held down like slaves to the quarter
quarter a year for centuries long gone
dreamt of equity as a force in our world
peace signs, marching lines, steady batons

matador man on the picket fence sings
sings for redemption and millions of things
unity regains a vision and open eyes care
care for the desperate man as he sings

no job, no life, lost more than i made
debts for my bed and bills unpaid
one punch maybe’ll knock me down
we the people will occupy your town

do we know who are our enemies?
sleep on the curb, climb the trees
cross a bridge and go to the pen
under your radar, under your skin

this is not a war we wage tonite
not your idols or vices we fight
but a progress and a future in our land
we are the heartbeat we are the plan

teach and heal and feed the one
one as a people, one as the many sons
too rich and too poor, we can’t be
spending all our future on your wars.

Scott Low
www.efrenmusic.com

This Ain't No Pain

eyes like the grand canyon, boots like the clay
this old fella took me from atlanta to seattle
not on a tour but to find where we came
indians and pioneers wore out these roads
we coulda had a wagon train but rode a cadillac
this trip has told me me all that we lack
met a blondie on the road side and joined on up
even in the dark mud we knew we’d get stuck

hit the border of tennessee and had to know
this was the beginning and i’d be free
cross the mississippi and cleansed all night
drank from the jug, outta the wicked and the right
who hasn’t or shouldn’t let in the demons
to see the dawn, the darkness must win
you think i got women and whiskey for you
thats where your wrong, i stole mine from a fool

over the plains i run
like a shell from a gun
thru the mountains and old songs
rocks and briars, lovers and liars and my son
hear that i am so small
but got these skinny legs for lifting
also got big dreams and failing
this world on the floor for my drifting

arkansas, nebraska and old colorado
ain’t got nothing i ain’t ever thought i’d known
what i found out there is the forgotten legends
under the deep stone and trees lost to the heavens
men sit on benches sewn from stones
smoking their remedies and drinking their peace
“the savior is here for the taking anytime you’d wish”
he spoke with a dark and wise old lisp

by the time we reached the great divide
i had learned all i had been given in school
bout patriarchs and wicked rulers gone by
i had to sense it after all the time i ran away
the hours i spent under government rule
and toil along with the letters and lessons
crisp from the burning and lost in the learning
wretched and tumbled lost as i was found

she took me cross the river
and allowed me to be me
let me listen to the plains
let me realize this ain’t no pain

hear me sing, hear me bleed

minutes can feel like days
doubt can be death
a kiss can trump the pain
don’t forget we can rain

coming home is so sweet
how ever we will meet
upwards for the soul
outwards for the world

inwards for peace
come on up and i will give you air
questions may come
but faith is on the way

got rings for my wheels
take me tonite home for real
upwards for the soul
outwards for the world

crime of the love
never will you be above
dry thoughts or lost feelings
hear me sing, hear me bleed

3/27/11
scott low
www.efrenmusic.com