Bob Neuwirth Lyrics

ROCK & ROLL TIME
(Bob Neuwirth, Kris Kristofferson, Roger McGuinn – Resaca Music Co. BMI)

Do I look like a loser standing in your way
Threatening your future you planned yesterday
Well, I fought for my freedom
Some called it a crime
Convicted of running
On rock and roll time

Rock and roll time, take me away
Whiskey and wine and better days
Sometimes it seems I’m falling behind
I’m only running on rock and roll time

Judged in your airports every time I fly
Locked in your jails, I’m getting by
And I’m hoping that heaven is happy and high
And that everyone’s running on rock and roll time

Rock and roll time, take me away
Whiskey and wine and better days
Sometimes it seems I’m falling behind
I’m only running on rock and roll time

(I’m running on rock and roll time)
(I’m running on rock and roll time)
(I’m running on rock and roll time)
(I’m running on rock and roll time)
(I’m running on rock and roll time)
(I’m running on rock and roll time)

KISS MONEY
(Bob Neuwirth – Dry Clam Music BMI)

Hey you, come in here
You’re lost, you can’t win here
Your game’s gone bad 
And you’re lonely and sad 

The clown of clowns
With all of your put ons and your put downs
The secrets concealed
But your heartache just revealed

And you give the blind man quarters 
You don’t take him home
You don’t stone the blind man
You just keep the blind man stoned

The years pass by
They say your world’s built on tears but you never cry 
When you get lonely
Do you bow down and kiss money

You give the blind man quarters
You don’t take him home
You don’t stone the blind man
You just keep the blind man stoned

But you can’t fool me
You can’t trick me into believing it’s easy

JUST BECAUSE I’M HERE (DON’T MEAN I’M HOME)
(Bob Neuwirth – Dry Clam Music BMI)

Listen to that jazz as you stare down at the harbor lights
I know it’s nice in Nice, I’ve lived there

Listen to the bells from a Basque hotel window
Looking down at a brown river running below

And red tomatoes, white grapes
Blue Chinese plates, book stores, and lovers’ two-headed shadow 

And the sun goes down all over the world
And just because I’m here don’t mean I’m home

Hoping for a song someplace, longing for the country 
Or an old stone farmhouse down in the valley

But those old rivers and the trees with their late summer’s leaves 
To me now only dreams and memories

Sun goes down
Just because I’m here don’t mean I’m home
Sun goes down
Just because I’m here don’t mean I’m home

HONKY RED
(Murray McLauchlan – Gregg Hill Music (Div. Of Oyster Music) ASCAP)

He ain’t got him no back porch, he ain’t got a rockin’ chair
He’s got shaky hands and a filthy coat and a face like a grizzly bear

He’s an old wino and he scares all the ladies you might say he’s a bum
He is sure wired up to that Honky Red and some good Gold Anchor rum

When he needs a drink, he stands in the sink, and “please” and “thank you ma’am”
When he gets a head full of Honky Red, he don’t give a good goddamn

Fought in your wars now he sleeps in your doorways he left his leg in France 
And all that remains is a ghostly pain when the mornings get too damp 

Raised in the sticks he only made this sixth-grade so he ain’t too much in demand
Passes handbills and steals red pills for the boys in the whorehouse band 

When he needs a drink, he stands in the sink “please” and “thank you ma’am”
When he gets ahead full of ahead full of Honky Red, he don’t give a good goddamn

He’s got him a girl and he sees her sometimes she goes about a half a ton
In a furnished room at the Joyceville Pen, he’s got him a no good son 

But he’ll keep on drinking that Honky Red until the reaper tolls his bell
If he’s as high when he dies as he was while he lived, he’ll go to heaven sure as hell

When he needs a drink, he stands on the sink “please” and “thank you ma’am”
When he gets ahead full of ahead full of Honky Red, he don’t give a good goddamn 
When he gets ahead full of ahead full of Honky Red, he don’t give a good goddamn

HERO
(Bob Neuwirth – Dry Clam Music) 

Life should never be a stranger 
Hidden under a fallen dream
Smiling faces have the answer
And all the wisdom of the sea

With eyes turned towards darkened glories 
And vacant, half-clear memories 
Make me the coward of the story 
Turning back to the dirty streets 

Scolded by a jukebox jury 
Keeping time on jaded knee
Make me the hero of the story
Keep my secrets secret please 

I want to be with you again 
Lock our door and keep it closed
There aren’t no contenders
Only pretenders you’re my own 

Lovin’ feelings they come so easy
Just as easy they grow cold
Make me the hero of the story
One of the sweetest I’ve ever known

LEGEND IN MY TIME
(Don Gibson – Acuff-Rose Publications Inc. BMI)

If heartaches brought fame in love’s crazy game
I’d be a legend in my time
If they gave gold statuettes for tears and regrets
I’d be a legend in my time

But they don’t give awards and there’s no praise or fame
For a heart broken in love that’s in vain

If loneliness brought world acclaim everyone would know my name
I’d be a legend in my time
I’d be a legend in my time

ROCK & ROLL RIDER
(Bob Neuwirth – Dry Clam Music BMI)

Too blind to leave, I’m too slow to follow
Always an hour late, she was always short a dollar
She went all the way to London to send me back the news
The rock & roll riders over there working on American news

And she had to make a choice between the streets and the rhythm 
She’s dancing on the corner now for the looks the old men give her
And the old men, they adore her couldn’t love her more
She traded in her future to be their corner star

But what’s the difference if you don’t know
Rock & roll riders don’t own no rock & roll

She’s dancing on the corners just to get the news 
Rock & roll writers are all sayin’ she’s been used 
And she still dreams about that river from her borrowed bed
But the best songs ain’t been wrote yet barely and the last laughs ain’t been hard 

And what’s the difference if you don’t know
Rock & roll riders don’t own no rock & roll

WE HAD IT ALL
(Donnie Fritts, Troy Seals – Danor Music BMI)

I can hear a wind a blowing in my mind
Just the way it used to sound through the Georgia pines
You were there to answer when I called
You and me, lord knows we had it all

Remember the way I used to touch your hair
While reaching for the feeling that was always there
You were the best thing in my life I can recall 
You and me, we had it all

And I know we can never relive those days again
So I’ll just let my dreams take me back to where we’ve been
And I’ll stay there with you just as long as I can

Ooh it was so good
Ooh it was so good 
You know it was so good when I was your man

Oh it was so good

And I’ll never stop believing in your smile
And Even though you didn’t stay it was all worthwhile
You were the best thing in my life I can recall
You and me, we had it all
You and me, lord knows we had it all

COUNTRY LIVIN’
(Bob Neuwirth – Dry Clam Music BMI)

Well, they say to go to the country 
And get yourself a rest
Get the world off of your shoulder
Get your troubles off of your chest

Relax and make a painting 
Maybe even write a song 
Lose those sorry feelings 
Stop your going wrong

But Honky-Tonks and flashing lights, Hey, that’s what I need to see
This living up in the country mama is damn near killing me 
And if I can’t get myself some city trouble soon
You’re gonna find me out in the driveway headed toward the moon 

They say to stop drinking 
And stop running around at night
Don’t you do no reckless kissing 
Or get drunk and start a fight 

Don’t you brag about your troubles
Find you a vacant field
Build yourself a little something
Make believe it’s real

Honky-Tonks and flashing lights, Hey, that’s what I need to see
Living up in the country mama is damn near killing me
And if I can’t get myself inside some city trouble soon
You’re gonna find me out in the driveway pointing towards the moon

I’ve been living up in the country
But this living (ha!) is going to end
I’m looking across the same damn bars at the wine and my best friend 
And I’m about to lose my mind 
In all this happiness I found 
I’m going to get me an airplane, mama
Get my feet back on the ground

Those Honky-Tonks and flashing lights, that’s what I need to see
This living in the country is almost killing me
And if I can’t get myself inside some city trouble soon
You’re gonna find me out in the driveway pointing at the moon
Howling, howling! Screaming!

COWBOYS & INDIANS
(Ben Keith, Bobby Charles – Street People Songs-Warpath Music ASCAP)

The Cowboys and the Indians 
They didn’t get along 
Words were said, blood was shed
The Indians lost their home

They had to move, move
They had to move away
They had to move, move
They had to move away 

The black man he was chained and shackled
And loaded on a boat 
They fought and lost, some got caught
They were bought and sold

They had to move, move
They had to move away
They had to move, move
They had to move away

Love is blue love is golden
And love is no color too
Love is true, but love’s uncertain
But if you love and lose

They had to move, move
They had to move away
They had to move, move
They had to move away

Music really touches me
Sad songs make me cry
This is for all those that are wrong 
And all of those that are right

They had to move, move
They had to move away
They had to move, move
They had to change their ways
They had to change their ways
They had to change their ways
They had to change their ways

MERCEDES BENZ
(Bob Neuwirth, Janis Joplin, Michael McClure – Strong Arm Music ASCAP)

Lord, won’t you buy me a Mercedes Benz?
My friends all drive Porsches, I must make amends
I worked hard all my life, with help no help but my friends
So Lord, won’t you buy ‘em all a Mercedes Benz?

Thank you and good night