and blew out my mind I made miles out of Memphis and I got no spare I made miles straight up downtown where I just dropped in to see what condition my condition was in Sad Dark Eyes [As sung by Mick Harvey; Nick's live versions deviate from this.] I look at you in your sad dark eyes And your gypsy face with your spanish grace With your words like rhymes and your voice like chimes Darling, I want to kiss your burning mouth Your sad dark eys and your ghostlike soul Darling baby say that you'll be mine Put your ring on my finger And comb your long red hair Put on your sad eyes And tell me that you care That you'll be mine, you'll be mine Until the end of time  * Soundtrack Contributions Chords *  Tower Of Song and 500 Miles chords transcribed by Blake Table of Contents: From Tribute Albums: * Tower Of Song (L. Cohen) * Helpless (N. Young) * Mack The Knife (K. Wiel) Only Performed Live (some with limited offical releases): * I Put A Spell On You (S.J. Hawkins) * Rye Whiskey * Plain Gold Ring * Oh, Happy Day (Edwin R. Hawkins) With Current 93: * All The Pretty Little Horsies (Cave/Traditional) * PATRIPASSIAN (Cave) Radio Sessions, Extremely Limted Releases, and Bootlegs: * God's Hotel (Cave) * What Can I Give You? (Cave) * 500 Miles (H. West) (KATP out-take) *************************************************** TOWER OF SONG Leonard Cohen [G]Well my friends are gone and my hair is grey I ache in the places where I used to play And I'm[C] crazy for love but I'm not coming on [G] I'm just[D] paying my rent every[C]day In the Tower of So[G]ng I said to Hank Williams: How lonely does it get? Hank Williams hasn't answered yet. But I h[C]ear him coughing all night lon[G]g A hund[D]red floors above me [C] In the Tower of So[G]ng I was born like this, I had no choice. I was born with the gift of a golden voice. And twe[C]nty-seven angels from the Great beyon[G]d They ti[D]ed me to this table right her[C]e In the Tower of Son[G]g So you can stick your little pins in that voodoo doll I'm very sorry, baby, doesn't look like me at all I'm standing by the window where the light is strong They don't let a woman kill you, not In the Tower of Song Now you can say that I've grown bitter, but of this you may be sure: The rich have got their channels in the bedrooms of the poor And there's a mighty judgment coming But I may be wrong You see, you hear these funny voices In the Tower of Song [Em]I see you standing on the other [D]side [Em]I don't know how the river [D]got so wide I lo[C]ved you, baby, way back when[G] [Em]And all the bridges are burning that we[D] might have crossed [Em]But I feel so close to everythi[D]ng that we lost We'll[C] never have to lose it agai[D]n I[G] bid you farewell, I don't know when I'll be back They're moving us tomorrow to that tower down the track But You'll be h[C]earing from me, baby. Long after I'm [G]gone I'll be s[D]peaking to you sweetly from a w[C]indow In the Tower [G]of Song Table of Contents *************************************************** I Put A Spell On You I put a (A)spell on you (D)cause you're (A)mine Table of Contents *************************************************** 500 Miles If you (F#)miss the train I'm (Bb)on Then you (G#)know that I'll be (E)gone Lord I'm (G#)500 miles (B)away from (C#)home For the rest of the song, pretty much follow the same pattern, I could be missing a chord between '500 miles' and 'away', but it's pretty much there. Table of Contents *************************************************** title Chords!!! Table of Contents [----**----] Return to the Lyrics and Chords page.  * Other Lyrics *  The following are lyrics to Nick Cave songs that have not been included on common Album and Single releases or on soundtracks. This page was developed from Maurice's document of "Unpublished Lyrics to Nick Cave Songs". From that document: Many thanks to Paul Humphrey, Robert Schmitz and Carmen Priebe! "......" or (?) means we don't know that part. Corrections welcome! Thanks too to Mark Brown for some of the Die Haut lyrics. Table of Contents: From Tribute Albums: * Tower Of Song (L. Cohen) * Helpless (N. Young) * Mack The Knife (K. Wiel) Only Performed Live (some with limited offical releases): * I Put A Spell On You (S.J. Hawkins) * Rye Whiskey * Plain Gold Ring * Oh, Happy Day (Edwin R. Hawkins) * Viviane With Barry Adamson: * The Sweetest Embrace With Current 93: * All The Pretty Little Horsies (Cave/Traditional) * PATRIPASSIAN (Cave) Radio Sessions, Extremely Limted Releases, and Bootlegs: * God's Hotel (Cave) * What Can I Give You? (Cave) * 500 Miles (H. West) (KATP out-take) Tribute Albums: Tower Of Song From I'm Your Fan, a Leonard Cohen tribute album Well my friends are gone and my hair is grey I ache in the places I used to play And I'm crazy for love but I'm not coming on I'm paying my rent everyday in the Tower of Song I said to Leonard Cohen: How lonely does it get? Leonard Cohen hasn't answered me yet But I can hear him coughing all night long, A million floors above me in the Tower of Song I was born like this, I had no choice I was born like this, with a golden voice Twenty-seven angels from the Great Beyond, Well they tied me to this table right here in the Tower of Song You can stick your needles in a voodoo doll I'm sorry baby, but it don't look like me at all I'm standing by the window where the light is strong They don't let a woman kill you in the Tower of Song I've grown bitter, bitter, of this you may be sure: The rich, the rich have got channels in the bedrooms of the poor And there's a mighty judgement but it won't be long, but I may be wrong You see, you hear these funny voices in the Tower of Song - oh yeah - The guitar, the bass, the drums, so nice every hour in the Tower of Song I see you standing on the other side I don't know how the river got so wide But I loved you, baby, way back when All the bridges are burning that we might have crossed, But I feel so close to everything that we lost But I'll never have to lose you again, Tower of Song I bid you farewell, I don't know when I'm back They're moving us tomorrow to that tower down the track But you'll be hearing from me, baby, long after I'm gone I'm speaking to you sweetly from a window in the Tower of Song Now you can say that I've grown bitter, of this you can be sure: The rich have got channels in the bedrooms of the poor And there's a mighty judgement but it won't take long, I may be wrong Table of Contents Only Performed Live (some with limited offical releases): I Put A Spell On You From Department of Enjoyment, NME compilation cassette; available on some bootlegs. I put a spell on you, 'cause you're mine You'd better stop those things that you're doin' Oh, honey, I ain't lyin', no Wow, you better quit it, your messin' around You better quit it, your foolin' around I put a spell on you, wow, cause you're mine It serves you right to suffer It serves you right to be alone Oh, you forever live the day I done packed and gone (?) Oh you better kick it before it kicks you Oh, you better quit it, it's true I put a spell on you, wow, cause you're mine, mine, mine You better quit it, your foolin' around You better quit it, kick it, .... , oh you're messin' around I put a spell on you, you, cause you're mine Table of Contents Rye Whiskey Available on French promo CD, Good Songs A traditional version is also available. Jack of Diamonds, Jack of Diamonds, I know you most of all You've robbed my poor pockets of silver and gold And Whiskey, you villain, you've been my down-fall You've cuffed and you've kicked me but I loved you of old Oh Whiskey, Rye Whiskey, Whiskey I cried If I don't get rye Whiskey I surely will die Well I go yonder mountain and build me a still And I send you a gallon for a five dollar bill Well it's beefcake when I'm hungry, Whiskey when I'm dry And it's greenbacks when I'm hard off and hell when I die If the sea were made of Whiskey and I was a duck I'd swim to the bottom and never come up Oh, but the sea ain't made of Whiskey and I ain't a duck So I play Jack Of Diamonds and trust on my luck Table of Contents Plain Gold Ring From Live Seeds Plain gold ring on her finger she wore It was where everyone could see It belonged to someone, but not me On her hand she wore a plain gold ring Plain gold ring's got a story to tell It was one that I knew very well In my heart it will never be spring Long as she wears that plain gold ring When night time comes calling on me I know why I will never be free I can't stop these teardrops of mine, oh no I'm gonna love her till the end of time Plain gold ring's got but one thing to say I'm gonna love her till my dying day In my heart it will never be spring Long as she wears that plain gold ring Table of Contents Oh, Happy Day Oh happy day, oh happy day When Jesus washed, oh when He washed When my Jesus washed, He washed my sins away Oh happy day He taught me how to walk, fight and pray, fight and pray And in rejoicing, in rejoicing every, every day, every day. Oh happy day, oh happy day; When my Jesus washed, oh when He washed When my Jesus washed all the sins away Oh happy day, yeah. You see He taught me how to watch, fight and pray fight and pray And in rejoicing, in rejoicing every day, every day Oh happy, happy day, oh happy, happy day Oh it felt so good when Jesus, when Jesus washed, When my Jesus washed my sins away. Table of Contents Viviane These lyrics were taken from an edition of The Witness, the Official fan newsletter. Viviane I will love you till the last nail has been driven in Viviane Till we disappear hand in hand into oblivian (sic) Oh Viviane I will love you until the void delivers us from this world we're living in Oh oh Viviane I love you until the ghost of your smile grows faint and withering Viviane You are my heroin, my aspirin, my insulin Viviane The winds of change are blowing and I am shivering.... (...the rest (if indeed there is any more) is obscured.) Table of Contents With Barry Adamson: The Sweetest Embrace From the album Oedipus Schmoedipus by Barry Adamson Our time is done my love We've laid it all to waste One thousand moonlit kisses can't sweeten this bitter taste My desire for you is endless and I'll love you 'till we fall I just don't want you no more and that's the sweetest embrace of all To think we can find happiness hidden in a kiss Ah, to think we can find happiness that's the greatest mistake there is There is nothing left to cling to babe There is nothing left to soil I just don't want you no more and that's the sweetest embrace of all Ooohhh where did it begin When all we did was lose There's nothin' left to win So lay your weapons down they serve no purpose in your hands And if you wanna hold me then go ahead and hold me I won't upset your plans If it's revenge you want then take it babe Or you can walk right out the door I just don't want you anymore And that's the sweetest embrace of all Ooohhh where did it begin When all we did was lose There's nothin' left to win It's over babe And it really is a shame We are losers you and me babe In a rigged and crooked game My desire for you is endless And I love you most of all I just don't want you no more and that's the sweetest embrace of all Table of Contents With Current 93: All The Pretty Little Horsies From the Current '93 album All The Pretty Horsies Hush-a-bye Don't You cry Go to sleepy little baby Go to sleepy little baby When You wake You shall have All the pretty little horsies All the pretty little horsies Blacks and bays Dapples and greys All the pretty little horsies Way down yonder In the meadow Lies a poor little lamby Bees and butterflies Flitting round his eyes Poor little thing is crying "Mammy" Go to sleep Don't you cry Rest Your head upon the clover Rest Your head upon the clover In Your dreams You shall ride While Your Mammy's watching over Blacks and bays Dapples and greys All the pretty little horsies All the pretty little horsies All the pretty little horsies All the pretty little horsies Table of Contents PATRIPASSIAN From the Current '93 album All the Pretty Horsies The rivers of Babylon flow, and fall, and carry away...Jesus is alone on earth, not merely with no one to feel and share His agony, but with no one even to know of it. Heaven and He are the only ones to know. Jesus is in a garden, not of delight, like the first Adam, who fell and took with him all mankind, but of agony, where He has saved Himself and all mankind He suffers this anguish and abandonment in the horror of the night. Jesus will be in agony until the end of the world. There must be no resting in the meantime... Table of Contents Radio Sessions, Extremely Limted Releases, and Bootlegs: God's Hotel Available on the Rare On Air benefit CD. An audio sample is available Everybody got a room Everybody got a room Everybody got a room In God's Hotel. Everybody got a room. Well you'll never see a sign hanging on the door Sayin 'No vacancies anymore'. Everybody got wings Everybody got wings Everybody got wings In God's Hotel. Everybody got wings. You'll never see a sign hanging on the door Sayin 'At no time may both feet leave the floor' Everybody got a harp Everybody got a harp Everybody got a harp In God's Hotel. Everybody got a harp. You'll never see a sign hanging on the wall Sayin 'No harps allowed in the hotel at all'. Everybody got a cloud Everybody got a cloud Everybody got a cloud In God's Hotel. Everybody got a cloud. You'll never see a sign hanging on the wall Sayin 'Smoking and drinking will be thy downfall'. Everybody hold a hand Everybody hold a hand Everybody hold a hand In God's Hotel. Everybody hold a hand. You'll never see a sign hung up above your door 'No visitors allowed in rooms, By law!' Everybody's halo shines Everybody's halo shines Everybody's halo shines In God's Hotel. Everybody's halo lookin' fine. You won't see a sign staring at you from the wall Sayin 'Lights out! No burnin the midnight oil!' Everybody got credit Everybody got credit Everybody got credit In God's Hotel. Everybody got good credit. You'll never see a sign stuck on the cash-box drawer Sayin 'Credit tommorow!!' or 'Want credit?!? Haw, haw haw!!' Everybody is blind Everybody is blind Everybody is blind In God's Hotel. Everybody is blind. You'll never see a sign on the front door 'No red skins. No Blacks. And that means you, baw!' Everybody is deaf Everybody is deaf Everybody is deaf In God's Hotel. Everybody is deaf. You'll never find a sign peeling off the bar-room wall 'Though shalt not blaspheme, cuss, holler or bawl'. Everybody is dumb Everybody is dumb Everybody is dumb In God's Hotel. Everybody is dumb. So you'll never see on the visiting-room wall 'Though shalt not blaspheme, cuss, holler or bawl'. Everybody got Heaven Everybody got Heaven Everybody got Heaven In God's Hotel. Everybody got Heaven. So you'll never see scribbled on the bathroom wall 'Let Rosy get ya Heaven, dial 686-844!' Table of Contents 500 Miles An audio sample is available If you miss the train I'm on Then you know that I'll be gone You can hear the whistle blow a hundred miles A hundred miles, a hundred miles, a hundred miles, a hundred miles You can hear the whistle blow a hundred miles Lord I'm one, Lord I'm two, Lord I'm three, Lord I'm four Lord I'm 500 miles away from home 500 miles, 500 miles, 500 miles, 500 miles, Lord I'm 500 miles away from home Not a shirt on my back, not a penny to my name Lord I can't go-a-home this-a-way This-a-way, this-a-way, this-a-way, this-a-way, Lord I can't go-a-home this-a-way Table of Contents What Can I Give You? From a Frech promo CD given away with Henry's Dream. All my life I failed to see One good thing standing in front of me And the planets gravitate around you And the stars, the stars surround you And the angels in heaven adore you And the saints, the saints all stand and applaud you What can I give you? What can I give you in return? The shadow came creeping, a criminal That you chased, babe, from my life And sometimes when I'm sleeping I see him shuffle against the night Oh, he's waiting, yeah he's waiting to return And each step I take moves me one step below you And you must do in order to console me Help me, help me, help me, baby, reach down and collect me What can I give you? What can I give you in return? Galaxies collide; they shower down around you And I searched, I stumbled and then I found you In your robe, in your crown, reaching low, babe Reaching low down to the ground What can I give you? What can I give you in return? Table of Contents [----**----] Return to the Lyrics and Chords page.  * Soundtrack Contributions Chords *  Faraway, So Close chords transcribed by NP Mack the Knife and Time Jesum... chords transcribed by Black Table of Contents: * Faraway, So Close * Mack The Knife * Time Jesum Transeuntum Et Non Riverentum *************************************************** Faraway, So Close C/a C a C Empty out your pockets toss the lot upon the floor all those treasures my friends... F G so kiss close all your wounds and call living life a day C for the planets... F G F G C so faraway, so faraway and yet so close Mack the Knife C6 Dm7 See the shark with teeth like razors Dm G7 C6 And he wears them in his face C9 C Dm7 And Macheath has got a knife C6 But not in such an obvious place Now see the shark, how red his fins are As he slashes at his prey Mack the Knife wears fancy gloves Which gives a minimum away Time Jesum Transeuntum Et Non Riverentum This is actually violin led, but if you were to play it on the guitar here's how it would be. This is just a basic idea, there is a lot more going on in this song. Rhythm guitar over the violin is just-- F# --- B changing to B on the high points of the riff Riff 1. G-----6--6-4-2-4-6--6-----7-7-6-4-4---7-6-4-2-4 D---4------------------------------------------------- You play this a couple of times then- Riff 2 E---9---9-7-5-7-9-9----10-10-9-7-7----10-9-7-5-7 B-7----------------------------------------------------- Then you play this as necessary making slight alterations here and there F B We were called to the forest, and we went down. F A wind wind blew warm and eloquent, F We were searching for the secrets of the universe, B we rounded up demons and forced them F to tell us what it all meant. Riff 2 repeat as necessary Verse same as first Riff 2 again but end with E---15-15-14-12-14- Verse Riff 2 outro Riff 3 E--5-7-9-10-12-14-15-17s repeat a few times Riff 4 E--17-15-14-15-14-12-10-9-10-9-10-9-7-5  * Lyrics From Film and TV *  Soundtrack Contributions The following are lyrics to Nick Cave songs that have been contributed to soundtracks of various films and a television series. This page was developed from Maurice's document of "Unpublished Lyrics to Nick Cave Songs". From that document: Many thanks to Paul Humphrey, Robert Schmitz and Carmen Priebe! Table of Contents: * Mojo (Cave) Used in Mojo * The Big Hurt (Wayne Shanklin) Used in Mojo * Mack The Knife (Weill) Used in September Songs: The Music of Kurt Weill * There Is A Light (Cave) Used in Batman Forever * Faraway, So Close! (Cave) Used in In weiter Ferne, so nah! (aka Faraway, So Close!) * Mama's Boy Used in Johnny Suede * (I'll Love You) Till the End of the World (Cave) Used in Bis ans Ende der Welt (aka Until the End of the World) Songs used in Television Show soundtracks: * Time Jesum Transeuntum Et Non Riverentum (Cave) Used in Songs in the Key of X: The X-Files Soundtrack * Red Right Hand Used in Songs in the Key of X: The X-Files Soundtrack. Other songs used in films: * Christina the Astonishing Used in Jonas in the Desert * From Her To Eternity Used in Der Himmel eber Berlin (aka Wings of Desire), and The Freshman * Red Right Hand Used in Box Of Moonlight, Scream, and Dumb and Dumber. A remixed version was used in Scream 2 * Cassiel's Song Used in In weiter Ferne, so nah! (aka Faraway, So Close!) * Lament Used in Gas Food Lodging Mojo Nick performed this for the Italian film Mojo, and it is available on a CD called Soho. They call him Joe The Dragon He's on the water wagon He's got that look of mourning and concentration on his face Carries a 38 special A six inch barrel The saddest damn man in the entire human race Mojo (4x) Joe's mind is full of motors(?) He is always taking photos Of the remains of his beserk little twists Yes ....(?) polaroids Of his little golden boys 18 carat corpses with wired wrists Mojo (4x) Blood thicker than water will flow The fire will eat the streets of old Soho Daddy's out the back with little Joe With his vaseline and his violin and bow - Mojo Down on Compton(?) Road Joe ain't never going home Till he finds what he is searching for Well mad Mathildas in his jacket They crank and make him record(?) As he does and make his funny little laugh and dance upon your floor Mojo (repeat) The Big Hurt Nick performed this for the Italian film Mojo, along with Gallon Drunk and it is available on a CD called Soho. Now it begins, now that you're gone Needles and pins, twilight till dawn Watching that clock till you return And lighting that torch and watching it burn Now it begins, day after day This is my life ticking away Waiting to hear footsteps that say: Love will appear and this time will stay Each time you go I try to pretend It's over at last This time the big hurt will end Now it begins, now that you're gone Needles and pins, twilight till dawn So if you don't come back again I wonder when, oh when will it end? The big hurt (repeat) Mack The Knife Nick covered this in a segment in September Songs: A Tribute to Kurt Weill See the shark with teeth like razors And he wears them in his face And Macheath has got a knife But not in such an obvious place Now see the shark, how red his fins are As he slashes at his prey Mack the Knife wears fancy gloves Which gives a minimum away By the Thames' turbid waters Men abruptly tumble down Well is it plague, or is it cholera Or because Macky's in town? And the child bride, in her nighty Whose assailant's still at large Violated in her slumbers Macky how much did you charge? In the ghastly fire in Soho Seven children had a go In the crowd stands Mack the Knife But he isn't asked and he don't know In the crowd stands Mack The Knife But he ain't asked and he don't know There is a Light From the Batman Forever soundtrack. An audio sample is available. Hey there sugar where ya gunna go? I'm going downtown Daddy-O What ya gunna do when you get there, girl? I'm gunna get messed up in a God-Shaped Hole Hey Mr Hophead, what ya gunna do? I'm going downtown for some bad ju-ju Ya going downtown too, Mr. Gigolo? Damn right I am, Daddy-O... There is a light thay shines over this city tonight There is a light that shines over this city tonight Let it shine O Mr High Roller where ya gunna go? Where the real high-rollin rollers roll real dough Hey Mr Killer Man what ya gunna do? Me and Mr Death are going downtown too Ain't there one God Fearing citizen about? They're all holed up and they ain't comin' out What about Mr. Preacher to forgive us our sins? Not that carrion crow with blood on his chin And Mr. Politician can't he lend a hand? He's too busy sucking on the guts of this town And what about God and this Armageddon? He's all blissed out, man, up in Heaven Ain't there nowhere to run, ain't there nowhere to go? (repeat line 3 more times) Yeah, look to the sky, Daddy-O There is a light that shines over this city tonight There is a light that shines over this city tonight Let it shine, let it shine, let it shine What are the little kids gunna do, man? The little kids are all standing around What are the kids doing, do you know? They are looking to the Sky, Daddy-O. Time Jesum Transeuntum Et Non Riverentum Hidden track on the X-Files TV series soundtrack. An audio sample is available. We were called to the forest, and we went down. A wind wind blew warm and eloquent, We were searching for the secrets of the universe, we rounded up demons and forced them to tell us what it all meant. We tied them to trees, and broke them down, one by one. On a scrap of paper they wrote these words: (And as we read them, the sun broke, through the trees.) "Dread the passage of Jesus, for he will not return." Then we headed back to our world, and left the forest behind, our hearts singing with all the knowledge of love. But somewhere, somehow, we lost the message, along the way, and when we got home, we bought ourselves a house. And we bought a car that we did not use, And we bought a cage,and two singing birds. And at night we'd sit and listen to the canary song. For we'd both run right out of words. Now the stars they are all angled wrong, and the sun and the moon refuse to burn. But I remember a message, in a demon's hand, "Dread the passage of Jesus, for he does not return." ...he does not return ...he does not return Faraway, So Close! From: www.webstation.com/mahler/ From the soundtrack to th film of the same name. Empty out your pockets, toss the lot upon the floor. All those treasures, my friend, you don't need them anymore. Your days are all through dying, they gave all their ghosts away, so kiss close all your wounds and call living life a day. For the planets gravitate around you, and the stars shower down around you, and the angels in heaven adore you, and the saints all stand and applaud you. so faraway, so faraway and yet so close. Say farewell to the passing of the years, though all your sweet goodbyes will fall upon deaf ears. Kiss so softly the mouths of the ones you love, beneath the September moon and the heavens above. And the world will turn without you, and history will soon forget about you, but the heavens they will reward you, and the saints will be there to escort you. So faraway, so faraway and yet so close. Do not grieve at the passing of mortality, for life's but a thing of terrible gravity. And the planets gravitate around you, and the stars shall dance about you, and the angels in heaven adore you, and the saints all stand and applaud you. So faraway, so faraway and yet so close. Mama's Boy Thanks to Patrick Breen and HPEllison Used in Johnny Suede I was born in a motel room the night my Daddy lost his job Just after one, he pulled a gun and blew the brains out of some poor slob They call me mamma... They call me mamma... They call me mamma's boy But I don't care I'll be a mamma... I'll be a mamma... I'll be a mamma's boy since Daddy got...the electric chair. (I'll Love You) Till the End of the World From the soundtrack of Until the End of the World. An audio sample is available. It was a miracle I even got outta Longwood alive, This town fulla men with big mouths and no guts, I mean, if you can just picture it, The whole third floor of the hotel gutted by the blast, And the street below showered in shards of broken glass, And all the drunks pourin' outta the dance halls, Starin' up at the smoke and the flames, And the blind pencil seller wavin' his stick, Shoutin' for his dog that lay dead on the side of the road, And me, if you can believe this, at the wheel of the car Closin my eyes and actually prayin', Not to God above, but to you, sayin', Help me girl, help me girl I'll love you till the end of the world With your eyes black as coal and your long dark curls Some things we plan, we sit and we invent and we plot and cook up, Others are works of inspiration, of poetry, And it was this genius hand that pushed me up the hotel stairs To say my last goodbye, To her hair white as snow, and her pale blue eyes, Sayin "I gotta go, I gotta go, the bomb and the bread basket Are ready to blow," In this town of men with big mouths and no guts, The pencil seller's dog spooked by the explosion And leapin' under my wheels as I careered outta Longwood on my way to you, Waitin in your dress, in your dress of blue I said thank you girl, thank you girl I'll love you till the end of the world With your eyes black as coal and your long dark curls And with the horses prancin' through the fields, With my knife in my jeans and the rain on the shield, I sang a song for the glory of the beauty of you, Waitin for me in your dress of blue Thank you girl, thank you girl I'll love you till the end of the world With your eyes black as coal and your long dark curls  * Traditional Song Lyrics *  Many of Nick's songs have their basis in traditional songs. Listed here are the traditional lyrics to songs you may have thought were Nick's creations. Most of these are originally available at the Digital Tradition Folk Song Database at http://www.deltablues.com Thanks to Erik for the info! Table of Contents: * Rye Whiskey * Black Betty * Young Hunting - Traditional version of Henry Lee * Down in a Willow Garden - Traditional version of The Willow Garden * Katy Cruel - Traditional version of When I First Came To Town * Oxford Tragedy - Traditional version of Knoxville Girl * How Long, How Long Blues - Traditional song similar to The Train Song * Mister Frog Went A-Courting - Traditional version of King Kong Kittchee Ki-Mi-O * Banks of the Roses - Traditional song similar to Where the Wild Roses Grow * All The Pretty Little Horsies - Traditional song that Nick used for the track he wrote on the Current 93 album All The Pretty Little Horses * Stagalee - Three tradional versions of the harsh track on Murder Ballads * Peace In the Valley - Lyrics by T. Dorsey (as sung by J. Cash on "At Folsom Prison and San Quentin"). This is a likely inspiration for Nick's New Morning * Wade In The Water - Traditional lyrics of a song Nick has used live. * Oh, Happy Day - Lyrics of a song Nick has used live. * Cindy - Lyrics of a song Nick has used live. * Love Henry - Original version of Henry Lee * Tupelo Blues - A likely inspiration for Nick's Tupelo * I Rowed a Little Boat - A song similar to My Little Boat Is Empty Rye Whiskey Nick's version is also available. I'll eat when I'm hungry, I'll drink when l'm dry, If the hard times don't kill me, I'll lay down and die. Rye whisky, rye whisky, Rye whisky, I cry, If you don't give me rye whisky, I surely will die. I'll tune up my fiddle, And I'll rosin my bow, I'll make myself welcome, Wherever I go. Beefsteak when I'm hungry, Red liquor when I'm dry, Greenbacks when I'm hard up, And religion when I die. They say I drink whisky, My money's my own; All them that don't like me, Can leave me alone. Sometimes I drink whisky, Sometimes I drink rum, Sometimes I drink brandy, At other times none. But if I get boozy, My whisky's my own, And them that don't like me, Can leave me alone. Jack o' diamonds, jack o' diamonds, I know you of old, You've robbed my poor pockets Of silver and gold. Oh, whisky, you villain, You've been my downfall, You've kicked me, you've cuffed me, But I love you for all. If the ocean was whisky, And I was a duck, I'd dive to the bottom To get one sweet suck. But the ocean ain't whisky And I ain't a duck, So we'll round up the cattle And then we'll get drunk. My foot's in my stirrup, My bridle's in my hand, l'm leaving sweet Lillie, The fairest in the land. Her parents don't like me, They say l'm too poor; They say I'm unworthy To enter her door. Sweet milk when l'm hungry, Rye whisky when l'm dry, If a tree don't fall on me, I'll live till I die. I'll buy my own whisky, I'll make my own stew, If I get drunk, madam, It's nothing to you. I'll drink my own whisky, I'll drink my own wine, Some ten thousand bottles I've killed in my time. I've no wife to quarrel No babies to bawl; The best way of living Is no wife at all. Way up on Clinch Mountain I wander alone, l'm as drunk as the devil, Oh, let me alone. You may boast of your knowledge An' brag of your sense, 'Twill all be forgotten A hundred years hence. (Negro Variant) In my little log cabin, Ever since I been born, Dere ain't been no nothin' 'Cept dat hard salt, parched corn. But I know whar's a henhouse, De turkey he charve; An, if ol' Massa don' kill me I cain't never starve. (Variant chorus) Rye whisky, rye whisky, You're no friend to me; You killed my poor daddy, Goddamn you, try me. From American Ballads and Folk Songs, Lomax Note: One of the more exhaustive texts. Black Betty Nick's version is also available. Oh, Lawd, Black Betty, Bam-ba-lamb, Oh, Lawd, Black Betty, Bamhalamb, Black Betty had a baby, Bambalamb, Black Betty had a baby, Bambalamb. Oh, Lawd, Black Betty, Bam-ba-lamb, Oh, Lawd, Black Betty, Bam-ba-lamb, It de cap'n's baby, Bam-ba-lamb, It de cap'n's baby, Bam-ba-lamb. Oh, Lawd, Black Betty, Bambalamb, Oh, Lawd, Black Betty, Bambalamb, But she didn' feed de baby, Bambalamb, But she didn' feed de baby, Bambalamb. Oh, Lawd, Black Betty, Bamhalamb, Oh, Lawd, Black Betty, Bambalamb, Black Betty, where'd you come from? Bambalamb, Black Betty, where'd you come from? Bambalamb. From American Ballads and Folk Songs, Lomax Note: Black Betty was the whip used in some southern prisons. Young Hunting Traditional version of Henry Lee. Nick's version is also available. It happened on one evening late, As the maid was going to bed, She heard a sound, a beautiful sound, That made her heart feel glad. She thought it was her brother John, Returning from the cane; But who should it be but Lord Henry, Just from his wild hunting. "Get down, get down, Lord Henry, And stay all night with me; For the very best lodging in Mulveren Town, The best I'll give to thee." "I won't get down, I shan't get down, To stay all night with you; For there's a prettier girl in the merry green lands, That I love much better than you." As he leaned o'er his milk-white steed And kisses gave her three, She held up a knife in her right hand And pierced him heartily. "O live, O live, Lord Henry, Half an hour or more; For the very best doctors in Mulveren Town, You'll soon be in their care." "O live, O live, how can I live, How can I live you see, When l can feel my own heart's blood, Come trinkling o'er my knee?" She called her waiting maids unto her To view his body so fair, Saying, "Of all this finery you see around here, The finest you shall wear." Some took him by his curly locks, Some by his hands and feet, And threw him in the cold, dark well, Which was both cold and deep "Lie there, lie there, Lord Henry, Till the flesh rots off your bones! That prettier girl in the merry green lands, Shall mourn for your return." There was a pretty parrot bird, Sitting high upon a limb, Saying, "You murdered Lord Henry, And in the well threw him." "Come down, come down, my pretty parrot bird, And sit on my right knee; Your cage shall be the finest gold, And the door of ivory." "I won't come down, I shan't come down, To sit on your right knee; For you have murdered Lord Henry, And soon you'd murder me" "I wish I had my bended bow, My arrow and my string; I'd pierce a dart so close your heart, Those notes no more you'd sing." "O if you had your bended bow, Your arrow and your string, I'd take my flight to the merry green lands And tell what I'd seen." Printed in Folk-songs of the South Down in a Willow Garden Traditional version of The Willow Garden. Nick's version is also available. Down in a willow garden Where me and my love did meet, 'Twas there we sat a courting My love dropped off to sleep. I had a bottle of the Burglar's wine Which my true love did not know, And so I poisoned that dear little girl Down under the bank below. I stobbed her with a dagger, Which was a bloody knife, I threw her in the river, Which was a dreadful sight. My father often told me That money would set me free, If I would murder that dear little girl Whose name was Rose Connelly. And now he sits in his own cottage door, a wiping his weeping eye, And now he waits for his own dear son, Upon the scaffold high. My race is run beneath the sun, Lo, hell's now waiting for me, For I have murdered that dear little girl Whose name was Rose Connelly. From Folk Song USA, Lomax Note: Tune is variant on Rosin the Beau Katy Cruel Traditional version of When I First Came To Town. Nick's version is also available.