Allan J. Ryan Songbook
Be My Friend
Words and music by Allan J. Ryan
Be my friend, that’s how I want it to be
Be my friend, it just can’t be the way it used to be
When I went away in search of me I had no idea you were
settin’ me free
On a bus from New York all the way to Chicago
Down the Indiana turnpike lookin’ out the window
Chicago’s so lonely in the drizzlin’ rain
Goin’ down to the station, gettin’ on the train goin’ home
I’m goin’ home
Be my friend, that’s all she said to me
Be my friend, you just can’t put your claim on me
Ah, but you don’t have to tell me when I sing my songs
That the sparkle that was there, well it’s all gone
Cause I know that it’s true and I’m wonderin’ when
I’ll look across the room, your eyes will tell me again
Be my friend, just be my friend
Oh, I understand the reasons why you want to be free
But the way it is now girl it just can’t be
Oh, I’ve tried and I’ve tried to fight it inside
Lord knows I’ve prayed but I keep hearin’ you say
That whatever we had before I went away had to end
Oh, it just had to end
Be my friend, be my friend
Just be my friend
Caught in a Heatwave in Chadron, Nebraska
Words and music by Allan J. Ryan
Here we go again on another adventure
You’d think we’d nothing better to do
Than to drive from Manitoba to Tucson, Arizona
Just to make another dream come true
But this hot summer sun is nearly cookin’ my car
And the rad looks about to explode
We better stop in this town and let the motor cool down
Before movin’ on down the road
Caught in a heatwave in Chadron, Nebraska
It must be a hundred and eight
It’s sticky and wet and there’s nobody gettin’
Much business today on the street
It’s never before been this hot in Nebraska
They said on the car radio
When you’re caught in a heatwave in Chadron, Nebraska
Lord, how you wish it would snow
Well, I’m thinking of wintertime back up in Brandon,
I’m thinkin’ of friends far away
And I’m searchin’ for somewhere to park here in Chadron
I’d sure like a drink in the shade
Now, I know that it’s hot on the southwestern desert
But they tell me the air there is dry
Oh, I’m rarin’ to go but I can’t see the road
For the sweat and the salt in my eyes
Caught in a heatwave in Chadron, Nebraska
It must be a hundred and nine
It’s sticky and wet and there’s no one expectin’
To get where he’s goin’ on time
It’s never before been this hot in Nebraska
According to those who should know
When you’re caught in a heatwave in Chadron, Nebraska
Lord, how you wish it would snow
Caught in a heatwave in Chadron, Nebraska
It must be a hundred and ten
It’s sticky and wet and I’m willing to bet
All my clothes have been glued to my skin
It’s never before been this hot in Nebraska
People are movin’ so slow
When you’re caught in a heatwave in Chadron, Nebraska
Lord, how you wish it would snow
When you’re caught in a heatwave in Chadron, Nebraska
Lord, how you wish it would snow.
Child of the Buffalo Plain
Words and music by Allan J. Ryan
He don’t say much, but it really doesn’t matter
Cause it seems like such a long time now
we’ve been workin’ together
Ever since that day we met when I said Billy I got a dream
to share
Cause I’ve come to that place in my life where I need a friend
To help me put it in the air
And you can have a piece of that dream all your own
If you could come to care
If you could learn to care
If you think that’s fair
And he said, yes I do believe I like the sound of your music
And the words you been layin’ on my mind, I believe
that they do fit
Cause you see now if there’s just one thing in this whole wide world I can tell you that I know for sure
It’s that as long as I can play for somebody somewhere
I’d be so self-assured, and so secure
I’d be so satisfied, and at peace inside
Inside a dream that wide
(chorus)
He’s a child of the buffalo plain
Got a sun-shaggy buffalo mane
Flowin’ down and all around
In the colours of corn, I said, corn in the fall
And you can feel him movin’
Like a shadowy thunder
Drivin’ deep in your soul
And rollin’ out from under the rain
Whoaa, like a child, like a child
Like a child of the buffalo plain
Furthermore, just in case you might be wondrin’ I’d like to clarify a few things for you right now
And tell you somethin’…
Don’t make no mistake, he’s a genuine winner
In a buckskin jacket, kinda hard to figure
On a concrete corner he can set you back a pace
And do a little soft shoe right in front of your face
Race you to the bar, shuffle you the cards
And take your port wine cigars
Well a man like that, he’s just gotta go far
Ridin’ high on a dream, it’s a strange way to see the land
But he’s still here beside me now, why,
sometimes I’ll never understand
Ever since that day we met when I said Billy I got a dream
to share
Cause I’ve come to that place in my life where I need a friend
To help me put it in the air
And you can have a piece of that dream all your own
If you could come to care, if you could learn to care
And I know you care
(chorus)
Christmas Morning, Bang! Bang!
Words and music by Allan J. Ryan
Time has come again this year when Christmas magic fills the air
And music rings with festive cheer and gay felicity
When children wait with anxious eyes to see if Santa
can surprise them
with a toy they’d not imagined in their wildest dreams
When shoppers crowd the stores and streets to look for gifts
that can’t be beat
and that promise more than anything they’ve had the year before
And they come home with a laser gun, and a one-man-army,
lots of fun
And they wrap them up so carefully and lay them ‘neath the tree
And they’ll celebrate the birth of the Prince of Peace on earth
Christmas morning, bang! bang!
Without a warning, bang! bang!
Shoot your brother in the head, get your sister out of bed
First one up’s the first one dead
Christmas morning, bang!, bang!
The stockings hung by the chimney base hold candy and cans
of chemical mace
Just to keep the neighbour’s kids in place, and you think that
times have changed
Ah, but Johnny wants an aeroplane too, from the good old days
of World War II
– now those were the days my friend –
And a hundred tubes of aeroplane glue, just in case he loses a
few, or uses a few
And your son gets high in the sky with his aeroplane too
And you think that things have changed, ah, but something sure
is strange
We’ve come a long way from the manger, now we’re gunning
down the stranger whose in town, look around
And we’ll celebrate the birth of the Prince of Peace on earth
Christmas morning, bang! bang!
Without a warning, bang! bang!
Shoot your brother in the head, fill the family full of lead
Turn your mother crimson red
Christmas morning, bang!, bang!
You see no cause for false alarm, seems it can’t do
any more harm
Than a diesel truck, or a plastic farm, or a clock to tell the time
For its just a stage of make-believe, when he’s of age he’s bound
to leave
The battle and the boys, and the rattle of the toys will fall behind
And it’s a silent and a holy night as you sit alone by the firelight
And you think of all the thoughts that might be racing
through his mind
And I’m sure that he’s elated at the world that we’ve created
And to know his dreams of Christmas Eve
may someday all come true
When he can celebrate the birth of the Prince of Peace on earth
Christmas morning, bang!, bang!
Without a warning, bang!, bang!
Shoot his brothers in the head, fill the future full of lead
Turn the country crimson red
Christmas morning, bang!, bang!
Deck the halls with cannon balls and hang them from the tree
There’ll be silver bells and mortar shells enough for you and me.
Come on up to Canadian Studies
Words and music © Allan J. Ryan
(Chorus)
Come on up to Canadian Studies,
Come on up, you can do it here
Come on up to Canadian Studies
Come on up, you can do it here
(Repeat)
You can study public policy, and post-coloniality,
Music from the Maritimes, and branding on the web
You can theorize identity, and say “epistemology”
and scrutinize the leadership of people who are dead
So (Chorus)
You can study conservation, and Quebec conciliation
and women in the media, and gender-bendin’ folk
Look at regional disparity, and theatre as therapy
And deconstruct the humour in a hundred Newfie jokes
Really? (Chorus)
You can study immigration, and the colours of the nation
and the spread of population over home and Native land
You can even do a practicum on paintings in the atrium
and party up in parliament with members of the band
So (Chorus)
And now for all the grad students:
(to the tune of ‘Spirit in the Sky’)
I’m goin’ up to the tower in the sky
That’s where I’m gonna go when I write
My comprehensive exams in Canadian Studies
(Recited)
With fifty years of history, we’ve built a lasting legacy
Of scholarship and leadership, the two go hand in hand
So-o-o-o-o,
Come on up to Canadian Studies,
Come on up, you can do it here
Come on up to Canadian Studies
Come on up, you can do it here
Crawfish
Words and music by Fred Wise and Ben Wiseman
Well I went to the bayou late last night
The moon was full and the stars were bright
Put a big long line on a big long pole
And I pulled Mr. Crawfish out of his hole
See I got em, see the size
Stripped and cleaned before your eyes
See the way he looks, stripped and ready to cook
Well you take Mr. Crawfish in your hand
He’s gonna look good in your fryin’ pan
If you boil him deep or you fry him right
He’ll be sweeter than sugar by tomorrow night
Crawfish, crawfish
See I got em, see the size
Stripped and cleaned before your eyes
See the way he looks, stripped and ready to cook
Daisy Sugarhead
Words and music by Allan J. Ryan
Well, I came across your name late yesterday mornin’
Sortin’ through some confidential files
Ah but you don’t have to worry, I’m not about to talk about
Anything you ‘been doin’ out in the wild
But I need to confess to somebody, yes
And I swear by the Queen that it’s true
The sound of your name rings bells in my brain
And I’m strangely attracted to you
Daisy, Daisy Sugarhead, Daisy woncha be my girl
Daisy, Daisy Sugarhead, well it’s got to be the sweetest
name in the world
No, not Nancy or Heidi Marie
Could ever shake up the bells in me like
Daisy, Daisy Sugarhead, with the sweetest name in the world
Well, I feel that I already know you
And that deep down inside we’re a pair
And I’m not meanin’ to throw you a curve
But I’ve got to convince you I care
Somehow, I hope you can hear me
Wherever you happen to be
‘Cause somethin’ is missin’ that should be in your life
And Daisy that somethin’ is me
(break)
I really do feel that I know you
I can picture you here in my mind
And Daisy I’m ready to show you good lovin’
And prove that we’re two of a kind
Somehow I hope you can hear me,
Wherever you happen to be
‘Cause somethin’ is critically missin’ in your life
And Daisy, that somethin’ is me
Daisy, Daisy Sugarhead, my heart is all in a whirl
Daisy, Daisy Sugarhead, I need you Daisy to be my girl
No not Nancy or Holly Noelle
Could ever manage to ring them bells
Like Daisy, and I’m crazy
For that girl with the sweetest name in the world
Daisy, woncha be my girl.
David’s Song (Come For a Walk With Ely and Me)*
Words and music by Allan J. Ryan
Oh, I don’t rightly know where he came from
But I surely remember his smile
And the love for his lady and Ely their baby
That was so much a part of his style
David, he knew how to savour
The pleasure and joy in each day
And I knew when he’d come
To my door with his son on his shoulder
What he’d always say…
(chorus)
Come for a walk with Ely and me
It’s a beautiful night to go walkin’ and we could
Take in the sun goin’ down on the river
Talk for a while about nothin’ that matters
Come for a walk in the cool autumn breeze
We could shuffle our feet in the new fallen leaves
And maybe go down see the sun on the river
And sing an old song about livin’ forever
Well, in no time at all he was leavin’
With his family and dreams well in hand
To find a new home out in old Idaho
Where the mountains grow wild on the land
But in less than a year came a letter
Sayin’ David had died in the snow
And I stared into space
With a tear on my face
As I tried to remember once more
When he’d say…
(chorus)
Now the lady is still out in Idaho
With a son growin’ taller each day
And I’m standin’ here with the wind in my hair
The trees have gone gold and there’s a chill in the air
And I think I can hear David say…
(chorus)
* When Ely married Rheanon, he and his mother, Molly, danced to David’s Song at the wedding reception as a way of including David in the celebration.
Foggy Bottom Waterbed
Words by Allan J. Ryan, music by Allan J. Ryan, Bill Prosser, and Don Horsburgh
Well you seem to be a painter or a man of the arts
So I said, well on occasion I’ve been known to take part
In a purely academic appraisal of the form
And she said, well on occasion I can be very warm
It was then that she invited me on up to her room
To view her latest etchings and to sample her loom
And although her exhibition was indeed a delight
Lyin’ over in the corner like a favourite toy
Was the biggest, and the meanest piece of ever lovin’ joy
(Chorus)
She had a foggy bottom waterbed
I said a foggy bottom waterbed
She said, jump right in and rest your head
On my foggy bottom waterbed
I’m gonna rock you in the ocean, roll you in the sea
Move you with a motion you never knew could be
Honey, hold on to me
Honey hold on to me
I was taken by surprise and unduly alarmed
By the gleam I her eye, the display of her charms
For in all of my encounters with creative design
There was nothing I could think of approaching her kind
Of appeal, she was eager to continue to press me for more
Information about my particular store
house of knowledge in the field of my degree
So I said, you now, I’m not so sure if I should still be here
And she whispered, well I think it’s time to wash away your fear
(chorus)
Like a stranger in the centre of a beautiful dream
I was sailin’ into places I would never have seen
If I’d ever been a singer in a travelin’ band
Racin’ for the station on a one night stand
I was high, gettin’ higher, risin’ with the tide
Of feelin’, floatin’ down a river inside
Of the darkness, I was driftin’ off to some enchanted isle
When she smiled and said I hope you have enjoyed my gallery
And I whispered, well I must commend your hospitality
(Chorus)
For You To Know Me
Words and music by Allan J. Ryan
I never dated the carnival queen, I was much too shy
I never made the football team, I didn’t even try
And now for you to know me you must understand why
The world I knew was the one that I drew
And it helped to pass the time
My friends were few, my guitar was new
And it helped to pass the time
Nobody said “I love you” out loud when I lived at home
Everything was kept inside and I stayed on my own
And now for you to know me you must find me alone
That’s the only way that I can prove to you I’ve grown
That’s the only way I can sing all the songs that I’ve become
For you to know me you would have to throw away
All the painted preconceptions of the words that I should say
Little girl, woman child, pardon me can I buy you a smile
Would you wear it for me with all your burgundy beads
For a while
I’ll never fit in your sociology patterns of a man
And if you class me please don’t ask me to tell you who I am
But if you’d like to know me I will give you what I can
And lead you through the quietness of loving in my land
And lead you to the quietness of loving in my land.
Gift of Love
Words and music by Allan J. Ryan
Summer shadows find their way across my autumn skies
And like the leaves the change in me is there before your eyes
Do not take me for another lover from your past
For today I dare to say your man has come at last
In the hour of thanksgiving and forgiving won’t you please
Allow me to confess to you the love that I would give to thee
In the presence of the Father, through the Spirit and the Son
Accept I pray this silver treasure
Symbol of what has been done
Hallowe’en came by in time to celebrate the dream
And on the altar of the night the jack-o-lantern beamed
Wake my love in the morn and early, please me to receive
My gift of precious oils in colours you might not believe
And like the liquid velvet water cast in patterns of delight
I swear that I would share with you the many varied shades of life
Until the final bell has spoken in the presence of the Son
Accept I pray this gift of colour
Symbol of what has begun
When the winter wind has fallen captive to the spring
Then I would but run to you and bring to you my ring
Wrapped around in webs of wonder like the ones of old
Gilded into gypsy splendour from the finest gold
And as a token of my solemn pledge I promise to be true
Upon the words and the music of this simple song I sing to you
In the presence of the Father, through the Spirit and the Son
Accept I pray this love forever
And forever
*performed by the groom at the wedding of Allan J. Ryan and Rae Alexandra Sellar, April 28, 1973
Green Velvet and Fine White Lace
Words and music by Allan J. Ryan
Green velvet and fine white lace
I would buy for you if you wanted me to
Golden bracelets and silvery things
And a bright amber jewel just to be your fool
On the stage
Every song that I sing is for you
I could change all the words and the music, it’s true
But the meaning comes through, it’s still for you
And I know it’s not becoming of a man
To be the way that I am
Feelin’ like I do, hung up on you
Feelin’ like I do, hung up on you
And it’s been the better part of a year
That you’ve appeared in the streets of my mind
And you tell me it’s all very clear
And that the love that we’re sharin’, it’s a different kind
It’s not what I hoped I would find
And you’d like me to stay for a while
Play your games and continue to smile
But the sound of the poundin’ rain on my brain
Says no, no no no, no no no
No no no, you’ll never know
Green velvet and fine white lace
Green velvet and fine white lace
I’ll continue to wait for the lady who walks
Through my dreams in velvet and lace
Green velvet and fine white lace
Green velvet and fine white lace
Green velvet and fine white lace
Green velvet and fine white lace
Grey Rain
Words by Allan J. Ryan, music by Allan J. Ryan , Bill Prosser and Don Horsburgh
Shinin’ star fell down from my heaven
But Lord knows the glory won’t be laid to rest
I swear I’ve seen more dark clouds in these last few months
in the northeast
Than I can recall in all of two years in the southwest
Ah, but don’t think that I complain’
I’m just takin’ stock of my days
Starin’ through a dirty window
Searchin’ for a sign of sunlight somewhere
Somewhere behind this grey rain
Whatever became of sweet summer showers
When fine grains of sparkle seemed to blow so free
Now all I can see is autumn climbin’ down from a white sky
Dark and brooding he’s trying’ to cast his spell on me
Ah, but don’t think that I’m feelin’ lonely
A bit melancholy but, oh, it’s such a pleasin’ pain
Starin’ through a dirty window
Searchin’ for a sign of sunlight somewhere
Somewhere behind this grey rain
Won’t be long before it’s October
Already the tall trees have begun to blaze
But gold leaves and crimson lie so cold and black in the alley
Under a solemn and unsympathetic haze
Ah, but don’t think I’m gettin’ discouraged
I’m just reflecting on the day
Starin’ through a dirty window
Searchin’ for a sign of sunlight somewhere
Somewhere behind this grey rain
Haggadah
Words and music by Allan J. Ryan
Standing in the subway station, searchin’ for a place to crash
With everything she had in a sleepin’ bag
with eighty-seven cents in cash
Checkin’ out the changin’ faces movin’ through the metal doors
Waitin’ for a friend to open the end
Of something that had come before
(chorus)
Haggadah – the Lord has given
Haggadah – testament
Haggadah – unto the living
Haggadah – the word was sent
Haggadah, Haggadah, Haggadah
I am no gypsy woman, with gypsy magic ways
But I would like to spend a while with you
And share with you the days
And the dances of King David, and the wisdom I have learned
From the lips of every martyr who
Was ever set to burn
(chorus)
Stay with us awhile she did now, turning on the summer sun
Offering much, stopping to touch
Part of each and everyone
Feeling what there was to know now, knowing all there is to feel
Wandering cloud, whispering loud
Resting on the love revealed
(chorus)
Shadow of another season, angel of another dawn
Softly she came and soft as the rain
In the morning she was gone
Leaving only prayers and pictures, gifts of holy prophecy
Blessings of light left in the night
Secrets of eternity
(chorus)
Harlequin Haven
Words and music by Allan J. Ryan
In Harlequin Haven
Coloured clowns walk the backstreets all around you
One may stop you and pretend that he’s found you
In Harlequin Haven, Harlequin Haven
And you say that it’s a shame, I don’t even have a name
It’s a theatre game, and everyone’s the same
In Harlequin Haven, Harlequin Haven
And its parsley and sage and Rosemary’s time for a baby,
become a lady
And you’re burning the page and you’ve turned all the wine
Into gravy, you must be crazy, the sky is hazy
In Harlequin Haven, Harlequin Haven
In Harlequin Haven
You have buried your dreams in a black coffin cradle
And you’re sipping your tea from a blue velvet ladle
And the witches are wending their way to the crypt in the park
Someone slipped in the dark, strike a match, find the spark
In your eyes, in your eyes
Surprise, surprise!
Surprise, surprise!
And the carriage is on fire as it rumbles down the street
And the hooded figure driving has you laughing at the heat
But you’re standing on your feet and you’re looking very neat
Outside of heaven
In Harlequin Haven, Harlequin Haven
In Harlequin Haven
The cobblestones are sinking in the road not far ahead
And the cobbler he is thinking of the words that would be said
If he were dead and gone, his hair was long,
He never knew the tune to any happy song, the papers read
In Harlequin Haven, Harlequin Haven
And it’s a northeastern town in the midwestern state
Of your mind, it’s not hard to find
Follow the signs
To Harlequin Haven, Harlequin Haven
In Harlequin Haven
The local gentry have been startled by a stranger on the grass
Another guest all dressed in violet, and you know he’s not the last
For he looks a proper dandy in his silken cape and lace
And you offer him some candy as you reach out for his face
To see a man again, a faded mannequin
Another charlatan, another harlequin
In Harlequin Haven
Put on your mask again, you needn’t ask again
In Harlequin Haven, Harlequin Haven
Here
Words and music by Allan J. Ryan
Here, I’m standing here where you left me, girl
But here to you is another world apart
In a galaxy of fantasy
Where expectation of being free
Will never allow you ever to see
Your way
Your way back here
Here, the winter cold unfolds around the moon
But here to you is a sun summer afternoon
By the swirling, surging California foam
I wonder if you ever think of home
Will I ever get used to being alone
Back here
Alone back here
And I hold onto the hourglass my eyes have found
I watch the future tumble down into the past
It falls, it falls, it falls so very fast
Descending from the crystal rim
The sand is shattered from within
Tomorrow flows into yesterday
And I search the grains of time
In vain I try to find
Again the days when you were mine
When you were here
When you were here, girl
Oh, when you were here
When you were
Here
Honeymoon Darlin’
Words and music by Allan J. Ryan
Honeymoon darlin’ carry me down again
Take me on board and fly me away
Over the clouds and then gather me round
In the light of the lovin’ that can brighten my day
Show me the lovin’ that can brighten my day
Sailin’ down to the sunny Caribbean islands
On a lavender jet trailin’ colour through the sky
Down below, you know the ocean waves were smilin’
And sparklin’ like the lovin’ in my lady’s eyes
It was a time to grow and to gather brand new memories
That were there to find like the shells upon the shore
It was a time for shared adventure
and for daring unspoken dreams
To chart the way and to lead us where we’d never been before
Honeymoon darlin’ carry me down again
Take me on board and fly me away
Open your arms and then gather me round in them
Show me the lovin’ that can brighten my day
Show me the lovin’ that can brighten my day
Early mornin’, walkin’ together by the water
Where the people would say ghostly pirate ships
might soon appear
Climbin’ high above the town and gazin’ on the harbour
We had kisses to share and orchids so rare
to pick and place in your hair
I can still recall the Rain, and hitchin’ in the afternoon
Through the green banana groves we’d ride in friendly cars
Until the evening sun descended like the chords
in a beautiful tune
Then we’d steal away to a shady bay and love beneath the stars
Honeymoon darlin’ carry me down again
Take me on board and fly me away
Open your arms and then gather me round
In the light of the lovin’ that can brighten my day
Show me the lovin’ that can brighten my night
Shine down and colour my day
I’m Goin’ Back To University When I Die
Words and music by Allan J. Ryan
Got to thinkin’ a lot just the other day
Of the cost of a plot for to put me away
And the price of a box to keep me unbelievably dry
So I’ve decided after checkin’ around about
Reincarnation, incineration, cut-rate cremation
I’m goin’ back to university when I die
When I die, when die
When I die, when I die
Well, you can swing down a chariot in search of me
But there’ll be no real tellin’ where I’ll be
For the Lord’s gonna understand
When they bottle me up all over the land
I’m goin’ back to university when I die
When I die
It may seem perverse to be so ill-bred
To refuse the hearse when I’m finally dead
But I’d rather not play the centre of a flower display today
So I’m gettin’ my hands into higher education
Don’t talk to me of self-degradation
I’m goin’ back to university when I die
When I die, when I die
When I die, when I die
Well in the monumental matter of layin’ to rest
I’d like to leave my bladder in a medicine chest
For the Lord’s gonna save my soul
And there’s no way I’m stayin’ in a six foot hole
I’m goin’ back to university when I die
When I die
If you been fixin’ my grave you’ll have to cover it in
Cause I’ll be makin’ the grade while all the rest of my friends
Are under the grass, I’ll be at the head of the class
In a glass
And if somebody’s pokin’ up in my cranium
Nobody will be out plantin’ geraniums
I’m goin’ back to university when I die
When I die, when I die
When I die, when I die
Well I can feel it in my bones and the back of my knees
I’m gonna maintain so many degrees
I know the Lord loves a cheerful giver
So I’m givin’ my heart and my lungs and my liver
I am goin’ back to university when I die
When I die
When I die, when I die
Glory hallelujah, when I die
Hear me talkin’ to ya, when I die
When I die, brothers and sisters
When I die, praisin’ the Lord God
When I die
Is That All I Get?
Words and music by Allan J. Ryan
Drivin’ down the road on a Friday afternoon
Headin’ for a small country town
We had speakers and guitars hangin’ out of the trunk
When we pulled up to this hotel lounge
And as we started unloadin’ all the clothes and equipment
I inquired where the band was to play
And when the manager pointed to a tiny red platform
In the corner, I proceeded to say
Is that all I get?, is that all I get?
It’s not exactly what I was led to expect
I said is that all I get? Is that all I get?
Its got to be the smallest stage I’ve ever seen yet
Evenin’ arrived and we began to play
Standin’ closer than a sweet harmony
Oh, we were doin’ alright but really goin’ over
With the girl by the pinball machine
She was barely a woman but drinkin’ like a trooper
And tryin’ so hard to be cool
And when I gave her a picture instead of goin’ later
To her place, she started to drool
She said, is that all I get?, is that all I get?
Its not exactly what I was led to expect
She said is that all I get?, is that all I get?
You know, I really love your music
But is that all I get? (And I said, …yes)
Saturday night was somethin’ else again
With a rougher kind of crowd in the room
Yellin’ give us some more of that good rock and roll
And skip your original tunes
And to top it all off I could see how the hotel
Patrons got in free at the door
So by the end of the evenin’ I was slightly uptight
When the manager brought the reward
I said, is that all I get?, is that all I get?
Its not exactly what I was led to expect
I said, is that all I get?, is that all I get?
You know I love to play my music
But is that all I get?
I said, is that all I get?, is that all I get?
My shirt is torn and tattered and my mind is a mess
I said, is that all I get?, is that all I get?
I’m sippin’ tea and honey and my throat is a wreck
Is that all I get?, is that all I get?
Thirty-seven fifty and your deepest regrets
Is that all I get?, is that all I get?
You call this makin’ a livin’?
Is that all I get?, is that all I get?
How’m I gonna pay for my new home?
Is that all I get?, is that all I get?
Thirty-seven fifty, I can’t believe it!
Is that all I get?, is that all I get?
What am I gonna tell my wife when I get home?
Is that all I get?, is that all I get?
You know I love to play my music
But is that all I get?
Lady Caroline
Words and music by Allan J. Ryan
She comes in the evening and you open the door
Then she looks in your eyes and she takes you once more
And you fly away but you’re lost in the land
Of a make believe dream for you know
she won’t even touch your hand
Touch your hand
And she’s all within your mind, within your mind
Within your mind
She’s all within your mind, Lady Caroline
You’re not sure what it is but the feeling’s the same
Yes, you’ve felt it before and it’s come back again
But love knows no reason when the game has no name
And amid the confusion you’re trapped in a magnificent delusion
Illusion
And it’s all within your mind, within your mind
Within your mind
She’s all within your mind, Lady Caroline
Then the room is filled with party faces
And the laughter and the music and the fire soon erases
All the idle conversation that has faded into time
All except within the mind of Lady Caroline
The candle flickers and the darkness is cold
For the hour is lonely and the night has grown old
But the free phantom pixie still plays to deceive
Her perception is stronger, she knows
she won’t be here much longer
Much longer
And she’s all within your mind, within your mind
Within your mind
She’s all within your mind, Lady Caroline
She comes in the evening and you open the door
Then she looks in your eyes and she takes you once more
And you fly away but you’re lost in the land
Of a make believe dream for you know
she won’t even touch your hand
Touch your hand, ohh…
Leapin’ Lily
Words and music by Allan J. Ryan
My grandmother died a short time back at the age of seventy-eight. She was a large and most impressive woman — one of my biggest fans. But you know, in the last few years of her life she suffered a lot from arthritis in her legs — could hardly move about. It was during this time in a moment of ironic compassion my younger brother renamed her “Leapin’ Lily” — Leapin’ Lily, on account of the fact that she could hardly move. I’d like to dedicate the following song to my grandma, Leapin’ Lily. Alright!
She was a portly woman, make good Yorkshire puddin’
Chicken fried in wine, it taste might fine
She bake shortbread and rumballs anytime that I call
Day or night it was sure to be more than alright
I can tell ya she was
Proud and handsome and fond of talkin’
Bout her number one grandson, I was spoiled rotten
Down through the years she would send me a smile
On a card or letter from over the miles
And then the good Lord came to carry her home
When she could hardly walk, stand on her own
But I believe
And you know I believe I see my grandma
Leapin’ Lily comin’ cross the bog
Leapin’ Lily runnin’ home with God
Leapin’ Lily high above the trees
Great Leapin’ Lily from Leeds
And I can see her now
Leapin’ Lily puttin’ down the pain, and uh huh
Leapin’ Lily throwin’ off the cane, and uh huh
Leapin’ Lily skippin’ through the sky
Great Leapin’ Lily now you can fly
I was a first-born boy, had my own room
And she used to come and hum that toora-loora tune
Say, sit by my bed, and we’d sing it in time
And I’d fall of to sleep with that good-lovin’ sound on my mind
Well I can tell ya, til the sun went down on the space between
The big rockin’ chair and the TV screen
She was still hummin’, singin’ along
To the record machine, she was diggin’ my songs
And then the good Lord came to carry her home
When she could hardly walk, stand on her own
But I believe, Great God I believe
I see my grandma
Leapin’ Lily comin’ cross the bog
Leapin’ Lily runnin’ home with God
Leapin’ Lily high above the trees
Great Leapin’ Lily from Leeds
And I can see her now
Leapin’ Lily at the Jordan River
Gonna jump for joy when the Lord deliver
Put down your pain, throw away the cane
We’re gonna promenade and do it again
Spread your wings out upon the sky
Great Leapin’ Lily, now you can fly
Now you can fly
Well no need to worry Lily, hey hey
Now you can fly
Well, now you can dance, I said run, you can jump, I said skip,
You can fly
You can fly
Living in the Days of the Second Creation
(Song For Creation 2)
Words and music by Allan J. Ryan
We have not always been so kind to each other
I remind you now my friend
We have battled well and often in the past
Poison words and empty prayers were all we ever
seemed to share
but somehow through the grace of God I find
I love you now at last
O, ribbons of pure light have come
Streaming from the midnight sun
Like snowflakes fallin’ through my eyes
Fill my heart with wild surprise
And it’s such a new sensation
Living in the days of the second creation
Within the sanctuary walls of our separate altar calls
There exists a common space for us to stand upon
A solid rock forever warm, a living stage as you perform
please remember me as I know I’ll remember you
O, drummers and dancers and actors abound
Poets appear to rejoice in the sound
Of snowflakes fallin’ through my eyes
Fill my heart with wild surprise
And its such a new sensation
Living in the days of the second creation
Once upon an emptiness
The Lord created and he blessed
All things above and those below
Man was made and the world did grow
Further on, on down the line
In the back of a barn where the sun don’t shine
Boy child born and the birth divine
Great glory and the birth divine
Great glory and the birth divine
Great glory and the birth divine
Such a new sensation
Proclaim the days of the second creation
Well, I would like to make it clear
before we scatter through the years
that I’m proud to say today we are a family
And I’d like to thank you now, the only way that I know how
I will play for just the pleasure of your company
O, brothers and sisters and angels abound
Poets appear to rejoice in the sound
Of snowflakes fallin’ through my eyes
Fill my heart with wild surprise
And it’s such a new sensation
Living in the days of the second creation
O, and it’s such a new sensation
Living in the days of the second creation
Michigan Wind
Words by Allan J. Ryan, music by Allan J. Ryan and Bill Prosser
Sayin’ my prayers in the Michigan wind
And you know they do get dusty
Flyin’ so high in the Michigan sky
My words get old and rusty
And when the rain come down to turn you around
You will find it hard to walk now
And when I’m gone and I’m travellin’ on
I will leave you hear to talk now
Movin’ on down to the border town
I come sailin’ into Southfield
Slippin’ on by the highway signs
I come down the line to Greenfield
Play for the raven, play for the dove now
Don’t you know, well it’s alright
Been singin’ my song for the Lord above now
Every day and all night
Been lookin’ for a lover in the afternoon
Kickin’ rocks along the roadside
With Billy the Kid in a flat top lid
Kickin’ along by my side
Nothin’ to see, well hey, nothin’ to do
But to hum a little tune without words
And to wait for the man to come round again
Deliver us up to the blackbird
Well I heard tell that this motel
Had a fair size reputation
For dark delight but I feel the lights
Have all gone on vacation
Too bad for me for I’m bound to be
All alone again in the mornin’
In the afterglow of the late late show
When the night turns into dawnin’
(refrain)
Michigan wind away, take me away
Back to where I belong
Where the pale north moon
And the wild black loon
Are waitin’ to welcome me home
Waitin’ to welcome me home
(repeat first verse and refrain)
Mom I Wanna War Toy
Words and music by Allan J. Ryan
Mom I wanna war toy, wanna be a big boy
Gunnin’ down the alleyway, shootin’ up the street
I’ve seen ‘em in the movies and the six ‘o clock news
And it doesn’t seem to matter if you win or if you lose
For the fun is in the fightin’ but you gotta do it right
Mom I need a war toy, wanna be a real boy
Wanna have the real joy of knowin’ how to fight
Santa woncha hurry, are you comin’ on the run
I wouldn’t have to worry if I had another gun
But mom I need war toy, wanna be a real boy
Wanna have the real joy of knowin’ how to fight
Mom I wanna war toy, wanna be a big boy
Smokin’ up the sewer main, breakin’ up the block
Ah, the kids are all excited and they’re wishin’ pretty hard
For the National Guard in their own backyard
And we’re gonna have a riot, at least we’re gonna try it
But mom I need war toy, wanna be a real boy
Wanna have the real joy of knowin’ how to fight
Ah, but Santa woncha hurry, we’ve been waitin’ so long
For a tommy gun for Billy, and a billy club for Tom
So mom I need a war toy, wanna be a real boy
Wanna have the real joy of knowin’ how to fight
For soon I’ll be a big boy and I should know how
To get out of trouble if I get in a row
So Santa I’ll be waitin’ here anticipatin’
All the goodies and guns, so much fun
Would you believe
Comin’ Christmas Eve
La n dada, la n da n dada, la n da n dada, la n da da da daaa
Midian
Words and music by Allan J. Ryan
It’s a weird and most peculiar
Vision I’ve come to see
Pleasure boats ride on the old canal
Where the roadway seemed to be
And I fantasize within my eyes
And I watch the yachts go by
Takin’ my dreams upon that stream
That flows into the sky
(chorus)
Goin’ on up, goin’ up to Midian
To get myself together
Comin’ on back, back like Moses
From across the river
Goin’ on up, goin’ up to Midian
To get myself together
Comin’ on back like Moses
From across the river
Been sittin’ in the sun by the farmhouse
Thinkin’ ‘bout the heavenly dove
Givin’ up glory to the hollyhock
In a hundred shades of love
And not so far above my head
The barn swallows on the line
Rehearse their private lives
And more than likely mention mine
(chorus)
Such a fine oak tree on the front lawn
Like a holy sword in blossom
Would you cradle my song in the boughs of Abraham
Never more forgotten
And lead me to rest in the shady nest
Of that old rugged wedding cross
Til I finally find that peace of mind
I’m afraid got a little bit lost
(chorus)
And Melanie, oh can you see now
How the sheep run down by the fence
To watch the cornfields bow to one another
Sayin, hey, hello, shall we dance
Til the night come down in harmony
With a mean devil dobro friend
Just pickin’ and singin’ for the children
Play a story that has no end
(chorus)
Midnight
Words and music by Allan J. Ryan
(Intro recitation)
There was a lot of discontent throughout the nation
From a lack of any real communication
So we went to press to find if we could come up with the kind
Of periodical to edify and stimulate your mind…
We took a lively look at LIFE and the Atlantic Monthly too
(or the Police Gazette Review)
And now we’ve found the perfect remedy for people such as you
Uptight with Midnight, read it with a flashlight
Sin and vice, very nice, read it with a flashlight
Scandals in the neighbourhood that no one else can find
We guarantee to even take the time to warp your mind
If your habits are sadistic and your hobbies masochistic
Be sure that we would like to have you on our mailing list
Send your name and your address and your approximate IQ
If it’s anywhere within the range of twelve to thirty two
(chorus)
You can check the morning papers, you can read
the evening news
But we’re way ahead of all of them with what will interest you
We’ve got pornographic pictures by an Oriental monk
Of your brother’s other mother slowly dying in a trunk
(chorus)
For the young and uninitiated we do all we can
To help suggest the little things to prove you are a man
A little rude, a little crude, a little lewd, a little nude
You can’t run a weekly paper if you’re going to be a prude
(chorus)
If you’re twisted and perverted we’ve got just the thing for you
Classified and confidential, shows you what to do
If your fornication education’s getting kind of cruddy
Write to Sergeant Sickly’s Lonely Hearts for a sexy bosom buddy
(chorus)
In the back of every issue where the advertising starts
We’ve a section for the culture buff who dabbles in the arts
Silent movies, really groovy, and unexpurgated goodies
You can wallow in the Passion Pit and share it with your buddies
(chorus)
You understand the need for such a vital publication
To appease the growing hunger for a healthy deviation
Where else can you get love for sale at such a modest fee
Esoteric and erotic, satisfaction guaranteed.
My Canadian Maid
Words and music by Allan J. Ryan
Well, I been sittin’ in the park by the edge of the lake
Tryin’ to write a letter to you
Well, doncha know I been pickin’ my brain
Blowin’ my mind in the breeze
Messin’ my feet through the leaves
And not quite knowin’ just where to begin
But lovin’ the thought of you bein’ my friend
Sayin’ your name and then feelin’ the pain
Wishin’ I could see you again
(chorus)
My Canadian Maid
Well, I wish you had stayed with me
My Canadian maid, I wish you had stayed
And we could have played pretty music together
But it don’t matter wherever you go
I’ll still be waitin’ in southern Ontario
Waitin’ for you just to bring it on home now
My Canadian maid
Do you ever get to thinkin’ on me little girl
In the middle of the day or the night
When the rain is fallin’ and the wind is callin’
From the northeast corner of the moonlight
Would you ever stop and wonder if
I might be somewhere adrift
Upon a log, and within a fog
Singin’ a sweet song to you now
(chorus)
Hey, but well I heard you got married in a town down in Oregon
City by the sea, do you remember me anymore
Well, I was thinkin’ if you ever thought of leavin’
Town for a while, I would give you a smile
And a one-way ticket on a passenger plane
All you gotta do is just mention my name
And then I’ll come arunnin’, I won’t stop for nothin’
Baby, just to see you again
(chorus)
(recited)
I don’t give up easy, girl
It don’t matter to me that you’re a married woman now
Why don’t you come home for the weekend
Visit the folks
I’m sure they’d like to see you
Time to go north young lady, go north
Head for the border
Why, you could be here in no time and
We could have a good time
Wadaya say? Wadaya say?
(chorus)
My Judy LaMarshmellow Doll
Words and music by Allan J. Ryan
Judy, Judy, Judy, it’s my patriotic duty
To send you my heart in the mail
I couldn’t think of nothin’ better
Than to write a love letter
To my local MP at the CBC
A lippy kinda hippy with a runaway tongue
But a psychedelic swingin’ butterball
You’re the biggest and the best
that’s ever come from Osgood Hall
You’re my Judy LaMarshmellow Doll
Judy, Judy, Judy, my sweet judicial cutie
I love you and I always will
Now you tell me that you’re quittin’
But next to Charlotte Whitten
You could be the Great Pumpkin on Parliament Hill
Lavishly admired like a Hollywood queen
But you’re an all round Canadian dream
You’re a credit to the country
And the nation’s hallowed halls
You’re my Judy LaMarshmellow Doll
Judy, Judy, Judy, you’ve a special kind of beauty
That sets you apart from the start
I wouldn’t doubt that you could pass
For another Mama Cass
Such a cultured Aphrodite and a goddess of the arts
A legendary lady on the social carousel
And a temperamental governmental belle
You’re the hostess with the mostest
On the diplomatic ball
You’re my Judy La Marshmellow Doll
The belle of Niagara Falls
My Judy LaMarshmellow Doll
Nighthawk
Words by Allan J. Ryan, music by Allan J. Ryan and Bill Prosser
Some people wake in the mornin’
When the dew is still fresh on the ground
They get up, they get dressed makin’ breakfast
Find time to gobble it down
Dash out the door to the office
Where they sit and shuffle papers all day
Stop and go home in the late afternoon
Ah, but I couldn’t live that way
Cause I’m a nighthawk, baby, that’s what I am
I was never meant to be a good mornin’ man
I need to see my shadow in the blue moonlight
To free my spirit and to bring me to life
Said I’m a nighthawk, from the day I was born
I was never meant to rise up and shine in the mornin’
With the sun, and the subway riders on the run
I’m a nighthawk and this is a nighthawk song
Meanwhile back home in the evenin’
After supper all the energy’s gone
So they sit and they stare at the TV
Watchin’ whatever comes on
All their life has been programmed
With commercials and short coffee breaks
They might be perfectly happy, I know
But I guess I don’t have what it takes
Cause I’m a nighthawk, baby, and I pay my dues
As a full blood brother to the midnight muse
I need to see my shadow in the blue moonlight
To free my spirit and to bring me to life
Said I’m a nighthawk, from the day I was born
I was never meant to rise up and shine in the mornin’
With the sun, and the subway riders on the run
I’m a nighthawk and this is a nighthawk song
I’m a nighthawk and this is a nighthawk song
I’m a nighthawk and this is a genuine nighthawk song
Number Nine for Caroline
words and music by Allan J. Ryan
You gave to me a candle
For my birthday once in May
It burned so brightly green and gold
I scarce could find the day
But you kept your distance carefully
and you never slipped at all
Though we both knew there was no danger
You could ever fall
You could ever fall
I used to send you funny greeting cards
From every town I’d seen
To help you smile a time or two
At every clown I’d been
But you kept your distance carefully
now my cards have all been spent
I wonder if you ever knew
What any of them meant
What any of them meant
And I made for you a song of love
From the teachings of St. Paul
In shades of blue I framed it too
For to hang upon your wall
But you kept your distance carefully
When we sang the words aloud
Best you hide my dreams away
From an unsuspecting crowd
They might think I’m all too proud
Hey girl, I can see you’re goin’
Won’t ya turn around, say goodbye to me
I won’t be cryin’ and I won’t be callin’
If the sun starts dyin’ and the stars are fallin’ in the sea
I will be free to be me, to be me
Hey girl, I can see you’re goin’
Won’t ya turn around, wave goodbye to me
If the North Wind is burnin’ and the skies run red
I will still be learnin’ how to use my head
But I’ll be free to be me, to be me
Hey girl, I can see you’re goin’
Won’t ya turn around, wave goodbye to me
If the trees stop growin’ and the weeds unwind
Out across the clouds I won’t be far behind
But I’ll be free to be me, to be me
to be me, me, me, me, me, mmmmmme
And you gave to me a candle
For my birthday once in May
But now it seems oh so long ago,
I scarce can find the day
But you kept your distance carefully
While the wax was movin’ down
I wonder how I’ll feel this year
When my birthday comes around
When my birthday comes around
Pablum
Words by Allan J. Ryan, music by Allan J. Ryan and Bill Prosser
Not the other night but the night before
I was workin’ late, you see
When a knock, a knock came to my door
And a voice called out for me
Are you home or are you not
The voice to me did say
And if you are, then unlock the door
Before I’m gone away
Well, I’m on a mission to deliver
To yourself alone
An invitation of a nature
Man has rarely known
An invitation from the kitchen
Of your friend Malloy
Who would like for you to come at once
And dine with him, my boy
Quicker than a wink in a blinkin’ eye
I was down the stairs and gone
With a moon, a Halloween moon on high,
Showin’ me the way to get on
Through the backyards and the gardens
Of the mansions fine
To the backdoor and the kitchen
Of this friend of mine
And there to meet me by the moonlight
Was my friend Malloy
He smiled and said, I’m glad to see you
Step inside, my boy
And as I did directly
Well, unto my great surprise
A dozen faces at the table
Sang to me this rhyme
(Chorus)
Pablum, pablum, pull up a bowl and have some
Barley, rice and protein too
Got apple cinnamon, something new
Mixed and oatmeal just for you
In the colour co-ordinated box
With the smilin’ baby on the box
Slap my feet, gonna have a little treat
Gonna get me a bowl of pablum
PM Pierre
Words and music by Allan J. Ryan
There’s a new infatuation that’s been sweepin’ the nation
Shakin’ the roots in the ground
Of an old generation, a new inspiration
Takin’ a new look around
But he’s quickly disarming and utterly charming
Quite enough to make you let down your hair
In a Society Just, a society must
Check out PM Pierre
PM Pierre, with the ladies, racin’ a Mercedes
Pierre, in the money, find him with a bunny
Pierre, a little brighter than the northern lights
He oughta add a lotta colour to the Ottawa nights
Charismatic and dynamic with a trans-Atlantic flare
Regardez PM Pierre
In the new administration there’s an open situation
For a slightly more exciting regime
For a bachelor pad doesn’t seem half that bad
For making the Parliament scene
But can a party attender become party mender
And clear all the dust from the air
In a Society Just, a society must
Check out PM Pierre
PM Pierre, diplomatic in the press when he says
You can quote him in English or en franҫais
Pierre, very stubborn with an iron will
Sock it to me Trudy from Parliament Hill
Punchin’ Judy’s kinda moody like a big mama bear…
(recited) Because according to Miss LaMarsh there’s room in the capitol city for only one eligible swinger, and unfortunately for her this seems destined to be…PM Pierre
PM Pierre, in the Commons with a new pair of sandals
Well, its better than a new pair of scandals
Pierre, everybody sittin’ wonderin’ whether
He’ll show up any day in a suit of Spanish leather
If the adoration adulation of the Trudeau generation
Fills your lovin’ heart with despair
In a Society Just, a society must
Check out PM Pierre, Pierre
Check out PM Pierre, Pierre
Check out PM, hey! Sock it to me Trudy from Parliament Hill!
*Winner of the 1968 Lloyd E. Moffat Memorial Award for “Best Originality and Creativity” in Canadian recording.
Sometimes I Wish I Could Find Another Face
Words and music by Allan J. Ryan
Sometimes I wish I could find another face
One with a little more smile
One I could wear with a natural grace
One with a little more style
Sometimes I wish I could have another face
One with a little more grin
One I could wear with a natural grace
One to look out and not in
Well, everybody keeps sendin’ me cards and sympathy letters
Hopin’ that tomorrow will be a bit better
People been prayin’ about my condition
Tryin’ to relieve my solemn apparition
Oh, sometimes I wish I could rent another face
To paste on the front of my head
One I could wear with a natural grace
One that would never look dead
Sometimes I wish I could find another face
One I could learn to respect
One I could wear with a natural grace
Perched on the top of my neck
Sometimes I wish I could have another face
One I could train to be free
Free to connect, reject, reflect
One that could really be me
Ah, but now most of the time I feel pretty well
But to look at my face, you never can tell
And it gets kind of heavy when I gotta explain
To some stranger again about the state of my pain
Oh, sometimes I wish I could rent another face
To paste on the front of my head
One I could wear with a natural grace
One that would never look dead
Sometimes I wish I could find another face
One with a little more laugh
One I could wear with a natural grace
One I could scrub in the bath
Sometimes I wish I could have another face
One that would grin a whole bunch
One I could bundle in ruffles and lace
One that would take me to lunch
Ah, but now most of the time I feel pretty well
But to look at my face, you never can tell
And it gets kinda heavy when your friends all say
How long has it been since you passed away
Oh, sometimes I wish I could rent another face
To paste on the front of my head
One I could wear with a natural grace
One that would never look dead
I said dead, I mean dead
Suite: Son of Man
Words and music by Allan J. Ryan
Round and round the aging artist rides upon the colour wheel
Rusted from revolving now it has become unreal
And he tears apart the spectrum in his search for something new
Trying to define the line between the green and blue
But the rainbow has long outlived the rain
And he’ll carve himself a eulogy biography in stone
An epitaph, an empty laugh, the only things he’d known
This side of Jordan where the waves of indignation
Washed away the genius of his rich imagination
Destroyed his dedication and the essence of creation in his soul
And doncha know
I gotta find out for me am I not the one
Lost upon the sea, left without the son
Son of Man, can you tell me who I am
Who I am
And the neon deceptive politician by the doorway he is leaning
Victim of the make believe in his visions of redeeming
And he’s handing out his thoughts in a paperback edition
To the barmaid and the barber and the busboy in the kitchen
And he holds a big cigar for any Indian brave who’s well behaved
And he feels that he’s a prophet in a land without a reason
Come to bring the message to the multitude of heathens
And he’d autograph the baby of the lady down the block
And he’d like to spend the night with her but if ever
he were caught
His career would all be shot and he’d have to smile a lot
In Idaho-ho-ho-ho-ho, and doncha know
I gotta find out for me could I be the same
Lost upon the sea, and left without a name
Son of Man, can you tell me who I am
Who I am
And the priest who’s in the pulpit tells the waiting congregation
Say your prayers again for there will be no dispensation
Say a word for me my friend along the highway home
For I have found myself a woman and I can’t go on alone
Anymore, anymore, anymore
And the Holy See is turning from revolt within the walls
Of the cloisters and cathedrals and the golden chapel halls
‘Keep the faith’ I’ve heard it said to those about to die
The Lord will solve the population problem by and by
And I wonder when Jesus left for the Vatican from Jerusalem
The hawkeyed pushers and the hungry hookers offer bargains
after one
To the underprivileged patrons of the economic slums
Where the merchants of the mainline supply the daily means
Of surviving on the sidelines of a hundred wasted dreams
From the marketplace of the underground it’s a hard way back
And it’s farther down than it seems
But still the hustlers they continue to provide and to procure
For the need that is within you they’ll pretend to have the cure
While you’re burning in the bedroom they’ll be standing
on the stairs
Ever ready to impress you with the poison of their wares
But the price you’ll have to pay will be much more
Than any price you’ve paid before, and oh my Lord
I gotta find out for me could I be the same
Lost upon the street, left without a name
Son of Man, can you tell me who I am
Round and round about the garden gate the rhododendron grow
And they blossom while the child he waits on the battlefield below
In the artificial silence of imaginary war
There is no need for violence, no need to count the score
For tomorrow well may be another day
When the faded plastic soldiers mount the march upon the sky
Masquerading as the holders of the only way to die
And the only way to live within the confines of the game
Where the object is to give without reflecting on the pain
But the golden calf is on the prowl, and the campus cats
begin to howl again
Inside my brain
Oh well I gotta find out for me am I not the one
Falling to be free, dying in the son
Son of Man
Could you take me
Would you take me
Will you take me as I am
As I am….
……..
Behold the Lamb.
Summer Girl
Words and music by Allan J. Ryan
(memories of Expo 67)
Summer girl with Spanish eyes
That laughed in the night at the morning skies
A vision of music played on the haze
Of a misty blue dream lost in far away days
Summer girl dressed in Spanish lace
Catch the midnight air, let it kiss your face
Summer girl, I’ll remember you
Skipping down the streets of town
Like a painted clown
In the dark
Only shadows of the avenue
In the quiet park
Where we played on the grass
Velvet with the evening dew
It was new and so were you
Now you’re gone
Now you’re gone
Ah, but summer girl I still think of you
In sunflower yellow and cornflower blue
Reflections in faces and giant balloons
Crowded the fair on that late afternoon
Summer girl with flashing eyes
That lingered in traces of unspoken sighs
Summer girl, as you coloured the room
With kaleidoscope glances and Spanish perfume
Summer girl, I’ll remember you
Oh my summer girl, angelica
Muy hermosa, chica linda
Summer girl, I’ll remember you
Señorita del Verano (Summer Girl)
Señorita del verano con ojos españoles
Que reían en la noche a los cielos de la mañana
Una visión de musica tocada en la neblina
De un sueño nublado y azul perdido en dias lejanos
Señorita del verano, vestida de encaje español
Coge el aire del medianoche, déjalo besar tu cara
Señorita del verano, de ti me acordaré
Brincando por las calles del pueblo, como bufón pintado
En el oscuro, solamente las sombras de la avenida en el parque quieto
Adonde jugabamos en la yerba, terciopelo con rocío vespertino
Era nuevo y tambien era tu
Ahora has partido, ahora has partido
Ahh pero señorita del verano pienso todavía en ti
En amarillo de girasol y azul del flor de maiz
Reflexiones en las caras y globos gigantes
Estrujada la fiesta en la tarde tarde
Senorita del verano con los ojos relumbrantes
Que tardaban en vestigios de suspiros indecidos
Señnorita del verano, como tu colorabas el cuarto
Con mirados del kaleidascope y perfume espanol
Señorita del verano, de ti me acordaré
Ohh mi señorita del verano, angelica
Muy hermosa, chica linda
Señorita del verano, de ti me acordaré.
The Gravediggers’ Strike on New York
Words and music by Allan J. Ryan
I remember the night, I remember the year
When the gravediggers struck on New York
All of Manhattan was trembling with fear
When the gravediggers struck on New York
Everyone hoping their time hadn’t come
Not wanting to rest by the road in the sun
And everyone wishing it hadn’t begun
The gravediggers’ strike on New York
In the dim funeral parlour the curtains were closed
And the flowers were fixin’ to die
While the anxious director was twitching his nose
And wondering if he were high
The caskets were left by the chimney with care
In hopes that the gravediggers soon would be there
But nobody came to collect any wares
When the gravediggers struck on New York
The bewildered mortician was trying to smile
At the desperate state of affairs
While most of his clients were starting to pile
In the freezer out back of the stairs
The markers were silent, the shovels were still
In the midwinter cold up on Monument Hill
For nobody’d left any holes to be filled
When the gravediggers struck on New York
In the midst of confusion and general alarm
The clergy proceeded to cry
That the wages of sin were the wages of men
If even the dead were denied
For the dearly departed who’d recently passed
Into the realm of the requiem mass
Had to be left at the edge of the grass
When the gravediggers struck on New York
I remember the night, I remember the year
When the gravediggers struck on New York
All of Manhattan was trembling with fear
When the gravediggers struck on New York
Everyone hoping their time hadn’t come
Not wanting to rest by the road in the sun
And everyone wishing it hadn’t begun
The gravediggers’ strike on New York
The House With The Mandarin Doorway
Words and music by Allan J. Ryan
If you’re ever in this part of town
And your hopes are up but your dreams are down
Don’t despair there are friends that can be found
All around
There are people you can meet
Round the corner down the street
Past the neon signs and the faded blinds
They’re not very hard to find
In the house with the Mandarin doorway
Underneath the stairway
That leads up to the tenements above
It’s a house that’s filled with love
It’s a house that’s filled with love
Take your boots off in the hall but
don’t miss the writing that’s on the wall
And winds around the flowers
In profusion and for hours
You can wander in the wonder
Of the Lord’s whole creation
Sit down by the fireplace
There’s a welcome smile on every face
You know the reason why
You don’t even have to try
And it’s very clear that there’s something here
All your money just can’t buy
In the house with the Mandarin doorway
Underneath the stairway
That leads up to the tenements above
It’s a house that’s filled with love
It’s a house that’s filled with love
The Rise and Fall of Charles De Gaulle
Words and (most of the) music by Allan J. Ryan
(memories of Montreal, 1967)
Recently our land was blessed with royalty, they say
When Le Grand Charles came to call but decided not to stay
They greeted him with cheers and shouts
and cries of Charlemagne
Les Quebecois turned out to meet the lost king of Lorraine
The bells did ring, the birds did sing, the flags were all unfurled
In honour of the self-proclaimed advisor to the world
Quebec City, La Nouvelle France, ten thousand fleur-de-lis
But not a maple leaf in sight as far as you could see
Tourists from the USA held high the tricolor
That someone had just given them, but why they were not sure
Around the Plains of Abraham they lined the King’s Highway
While Uncle Charlie promised their Emancipation Day
(to the tune of the Marseillaise)
Wait til you hit Montreal, De Gaulle
They’re tried and true, red white and blue
You’ll have them all before the fall, De Gaulle
Well anyway, that’s what they say
It wasn’t long til Montreal soon knew you had arrived
“Quebec libre!”, RIN, that was the battle cry
A majestic hand they say you raised in answer to the shouts
Then you put your majestic foot in your majestic mouth
While Ottawa was trying to decide just how to say
Your words are unacceptable, do you still plan to stay?
You rode the Metro, went to Expo, smiling through the pain
Of having Liberation Day float quickly down the drain.
(To the tune of “Don’t Sleep in the Subway”)
Don’t sleep in the Metro, Charlie
It’s not your Parisian train
Don’t sleep in the Metro, Charlie
It’s best you find some other place…
Preferably your own plane
It was clear the time was near for you to end the show
Since Mr. Pearson rated your performance rather low
It took a man like Mayor Drapeau to show you where it’s at
While Premier Johnson hid his face and crawled under the mat
So now we hope your meaning’s clear of franҫais-canadien
Or canadien-franҫais monsieur, if you come back again
You did more good while you were here
Than you’d have us expect
For now they sing “O Canada” much louder in Quebec.
The Russian Circus
Words and music by Allan J. Ryan
(commemorating the 1968 Russian invasion of Czechoslovakia)
On a silent summer morning, still before the dawn
Shadows moved without a warning, caravans pushed on
Undetected, unexpected, two hundred thousand strong
And the Russian circus came to town
And we watched the dancing bear
As it paraded all around
Occupation advertising, the carnival had come
Anticipation not surprising, the crowds came on the run
Tents were mounted, heads were counted,
The big show had begun
And in the centre ring fine performing dogs
And we watched the bright red clowns
As they marched all over Prague
Good King Wenceslaus looked out upon the festive square
Smiling down on revellers rejoicing everywhere
Break the kegs and spill the wine aged for thirty years
And with the bloody taste of memories
And the smell of sweat and tears
Sunshine highway, crimson midway banners in the breeze
Down the side street check the sideshow shooting galleries
Games of chance you bet your life,
And you ask the magician why
As he clouds his crystal cannonball
And you watch the human fireball
As it climbs into the sky
From the forum find the phantom Polish puppet show
Precision drilling gets top billing every place they go
Motorcycle majesty famed from sea to sea
And with no restrictions and free admission
To see the exhibition of Inquisition pageantry
Nine o’clock the lights go out, fireworks display
Very pretty, night in the city never seemed so gay
Burn the eyes from the midnight skies on the eve of a dying day
When the Russian Circus came to town
And still the dancing bear is parading all around
Thoughts of You
Words by Allan J. Ryan, music by Allan J. Ryan and Bill Prosser
Mornin’ comin’ through to open my eyes
And from my pillow I can see the skies
Offer me another day and already I’m into
Thoughts of you
From the moment I rise til I finally rest
There’s a feelin’ of you
For you lighten my life
You shine into my life
Spread your love on everything I do
Sun come creepin’ up and over my day
Stay for supper then he rolls away
Like the sun I move around but I’m only movin’ to
Thoughts of you
More and more I’m amazed at the way
You’ve been takin’ ahold of my mind
For you lighten my life
You shine into my life
Spread your lovin’ out across my time
I’m prepared to believe what I’m sayin’
Might come to you as quite a surprise
Takin’ note of the fact that I seldom admit
What I’m feelin’ inside
But with your help I’ve been learnin’ to give
Now I’m givin’ this song to you
For you lighten my life
You shine into my life
Spread your love on everything I do
For you lighten my life
You shine into my life
Spread your love on everything I do
(*recorded as a duet with Elaine Overholt)
True Fine Virginia
Words and music by Allan J. Ryan
Smokestack woman stay away from my door
I just don’t want to have you hangin’ round me anymore
Burnin’ up the air with all your flamin’ filter tips
And well I’ve had it up to here with kisses from your lava lips
And you may be fine Virginia but I swear I’ve had enough
Of the flavour of your favours and the poison in your puff
True fine Virginia ain’t the kind of love I need
I gotta have a woman who will give me room to breathe
Cause I can’t cut the carbon and I can’t hack the weed
Hey, true fine Virginia girl it’s time for you to leave
Sweet menthol mama you done messed up my head
With your big black cloud hangin’ over my bed
You know I love to love you but I get no relief
From the butts upon my blanket, powder burns upon my sheets
Holes in my pillow, girl, well it’s such a heavy load
Pack up your cigarillo, head on down Tobacco Road
True fine Virginia ain’t the kind of love I need
I gotta have a woman who will give me room to breathe
Cause I can’t cut the carbon and I can’t hack the weed
Hey, true fine Virginia girl it’s time for you to leave
Hey, true fine Virginia girl it’s time for you to leave
Hey, true fine Virginia girl it’s time for you to leave
Ulsterman
Words and music by Allan J. Ryan
There’s a cold wind in the country and there’s
blood upon the corn
In the land across the ocean where my father’s kin were born
And although I have not set my foot upon the banks of Bonn
A part of me is dyin’ when I watch what’s goin’ on
Ulsterman, Ulsterman, why can’t you see
This is not the way the good Lord would want for it to be
For your towns they are on fire, and you’re at it once again
And you’re makin’ me ashamed of my own Irish name
La la ly, la la ly, la la ly ly la la ly, la la ly, la la ly ly, la la ly ly la la ly
I have played your Wild Rover, I have sung all your tunes
Of the feudin’ and the fightin’ at the risin’ of the moon
I have heard you proclaimin’ from the mountains and the glen
That you’re proud to be Irish and you’re true to Ireland
The clouds are hangin’ heavy in the Londonderry air
And the barricades of Bogside are burnin’ everywhere
Your streets have all been shattered and your shrines
Have all been charred
And I fear the consequences of another civil war
From the battlements of Belfast you can hear the mournful cry
Of the righteous and the restless and the ravens in the sky
In the misty mornin’ madness of the guns and gasoline
You can see the shape of Satan walk upon the village green
You’re holdin’ high the chevron of a holy ancient rite
That should have been discarded in the darkness of the night
You’ve taunted and paraded out your hate for oh so long
I swear to God the time has come to lay the banner down
Ulsterman, Ulsterman, when will you know
Only love can save you from the seeds of ruin that you sow
For the harvest is on fire and you’re at it once again
And you’re makin’ me ashamed of my own Irish name