You don't fool me with your tinted eyes and makeup The firebird hides in shadow when you wake up Your golden hair is black Your jeans are tight, but your hide is slack Try it on the company, but you don't fool me Well, I'd rather be a man than play my role like you do I'd rather be a man than sin my soul like you do I'd rather be a man than slave the way that you do I'd rather be a man, 'cause a man don't crawl like you do You don't fool me with your easy lies and fables You won't see me in ten buck furs and sables You sparkle like a snake The wine is real, but the glass is fake Blame it on the apple tree, but you don't fool me Well, I'd rather be a man than play my role like you do I'd rather be a man than sin my soul like you do Well, I'd rather be a man than slave the way that you do I'd rather be a man, 'cause a man don't crawl like you do Your golden hair is black Your jeans are tight, but your hide is slack Try it on the company, but you don't fool me Well, I'd rather be a man than play my role like you do I'd rather be a man than sin my soul like you do Well, I'd rather be a man than slave the way that you do I'd rather be a man, 'cause a man don't crawl like you do I'd rather be a man, 'cause a man don't crawl like you I'd rather be a man, 'cause I wouldn't wanna be like you

What you said to me I hope you mean it, too 'Cause my head's a mess I don't know what to do So I'd rather be alone I wish you well I'll keep to myself You played me for a fool Mama said "Be careful with your heart They'll get the one And leave you out to rot" So I'd rather be alone I wish you well I'll keep to myself 'Cause you played me for a fool

I'd rather be dead, I'd rather be dead I'd rather be dead than wet my bed I'd rather be dead, I'd rather be dead I said "Dead than wet my bed" Oh, I'd rather be gone than carry on I'd rather go away than feel this way Oh, I'd rather be there, where you haven't got a care And you're better off dead, though it doesn't seem fair Oh, I'd rather be dead, I'd rather be dead I'd rather be dead than wet my bed I'd rather be dead, I'd rather be dead I'd rather be dead than wet my bed I'd rather keep my health and dress myself But you're better off dead than sitting on a shelf I'll tie my tie 'til the day I die But if I have to be fed then I'd rather be dead And when he takes my hand on the very last day I will understand because it's better that way Oh, it's nice to be alive but when the dream comes true You'll be better off dead, it could happen to you Oh, I'd rather be dead, I'd rather be dead I'd rather be dead than wet my bed I'd rather be dead, I'd rather be dead I'd rather be dead than wet my bed Alright! Give yourselves a big hand

If you hurt me, you won't be the first or the last In a lifetime of many mistakes. But I won't spend tomorrow regretting the past For the chances that I didn't take. 'Cause I'll never know 'til it's over If I'm right or I'm wrong loving you, But I'd rather be sorry for something I've done Than for something that I didn't do. When you touch me it's easy to make me believe Tomorrow won't take you away But I'd gamble whatever tomorrow might bring For the love that I'm living today. 'Cause I'll never know 'til it's over If I'm right or I'm wrong loving you, But I'd rather be sorry for something I've done Than for something that I didn't do. I know someday that I may wake up all alone When the love I believed in has died But at least I won't wonder what I might have won >From the lifetime that I watched going by 'Cause I'll never know 'til it's over If I'm right or I'm wrong loving you, But I'd rather be sorry for something I've done Than for something that I didn't do.

I cannot help it, I couldn't stop it if I tried The same old heartbeat fills the emptiness I have inside And I've heard that you can't fight love, so I won't complain 'Cause why would I stop the fire that keeps me going on? 'Cause when there's you, I feel whole And there's no better feeling in the world But without you I'm alone And I'd rather be in love with you Turn out the lights now To see is to believe I just want you near me I just want you here with me And I'd give up everything only for you It's the least that I could do 'Cause when there's you (when there's you), I feel whole (I feel whole) And there's no better feeling in the world But without you I'm alone (I'm alone) And I'd rather be in love with you And I feel you holding me Why are we afraid to be in love? To be loved I can't explain it I know it's tough to be loved And I feel you holding me Oh-oh, oh 'Cause when there's you (when there's you), I feel whole (I feel whole) And there's no better feeling in the world Without you I'm alone And I'd rather be in love 'Cause when there's you (when there's you), I feel whole (I feel whole) And there's no better feeling, and there's no better feeling in the world I'm alone And I'd rather be in love Yes, I'd rather be in love Oh, I'd rather be in love with you And I feel you holding me Oh-oh

I had an uncle named Matthew He was his father's only boy Born just south of Colby, Kansas He was his mother's pride and joy Yes, and joy was just the thing that he was raised on Love was just the way to live and die Gold was just a windy Kansas wheatfield And blue's just a Kansas summer sky All the stories that he told me Back when I was just a lad All the memories that he gave me All the good times that he had Growin' up a Kansas farm boy Life was mostly havin' fun Ridin' on his daddy's shoulders Behind a view beneath the sun Yes, and joy was just the thing that he was raised on Love was just the way to live and die Gold was just a windy Kansas wheatfield And blue's just a Kansas summer sky Well, I guess there were some hard times And I'm told some years were lean They had a storm in forty-seven A twister came and stripped them clean He lost the farm and lost his family He lost the wheat and lost his home But he found a family Bible Faith as solid as a stone Yes, and joy was just the thing that he was raised on Love was just the way to live and die Gold was just a windy Kansas wheatfield And blue's just a Kansas summer sky So he came to live at our house And he came to work the land He came to ease my daddy's burden And he came to be my friend So I wrote this down for Matthew And it's for him the song is sung Ridin' on his daddy's shoulders Behind a mule beneath the sun Yes, and joy was just the thing that he was raised on Love was just the way to live and die Gold was just a windy Kansas wheat field Blue's just a Kansas summer sky Yes, and joy was just the thing that he was raised on Love was just the way to live and die Gold was just a windy Kansas wheatfield Blue's just a Kansas summer sky

City sidewalks, busy sidewalks Dressed in holiday style In the air, there's a feeling of Christmas Children laughing, people passing Meeting smile after smile And on every street corner, you'll hear Silver bells, silver bells It's Christmastime in the city Ring-a-ling, hear them ring Soon it will be Christmas day Silver bells, silver bells It's Christmastime in the city Ring-a-ling, hear them ring Soon it will be Christmas day Soon it will be Christmas day

The wind is the whisper of our mother the earth The wind is the hand of our father the sky The wind watches over our struggles and pleasures The wind is the goddess who first learned to fly The wind is the bearer of bad and good tidings The weaper of darkness, the bringer of dawn The wind gives the rain, then builds us a rainbow The wind is the singer who sang the first song The wind is a twister of anger and warning The wind brings the fragrance of freshly mown hay The wind is a racer, a wild stallion running The sweet taste of love on a slow summer's day The wind knows the songs of the cities and canyons The thunder of mountains, the roar of the sea The wind is the taker and giver of mornings The wind is the symbol of all that is free So welcome the wind and the wisdom she offers Follow her summons when she calls again In your heart and your spirit let the breezes surround you Lift up your voice then and sing with the wind

Josie works the counter at the downtown five and dime Anything at all to help her pass the time Her mama keeps the baby and grandpa rambles on About the good times playing in his mind It's a hard life livin' when you're lonely It's a long night sleepin' alone It's a hard time waitin' for tomorrow It's a long, long way home Josie spends the evening with the people on the pages Of the paperback she picked up at the store Or sometimes it's the TV or she'll try to write a letter, whoa But they don't come too often anymore It's a hard life livin' when you're lonely It's a long night sleepin' alone It's a hard time waitin' for tomorrow It's a long, long way home I stare at the gray walls before me And I see her face in the stone I try to imagine our baby I wish they would let me go home I wish they would let me go home I wish they would let me go home It's a hard life livin' when you're lonely (I wish they would let me go home) It's a long night sleepin' alone (I wish they would let me go home) It's a hard time waitin' for tomorrow (I wish they would let me go home) It's a long, long way home (I wish they would let me go home) It's a long, long way home (I wish they would let me go home) Bring me and the other boys home (I wish they would let me go home) Bring me and the other boys home

This song was first released on the Farewell Andromeda Album. It is the only album it has been released on. On a snow covered night Up in Eastern Wyoming Another lazy day Lookin' for the sun In a draughty old cabin Outside a whiskey basin Another shining light And a good man on the run There's a lady back in Laramie And her reason no one else can see For him to spend The winter on his own Nothing much for him to do tomorrow Just a matter of survival Another friendly fight In a life chocked full of fun Yodalling It's a special kind of medicine And all that you can do is win Though it tastes so sweet You can refuse Put your heart on the table Fill your fountain with moonshine Another empty case of The Whiskey Basin Blues Yodalling Words and music by John Denver