Below are some of my originals. If it’s on this page I wrote it. Like it or not. – Sleepy Tom (A.K.A. Tom Forsythe)
No Road Home
I’m gonna break your back / and I’m gonna break your hands
Pit nation against nation / Pit man against man
Leave you for dead / In the desert sand
There’ll be only one prayer / One way one plan
One nation under God / that no one will call home
Lay down your rifles / they won’t do you no good
My furnace is blastin heat / full-a’ your metal and wood
Roaring like all the storms / That shaped this world
I’m forgin the dark future / Soon it’ll be understood
I’ve devoured all the land / There is no road home
I’ll take the wind from the sky / the sun will be mine
I’ll harness tidal waves / I’ll redirect tides
I’ll take the bright from the day / and the stars from the night
You’ll have a room to sit in / but I’ll own the light
You’ll have a window and door / But you’ll never have a home
Ashes to ashes and dust to dust / Throw your dreams out in the rain and let em rust
Your hopes are just scrap metal / that my treads’ll crush
I’ll grind them into the mud / with your faith and trust
Go ahead sleep / You might as well
And when you wake up / Your home will be hell
@tom forsythe
Sad Fair
The ferris wheel is closed cause of the wind
They even cut the lights off when it rains
Everyone that’s here is headed home
Unless they’re just stupid, drunk or stoned
Chorus
Ain’t it a sad little fair, Ain’t it a sad little fair
Ain’t it sad little fair, When it rains
The bosses are splitting up the gate
Ain’t much but at least they’re gettin paid
The nearest bar is twenty miles away
And the girls are just as desperate as the men that pay
Chorus
Ain’t this a sad little fair
Ain’t it sad little fair
Don’t take long to blow your share
When it rains
They covered up the calliope with plastic
Now the rain has dampened every note
You know that carneys always talk about leavin
And this time Joe said he just might go home
Chorus
Ain’t this a sad little fair
Ain’t it sad little fair
Out in the middle of nowhere
In the Rain
Now the freaks have locked their trailer door
Workin on a bottle as rain pounds the tin
Bones cried the bird girls hoggin all the whiskey
The merman said its paddle, sink or swim
Ain’t this a sad little fair
Ain’t it sad little fair
And noone really cares
When it rains
Gypsy Sally’s tent was drenched and heavy
Inside it smells like mud and wet hay
Just like water that’s waitin behind the levee
She held back what she thought with what she said
Ain’t this a sad little fair
Ain’t it sad little fair
And you ain’t goin nowhere
In this rain
@tom forsythe
Sweet Blue Tears:
I’m gonna give up living
after Mardis Gras
Start a fight I can’t win
with the biggest thug in the bar
You gonna cry for me? you gonna cry for me?
Sweet blue, you gonna cry sweet blue tears?
Ain’t gonna listen to nothin
that nobody says
Drink a bucket of whiskey
Put rocks in my bed.
You gonna cry for me? you gonna cry for me?
Sweet blue, you gonna cry?
Sweet blue, you gonna cry?
sweet blue tears.
Get some barbed wire
Wrap it round my legs
Get some rusty nails
Stick em in my head
You gonna cry for me? you gonna cry for me?
Sweet blue, you gonna cry?
Sweet blue, you gonna cry?
sweet blue tears.
Dump a box bullets /
In my favorite drink
I’m gonna drink it slow
I’m gonna sit here and think.
@tom forsythe
Dangerous Man
He twists and he turns
Like a snake on wet slate
Down the pitch-black road
From faith to hate
They gave him directions
He don’t need to understand
Long as they put power
In his weak little hand
Heaven knows He’s a dangerous man
Heaven knows He’s a dangerous man
The room full of people
Was quiet and still
With a thirst for power
And an iron will
He’s dancin around
With an ax in his hand
Come dance a little closer
All you enemies and friends
Heaven knows He’s a dangerous man
Heaven knows He’s a dangerous man
His thoughts are all blurry
His nerves are like glass
Don’t question his authority
Don’t give him no sass
He threw the bottle and cried
Never again
Now he’s holdin a gun
In his shakin hand
Heaven knows He’s a dangerous man
Heaven knows He’s a dangerous man
© Tom Forsythe
Sweet Blue Tears:
I’m gonna give up living
after Mardis Gras
Start a fight I can’t win
with the biggest thug in the bar
You gonna cry for me? you gonna cry for me?
Sweet blue, you gonna cry sweet blue tears?
Ain’t gonna listen to nothin
that nobody says
Drink a bucket of whiskey
Put rocks in my bed.
You gonna cry for me? you gonna cry for me?
Sweet blue, you gonna cry?
Sweet blue, you gonna cry?
sweet blue tears.
Get some barbed wire
Wrap it round my legs
Get some rusty nails
Stick em in my head
You gonna cry for me? you gonna cry for me?
Sweet blue, you gonna cry?
Sweet blue, you gonna cry?
sweet blue tears.
Dump a box bullets /
In my favorite drink
I’m gonna drink it slow
I’m gonna sit here and think.
On Goin:
Maybe I just broke everybodies heart
Did i or did I not
Guess I’ll never know cause I just keep on goin
I just keep on goin
hm hm hm keep on goin
Maybe that I just let everybody down
Tryin to forget
Tryin to forget all the things we done
I just keep on goin
hm hm hm keep on goin
After where we been nothin is the same
We ended back there
We ended back there but I just keep on goin
I just keep on goin
hm hm hm keep on goin
on goin
on goin
Maybe I just let everybody down
Did i or did I not
Guess I’ll never know cause I just keep on goin
I just keep on goin
hm hm hm keep on goin
@tom forsythe
Evermore:
Got a reckless desire and restless heart
I’m goin up fast and comin down hard
The river’s overflowing but I’m still gonna cross
There’s a light up there shinin through the forest
Just another Long way to go
Just a ways further up the road
I’m Goin all the way
up to ever more
Tonight I’m Goin all the way
up to ever more
up to ever more
Desire can burn it’s hole through me
I still don’t know how to let it be
I should keep in touch but I cant keep nothin
I’m feelin like I’m missin somethin
I’m still out here on the road
I’m goin all the way to ever more
Up to evermore
Hello angel how you been?
I aint seen you since god knows when
I’ll miss your voice and I’ll miss this place
When I’m out there on my way
Will I see you again up the road
I’m goin all the way to ever more
I’m Goin all the way
up to ever more
Tonight I’m Goin all the way
up to ever more
up to ever more
I’ll always be the restless kind
missing somethin on the other side
(Bridge 2)
I’m goin round the bend and
over the rise
And here I go again
here I go again
Sayin goodbye
I’m Goin all the way
up to ever more
Tonight I’m Goin all the way
up to ever more
up to ever more
@tom forsythe
Everything Can Change:
Just met last month / played a couple worn out bars
Found a couple good grooves / it was easy from the start
Might go back west / just like shooting stars
Might get our name on the marquee / might be parking the cars
Everything can change in a minute (x2)
You just don’t know which way (x2) its gonna go (x2)
We just got the call / want us for a 3 week stretch
Pays 2 grand every night / for a 2 hour set
They said we can do / whatever we wanna do
Play a little rock n roll / or play a little blues
Sometimes wild dreams come true / the just haven’t yet for me and you
Everything can change in a minute / Everything will change in a second (x2)
You just don’t know which way (x2) its gonna go (x2)
1 minuet your going up / the next your falling down
Last night they put their hands together / tonight they don’t make a sound
I might do a couple flips / make a big splash
Or I might slip of that ledge / and bust my ass
Everything can change in a minute / Everything can change in a second (x2)
You just don’t know which way (x2) its gonna go (x2)
Just give one lousy second or give one little minute
Give me one lousy minute / give me another second
I will change / I can change / I can make a change . Watch me change
Right before your eyes I will change
@tom forsythe
Just gimme one more chance
I’ll Prove to you i’m your man
I treated you cheap
I treated you wrong
when i come home
my baby was gone
Just gimme one more chance
I’ll prove to you
I’m your man
Just let me show you
I treated you cheap
lets make it right
I know how to do it baby
I know what you like
Just gimme one more chance
I’ll prove to you
I’m your man
Well it musta been the devil
made me do wrong I feel I’m sinkin
my time aint long
Just gimme one more chance
I’ll show you
I’m your man
Just let me prove it to you
Just let me show
I’m your man
Just gimme one more chance baby
@tom forsythe
The moon’s gone down / sky holds the stars
Fadin silver and white
You and me in New Orleans / Maybe for the last time
We take for granted / what we love the most / so we lose the things we need
Maybe thats why / on that night
We let you drown in the sea
The bands beginin / I can hear them blow
From Vaughn’s to the Rock and Bowl
They’re swingin us high / They’re swinging us low
We’re hangin on every grace note
Pour us a round / Shine up the brass / Turn up the stage lights
Your black night did fall / but you still got that smile
That shines against the night / shine again tonight
Some say your streets / Are the stage
Where American song was born
Now Your streets are sinkin / and Your stage needs mendin
So the band can keep playing on
The Crescent City / Old Nawlins / Call her what you like
But we need that old town / Like the sun needs the moon
To shine against the night / Shine again tonight
But we need that old town / Like the sun needs the moon
To shine again tonight / Shine again
against the night / Shine again tonight
@tom forsythe
Lay it down:
Everybodys at the house / leaning on the walls and chairs
someone that you use to know / disappeared upstairs
Got em all written out / put em all in their place
Ev-ry-one accept that girl / was too dark to see her face
Aint that gettin Heavy? / You better just let it go
Someone here is right / Someone here knows
How to put this down / how to lay it down
Your the high and mighty judge / and we all stand accused
Ain’t it strange you can also think /
you’ll never be that good
Ain’t that you pretending to know/
Bout somewhere in between
You never – really – been there yourself /
So you don’t know what that means
Aint that gettin Heavy? / You better just let it go
Someone here is right / Someone here knows/
How to put this down / how to lay it down
None of them even need to speak /
you already know what they’ll say
No one that’s dancin at this party / has done any good today
There you are in your corner / brought your boxing gloves
She never even saw you there /
she was too busy having fun
Aint that gettin Heavy? / You better just let it go
Someone here is right / Someone here knows /
How to put this down / how to lay it down
Look at her / She’s like a trapeze artists /
She’s got that certain flare
She can make it look so easy /
dancing on thin air
She aint afraid to play the clown /
She knows she’s got a net
She’s OK feeling uneasy /
is that the part that you dont get?
There’s somethin she’s tryin to tell you /
But you might have to lean in close
She might just be right/ She might even know
How to put this down / how to lay it down
If you have to you can act / just pretend your on a stage
Your always surrounded by people / who like you anyway
If anyone trys to tell you its easy /
they’re lying cause its not
Especially when you’re / the worst enemy you’ve got
There’s something she’s tryin to tell you / So You better lean in close
She aint tryin to fool you / She’s been there before
She might be just right / She might even know
How to lay it down / How to lay it down
How to lay you down / How to lay you down
@tom forsythe
Rags Bottles and Bones:
Hear Lorenzo tootin on an old Kress horn
Bring him your rags bring him your bottles and bones
His mule is draggin a wagon loaded with junk
Take him them bottles that are piled up by your bunk
Bones from a hound
Tin from O’Mally’s roof
Might let the rain in
but that aint nothin to you
Rags rags bottles and bones
bring him your rags
bring him your bottles and bones
Bones rags
Bring him your rags bring him your bottles and bones
Rags and bones
Your Tin Whiskers blowin his King saxaphone
Don’t need no rags and his bucket’s full of soul
That sleepy ol cat is lyin up under the bed
lookin for somethin to ease his worried head
Take tin for some candy
Bones for an old cap gun
But soul is free
And if you listen we’ll give you some
Rags rags bottles and bones
Rags rags bottles and bones
GIve us your rags
Give us your bottles and bones
Rags and Bones
Bring us your rags bring us your bottles and bones
Rags and Bones
@tom forsythe
Don’t Cause Him to Die
Tell me how long
How long’s this war goin’ on?
When’s my baby
when’s he comin’ home?
He left at sunrise
Didn’t get to say goodbye
Where ever they took him
Hope they won’t cause him to die
Tell me how long
How long’s this war goin’ on?
When’s my baby
when’s he comin’ home?
He shipped out Sunday morning
We didn’t have time to cry
Where ever they took him
Hope they don’t cause him to die
@tom forsythe
All lyrics © Sleepy Tom Forsythe