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The Jesse Winchester Collection

Anthology of Lyrics

Compiled by Alan Freeman

"Learn To Love It"

1974

Wake Me
Every Word You Say
How Far To The Horizon?
L'Air De La Louisiane
Mississippi You're On My Mind
Third Rate Romance
Defying Gravity
Tell Me Why You Like Roosevelt
Pharoah's Army
Laisse Les Bons Temps Rouler
The End Is Not In Sight
You Can't Stand Up Alone

Wake Me

He'll be not mocked
Nor be deceived
He sees the ace that's up your sleeve
So be up front
In all you do
And then just in general woopty-do

Come on and wake me, wake me, wake me Lord
Turn my head around
Shake me, shake me, shake me Lord
Thunder to the sound...Oh

They say He'll pass
Again this way
I can't believe
He'd come today
'Cause the weather's bad
And the roads are rough
And you'd think by now He'd had enough

Come on and wake me, wake me, wake me Lord
Turn my head around
And shake me, shake me, shake me Lord
Thunder to the sound...Oh

They say He'll pass
Again this way
I can't believe
He'd come today
'Cause the weather's bad
And the roads are rough
And you'd think by now He'd had enough

Come on and wake me, wake me, wake me Lord
Turn my head around
And shake me, shake me, shake me Lord
Thunder be the sound...Oh

Come on and wake me, wake me, wake me Lord
Turn my head around
Shake me, shake me, shake me Lord
Thunder be the sound
Thunder be the sound
Thunder be the sound...Oh

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Every Word You Say

I'm no good company
I guess that's true
I like my silence
Like I love you
But if you feel like talking, talk away
I'm gonna hang on every word you say

I'll stroke your shoulder
Without a word
A rush of blood
Was all I heard
But if you feel like whispering, whisper away
I'm gonna hang on every word you say

Sing one of your old songs
You do so well
You lift my spirits
My tolling bell
If you fell like singing, sing away
I'm gonna harmonize every word you say
I'm gonna harmonize every word you say
I'm gonna harmonize every word you say

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How Far To The Horizon?

How far to the horizon
I'm in a rush you see
We were to meet by the western sky
My love must be waiting on me

It don't look all that far, no?
No more than thirty miles
But I set out thirty years ago
Been walking all that while

Look yonder, look yonder, look over there
Ain't that a sight to see
Just a few more miles to the horizon
Oh, Lord, don't give up on me

I know it's pretty country
It borders on the sky
It's nothing but my faith that says
I'll be there by and by

Look yonder, look yonder, look over there
Ain't that a sight to see
Just a few more miles to the blue horizon
Oh, Lord, don't give up on me

How far to the horizon
I'm in a rush you see
We were to meet by the western sky
My love must be waiting on me

Look yonder, look yonder, look over there
Ain't that a sight to see
Just a few more miles to the blue horizon
Oh, Lord, don't give up on me
Oh, Lord, don't give up on me
Oh, Lord, don't give up on me

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Mississippi, You're On My Mind

I think I see a wagon rutted road
With the weeds growing tall between the tracks
And along one side runs a rusty barbed wire fence
And beyond that sits an old tar paper shack

Mississippi you're on my mind
Mississippi you're on my mind
Oh, Mississippi you're on my mind

I think I hear a noisy old John Deere
In a field specked with dirty cotton lint
And below the field runs a shady little creek
And there you'll find the cool green leaves of mint

Mississippi you're on my mind
Mississippi you're on my mind
Oh, Mississippi you're on my mind

I think I smell the honeysuckle vine
The heavy sweetness like to make me sick
And the dogs, my God, they're hungry all the time
And the snakes are sleeping where the weeds are thick

Mississippi you're on my mind
Mississippi you're on my mind
Oh, Mississippi you're on my mind

I think I feel an angry oven heat
The Southern Sun just blazes in the sky
In the dusty weeds a fat grasshopper jumps
I want to make it to that creek before I fry

Mississippi you're on my mind
Mississippi you're on my mind
Oh, Mississippi you're on my mind

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Third Rate Romance

Sitting at a tiny table in a ritzy restaurant
She was staring at her coffee cup
He was trying to get his courage up by plying booze
The talk was small when they talked at all
They both knew what they wanted
There's no need to talk about it
They were old enough to scope it out
And still keep it loose

She said "You don't look like my type
But I guess you'll do"
Third rate romance, low-rent rendezvous
And he said "I'll tell you I love you
If you want me to"
Third rate romance, low-rent rendezvous

They left the bar, got into his car
And they drove away
They drove to the Family Inn
And she didn't even have to pretend
She didn't know what for
And he went to the desk, made his request
While she waited outside
And he came back with the key
She said "Give it to me
And I'll unlock the door"

And she said "I've never done
This kinda thing before, have you?"
Third rate romance low-rent rendezvous
And he said "Yes I have
But only a time or two
Third rate romance low-rent rendezvous
Third rate romance low-rent rendezvous
Third rate romance low-rent rendezvous

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Defying Gravity

I live on a big round ball
I never do dream I may fall
And even one day if I do
Well, I'll jump off and smile back at you

I don't even know where we are
They tell you we're circling a star
Well, I'll take their word, I don't know
But I'm dizzy so it may be so

I'm riding a big round ball
I never do dream I may fall
But one day the high must lay low
So when I do fall I'll be glad to go
Yeah, when I do fall I'll be glad to go

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Tell Me Why You Like Roosevelt

Tell me why you like Roosevelt, poor man's friend
That's why I like Roosevelt, poor man's friend
That's why I like Roosevelt, poor man's friend
Good God almighty, he's the poor man's friend

Cause in the year of nineteen and thirty-two
We had no idea just what we would do
All our finances had flowed away
Till my dad got a job with the WPA

That's why I like Roosevelt, poor man's friend
That's why I like Roosevelt, poor man's friend
That's why I like Roosevelt, poor man's friend
Good God almighty that's the poor man's friend
Good God almighty that's the poor man's friend

Tell me why you like Lester B
Tell me why you like Lester B
Tell me why you like Lester B
Good God almighty that's the poor man's friend
Good God almighty that's the poor man's friend

Cause in the year of nineteen and sixty-seven
I was a somewhat younger man
The call came to bloody glory came
And I would not raise my hand
Cause I'm baptized by water
So I'll pass on the one by fire
If you want to fight
Go on and fight if that be your desire

That's why I like Pierre Trudeau
That's why I like Pierre Trudeau
That's why I like Pierre Trudeau
Good God almighty that's the poor man's friend
Good God almighty that's the poor man's friend

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Pharaoh's Army

Pharaoh had an army, his horses shook the ground
But mighty as that army was, to a man they drowned
Probably the old pharaoh, probably got away
And lived to tell his story and fight another day

Lo the Hebrew children the pharaoh took as slaves
And used them and abused them as one will do as slaves
But thank God the poor children, thank God got away
And lived to tell their story and fight another day
And lived to tell their story and fight another day

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The End Is Not In Sight

Yes I knew it all along
That I'd have to go back home
Cause this living on the road
Ah it makes me tired and sore
Like a bird without a nest
Like a stranger in the night
And my soul must have its rest
But the end is not in sight

Like that sweet magnolia wine
Honey dripping from your mouth
And the little gal of mine
She's the finest in the South
And the nights are getting longer
And the days are getting colder
And I wanta go back home
Lay my head down on your shoulder

Yes I knew it all along
That I'd have to go back home
Cause this living on the road
Ah it makes me tired and sore
Like a bird without a nest
Like a stranger in the night
And my soul must have his rest
But the end is not in sight
And my soul must have his rest
But the end is not in sight
And my soul must have his rest
But the end is not in sight
And my soul must have his rest
But the end is not in sight

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You Can't Stand Up Alone

One of these days
I'm gonna take a vacation
By a quiet and a peaceful shore
And I'll cool my feet in those crystal waters
And I won't have to work anymore
Cause my burden has got so heavy
Til I can't stand up alone.
I must lay my head down on one strong shoulder
Cause I can't stand up alone

Ah you can't stand up
All by yourself
You can't stand up alone
You need the touch of a mighty hand
You can't stand up alone

And trouble I have seen trouble
All around my door
Go away and leave me old man trouble
CauseI don't want your trouble no more

Ah you can't stand up
All by yourself
You can't stand up alone
You need the touch of a mighty hand
You can't stand up alone

And a voice came down just like thunder
And light all around me shown
The voice said "Jesse get up
And grab hold of my hand
Cause you can't stand up all alone"

Ah you can't stand up
All by yourself
You can't stand up alone
You need the touch of a mighty hand
You can't stand up alone

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