The Mudcat Café TM
Thread #23172 Message #3858367
Posted By: Joe Offer
01-Jun-17 - 05:43 PM
Thread Name: Lyr Req/Add: songs by Fred Small
Subject: Lyrics-Everything Possible: Fred Small in Concert
Found at archive.org
Lyrics to Everything Possible: Fred Small in Concert
All lyrics Copyright Fred Small except "Rodney King's Blessing"
Guinevere and the Fire
My grandmother was born in 1900 On a farm in New South Wales She wed a dairyman Who liked to raise a pint of ale The first child came when she was twenty Five more babes in seven years That first daughter was my mother They called her Guinevere
Little Gwen would play beneath the willow "Yes the Queen would love some tea" Helped with chores that never ended Tried to mind tried to please Sometimes she heard the music Wild and strange in the summer night "They're dirty people" warned her mother "Never go near their campfire light"
CHORUS: "Stay away from the camp of the blackfellas Little white girls have disappeared They drink and dance when the moon is red Better never let 'em see your golden hair"
Came the winter of '27 So cold the milk froze in the pail Her mum hung the nappies by the hearth Her dad in town for a round of ale A spark leapt from the fire that night Wrapped her mother in a gown of flame Flailing dancing in a frenzy Falling down in voiceless pain
Stillness and the stench of burning Then so soft 'twas like a ghost "Fetch the Cunninghams" she whispered "Bring me aid or I am lost" The Cunningham house was not two miles away And they the nearest whites Past the camp of the Aboriginals Past the demons of the night
CHORUS
"I will run to save my mother I must go now I must fly" Still she heard her mother's tales Of the Devil's drums and the evil eye Her mother's breathing ever fainter Gwen frozen in her fright Seven hours till dawn she waited For the safety of the light
Now she runs till her feet are bleeding To the house upon the hill Now comes the doctor's wagon speeding To her mother cold and still
They laid her down in the Nowra graveyard From the Bible read a verse Children sent to aunts and uncles Some to Melbourne some to Perth Gwen packed her canvas satchel Could not hold the salt tears back Turned to leave her home forever Faced a woman gnarled and black
"Child our hearts are heavy Grieving for your loss We live so close by you Why did you not come to us? We hve salves to heal the burning We hve herbs to stop the pain We could have helped had we but known To make your mother whole again"
CHORUS
The Other Side of the Wood
We met in the quiet of the meadow We rambled hand in hand through the glade We lay entwined on a pallet Of clover and columbine made But now the forest fills with shadows And the raven and the wolf call your name And you wonder how you ever came to wander So deep into this unknown terrain
CHORUS: So go your way I cannot hold you Nor would I detain you if I could I will wait for you in the clearing On the other side of the wood
How I would speed to your rescue Through the darkwood so wild and overgrown But where you go I cannot follow The staff you hew must be your own For my comfort would only confine you And my love would close about you like a shroud All my fears for you would confound you All my fears for myself would drag you down
CHORUS
I know the wind will tell you stories And every tale come to a bloody end But somewhere in that dread parade of possibilities Is it possible I am your friend
To walk with a companion is a blessing To forfeit one's freedom is a curse To open the heart's wounds is agony To bind them tight is even worse Wherever the light before you leads you And whether you find me or no My love will travel softly at your shoulder And abide with you wherever you may go
By the light of the Tennessee moon From the bilious bubbles of a black lagoon They make a hound dog howl a SWAT team swoon Hot frogs on the loose
They've multiplied since '53 Slurping nuclear debris Amphibious fabulous fancy free Hot frogs on the loose
CHORUS: Hippity hoppity here they come Radioactive lookin' for fun If you kiss 'em look out for the tongue Hot frogs on the loose
They got little skinny legs and big bug eyes Fraternizing's not advised They like you like they like flies Hot frogs on the loose
They got a chicken nugget body and a whopper leap In your bedroom while you sleep They'll make your Geiger counter beep Hot frogs on the loose
CHORUS
You can put the pedal to the metal till the rubber squeals Squish 'em with your tires you got hot wheels How you know how it feels to be a Hot frog on the loose
Please do not keep them as pets Sauteing them may bring regrets Make a citizen's arrest of a Hot frog on the loose
Frogs for peace frogs for defense Don't be nervous don't be tense We've got a sure-fire three-foot fence To keep the hot frogs from gettin loose
CHORUS
Smile When You're Ready
Little girl in Mary Janes You walked a fine line Party braids and pinafores Thank you for the very nice time They didn't ask what you were thinking They didn't want to know All you wanted was to be loved So you put on a show
CHORUS: But you can smile when you're ready Not a moment before A refugee awakes at night To the sound of distant wars Smile when you're ready No matter how long it takes Your wounded heart will find Its own saving grace
Toy guns and bloody noses Don't walk away from a fight "Faggot" jeers at the sign of tears Screw the lid on tight So you never let 'em see you You never laugh too loud You're the man in the iron mask You're a big boy now
CHORUS
Rain on the river Patches of blue Just when a smile seems a million miles away It'll sneak up on you
Sometimes the people who hurt you Don't leave you alone Maybe they ask forgiveness Maybe they say please come home Maybe they're just too ashamed to admit The things you say are true You can love 'em you can let 'em go You know it's up to you
CHORUS (to...)
Simple Living
Too many words too many sounds Too many attractions turn me around Too many miles in a chrome cocoon I never get anywhere I can't see the moon
Too many commercials too many lies Too many celebrities I don't recognize Too many brand names too many magazines I got so much sensation I can't feel a thing
Simple living Got to get to simple living Simple living Simple... simply living
Too many things we just throw away If we put it in the garbage we're gonna eat it someday We turn on the lights and a river dies We turn the TV on to see and eagle fly
Too much work with nothing to do Too many dreams never come true Too much hurting without a second glance Too much desperation they call romance
Gonna take this life, pare it to the bone Baby when you knock baby I'll be home I'll make my breakfast sweep the floor Open the window unlock the door
Gonna turn off the video the audio too Open my eyes take in the view See the divine in the veins of a leaf In the hands of a beggar in the eyes of a thief
Simple living Gimme simple living Simple living Simple living
Rodney King's Blessing
CHORUS: People can we all get along Can we all get along People you know we're all stuck here for a while Let's try to work it out
People I just want to say you know can we get along Can we all get along Can we stop making it making it hard For the older people and the kids
I mean we've got enough smog here in Los Angeles Let alone to get killed setting these fires and things It's just not right it's not right It's not going to change anything We'll get our justice
CHORUS
They've won the battle but they haven't won the war We'll have our day in court that's all we want I love I'm neutral I love people of every color I'm not like they're making me out to be
We've got to quit I mean I could understand The first two hours after the verdict But to go on like this To see that security guard shot on the ground It's just not right because those people Will never go home to their families again
CHORUS
CHORUS (We can...)
The Hug Song
CHORUS: I want a hug when we say hello I want a hug when it's time to go I want a hug 'cause I want you to konw I'm awfully fond of you. I want a hug--what a wonderful feeling I want a hug--to feel you squeezing I want a hug--it certainly seems like The natural thing to do!
When I was a little bitty baby child, my momma used to hold me tight My daddy used to come and pick me up when I got scared at night The years have passed, I've grown so fast, and mostly I feel strong But timid or bold, I'm never too old to sing this cozy song.
CHORUS
Now some folks don't like hugging--they think they're too tough I bet they'd be a whole lot friendlier if they were just hugged enough When you hug the ones who love you, an amazing thing you learn When you give a hug, you just can't help but get one in return!
CHORUS
Sometimes grownups are grouchy and they put the blame on you Sometimes you make just a little mistake though you did the best you could do Sometimes love is everywhere and it's a beautiful day And every time is the perfect time to open your arms and say:
CHORUS
Friends First
I wake up early in the cool of the morning Magenta and purple over Casco Bay Sleepless with yearning reason returning I send you this song like a summer bouquet
I want to be CHORUS: Friends first before we are lovers Friends first taking our won sweet time Friends first lay your head on my shoulder Tell me your story and I'll tell you mine
We've both tasted the passion of reckless abandon Drinking our pleasure like blackberry wine Wakened in panic in the arms of a stranger Darlin' let's do it different this time
CHORUS
Two aged lovers sit by the fire A look carries meaning only old friends can know A lifetime together come down to embers And their faces are filled with the light from below
Tell me your bad dreams sing me your lullabies When did you run away and when did you fight Show me the caterpillar show me the butterfly We'll get as close as the wind and the night
CHORUS
Too Many People
CHORUS: Too many people having too many babies Got to love them babies but there's Too many peopple having too many babies Got to love them babies but it's out of control
Adam and Eve time on their hands Hyperactive glands room to expand Once they began begatting they begatted to excess Eschewing tactics prophylactic now we're in a mess
Because there's CHORUS
When Columbus sailed the ocean we were 400 million Industrial revolution still under a billion The Great Depression hit 2.1 billion Now we're pushing the millennium 6 billion and counting
Once I lived in the city it was too big and noisy So I moved to the country to stop and smell the rosies All my city friends joined me and put up nice new housies Now it's too big and noisy think I'll move to the country
Some say no no no no it's not the population It's consumption pollution unequal distribution I say that's so but it's a simple equation Pepulation times pollution equals no solution
When there's CHORUS
If you are a child welcome to the world This blue-green earth is your gift by birth May you rock to its rhythms may you sing its anthems And if you have babies please stop at two
Because there's CHORUS
CHORUS (... please stop at two.)
If I Were Taken Now
If I were taken now I would remember the light in your hair The darkness at the center of your eye If I were taken now I would remember the small of your back The arc of your shoulder
If I were taken now I would give thanks For teh kindness you showed in loving me so easily
If I were taken now I would remember your breath on my cheek The soft conspiracy of your kiss If I were taken now I would remember how quickly you laugh Warm as winter's kitchen
If I were taken now I would ask forgiveness For every time my thoughtlessness caused you pain Or made you doubt me
A swarm of stars A fleet of fireflies Would pilot me into the night I would not be frightened But I would miss you I would miss you
The Marine's Lament, or, The Pink Peril
From the halls of Montezuma To the shores of Tripoli I have fought my country's battles I have faced every enemy
I ain't scared of no Iraqi missiles I ain't scared of no Russian tanks If I'm captured and tortured all they'll get Is my serial number name and rank
You know I'd storm Baghdad to kick Saddam's butt Swim to Havana bring home Castro's beard For my buddies throw my body on a live grenade I guess I just don't know the meaning of fear
But please Please Please please please please please Don't make me shower with a fairy Not a fairy--fairies scare me Cause a fairy might look at my weewee My weewee--it's so teeny
Everything Possible
We have cleared off the table, the leftovers saved, Washed the dishes and put them away I have told you a story and tucked you in tight At the end of your knockabout day As the moon sets its sails to carry you to sleep Over the midnight sea I will sing you a song no one sang to me May it keep you good company.
CHORUS: You can be anybody you want to be, You can love whomever you will You can travel any country where your heart leads And know I will love you still You can live by yourself, you can gather friends around, You can choose one special one And the only measure of your words and your deeds Will be the love you leave behind when you're done.
There are girls who grow up strong and bold There are boys quiet and kind Some race on ahead, some follow behind Some go in their own way and time Some women love women, some men love men Some raise children, some never do You can dream all the day never reaching the end Of everything possible for you.
Don't be rattled by names, by taunts, by games But seek out spirits true If you give your friends the best part of yourself They will give the same back to you.
CHORUS
Peace Is
CHORUS: Peace is the bread we break Love is the river rolling Life is a chance we take When we make this earth our home Gonna make this earth our home.
Feel the cool breeze blowing through the smoke and the heat Hear the gentle voices and the marching feet Singing call back the fire, draw the missiles down And we'll call this earth our home.
CHORUS
We have known the atom, the power and pain We've seen people fall beneath the killing rain If the mind still reasons and the soul remains It shall never be again.
CHORUS
Peace grows from a tiny seed As the acorn grows into the tallest tree Many years ago I heard a soldier say When people want peace, better get out of the way.