Ain't she the one with the broken wings
And don't she just bruise too easily
Don't she always dream the brightest things
Don't she cry every day
Like a little child

Firebird fly away
Firebird sing all day
That's the sweetest thing
I ever heard fire bird

Ain't she the one wanting everything
And don't she have to take
What some get for free
Don't blaze the night
Like a blue star
Don't she cry every day
In misery

Ain't she the one to catch and spark
And don't she just love each sweet mistake
Don't she crash and burn
With her tail on fire
Dont cry every day
Like her heart might break

Johny took to drifting
When Life had let him down
A handsome shadow of a man
He slipped from town to town

They say he left a wife
with a heart as sharp as stone
And a boy about ten years old
Up country all alone

There was talk about a robbery
Cash gone underground
Johny had to keep on runnin'
When they tried to hunt him down

Some say that he killed a man
Shot him in the head
Stories made it semm like
He was glad that he was dead

But Johny Slim was tall and thin
And gentle as a leaf
He neve raised his hand or voice
Or talked about his grief

Johny took the freight train
As he rolled from state to state
It ain't that surprising
If folks talk and speculate

He's just feckless said some
Best off gone tomorrow
But to the more discerning eye
It looked a lot like sorrow

And if anybody asked him
What you runnin'from?
He'd squint his eyes and say well
It ain't nothin' that I done

And if he could he'd be outside
Close to the border line
I like sweet mountain air he'd say
Wild rose and the columbine

Johny paid his way
Working on the farms
Pickin' fruit and buckin' barley
Sleepin' in the barns

And if he hit the whiskey
When he'd dollars in his hand
It didn't make him a bad man
I hope you understand

There sure was more to Johny Slim
Than a drifter in a bar
Everyone would listen
When he played his slide guitar

Pretty soon he take off
slip from town to town
Johny took to drifting
When life had let him down

​I can hear you breathing
From so far away
I know that your sweet loving
Warms me every day
You don't have to worry
'cos I'm crazy just like you
And I love the way you come to me
When the day is through

And I promise you
I'll be sweet and true
All I'll ever do is
Shine on you
Shine
Shine on you

Shining like a beacon
Like that old lamplight
Shining in the day time
Shine in the night
Shine
Shine on you

You're rhythme running through me
Like that old bass drum
Deep down in my soul
Like every song I've ever sung

When Johny said meet me
Where the creek gives the rise
He'd a slide to his hips
And fire in his eyes
I'm glad he remembered my name

It's his wild ways that won me
When he said i'd be dressed
In stars and the night
I felt I'd been blessed
I'm not looking for someone to blame

If he stole those sweet words
Then he never took nothing from me
When I'm with my Johny
I'm free like a bee
I know he'll go south all the same

But one night with Johny
Sweet flowers they hung on the air
I soaked up his songs
'neath the sycamore trees
My happy heart
A flickering flame

In the light all his fine words
Were gone but I swear
Love stuck in his throat
Like a long lost prayer
Adrift on the air
As he whispered my name

​Little bird flying free in the desert
Little girl spinning round
On the skating pond
Little bird how you make me cry
How you make me smile
Little bird little bird flying free
Across the snow and the ice

And you take me home
And you take me home
Where I'm free
And the wind blows
Oh you take me home where I'm free
And the wind blows 'most every day

There you are little bird in the desert
Little girl spinning round
In your sequined skirt
Little girl how you make my cry
How you make me smile
One day all little free birds will fly
Across the snow and the ice

Left my old ways on the bus
Headed out of town
Past the pines and the old saw mill
Where we used to hang around
Walked a while beside the creek
Down by Baker's Bridge
Took the steep old timers' trail
Up to Angel Ridge

My darling sent a message
The warmest sweetest sound
He said meet me up on Angel Ridge
To see the sun go down

My baby's sweet as honey
And gentle as a dove.
Gonna tell him I'm sorry
And offer him my love.
I'm dreaming by the river
Down by Baker's Bridge
Heading on up like a feather
Onto Angel Ridge.

I've been reckless
I've been wild
Lord knows I've been gone
Running Like a wayward child
With my red shoes on

My baby's like a tiger
And patient as a stone
Gonna take me as I am
So I can come on home
I 'm dreaming by the river
Over baker's Bridge
Gonna see my sweet baby
Up on Angel Ridge

I'll find the warmest surest thing
I have ever found
Waiting up on Angel Ridge
To see the sun go down

And I have his forgiveness
And he has sure got mine
We'll sleep out on a blanket
Underneath the pines.
I'm running to that river and
Over Baker's Bridge
Gonna find my sweet sweet love
Up on Angel Ridge

The keepers of the stream live here
But no one is at home
How strange to stand here on these decks
At midday on our own
The old mill rides her grassy waves
Becalmed beside the water
Your loving arms ae everywhere
What happened to your daughter?

The sun shines on the roses
The sun shine shines on the river
The sun shines on your vagabond child
Have you anything to give her?

Now Daddy's fields are full of weeds
Dancing green and yellow
And mama's garden's overgrown
Home to the skimming swallow
And Mama's kept those records bright
But nothing lasts forever
Those dreaming faces fading fast
All in the Summer weather

We ate you bread and drank your wine
We tried not to break your dishes
We soaked your walls
With our own songs
And we frightened all the fishes
And we've had days of heaven here
We walked right back to Eden
But we left the garden gate unlocked
That all might be forgiven

The sun shines on your vagabond child
The sun shines on the river
The sunshines on the roses
And the songbird who sang with her

​All off Muscat town
Is on the beach tonight
Drinking Coco Cola
Under the pretty lights
Almost hand in hand
Along the moonlit sand
Down by the darkening sea
We leave fading footsteps
And you say 'My dear
what are we doing here?'
And I say 'I can't tell you
What might become of us...

But if you'll be my merman king
I'll be your pearly queen
Underneath the water
We'll feel everything'

And if we live we'll settle
Like Hansel and like Gretal
Sleeping under the air-con
Until the day is done
And sundown soaks these streets
With birdsong and sweet air
If I be the garden
Will you be my call to prayer
Together we'll let in
The waters of this gulf
Let the darkness wash us
Clean enough to dream again

So love me like the night
We won't miss a thing
I'll be your pearly queen
You be my merman king

Pack up the stars
Sweep ip the moon
I know if I try
I'll get over you soon
Take down the banners
Turn off the lights
Gonna be so sweet lonesome tonight

Where ever you are
in some god awful bar
I'll be sending all my whisky kissess
To you
I'd rather be
In your bad company
Than swinging on a silver star

So get on line
And tell me you're mine
Tonight
Those things that you do
Only you do
Just right
Gonna be so sweet
Lonesome tonight

I went down to Sandy Town
I was hoping to pay my way
But coin paid out in the dark of night
Turned to ash in the break of day

See thise tall towers shine so brightly
Built of tears and bones and blood
See those camps of labouring men
With dreams doing no one no good


See the maids of Sandy Town
Caught like sad little birds in lime
Girls gone dead behind the eyes
Just serving out their time

When you close your eyes
Do you dare to dream of home
Of your own sweet child
Growing up alone

I've been this whole wide world around
And I know what's right and wrong
See those slaves in Sandy town
They ain't singing no redemption songs

When you close your eyes
Do you dare to dream of home
Of your own sweet child
Growing up alone
Of Mama and Papa and
Your own sweet child
And home
And home


When I get out of CSandy Town
And my working days are done
I'll be washing down my tainted soul

It was a dead eye day
When we all had to pay
The Devil's costs
For getting us lost
On the Million Dollar Highway

And who did I see
On that road with me
Burning up the dust
Going hell for bust
Like you can when you're free

He had fire in his eyes
And a belly full of lies
He said you know who I am
I am the man
I am the lamb in disguise

So won't you hitch a ride
Honey come on climb inside
With your preacher man
Then we both can
Pass by on the other side

Hard times come down the Million Dollar Highway
Don't you lose your way on the Million Dollar Highway
Don't you sell your soul to the Milion Dollar Highway

With his hand on the wheel
Of his automobile
He said I am the light
And I know I'm right
You gota get a heart of steel

Preacher said he knew
Just what we had to do
He said I think I'm gonna buy
Me a needle with an eye
I can drive tight thru

There are angel bands
Holding out their hands
At the side of the road
And he never even slowed
Rolling through those badland

There's the bankers and the con men
The gamblers and the gunmen
The sad eyed soldier
The paper folders
The mystics and the showmen

The slighted and the blind
The sorrowful of mind
All the working girls
In their stockings
And their pearls
Rolling up behind

​This is tonight's last party
Playing soft by a fire in the trees
While the rain falls quiet on the dark far off streets
And all the town is sleeping

And we played the drum and the banjo
The sweetheart guitar
Sad cowgirl songs
Of love lost on the range
The far off prairies
Good night heart's desire

And nobodywants to go home now
As the blue hours slipslide to grey
pass the wine and the beer
And the smokes over here
We sing to keep out the rain


This is tonight's last party
Come lay all your harmonies down
And when it's all over
Wood smoke and earth
Will cling like salt to your skin
Will cling like salt to your skin