|
1. |
|
|
|
|
Take the time to watch the sunrise in the morning
Take the time to listen to the thrush's song
Smell the scented breeze that blows across the forest
Feel the soft barbs of a newly planted lawn
Being born
Take the time to stop to wonder and to listen
Take the time to try and find where you belong
Don't be alarmed if others rush and leave you
Just smile and wave your hand as they move on
They're soon gone
Take the time to find out where you want to wander
Take the time to see where all your dreams have flown
And remind the ones who worry on your future
It may not be perfect or well known
But it's your own
Take the time to tell a friend how much they matter
Take the time to help a child who wants to know
And when upon the street you meet a stranger
Don't be ashamed to let your feelings show
Smile hello
Just believe the waters sparkling from the mountains
And use its sighs to make a gentle rhyme
And let it sing and whisper to you only
Feel the sunshine as your mind unwinds
Take the time
Feel the sunshine as your mind unwinds
Take the time
|
|
2. |
|
|
|
|
You've got the pavement, I've got the pines
I've got the trails, you've got streets in straight lines
You've got the runners wrapped up in the race
I've learned to slow down my pace
You've got the prairies where the waving wheat blows
I've got the wildness where the great Yukon flows
You've got the blizzards of screaming white snow
I've got sixty below
But we've both felt the rain
We've both seen the sun
Stars in the sky, and the rivers that run
You there with you
Me here with me
We both have ourselves to be
You've got a shopping mall just down the block
I've got the time and a Sears catalogue
I don't say it's better, just different somehow
And it seems to suit me right now
You dream of Dawson where you think the gold hides
And I sit and wonder about the outside
You think of changing, making you a new man
And I know that I never can
But we've both felt the rain
We've both seen the sun
Stars in the sky, and the rivers that run
You there with you
Me here with me
We both have ourselves to be
|
|
3. |
|
|
|
|
Years ago, when you were young
People told you what could and could not be done
Gave you lessons and morals till you were pumped full
And gave you that wagon to pull
And you started draggin' your little red wagon along
To pull a wagon alone when you're young is a fight
And many hands could make a heavy load light
But instead they started filling your wagon with stones
And told you to pull it alone
At first you didn't know which way to go
You started off a bit shaky and slow
But it didn't take long for you to find the right road
And away you went, pulling your load
And you went a draggin' your little red wagon along
Well it wasn't much fun when the road was rough
Your axle's got bent, and your wheels fell off
And others drove by you, putting on airs
And you'd lost yours and wished they'd lose theirs
You staggered up some hills so stoney and high
It didn't seem worth it to keep on trying
But when you reached the top chances are you found
You could jump right in and coast down
And you went a ridin' your little red wagon right down
So you pulled your wagon down the years
Through happiness, sunshine, tears and fears
Across sparkling rivers into valleys with rain
And if you had the chance you'd do it again
Because you learned that wherever you go
Through warmth, sun, cold and snow
Through good times, bad times, sickness and health
It's your wagon, and you pull it yourself
And you're still draggin' your little red wagon along
And I don't mind you braggin' if you're draggin' on your wagon alone
Oh your ass may be saggin' and your strength may be flaggin'
But don't mind the naggin' just keep on draggin'
Keep on draggin' your little red wagon along
|
|
4. |
|
|
|
|
Little Jimmy Syms lived in a house great big and brown
Just across the river in the south end of the town
He was round and chubby, a cut and curly lad
His mother held him by the hand and told him good from bad
She said "Go to work on Monday boy, lead an honest life
When you grow up and marry, never mistreat your wife
Keep your elbows of the table and your feet upon the floor
You'll get a lot of good things, and deserve a whole lot more"
"Try hard ever day my boy, be kind to your friends
Finish every job you start and tie up all loose ends
But don't go in that old basement boy, no matter what you do
Cause there's a big brown bear down there, he'll bite you right in two"
Little Jimmy listened to the words his mother said
But curious strings of wonderment unwound inside his head
He yearned to see that basement door swing open just one time
He listened closely every day to hear a growl or whine
Then one day Jimmy's mother had to go downtown
She left her son at home, sitin' loafin' round
Jimmy got to wondering, couldn't stand it anymore
Grabbed himself a club and headed for that basement door
He opened up the door and those dirty hinges squeaked
He turned on the basement light and down the stairs he sneaked
He rummaged through the coal bin and searched just everywhere
He couldn't find a single sign of any big brown bear
Well then he got much braver, he was feeling might proud
He thought he'd done a great deed and he shouted right out loud
"My mother is a liar, and there ain't no bear down here
There's never been a single thing that I had need to fear"
Ah but Jimmy should have trusted, just a little more
No sooner had he shouted did he hear an awful roar
Lightning split the air and thunder shook the ground
Half a dirty shoelace is all they ever found
Now I'm not one to moralize, it's just not my line
Besides the song is over and I haven't got the time
But you better all be careful of what you say and do
Cause you may find a big brown bear down in your basement too
|
|
5. |
|
|
|
|
Morning, morning
Traffic on down the avenue
I'm gettin' up and puttin' my clothes on
That's one more night I got through
Waiting, waiting
That bus is way overdue
I know I could walk there and get there much faster
But I think I'll just be late too
I know I should be worried about my job
My boss, he will be pacing the floor
But if I got there and got all my work done
Hell, he'd give me more
So I'm moving, yeah I'm moving
Going so dog gone slow
Cause if I go faster I'll need some new direction
I'll need some new direction
And I don't know which way to go
I went to the airport to watch the planes
There was room on one goin' West
But when it came down to buying that ticket
I couldn't pass the test
So I missed it, yeah I missed it
So here I'll have to remain
And pull off my boots and go back to dreaming
And start all over again
|
|
6. |
|
|
|
|
Well I just got home and I found me a note
That said my mean old wife had finally got a hold of her life
And she was takin' it far away from mine
Well I managed just a little tear or two
And then cracked me a beer and said "Here's to you"
We had fun for a while but now I'm lookin' at some better times
Just takin' it easy, just takin' it slow
Yeah takin' it easy, only way I know
I've been told that takin' it easy
Can turn a boy into a happy man
And if I'm having' trouble takin' it easy
I'll take it any other mother's way I can
Well I went to work and I found my desk
All cleaned up out of its usual mess
And sittin' there alone in the middle was a little sign
It said "We've taken this job away from you
Because you're irresponsible and lazy too
Come to the office directly to collect your time"
Well me and the boss, we argued for a while
And it made him scream to see me sit and smile
While he was painting a picture of my future that was dark as can be
And when he finished his fumin' and stompin' about
I was laughin' and clappin' "Hey I'm finally out
Now the Good Lord and the government are gonna look after me...."
Just takin' it easy, just takin' it slow
Yeah takin' it easy, only way I know
I've been told that takin' it easy
Can turn a boy into a happy man
And if I'm having' trouble takin' it easy
I'll take it any other mother's way I can
Now the world's exploding with bombs and threats
And sometimes I think they might get me yet
Before I've used my allotted three score and ten
But if it happens that before my time is done
I'll have had far more than my far share of fun
And Satan or the Saviour will be making plans for me then
And as for me
You'll see
I'll be takin' it easy, I'll be takin' it slow
Yeah takin' it easy, only way I know
I've been told that takin' it easy
Can turn a boy into a happy man
And if I'm having' trouble takin' it easy
I'll take it any other mother's way I can
And if I'm having' trouble takin' it easy
I'll take it any other mother's way I can
.......
|
|
7. |
|
|
|
|
Well all my life I been tryin' to be cool
Like the guys that always got all the best girls at school
I'd a played their games if I'd a found their rules
But I always ended up lookin' like a fool
Cause I could not be hip
I could not be cool
And every time I tried I just made a fool of myself
Cause all the different things I tried you see
Were just not a natural part of me
When the wet look was in my hair was curled up and frizzy
Stood straight up and snarled instead of lying flat and greasy
With the styles today, I could use that hair
But the top of my head is gettin' cold and bare
I got some zoom suit pants in '57
Thirty inches round the knees, the ankles were seven
Got into drinkin' beer, hit a couple of kegs
I tripped on those trousers and I broke both my legs
Cause I could not be hip
I could not be cool
And every time I tried I just made a fool of myself
Cause all the different things I tried you see
Were just not a natural part of me
And in our town there was a girl, Elizabeth Stevens
Well known as our local lively lady of the evening
Of all the guys that wooed her, none had ever missed
I spent a whole night, never even got kissed
Cause I could not be hip
I could not be cool
And every time I tried I just made a fool of myself
Cause all the different things I tried you see
Were just not a natural part of me
And I was gonna be tough, I moved to the Yukon
I bought a Hong Kong lumberjack shirt to put on
Bought seventeen guns to help the image along
Heard a hell of a boom and half my pickup was gone
Cause I could not be hip
I could not be cool
And every time I tried I just made a fool of myself
Cause all the different things I tried you see
Were just not a natural part of me
So from now on I'm just gonna be what I am
And with what that amounts to do as much as I can
I won't follow yours or no one else's plan
And if to you that's uncool, well I don't give a damn
Cause I'm basically a straight forward simple country cousin
Who go sick and tired of tryin' to be what he wasn't
And I want you all to know that this here thing you see
Is plain old undiluted, unmistakably me
|
|
8. |
|
|
|
|
Sometimes I am a cowboy
Chasing that old western sun
With my life rolled up behind my saddle
Coffee pot, matches, and gun
Just following my work through the foothills
Spending each day as it comes
Rolling up inside my blanket
Under the stars when day's done
But sometimes at night, I see cabin lights
And I curse what it is makes me roam
And I wish I was a farmer
With a wife, some kids, and a home
And sometimes I am a farmer
Working each day in my field
Breaking my back for the future
And all the success it may yield
Using spare time to plan my tomorrows
Doing without for today
Checking each step that I'm taking
Making sure nothing leads me astray
But sometimes at night when the moon's shining bright
I feel a hunger down in my soul
And I wish I was a cowboy
Who could pack up his saddle and go
|
|
9. |
|
|
|
|
Every single man has songs that only he can see
That touch the very center of his soul
That store the secret sighs and smiles of all he's ever known
And all he'll ever likely come to know
Well I'm a man and I have melodies that are my own
Treasures won from travelling through these times
And I admit that I've been very careful with my songs
And I've been very cautious with my rhymes
But there's one thing you should know
That out of everybody everywhere
You're the first one I ever sang my songs to
You shouldn't have to wonder if I care
|
|
10. |
|
|
|
|
I was up on Douglas Mountain sitting drowning in my cares
When I saw a little golden girl come floating down the stairs
Her walk was stiff and jerky, she'd barely learned to stand
And her little arms were held tight in her Dad and Mommy's hands
Here eyes shone bright with mischief from her small and smiling face
She'd lift her leg up in the air and step right out in space
No fear of harm subdued her, no startled anxious call
She had her Dad and Mommy there who'd never let her fall
And when she reached the bottom she looked up to where she'd been
And gave to those of us who watched her most triumphant grin
And I was filled with envy as I watched that little girl
So unafraid and trusting and smiling at the world
Cause as I stood there thinking, it wasn't hard to see
How much she had to offer compared to fools like me
Cause when my steps are high ones, they fill me with alarm
And I've lost all the trust it takes
To reach out with my arms
|
|
11. |
|
|
|
|
Sometimes I sit drinking, thinking of my lot in life
Wondering if good times I've known can balance out the strife
Trying to decide if I'd a lived some other way
Could I be more satisfied today
Should I be out driving, striving hard to get ahead
So there'll be a whole lot left to share when I am dead
Should I be concerned about the things I haven't done
Guess I best be enjoying what I've won
Got a place where I can lay my head
To wait the morning light
A little girl with golden hair who kisses me good night
Got a soft old woman I can hold when times get tough
I know it's not the world, but it's enough
And if I can't always have my way
Or if today's a cloudy day
If the situation I am in
Is not all that it might have been
I guess I'm not the only one
Who ever never got all that he wanted
|
|
12. |
|
|
|
|
Done my time
I learned my lines
Grind stoned my nose down
Followed duties faithfully
Never messed around
But when my scenes get sorted out
And the time that's left is mine
I won't be sad about leavin' it all behind
Cause someday I'm gonna settle myself
In a shanty by the sea
Sit in the sun till the day is done
Watch those waves roll in on me
Oh the days have come
The years have gone
With quite surprising speed
And I've been doing what it is I do
To get those things I think I need
But now I'm growing older
And I know I'm slowin' down
It's time I packed my stuff
And got out of this town
Cause someday I'm gonna settle myself
In a shanty by the sea
Sit in the sun till the day is done
Watch those waves roll in on me
Cause someday I'm gonna settle myself
In a shanty by the sea
Sit in the sun till the day is done
Watch those waves roll in on me
|
|
13. |
|
|
|
|
I was sittin' cold and lonesome in the city
With the sounds of city traffic pounding through
And I guess I must have missed that Yukon dust
And that's one thing I thought I'd never do
Take me back down towards the Stewart Valley
By the river where the landing used to be
Where Haldane pushes high to the float planes in the sky
And a man can live close to what he believes
Sittin' sippin' smokin' with our stories
And the records wailing through that old hotel
Trying to warm out bones enough to make it home
Through the ice fog in December cold as Hell
Seeing the sunrise start almost before it's morning
We're soaking up the sun to last a year
And the long low dusty light that lays through summer nights
Over lakes a lying quietly as mirrors
Take me back down towards the Stewart Valley
By the river where the landing used to be
Where Haldane pushes high to the float planes in the sky
And a man can live close to what he believes
I arrived here accidentally with my ladies
On a frozen windy cold October day
And though we now believe it may be past our time to leave
We've all been made much richer for our stay
When the years have flown and left us feeling slower
And the paths of friends have branched a hundred ways
When the first snow starts to fall I know I'll long recall
The memories of those Stewart Valley days
Take me back down towards the Stewart Valley
By the river where the landing used to be
Where Haldane pushes high to the float planes in the sky
And a man can live close to what he believes
|
|
14. |
|
|
|
|
I never knew a single place I'd like to call my own
I never found a foot of ground I'd sell my soul to own
Moved myself so many times, never made a friend
And now's the time it looks like I'm bound for the road again
And I'll be packing up and pitching out all the things that I've outgrown
Pushing off for places I've not been
Herdin' another U-Haul down the highway
Reaching out for rainbows once again
I heard those lines bout leaving being close to being free
But all that seemed to be too deep philosophy for me
I just keep untying ties before time had the chance to bind
And pray the road I see up ahead of me improves on what's behind
And I'll be packing up and pitching out all the things that I've outgrown
Pushing off for places I've not been
Herdin' another U-Haul down the highway
Reaching out for rainbows once again
Seems to be some satisfaction in a well worn Sunday suit
And from what I'm told most folks on settin' down their roots
But the sun will never shine tomorrow where it shines on me today
Sometimes I know it's hard to go but I'll be worse off if I stay
And I'll be packing up and pitching out all the things that I've outgrown
Pushing off for places I've not been
Herdin' another U-Haul down the highway
Reaching out for rainbows once again
Reaching out for rainbows
Reaching out for rainbows
Reaching out for rainbows once again
|
|
15. |
|
|
|
|
Well I guess I got to be leavin' again
This town seems so wrong
I'm going out to find a place
Where I feel I belong
I'm gonna live up high with the eagles
And let my song ring free
And if anyone should cal my name
Stone Mountain is where I'll be
I'm gonna climb up to where the rivers begin
Where fences are unknown
Where you've got time to sit and dream
And your livin' is all your own
Goin' up Stone Mountain
Live there till I die
Leavin' all your rules and laws
They never did apply
I'm gonna live up high with the eagles
And let my song ring free
And if anyone should cal my name
Stone Mountain is where I'll be
|
released September 29, 2023
All songs written by Garry Averill
*Shouldn't Have to Wonder is partial public domain
All songs performed by Michael Averill
Album Recorded and Produced by
mixmatchedsocksproductions.com at Oh Deer Studios
All songs mastered by Sam Knaak of
www.earwitnessstudios.com
Album photo by Wally Seipp
