Ross Productions - New American Blues

Koonce - Ross - Fraser

New American Blues

Jon Koonce lead vocal & drums
Marv Ross guitar, harmonica, backing vocals
Doug Fraser guitar, bass, backing vocals, percussion
Denny Bixby bass & backing vocals
Rindy Ross backing vocals & harmonica
Mel Kubik piano & harmonium
Tony Furtado slide guitar on "I Won't Sing Here Anymore"

Lyrics

New American Blues

Your friends kicked you out – yeah, you got caught,
‘cause you spent the rent on pills and pot,
You came home late and all the doors were locked,
Cause all these friends you thought were friends were not, your friends… so much.

So you go it alone ‘n live outa your car,
But you crash and burn – ya don’t get too far,
You wake up one day and you’re on the street,
With a grocery cart and a sign that reads,

Hey, bro, I got the New American Blues,
I’m walking around with no shoes through eden,
I’m just trying to stop the bleedin’,
Yeah, I… rock the New American Blues,
I’m out here paying my dues - I’m just jamming,
Just trying to find what happened here,
What happened here.

Oh, so you pitch a tent ‘neath the freeway ramp,
Trade a bag a rocks for a coleman lamp,
You lay your sleepin’ bag where it ain't too damp,
And try to block out all that freeway noise but can’t... so much.

Yeah, you had a job but couldn’t hold it,
You had a car but then you rolled it,
You had a phone and then you sold it,
To buy a stolen bike and some ass stole it.

Dude, you’ve got the New American Blues,
You’re walking around with no shoes thru eden
Just trying to stop the bleedin’.
Yeah, you… rock the New American Blues
You’re playing this shit with no cues
Just jammin’ – just trying to find what happened here, what happened here.

Some give you a buck - some give you the finger,
Some wish you luck but please don’t linger,
They say get a life, get a job, get help, get away from me, get somewhere else ~ anywhere else.

Well, you got ripped off ‘n held a grudge,
You pulled a knife – faced a judge,
Who lectured you about self respect,
While he checked his watch and yawned when you said…

Judge, I’ve got the New American Blues
I’m walking around with no shoes – I’m not eaten,
I’m just trying to not get beaten,
Yeah, I… got the New American Blues,
I’m working it out with no clues,
I’m just rappin’ – just trying to find what happened here, what happened here.

Well we tell ourselves that they should change,
They only have themselves to blame,
And god will catch the ones that slip,
The strung out kid who cannot quit,
The single mom that’s ill equipped,
The schizophrenic off his shit,
The crippled vet that took a hit,
The aging couple we evict,
The kids that play in Johnson creek,
The ones we’d just as soon forget that say…

Man, we got the New American Blues,
We’re walking around with no shoes thru eden,
We’re just trying to stop the bleedin’,
Yeah, dude, we rock the New American Blues,
We’re out there paying our dues
We’re just jammin’ – just trying to find what happened here, what happened here, what happened here… what happened here… what happened here…

I Can't Run Anymore

I used to run by our neighbor's field,
Where an old race horse was kept for years,
He always walked up to that fence,
When I came by,
There was something in that horse's eyes,
Something there that I’d call, ‘pride’,
Just the way he held his head,
So much was said…
Chorus
No, I can't run anymore…
No I can't fly from the gate like before,
Maybe I can't run anymore…
But I would crawl to win it all for you.

Up until your daddy died,
He never gave me an inch - he never let me slide,
And all I felt was small inside until that day,
There was something in your old man's eyes, something there that I'd call pride,
Just the way he held his head,
So much was said…
Repeat chorus
To see me now it’s hard to tell,
But I ran like the wind - thin as a rail,
Past the field where that old horse grazed,
We had our days,
I’m not the man that I used to be,
I’m just a man that I have to be,
Still standing by your side,
Till the end of the ride.

Repeat Chorus

Cross of Gold

You offered them trinkets, offered them beads,
You offered them blankets,
Whatever they pleased,
And all they had to do was just,
Crawl on their knees - that’s all… that’s all.

You promise them silver - build up their hopes,
You’ll lift up their hearts,
You’ll lift off their yokes,
And all they gotta do is just… laugh at your jokes,
That’s all… that’s all.

But I won’t touch your silver,
And I won’t sell my soul,
Ain’t no man gonna nail my hands to a cross of gold.

You dress her in sable so soft to the touch,
A place at your table all the gold she can clutch,
And all she’s gotta do is just… not talk too much,
That’s all… that’s all.

You stoke his anger,
Throw a little gas on the flame,
You give him a target – yeah, someone to blame,
And when it all gets bloody,
You don’t feel any shame,
At all… at all.

Repeat chorus

Yeah, people are sinking in the promised land,
When you’re hanging by a thread,
You’ll grab a rope of sand,
And when they all go under will they wonder,
Was that always your plan,

Repeat chorus

My First Guitar

Lost on the backroads,
I heard Danny’s laugh,
He rolled down the window,
And threw out all the maps,
In the rearview mirror i could see them flap,
Like drunk pigeons flying down the road.

He said don’t look back, brother,
Don’t ever look back,
See, everything behind us – its time has passed,
From here on out we walk in Woody’s tracks,
Bound for glory, baby, that’s right,
We’re bound for glory, yeah…
Chorus
Give me back my first guitar - I’m taking it to my grave,
I’m gonna write my very last song,
For the friend I could not save,
It’ll go like this…. na na na na na na…

We played some big shows - a lotta gigs from hell,
We almost made it… like everyone else,
Our songs were true but truth doesn’t sell,
That’s what we told ourselves any how,

I wrote a ton of songs then - not many survived,
Danny only wrote three but they all made me cry,
It all unraveled & I don’t know why, I don’t know why,
I don’t know why…
Chorus
Those days have passed that world is gone,
No one buys maps now – hell, no one buys songs,
I’m in the rearview mirror now,
But life moves on - life moves on,

Well I thought I’d look up Danny then I changed my mind,
Guess I was afraid of what I’d find - I hope he’s out,
There with Woody somewhere down the line,
Bound for glory, bound for glory yeah…
Chorus

All That Matters

Maybe I was… maybe I wasn’t,
The best friend you had,
All I can hope for… is in your heart now,
The good outweighs the bad,
You once told me the truth ain’t enough,
And that’s why Jesus told lies,
There’s no heaven and no one’s coming back,
He just knew we needed to believe in paradise.
Chorus
And all that matters,
After all we’ve said and done is scattered,
All that matters now is love.

Maybe it’s best - maybe it’s better,
That you kept me in the dark,
Maybe i asked for it - maybe i never,
How’d we drift so far apart,
But now’s not the time to blame or conceal,
There’s no more secrets for you and me,
All you gotta do now is just close your tired eyes,
Rise on up now – ‘n go… and be free.

Chorus

Maybe you used me - maybe i’m using you now,
That’ll happen if you dance,
Sometimes we stumbled - sometimes we sparkled,
I’m just glad we took that chance,
It seems the world now is just passing me by,
And I can’t rise up no more,
I can’t believe that I’m saying my goodbyes,
And just walking out walking out your door.

Chorus

The Change

Well, my doctor convinced me,
That my body was all wrong,
He said my chin was too weak,
And my nose too long,
And my skin too white and my hands too small,
And for half a million dollars he could fix it all,
He said, I’ll take your case then I'll rebuild your face, and then I’ll suck out your waist,
And give you a tan.
Then your friends will stroke you,
And your boss promote you,
And your wife will finally love her brand-new man.

And the change is gonna do you good,
You're gonna thank me when you've understood,
That it's sometimes hard and it's sometimes crude, but the change is gonna do you good.
Oh, yea.... oh, yea....

Well Jesus got nervous,
When the locals got restless,
So he went to his agent for some legal advice,
And his agent said, now you trust me, Jesus,
And we'll make you a legend, just do this one last gig and you'll be set for life,
You'll have your own religion,
And your own inquisition, there'll be churches and temples and that house in Belaire - you'll have, your HBO special, you'll be bigger than Moses or Buddha, or Elvis, with your very own prayer,
You'll have your own line of beachwear,
There'll be t-shirts, and sandals, we'll have, Christmas and candles and we'll all get our share, there’ll be a 50-city tour with a light show,
And lazers - you'll hang out with the Blazers,
Do cocaine with the mayor,

And the change is gonna do you good, Jesus,
You’re gonna thank me when you’ve understood,
That it’s sometimes hard,
And it’s sometimes crude,
But the change is gonna do you good,
Oh yeah oh yeah oh yeah oh yeah…

Well, the message on my phone machine said,
The barbeque’s still ‘on’,
We got four more years,
Of these parties til dawn,
So I clear cut my backyard,
Drilled out an oil well,
Put my parents in a rest home,
Opened a Trump hotel,
Well, I was feeling pretty good,
About these changes I made,
So I bought myself a new Jaguar,
Got a Mexican maid,
And I've learned not to worry,
Or feel guilt or have shame,
I just roll with the punches,
And don't give out my name,

And the change is gonna do me good,
I’m gonna thank me when I’ve understood
That it’s sometimes hard
And it’s sometimes crude
But the change is gonna do me good
Oh yeah, oh yeah, oh yeah, oh yeah

Something To Cry About

When I was a boy I was scared of this kid,
He used to hit me for fun,
Tried to fight everyone – it’s just what he did,

And tho’ he lived on our street,
I hardly knew him at all,
Then one day walking by I thought I heard him cry,
I looked over their wall,

His dad had him down - his dad made a fist,
His dad hit him hard in the face as he hissed,
I’ll give you something to cry about, (3x)
That’s right… that’s right.

I didn’t tell anyone,
And none of it came to light,
That kid moved out of town,
I never saw him around,
‘til much much later in life,

But he remembered my name,
He tried to sell me a knife,
He was out on parole – needed some dough,
He was out looking for his wife,

He said, she’s hiding my boy,
I never hurt anyone - that bitch cried to the judge,
She cried the whole trial,
Now I can’t see my own son…
I’ll give her something to cry about (3x)
That’s right… that’s right.

We all come up short - we all have regret,
We all hear a cry, we deny - then try to forget,
Some songs are a prayer - some songs are a knife,
Some songs are a cut we open up,
To save our own life,
I’ll give you something to cry about (3x)
That’s right… that’s right.

Self-Inflicted Mess

The writing’s on the wall – the signs are there,
You’re gonna break my balls,
But I don’t care,
Baby, be my next self-inflicted mess… yes, yes,

I’m the worst – I’d dive head first,
In a river that's 'a one inch deep,
Glad to drown and lie face down for you,
And once again, I’m in too deep,
But I can’t stop, no I just keep on,
Banging my head and breaking my neck,
Hoping that you’ll buy this wreck,

The writing’s on the wall – the signs are there,
You’re gonna break my balls,
But I don’t care,
Baby, be my next self-inflicted mess… yes, yes,
Everybody knows love’s a bitch,
Let me be your dog I’ll scratch your itch,
Baby, be my next self-inflicted mess, yes… yes,

I want you and you want me,
That’s all the rope we need for now,
But I’m inspired to play with fire again,
Still I’m afraid to say this might,
Be the wrong that comes out right,
You only live once so now don’t think twice,
Just shut your face and throw them dice.

The writing’s on the wall – the signs are there,
You’re gonna break my balls but I don’t care,
Baby, be my next self-inflicted mess… yes, yes,
Everybody knows love’s a bitch,
Let me be your dog I’ll scratch your itch,
Baby, be my next self-inflicted mess, yes… yes.

I Won't Sing Here Anymore

I was taught that God was poor,
So we never ever closed his doors,
We took in strangers… but that was before,
These old church rafters rang,
When me and Mom and Dad all sang,
But I won't sing here anymore.

We were taught that pride’s a sin,
Judged no one by their skin,
You walk humble - you don’t keep score,
We prayed for those in need,
Sang songs to end all greed,
But now the old hymns are ignored,
And I won’t sing here anymore.

See that picture on that wall,
That's the king who took the fall,
You’ll find no gold or diamonds in the crown he wore,
Thought I'd never see the day,
When this house would turn away,
God’s children at the door,
And I won't sing here anymore,
These old rafters rang,
When me and Mom and Dad all sang,
But I won't sing here anymore.