Lyrics

 


 

I'll Pick
I've always had an eye for curved bodies and slender necks

We stay til every party's over
We close each honky-tonk and bar
She's always hangin' on my shoulder
I love to hold her in my arms
She's quite a favourite with the fellas
She sits on everybodys' knee
But I ain't the type for gettin' jealous
I know she's a-comin' home with me
But honey you were waitin' up
when we snuck in the door
You said " That's it", you couldn't take no more

It's time I came to a decision
Make up my mind, and make it quick
Well if I have to choose,
'tween this guitar and you
Leave it in my hands...I'll pick

You say you're feelin' like a widow
You don't get any of my time
You're tired of playin' second fiddle
To this here old guitar of mine
This fretful strain you've put us under
I swear I'm gonna come unwound
I'm so high-strung I've started wonderin'
Just whose neck to wrap my hands around
Well there ain't no comparison
'tween you and this old axe
You come with way too many strings attached

It's time I came to a decision
Make up my mind, and make it quick
Well if I have to choose,
'tween this guitar and you
Leave it in my hands...I'll pick

It's time I came to a decision
Your love it just ain't worth a lick
So if I have to choose, 'tween this guitar and you
Leave it in my hands...I'll pick
Just leave it in my hands...I'll pick



Cowboy For Goodbye
A song about a cowpoke who was pussyfootin' around the fact that he was
a-fixin' to mosey

Are you still pining for that cowboy?
I thought he tipped his hat and moved along
He had to follow the herd
So in other words...he's gone
He tried to say in his own way
but you never cottoned on
You see cowboys have a language all their own

"Howdy" means "How are you?"
"Beholding's-"In your debt"
"Much obliged" means "Thank you"
As best I recollect
And when he says " there's work up in Wyoming
For a wrangler who can ride"
Well honey that's just "Cowboy" for goodbye

Now I don't think he aimed to hurt you
That's against the cowboy code
He went along for the ride
Til something deep inside...yelled "whoa"!
Then I reckon the west wind beckoned,
took him like a tumbleweed
Left you crying, wondering what it means



Serious Foolin' Around
I kid you not !

Tonight's our first big date, girl you're looking great
I can't hardly wait for our night out on the town
Well baby don't be scared
but you better come prepared
For some serious foolin' around

I' ve been pumpin' gas, savin' up my cash
Cause we'll go through it fast
when I start layin' it down
Let's hit all the spots, yeah we'll do lots and lots
Of serious foolin' around

We'll be the talk of the town
we're steppin' out on
When we kick up our heels
they'll never touch the ground
So wear your fancy dress
let's get down to the business
Of some serious foolin' around

And when our evenin's done,
the clock says way past one
If we're still havin' fun,
there's this little road I found
We can park the Chevrolet,
it's the perfect hideaway
For some serious foolin' around



One Tequila, Two Tequila, Three Tequila, Floor
Insomnia can be bad, but it's nothing to lose sleep over

A-tossin' and a-turnin' ever since she left
Starin' at the ceiling wide awake
That broken heart of mine was givin' me no rest
I hadn't slept a night in days

Just the other evening in my basement bar
I stumbled on a way to get to sleep
I couldn't find the shotglass I grabbed a mason jar
It's as easy as 1-2-3

One tequila, two tequila, three tequila, floor
I just keep a-drinkin' til I start to snore
I don't need to bother countin' sheep no more
It's one tequila, two tequila, three tequila, floor

I wake up in the mornin',feelin' awful stiff
Nowhere near as stiff as last night
But I found a way of givin' her memory the slip
All I have to do is sleep tight

One tequila, two tequila, three tequila, floor
I crawled in the bottle
when she walked out the door
Jose's the only friend that I can count on anymore
One tequila, two tequila, three tequila, floor

My life's goin' under,
that woman's dragged me down
But if my days are numbered,
I'll make each night count

One tequila, two tequila, three tequila, floor
Time to hit the hardwood, I can hardly pour
I better buy a carpet, my head is gettin' sore
From one tequila, two tequila, three tequila, floor

One tequila, two tequila, three tequila, floor
I just keep a-drinkin' til I start to snore
One tequila, two tequila, three tequila, floor
One tequila, two tequila, three tequila, floor



If You're Gonna Be A Cowboy
Duet with Russell deCarle (the Other Brothers)
Twelve steps to the two-step

I can see by your outfit that you are a cowboy
I can see by your outfit you are a cowboy too
You can see by our outfits that we are both cowboys
If you get an outfit you can be a cowboy too

You need a real tall hat with a big wide brim
that'll hold about 10 gallons
You need a pair of boots, a pair of spurs
and a pair of guns...for balance
You say "Howdy Y'all" with a southern drawl
and you call everybody "Partner"
If you're gonna be a cowboy...
you better git a-startin' 'er

You need to learn to ride, learn to rope
and learn to use them pistols
You need a horse, pure white, to rear up high
and come runnin' when you whistle
You need a trusty friend, loyal to the end
like Jingles, Pat or Tonto
If you're gonna be a cowboy...
it's gonna take some gittin' onto

Oh a cowboys life is a life you'll like
if you win a cowgirls love
You can play guitar under all those stars
with the big old moon above
Yeah you can hold her tight by the campfires' light
to the lowin' of the cattle
If you're gonna be a cowboy...
you better climb up in the saddle

Oh you can yodel-odel-odel as you ride along,
feelin so alive
Just knowin' she's waitin' at the other end
of a 10 day cattle drive
Yeah you're gonna find that the cowboy life
is a hard one to improve on
So If you're gonna be a cowboy...
you better git a move on

Yeah you'd best git to it now boy
If you're gonna be a cowboy



Rocks & Trees
Highway 17 runs in a roughly north by northwest direction across the Canadian province of Ontario, linking the remote towns and settlements.The rugged beauty of the land up there has inspired both paintings and poems. As a musician I have traveled this road many times...many, many,many times.

Rocks & trees, trees & rocks
If you've driven 17 you've seen lots
Though I dearly love this land
I've stood all I can stand of
Rocks & trees, trees & rocks

Rocks & trees, trees & rocks
Reams and reams of endless trees and tons of rocks
The whole north is just proliferous
With metamorphic and coniferous
Rocks & trees, trees & rocks

Rocks & trees, trees & rocks
Motel signs, hydro lines and a flattened fox
Oh construction site machinery
Is a welcome change of scenery from
Rocks & trees, trees & rocks

Bert loves Pearl, John loves Jane
Must each boy and every girl inscribe their names
It's so quaint the way he told her
With spray paint upon a boulder
Bert loves John?

Trees & rocks, rocks & trees
A guy can quickly get real sick of seein' these
What's the deal with all the tourists
It's just shield here and some forests and
Trees & rocks, rocks & trees

Rocks & trees, trees & rocks
A double line and I'm stuck behind a dozen trucks
By the time you hit Kenora
You don't want to see no more-a
Rocks & trees, trees & rocks

Here's a break, it's a little lake
Cause I've seen all the you-know-whats
that I can take
As I gaze down to the bottom
I can see it's filled with rotten
Rotten trees and rotten rocks for Gods' sake

Miles & miles & miles & miles & miles of trees
Piles & piles & piles & piles & piles of rocks
When God made this northern land He
Must've ordered way too many
Rocks & trees, trees & rocks
Rocks & trees, trees & rocks
Rocks & trees, trees & rocks



Put A Diamond On The One
When you fall in love...
do violins really start to play?

I met her on a master session
A little spot just off the row
I watched her walk in with a fiddle
I wondered if she had a beau
I was there to play some rhythm
But I kept messin' up my part
My eyes'd wander over her way
Instead of stayin' on my chart

She played every fill with feelin'
And doubled on the mandolin
I told her "Girl I ain't no drummer
But I'd sure love to count you in
If you'd like when this is over
Maybe we'll grab a bite somewhere"
She laughed and said my pitch was perfect
I told myself right then and there

I'll put a diamond on the one...I love
Ain't gonna rest until we're tied...because
I never met a girl like her...bar none
I'll put a diamond on the one

I've never been the type to flatter
But I thought she sure looked sharp
And when she played I heard the angels
Up in heaven...burnin' harps
I know this all seems kinda sudden
Maybe I'm goin' overboard
But I can see us in a chapel
The organ playin' altar chords

Oh baby forever she'll be the one I'm wagerin'
Together, yeah five'll get you ten



Ruth And Lorne
Minnesota is a northern state bordering Canada. It's home to the Minnesota Vikings, the port of Duluth as well as the source of the Mississippi river.
It was the home of Lorne and Ruth.

The honeymoon was over, the marriage on the rocks
They both could see the end of this romance
They finally decided after many, many talks
To try and give this love another chance

They took a small vacation, two weeks in mid-July
They packed the station wagon and went south
Leaving Minnesota, and their troubles far behind
They'd trace the Mississippi to its mouth

Say goodbye Lorne and Ruth
Off to find a love they lost somewhere in their youth
They stopped to paint a heart
upon a bridge outside Duluth
And it read...Lorne loves Ruth

He made a wrong turn somewhere
and then it happened twice
Soon temperatures and tempers started rising
Til she was wonderin' why she never
took her Moms advice
While he wished he was home watching the Vikings

Say goodbye Ruth and Lorne
Looks as though they're heading straight into a storm
It's time to re-evaluate the vows that they had sworn
Don't look good...for Ruth and Lorne

They pulled off at a truckstop,
she got the washroom key
He said he'd wait and keep the engine warm
He reved it for a moment then drove off ruthlessly
When she came out she sure did look forlorn

Say goodbye Lorne and Ruth
He got tired pretending
some day things might improve
And he just couldn't face her once he faced the truth
It was gone...Lorne left Ruth

Say goodbye Ruth and Lorne
It's funny when a love dies, how two people mourn
She's honkin' on a Kleenex, he's honkin' on the horn
Say goodbye Ruth and Lorne
Adios Ruth and Lorne
C'est la vie Ruth and Lorne
Que sera Ruth and Lorne
Say goodbye Ruth and Lorne



The Luck Of The Drawl
They say "Write what you know", but how do you write a song about Texas when you've never been there? You bring Texas up here !

Now Tex is my good buddy
He comes from Mississip
We have to call him Tex cause
Mrs. just don't fit
He's lived up here for 7 years
Says he don't miss the south
Anything he wants he gets
By openin' up his mouth

It's just the luck of the drawl
Women come a-runnin
When he says "Howdy Y'all"
Watch their eyes glaze over
As one by one they fall
It's just the luck of the drawl

Now he don't have to bother
'Bout pickin' up no checks
Cause women love to listen to
And buy a drink for Tex
They wait in line to wine and dine him
Any chance they see
He has a heapin' helpin'
Of their hospitality

It's just the luck of the drawl
He winks and calls 'em "Darlin"
They're at his beck and call
Some guys have got that somethin'
But this guy's got it all
It's just the luck of the drawl

Then one night a voice caught his attention
And right away he fell under her spell
An accent that was new to him...a French one
Right from the Riviera...a real French southern belle

The next week they were married
But just like you'd expect
She found there wasn't much to find
Deep in the heart of Tex
And just like that she left him flat
His heart was far from broke
It wasn't really her he loved
It's just the way she spoke

It's just the luck of the drawl
He packed up his belongings
And moved to Montreal
French accents in his bedroom
In his kitchen, in his hall
It's just the luck of the drawl

Yeah some guys got that somethin'
Tex has got it all
It's just the luck of the drawl
Whoa the luck of the drawl
Luck of the drawl, y'all



This Unemployment Just Ain't Workin'
I've always considered "work" a four letter word

I used to be a miner, they gave me the shaft
I cut down mighty redwoods until I got the axe
I worked at the old age home,
but they forced me to retire
I was the human cannonball, this morning I got fired

This unemployment just ain't workin'
My money's gone and man I'm hurtin'
I ain't never been so poor and the wolf is at the door
And the only thing I know for certain
This unemployment just ain't workin'

I started sellin' carpets, they yanked out the rug
Electrical apprentice til someone pulled the plug
My first day washin' windows I was shown the door
Like an out-of-work embezzler
I just couldn't take no more

This unemployment just ain't workin'
My money's gone and man I'm hurtin'
I have trouble holdin' down a single job I found
And the only thing I know for certain
This unemployment just ain't workin'

I wish that I had learned a trade,
one I could be proud of
Maybe then I'd know for sure
what kind of work I'm out of

Now I've run out of money,
my welfare's said farewell
I've pawned all my possesions
and I've sold all I can sell
But I think my luck's a-changin', I found myself a job
I start tonight at midnight,
I'm gonna learn to rob, cause

This unemployment just ain't workin'
My money's gone and man I'm hurtin'
I ain't never been so poor
and the wolf just ate the door
And the only thing I know for certain
This unemployment just ain't workin'
This unemployment just ain't workin'
This unemployment just ain't workin'



I Liked Johnny Better
Charisma, attitude and some
slap-echo...Johnnys' got it all

Back in 1955,
Fresh out of the service
A dark haired boy hit Memphis
A young man with a purpose
He strode into Sun Records
'N said "Sam you've got to help us"
Now don't be disappointed
But this song here ain't about Elvis

He sang for Mr. Phillips
Sam signed him on the spot
He started cuttin' records
And man them cuts were hot
He had this way of singin'
He had the looks to match
His star had started risin'
And his name was Johnny Cash

I liked Johnny better in 1959
Livin' life out on the edge, how he walked that line
He didn't need them Carters, he did fine on his own
Yeah I liked Johnny better,
when he left June at home

He sang about the prisons
He sang about the trains
He sang about the country
And its' amber waves of grain
Oh God I loved those records
I guess I always will
With Marshall on the doghouse
And Luthers' low-down fills

I liked Johnny better in1963
The Blues of Folsom Prison,
the Ballad of a Teenage Queen
He didn't need them Carters, he did fine on his own
Yeah I liked Johnny better,
when he left June at home

Then somethin' started happenin'
To the man in black
He picked up a habit
A monkey on his back
June's the one who saved him
When he was almost done
I'm glad that he's still with us
But I still miss someone

I liked Johnny better in 1968
Ring of Fire, Boy Named Sue,
boy that boy sang great
He didn't need them Carters, he did fine on his own
Yeah I liked Johnny better,
when he left June at home
Yeah I liked Johnny better,
when he left June at home



The Laws Of Science
-Mmm...fascinating Captain, this emotion you humans call love.
It defies all forms of logic.
-You're an idiot Spock!
-Captain! I can't believe my ears!
-I can't believe your ears either Spock.

I could recite the laws of science,
the whys,wherefores and hows
And I could back them up with scientific proof
No one could tell me different,
til you walked in and WOW!
I felt somethin' deep inside me move

When an immovable object
meets an irresistable force
It can cause a chain reaction,
you smiled then I was yours
There's got to be an explanation
but honey I can't find it
This love don't know the laws of science

I was the top name on the deans' list,
I always got straight "A"s
But you taught me things they never taught in school
Like the sparks that fly between us,
that just can't be explained
Cause love obeys a different set of rules

When an immovable object
meets an irresistable force
It can cause a chain reaction,
you smiled then I was yours
You know I just don't understand it,
I'm gonna need some guidance
This love don't know the laws of science

I'm gonna write my Ma and Pa,
about this strange phenomena
One day friends, next day lovers,
who knows what we might discover

I was an immovable object
meets an irresistable force
It can cause a chain reaction,
you smiled then I was yours
We found perpetual emotion,
though Einstein still denies it
This love don't know the laws,
I'm confused because
This love don't know the laws of science


 

Boneless Chicken
Chickens run in my family, especially the spineless variety


Musicians:
Wendell Ferguson / vocals, guitars, mandolin
John Dymond / bass
Steve O'Conner / piano, organ, accordion
Gary Craig / drums, percussion
Doug Johnson / steel, dobro
Michael Sanyshyn / fiddle
Sean O'Grady / drums on 1,3,5,10
Burke Carroll / steel, dobro on 2, 8, 9,
Janet Munson / fiddle on 7
Helena Kameka / backing vocals
Liz Tansey / backing vocals
Shelley Zubot / backing vocals on 10, triangle on 3, 10
Don Neilson / backing vocals on 2, 4,7,
Russell deCarle / vocals on 5


Produced by Wendell Ferguson
Recorded and engineered by David Ferri at Orchard Studio, Norval
Mike Roper at Inception Sound Studios, Toronto
Bob Doidge at Grant Avenue Studio, Hamilton
Jim Morgan at Mix Meisters, Toronto
Mixed by David Ferri at Orchard Studio, Norval
Mastered by George Graves at
The Lacquer Channel, Toronto
Art direction, design and layout by
A Man Called Wrycraft, Toronto
Wendell photography by Denise Grant, Toronto
Guitar n' gear photography by Glenn Dodd, Toronto
All songs written by Wendell Ferguson ©1994, 1996, 1997, 1998 Wen Hel Freezes Music (SOCAN)
Except - Serious Foolin' Around written by Wendell Ferguson & Tim Taylor, Wen Hel Freezes Music (SOCAN) / Cavalcade of Hits (SOCAN), Cowboy For Goodbye written by Wendell Ferguson & Naoise Sheridan ©1997 Wen Hel Freezes Music (SOCAN) / BMG Music Publishing, Canada (SOCAN) / Ross Cahill Music (SOCAN), One Tequila, Two Tequila, Three Tequila, Floor written by Wendell Ferguson ©1997 Paddys Head Music (SOCAN)

I'd like to say thanks to Gordon Ferguson & Ron Dann, my role models / to David Peever, Don Bird and John Dymond for getting the various balls rolling / to Burke Carroll, Frank Newman and Gary Larson for 3 titles / to all the acts I've been touring with (it's been miles of smiles) / to all at the C.C.M.A. / to Bob Doidge (the Comp King) / to David Ferri for his patience (waning) and his ears (waxing) / to George and Olive for being my Mom and Dad / Especially to Marilyn - you're the heart of all I am. I love you.
W.

E-mail:.wendell@wendellferguson.com

Russell deCarle appears courtesy of BMG Canada
Don Neilson appears courtesy of Sony Music Canada

 
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