Neil Young : Hawks and Doves

Rock / Canada
(1980 - Reprise Records / WEA / Rhino Records)
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Lyrics

1. LITTLE WING

All her friends call her Little Wing
But she flies rings around them all
She comes to town when the children sing
And leaves them feathers as if they fall
She leaves them feathers as if they fall

Little Wing, don't fly away
When the summer turns to fall
Don't you know some people say
The winter is the best time of them all
Winter is the best of all


2. OLD HOMESTEAD

Up and down the old homestead
The naked rider gallops through his head
And although the moon isn't full
He still feels the pull

Out on the floor where the cowboys dance
Approaching slowly at a glance
Here comes the shadow of his stance
The reins are falling from his hands

Why do you ride that crazy horse
Inquires the shadow with little remorse
Just then a priest comes down the stairs
With a sack of dreams and old nightmares

Who are you, the rider says
You dress in black but you talk like a Fed
You spout ideas from books that you read
Don't you care about this guy's head

Just then the sound of hoof beats was heard
And the sky was darkened by a prehistoric bird
Who flew between the unfulfilled moon
And the naked rider, to a telephone booth

We'll call the moon and see what's up
I've got some change in this little tin cup
We'll say that the shadow is growing dim
And we need some light to get back to him
Just one call should do it all
I'll carve this number on the wall
With my beak

Flying feathers were all around
The air was filled with a ringing sound
Two more birds, the second and the third
Came down from the sky to deliver the word

Where have you been, they said to the first
Get back to the clouds, we're dying of thirst
There's not enough time to make that call
Let's ditch this rider, shadow and all

The sky was filled
With the beautiful birds
Still on the ground some crying was heard
With his dime in his hand and his hand on the dial
His ears were sweating as he forced a smile

Hoof beats beating across the range
He rode through the night with his cup of change
Tired and beaten he fell into slumber
But up in the sky they still had his number

Up and down the old homestead
The naked rider gallops through his head
And although the moon isn't full
He still feels the pull
Still feels the pull


3. LOST IN SPACE

Live with me, live with me
Live with me, live with me
Live with me

Lost in space
I heard you were lost in space
That's such a lonely place for you to be

Out of control
Singing with too much soul
I heard you got out on parole
Working for the queen

Gardening again
Landscape again
Keeping all the grounds around her clean
Working for the queen

Don't take out the magic pen
Don't draw on the infinity board
Your buildings, if they rise again
Would do much better on the ocean floor
They'll never feel the way they did before
They did before

Out on the ocean floor, out on the ocean floor
What could be stranger than the unknown danger
That lies on the ocean floor

Breakers crash on the beach
I count them like lambs in my sleep
They come at me steady
They know I'm not ready
They pound on my mattress door
Have they got a big one in store

Losing you
I heard I was losing you
That's not the only thing that I got to lose
I got to lose
The deep sea blues
Look at these blues
The deep sea blues

Live with me, live with me


4. CAPTAIN KENNEDY

I am a young mariner headed to war
I'm thinking about my family and what it was for
There's water on the wood and the sails feel good
And when I get to shore
I hope that I can kill good.

My father was a sailor named Captain Kennedy
He lost his wooden schooner to the Germans on the sea
Exploded on the water for everyone to see
And humiliate that American
Captain Kennedy.

I saw him in Nassau in 1971
His strength was failing but he still ran a run
He worked 'til his fingers wore to the bone
To buy that wooden schooner and sail on his own.

He was known in the islands as hundred foot iron
That steel hull freighter was passing its time
And time flew by faster with life on the sea
And the days grew shorter for Captain Kennedy.

I am a young mariner headed to war
I'm thinking about my family and what it was for
There's water on the wood and the sails feel good
And when I get to shore
I hope that I can kill good.


5. STAYIN' POWER

Our love, baby, feels so right
When you're smiling in the morning light
I ain't leaving no way

'Cause we got staying power
You and I
Staying power through thick and thin.

Staying power
You and I
Staying power through thick and thin.

Gold and diamonds say you're mine
But true love opens the gates of time
And as we go on our way

We got staying power
You and I
Staying power through thick and thin

Staying power
You and I
Staying power through thick and thin.


6. COASTLINE

Down on the coastline, highway one
People heading out for the sun
That's where I found you, long time ago.

You're my angel, you're my queen
You're my best friends in between
We don't back down from no trouble
We do get up in the morning

Baby, what a night
That old moon sure is shining bright
We'll be dancing until the morning comes.

High on the mountain top above the clouds
No wonder we get a little loud
We don't back down from no trouble
We do get up in the morning


7. UNION MAN

I'm proud to a union man
I make those meetings when I can, yeah
I pay my dues ahead of time
When the benefits come
I'm last in line, yeah.

I'm proud to be a union man.

Every fourth Friday at 10 am
There's a local meeting of the A F of M, yeah

This meeting will now come to order
Is there any new business

Yeah, I think 'Live music are better'
Bumper stickers should be issued.

What was that

'Live music is better' bumper stickers
Should be issued

The gentleman says
'Live music is better' bumper stickers
Should be issued
All in favor of what he said
Signify by saying "ay"


If, however, you are opposed
Signify by saying "no"

I'm proud to be a union man


8. COMIN' APART AT EVERY NAIL

It's awful hard to find a job
On one side the government, the other the mob
Hey, hey ain't that right
The workin' man's in for a hell of a fight.

Oh, this country sure looks good to me
But these fences are comin' apart at every nail.

Way up on the old dew line
Some of the boys were feelin' fine
A big light flashed across the sky
But somethin' else went slippin' by
Meanwhile at the Pentagon
The brass was a wonderin' what went wrong.

Oh, this country sure looks good to me
But these fences are comin' apart at every nail.

Hey hey, ain't that right
The workin' man's in for a hell of a fight.

Oh, this country sure looks good to me
But these fences are comin' apart at every nail.


9. HAWKS & DOVES

Ain't getting old, ain't getting younger though
Just getting used to the lay of the land
I ain't tongue-tied,
Just don't got nothin' to say
I'm proud to be livin' in the U.S.A.

Ready to go, willin' to stay and pay
U.S.A., U.S.A.
So my sweet love can dance another free day
U.S.A., U.S.A.

In history we painted pictures grim
The devil knows we might feel that way again
The big wind blows, so the tall grass bends
But for you don't push too hard my friend

Ready to go, willin' to stay and pay
U.S.A., U.S.A.
So my sweet wife can dance another free day
U.S.A., U.S.A.

Got people here down on their knees and prayin'
Hawks and doves are circlin' in the rain
Got rock and roll, got country music playin'
If you hate us, you just don't know what you're sayin'

Ready to go, willin' to stay and pay
U.S.A., U.S.A.
So my sweet love can dance another free day
U.S.A., U.S.A.

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