Dan Bern : New American Language

Capo:

IV

|

E

|

A

|

x4

E

A

E

I thought you came here to dance

E

A

B

But it seems you had other plans

A

B

What's there to talk about?

E

B

C#m

What's there to figure out?

A

F#

B

Sometimes I feel like an experiment

A

B

Tell me, where has the sweetness gone?

E

B

C#m

Where is the loving song?

A

B

E

Where, oh, where in the world? Can't you just spin while I play? Must we come up with a hundred and ten reasons why we're alive today? I won't mind if you probe, babe Start with my earlobe, babe And then start whispering to me Tell me, where has the sweetness gone? Where is the loving song? Where, oh, where in the world? The only reason you used to need To be around me was me Tell me, where has the sweetness gone? Where is the loving song? Where, oh, where in the world? Tell me, where has the sweetness gone? Where is the loving song? Where, oh, where in the world?

She said, "Love, love, love is everything" I said, "OK, I guess, whatever" She said, "What does that mean?" I said, "Nothing, it's just good to have a backup plan" She said, "I guess that means you don't got love" I said, "Maybe I love everyone" She said, "That's the same as loving no one" I said, "OK, I guess, whatever" I have a dream of a new American language One with a little bit more Spanish I have a dream of a new pop music That tells the truth with a good beat and some nice harmonies I have a dream I have a dream Tourist towns are a drag sometimes But in non-tourist towns, you can get beat up Just for looking a little different I guess the thing to do is just stay at home Yeah, but sometimes I think the thing to do Would be to get a place way out in Missouri Put down as many months' rent as you can part with Tell everybody else you went to France I said, "Remember that conversation we had about love? Well, I think you were right" She said, "I don't remember saying nothing about love It must have been a fantasy of the moment" I have a dream I have a dream I have a dream of Michaelangelo on that ceiling Working through weekend to make more money I have a dream of replacing Steve Kerr on the Bulls And being the little white guy they let shoot the threes I dream of joining the Mafia And whether people like me is unimportant I dream of your clock radio Waking you up with my songs I have a dream of a new American language I dream of new beginnings I dream of saturation bombing I dream mostly about love I have a dream I have a dream I have a dream I have a dream

Riding down the highway with Cowboy Joe I met Leonardo DiCaprio Leo, he's trying to get away from The unwanted advances of Eminem Em's wearing drawstrings and lisping along Saying, "Please put me into your highway song" I say, "Hey, who's going my way On that Great Alaska Highway?" Well, I would never be so dumb To say they stole an election They bought the damn thing fair and square Emperor's in his underwear Old King Cole's a merry old troll Surgeon General smokes Marlboro I say, "Hey, who's going my way On that Great Alaska Highway?" I say, "Hey, who's going my way On that Great Alaska Highway?" Commandment 3 says do not kill Amendment 2 says blood will spill God sits in his rocking chair Two flat tires and one good spare Britney Spears joins Cowboy Joe With a hey and a ho and a do-si-do I say, "Hey, who's going my way On that Great Alaska Highway?" West Palm Beach and Cheech and Rae Dawn Chong Can't we all just get along? Anchored down in Kodiak With a heart attack, -ack -ack -ack -ack -ack You oughta know by now, by Joel West Palm Beach and Cheech and Rae Dawn Chong Can't we all just get along? Anchored down in Kodiak With a heart attack, -ack -ack -ack -ack -ack You oughta know by now, by Joel While hanging out with Cowboy Joe Keith Richards stops to say hello I play my guitar, he plays along With song after song after song after song Now that I've played with the likes of him Ain't never gonna settle for less, my friend I say, "Hey, who's going my way On that Great Alaska Highway?" I say, "Hey, who's going my way On that Great... On that Great..." I say, "Hey, who's going my way On that Great Alaska Highway?" I say, "Hey, who's going my way On that Great Alaska Highway?" I say!

Capo:

II

D

|

A

|

Bm

|

G

I met God on the edge of town Where the wind meets the stillness, where the darkness meets the light Where the ocean meets the sky, where the desert meets the rain Where the earth meets the heavens, on the edge of town I met God I asked God, do one thing for me Send me back in time, send me to Seattle Let me go find Kurt Cobain Take away his gun, take away his bullets Talk to him, make him wanna live Tell him how we love him, help him see his glory God said no, if I sent you back If you really found him, you would only ask him If he could help you get a deal If he knows a lawyer, if he can help you God said no I asked God, do one thing for me Send me back in time, send me to Berlin Let me find the one they call Hitler I will stalk him, I will bring him down I will bring along a powerful gun Loaded with bullets to obliterate his memory God said no, if I sent you back You would get caught up in theory and discussion You would let your fears delay and distract you You would make friends, you would take a lover God said no I asked God, do one thing for me Send me back in time, send me to Jerusalem Let me go, let me go find Jesus Let me save his life as they try to kill him Let me take him down, down from the cross Take the iron from his body, try to heal his wounds God said no, if I let you go If you really found him walking with the cross You would stare, your tongue no longer working Eyes no longer seeing, ears no longer hearing God said time, time belongs to me Time's my secret weapon, my final advantage God turned away from the edge of town I knew I was beaten, and that now was all I had God said no

Harp:

E

|

E

. .

B

|

C#m

. .

B

|

x2

E

B

Spending some time in New Mexico

C#m

B

A

Named after a game show

E

B

Trying to decide if I should sell my van

C#m

B

A

Buy a truck and head down to Texas

E

B

Sometimes I think I'm gunning for the big time

C#m

B

A

Sometimes I think I'm running out of time

E

B

C#m

A

E

(

B

C#m

) And that big odometer in the sky turned over

E

B

C#m

A

E

(

B

C#m

) That big odometer in the sky just turned over Lately I've been scattered My attention span's like a three year-old's I pick up my guitar and I set it down Try reading books, end up going down town My friends say, "Relax, slow down!" But my insides feel like a ghost town Tumbling and blowing and all my guts turned over Like a tumbleweed through an empty town, turning over

E

B

C#m

Turning over, upside down

B

A

E

Turning round and round and round

E

B

C#m

Turning over, wrong side up

B

A

E

Barely fill my coffee cup

E

B

C#m

A

E

(

B

C#m

) I can't find me one new leaf worth turning over

E

B

C#m

A

E

(

B

C#m

) I can't find me one new leaf worth turning over Turning over

Harmonica over verse chords

Maybe I should go get in a fight Find somebody's honour to protect Maybe I should go and drink my fill Maybe I should go sign someone's will Out there in the alley someone's trying To start their car but that thing ain't buying Every time he tries it scrapes the air That tired crate is barely turning over Turning over

Capo:

II

Harp:

A

[or

B

with capo]

G

Gsus4

G

I've been speaking later and later in the day

G

Gsus4

G

Most days I don't talk till maybe eight o'clock at night

C

Csus4

It keeps me whole, keeps me holy

G

Gsus4

G

It keeps me way up in the mountains even when I'm on the road

D

C

Keeps me coming up for air, keeps me airing out some come

G

It keeps me cool And every place I go is one less place I could call home And every girl I kiss, well I just cross her off my list I don't go far, I just go crazy And I buried my old clothes out in some field in west Des Moines And if you judge me tonight, judge me by the songs I write That's who I am to you

D

C

And there's a black tornado, black tornado

G

D

G

Spinning around in my body sometimes

D

C

Black tornado, black tornado

G

D

G

Spinning around in my body sometimes

D

C

G

Oh, oh, oh

D

C

G

Oh, oh, oh And I could do tonight with something soft and warm and fury But that ain't likely to occur in South Central Missouri On a day off, on an off day On a Budweiser, Budget-Tel, Bukowski kind of night All I've got's what's on my back, guitar and a backpack My soul's intact And there's a black tornado, black tornado Spinning around in my body sometimes Black tornado, black tornado Spinning around in my body sometimes Oh, oh, oh Oh, oh, oh

Harmonica over verse chords

Everything is changing faster than I can describe All I really know to do is grab the wheel and drive I look for love, and some adventure I try not to let my own breathing scare me off the road There's a tombstone of my father I visit sometimes There's a tombstone of my father I visit sometimes And there's a black tornado, black tornado Spinning around in my body sometimes Black tornado, black tornado Spinning around in my body sometimes Oh, oh, oh Oh, oh, oh

C

Am

F

G

I have a friend Sits in his office Where he's had his big success Now he cries all day He says the Internet Is stealing his royalties Talks of his glory days I say no one cares about your glory days Backroads New Mexico There's an old abandoned church Windows boarded up Never sees a coat of paint Sometimes I drive by and dream Of hearing the preacher preach But it's a drag strip for the kids You can hear their tires screech Don't let your heart Get broken by this world Don't let your heart Get broken

C

Am

At the bottom of the ocean

F

Fm

C

You might find a pearl Don't let your heart Get broken by this world

F

G

C

Am

Drop by Albuquerque sometime when you need to

F

G

Fm

G

I'll sing you an Albuquerque Lullaby... So baby when I close my eyes You know it's you I see You know I'm pulling for you As you go on your way Don't ever hesitate To say what's goin' on Ain't nothin' black and white Always some new place to turn Don't let your heart Get broken by this world...

Capo:

II

D

G

A

D

Literally the first minute I come back to town, the cops They shot a crazy lady with a screwdriver in her hand Maybe we'll have another riot, hey wouldn't that be fun? Well, this time I'll get a VCR and a big screen and a gun

D

G

A

Baby did you get the tape I sent? Baby did you get the tape I sent? We bombed the hospital by mistake, too bad, war is hell And then we bombed the embassy we thought was something else We might get to see World War Three by Thanksgiving Day But as long as the turkey's golden brown it's all gonna be OK Baby did you get the tape I sent? Baby did you get the tape I sent?

Bm

G

Hush little baby don't you cry

D

A

Mama's gonna buy you a .45

Bm

G

And if that .45 gets recalled

D

A

Mama's gonna buy you an assault rifle

Bm

G

And if that rifle doesn't fire

D

A

Bb

A

Mama's gonna buy you a tightrope wire to the sun You see everybody's a killer, everyone's deranged Every mini-mall laundromat is a mass murder waiting to happen If the Manson gang had done their thing this year, instead of '69 They'd be on page eleven, with the rest of the petty crime Baby did you get the tape I sent? Baby did you get the tape I sent? Hush little baby don't you cry Mama's gonna buy you a pilot's license And if that license gets revoked Mama's gonna buy you a periscope And if that spyglass gets all broken Mama's gonna buy you a good lotion for your insides Well baby will I ever get to spend an hour just with you I got so much to tell you, there's so much we need to do When we said goodbye there were too many people around, now I'm gettin' impatient But I thought that we locked eyes for a minute, was it just my imagination Baby did you get the tape I sent? Baby did you get the tape I sent? Baby did you get the tape I sent you yet?

Sitting in the Church of the Holy McDonald's I took off my shoes like the Buddhists told me to And I make my sacred offering and I dip my hands in Pepsi Sailed off to Virginia and expelled all the Jews And maybe all the things you thought you got coming to you Ain't coming to you not in this life And maybe all the promises You thought were broken Were never really made Promises never made You say the stars quit shining, quit shining on your head Even the moon stopped coming up some old streetlight instead But standing in the fields beneath the universe, you hurt 'Cause as the Milky Way whirls over you, all you got is dirt And don't worry 'bout the Jews, they'll do fine in Lithuania And bring a picture of the Virgin Larry to your cousin in Carolina And maybe all the promises You thought were broken Were never really made Promises never made And I'm closer to God than I've ever been before Walking the streets of Spain painting Karl Marx on every door Groucho Marx on every door, mark of the Beast on every door Santa Maria, Gloria Padre Holy candy wrapper 'neath the foot of Sierra Madre And there's no use even trying to sing 'til after midnight Let's start the day with music and wake up everybody That's fool enough to try sleeping before it's getting light out It's summer in Toledo and I saw three ships a-sailing And maybe all the things You thought you got coming to you Ain't coming to you Not in this life And maybe all the promises You thought were broken Were never really made Promises never made

He had just returned from Monte Carlo He was on his way to Japan And everything they did made me want to emulate them Made me want to be just like them And his wife, looking very Japanese Had never been to Japan She sang Japanese songs I tried my best to sing along And the sky was gray And it looked like it might rain And I decided that I was only eating rice from then on And he spoke of places and of people that I knew very well And I asked about them, it seemed painful for him to speak She said maybe later, if we go to the movies you can speak He was reading heavy books and seemed burdened by his knowledge She wore a thin Japanese robe And the sky was gray And it looked like it might rain And I decided that I was only eating rice from then on Hey, sweet dreams, great teacher Hey, great teacher, sweet dreams Hey, sweet dreams, great teacher Hey, great teacher, sweet dreams I will meditate each morning at the sunrise I will write down all of my dreams I will travel on the backroads I will keep myself open to whatever Every day I will learn a secret language I will make my living in the casino With eleven or less against a bust card I will double down And the sky is gray And it looks like it might rain And I've decided that I'm only eating rice from now on The sky is gray And it looks like it might rain And I've decided that I'm only eating rice from now on Hey, sweet dreams, great teacher Hey, great teacher, sweet dreams Hey, sweet dreams, great teacher Hey, great teacher, sweet dreams

C

F

C

F

C

Everybody was ecstatic about the light show on the farm

F

C

F

G

And everyone got crazy and nobody got harmed

C

F

C

F

C

And the five televisions, huge upon the stage

F

C

F

G

Had come to pay their union dues and make a living wage

Am

F

Am

F

And the bathroom was the clubhouse where the colors all got made

C

Am

F

G

C

And plans were cast in feathers for the Thanksgiving Day Parade And the DJ spins his records from here out to the sun And he flings them through a big hole in the ozone one by one And somewhere beyond Mercury the wax begins to melt And we touched a perfect stranger and we loved the way it felt And we all hung together in our crew cuts and our braids Floating down Broadway above the Thanksgiving Day Parade And you and I were discussing Natalie as you poised to thrust above her And I told you how I admire her and will always need to love her And I told you how I lost my best friend Mr Neill And we slowly started dancing and began slowly to heal And then we all held hands and no one was afraid On our way to sell our sculptures at the Thanksgiving Day Parade And Michelangelo finally came down after 4 years on the ceiling He said he'd lost his funding and the paint had started peeling And he told us that his patron his Holiness, the Pope Was demanding productivity with which our friend just couldn't cope And he rode off on his skateboard with his brushes and his blade Muttering something 'bout some food and the Thanksgiving Day Parade And we were born in one millennium and will die in the next Are slightly underappreciated and slightly oversexed And as the seconds and the minutes start to vanish one by one I'm watching more cartoons as I get my toenails done And we went downtown to deliver turkeys to people with AIDS And then we headed uptown to the Thanksgiving Day Parade And the music keeps on grinding and the electrophonic crunch And my father's hair is thinning and my mom ate some for lunch And you, you were my babysitter and you let me break my tooth And we sit here tied together in a bar in the back booth And the band is in an uproar, only the drum machine's been paid And we'll have to bring our own tunes to the Thanksgiving Day Parade Australians are the coolest people in the world Let's all go down under with strings of colored pearls And lay them at the feet of the heirs of English crime And listen to old Men At Work and have a real good time And we dug until we hit the rocks then we threw away the spade And built a platform to get a better view of the Thanksgiving Day Parade And I love whoever's next to me I love them so, so much They let me lean against them like a beautiful crutch And everyone should come up on the stage and grab the mic And tell us one by one who they are and what they like And the babies are the only ones to have lately gotten laid And I'm feeling young and eager for the Thanksgiving Day Parade And you explained to me that without your fans you'd be back out on the street With nothing but chitlins on your plate and splinters in your feet And if you die, you're gone you said, and your friends are left behind And you'll be a statistic and we'll be deaf and blind And darkness is a virtue and molasses is not afraid To slow down the countdown to the Thanksgiving Day Parade And somewhere in the distance an orchestra shows its face With Natalie on the oboe, Ty on double bass John plays the viola, Slick, the tenor sax James he blows harmonica in vanilla skin-tight slacks Hugo oozes alto sax, Ivory, the trombone Masuda squawks the trumpet, Andre, xylophone Ron, he shreds the violin in a green Italian suit Mike talks on the telephone on a tape with an endless loop Geoff he blows the clarinet with an old-time rockin' feel Charlie dings the triangle, Dave, the glockenspiel Chris puffs on the tuba, H, a big bass drum Alfonso throbs the cello like he would a woman, with his thumb And high up on the podium in tails with his baton poised Banksy leads the orchestra in a glorious, awful noise And on a float of dripping oil paint, the orchestra, it played Kissing the whole universe in the Thanksgiving Day Parade And life is like a fairy tale, every step feels like a dream That keeps on getting nearer and more and more extreme And we just got switched with Venus and we're closer to the sun And I got no problem with it, nor should anyone And the cops just blew on in here and we're in some kind of raid I just hope they will release us for the Thanksgiving Day Parade

Dan Bern : New American Language
2001

Sweetness

New American Language

Alaska Highway

God Said No

Turning Over

Black Tornado

Albuquerque Lullaby

Tape

Toledo

Rice

Thanksgiving Day Parade

Dan Bern : New American Language 2001

Sweetness

New American Language

Alaska Highway

God Said No

Turning Over

Black Tornado

Albuquerque Lullaby

Tape

Toledo

Rice

Thanksgiving Day Parade

Dan Bern : New American Language
2001