SLEEPING WITH THE PAST(1989)
Durban Deep
(Elton John/Bernie Taupin)
I won’t see you till Christmas
I breathe coal dust, I get blisters
But the foreman he don’t worry
He say work boy there’s no hurry
Don’t that big red sun
Look a lot like fire
When you come out of the ground
After forty-eight hours
Goin’ down, down, down, down, down
Goin’ down in Durban deep
Goin’ down, down, down, down, down
There’s no mercy in my sleep
I just hear the drill an’ hammer
Feel the killin’ heat
Goin’ two miles down to the heart
Of Durban deep.
I was born on amen corner
I pound rock face, I get lonely
But my family they go hungry
Still the boss man he call us lazy
Don’t the ole blue heaven
Look a lot like your eyes
When you’re blinded by the brightness
Of the Transvaal sky
Goin’ down, down, down, down, down
Goin’ down in Durban deep
Goin’ down, down, down, down, down
There’s no mercy in my sleep
I just hear the drill an’ hammer
Feel the killin’ heat
Goin’ two miles down to the heart
Of Durban deep
Healing Hands
(Elton John/Bernie Taupin)
I never dreamed I could cry so hard
That ain’t like a man
I could fly like a bird some days
Had a place where I could land
I could have sworn we were all locked in
Ain’t that what you said
I never knew it could hurt so bad
When the power of love is dead
But giving into the nighttime
Ain’t no cure for the pain
You gotta wade into the water
You gotta learn to live again
And reach out for her healing hands
Reach out for her healing hands
There’s a light, where the darkness ends,
Touch me now and let me see again,
Rock me now in your gentle healing hands
I never knew love like poison
That burned like a fire
All I ever wanted was a reason
To drown in your eyes
I never knew sleep so restless
Empty arms so cold
That’s not the way it’s supposed to be
It ain’t the spell that I was sold
But giving into the night time
Ain’t no cure for the pain
You gotta wade into the water
You gotta learn to live again
And reach out for her healing hands
Reach out for her healing hands
There’s a light, where the darkness ends,
Touch me now and let me see again,
Rock me now in your gentle healing hands
Whispers
(Elton John/Bernie Taupin)
Look at me twice with wildcat eyes
Promise me everything
Except a blue night
Shudder like ice in cut crystal glass
Melt in embraces
Of crazy eyed past
And whisper, whisper, whispering whispers
Tantamount to a lie with lingering breath
Walking fingers run
Hungry scratches left
Dull chimes ringing like an empty voice
A distant smile framed
Her lips are soft and moist
With whispers, whispers, whispering whispers
And whisper in a rhythm your lies
Keep comfort for others
Hurt me with the night
Whisper like cold winds
Close to the bone
Save heaven for lovers
Leave me alone
With your whispers, whispers, whispering whispers
Club At The End Of The Street
(Elton John/Bernie Taupin)
When the shades are drawn
And the light of the moon is banned
And the stars up above
Walk the heavens hand in hand
There’s a shady place
At the end of the working day
Where young lovers go
And this hot little trio plays
That’s where we meet
That’s where we meet
Me and you rendezvous
In the club at the end of the street
Ooh where we meet
Ooh where we meet
Me and you rendezvous
In the club at the end of the street
From the alleyways
Where the catwalks gently sway
You hear the sound of Otis
And the voice of Marvin Gaye
In this smokey room
There’s a jukebox plays all night
And we can dance real close
Beneath the pulse of a neon light
That’s where we meet
Me and you rendezvous
In the club at the end of the street
Ooh where we meet
Ooh where we meet
Me and you rendezvous
In the club at the end of the street
There’s a downtown smell of cooking
From the flame on an open grill
There’s a sax and a big bass pumpin’
Lord have mercy
Ooh, ya can’t sit still
Sleeping With The Past
(Elton John/Bernie Taupin)
Like a thief he's come
Like a thief he's gone
He's stolen your tears one by one
You're proud to love him
It's a foolish sign
You're a broken heart
At the scene of the crime
And the night drags on
Oh and the fever burns
Come to your senses
Everybody learns
Ooh you sleep in sweet fire
Lost and blue
You're an empty doll
In the power of a fool
Don't go sleeping with the past
Don't go praying he'll come back
Take a deep breath and deny
You could love a man like that
Don't go sleeping with the past
Don't go waking with a dream
There's no tenderness that's left
In the cracks you step between
If it looks like rain
If it makes no sounds
It's an echo of pain on common ground
Love's like a junkie
Addiction's a fact
Passion's a monkey
You can't keep off your back
But he takes love
And he turns it cold
He's just an iceman honey
Ain't got no heart of gold
But he sees you and runs from you
Come on and shake this shadow that you're clinging to
And he'll hurt you
And he'll run from you
Come on and shake this shadow that you're clinging to
Stones Throw From Hurtin'
(Elton John/Bernie Taupin)
Help me information,
Get emotion on the line
This war that's raging in my heart's getting harder
All the time
Our painted smiles are cracking,
Our worried friends just frown
We got a runaway train on an empty track
That's trying to run us down
And I'm a stone's throw from hurtin'
Everything we put together
Knee deep in learning about burning this bridge forever
I'm a stone's throw, a stone's throw
A stone's throw from hurtin'
And I know it's never gonna get no better
Crippled conversation hangs inside this house
Our voices just get ugly
When our love gets all talked out
Your goodnight kiss ain't hungry,
Our touches don't connect
We're just a couple of kids with a broken toy
That our idle fingers wrecked
Some things get broken
When stones get thrown
Some things get better
When you leave what you love
And you let what you love alone
Some things get broken
When stones get thrown
Some things get better when you leave what you love
And let what you love alone
Sacrifice
(Elton John/Bernie Taupin)
It’s a human sign
When things go wrong
When the scent of her lingers
And temptation’s strong
In to the boundary
Of each married man
Sweet deceit comes a callin’
And negativity lands
Cold, cold heart
Hard done by you
Some things look better baby
Just passin’ through
And it’s no sacrifice
Just a simple word
It’s two hearts living
In two separate worlds
But it’s no sacrifice
No sacrifice
It’s no sacrifice at all
Mutual misunderstanding
After the fact
Sensitivity builds a prison
In the final act
We loose direction
No stone unturned
No tears to damn you
When jealousy burns
Cold, cold heart
Hard done by you
Some things look better baby
Just passing through
And it’s no sacrifice
Just a simple word
It’s two hearts living
In two separate worlds
But it’s no sacrifice
No sacrifice
It’s no sacrifice at all
I Never Knew Her Name
(Elton John/Bernie Taupin)
Well she swept through the church
Like a sweet Sunday prayer
While the choir sang “song of heaven”
And the groom just walked on air
I was killing time with Jesus
When the wedding bells began
And I saw the most beautiful woman
Getting married to a handsome man
And she walked like a mystery
And she passed like summer rain
And she said “I do” like an angel
But I never knew her name
Oh! the congregation gathered
But in darkness I remained
In love with the bride of a handsome man
But I never knew her name
In the shadow of the holy
Oh I heard my tell-tale heart
Whisper words that never reached her
As her vows were made at last
Oh! the preacher with his blessing
Pronounced them man and wife
And I saw the most beautiful woman
Make a promise to be kept for life
And she walked like a mystery
And she passed like summer rain
And she said “I do” like an angel
But I never knew her name
Amazes Me
(Elton John/Bernie Taupin)
You’re a cool little one
My dark southern breeze
Sweeps through my fingers
And it amazes me
Dixie shadowland
Your envy shelters me
Lay down your burden
Mystery of Ebony
And it amazes me
Oh! it amazes me
Maybe the heat babe
Could be this tune
It amazes me
It amazes me
What drives me crazy
Is that big fat yellow moon
Look up that pale light
Well she’s waking the trees
I’m drifting in your hoodoo
And it amazes me
Damn magnolia stare
Gotta hold on me
I got no blues to preach
Just Mississippi company
Ain’t no magic potion
No gri-gri on her side
She’s bound to my salvation
Sweet little mama
Take me down by the river tonight
And it amazes me
(Elton John/Bernie Taupin)
You’re a cool little one
My dark southern breeze
Sweeps through my fingers
And it amazes me
Dixie shadowland
Your envy shelters me
Lay down your burden
Mystery of Ebony
And it amazes me
Oh! it amazes me
Maybe the heat babe
Could be this tune
It amazes me
It amazes me
What drives me crazy
Is that big fat yellow moon
Look up that pale light
Well she’s waking the trees
I’m drifting in your hoodoo
And it amazes me
Damn magnolia stare
Gotta hold on me
I got no blues to preach
Just Mississippi company
Ain’t no magic potion
No gri-gri on her side
She’s bound to my salvation
Sweet little mama
Take me down by the river tonight
And it amazes me
Blue Avenue
(Elton John/Bernie Taupin)
I gotta quit this habit
It’s like some drug for you
You’ve been my sweet sweet addict
I’ve been your little white boy blue
You’ve got the same obsession
We ain’t no cat and mouse
You linger on my lips like confession
You laid the traps in this house
And it’s no use, each way we lose
You and me at the crossroads of Blue Avenue
Hit and run hearts collide here
True love passes through
Looks like we’ve got a wreck babe
Up on Blue Avenue
Up on Blue Avenue
Blue Avenue
Two hearts get entangled
Dirty minds they go to town
Everyone’s got an angle
Little lies get spread around
Let them say what they want
You and me we already knew
Takes more than hocus pocus babe
To save you from Blue Avenue