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Normal at Both Ends

by John Lyle

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1.
Roll on Muddy Waters 04:02
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Roll on Muddy Waters When I was a little boy they took me by the hand They told me everybody dies in this god forsaken land I pondered for a moment as I was born to do I knew that I was everything and everything is true I thought back then that everything would always be the same That you were old and I was young and wrong was right as rain I trembled like a flower from the shock of the unreal But truth will out without a doubt I turned upon my heel Roll on muddy waters, roll on like you do Roll on ‘til the cows come home and drink the mountain dew Roll on muddy waters all your skies are blue Roll on muddy waters ‘til your rollin’ days are through I kept on climbing mountains and I wanted to be free But all that I could count on was the child inside of me Skipping down the sidewalk, breaking momma’s back Late for school, nobody’s fool is ever coming back Roll on muddy waters, roll on like you do Roll on ‘til the cows come home and drink the mountain dew Roll on muddy waters, all your skies are blue Roll on muddy waters ‘til your rollin’ days are through
2.
We Must be Patient 03:20
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We Must be Patient We must be patient It’s all gonna turn out right After we’ve fainted and They turn out all the lights We must be patient Said the spider to the fly We’ve got a lotta livin’ to do And that ain’t no lie We must be patient After all that we been through We must be patient So we can start anew We must be patient Said the spider to the fly We’ve got a lotta livin’ to do And that ain’t no lie We must be patient Said the doctor to the nurse We must be patient ‘til we gotta call the hearse We must be patient Said the spider to the fly We’ve got a lotta livin’ to do And that ain’t no lie
3.
The One that Got Away 02:48
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The One that Got Away We just sat there talking About the time we traded shoes And went out on the road To see if anybody knew The answer to the question Scrawled up on the wall Shaking the foundations of The plot against us all No one could get closer To the One that got away No one could get closer and Have any more to say The signs were all mistaken We could not find the way Past the road not taken Into the light of day
4.
What a Thrill! 02:46
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What A Thrill What a thrill she is a mother Caring for somebody other Than this guy who is her lover Now he’s the daddy Of their little laddie What a thrill red as a berry He doesn’t have too many cares he Only wants to have his momma Hold him and feed him And love him and need him No one needs the daddy He’s helpless as a child Nothing much to do but watch Until after a while What a thrill he is a poppa Now it seems nothing can stop the Flow of love coming to daddy And momma from baby So happy they’re crazy No one needs the daddy He’s helpless as a child Nothing much to do but watch Until after a while What a thrill he is a poppa Now it seems nothing can stop the Flow of love coming to daddy And momma from baby So happy they’re crazy
5.
Cold Morning 02:46
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Cold Morning There you stand like a deep freeze While the dead trees on your six seas Are sinking down like big black stones Crooked bones with your tea and scones But don’t ask what’s the waiting When the sun burns up the sea And the pots and pans and garbage cans You want babe don’t come free A dollar in the bank is worth A thousand in your hands But I don’t want no love from you Just light a fire where I stand And all the talking sidewalks Are lying up a storm They’re laughing at the billions And billions of people still unborn And all your hands are holding And all your clothes fit tight And your daydreams are molding Rocking horses for your nights There you stand like a target And you can’t do nothin’ about it But square your shoulders and wash your hands You better get ready to beat the band Don’t ask anybody what they can do for you It’s a long long trail from head to tail And they won’t be amused Through all these muddy waters I will see you when I can I’ll set my sails on golden rails And light a fire where I stand
6.
Swan Song 04:07
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Swan Song Well, I know you love the waiting game And, honey, so do I But how long must I be waiting for Your manna from the sky Well, the roads are filled with victims Of your devastating smile But I won’t be marking time While you go barging down the Nile Well, I try so hard to win your love But your love’s so far away Ya got me comin’, ya got me goin’ Where nobody wants to stay Well, I walk the streets with head in hand And boulders in my shoes It’s such a shame, no pain no game And nothing left to lose If my come on don’t getcha Then my swan song will Blow your blues away If my come on don’t getcha Then my swan song will Be your light of day I been plagued by such uncertainty I don’t know where to turn I been blocked in all directions By the bridges I have burned But the tide is slowly turning I can feel the hands of time Loosening their grip upon The shadow of my mind You can roll a man in clover You can bind him to yourself You can put him on the mantel Like a portrait of yourself But the seas are wild when fortune’s child Throws everything away When you put it all together There’s no need to be afraid If my come on don’t getcha Then my swan song will Blow your blues away If my come on don’t getcha Then my swan song will Be your light of day
7.
Why Don’t You Come and See Me 04:11
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Why Don’t You Come and See Me Why don’t you come and see me You know I’m all alone Drowning in the bottle Like a dog without a bone Why don’t you come and see me I know you’re lonesome too We can burn the candle at both ends Just like we used to do Why don’t you come and see me You know where I’ll be found Underneath the radar Cold and underground Why don’t you come and see me We’ll go from where we are A million miles from nowhere Swinging on a star Why don’t you come and see me I’m just across the line We can both go missing Once we’ve gathered all the lies And thrown them on the fire Until the fire turns to blue These lonely nights are nothing like The nights I spent with you
8.
The Rhythm of Your Name 03:01
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The Rhythm of Your Name I love you when you’re laughing And I love you when you cry I love you when you give me All the things I can’t buy I love you when you’re angry And I can’t take the heat I love you when you’re winning And I love you in defeat I love you when the winter Comes to blanket me with snow And I have nowhere to go I love you when the rain Beats the rhythm of your name I love you more than you will ever know I love you when you’re missing From the crossroads of my heart I love you when you try to put The horse before the cart I love you like the river Loves to run into the sea And I’ll love you ‘til one hundred Million years forget to be I love you when the winter Comes to blanket me with snow And I have nowhere to go I love you when the rain Beats the rhythm of your name I love you more than you will ever know
9.
My Restless Heart 03:06
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My Restless Heart Out on the wrong side of lonesome With trouble in hand and nowhere to go The darkness of night must have wounded your sight And left you where the cold winds blow Be still my restless heart before you fall apart And lie there in pieces on the bedroom floor Never to beat no more It’s only love that can still my restless heart Be still my restless heart You got nothing to lose but your nerve Be still my restless heart You are only here to get what you deserve I know someone is watching And I know that someone is me Pure as a mind with nothing to find Nowhere to go and nothing to leave Be still my restless heart before you fall apart And lie there in pieces on the bedroom floor Never to beat no more It’s only love that can still my restless heart
10.
Put Your Mind at Ease 02:32
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Put Your Mind at Ease Put your mind at ease Like a summer breeze You can hunker down in nowhere town You’ll never want to leave Put your mind to bed Like a sleepy head This waking dream has never been About the life you’ve led Let your mind run out of time You have nowhere to go You know well that wishing well Will drown the coins you throw Put your mind at ease Let your body breathe Walk right back and face the fact You’re way too close to see
11.
Like a Tall Dark Stranger 02:27
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Like a Tall Dark Stranger Drowning in the ruins of a soldier’s eyes They had a program to make it right A toll free number in the middle of the night With a voice like a satellite No more distant than the chitter chat On my crystal radio A blizzard’s coming and the wires are humming With the news you don’t want to know How can I be missing When I’m right here on the line How can I be missing When the numbers line up fine How can I be missing When you’re trying to be so kind How can I be missing When I’m right here all the time Travelling like an arrow through the straight and narrow To the burning heart of the sun A homeless angel’s like a tall dark stranger Not depending on anyone
12.
Younger than Tomorrow 02:36
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Younger than Tomorrow You are younger than tomorrow You are older than today You have been around forever And you never go away You have always been together You will never be apart They can try and drive you crazy But no one can break your heart You are younger than tomorrow You are older than today You have been around forever And you never go away When the sands of time are counted And they come up short again They will say they never wanted To be waiting for a friend They can think of an oasis In the desert’s early light When the parts are rearranging And the world has taken flight Where the moon on the horizon Is the face of the abyss They are drowning in the knowledge They are never gonna miss
13.
Down to the River 04:12
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Down to the River Going down to the river Gonna fill our hats with rain Gonna drown our sorrow Til the powers that be are tame We’re gonna lose this crazy dream We’re gonna keep on pushing Til we bust the seam Going down to the river To our same old used to be Going down to the river To our same old used to be We’re gonna float downstream Til we reach the deep blue sea Going down to the river On the wings of song Let me love you now And it won’t be wrong Going down to the river To our same old used to be Going down to the river Where the river turns to stone Where the fires are burning And we can’t be far from home Going down to the river On the wings of song Let me love you now And it won’t be wrong Going down to the river To our same old used to be Going down to the river To our same old used to be We’re gonna float downstream Til we reach the deep blue sea Going down to the river On the wings of song Let me love you now And it won’t be wrong Going down to the river To our same old used to be
14.
Love Can Know No Bounds 02:57
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Love Can Know No Bounds There will always be an echo When a cycle’s breaking down When the simple joy of living Is distracted by a frown There will always be remembrance Who can fault the seeds of time For the way we were living When you were a friend of mine It will all be over when you go Buried like an angel in the snow There’s no colour where there are no others And time is standing still There’s no motion when the deep blue ocean Finally has its fill What could ever try to take The place of falling rain Of a sunset on the ocean When the sun goes down again Of the smile upon a baby’s face When love can know no bounds And the truth is all that’s left After a rumour makes the rounds
15.
Concentration 02:17
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Concentration You don’t need to be blind But try and see with no eyes And listen to the music play Total concentration Is a prelude to creation Let your body sway I can see the harmonies Floating hand in hand I can feel the melody Move to my command Concentration Mother Patience Sweet sensations Soothe my soul
16.
How Many Days til Christmas? 02:21
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How Many Days til Christmas? How many days til Christmas I really want to know How many days til Santa’s sleigh Is packed and set to go How many days til snowflakes Stick against my window pane How many days til Christmas Is with us once again How many days til Christmas I think I might explode How many days til I can place A bet on Rudolph’s nose How many days must I go crazy Wondering what I’ll get How many days til Christmas Why can’t it be here yet
17.
Optimism 02:21
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Optimism Optimism deep dark and blue Shaping everything we say and do Flowing from a source that’s always true Optimism radiant and free Painting all the pictures that can be Framing them for all the world to see Optimism shining through the rain Up and down and right back up again Hiding from us every now and then

credits

released May 6, 2020

Cover design and photograph by James Goddard.

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John Lyle Sechelt, British Columbia

The lyrics for most of the songs appearing in these albums are available in book form: "The Kindest Lies: the Lyrics of John Lyle", published by Leaky Boot Press (June 28, 2013).

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