John Hiatt

Bring The Family

Memphis in the Meantime
Alone in the Dark
Thing Called Love
Lipstick Sunset
Have a Little Faith in Me
Thank You Girl
Tip of My Tongue
Your Dad Did
Stood Up
Learning How To Love You

Memphis in the Meantime

I got something to say little girl
You might not like my style
But we've been hanging around this town
Just a little too long a while

You say you're gonna get your act together
Gonna take it out on the road
But if I dont get outta here pretty soon
My head's going to explode

Sure I like country music
I like mandolins
But right now I need a telecaster
Through a vibro-lux turned up to ten

CHORUS:
Lets go to Memphis in the meantime baby
Memphis in the meantime girl

I need a little shot of that rhythm baby
Mixed up with these country blues
I wanna trade in these ol country boots
For some fine Italian shoes

Forget the mousse and the hairspray sugar
We dont need none of that
Just a little dab'll do ya girl
Underneath a pork pie hat

Until hell freezes over
Maybe you can wait that long
But I dont think Ronnie Milsap's* gonna ever
Record this song

REPEAT CHORUS TWO TIMES

BRIDGE:
Maybe there's nothin' happenin' there
Maybe there's somethin' in the air
Before our upper lips get stiff
Maybe we need us a big ol whiff

If we could just get off-a that beat little girl
Maybe we could find the groove
At least we can get a decent meal
Down at the Rendez-vous

'Cause one more heartfelt steel guitar chord
Girl, it's gonna do me in
I need to hear some trumpet and saxophone
You know sound as sweet as sin

And after we get good and greasy
Baby we can come back home
Put the cowhorns back on the cadillac
And change the message on the cord-a-phone

But...

REPEAT CHORUS

Alone in the Dark

It's a lonely picture
Of an empty glass
It's a still life study
Of a drunken ass
And he howls at the moon
Hoping the sun don't come up too fast

I'm all alone in the dark now baby
I'm all alone in the dark now baby
I'm all alone on my knees at last
Alone in the dark

It's extreme self pity
And frozen fear
'Cause I want you with me
And you're not here
So I rub my nose in it babe
'Til the roses smell just like death

I'm all alone in the dark now baby
I'm all alone in the dark now baby
I'm al alone and drawing whisky breath
Alone in the dark

My head is spinning baby what went wrong
I swear to God I tried
Just turned around one day and you were gone
Now these tears I have to cry
Alone in the dark baby, I'm all alone,
I'm all alone, I'm all alone

Since the night you left
I just couldn't stand myself anyway

I'm all alone in the dark now baby
I'm all alone in the dark now baby
I'm all alone on my knees at last
Alone in the dark

I'm all alone in the dark now baby
I'm all alone in the dark now baby
I'm all alone on my knees at last
Alone in the dark

Thing Called Love

Don't have to humble yourself to me
I ain't your judge or your king
And baby, you know you ain't no Queen of Sheba
And we may not even have our dignity, no
This could be just a prideful thing
But baby, we can choose you know,
we ain't no amoebas
But

CHORUS:
Are you ready for this thing called love
Don't come from you and me,
It comes from up above
I ain't no porcupine, take off your kid gloves
Are you ready for this thing called love

And you ain't some icon carved out of soap
Sent down here to clean up my reputation
And baby, I ain't your prince charming
Now we can live in fear, or act out of hope
For some kind of peaceful situation
Baby, don't know why the cry of love is so alarming
But

REPEAT CHORUS

The ugly ducklings don't turn into swans
And glide off down the lake
Whether your sunglasses are off or on
You only see the world you make

Before the laws of God and the laws of man
I take you for my wife, yeah
To love, honour, cherish and obey,
Now, I didn't have no plans to live
this kind of life, no
It just worked out that way
And

REPEAT CHORUS 2 TIMES

Just a crazy little thing called love
It's just a crazy little thing called love

Lipstick Sunset

There's a lipstick sunset
Smeared across the August sky
There's a bitter sweet perfume
Hanging in the fields
The creek is running high

And I left my lover waiting
In the dawn somewhere to wonder why
By the end of the day
All her sweet dreams would fade
To a lipstick sunset

Well, a radio was playing
And that ol' summer heat was on the rise
I just had to get away
Before some sad old song
Brought tears to my eyes

And Lord I couldn't tell her
That her love was only killing me
By the end of the day
All her sweet dreams would fade
To a lipstick sunset

Well it's pretty as a picture baby
Red and blushing just before the night
Maybe love's like that for me
Maybe I can only see
As you take away the light

So hold me in the darkness
We can dream about the cool twilight
'Til the dawning of the day
When I make my getaway
To a lipstick sunset

There will come another day
When I make my getaway
To a lipstick sunset

There will come another day
Then I'll make my getaway
To a lipstick sunset

Have a Little Faith in Me

When the road gets dark
And you can no longer see
Just let my love throw a spark
And have a little faith in me

And when the tears you cry
Are all you can believe
Just give these loving arms a try
And have a little faith in me
And

CHORUS:
Have a little faith in me
Have a little faith in me
Have a little faith in me
Have a little faith in me

When your secret heart
Cannot speak so easily
Come here darlin'
From a whisper start
To have a little faith in me

And when your back's against the wall
Just turn around and you will see
I will catch, I will catch your fall baby
Just have a little faith in me

REPEAT CHORUS

Well, I've been loving you for such a long time girl
Expecting nothing in return
Just for you to have a little faith in me
You see time, time is our friend
'Cause for us there is no end
And all you gotta do is have a little faith in me
I said I will hold you up, i will hold you up
Your love gives me strength enough
So have a little faith in me

Thank You Girl

You're a little on the thin side
But that's alright
You stood by me baby
When I didn't think we'd ever see daylight

Rolled out of California
Like a couple of thieves
Now we're rolling in clover babe
We didn't read this in no tea leaves

My fate was sealed before I met you darling
I was halfway down a shallow grave
So little room for you to catch me falling
Still you took the little love I saved

CHORUS:
I wanna thank you girl
I wanna thank you girl
I wanna thank you girl
I wanna thank you girl

It's a matter of opinion
But I think you're fine
As a matter of fact babe
They couldn't hold a candle to your kind

If all men are equal
This must be against the law
'Cause I can't help but feeling
I'm one up on my brother when night falls

'Cause in your arms I get the real love story
No fairy tale from somewhere back in time
In the dawn you're like a morning glory
Opening up for my sweet light to shine

REPEAT CHORUS

Tip of My Tongue

An empty house
Is the only thing standin'
Between our lives
And the speed of sound

Some words flew out
And made a crash landin'
No love survived
Not a trace could be found

CHORUS:
I broke your heart
With the back of my mind
From the tip of my tongue
To the end of the line

I walked away
And you stood there tremblin'
Like a leaf
In the autumn chill

Now this house won't say, no
What I'm still rememberin'
Three angry words
And a love that they killed

REPEAT CHORUS

BRIDGE:
You couldn't say how much it hurt you
And I couldn't see the damage I'd done
'Til I watched the greatest love I've known
All come down to a slip of the tongue

Well I'd take it back
But time won't let me
No, time just takes
You further away

I watched you pack
A house full of memories
Where did you go
Lord, what did I say?

REPEAT CHORUS

Your Dad Did

Well the sun comes up and you stare your cup of coffee, yup
Right through the kitchen floor
You feel like hell so you might as well get out and sell
Your smart ass door to door

And the Mrs. wears her robe slightly undone
As your daughter dumps her oatmeal on your son
And you keep it hid
Just like your did

So you go to work just to watch some jerk
Pick up the perks
You were in line to get
And the guy that hired you just got fired,
Your job's expired
They just ain't told you yet

So you go and buy a brand new set of wheels
To show your family just how great you feel
Acting like a kid
Just like your dad did
And

BRIDGE:
You're a chip off the old block
Why does it come as such a shock
That every road up which you rock
Your dad already did

Yeah you've seen the old man's ghost
Come back as creamed chipped beef on toast
Now if you dont get your slice of the roast
You're gonna flip your lid
Just like your dad did, just like your dad did

Well the day was long now, supper's on
The thrill is gone
But something's taking place
Yeah the food is cold and your wife feels old
But all hands fold
As the two year old says grace
She says help the starving children to get well
But let my brother's hamster burn in hell
You love your wife and kids
Just like your dad did

Stood Up

I stood up for the first time
When I was just eleven months old
And ever since that day, my mama said
I never done what I was told

I never stood for nothing too much
All through my schooling years
But I stood as much as I could stand
I guess that's why I'm still standing here
Yes, and

CHORUS:
I stood up
When love called my name, baby
I stood up
Even when that love was all in vain, baby
I got stood up once
And left out in the pouring rain, baby
But I stood up
And I'd do it again

I guess she never understood what she could do
With all her flaming red hair
But I could not stand the heat in her kitchen
So, Jack, I got out of there

I stood up to get a pack of cigarettes
Down at the corner store
New she's standing in some corner of my heart
Behind the kitchen screen door

REPEAT CHORUS:

I don't know about you
But there's a lot of things I never stood up to
Even as I turned and walked away
I guess that's why I'm standing on my own
two feet today

Now they gave last call for alcohol
And no one has to carry me home
You see I only work here now man
My drinking days are long gone

I couldn't stand up after one, no
'Til twenty had me down on the floor
Now the first one doesn't get me
Even though I'm still the last one out the door

REPEAT CHORUS

Learning How to Love You

I'm 34 years old now
And I've come to you
Baby I don't even know how
I got through

From the first kiss in the schoolyard
'Til the last heart broke in two
I didn't know it would be so hard
Learning how to love you
There was a life that I was living
In some cracked rearview
Where no future was given
To a heart untrue

Still I thought that I was so strong
That my will could force me through
I didn't know it would be so long
Learning how to love you

BRIDGE:
I might have never realized
The courage in your kiss
And the sweet forgiveness in your eyes

Babe I know you've walked a mile
In someone else's shoes
Maybe you've left some faces smiling
Walking off your blues

And I don't pretend to know how
You ever saw it through
'Cause I only got to where I am now
Learning how to love you