Up ahead in the distance I can hear the cannon blast
Questioning, "Who killed the king?", still echoing from the past
Freedom rings, the bullet slings - shot out into the night
"Baby's Dead", the headline read. Who's gonna stop the fight?
Let the lightening flash, and let the thunder rumble
Let it burn the flesh of the proud and humble
Let the earth take its turn and burst at the seams
in my Redemption Dream
Who cares if Armageddon's coming?
We lit the fires and started running
Just like the children who carry the blame
Who brought the mission burning down in flames
Throwing stones, are you stepping on a crack?
Oh no, your mama, she can never take you back
into the womb. The brake was clean
In my Redemption Dream
How many days? How many nights?
How many souls? How many lives?
We take the chain and break the chain
in my Redemption Dream
When does the nightmare stop?
When does the dream begin?
Go ask the street vendor, "Hey, when does the fruit stop rotting?"
The prince of peace was overthrown by a seductive king
The olive branch when, the dove was slain,
Washed away down stream
Take the chain
and break the chain
and make a change
In my Redemption Dream

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Black River (Michelle Malone ©1994, Cold Cocked Music/BMI)

Black river, deep and still
in the summer sun
A promise, rise she will
Walk on before she runs

The evening dream awakes
Honeysuckle sweet

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California (Michelle Malone ©1994, Cold Cocked Music/BMI)

I'm going to California
turn the corner, turn the key
unlock the secret garden
and throw away the key
Don't care how long it takes me
Don't care what I have to do
I'd crawl across the great divide
just to get back to you
My God, how did it ever come to this
wallowing in my own shit
Some birds that sing
have to sacrifice their wings
Can you save me
save me from myself
I'm going to California
let the sun melt down my heart
There'll be no fighting or crying
no more stumbling in the dark
and when all the king's horses
and all the kings men
come to visit me in California
I'll gladly let them in
My God, how did it ever come to this
wallowing in my own shit and
Some birds that sing
they had to sacrifice their wings
Can you save me
save me from myself
I'm going to California
turn the corner, turn the key
lock up the secret garden
and throw away the key

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Sitting In the Sun (Michelle Malone & Gary Steir ©1994, Cold Cocked Music/Stier Skull Music/BMI)

Sitting in the sun
waiting for life - begin
Looking for a sign
where it starts and where it ends

And the trees sway to and fro
like the friends we've come to know
stand tall, grow as one
Come together one by one
above the wind thy will be done
stand tall grow as one
Sitting in the sun

Sitting in the sun
Baring to the fates my back
We shall all but pass
though pale rewards wane and wax

Veiled in obscurity
Is the answer hard to see
Stand tall, grow as one
Come together one by one
above the wind thy will be done
Stand tall, grow as one
Sitting in the sun

Stand tall and grow together
Everyone

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Sword (Michelle Malone ©1994, Cold Cocked Music/BMI)

Your name - a night without end
I pray the Lord is keeping
Two doors - you stand or you sleep
I'm still waiting for you to come in
I can remember your eyes shining
I hold a handful of your ashes

How can you leave me here
to dig your grave and bury my fear
Your voice keeps calling to me
Dig your grave but don't disappear

Goodbye - a sword double-edged
Swallow and I'll stop beating
Two doors - you stand or you sleep
I'm still waiting for you to walk in
I can remember your eyes shining
I hold a handful of your ashes

How can you leave me here
to dig your grave and bury my fear
Your voice keeps calling me
Dig your grave, don't disappear
Shine on
Shine on
Shine on

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The Gathering (Michelle Malone ©1994, Cold Cocked Music/BMI)

I want you to come with us
Have a good time with us
Come sing and dance 'neath the stars
Come have a laugh with us
Come raise your glass with us
Come and do nothing at all

We request your presence
And if you will let us
We'll make you feel just like a king
We've rolled out the carpet
and sent for the carriage
your smile is all that you must bring

We are waiting for you
to come out of the blue
We're hoping it won't be too long
I've a smile you can borrow
a bucket for sorrow
Leave your worries - come along

You butchers, you bakers
you candlestick makers
You poets, profits and priests
Consider it mild
To come play like a child
Come one, come all and you'll see
It's your invitation to come to the gathering
It's your invitation to come to the gathering

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Light of Day (Michelle Malone & Wendy Bucklew ©1994, Cold Cocked Music/Wendy Bucklew/BMI)

Everybody's talking - nobody says a thing
Everybody's talking - nobody's listening
Brimstone hell and fire chase the lamb away
You can't see the heavens for the light of day

I find it oh so hard to believe
I find it oh so hard to be free
I find it oh so hard to be me
All for the light of the day
Dark times, dark minds, dark age

You angels shine your halos - you preachers grab your book
and mount your golden soapboxes to get a better look
But don't you let your high horse carry you too far away
You can't see the heavens for the light of day CH (solo)

Everybody's talking - nobody says a thing
Everybody's still talking - there ain't nobody listening
The brimstone hell and fire chase the lamb away
You can't see the heavens for the light of day

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Hollow Day (Michelle Malone ©1994, Cold Cocked Music/BMI)

Death don't need a reason to come and take you, child, away
No, death don't need a reason to come and take you, child, away
Loss always in season - it doesn't take a holiday

It leaves you in your mourning long about an evening frost
Leaves you in your mourning long about an evening frost
Look away from living and suddenly you find it's lost

A holiday
A hollow day
Hallowed day - No holiday

So, pack your alligator - you may the first to go
Pack your alligator, you may be the first to go
Just what you're worth - only the undertaker knows

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Teen Lament (Michelle Malone ©1994, Cold Cocked Music/BMI)

I was holding an invitation to meet some danger
around the corner from an evil love affair
Something told me feet get ready to be moving
'cause I felt like I wasn't going anywhere

I took a walk past the church house of my family
The one that left me feeling solo and for dead
I was sick with all of your ghosts floating in my bottle
So I poured them on the pavement and I said

If Jesus is coming, he better come on
If Jesus is coming, he better move
'Cause I'm tired of running
I'll get what's coming
Down at the alter of my youth

Well, I snuck in through the oak doors of the chapel
and I lay my weary body on the pew
Red crushed velvet beneath my halo - I was ready
to see his face and tell him exactly what he could do

The sun came a -shinning through the stained glass
I must have fallen fast asleep through the night
Something told me girl, ret ready to be moving
'Cause I felt like shedding some of the lies

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Sins of All My Years (Michelle Malone ©1994, Cold Cocked Music/BMI)

My brother died and left me
My mother moved away
And I been gone for so long now
How long I cannot say
And I am left to wonder
Just what I'm doing here
I guess I've got to pay for
The sins of all my years
I got to pay for the sins
Of all my years
Been talking to the Lord
Sweet Jesus, let me be
Please keep the devil
Far away from me
'Cause I have grown so weary
I can't outrun my fears
I guess I got to pay for
The sins of all my years

But I won't be afraid
And I will find my way
No, I won't be afraid
Of the sins of all my years
If I should live to be
Half a century

Is there a way that I can pay
And live forever free
'Cause my spirit has grown empty
There's not much fight left here
I guess I got to pay for
The sins of all my years

If I should have to pay and pay
If I should have to pay and pay
If I should have to pay and pay and pay
For the sins of all my years

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Shadow On the Wall (Michelle Malone ©1994, Cold Cocked Music/BMI)

You'd think after all this time
I'd finally have my shit together
What's wrong with staying home
and talking to that shadow on the wall
I'm not the type that can stay home
and pay attention to those feelings
Sometimes just to be sure you're still alive
you've got to keep on moving on and on and on

But if the music plays, I'll never be too far away
If the music plays, I'll never be too far away
but I'm still running, I'm still running away

Sometimes I get so restless
I get so wound up, I get so bored
I go out looking for some sign of life
for trouble to take on
But I don't have all night
Come on and make your move
but don't get too comfortable
Hand me down my walking shoes

And if the music plays, I'll never be too far away
If the music plays, I'll never be too far away
because I'm still running, I'm still running away

A little taste of this, a drop of that and I'll be doing fine
Anything that I can do, anything that I can find
to keep me of my mind
and I'm still running, I'm still running,
I'm still running away

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