Well the first days are the hardest days, don't you worry any more,
'Cause when life looks like Easy Street, there is danger at your door.
Think this through with me, let me know your mind,
Wo, oh, what I want to know, is are you kind?

It's a buck dancer's choice my friend; better take my advice.
You know all the rules by now and the fire from the ice.
Will you come with me? Won't you come with me?
Wo, oh, what I want to know, will you come with me?

Goddamn, well I declare, have you seen the like?
Their wall are built of cannonballs, their motto is "Don't tread on me".
Come hear Uncle John'n Band playing to the tide,
Come with me, or go alone, he's come to take his children home.

It's the same story the crow told me; it's the only one he knows.
Like the morning sun you come and like the wind you go.
Ain't no time to hate, barely time to wait,
Wo, oh, what I want to know, where does the time go?

I live in a silver mine and I call it Beggar's Tomb;
I got me a violin and I beg you call the tune,
anybody's choice, I can hear your voice.
Wo, oh, what I want to know, how does the song go?

Come hear Uncle John's Band by the riverside,
Got some things to talk about, here beside the rising tide.

Come hear Uncle John's Band playing to the tide,
Come on along, or go alone, he's come to take his children home.
Wo, oh, what I want to know, how does the song go.

You told me goodbye, how was I to know
you didn't mean goodbye, you meant please don't let me go?

I was having a high time, living the good life, well I know

The wheels are muddy, got a ton of hay,
now listen here, Baby, 'cause I mean what I say.

I'm having a hard time, living the good life, well I know.

I was losing time, I had nothing to do,
no one to fight, I came to you.
Wheels broke down, leader won't draw,
the line is busted, the last one I saw.
Tomorrow come trouble, tomorrow come pain,
now don't think too hard Baby, 'cause I know what I'm saying.

I could show you a high time, living the good life, don't be that way.

Nothing's for certain, it could always go wrong,

We could have us a high time, living the good life, well I know.

In the timbers to Fennario, the wolves are running round,
The winter was so hard and cold, froze ten feet 'neath the ground.
Don't murder me, I beg of you, don't murder me. Please, don't murder me.

I sat down to my supper, 'twas a bottle of red whisky,
I said my prayers and went to bed, that's the last they saw of me.
Don't murder me, I beg of you, don't murder me. Please, don't murder me.

When I awoke, the Dire Wolf, six hundred pounds of sin,
Was grinning at my window, all I said was "Come on in".
Don't murder me, I beg of you, don't murder me. Please, don't murder me.

The Wolf came in, I got my cards, we sat down for a game.
I cut my deck to the Queen of Spades, but the cards were all the same.
Don't murder me, I beg of you, don't murder me. Please, don't murder me.

In the backwash of Fennario, the black and bloody mire,
The Dire Wolf collects his dues, while the boys sing 'round the fire.
Don't murder me, I beg of you, don't murder me. Please, don't murder me.
No, no, no don't murder me. I beg of you,
Don't murder me. Please, don't murder me.

Please don't dominate the rap, jack, if you've got nothing new to say.
If you please, don't back up the track this train's got to run today.
I spent a little time on the mountain, I spent a little time on the hill
I heard someone say "Better run away", others say "better stand still".

Now I don't know, but I been told it's hard to run with the weight of gold,
Other hand I have heard it said, it's just as hard with the weight of lead.

Who can deny, who can deny, it's not just a change in style?
One step down and another begun and I wonder how many miles.
I spent a little time on the mountain, I spent a little time on the hill
Things went down we don't understand, but I think in time we will.
Now, I don't know but I was told in the heat of the sun a man died of cold.
Keep on coming or stand and wait, with the sun so dark and the hour so late.
You can't overlook the lack, jack, of any other highway to ride.
It's got no signs or dividing lines and very few rule to guide.

I saw things getting out of hand, I guess they always will.
Now I don't know but I been told
If the horse don't pull you got to carry the load.
I don't know whose back's that strong, maybe find out before too long.

One way or another, one way or another,
One way or another, this darkness got to give.

I can't stay much longer, Melinda, The sun is getting high.
I can't help you with your troubles, If you won't help with mine.
I gotta get down, I gotta get down, I gotta get down to the mine.

You keep me up just one more night, I can't sleep here no more.
Little Ben clock says quarter to eight; You kept me up 'till four.
I gotta get down, I gotta get down, Or I can't work there no more.

A lotta poor man make a five dollar bill, Keep him happy all the time.
Some other fella's makin nothin' at all And you can hear him cry,
"Can I go, buddy, can I go down Take your shift at the mine?"

Gotta get down to the Cumberland Mine.
Gotta get down to the Cumberland Mine.
That's where I mainly spend my time.
Make good money, five dollars a day. Made anymore, I might move away.

Lotta poor man got the Cumberland Blues He can't win for losin'
Lotta poor man got to walk the line Just to pay his union dues.
I don't know now, I just don't know If I'm goin' back again.

All of my friends come to see me last night,
I was laying in my bed and dying.
Annie Bonneau from St. Angel say the weather down there so fine.

Just then the wind came squalling through the dark,
But who can the weather command?
Just want to have a little peace to die,
And a friend or two I love at hand.

Fever roll up to a hundred and five.
Roll on up, gonna roll back down.
One more day I find myself alive,
Tomorrow maybe go beneath the ground.

See here how everything led up to this day,
And it's just like any other day that's ever been.
Sun going up and then the sun going down.
Come around, come around.

The people might know, but the people don't care,
That a man can be as poor as me.
Take a look at poor Peter, he's lying in pain,
Now let's come run and see, run and see,
Run and see, run, run and see, and see.

I been balling a shiny black steel jack-hammer,
been chippin' up rocks for the great highway,
live five years if I take my time,
ballin' that jack and a drinkin' my wine.

I been chippin' them rocks from dawn till doom,
while my rider hide my bottle in the other room.
Doctor say better stop ballin' that jack,
if I live five years I gonna bust my back, yes I will.

Easy wind cross the Bayou today
cause there's a whole lotta women, mama,
out in red on the streets today.
And the rivers keep a talkin',
but you never heard a word it said.

Gotta find a woman be good to me,
won't hide my liquor try to serve me tea,
cause I'm a stone jack baller and my heart is true
and I'll give everything that I got to you, yes I will.

Easy wind going cross the Bayou today
there's a whole lotta women
out in red on the streets today.
And the rivers keep a talkin',
but you never heard a word it said.

Driving that train, high on cocaine,
Casey Jones is ready, watch your speed.
Trouble ahead, trouble behind,
And you know that notion just crossed my mind.

This old engine makes it on time,
Leaves Central Station 'bout a quarter to nine,
Hits River Junction at seventeen to,
At a quarter to ten you know it's travlin' again.

Driving that train, high on cocaine,
Casey Jones is ready, watch your speed.
Trouble ahead, trouble behind,
And you know that notion just crossed my mind.

Trouble ahead, Lady in red,
Take my advice you'd be better off dead.
Switchman's sleeping, train hundred and two is
On the wrong track and headed for you.

Driving that train, high on cocaine,
Trouble ahead, trouble behind,
And you know that notion just crossed my mind.

Trouble with you is the trouble with me,
Got two good eyes but you still don't see.
Come round the bend, you know it's the end,
The fireman screams and the engine just gleams...