1. |
Backwater Lullaby
03:00
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Behind closed doors at the chapel hall
Behind gold-plated filigree
Stood Big Jim Manning
He was a damn big man
And a backstabbing S.O.B.
And the gathering crowd declared
"Oh my Lord, have you forsaken me?"
For the end of the world as I see it is coming
Won't you lay your hands on me
He was born in the south half of 'Sippi
In a cabin out in the slough
His mama drove a boat up and down the river
Payin' bills with I.O.U.'s
But when the swell came up she said
"Oh my Lord, protect my only son!"
But the child got bigger, had an itchy trigger finger
Was a snub-nose son of a gun
Well he counted his coin
And he counted his sin
And he knows that he's in the red
So he pulls out his stole and rattles out a sermon
Spitting fire with the lies he said
"Mama used to tell me,
'Boy you better lead the pack
Never fall behind,'
But lo, in times of trouble,
Mama won't you sing me that
Backwater lullaby?"
Go on and sing.
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2. |
The Boogeyman
04:17
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The boogeyman is dead
Long live the boogeyman
Thirty years ago about, give or take,
He found a family he was bound to break,
From the mud in shoes, to the blood and the booze,
Got a little angry when he sang the blues.
He drew a pinch of poison in a ramblin' line,
Got a little crazy 'round killing time,
Always was a little worthless when he's choppin' wood,
But swingin' an axe always felt damn good.
The boogeyman is dead
Long live the boogeyman
Don't bother lookin' underneath,
He's deep inside the ground,
There's nothing left to scare you now,
Don't bother goin' down.
The boogeyman is dead
Long live the boogeyman
Found him face down in a pillar of ash,
Shell of a thing that's not comin' back,
Touched by an angel, touched by below,
Back from somewhere that we all must go.
The world is full of boogeymen,
And I know this to be true,
Don't go lookin' too closely now,
You'll find the boogeyman is you.
The boogeyman is dead
Long live the boogeyman
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3. |
Cocaine Lover
03:14
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Most of the time
I keep it in line
Under lock and key
But once in a while
That razor blade smile
Cuts right through me
I ain't your cocaine lover
I ain't your cocaine lover
Might seem like a waste
But I still want a taste
Blow me away
Never thought I'd get so low
Never thought I'd need you no more
Or beg you to stay
But I'm stronger than that
And there's no looking back
I'm leaving this, oh by the way
I ain't your cocaine lover
My love comes slow and real
I ain't been made to suffer
But that's just the way I feel
I ain't your cocaine lover
My love comes slow and real
I ain't been made to suffer
But that's just the way I feel
I ain't your cocaine lover
I ain't your cocaine lover
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4. |
Thirty Pieces
04:19
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I'm honin' 2x4's one pine at a time
One pine at a time
I'm honin' those 2x4's one pine at a time
One pine at a time
Sawdust on the floor
Ain't gonna bother me no more
I'm steady hand drivin' them nails
One iron at a time
One iron at a time
I'm steady hand drivin' them nails
One iron at a time
One iron at a time
A neat and tidy row
Ain't gonna bother me no more
Thirty pieces in my pocket
Thirty pieces burnin' a hole
Thirty pieces of silver
Weighin' heavy on my soul
Woah, man, let me be
I'm just a little bit of crazy out of Tennessee
Heavy gamblin' man gonna let it ride
White as day, black as night
Gonna let the preacher man set you right
Goin' all in, no place to hide
If God's willin' and the creek don't rise
None of y'all gettin' out of here alive
I'm cleanin' that dirt from my spade
One swipe at a time
One swipe at a time
I'm wiping that dirt from my spade
One swipe at a time
One swipe at a time
A neat and tidy row
Ain't gonna bother me no more
Thirty pieces in my pocket
Thirty pieces burnin' a hole
Thirty pieces of silver
Weighin' heavy on my soul
Woah, man, let me be
I'm just a little bit of crazy out of Tennessee
And a heavy gamblin' man gonna let it ride
White as day, black as night
Gonna let the preacher man set you right
Goin' all in, no place to hide
If God's willin' and the creek don't rise
None of y'all gettin' out of here alive
Woah, man, let me be
I'm just a little bit of crazy out of Tennessee
Heavy gamblin' man gonna let it ride
White as day, black as night
Gonna let the preacher man set you right
Goin' all in, no place to hide
If God's willin' and the creek don't rise
None of y'all gettin' out of here alive
If God's willin' and the creek don't rise
None of y'all gettin' out of here alive
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5. |
Come Along Easy
03:01
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This here is my kind of scene
Dark and dirty and sleazy
This king's in need of a queen
You should come along easy
You should come along easy
We could do as you please
You should come along easy
Even get a bit cheeky
You should come along easy
Babe now don't be a tease
You should come along easy
She set the streets ablaze
Dressed up in crime scene red
She comin' up saunterin'
Up and down the alley way
It's a fine way to end up dead
You should come along easy
I want to paint the town with you
Girl I ain't tryin' to be greedy
I just want you for the night
You should come along easy
Come be my pleasure
It's now or never
They'll take your picture
You'll live forever
You should come along easy
Now come along
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6. |
Maggie's Song
04:07
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Maggie was a waitress at a diner on 79
Right next to nowhere, nestled in the pines
She always dreamed of runnin' off to somewhere
Always somethin' more for her to find
The clock above the counter was steady keepin' time
Just mockin' ole Maggie with every passin' chime
When a tall, dark cowboy strolls in from the highway
Maggie senses something stir inside
Me and you gonna rendezvous
Kick out and light the fuse
I got a tank of gas, a bag of grass
And some good ole rhythm and blues
We may not have too much of nothin'
But tonight we have it all
Get up out the kitchen now what you been missin'
Is the free fall, listen to your heart callin'
Come on now
Danny was a looker with a penchant for the bold
He had a nasty reputation and a tarnished heart of gold
Some drivin' force compelled him there to Maggie
And he knew right there he'd never let her go
He told her fear is for the livin' and faith is for the dyin'
It's like swimmin' for the shore while the tide keeps a risin'
Before you know, the water's come to claim you
But salvation finds you, and Maggie is her name
Because me and you got a rendezvous
Kick out and light the fuse
I got a tank of gas, a big bag of grass
And some good ole rhythm and blues
Well we may not have too much of nothin'
But tonight we have it all
Get up out the kitchen, now what you been missin'
Is the free fall, listen to your heart callin'
Come on now
Never goin' back to that diner on 79
Me and you got a rendezvous
Kick out and light the fuse
I got a tank of gas, a big bag of grass
And some good ole rhythm and blues
Well we may not have too much of nothin'
But tonight we have it all
Get up out the kitchen, now what you been missin'
Is the free fall, listen to your heart callin'
Come on now
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7. |
Broken Down & Blue
03:46
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I once knew a beggar
A voice made of gold
He sat on the corner
Singin' stories of old
Some Hollywood fat cat
Made a meal out of Jim
If it weren't for the traffic
He'd catch up with him
I'll tell you a story
I wish it weren't true
It's such a shame I've got to
Tell it to you
A hottie named Dottie
Was prowlin' 'round town
When a rude dude called Hootie
Was gettin' her down
'Til one night he beckoned
For her to give him her hand
And if you ask her, she'll tell you
She'd cut it off again
I'll tell you a story
I wish it weren't true
It's such a shame I've got to
Tell it to you
The people I meet sittin' on this old stool
Leaves me broken down and blue
Me, I'm nobody
A man just like you
At the end of the day
Downs a bottle or two
It helps me to see
What this life can be
But if that's the future
You best make it three
I'll tell you a story
I wish it weren't true
It's such a shame I've got to
Tell it to you
The people I meet sittin' on this old stool
Leaves me broken down and blue
Yeah I'm broken down and blue
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8. |
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Well I knew, knew, knew the day would come
When I'd make that call
But I'll save that love
For another day
And I sang, sang, sang the songs
That our fathers sung before
But those better days
Are dead and gone
These modern times
These so-called men
Enough to drive you mad
Squandered souls disgrace us all
They fill their greedy pockets all up
To their tailored trim
But that gold gets heavy
When it's sink or swim
So come what may
The train roll on
Only for so long
These complicated tomes
I'll ride, ride, ride until the desert sands wreck my hide
They cross my path and catch my wrath
Just waiting to collide
It's all just a bit of a toll
But it's all a lot of out of control
Alright
I'm lashing sticks right to the steel
While heathens get their sums
The fuse I lit will light their path
From here to Kingdom Come
Well you tell me what I wanted to hear
But your future's never sounded so clear
Alright
So come what may
The train roll on
Only for so long
These complicated tomes
I do, do, do everything that I can
This absolution don't come easy to these dirty hands
I do, do, do everything that I can
This absolution don't come easy to these dirty hands
These dirty hands
These dirty hands
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9. |
Undercurrent
03:25
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I can see a hillside manor
I can see my host
I can see the fields before me
I can see your ghost
I will travel on this roadside
Lilies in my hand
Like a moth to distant moonlight
I will cross this land
Yes I will cross this land
My best black has gone threadbare
My shoes have blown their tread
A murder of crows hangin' over me
A black crown upon my head
I have climbed the mountain tops
The valleys down below
For all the miles and miles I've come
Well I've still got far to go
Yes I've still got far to go
That cold, black water keep on callin' back to me
That undercurrent got me livin' on my knees
Seems like forever you been whisperin' my name
Beggin' and pleadin' to come back from whence I came
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Tennessee Stiffs Red Wing, Minnesota
Tennessee Stiffs formed in late 2011. Fueled by their eclectic musical interests, they were determined to create something never heard before. Seamlessly blending blues, rock 'n' roll, folk, and alternative country into a powerful and provocative product. They released their third album, a concept double LP "Dearly Departed" in 2022, and now reside in Red Wing, MN. New acoustic album in the works ... more
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