
Date of issue: 17.09.2007
Record label: Elektra, Rhino
Song language: English
Stranger with the Melodies |
It was my first night in that rooming house |
In the last room down the hall |
I heard a hoarse voice and an old guitar |
Coming through the paper thin walls |
A crazy nonsense nursery rhyme |
That did not mean a thing |
But for the first of what was to be a thousand times |
This is what I hear him sing.. |
Hold that D chord on the old guitar |
'Til I found the G |
Drop it down to old E minor |
'Til the A chord rolls back home around to D |
I had to lay there listening |
It seemed he was in the room |
This stranger with his melody |
Singing there in the gloom |
And he repeated it over and over again |
Such a soft and sinkin' sound |
It was kind of like a music box that was slowly winding down |
You see, he sang it, he hummed it |
Whistled it, and he strummed it |
He laughed it and he cried it |
He did everything but hide it |
And he sang. |
. |
Hold that D chord on the old guitar |
'Til I found the G |
Drop it down to old E minor |
'Til the A chord rolls back home around for me |
So I lay there in that lumpy bed |
Countin' choruses instead of sheep |
'Til I banged on the wall and out I called |
«Hey bub I need some sleep.» |
The sudden void of silence, then I heard that hoarse voice say |
«It weren’t so long ago boy, they paid me to play " |
I said, «It's kind of late for music sir |
Two hours til it’s daylight» |
He answered, «I need my music most |
In these dark hours of the night |
You see I’ve tried gettin' high on something son |
But it only brings me down |
Staying dry don’t work out better boy |
'Cause my eyes get wet and I drown |
Won’t you please let me continue |
And I’ll be in your debt |
You see I’m not singing to remember son |
I’m just singing to forget» |
And he sang. |
Hold that D chord on the old guitar |
'Til I found the G |
Drop it down to old E minor |
'Til the A chord rolls back home around for me |
That’s when I said |
«If I’m supposed to listen to you sir |
Just one quick question then |
Why in the hell do you sing one song |
Over and over again?» |
And this is what he said.. |
He said, «I gave her the music son |
She gave me the words |
Together we’d write the kind of songs |
The angels must have heard |
Of course we’d fight like cats and dogs |
But life ain’t no rosebud dream |
Still whatever we’d do everybody knew |
We truly were a team |
I can’t remember now if I done her wrong |
Or if she done wrong to me |
But all I know that when I let her go |
That it did not set me free |
That’s when I said, «You sound like what’s-his-name» |
He said, «That's who I am |
But you can’t wrap a name around you boy |
'Cause it really don’t mean a damn |
You see, a song don’t have much meaning |
When it dan’t have nothing to say |
What she could do was magic son |
All I could do was play» |
He started singing again |
That’s when I drifted off |
Maybe I dreamed what I heard |
'Bout this stranger with his melody |
Who’d gone and lost the words |
Hold that D chord on the old guitar |
'Til I found the G |
Drop it down to old E minor |
'Til the A chord rolls back home around to D |
Name | Year |
---|---|
Cat's in the Cradle | 2009 |
Vacancy | 2009 |
Saturday Morning | 2009 |
Taxi | 2015 |
Get on with It | 2007 |
Poor Damned Fool | 2007 |
I Wanna Learn a Love Song | 2015 |
Odd Job Man | 2007 |
Circle | 2015 |
Mail Order Annie | 2015 |
A Better Place to Be | 2015 |
Someone Keeps Calling My Name | 2015 |
Mr. Tanner | 2015 |
Tangled up Puppet | 2007 |
30,000 Pounds Of Bananas | 2015 |
Dreams Go By | 2015 |
Paint a Picture of Yourself (Michael) | 2015 |
They Call Her Easy | 2015 |
What Made America Famous? | 2015 |
Shooting Star | 2015 |