A Sailor's Christmas

Merry Christmas from Baghdad!

Sail on the horizons gotta landfall rendezvous
Captain steers a well-known course, he steers straight & true
As he trims the sheets, he sings a song
He learned on boats and bars
Sailor spends his Christmas in a harbour 'neath the stars

He's traveled through the doldrums, typhoons and hurricanes
He's logged a million soggy miles with water on his brain
But Christmas is the season better suited for dry land
He'll tell some lies, meet some spies
And dance barefoot in the sand

The sailor spends his Christmas in a harbour on the hook
Caye con les, no work today, let's shell the ol' log book
The waterfront is reveling, the season has begun
The sailor spends his Christmas in a harbour having fun.

There's a party down at Le Selecte, music, rum and cheers
Faces in the shadows, God, I haven't seen for years
A mast & shroud fill with lights
'Neath the waning of the moon
They're an airy celebration in the realm of King Neptune.

Jesus was a fisherman who walked upon the sea
The North Pole is ocean's remote frozen balcony
The continents keep drifting but the children sing and play
'Cause nothing really matters, after all it's Christmas day

The sailor spends his Christmas in a harbour on the hook.
Vaye con les, no work today, he read it in a book
The waterfront is reveling, the season has begun

A sailor spends his Christmas in a harbour having fun...

Sometime in the Morning

Sometime in the morning
A simple thought may occur to you
And you'll hold her
And tell her all the things you never told her

Your love has shown me things
I never thought I could see
I didn't know it could be done so easily
Now I know you're where it is for me

Sometime in the evening
You're sitting there by the fireside
And she'll touch you
And you realize how much you never knew before
How much you couldn't see
You didn't know it could be done so easily
Now you know she's all a girl could be

Now, in her childlike eyes
You see the beauty there
You know it was always there
And you need no longer wear a disguise

Sometime in the morning
You'll just reach out, and she will be there
Close as the summer air
Sometime in the morning, she will be there
Sometime in the morning, she will be there
Sometime in the morning, she will be there...

"Same Old Lang Syne"

Met my old lover in the grocery store
The snow was falling Christmas Eve
I stole behind her in the frozen foods
And I touched her on the sleeve

She didn't recognize the face at first
But then her eyes flew open wide
She went to hug me and she spilled her purse
And we laughed until we cried

We took her groceries to the checkout stand
The food was totalled up and bagged
We stood there lost in our embarrassment
As the conversation dragged

We went to have ourselves a drink or two
But couldn't find an open bar
We bought a six-pack at the liquor store
And we drank it in her car

We drank a toast to innocence
We drank a toast to now
And tried to reach beyond the emptiness
But neither one knew how

She said she'd married her an architect
Who kept her warm and safe and dry
She would have liked to say she loved the man
But she didn't like to lie

I said the years had been a friend to her
And that her eyes were still as blue
But in those eyes I wasn't sure if I saw
Doubt or gratitude

She said she saw me in the record stores
And that I must be doing well
I said the audience was heavenly
But the traveling was hell

We drank a toast to innocence
We drank a toast to now
And tried to reach beyond the emptiness
But neither one knew how

We drank a toast to innocence
We drank a toast to time
Reliving in our eloquence
Another 'auld lang syne'

The beer was empty and our tongues were tired
And running out of things to say
She gave a kiss to me as I got out
And I watched her drive away

Just for a moment I was back at school
And felt that old familiar pain
And as I turned to make my way back home
The snow turned into rain

The Paper Chase

You can't erase the Paper Chase
She'll make you play it
In the bright merry morning
She'll run and hide
And leave you the paper promises
Behind her as she runs across the square

You can't win the race, She'll set the pace
You will hear her laughing
Just behind the foolish fences
Throw back the gate and find the
Piece of paper lying on the curbstone,
But the lady won't be there.

Later in the day,
You'll be searching for a way
To let her know you're ready
For her little game to end
Cause it's getting dark, and then-

You'll see her face, a glimpse of lace
And you'll go running
Through the last sweet dying daydream
Calling her name, but she's been home an hour,
Laughing at the mirror
As she combs her paper hair.

Marionette

Marionette, your dress is all wet
Did someone leave you outside in the rain,
Or is it the pain
that makes all the puppet tears
roll down your cheek
Or does the roof leak?

Marionette, how could you forget?
I told you your bright shining varnish
would peel
And how does it feel
with the bright rouge all faded and
the smile almost cracked
Now that you've come back?
Back to the toy shop by Brandenburg Gate
I hope not too late
'Cause my hands are much stiffer
Than they were when first I
painted your eyes.

Marionette, no you're not finished yet;
I'll mend you and make you like new,
Paint your eyes blue,
and make you as young as I was myself,
And there on the shelf...
You'll sit till the Puppet Man
Comes round again.

Desert Moon

'Is this the train to Desert Moon?'
Was all she said
But I knew I'd heard
That stranger's voice before
I turned to look into her eyes
But she moved away
She was standing in the rain
Trying hard to speak my name
They say first love never runs dry

The waiter poured our memories in a tiny cup
We stumbled over words we longed to hear
We talked about the dreams we'd lost, or given up
When the whistle caught the night
And shook silence from our lives
As the last train rolled toward the moon

Those summer nights
When we were young
We bragged of things
We'd never done
We were dreamers
Only dreamers
And in our haste
To grow up too soon
We left our innocence
On Desert Moon
We were dreamers
Only dreamers
On Desert Moon

I still can hear the whisper of the summer night
It echoes in the corners of my heart
The night we stood and waited for the desert train
All the words we meant to say
All the chances swept away
Still remain on the road to the dune

Those summer nights
When we were young
We bragged of things
We'd never done
We were dreamers
Only dreamers
Moments pass
And time moves on
But dreams remain
For just as long
As there's dreamers
All the dreamers

On Desert Moon

Long Way Home

The other night I took the long way home
Out past the old schoolyard
It's funny how you keep it all inside
Dreams they do die hard

I closed my eyes and I could see your face
Somewhere back in time 
One summer night a million miles ago
Back when you were mine

Say yes, say no, say that I'm grabbing at shadows
But don't carve the words in stone
I know it's late
But can't you see I was only 
Taking the long way home

Sometimes its easy to get all wrapped up
In trying to be free
And all those dreams I sailed away to find
Were right in front of me

Say yes, say no, say that I'm grabbing at shadows 
But don't carve the words in stone
One of these days
You're gonna see I was only
Taking the long way home

Although the letters stopped many years ago
I'll show you even time could not keep this heart 
from letting go

The other night I took the long way home
Out past the old schoolyard
It's funny how you keep it all inside
Dreams they do die hard

Say yes, say no, say that I'm grabbing at shadows 
But don't leave me here all alone
One of these days
You're gonna see I was only
Taking the long way home

Say yes, say no
But don't leave me here all alone
One of these days
You're gonna see I was only 
Taking the long way home