Pretty Much Your Standard Ranch Stash (1973)

There was something reflected inside
Her remarkably curious eyes
So the shock that she felt didn’t show
When I told her that I had to go

She just stood there somewhere in between
A smile and an unpleasant scene
Then she with her back to the sun
Said, “If you think it’s best, then it’s done”

Ah, but oh, it seemed so cold
The compassion that I felt just didn’t show
I haven’t seen her since
And there was much about our parting
Which seemed amiss

For the love that I felt hadn’t died
But by cruel circumstances denied
And her feelings and trust weren’t misplaced
Nor are they now in her new lover’s face

[break]

Oh, it seemed so cold
The compassion that I felt just didn’t show
I haven’t seen her since
And there was much about our parting
Which seemed amiss

For the love that I felt hadn’t died
But by cruel circumstances denied
And her feelings and trust weren’t misplaced
Nor are they now in her new lover’s face

Tell me just one more time the reasons why you must leave
Tell me once more why you’re sure you don’t need me
Tell me again, but don’t think that you’ll convince me

Now you’ve said before fallin’ in love again, you’d rather be dead
’Cause when someone breaks your heart, you cry your eyes red
But there’s nothin’ so hard about the life that you’ve led

As far as I can see, there’s no reason for goodbyes
You’re just runnin’ scared, and that’s something I won’t buy

So you lose, I won’t let you go with nothin’ to show but more blues
And all this talk about leavin’ is strictly bad news
So you settle down and stay with the man that loves you

[break]

So you lose, I won’t let you go with nothin’ to show but more blues
And all this talk about leavin’ is strictly bad news
So you settle down and stay with the man that loves you
Yes, you settle down and stay with the man that loves you
Yes, you settle down and stay with me, baby

Please don’t let fear
Hold back the tears
If you feel that’s the way that it need be

Walking down halls
With echoing walls
The past looming small with new feelings

Time’s on your side
Your conscience was guide
And he’s gone, but perhaps, it’s for the better

For the stand that you made
With such courage displayed
Lets you laugh in the face of disaster

[break]

But now it’s over and done
And your need for such boldness is gone
You’re alone, and you sigh
And you try not to cry
But if it’s coming
Just let it come

And don’t let fear
Hold back the tears
If you feel that’s the way that it need be

Walking down halls
With echoing walls
The past looming small

Winonah
The whiskey owns her
So she takes to the taverns
To take some company

Winonah
Nobody’s shown her
That bar rooms are a prison
And whiskey is no key

Contemplating why her youth
So quickly slipped away
Winonah pours another drink
To wash the pain away

Taking whiskey for her wages
Winonah looks for truth
While sweeping up the sawdust
Underneath the bar room booth

Winonah
The whiskey owns her
So she takes to the taverns
To take some company

Winonah
Nobody’s shown her
That bar rooms are a prison
And whiskey is no key

Early in her younger days
She felt she could not cope
So dependency on drink
Became her only hope

And now the dreams she’s dreamin’
Come from bottles on the shelf
So gaily, drinking daily
Sweet Winonah finds herself

Winonah
The whiskey owns her
So she takes to the taverns
To take some company

Winonah
Nobody’s shown her
That bar rooms are a prison
And whiskey is no key

[break]

Winonah
The whiskey owns her
So she takes to the taverns
To take some company

Winonah
Nobody’s shown her
That bar rooms are a prison
And whiskey is no key
That bar rooms are a prison
And whiskey is no key

Born to love you
Born to love you
Born to share your smiles and tears

Born to be near
If you need me, dear
Born to love you ’til I die

My life was empty
So blue and forlorn
And then you put your hand in mine
And I knew why I was born

Born to love you
Born to love you
Born to share your smiles and tears

Born to be near
If you need me, dear
Born to love you ’til I die

[break]

My life was empty
So blue and forlorn
Then you put your hand in mine
And I knew why I was born

Born to love you
Born to love you
Born to share your smiles and tears

Born to be near
If you need me, dear
Born to love you ’til I die
Born to love you ’til I die

Along came the F.F.V.
The swiftest on the line
She was runnin’ down the C&O Road
Just twenty-five minutes behind
Runnin’ into Souville
The headquarters on the line
And receivin’ very strict orders
From the station right behind

Georgie’s mother came to him
Her bucket on her arm
And she said, “My darling son
Be careful how you run
There’s many a man that’s lost his life
Just tryin’ to make lost time
But if you run your engine right
You’ll get there right on time”

Up the track she darted
And into a rock she crashed
Upside down the engine turned
And poor Georgie’s head was smashed
His head lay ’gainst the firebox door
And the flames were runnin’ high
And he said, “I’m proud to be born for an engineer
With a C&O Road to die”

The doctor said to Georgie
“My darling boy, be still
Your life may yet be saved
If it is God’s precious will”
“Oh no,” cried he, “That will not do
I’d rather die so free
I want to die for the engine I love
One hundred and forty-three”

The doctor said to Georgie
“Your life cannot be saved”
He was murdered on a railway
And laid in a lonesome grave
And his eyes were covered up with blood
And his eyes they could not see
And so the very last words poor Georgie cried
Were “Nearer my God to thee”

Late in the evening
At about sundown
High on the hill up above the town
Uncle Pen played the fiddle
Lordy, how it would ring
You could hear it talk
You could hear it sing

Oh, the people come from far away
And dance all night ’til the break of day
When the caller hollered the do-si-do
You knew Uncle Pen was ready to go

Late in the evening
At about sundown
High on the hill up above the town
Uncle Pen played the fiddle
Lordy, how it would ring
You could hear it talk
And you could hear it sing

He played a tune they called “The Soldier’s Joy”
And the one that they called “The Boston Boy”
The greatest of all was the “Jenny Lynn”
To me, that’s where good fiddlin’ begins

Late in the evening
At about sundown
High on the hill up above the town
Uncle Pen played the fiddle
Lordy, how it would ring
You could hear it talk
And you could hear it sing
Woo!

[break]

I’ll never forget that mournful day
When old Uncle Pen was called away
He hung up his fiddle and he hung up his bow
And we knew it was time for him to go

Late in the evening
At about sundown
High on the hill up above the town
Uncle Pen played the fiddle
Lordy, how it would ring
You could hear it talk
And you could hear it sing
You could hear it sing
You could hear it sing
You could hear it sing
You could hear it sing
Oh, listen to it sing
Oh, listen to it sing
Yes, you could hear it sing
You could hear it sing
You could hear it sing
You could hear it sing
You could hear it sing

Shadows slowly creepin’
Down the prairie trail
Everything is sleepin’
All but the nightingale

Moon will soon be climbin’
In the purple sky
Night winds all a-hummin’
This tender lullaby

Cares of the day have fled
My little sleepyhead
Stars are in the sky
And that the prayers were said
My little sleepyhead
To a prairie lullaby

Saddle up your pony
Sandman’s here
To guide you down the trail of dreams
Tumble in bed, my tired
My little sleepyhead
To a prairie lullaby

Did oh-doo layie-ho doo-layie
Ey ho-layie-ho doo-layie
Ey ho-layie-ho doo-layie, doo-layiee

Saddle up your pony
Sand Man’s here
To guide you down the trail of dreams
Tumble in bed, my tired
My little sleepyhead
To a prairie lullaby

Did oh-doo layie-ho doo-layie
Ey ho-layie-ho doo-layie
Ey ho-layie-ho doo-layie, doo-layie

“I felt like that was it.”
“Sure did, ha ha.”
“Golly.”