The RCA Sessions

April 07, 2015 / Jimmy Miller

Mastered and produced in Nashville, TN at RCA Studio A

Who Carried You?
Mr. In Morgantown
I Feel Like a Train
Doncha Miss That Water
The Empty Jar
Butcher In Town
To Drink The Rain
Early Mornin’
I Never Heard You Knockin’
Mouth Harp Man
I Call The Shots
My Ol’ Radio
Goin’ Home
Down the River
Pitiful Blues
A Far Cry From Here

Lyrics

A Far Cry From Here

I've heard misfortune losses
And wasted ways before me by the costs
Of givin' someone time enough for spendin'
Love only borrowed

I've placed myself at ease
Listenin' to the lies of self-belief
For wantin' somethin' close enough for keepin'
A far cry from here

But I believe in ways than these
To speak another dear who has been spared
Innocent so near
A far cry from here

Even still the night is passin'
Behind her heart an emptiness still follows
The distance dams the swallows hard for lendin'
Love only borrowed

(Chorus)

Some are sad but true to know
There's belongin' in just longin' for someone
My shoulder rests a road I only follow
Love only borrowed

(Chorus)
(Chorus)

A far cry from here
A far cry from here...

Butcher in Town

deep in the south
the cypress steals
cobweb moss
all gray in the middle

no wind no rain
keeps a good man down
sweatin' and a grinnin'
way down south

chorus

you aint from here
when the **** hits the fan
there's more meat on(for the) a pencil
from (for) the butcher in town

whiskey money
money and gold
splashin' spit
hard to swallow

ten foot tall
deep in the water
too deaf to call
damn ready to follow

chorus

hundred dollar bill's
jus' backpocket preachin'
no sign to the edgewise
drinkin' good whiskey

loud and heavy
like a dogday bluejay
blacksnake lungs
gonna slide down singin'

chorus

under the thumbs of the
cannons and guns and a
swattin' flies in the
stink of an eye

i dont claim a thing
not a two bit clue
but somebody whispered
war kills the truth

chorus

ev'ry word in a hand
gonna fly like a crow
better shut my mouth
to the promised land

all black and white
from the wars of the souls
too much whiskey
money and gold

chorus
chorus
chorus

Doncha Miss That Water

steps bowed up and the hurricane chimes
to the wind kickin' up and the sun beatin' down
aint no rain in sight bone dry in the valley
and nobody smiles but the rich in the alley.

chorus

doncha miss that water when it's gone
doncha miss that water when it's gone

rich in the alley free in the gutter
take a drink to the past and pray for another
holdin' on in the corner words slappin' the flies
to the cries of the crows in a lonesome sky.

chorus

doncha think about me when the sun goes down
stars raisin' up all over this town
i'm lost in the heat burnin' round and round
doncha miss that water when it's gone.

chorus
chorus

Down the River

they make the laws
to suit themselves
the ones that buy and sell the rest
of us down the river

the rest of us
dont need the touch
of takin' more than just enough to get
by down the river

chorus
down the river
we pray for one another
down the river
we hold on to our dreams
down the river
the hard times makes us stronger to get by
and leave this world behind
down the river

a bed to lay
me down at night
and for workin' hands to hold you tight
my darlin' and me down the river

now far away
the mem'ries of
simple days remainin' in
our broken hearts down the river

chorus

the gifts of little ones we love
our faith in blood and God above
they will last forever
down the river

chorus
chorus

Early Mornin

early mornin' in the fog thick as hasty puddin'
that ol' mailbox is a ways away that ol' road keeps a washin'
washin' up purty quartz rocks and mica shinnin' in the sun
ridin' on the back o' ol' nellie daddy pa settin' t'bacca
leather reins in 'is big ol' hands i hear 'im geein' and a hawin'

chorus

and the radio flyer wheels keepa rollin'
faster down the hill makes it so hard a growin' up

dinner time in the hollar washin' up good in the wellhouse
wipe yor feet for ya come inside says mama king in the kitchen
ummm cookin' up country ham lord she brought it in from the smokehouse
thankyou Lord sayin' grace at the table but i never prayed long enough

chorus

table scraps nah there wasnt too many put em in a bucket an' slop the hogs
bolt action singleshot twenty two remington rifle
killed a hog ev'ry year and alotta tin cans and daddypa smilin'

chorus

bedtime's at sundown lay awake an' listen
listen to the restless thinkin' in my head

chorus
chorus

early mornin' in the fog thick as hasty puddin'

Goin Home

same ol' sirens on the west side
same ol' troubles right down town
you tried to hold me like no tomorrow
you tried to keep me on your mind

I still hear the mornin' thunder
I still see you through a window

oh Lord it's gettin' colder tonight
oh Lord summer's 'bout all gone
right behind you is my suitcase
follow me boy we're goin' home

why can't you open up your eyes
it don't matter 'bout my size
I can't figure out nothin'
I can't figure out what to say

oh Lord it's gettin' colder tonight
oh Lord summer's 'bout all gone
right behind you is my suitcase
follow me boy we're goin' home

chorus

goin' home

chorus

goin' home

I Call the Shots

when that woman comes back from 'er mother's
and i'm flush to beat the band
i'm gonna tell 'er how much i love 'er
gonna tell 'er i'm her man

yeah i gotta plan to do things right
when my baby comes down the line
in the palm o' my hand she's gonna sit pretty
when the money she gets is mine

chorus
when the money she gets is mine
i'm really gonna run things right
a deal is a deal when i call the shots
and ev'rybody answers to me

yeah a man needs a whole lotta money
to tell people what to do
this time round she'll listen to me
and make my dreams come true

you see i had some dough a long time ago
i didnt know how to play the game
nobody gave me the time o' day
nobody knew my name

chorus

damn 12 more years in this rotten place
the damn judge didnt understand
people didnt do what i told em to do
now my baby's got another man

yeah i been set up i been double-crossed
but next time round i'll show em
i got plenty o' brains and i'll be the boss
and you'll know which way i'm goin'.

chorus
chorus

I Feel Like a Train

chorus

there's songs about you and there's songs about me
at the end of the day they all sound the same
times when i'm runnin' times when i ain't
and at the end of the day i feel like a train
i feel like a train

when i was a youngun' shoveled coal in the stoker
pulled out the clinkers with a claw in my hand
the grace coal truck came had to get it on credit
kept us warm in the snow until june

i counted on you you counted on me
my back was strong and my mama was week
and at the end of the day i feel like a train
i feel like a train

chorus

i gotta ol' guitar hitchhiked to florida
played in the bars and stayed drunk in the sun
i blew all my money came back to the blue ridge
played in saluda and black mountain town
and at the end of the day i feel like a train
i feel like a train

chorus

there's a whistle in the distance it sounds like a whisper
when i lay down beside you and kiss you again
wheels keep on rollin' comin' and a'goin'
somewhere i'm bound to be bound
and at the end of the day i feel like a train
i feel like a train

chorus

I Never Heard You Knockin

i spent my life feelin' sorry for myself
never sorry about you
words in my mouth i made up for my ears
goin' out not comin' in

that big ol' front door had steel side to side
it never had a key
windows painted shut didnt matter anyhow
everyone in town knew where we lived

chorus

i didnt have to call you to come by for awhile
i never heard you knockin' cause you called my name out loud

time moves along even when you're sittin' still
my mind plays tricks in the silence
i mumble and stutter and wonder in the night
still a'goin' out not a'comin' in

chorus

i close my eyes and the moon keeps on shinin'
a million stars up in the sky
i close my eyes and i'm always reminded
still a'goin' out not a'comin' in

chorus
chorus

Mister in Morgantown

Go on an' hand 'em to me good buddy o' mine
We're cruisin' with the blues an' the cufflinks shinin'
Turn loose o' yo' belt an' pull into my face
Hard up the elevator to the perculator place

Go on an' pace yourself slammin' everyone else'
One eye watchin' always one cigarette left
Hingin' on the door you can find myself
Slung up tight as a tick on a mongrel in Morgantown

I'm sorry, thank you
Yes sir, It's mister in Morgantown

Same ol' tales about squealin' and bleedin'
Blame some ol' man starin' atcha in the TV
I got locked up brakes in a system overheatin'
Drivin' too fast off a road o' good reason

I'm sorry, thank you
Yes sir, It's mister in Morgantown

Welcome to Morgantown my friends
The population's agravatin' plenty 'round here
Straighten yo' jacket look down an' whisper
Yes sir, it's mister in Morgantown

Now lemme use the phone I know a phony talkin' man
He digs in the woods for food an' gonna cover me good
I know a party downtown an' I don't need no jacket
Turn loose o' the blues an' the cufflinks shinin'

But no I'm sorry, thank you
Yes sir, it's mister in Morgantown

Straighten yo' jacket look down an' whisper
Yes sir, it's mister in Morgantown

I'm sorry, thank you
Yes sir, it's mister in Morgantown

Mouth Harp Man

when yer tongues tied up in a knot and yer unravelin' inside
take a bead on a nice clean shot
turn it loose go on and cry
listen to the mouth harp man

when you're knocked down cold and flat
and yer feelin' black and blue
chewed out and fed up jack
closen yer eyes and tap dem boots
listen to the mouth harp man

he's blowin' sad as acid rain
sweet as bessie's sugarcane
you can feel it upside and down below
the right side of your brain
listen to the mouth harp man
listen to the man

when lightnin' strikes the dice
and dem snake eyes take a bite
pull the shade baracade the door
you cant fake it anymore
listen to the mouth harp man

chorus

now there's a train wreck in yer head
and yer heartbeats leavin' town
sit down shutup go on to bed
close your eyes go on and cry
listen to the mouth harp man

chorus
chorus

My Ol Radio

i can move my lips nod my head
tap my foot lyin' quiet in the bed
i dont wanna be spoon fed
i dont need to be told
what i listen to on my ol radio

chorus
late at night up early in the mornin'
God bless my neighbor and my ol radio

that big dog gets hungry he aint never satisfied
scratchin' in my ear and howlin' in my mind
he gonna eat hisself to death leave nuthinl for the rest
it's a shame and a sin to let that ol devil win.

chorus

do your own self a favor dont you worry for me
let them jones keep on jonesin' and me and you are free.

chorus
chorus

Pitiful Blues

all i wanna see all i wanna hear
is people dyin' screamin' full o' fear
an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth
i aint learned nuthin' but the poor me pitiful blues

go tell ya mama tell ya daddy too
they drove me crazy tellin' me the truth
an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth
i aint learned nuthin' but the poor me pitiful blues

i had my share o' women got all i could drink
liquor kept me swimmin' in my head to big too think
an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth
i aint learned nuthin' but the poor me pitiful blues

the big man spends my money the big man lives it up
he dont give me nuthin' he dont give me some
just an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth
i aint learned nuthin' but the poor me pitiful blues

i sit around the table pray down on the floor
swear i'm gonna go to war and suffer nevermore
it's an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth
i aint learned nuthin' but the poor me pitiful blues
i aint learned nuthin' but the poor me pitiful blues

The Empty Jar

lips must surely tremble
when thoughts of loss remembered
the sick and wounded brave
who leave a heart to ponder

an empty jar but full
of eyes that see you here
pourin' perfect comfort
for thirsty silent tears

now there's many lay before us
Lord and many stay behind
to pass the test of trustin'
the twinkle of an eye

moments carry burdens
each one has a home
to share among the stronger
hearts so not alone

now if you read this letter
one afternoon within
i love you far better
than deeds of one man

To Drink the Rain

there'a a hole in the ocean
a hole in the sea
and a whole lotta trouble to get me free
free from worry free from pain