Some nights he walks on to the river
Prays his lord to make him a man
make him a giver
'cause he did some things
but how could he forgive her
some nights betray the heart of a sinner

Some nights he wonders had he a been there
or if it would have mattered anyway
come another year
'cause he did some things
to make it alright dear
some nights he's a little weary for the wear

some nights he watches at the window
waits to see which way his mind
might try and go
'cause he did some things
but now there's no way to know
some nights line up all right all straight in a row
some nights they tie up tight all in ribbons and bows

He sees her some
Every now and then
She don't ask what he's done
She won't ask where he's been
When he comes
She just asks how he's been

Every now and then
One comes along
Make you forget your work
Make you forget your song
Make you see
You been seeing it all wrong

Will it matter then
When he's done and gone
What you thought he said
What he did so wrong
Did so wrong
Was it really oh so wrong

He sees her some
Every now and then
She don't ask what he's done
She won't ask where he's been
When he comes
She just asks how he's been
How you been baby
Mmmmhmmm how you been

Midnight fog rolls in
and settles on the shore
ride home’s slow goin’
out of cigarettes, no open store
time’s gone in a fragile breath
like the plea from a beggar’s whisper
a baby on his mama’s breast
or the promise of a drifter
Cowboy promises from an outlaw drifter

Sittin’ like sugar cubes
on a stretch of beach highway
I-10 past Baton Rouge, east of Mobile Bay
pastel colored single wides
sit meltin’ on a black top tongue
sweet deceivers of deadly riptides
like kisses when love is young
your soft kisses when our love was young

Free as a pawn shop gun
gone missing in a hurricane
my sanity got stolen along the way
songs that were left unsung
keep tapping on the window pane
reminding me love’s gone again today

Stoned in some island dive
with the same old songs again
maybe what keeps us alive
kills us in the end
give ‘em what they wanna hear
their Sweet Home Alabam
tell me time to go my dear
on back to Mississippi Goddam
well give me Mississippi
Goddam

Free as a pawn shop gun
gone missing in a hurricane
my sanity got stolen along the way
songs that were left unsung
keep tapping on the window pane
reminding me love’s gone again today

Midnight fog rolls in and settles on the shore
ride home’s slow goin’
out of cigarettes, no open store
time’s gone in a fragile breath
like the plea from a beggar’s whisper
a baby on his mama’s breast
or the promise of a drifter
Cowboy promises from an outlaw drifter

Mama prepare
Prepare a room for me
Mama make me a pallet on the floor to sleep
I’m comin’ home to you
I’m comin’ home to you
I ain’t gonna go on like this no more

Papa bring your mean
Bring your mean, bring it on me
Papa ain’t no mean I ain’t know or seen
I’m comin’ home to you
I’m comin’ home to you
Like the prodigal son I’m comin’ home

We will run like we can’t walk
Hey we won’t float when we can swim
We’ll go on and on and never stop
And we will never
All fall down again

Mama prepare
Prepare a room for me
Mama make me a pallet on the floor to sleep
I’m comin’ home to you
I’m comin’ home to you
I ain’t gonna go on like this no more

I kept my belly for spooning
as if it were your childhood home
like confessions kept in catacombs
like a relic made of saintly bone

I kept your garden tended
behind the gate while you were gone
like secrets kept in lines of a song
worthy to be carried by a vagabond

I no longer beg for suffering
yet still I give you myself
an offering

I kept our treasure tucked away
safe inside my heart to store
like cathedral candles lit for the poor
waiting like lovers lined up at your door

I no longer beg for suffering
yet still I give you myself
an offering

Cover me in milk paint darlin'
blend me into the wall
put my things in the attic
like I'm not
here at all

Birds on a wire too busy singing to fly
embers spiral up from the fire to the starry sky

Throw me some scraps with the dogs
I won't be no bother
hiding under the house
coming out
if you holler

Birds on a wire too busy singing to fly
embers spiral up from the fire to the starry sky

Grind my bones into cement
make a pathway of me
you can walk on to lead you
like a river to the sea

Birds on a wire too busy singing to fly

Comfort, comfort, comfort, comfort,
comfort the soul of a man
a letter written in his lover’s hand
the blessings of a free, a free man
comfort, comfort, comfort, comfort,
comfort the soul of a man

Comfort, comfort, comfort, comfort,
comfort the soul of a man
a slow cooked roast in an iron pan
an easy chair, a home, a soft place to land
comfort, comfort, comfort, comfort,
comfort the soul of a man

No peace found in the dirty deal
a prayer of gratitude for a prison meal
faith in what he cannot understand
can this be enough to comfort the soul of a man

Comfort, comfort, comfort, comfort,
comfort the soul of a man
a simple trust in God’s perfect plan
no cross to bear, the strength, the strength to stand
comfort, comfort, comfort, comfort,
comfort the soul of a man
comfort, comfort, comfort, comfort,
comfort the soul of a man

Teach me to be a bartender
waiting on the night to end
a dark corner booth
drinking bourbon and gin
hungry lovers climb on in
they climb on in

Teach me to be a cab driver
waiting on a fare patiently
forever disappears in the night like a thief
and steals away from me
it slips away from me

Did you take a new lover
baby while I was gone
maybe took time to discover
new reasons I don't belong
new reasons I don't belong

Teach me to be your real good girl
waiting on my turn, my turn to try
he says she ain't worth the lie
but I don't ask why
no I don't ask why
no I don't
ask why

She’ll slip into the lining of your favorite old coat
try her on with ideas all stuck in your throat
like the words you wish you’d said
instead of the ones you wrote
try her on like your favorite coat

She’ll loosen your necktie when she greets you at the door
hand you a drink in her heels and kick ‘em off to the floor
she’ll always love you
but leave you wanting more
as she leads you to her back door

She’s another selfish lover
Fill the empty left by the other
Get it on your own under cover
Can’t count on a selfish lover

He’s hopeful but heavy in a world of pain
like the start of a steady Saturday night’s pouring rain
low down like the whistle
of a weary midnight train
Hopeful but heavy in a world of pain

He’s another selfish lover
Fill the empty left by the other
Get it on your own under cover
Can’t count on a selfish lover

Everybody’s trying, trying to find a way to feel good
after all the cheatin’ and lyin’ and not treating them like we should
be on my side
sweet baby
sweet baby I wish you would

Be another selfish lover
Fill the empty left by the other
Get it on your own under cover
Can’t count on a selfish lover
Don’t risk another
Selfish lover

Such a tiny taste of that sweet pie
sure ain’t quite enough
to deeply satisfy
the coaxing from the waitress
too tough to ignore
a little always leads to
a little bit more

It all starts with a harmless little first flirt
ain’t no way no one’s someone
is gonna get hurt
only being polite now
that ain't goin’ too far
ain’t no harm in walking her
out to her car

But when the wanting is too hard to deny
desires too hard to ignore
when not telling can’t make it a lie
a little always leads to a little bit more

Another night home late from the diner
she hears the screen door slam behind her
she turns from the sink
lipstick on his shirt
pretends not to see
and dries her hands on her skirt

But when the wanting is too hard to deny
desires too hard to ignore
when not telling can’t make it a lie
a little always leads to a little bit more

Be my, be my mellow, be my mellow, my mellow joy, joy
I’ll be your girl, you be my boy
take me and make me
make me under your employ
and be my
my mellow joy

Be my, be my mellow, be my mellow, my mellow joy, joy
Love low and deep, not sweet, not coy
take me and make me
make me your shiny new toy
and be my
my mellow joy

Whatever dream your heart desires my dear
a serene sweet tart
A filthy liar who swears
whichever makes you feel alright
I’ll be your mellow
your mellow joy
oh tonight
mmmm tonight

Be my, be my mellow, be my mellow, my mellow joy, joy
Oh you be my girl, I’ll be your boy
take me and make me
under your employ
and be my
my mellow joy
my mellow joy
my mellow
joy joy joy joy
my mellow joy