aunt nothin yellow in Texas! Except for maybe roses The next town is Tucumcari, that’s in New Mexico
Daughter: Gee, that’s a funny name for a city!
Dad: You think that’s funny try saying Albuquerque
Daughter: Abla, Alba. I don't think so!
Dad: Right between them two lays Santa Fe, where we have to make a stop
Daughter: Why’s that?
Dad: Your momma needs a brand new doormat, oh yeah, and some turquoise jewelry At least, that’s what she tells me…
Daughter: I didn’t know this road went through Kansas
Dad: I didn’t know it either
Daughter: Route 66
Dad: Route 66!
I bet you don’t know where it goes to next…
Daughter: Hmmm, that would be Arizona!
Dad: That’s right, Gallup on into Flagstaff just south of the Grand Canyon.
But man, it's hot here in the desert!
Daughter: On the map here it says dessert…
Dad: Maybe we should stop up ahead in Barstow and get us an ice cream cone That would mean that we’re in California
Daughter: I think I’d better warn ya
Dad: What?
Daughter: We’ll need a bigger engine
Dad: Why?
Daughter: To get up over that mountain!
Dad: Don’t worry, shell make it! She may be old, but she’s a classic a '65 Corvette I didn't know this road went through Kansas
Daughter: I didn't know it either
Dad: Route 66
Daughter: Route 66!
Dad: Now, we’re standing here on the Santa Monica Pier We’ve reached the end with no place left to go I rode the Carousel
Daughter: I’ve got splinters in my feet
Dad: I guess we’ll turn around and go back to Chicago But, this time, we’ll make sure to stop in Kansas
Daughter: Route 66!
Dad: We’re talking 13.2 miles of bliss
Daughter: Yeah, you blink and you might miss it!
Dad: But make sure to pay her a visit next time through,
Daughter: Don’t mind if I do!

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Oklahoma Twilight
Written By Wayne Parker

CHORUS
In the Oklahoma twilight
When the wind sweeps down the plain
I can hear my Cherokee Mama
Calling out in Pain
Captain John goes riding out
With the thunder and the rain
In the Oklahoma twilight
I can live it all again

In the winter of '61
A soldier saved her life
As her body lay half frozen in the snow
As he warmed her flesh
He warmed her heart
And she became his wife
She swore she'd follow
Anywhere he'd go
Sister Moon looked after her
And blessed he with a child
And the wind blew away the troubles from her mind Still, a military man keeps movin' on She knew the time would come She would always meet him Further down the line

REPEAT CHORUS

In the winter of '68
The captain rode away
To the Cheyenne war
That laid him in his grave
When the word came down
Mama made sure that I was going to be OK Then, she left to keep a promise she'd once made She wandered through the Washita Where the eagle meets the crow And she climbed the highest mountain she could climb She flew into eternity But captain John had gone before She would always meet him Further down the line...

REPEAT CHORUS