Forums » Gillian Welch and David Rawlings "Lyrics"

• gibsongirl

  

  • 45 posts
   

  September 20, 2015 4:45 PM PDT

  I won’t get drunk no more, no more; the old refrain it shines with use

  While you sop your bread in barley wine and mop your floor in tobacco juice

  So they kicked you out of paradise, grinned and locked the garden gate

  What those devils called your greatest sin, Gabriel and I called your great escape

   

  Chorus:

  Where you gonna run, tell me where will you roam

  When you can’t go home, you can’t go home, you can’t go home

  Oh pilgrim, you can’t go home

   

  The gilded cage cannot contain the gypsies of the earth

  The poet and the tumbleweed discuss what rootlessness is worth

  And pity those who never felt inspiration’s cold wet nose

  And wakes you up out in the ditch where you’re tumbling round where the four winds blow

   

  Chorus

   

  The polaroids of Indio show desert flowers entwined

  Their nakedness has already been blasted by the sands of time

  But still you thought your sad Jane would wait for you till who knows when

  But that little girl’s got a new tattoo to let you know you can’t go home again

   

  Chorus

   

  So spin the wheel of St. Columba’s and ride his golden calf

  Climb up the silver strings of the mandolin till you can hear the angels laugh

  And if rock and roll is more your thing, go ahead and wear the badge

  Cause chaos needs another king, a pillar of smoke who don’t look back

   

  Chorus

   

  Now I’m dirty and torn, my tails hung out, a ship with tattered sails

  Been down and out, around the horn to chase the great white whale

  Across the night and across the day, I save my song for eternity

  Now here I find you gazing out of the window at St. James infirmary

   

  Chorus x2

   

  So keep rolling, rolling down that road that you’re on

  Keep rolling, rolling, rolling on

  Rolling on, rolling on, rolling on…

   

  Keep rolling, rolling down that road that you’re on

  Keep rolling, rolling, rolling on

  
  This post was edited by gibsongirl at September 21, 2015 10:53 AM PDT
• RunningRattie

  

  • 9 posts
   

  September 20, 2015 6:41 PM PDT

  Great, great stuff.

  I think it's: "The polaroids of Indio" because Indio is a desert town I bet they drive through a lot on the way to LA. 

  I think it might be: "to chase the Great White Way."

  I think it's: "the wheel of St. Columba's" for accuracy's sake. 

• gibsongirl

  

  • 45 posts
   

  September 20, 2015 6:55 PM PDT

  thanks RR, great additions and have adapted. still sticking with the whale though right now cause i'm liking this moby dick theme.

   

• sponwed

  

  • 41 posts
   

  September 21, 2015 9:50 AM PDT

   I've been singing "whale" too.

   

  I think it's "What those devils called your greatest sin"

   

   

• sponwed

  

  • 41 posts
   

  September 21, 2015 10:34 AM PDT

  The only other thing I see that I've been singing differently is this line:
  
  "The poet and the tumbleweed discuss what rootless mess he’s worth"

  I've been singing:
  "The poet and the tumbleweed discuss what rootlessness is worth"

• shinyapple

  

  • 3 posts
   

  February 28, 2016 4:22 AM PST

  Ahhhh thank you for filling in many gaps for me!

  I agree with the whale. I've been singing 'wear the black' (thinking of Johnny Cash), and 'Sally Jane', but those are both pretty fuzzy so could be wrong.

• shinyapple

  

  • 3 posts
   

  April 16, 2016 2:05 AM PDT

  OK, having listened a bunch more times I'm 98% sure it's "Sarah Jane" and "black".

• chrislane

  

  • 1 posts
   

  June 21, 2016 6:12 AM PDT

  i tried to hear-out these lyrics this morning before turning to the internet for help.  here are few things i hear differently:

  the poet and the tumbleweed discuss what ruthlessness is worth

  but still you bought yourself a drink, we'll wait for you til who knows when

  and if rock and roll is more your thing, go ahead and wave the flag