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Follow The Moon

by Jim Ballard

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1.
All them bully boys braggin on the backstreets makin big noise on the back beat Aint nobody you gonna wanna meet In the lowlands of L.A. mamas all yellin across the yards Daddys at the corner playin twenty one cards Annie just wanna be a movie star In the lowlands of L.A. Taggin all the bars with a shoeshine kit Tryin a make a change tryin a make it legit Bring it home to mama gone lickity split In the lowlands of L.A. Somebodys dreamin Somebodys markin time Somebodys thinkin its OK Somebodys hustlin tryin a make a dime In the lowlands of L.A. Ritchie got a tele and a real loud band Wanna make a noise out in radioland Damned if he didnt Well i'll be damned In the lowlands of L.A. Annie gonna meet ya by the walkin bridge At the end of the street by the old Wolf Ledge Layin every chip on the bet she hedged In the lowlands of L.A. Somebodys dreamin Somebodys killin time Somebodys thinkin its OK Somebodys hustlin turnin on a dime In the lowlands of L.A. Now the bully boys they all dead or in jail Annies got her movies knows every detail Ritchies on the road reachin for that Grail In the lowlands of L.A. Mama always told me gotta do what you must But i tell ya right now if ya rest ya gonna rust I spit on the ground I kicked up the dust In the lowlands of L.A. Somebodys dreamin Somebodys buyin time Some 'll never get away Somebodys hustlin aint ever got a dime In the lowlands of L.A. Somebodys dreamin Somebodys doin time Somebodys thinkin its OK Somebodys hustlin pocket full a dimes in the lowlands in the lowlands In the lowlands Of L.A.
2.
Ive Seen Bagmen under bridges where the campfire girls make their deals Where the taxis take no riders and the angels ain't got no wheels In the smoky hours of twilight frownin' I hear my name called and I look down and see my boots kick the concrete curbside stalls Where the City's got no walls All the dancin' eyed hobos their pockets full o promises find the answer to their hunger in the cloud covered emptiness They know it ain't no use to keep the doorman waitin' they can smell the rain they know its gettin late n the wind is gatherin' prowlin' dancin' howlin' through the halls Where the city got no walls In the shadow of the canyons in the alleys where the sun comes up blue Written in the overcast sleep the ones who keep fallin' through And it hangs in the sky by gossamer webs morning to night it flows and it ebbs And its warm then its gone then its gone and that's all Where the city got no walls Then the sloe eyed drummer taps off eight to the crowds delight his brushes and his digits beating wild in the black hole night til he wakes to the dancers gathered all round swayin' out of time to the steam grate sound of the souls and the heels and the underground waterfalls Where the city got no walls Now the blindman stumbles in the stairway as he taps his cane. Hears footsteps up above in the dark and dusty sub terrain And the doorways have dreamers days spent in dives who's treasures are the flotsam of all the other lives who's ironbound pillow carries no dreams at all The famous gypsy wire walker starts his journey in the evening air He works without a net as the crowd is gatherin' in the square He knows he's rollin it all on this one trick he ain't ever had a fall but now he's starin' at the bricks while all the faces passin' by him down below him all begin to call Where the city got no walls Well now the girls by the fires and the hobos starin' at the flames Got one eye on the doorman while the taxi drivers takin names And the drummers rollin cadence in the alleyway while the crowd in the square has all drifted away And they're takin down the wires from the buildings that once were so tall Where the city got no walls No Walls
3.
Papa and Marlena Crossing in the night sky planets out of line Papa and Marlena Mighta been a full hand royal hand two of a kind Blue Angel of the Silver Screen Two lonely Islands in the Stream Papa and Marlena Breakin everybodys heart for a dime Papa and Marlena For a nickel you can come break mine And the letters say take my heart and the letters tear us apart Papa and Marlena One is of the sky One is of the dark blue sea Papa and Marlena Stranded on their island where the bell it never tolls for thee Indigo on linen page Ingenue and story sage Papa said to Marlena Send your heart to me I will take it to the bulls in Spain Papa said Marlena Letters hold my heart Letters hold my blue tear stain Oh how I love you Oh how its breakin' my heart Played a loaded hand Loaded hand from the start
4.
I ain't much at dancin Thats why I play this guitar Lean in lean out I can do it without lookin down Eye to eye...toe to toe...this do si do three to the bar yeah the dancin begins and the music it spins you Round and round and round All them cowboys and sailors tinkers and tailors couldn't a been far off the dime Oh my how they fill ya every waltzing matilda my heart beats in three quarter time Now livin ain't what it once was when it becomes just killin time but hearts always let ya know when to speed up or slow down Hand in hand circle down every step sayin that Im Payin the piper he's playin it all in threes Round and round and round All them cowboys and sailing ships Irish girls ruby lips couldn'ta a been far off the dime Oh my how they thrill ya every waltzing matilda my heart beats in three quarter time Yippee ay and Yo ho ho sixteen men and a bottle o rhyme Yippee ay and Yo ho ho My heart beats in three quarter time Stories Lies Mysteries Funny how things come in threes Father Son Holy Ghost Dancin our lives mostly Round and round and round All them cowboys and sailors tinkers and tailors couldn't a been far off the dime Oh my how they thrill ya every waltzing matilda my heart beats in three quarter time All them cowboys and sailors Guy Clarks and James Taylors couldn’t a been far off the dime You don't know until ya go waltzing matilda your heart beats in three quarter time Yippee ay and Yo ho ho Sixteen dancers all in a line Yippee ay and Yo ho ho My heart beats in three quarter time My heart beats in three quarter time
5.
Tom O'Connor 03:49
My name is Tom OConnor my age is twenty four I have come into this country to be finally free of war A day just south of Boston settled in to make a life A dozen sheep a grazin three laddies and a wife But cannon fire at Sumpter on the Carolina coast Last thing I ever wanted was to resurrect the ghost Of musket smoke and bravery Elysian fields and dearth But Id seen enough of slavery in the county of my birth Pass it around. Pass it around. Pass it around round round round round My name is Aaron Ezra I'll soon be thirty three As I sail into the harbor neath the Lady Liberty I step ashore with nothin but the numbers on my wrist And drop onto my knees the earth of freedom for to kiss And I left behind the life I knew and all my family Who since the night of broken glass I never more will see To make this land my children's land the cradle of their birth a Shining City on a Hill the light of all the earth Pass it around.... My name is Rosalita (Its not my real one) I have come across the border for to save my only son The gangs have took his brother and now it is my fear That if I give no ransom he too will disappear So now I dust the houses of the wealthy and the grand And take care of their children the owners of this land And I will take the wages whatever they will give And whisper not a word of it for the chance that he will live Pass it around My name is Jusef Ibrahim my age is only four I have come into this country....
6.
Born in the year of the signing at Compiegne Came up in the delta upside a New Orleans Poor boy was he never knew no family Every body sayin’ that ain’t no way to be No shoes no socks skippin’ rocks on the mississipp Hangin out down by the docks shang hai’d a ship Sailed all seven seas saw everything he could see all women and whales and tails was a helluva trip Hundred year old Charlie’s seen it all Hundred year old Charlie’s seen it all Seen em come, seen em go seen em rise and fall Hundred year old Charlie’s seen it all Dustbowl damned depression Life got hard Thinkin he'd try his hand down in the baseball yard Never did lack the nerve Just could not hit that curve so its back to hidin’ from the bulls in the railroad yard A thousand dusty backroads he did hitch robbed and left for who knows in a ditch When he got back on that road always kept to that hobo code all the way to the day he caught up to that sonofabitch Hundred Year Old Charlie’s seen it all Hundred year old Charlie’s seen it all Was there when the Babe he called his shot then hit it to that wall Hundred year old Charlie’s seen it all Joined up on the day the Arizona got sunk went downtown that night and he got real drunk Then he crowded in the LST hit the beach at Normandy now his ribbons and his medals all lie in the deep blue sea Hundred year old Charlies seen it all Hundred year old Charlies seen it all From the beaches of Calais all the way to Omaha Hundred year old Charlies seen it all State side started life had a wife and a whole lotta kids settled in did the walk never talk about things he did Seen them men walkin out in space ran in the human race for a century and then some just in case Hundred year old Charlies seen it all Hundred year old Charlies seen it all Married him three pretty women he outlived 'em all Hundred year old Charlies seen it all Hundred year old Charlies seen it all Hundred year old Charlies seen it all From the Grand Coulee Dam to that Mexico wall Hundred year old Charlies seen it all
7.
Baby star raised on stages sisters in the wings Hoping for flowers in the green room any little thing to give a heart its wings and let it go.... But when i sing i feel alright i've got wings and i'm in flight i'm.... Looking for a star called Kansas she said If i could only find the yellow road I would lay me down I would lay my head In fields and fields of gold..... Fields of gold Curtain call. take the bows and drink in the applause After all who am i? Im standing here because Ive always drawn the straws that made it so But when I sing everything's alright Im on wings and i take flight Im.... looking for a star called Kansas she said If i could only find the yellow road I would lay me down I would rest my head In fields and fields of gold fields of gold Any more... life reels out upon a movie screen Cutting floor no way out but for amphetamines And so between the scenes i've come to know.... That when i sing i feel alright When everything is under lights Im.... Looking for a star called Kansas she said If i could only find the yellow road I would lay me down I would rest my weary head in fields and fields and fields and fields and fields and fields...... of gold.... fields of gold
8.
Band Of Angels I was dancin’ in the mornin The moon sat low The sun was breakin’ water I was movin’ slow Then they came to find me Dancin’ behind me I was frozen in the headlights I was caught in the glow For just a moment in the morning I was in slo mo The thought it started forming I couldn’t let it go The air was gettin’ colder Touched me on the shoulder Barely heard it at all The music sweet and slow Then it brought me to my knees Like a Band Of Angels singin’ just for me There was not a soul around me Nobody I could tell I wondered as they found me Is this heaven Is this hell? Then I saw her eyes and I knew it was alright then I touched the hem and I Gave in to the spell Then I knew that I was free Just like a Band Of Angels looking out for me Floating in the air I Could see it all below Saw the places where I Might come to know And so I started breathin’ Knew that just as I was leavin’ I been Touched by the voices Singin’ sweet and slow And it brought me to my knees Just like a Band Of Angels coverin’ for me So it brought me to my knees Just like a Band Of Angels Just like a Band Of Angels singin’ just for me Just for me….
9.
Young boy runnin’ by the river By the river he does run Young boy playin’ by the river Barefoot wadin’ in the morning sun He don’t hear his mama callin’ Carryin’ down the wind He don’t hear the water fallin’ Up the river where the river begin And the river roll by And the river roll by Young man walkin’ by the river River bend and river run Young girl with him by the river Hand in hand in the noonday sun They don’t hear the rapids runnin’ White water undertow So they move on down the river Water ebb and water flow And the river roll by And the river roll by And the river roll by And the river roll by Old man sittin’ by the river Where the river’s race is run Old man restin’ by the river Starin’ into the setting sun Turns his eyes across the river To the bank on the other side Sees a young boy runnin’ by the river The water is deep….. and the water is wide And the river roll by And the river roll by And the river roll by And the river roll by
10.
Seven oceans I have seen Sailed glassy waters, country and king A hundred mountains in between Peaks of snow white. Evergreen But everywhere I lay my head Everyplace I make my bed All o’ my sunsets crimson red Become your sunrise comin’ up instead Follow the moon Follow the moon I’ll meet you by the sea of tranquility Follow the moon Follow the moon Spanish seaside Irish shore Himalayas Mideast war Outside my window oceans roar Opalescence above my door And when my dusk becomes your dawn Half a world away I’m gone When evening falls and you can’t go on The wind will carry down my song Follow the moon Follow the moon I’ll meet you by the sea of tranquility Follow the moon Follow the moon Miles and measures maps and charts Its only sky keeps us apart Let Luna find you. She’ll take your part And lead you straight back into my heart Its just horizons. Its only time Beyond the borders across the lines I’ll be the couplet you be the rhyme I’ll be the keeper you be the time Seven oceans I have sailed Thru angry waters, storm and gale A million mountains a thousand vails ‘Cross plains of golden moonlight pale Follow the moon Follow the moon I’ll meet you by the sea of tranquility Follow the moon Follow the moon Follow the moon
11.
WE 05:10
We breath in We breath out We see sin We sing, shout We live long We love strong We right wrong Right now

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Jim Ballard's 16th album and his 6th with his band The Strangs. All of the songs are about time, place, circumstance, transition....

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released June 3, 2022

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Jim Ballard Akron, Ohio

Jim Ballard
A native of NE Ohio, Jim Ballard has been, for many years a part of the recording/performing community. After touring and performing all over the country with artists from 10,000 Maniacs to Gordon Lightfoot,The Mekons to Pete Seeger, he moved into his studio, Skylyne. There, he has recorded and worked with artists from Michael Stanley to Don Dixon and Alex Bevan. ... more

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