THE MYSTIC COWBOYS: Left Handed Angels

The Mystic Cowboys

Left Handed Angels

© 1997 Nightshelf Music Publishing (634479489365) (format: CD-R)

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A mixture of country, rock, Dakota folk and a hint of blues.

notes

Political, emotional, spiritual, edgy, hopeful, spirited, inspired, mystical, thought-provoking, a living contradiction, Americana, consisting of styles using shades of country/rock/folk/blues and gospel.

The Mystic Cowboys is an eclectic group of various artists spanning a couple of decades and always led by the tunesmith, Dan Johnson. If you like most of what's playing endlessly on the current radio charts, you'll probably hate this original stuff.

Following are the lyrics for this CD:

***With One More Day
With one more day I’d learn to love a little faster
I would not squander soft sunlight in the western sky
I wonder why I took so long to find the freckles in your grin
With one more day I’d start again

With one more day I learn to smell your secret flowers
I would not hesitate to gather of all your teardrops as they fell
I would tell all the whispers that your voice carries in the wind
With one more day I’d start again

With one more day I could do most anything
Break the silence of the bad news before it rains
I would tell all those whispers that your voice carries in the wind
One more day I could start again

I would tell all those whispers your voice carries in the wind
One more day I would start again

***Running
If I sound a little rough today it’s because I never found myself last night
I was reaching for the shadow of my lady deaf and blinded by the noise and light
I been singing to the moon so long the crickets know my name
We’ve both been tripping inside the walls we know each other’s game

Running, running as the sky turns red.
Running is alright I guess but I wish I was in my woman’s bed.

Well things dance upon your shoulders when you’re running without sleep
Well the puddles on the highway they seem so dark and deep
And the cell phones never reach out when you’re nowhere and you need to talk
And the Badlands are aptly named when runnin’ turns into a walk

Running, running as the sky turns red.
Running is alright I guess but I wish I was in my woman’s bed.
Running is alright I guess but I wish I was in my woman’s bed.

***Laying Down with You
I’ve run in the light and the darkness
I’ve never chose between the two
So now days come twilight I’m laying down
As I lay down with you

The shiniest things most times are false
Try to see beyond my eyes what is true
Soon the light dims and I’m laying down
I’ll be laying down with you

Touch me and I crumble
I’m no longer just passing through
So now days come twilight I’m laying down
As I lay down with you

***Ballad of the Mystic Cowboys
Dogs were barking
Lightning scorched the ground
Some wizard of Oz spotted leaving town
Like dust in badlands all across with stars
There’s no rainbows sitting in the dark
Color of the wind switched dust will rob your speed
Left behind lame horses and the things we did not need

And we rode on
We rode on
We rode on
Like Mystic Cowboys
Yeah, Mystic Cowboys

Lovers hardly loved us we were mean to hold
Bankers stole from us we were panning for gold
They could not divide us and we multiplied like sin
And we sparkled in places we’ll never see again

And we rode on
We rode on
We rode on
Like Mystic Cowboys
Like Mystic Cowboys

We slept on concrete in Johnny’s Hotel
And beside river boats and places that we fell
Momma cries and the coyote calls fell on callused ears
We just played louder and prouder every year

And we rode on
We rode on
We rode on
Like Mystic Cowboys
Mystic Cowboys

***The Last Honky Tonk
I’m still smoking still trying to catch a fire
Still drinking trying to quench insane desires
Still undecided about things that I want
Still looking for the last honky tonk

Still moving down the track but the train has lost its engineer
And the white dove of peace sounds like a crow in my ear
I hear the whistles blowing as the car horns endlessly honk
It all fits into music from the last honky tonk

I still have a love for music and a heart my baby owns
The sounds in my head has driven me from my home
If Jesus should appear right now and take the children he wants
I might be singing Hank down at the last honky tonk

Still moving down the track but the train has lost its engineer
The white dove of peace sounds like a crow in my ear
When I hear the whistles blowing as the car horns endlessly honk
All fits into music from the last honky tonk

And I hear the whistles blowing as the car horns endlessly honk
And it all fits into music from the last honky tonk

Hey man I’ll meet you down there on Sixteenth Avenue there at the Idlehour
You know, right there on Sixteenth man, on the other side of that church.

***Almost a Tornado
It’s almost a tornado more than a wind
We’re playing a street dance waiting for the rain to set in
Cool mist had covered all my face
Thunder sounded like Amazing Grace
Angels rode in on lightening they come in from a long, long way
They laughed easy in the darkness like you never hear during the day
They brought this song to my lips
My long gone baby sister she gave me a kiss

It’s almost a tornado more than a wind

Through good times and bad times most any times we just play
After all that’s how we know how to pray
It’s almost a tornado more than a wind
You never know when angels will come ridin’ in
You never know how angels will come ridin’ in

***Take me Down to Nashville
Trying to make it all worthwhile
Trying to make everybody smile
Take me down to Nashville
Take me down to Nashville
Take me down to Nashville
Take me down to Nashville
Take me down to Nashville
Take me down to Nashville

Riding with the demon wind
And I’m never going to see contentment again
Take me down to Nashville
Take me down to Nashville
Take me down to Nashville
Take me down to Nashville
Take me down to Nashville
Take me down to Nashville
Take me down to Nashville
Take me down to Nashville

They know my words around that town
I’m heading for the up side of down
Take me down to Nashville
Take me down to Nashville
Take me down to Nashville
Take me down to Nashville
Take me down to Nashville
Take me down to Nashville
Take me down to Nashville

The wind is blowin’ through my veins
Whispers a lost woman’s name
My baby might miss me when I’m gone
Well she don’t dig on me hanging around
No she don’t

Just take me down to Nashville
Take me down to Nashville
Take me down to Nashville
Take me down to Nashville
Take me down to Nashville
Take me down to Nashville
Take me down
Take me down to Nashville
Take me down to Nashville
Oooo Take me down to Nashville
Take me down to Nashville
Oooo

***Church with Johnny Cash
Driving them hills on Sunday morning
Going to church with Johnny Cash
His gospel booms through my truck speakers
Jesus statue glued on my dash
I’ve been trying to forgive you
Shouldn’t be this hard to do

There’s horses running in the sunshine
Going to church with Johnny Cash
There’s hills with melting snow in the spring time
Jesus statue glued on my dash
I’ve been trying to forgive you
Shouldn’t be this hard to do

Johnny learned how to handle Sunday morning coming down
So I’m going to church with Johnny Cash
If I had a helicopter I’d go see him like Kris did
Jesus statue is glued on my dash
I’ve been trying to forgive you
Shouldn’t be this hard to do
Should have learned how to handle Sunday morning coming down
Tell me how Mr. Johnny Cash

***Cabin by Nemo
Found your laughter in the closet
Stacked behind your shoes
You must have forgotten where you left it
But it’s something I could use

It’s snowing in the mountains
You can smell it in the air
There’s a cabin by Nemo
And I’d love to take you there

Let’s act like outlaw lovers
That need a place to hide
There’s a smell of smoke in the pines
And horses to ride

It’s snowing in the mountains
You can smell it in the air
There’s a cabin by Nemo
Please let me take you there

Mountain sun shines on the morning snow
Dancing colors in your heart
Stoke the fire and go back to bed
We ain’t ready for the day to start

It’s snowing in the mountains
You can smell it in the air
There’s a cabin by Nemo
We can find laughter there

Grab a couple books, skis and your checkerboard
I can bring some candles and fixings for chicken noodle soup

It’s snowing in the mountains
You can smell it in the air
It’s snowing in the mountains
You can smell it in the air

***Uncle Sammy
Another farmer’s dozing out the trees
Black dirt blowing in the breeze
Corn prices keep going down
They open up more virgin ground
Spraying chemicals on the bugs and weeds
Kill them all and Mother Nature bleeds

As the big boys pay the rent
With the money that Uncle Sammy sent

Pushing out them family farms
Burn the houses and the barns
Drain the marshes and plow the horizon
AC in the cabs but the temperature’s rising
Satellite tell the boys global positioning
I’m just telling you this as part of my mission

As the big boys pay the rent
With the money that Uncle Sammy sent
All the big boys pay the rent
With the money that Uncle Sammy sent

Ask them about Oklahoma in the 30’s and the hard wine made from the Grapes of Wrath

And the big boys pay the rent
With the money that Uncle Sammy sent

***Ernie
Ernie it’s all I can do to just hang on
My green-eyed lady has turned her back
She’s turned her back
She turned her back on me

Ernie the yellow moon is always full
Tennessee is pulling me to the road
Pulling me to the road
It’s the road for me

Ernie I’m thinking I’d be better to be gone
Brave the restless nights of cold empty dawn and move on
And on and on and on and on

Ernie all my luck has run away
Must have burned it in my youth
In my youth
Ernie in my youth it was free

Lately I’ve been sleeping in my boots
That way I’ll be dressed when I wake up
When I wake up
When I wake up on the other side

Ernie I’m thinking I’d be better to be gone
Brave the restless nights and cold empty dawn and move on
And on and on and on and on

Ernie I’m thinking I’d be better to be gone
Brave the restless nights of cold empty dawn and move on

***Be Yourself
Step right up and take a chance
Start the music begin to dance
Get on your toes and show your grace
Stretch a smile across your face

Be a butterfly in the morning light
Or a passing jet across the dark of night
Be a whisper or a loud happy voice
But be yourself you have a choice

If they say something’s cool
But it burns don’t be a fool
If you’re low they say get high
Better have your own reasons why

Be a butterfly in the morning light
Or a passing jet across the dark of night
Be a whisper or a loud happy voice
Just be yourself you have a choice
Yeah be yourself you have a choice

If you hear church bells ringin’
Old people, children singing
Then the truth is somewhere near
The clouds will part and the sky will clear

Be a butterfly in the morning light
Or a passing jet across the dark of night
Be a whisper or a loud happy voice
Just be yourself you have a choice
Be yourself you have a choice
Be yourself you have a choice
Be yourself you have a choice

***Never Have to Cry Again
A daughter with tears in her eyes cause Daddy’s gone away
With swing sets and sunshine, the world should all be that way
Then you’re waking in the hard light cold, cold morning with bells a ringing
When you hear the trumpets blowing and you see the gates open and you hear them angels singin’

And you should never have to cry again
And you should never have to cry again

Some hearts are so pure they’re just waiting for their wings
They have gathered your warm treasures they don’t need many things

And you know the light of love is eternal
The shine you can feel it on your skin
When the warmth of your tears is a warm, warm blanket
Covers the cold of any sin

And you should never have to cry again
And you should never have to cry again
And you should never have to cry again
And you should never have to cry again

***Good Radio
They were playing a good song on the radio
And the sun was dropping down
I was smiling thinking about you
And getting out of this town

I know I’ve always driven too fast
Since I learned on the farm
I rolled a tractor and hay wagon
Lucky I never caused any harm

They were playing a good song on the radio
The sun was dropping down
I was smiling thinking about you
Getting out of this town

Sunglasses were on the dashboard
So I thought I’d try them on
They had that nice peach color
Looked like Mexico at dawn

They were playing a good song on the radio
And the sun was dropping down
I was smiling thinking about you
Getting out of this town

I pray that you can hear me
I feel I’m talking awful loud
No one seems to be listening
My voice never carried in a crowd

They were playing a good song on the radio
When the sun was dropping down
I was smiling thinking about you
Getting out of this town

They were playing a good song on the radio

***Right Way to Die
I saw that black car roll out for me
I thought to myself Lord I’m finally free
It was a vision in the web of a dream
I was suspended in some time machine

There were some women dressed in black on one side
There was my baby dressed in white like a bride
She reached out with a red rose she started to cry
A woman in black reached out wiped them tears from her eyes
She said honey, he don’t even know the right way to die

I could smell her perfume lost in the breeze
I was on a horse or a Harley behind some trees
And they were playing Danny Boy as my last wish
I guess I’ve always had the luck of the Irish

There were some women dressed in black at one side
There was my baby dressed in white like a bride
She reached out with a red rose she started to cry
A woman in black reached out wiped them tears from her eyes
She said honey, he don’t even know the right way to die

Hell I awoke staring at the black of the night
And I knew that somehow that old woman she was right
So I made a promise to left-handed angels I said I’d try
after all I want to know the right way to die

I made a promise to left-handed angels I’d try
after all I want to know the right way to die

I want to know hey honey I know the right way to die

***Angel Reprimand
There’s angels in the cottonwoods I can almost see them
They cover an eternity of broken hearts from here to Bethlehem
I crash so easy like waves rolling in the sand
And the message in my bottle is an angel reprimand

I feed my hungry voyeurism ‘til I go blind
And I watch without connecting, suffering of mankind
I’ll eat the apple from a pig’s mouth as if it’s held in my hand
And the bitter taste in my mouth is an angel reprimand

Come on Gabriel won’t you cross that Rio Grande
Fly low with the pilgrims hauling their contraband
Do you leave the dead by the road or do you haul them up from this wasteland
Is this a prayer I’m trying to say or an angel reprimand

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