Manfred Mann's Earth Band : Manfred Mann's Earth Band

Progressive Rock / United-Kingdom
(1972 - Philips)
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Lyrics


1. CALIFORNIA COASTLINE

Took off in San Francisco
Hitching up 101
Ended up on a flat bed Chevy
Breaking at the setting sun
Slept all night in a (coal hole?)
Thought I'd nearly freeze alive
'Cause all I had was a US blanket
Dated 1945

On the California coastline
Trying to have myself a good time
On the California coastline
Trying to have myself a good time

Got loose from jail in three days
(Sheriff had locked my base?)
(Maybe) ... (for Utah?)
... the human race
And if I live to be 100
Ain't never going back again
Couldn't think of a colder place to visit
(Or an easier place to sin?)

On the California coastline
Trying to have myself a good time
On the California coastline
Trying to have myself a good time

... (out of?) nowhere
Somewhere west of everybody else
I'm ... (out of?) nowhere
Somewhere west of everybody else


2. CAPTAIN BOBBY STOUT

Brother why are you here?
Brother why are you here?
Captain Bobby Stout done found me out,
Now I owe the Man one more year

I first came down to Wichita town
Pocket full of Mexican smoke
Sold it to a man I did not know
Cause I was hungry and I was broke

Brother why are you here?
Brother why are you here?
Captain Bobby Stout done found me out,
Now I owe the Man one more year

My partner came down to wichita town
Tryin to set me free
But capt. bobby stout, he found him out
Now my partner's stayin here with me

Brother why are you here?
Brother why are you here?
Captain Bobby Stout done found me out,
Now I owe the Man one more year

My mama e stays in Chicago.
My daddy stays down in the ground.
My baby did go on to San Francisco
When the judge laid his gavel down.

{Chorus and out}


3. SLOTH

(Instrumental)


4. LIVING WITHOUT YOU

The milk truck hauls the sun up
The paper hits the door
The subway shakes my floor
And I think about you
Time to face the dawning grey
Of another lonely day
It's so hard living without you

It's so hard, it's so hard
It's so hard living without you
It's so hard, it's so hard
It's so hard living without you

Everyone's got something
They're out tryin' to get some more
They got something to get up for
Well, I ain't about to
Nothing's gonna happen
Nothing's gonna change
It's so hard living without you

It's so hard, it's so hard
It's so hard living without you
It's so hard, it's so hard
It's so hard living without you


5. TRIBUTE

(Instrumental)


6. PLEASE MRS HENRY

Well, I've already had two beers
I'm ready for the broom
Please, Missus Henry, won't you
Take me to my room ?
I'm a good old boy
But I've been sniffin' too many eggs
Talkin' to too many people
Drinkin' too many kegs
Please, Missus Henry, Missus Henry,
Please
Please, Missus Henry, please
I'm down on my knees
And I ain't got a dime.

Well, I'm groanin' in a hallway
Pretty soon I'll be mad
Please, Missus Henry, won't you
Take me to your dad ?
I can drink like a fish
I can crawl like a snake
I can bite like a turkey
I can slam like a drake
Please, Missus Henry, Missus Henry,
Please
Please, Missus Henry, please
I'm down on my knees
And I ain't got a dime.

Now, don't crowd me, lady
Or I'll fill up your shoe
I'm a sweet bourbon daddy
And tonight I am blue
I'm a thousand years old
And I'm a generous bomb
I'm T-boned and punctured
But I'm known to be calm
Please, Missus Henry, Missus Henry,
Please
Please, Missus Henry, please
I'm down on my knees
And I ain't got a dime.
Now, I'm startin' to drain
My stool's gonna squeak
If I walk too much farther
My crane's gonna leak
Look, Missus Henry
There's only so much I can do
Why don't you look my way
And pump me a few ?
Please, Missus Henry, Missus Henry,
Please
Please, Missus Henry, please
I'm down on my knees
And I ain't got a dime.


7. JUMP STURDY

Some people say she used to dance with the fish
Others say she juggled fire in a dish
She raised her hand and caused a 'lectrical storm
Down by the Bayou Saint John

She was a treacherous lady
She never made me much harm
One day she ducked past the station house
Turned on the fire alarm

Jump Sturdy Jump Sturdy was her name
She came out the swamps like a crazy fool
Jump Sturdy Jump Sturdy was her name
She came out the swamps like a crazy fool

Somehow she got tangled up with Queen Julia Jackson
On Melpomene and Erato Street
Queen Julia Jackson (trapped her?) Zozo Labrique
Jump Sturdy died in defeat

She was a treacherous lady
She never met much harm
One day she ducked past the station house
Turned on the fire alarm

Jump Sturdy Jump Sturdy was her name
She came out the swamps like a crazy fool
Jump Sturdy Jump Sturdy was her name
She came out the swamps like a crazy fool


8. PRAYER

Tell me, tell me, can it be right
The thing I feel I must do tonight?
Tell me Lord, don't you really see
The way I am and the things I could be?

Tell me, tell me, can it be true
The things I feel I must do with you?
Tell me Lord, are you really strong?
Do you feel that my feelings are wrong?

Tell me Lord, don't you really see
The way I am and the things I could be?
Tell me Lord, are you really strong?
Do you feel that my feelings are wrong?


9. PART TIME MAN

It was in the evening paper under General Vacancy
"Part time man required in a local factory"
I put my Sunday suit on and I gave my old boots a brush
I got on my old two wheeler as I was in a rush

"Wait over there in the queue, come here when I call your name."
There's about ten or twenty part time men, they all look just the same
"Alfred Webster?" – "Yes, that's me." – "Kindly come this way."
With fingers crossed I follow him and I hope it's my lucky day

All I wanted to be was a part time man
(That's all)
All I wanted to be was a part time man

With shaky hand I started to the best that I was able
The man I had come to see smiled across the table
I filled in all questions, name, address and occupation
What I did in World War Three, and my present situation

All I wanted to be was a part time man
(That's all, that's all)
All I wanted to be was a part time man

I went back to the waiting room and they asked me what he said
Before I had time to answer a woman came out and shook her head
Returned from where I came from to my old and faithful cat
I turned off the light in my eyes and that's the end, that
Oh yeah

All I wanted to be was a part time man
All I wanted to be was a part time man
All I wanted to be was a part time man
(All I wanted to be was a part time man)
All I wanted to be was a part time man
(That's all, that's all, that's all)


10. I'M UP AND I'M LEAVING

I'm up and I'm leaving
Gonna spread my wings
Gonna get out the country to do big things
I'm up and I'm leaving
Gettin' out of this place
Gonna get on the Green Line to join the rat race

And if you see my ma or pa
Tell them that I ain't going far
I'm going to the great big city
I'm gonna buy what they call a car

I'm up and I'm leaving
Gonna spread my wings
Gonna get out the country and do big things
I'm up and I'm leaving
Gettin' out of this place
Gonna get on the Green Line to join the rat race

Gonna leave the fields and the crops behind
I'm gonna see what life's about
I know I've been saying it for the past six years
But now I'm getting out

I'm up and I'm leaving
Gonna spread my wings
Gonna get out the country and do big things
I'm up and I'm leaving
Gettin' out of this place
Gonna get on the Green Line to join the rat race

And if you see my friend
The one without a name
Say to him that I'm gonna go
But I ain't coming back again

Now listen Luke to what I say
If that Green Line comes around here
Tell all my friends when they come to the city
I'll buy them all a beer

I'm up and I'm leaving
Gettin' out of this place
Gonna get on the Green Line to join the rat race
I'm up and I'm leaving
Gonna spread my wings
Gonna get out the country and do big things



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