Some are born to sweet delight, others to endless night. (William Blake)
To get along with me,
don’t increase my tension. (Ty Cobb)
This present
darkness. (Ephesians 6:12)
Like hot-house plants set down on a bomb site, they are
doomed from the start, their exotic beauty withered by the arid ground, mean
surroundings and bleak economic climate. Those born to endless night are a
renegade breed, unable to conform and poisoned by the beauty that seeps through
their pores. Helpless in the face of genius that beats them back like an open
blast furnace. All of the damned, whether they destroyed themselves or lingered
on, were eaten away by the world.
Hellhound on my trail
every place I go.
(Robert Johnson).
Blues and trouble, they was glad to
shake my hand. (Robert Jr. Lockwood)
It is a time when one's spirit is subdued and sad, one knows
not why; when the past seems a storm-swept desolation, life a vanity and a
burden, and the future but a way to death. (Mark Twain)
Blood will flow when
flesh and steel are one
Drying in the color
of the evening sun.
Tomorrow's rain will
wash the stain away,
But something in our
minds will always stay.
On and on the rain
will fall,
Like tears from a
star, like tears from a star.
On and on the rain
will say
How fragile we are,
how fragile we are.
(Sting)
The tears flowed like wine.
Excess of job or excitement must be paid for by subsequent depressions.
When the trial lasts, the strength to the emergency; but when it is over,
natural weakness claims the right to show itself. Secretly sustained, Jacob can
wrestle all night, but he must limp in the morning when the contest is over.
(Charles Spurgeon)
Eleanor Rigby picks up the rice in the church
Where the wedding has been
Lives in a dream
Waits at the window wearing the face
That she keeps in a jar by the door
Who is it for?
All the lonely people where do they all come from?
All the lonely people, where do they all belong?
(Lennon & McCartney)
Wyatt Earp to Doc Holliday: "Doc, what makes Johnny
Ringo so mean?" "He has a hole through the middle of him that all the
violence and destruction in the world can't fill." "But what caused
the hole, Doc?" "The need for revenge, Wyatt."
"But revenge for what, Doc?" "For being born.
"What do you want out of life anyway, Wyatt?"
"I just want to lead a normal life, Doc." "Wyatt, you know
there's no such thing as a normal life."
(From the movie, "Tombstone")
A myriad of men are
born; they labor and sweat and struggle for bread; they squabble and scold and
fight; they scramble for little mean advantages over each other; age creeps
upon them; infirmities follow; shames and humiliations bring down their prides
and their vanities; those they love are taken from them, and the joy of life is
turned to aching grief. The burden of
pain, care, misery, grows heavier year by year; at length, ambition is dead,
pride is dead; vanity is dead; longing for release is in their place. It comes at last—the only un-poisoned gift
earth ever had for them—and they vanish from a world where they were of no
consequence; where they achieved nothing; where they were a mistake and a
failure and a foolishness; there they have left no sign that they have
existed—a world which will lament them a day and forget them forever. Then another myriad takes their place, and
copies all they did, and goes along the same profitless road, and vanishes as
they vanished—to make room for another, and another, and a million other
myriads, to follow the same arid path through the same desert, and accomplish
what the first myriad, and all the myriads that came after it,
accomplished—nothing!
(Mark Twain)
"Does the road
wind up-hill all the way?"
"Yes, to the very end."
"Will the day’s journey take the whole long day?"
"From morn to night, my friend."
(Christini Rosetti)
Alone
Again (Naturally)
In a little while from now
If I’m not feeling any less sour
I promise myself to treat myself
And visit a nearby tower
And climbing to the top will throw myself off
In an effort to make it clear to who
Ever what it’s like when you’re shattered
Left standing in the lurch at a church
Where people saying: "My God, that’s tough
She's stood him up"
No point in us remaining
We may as well go home
As I did on my own
Alone again, naturally
To
think that only yesterday
I was cheerful, bright and gay
Looking forward to well, wouldn’t do
The role I was about to play
But as if to knock me down
Reality came around
And without so much, as a mere touch
Cut me into little pieces
Leaving me to doubt
Talk about God and His mercy
Or if He really does exist
Why did He desert me in my hour of need
I truly am indeed Alone again, naturally
It seems to me that there are more hearts
broken in the world that can’t be mended
Left unattended
What do we do? What do we do?
Alone again, naturally
Now looking back over the
years
And whatever else that appears
I remember I cried when my father died
Never wishing to hide the tears
And at sixty-five years old
My mother, God rest her soul,
Couldn’t understand why the only man
She had ever loved had been taken
Leaving her to start with a heart so badly broken
Despite encouragement from me
No words were ever spoken
And when she passed away
I cried and cried all day
Alone again, naturally
Alone again, naturally
(Gilbert O'Sullivan)
I’m a thousand miles
from nowhere
Time don’t matter to me.
I’m a thousand miles
from nowhere
There’s no place I
want to be.
I got heartaches in
my pocket
I got echoes in my
head.
I’m a thousand miles
from nowhere.
(Dwight Yokum)
I wish I didn’t know now what I didn’t know then. (Bob Seger)
Jack Teagarden, jazz trombonist, died alone of pneumonia.
He had a lot of happiness lock away inside of him, really
padlocked, and it never came out—just the feeling of sadness. It was always there.
The coffin was open and I remember thinking, boy he really
looks uncomfortable in there.
(Fellow musicians & friends of Mr. T.)
The blues they start rollin’
And they start at my front door.
My life has been like a rollin’ stone.
Until I find someone that loves me
Guess I’ll just keep on movin’ on.
Someday, someday, I’m gonna be six feet in my grave
There’ll be no more worries and I won’t have to feel this way.
I SEE A DARKNESSWell, you're my friendAnd can you seeMany times we've been out drinkingMany times we've shared our thoughtsDid you ever, ever notice, the kind of thoughts I gotWell you know I have a love, for everyone I knowAnd you know I have a drive, for life I won't let goBut sometimes this opposition, comes rising up in meThis terrible imposition, comes blacking through my mind And then I see a darknessOh no, I see a darknessDo you know how much I love youCause I'm hoping some day soonYou'll save me from this darkness Well I hope that someday soonWe'll find peace in our livesTogether or apartAlone or with our wivesAnd we can stop our whoringAnd draw the smiles insideAnd light it up foreverAnd never go to sleepMy best unbeaten brotherThat isn't all I see(Johnny Cash)
I'm Tryin
This gettin up early, pulling double shifts,
Gonna make an old man of me long before I
ever get rich.
But I'm tryin
It's been two years since we've finalized,
I still ain't used to puttin
ex in front of wife.
But I'm tryin.
Send more money right away, is pretty much all she has to say when she
Calls these days and don't you be late
But all I can do, is
all I can do and I keep on tryin
And all I can be is all I can be and I keep on tryin
There's always a mountain in front of me,
Seems I'm always climbin and fallin
and climbin
But I keep on tryin
HURT
I hurt myself today
To see if I still feel
I focus on the pain
The only thing that's real
The needle tears a hole
The old familiar sting
Try to kill it all away
But I remember everything
What have I become
My sweetest friend
Everyone I know goes away
In the end
And you could have it all
My empire of dirt
I will let you down
I will make you hurt
(Trent Reznor)
DESPEREADODesperado, why don't you come to your senses?You been out ridin' fences for so long now.
Oh, you're a hard one,But I know that you've got your reasons.These things that are pleasin' you,Can hurt you somehow.
Don't you draw the queen of diamonds, boy,She'll beat you if she's able.Know the queen of hearts is always your best bet.Now it seems to me, some fine things,Have been laid upon your table.
But you only want the things that you can't get. Desperado, oh, you ain't gettin' no younger:Your pain and your hunger, they're drivin' you home.And freedom, oh freedom,Well, that's just some people talkin'Your prison is walking,Through this world all alone.
And don't your feet get cold in the winter time?The sky won't snow, the sun won't shineIt's hard to tell the night time from the dayYou're loosin' all your highs and lowsAin't it funny how the feeling,Goes away? Desperado, why don't you come to your senses?Come down from your fences, and open the gateIt may be rainin', but there's a rainbow above you,You better let somebody love you,You better let somebody love you,You better let somebody love you,Before it's too late.
(The Eagles)
I remember daddy sayin keep your eye on the ball, run like hell, play to
win,
Get up when you fall
I'm tryin
Don't say nothin that you can't take back
Never do anything you might regret
No don't do that
Daddy I'm tryin
Know the difference between heaven and hell
Go easy on the bottle be hard on yourself
And I know he meant well
But all I can do, is
all I can do and I keep on tryin
And all I can be is all I can be and I keep on tryin
There's always a mountain in front of me,
Seems I'm always climbin and fallin and climbin
But I keep on tryin
There's always a
mountain in front of me
Seems I'm always climbin and stumblin
And then fallin'
And then climbin'
But I keep on tryin'
This gettin up early
pullin double shifts
Gonna make an old man of me
Long before I ever get rich
But I'm tryin'
(C.Wallin/J.Steele/A.Smith)
What Will I Do?
What will I do when you are far away and I am blue
What will I do?
What will I do when I am wondering who is kissing you?
What will I do with just a photograph to tell my troubles to?
When I'm alone with
dreams of you that won't come true
What will I do? What will I do?
I'm just sittin' on
the dock of the bay
Watching the tide roll away, wasting' time.
(Otis Redding)
They were as lucky as
poker players on the Titanic.
Tonight she lives
with memories, the music, and the wine
When someone finds a
new love, it always breaks another's heart
When somebody feels a
new love, another's world falls apart
Someone's always
leaving
Somebody else is left
behind
But that's what plays
the jukebox and sells the wine
(Gabe Tucker)
Almost blue
Almost doing things we used to do
There's a girl here and she's almost you
Almost all the things that your eyes once promised
I see in hers too
Now your eyes are red from crying
Almost blue
Flirting with this disaster became me
It named me as the fool who only aimed to be
Almost blue
It's almost touching it will almost do
There's a part of me that's always true...always
Not all good things come to an end now it is only a chosen few
I've seen such an unhappy couple
Almost me
Almost you
Almost blue
They carried my girl to the buryin' ground
They marked the place
where she laid down
Today has been a
lonesome day
Tomorrow's gonna be the
same way
Go dig my grave with
a silver spade and
Mark the place where
I'll be laid
Did you ever hear a
church bell tone?
You'll know by that
I'm dead and gone
Today has been a
lonesome day
Tomorrow's gonna be
the same way
Will you love me
tomorrow? (Dave Mason)
It’s fight for your life,
that’s all. Until death do us part, you
got it made. (jazz musician Lester Young)
The strong are not
always vigorous,
the wise not always ready,
the brave not always courageous,
and the joyous not always happy.
(Charles Spurgeon)
I have been a rover
I have walked alone
Hiked a hundred highways
Never found a home
Still in all I'm happy
The reason is, you see
Once in a while along the way
Love's been good to me
There was a girl in Denver
Before the summer storm
Oh, her eyes were tender
Oh, her arms were warm
And she could smile away the thunder
Kiss away the rain
Even though she's gone away
You won't hear me complain
I have been a rover
I have walked alone
Hiked a hundred highways
Never found a home
Still in all I'm happy
The reason is, you see
Once in a while along the way
Love's been good to me
There was a girl in Portland
Before the winter chill
We used to go a-courtin'
Along October hill
And she could laugh away the dark clouds
Cry away the snow
It seems like only yesterday
As down the road I go
I've been a rover
I have walked alone
Hiked a hundred highways
Never found a home
Still in all I'm happy
The reason is, you see
Once in a while along the way
Love's been good to me
(by Rod McKuen)
Yesterday's lies and
tomorrow's promises
I Don't Know What
Kind of Blues I've Got
(Duke Ellington)
You're a honky tonk
sweetheart and anybody's girl (Billy Gray)
PLEASE SEND ME
SOMEONE TO LOVE
Heaven please send to
all mankind
Peace on earth and
peace of mind
But if it ain't
asking too much
Please send me
someone to love
Show the world how to
get along
Peace will enter when
hate is gone
But if it ain't
asking too much
Please send me
someone to love
I lay awake at night
With the world in a
trouble
And my answer is
always the same
That unless man puts
an end
To this damnable sin
Hate will put the
world in a flame
What a shame
Just because I'm in
misery
Don't mean I'm
begging for sympathy
But if it ain't
asking too much
Please, please send me
someone to love
Isn't it a pity
Now, isn't it a shame
How we break each other's hearts
And cause each other pain
How we take each other's love
Without thinking anymore
Forgetting to give back
Isn't it a pity
(George Harrison)
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
Snow Bird
Beneath its snowy mantle cold and clean
The unmown grass lies waiting for its coat to turn green
The snow bird sings the song he always sings and
Speaks to me of flowers that will bloom again in spring
When I was young my
heart was young and true
Anything it would tell me, that's the thing that I would do
But now I feel such an emptiness within
For the thing I want most in life is the thing that I can't win
Spread your tiny
wings and fly away and
Take the snow back with you where it came from on that day
The one I love forever is untrue
And if I could you know that I would fly away with you
The breeze along the
river seems to say that
He'll only break my heart again should I decide to stay
So little snow bird take me with you when you go
To that land of gentle breezes where the peaceful waters flow
Spread your tiny
wings and fly away and
Take the snow back with you where it came from on that day
The one I love forever is untrue
And if I could you know that I would fly away with you
(Gene Maclellan)
The 1988 inventory
for the Cook County Criminal Courts included 14 perjuries; 103 briberies; 23
impersonations of officials; 260 indictments for official misconduct; 20
charges of obstruction of justice; 3,647 aggravated and heinous batteries; 8
charged with possession of explosive devices; 993 caught with burglary tools;
162 home repair frauds; 380 home invasions; 1312 charges of unlawful restraint;
830 kidnappings; 84 jail escapes; 8419 rapes; 1584 armed robberies; 1351
accused of unlawful use of a weapon; 10 police officers disarmed; 73 gambling
charges; 5 food stamp frauds; 3101 thefts; 232 attempted burglaries; 6160
burglaries; 81 charged with intimidation; 1219 bailbond violations; 867 forgeries;
388 arsons; 156 charged with deceptive practice; 429 retail thefts; 2568 auto
thefts; 3569 incidents of armed violence; 104 reckless homicides; 3
solicitations for murder; 953 attempted murders; 1905 murders; 6 charges
of endangering the life of a child; 4 child abandonments; 36 charges of cruelty
to children; 1 reckless homicide of an unborn baby; 2 involuntary manslaughters
of unborn children; 7 intentional homicides of unborn children; 54 child
abductions; 7 solicitations of juveniles; 1 juvenile pimping charge; 174 child
pornography charges; 27 charged with taking indecent liberties with children;
14 incest charges; 10,518 drug charges; 24,390 cases and 56,204 charges heard
by 32 judges.
The youngsters had
heard that Chicago's suburban-bound commuter
trains would shoot at them for trespassing on the tracks. One of the boys, certain that the passengers were crack shots,
burst into tears as the train whisked by. For both the commuters
and the boys, the unknown was the enemy. One evening Lafeyette,
told his mother LaJoe, "Mama, I'm real tired. I could go outside and
don't have to come back. Anytime I go outside, I ain't guaranteed to come
back." (From There Are No Children Here, by Alex Kotlowitz)
The prison population consists of the bad, the mad, and the
sad. (David Ramsbotham)