What Cares I For Praise? Allow me to reintroduce myself Though you’ve seen my face before If you own a store I’ve been in your store If you labor I’m a laborer You can gimme fame or gimme blame To me it’s two sides of the same Go ahead! Call me any name Just don’t expect that I’ll be ashamed If you live in this land your land I’ve crossed it I’ve shook your hand and not your pocket But your door don’t open when I knock it Now I’m around back, gonna unlock it I’ll take what’s found but I’ll make no sound Turn around and leave this phrase… What cares I for praise? Free do I be in this country Underneath its trees I’ve made Libraries out of leaves My pants are patched with plain grass I made brushes outta branches And painted my path I thump on a tree stump to make a drum beat Come and hum in rhythm I heard words in woods no other ear could And if I could I would, I'd make cash outta grass Cuz hard, ain’t it hard, for me and you We got some different blues See, I don’t need the cash but I like to hold a little Enough to touch the sky without a fold in the middle And it’ll take 40 folds to fit me into any mold Ain’t no game if you’re the only one who plays… What cares I for praise? There’s much too much uncertainty So shit, don’t take it so seriously But assuredly still with dignity Tall will I talk to the death of me I’m just a humble bumpkin but I’m struttin’ Like I’m sumthin’, drunken I’m personal parading At a bouquet of banquets I’m the toast of every table They hand champagne so I thank ‘em: Have a hunger in your stomach when your plate is plenty And full may your belly be when it’s empty And if you go the right road, then may You travel always and be safe… What cares I for praise? Goodwill to all who to me don’t do ill And if you’re dry-souled I wish you well But I’ll fire up a riot if you try and keep me quiet And if I was you, I wouldn’t try it The shoulder of a friend, an ear to bend, And a helping hand is what I’ll lend And if what I mighta said did offend I’m sorry but we don’t gotta be friends These words ain’t worth much in money and materials And won’t fill you full like a bowl of cereal But if you hold and receive ‘em fair and full They can have you standin’ tall, a pair of boots for the soul And if it ain’t, hey, I said what I gotta say, I meant no harm I’ll turn and spread my arms Like an eagle’s wings and raise… What cares I for Praise?

Down Home Livin’ In the City Well, I wait all winter, wait for the weather to break Don’t that wine look good, man, I wonder how it tastes? Don’t my baby look good when she wears them shades? Don’t that dude look good, gal, when he’s on the take? Don’t the street get hot, man, in the summer heat? Well, those high-heeled shoes, mama, won’t you take a seat? Well, you don’t’ gotta worry, baby, you don’t gotta compete Don’t that drum sound good, mama, when it starts to beat? Been out all day, babe, it’s got me freckled and tanned Well, I wanna hold your hand, babe, not give you commands Don’t that breeze feel good, man, blowin’ like a fan? Just call out my name, babe, when you find a plan Don’t the sun set good, mama, in between all of the buildings? Don’t the people look funny, make you chuckle, tryin’ to be like children? See the people in the jungle going down to the killin’? I don’t got much to laugh about but I still grin

Love Me For Real You call I come, I come you run Good God, gal, you got my head spun You go and go and wait and wait So, I’m just gonna give it to you straight: If you tell yourself not to you know wanna Come on, mama, I know you wanna Whatcha worried ‘bout? Every question’s An exclamation waitin’ to be straightened out Intertwine your arms with me Like a vine does to a tree It sure is sweet to see you in my mind It’s even sweeter to hold you with my eye But the best thing yet is for my hands to feel I want you, babe, to love me for real Yea, I want you, babe, to love me for real All your words are weighed with doubt Rest your head and close your mouth Close your eyelids and lips Cuz lips are best made to kiss Won’t you come and take my hand? I’ll hold you tighter than your yoga pants Take your time in makin’ your mind And if you say know, well, that’s fine I’ll move on, don’t worry, It don’t take long so hurry What can I say? Our lives ain’t plays Can’t you see this ain’t no movie? And I ain’t makin’ no business deal I want you, babe, to love me for real Yea, I want you, babe, to love me for real Your swift hips shake all down the street Your eyes enchanted glow with heat In the wild whirl your curls Swirl and twirl, Oh girl You’ve got me up like I’ll never come down You’ve got me lost like I’ll never be found But the sweetest speech is body language Speak to me beneath your blanket Trends begin, forget your friends Passion’s lastin’ past your fashion I won’t lie I like your style But everyone’s gotta be naked awhile So, even if it ain’t ideal I want you, babe, to love me for real Yea, I want you, babe, to love me for real

Walkin’ By the Riverside Ooh, girl, don’t the night look nice? The stars sittin’ still like they’re made of ice Ooh, girl, don’t the night look nice? I wish it would stay this way our whole life Ain’t the moon sittin’ up there just right? None of the night is hidin’ from eyesight The way the moon’s sittin’ up there just right It’s got my pale face shinin’ bright Ooh, ooh, ooh, You’re so cool But you know what would really have me shinin’ with pride? Me and you walkin’ by the riverside Ooh, girl, won’t you come along Walkin’ calm out across the lawn? Ooh, ooh, won’t you come along Barefoot through the dew at dawn? Ooh, ooh, that summer scent Makes it all seem innocent Ooh, ooh, that summer scent Makes my humble heart content Ooh, ooh, ooh, That big ol’ moon But you know what would really have me satisfied? Me and you walkin’ by the riverside Ooh, girl, I like this night The way your hair hangs soft and silk-like Ooh, ooh, I like this night The way your night gown’s glowin’ milk white Ooh, ooh, that midnight breeze That’s dancin’ through the droopin’ trees Ooh, ooh, that midnight breeze It sets my troubled mind at ease Ooh, ooh, ooh, Just takin’ it easy with you But you know what would really put peace in my mind? Me and you walikn’ by the riverside

Alive & Tryin’ I’m so hungry I can’t eat I’m so tired I can’t sleep I got a pain up in my knee And some that can’t be seen This man that you all see I swear that he ain’t me Man, I’m more than I seem So, I said, “Hey, my friend mike Let’s lead a better life We’ll get the things we like And then we’ll get ‘em twice. We’ll take the world outside And we’ll split it like a knife.” He said, “Ooh ooh sounds nice.” Chor: Alive and tryin’ through triumphs and trials ‘Til the day I’m dyin’ and it’s gonna be awhile Go ahead! Stop me. Go ahead! Drop me Go ahead! Try, I’ll defy Let’s forget our fates Let’s no longer wait Cuz man, I’m losing faith And man, I’m desperate Let’s see what we can make Let’s see what we can take Let’s go until we break Chorus Man, sometimes, I won’t lie, Man, sometimes I wanna cry Man, sometimes I start to sigh But then I look to the sky and cry Chorus

Ev’ry 2nd Step Chor: Ev’ry 2nd step, ev’ry, ev’ry 2nd step Ev’ry 2nd step, ev’ry, ev’ry 2nd step Ev’ry 2nd step, ev’ry, ev’ry 2nd step It’s farther I get Ev’ry 2nd step, ev’ry, ev’ry 2nd step Ev’ry 2nd step, ev’ry, ev’ry 2nd step Ev’ry 2nd step, ev’ry, ev’ry 2nd step It’s closer I get Ev’ry 2nd step I’m farther than I was at first Ev’ry step forward none reverse Ev’ry 2nd step with just common sense Don’t know what to expect, don’t know what’s next Hurdlin’ the heavens, vaultin’ outta vaults Go, I go, I walk, I walk Hurdlin’ the heavens never to halt Ev’ry 2nd step never stuck like a cornstalk Go, I go, I walk, I walk On the street like children’s chalk Ev’ry 2nd step scalin’ stairs Always wary never scared Chorus Before in bed we were fellows Now, I just play pretend pillow Underneath the sky so dark You’re someplace away so far I look in the night at constellations Match the stars to spell your name In the wind I swear I hear it Your name’s tattooed upon my spirit Wherever you lay to rest your head That’s the place I call my bed I sleep all night ‘neath the weepin’ willow And rise in the morning glowin’ yellow sayin’ Chorus Some people breathe without their own breath Some people live awaitin’ their death But if you cheat and yourself betray 1000 deaths you’ll die in a day On I’ll walk, won’t stop my steps It’s your doorstep or my death Until the time when things are better I can give you just these letters: Step and stand on your own 2 feet Step until again we meet’ Step until it’s you I see 1 for you and 1 for me Chorus

Livin’ In the USA My darlin’ child, why do you frown? Why do you frown? I frown because the sun’s goin’ down. Will the sun goin’ down Rise again? Well, I’m just an average common kid Probably did all the things you did Now, I mind my time tryna live What to take what to give tryn handle my biz Standin’ on Philly’s blocks I watch All the cars in the traffic tryin’ not to crash it But still, who can go the fastest? And all the people in bustle goin’ on their hustle We’re all on our own but none alone Each from each but still within arm’s reach In this life I gotta stay upright Good luck, good day, I’ll go on my way Chor: Oh we oh we oh, hey, hey Oh we oh we oh, hey, hey Oh we oh we oh, hey, hey Livin’ in the USA It’s all a baseball game we play Just a thin line of dust that’s it that splits Fair from foul, in from out And us all are either bat or ball I see the single mom stressin’, old men givin’ lessons, Ladies in dresses men try impressin’ The one in a bind, the ones on a grind sayin’, “It’s about time that I got mine.” I see the ones with ambition hopin’ wishin’ Payin’ tuition sayin’, “I gotta finish!” The immigrant, the resident, the vagrant, And even you Mr. President Chorus Black and white and everything in between But our wants and desires are all colored green Some of what I see makes me hope And some of what I see makes me mope Even if I don’t respect it I accept it But when I don’t get it I start to question, “Should I keep to myself and leave all the rest To everyone else? Or should I Brave the world as such, walk without a crutch, With little do much, be real to the touch, And add to the abundance even if you don’t want it, Give it, 1st amendment live it?” Chorus

Tired Lady There’s fire in the streets And the battle drums beat The battles rage and we’re still awake There’s voices in the hall And the writings on the wall Echo, “Why should we try?” Chor: Tired lady, come into my hug Forget the rest it’s hopeless let’s just live in love In the all night rooms They dance through the doom Cocaine excess and barren sex The ones on the stoops Their empty eyes droop Puff of smoke and it’s all a joke Chorus My darlin’ dear, don’t go! My darlin’ dear, stay! My darlin’ dear, without fear come Near and tight We may only have the night It’s crowded below up here we’re alone Chorus My darlin’ dear, don’t go! My darlin’ dear, stay! My darlin’ dear, under love we’ll escape

Hey, Babe, Get Away You ain’t the same. My darlin’ you’re changed And you’re the one to blame for causing all this pain. How can you treat the one you love so bad? But you can yell at me, honey, when you’re mad. Chor: Hey, babe, get away. Hey, babe, get get get away Hey, babe, get away. Hey, babe, get, get, get away Hey, babe, get gone. Hey, babe, get, get, get gone Hey, babe, get away. Hey, babe, get, get, get away In the dead of the night My feet run cold my hands are still In the light of the morning I know there’s a freeze on your windowsill And I know you can feel its chill You were wet in the kitchen Shakin’, cold, and cryin’ you were sad When I went to the bedroom You took the little bit I had At least now I know you’re bad It’s easy to run but It’s hard to really get away You climbed up my window You came in to the place I lay But , babe, you can’t stay so Chorus I paid attention I went and lent expensive time I gave you a dollar When you didn’t even have a dime But I’m done, babe, payin’ all your fines I used to look back on The times I never will forget But to think back on them now My eyes are filled up with regret Don’t tell me we ain’t done yet The shape that you’re framed in You’re like a moving piece of art And beneath all your hardness I know there lies a beatin’ heart What a shame, though, that it’s broke apart You ain’t the same. You’re the reason I changed And you’re the one to blame for causin’ all your pain. How can you treat the one you love so bad? Don’t you yell at me, honey, cuz you’re mad Chorus x2

The World Is Open to Be Made Come up all you ones of every rank and station Come and hear the proclamation With quickened steps and deep determination I tell you we shall cover this whole nation They undertook impossible, a feat no one believed But when it all was said and done the mountaintop it was achieved History, it won’t wait The world is open to be made Lewis, Clark, and guide with babe The world is open to be made Summer heat still, not a single breeze Ravens flyin’ overhead, locusts trillin’ in the trees Two battle bands are stretched as far as eye can see And out of the camp rides our general and he says, “Let us charge now all together. It will be death for many men But from the slaughter of your brother will come rebirth in violence.” Storm the fortress crash the gate The world is open to be made Transformation, change of shape The world is open to be made Little prairie house weathered and worn Underneath its roof a baby boy is being born Destined for ignorance and growin’ up poor He says to himself, “ I know there’s more.” Leavin’ home with not a thing and hoppin’ on a train He headed for the east coast to make himself a name Déjà vu, forgotten fate The world is open to be made What I get I gotta take The world is open to be made August of ’63, a march upon the Capitol Underneath a monument he stood upon the hill With shakin’ speech the changin’ was filled The sermon he spoke was delivered to chills His voice is gone, his body’s past , his words and deeds are still alive Time of hate is yet to pass, fear still blinds many eyes Free at last, free at last, Thank God almighty free at last Once you break the chains of hate The world is open to be made 21st century in these United States For a little boy in the fifth grade it’s just another day Then hi-jacked planes crashed into the World Trade The buildings are gone but the memory won’t fade Of open mouths cryin’ out and tears on every face It became extremely clear that no one was safe Planet Earth’s a crazy place The world is open to be made I gotta meet it face to face The world is open to be made

I’m Done, I’m Gone I’m done, I’m gone By dawn I gotta go on. I mean no harm And you did me no wrong It’s just that I’ve been here For more than much too long. See, my feet are rocked and my hands are nicked So bad no damn dog would lick. They curse me when they move their lips So much I swear my name is Dick. But damn how long can you keep a good dog down They got me on a leash walkin’ ‘round this town. So, it don’t gotta be far But that’s far better than near, It’s just that I gotta get The heck up outta here. But have no fear And cry no tear Remember me here And I’ll make my home Like a pair of headphones Inside of your ear. I stopped here to please But please lemme leave. See me in the sunrise See me in your lover’s eyes See every shape and size And when I say good bye With wishes well I say, “Farewell. ‘Til we meet again have a good one friend." Matter of fact, I hope they’re all good ‘til the last Or at least as many good as you’ve had bad in the past. But that’s beside the point, lemme go, Cuz once I’m from this joint It’s down that long dark road. But if you feel back And wanna push me down the track Lighten up my path And lighten up my pack Then when I turn my back Give my back a slap Even better yet maybe you could make your hands clap. I’m done, I’m gone.