Girl with hair of flaming red
Seeking perfect lover
For to lie down on her feather bed
Soft secrets to uncover
Must be gentle, must be strong
With disposition sunny
Just as faithful as the day is long
And careful with his money
And so the open letter read
The news boy did deliver
Three months later plans were made to wed
Down by the King James river
Lo, the season may come
Lo, the season may go
What love has joined together
Will forever be made whole
When the master calls the roll
Some folks treat you like something under their shoe, ain’t nothin’ new.
Others greet you like a holy prophet, now what you gonna do?
You try to take it all in stride,
Cuz some days you get diamonds,
Some days nickels and dimes,
Some days you’re out of tune,
Some days it all chimes,
Some days you’re grinnin’,
Some days you’re frownin ’ the blues,
Some days all you’re doing is payin’ dues
Four cruel days under stormy skies
Not much bread to keep us alive
The wind kicked up and the rain came down
And then we all heard a terrible sound
Adios querida
Nothing more to say
I’m lost in the wreck of the Carlos Rey
I struggled against the pull of the tide
I clutched my bag with your picture inside
But my heart did break as it slipped away
Disappearing into the gray
Adios querida
I’ve gone to stay
Down in the wreck of the Carlos Rey
The high priest of money looks down on the river
The dawn coming up on his kingdom of gold
When the rim of the sun sends an arrow of silver
He prays to the gods of the bought and the sold
He turns to his symbols, his ribbons of numbers
They circle and spin on their mystical scroll
He looks for a sign while the city still slumbers
And the ribbons and the river forever unroll
Hitchin’ down the highway
Ain’t feelin’ too well
Flaggin’ down the passersby
and none will stop to help
Been out here all alone
Makes me want to cry
Makes me want to lay down
On these tracks to die
She’s long, she’s tall, she’s gone
Rain leakin’ through the ceilin’
Wind blow through the door
Didn’t have no bed
Just a ripped blanket on the floor
I came up hard
Yes, I came up hard
Oh, but I ain’t the only one
Lord knows, I came up hard
I played a lot of hooky
Never once got caught
Out behind the juke joint
And I surely learned a lot
Oh, I came up hard
Oh, yes, I really came up hard
I think I did all right
Lord knows, I came up hard
All these years
I kept my style
I wouldn’t cross over
So it took me a while
…Before the money came
Oh, I’ve got so much to say
So damn proud I was built this way
Some folks didn’t see my world
Didn’t know where I fit in
40 years I kept singin’
Before the money started
…rollin’ in