Song Cycle

Lyrics taken from the Rykodisc CD-release # RCD10452. All reprinted lyrics published by Found Farm Ballads. "Vine Street" published by January Music Corp., and "Donovan's Colours" published by Southern Music Pub. Co. Inc. Used by kind permission.

Vine Street

(Randy Newman)

Palm Desert

(Van Dyke Parks)

By Palm Desert to market to buy. Tenderfoot up to date palms of the real estate. By Palm Desert springs often run dry.

I came west unto Hollywood, never-never land. Juxtaposed to B.B.D. and O. Beyond San Fernando on hillside manors on the banks of toxicity those below and those above the same.

Dreams are still born in Hollywood I don't understand. Just suppose the youngster knows he's had a good deal of fortune and up through the babble on the fair banks complicity, buy your leave or stay beyond the game.

Palm Desert not fade away. Palm Desert I wish I could stay. Palm Desert sages abound. So head your head to the ground round.

Meanwhile in the wild west of Hollywood age is losing hold. Inasmuch as you are touched to have withstood by the very old search for the truth within the bounds of toxicity. Left unsung so I have strung the frame.

Widow's Walk

(Van Dyke Parks)

Widows walk ado walk on as in years of yore. The thought of you divided thus! It just maybe due to discuss in cold turkey moUrning in the willows. Or was it the wind. You recollect we all suspect the mortal door will open the sore mind. The widows walk and wail among the willows. Widows walk ado walk on.

Widows face the future. Factories face the poor. The fact remains the peril strains the mind a bit. To have done and quit with it widows walk and wail among the willows. Widows walk ado walk on.

I'm guessing this is called civil, regrettably strife. So lessen your appalled pall mall and middle life. Long last a hymn to Him to help you on your way.

Contented is the boat. By chance how forlorn the shore. I've meant to take the chance to turn you 'bout the floor so trim the prim the lame have rose to say widows walk and wail among the willows. Widows walk and do si do the willows. Widows walk ado walk on.

Laurel Canyon Blvd.

(Van Dyke Parks)

What's up Laurel canyon, hay. What is up in Laurel Canyon the seat of the beat to greet and eat at the heart of their companion way. That's up Laurel Canyon. And what is up the Canyon will even eventually come down.

The All Golden

(Van Dyke Parks)

He is not your run of the mill garden variety Alabama country faire. Left on Silver Lake he keeps a small apartment top an Oriental food store there. He returned from Alabama to see what he could see.

Off the record he is hungry though he works hard in his Alabama country fair. I should think he'd fade away the way that Bohemians often bare the frigid air. He returned from Alabama to see what he could see.

Constant commentary by the wayside. Nowadays them country boys don't cotton much to one two three four. Rest your team. Work out in the All Golden! You will know why hayseeds go back to the country.

Constant calm might still our stately union. Nowadays a Yankee dread not take his time to wend to sea. Forget to bear your arms in the All Golden. You will know why hayseeds go back to the country. Might as well not 'low for one more go round. That's all folks. Them hayseeds go back to the country. Ja git it? Alright.

Van Dyke Parks

(Public Domain)

Yet all my dreams shall be nearer my God to Thee. Nearer my God to Thee. Nearer to Thee.

Public Domain

(Van Dyke Parks)

Our lowly liquor lobby longs to back a road to old time songs. Biblebelts worn from here and after all were born in the know.

So rally round awhile Jim Crow for I thought I'd like to show they can recall the Alamo way down in old Mexico.

I left Academia amid sixty-two. Was it sixty-one scholar was cooled from the U. Doubtless more on sore wing than prayer I up and just withdrew to the wander round there.

Donovan's Colours

(Donovan Leitch)

The Attic

(Van Dyke Parks)

I was there upon a four poster there. Mind touseled I came to bear some thoughts from the past amid a dash of influenza. And then I came to see in baggage the memories of truncated souvenirs. The war years. High moon I said high moon lighted high moon eye to my moon.

Far beyond the blue mist enveloped lawn the blanketed night comes on. The champagne is dead and gone. The forest around sensitive sound forest primeval. Through the panes cloud buttermilk war remains and twisted cross war refrains lunatic so high moon I said high moon lighted high moon eye to my moon.

Your age will most probably carry away the letters enveloped in carrion. Vague unpleasantries of the war. May your son's progenitorship of the state haphazardly help him to carry on. God send your son safe home to you.  High Moon. You're eye to my moon.

Laurel Canyon Blvd.

(Van Dyke Parks)

What's up Laurel Canyon, hay. What is up in Laurel Canyon the seat of the beat to greet and eat at the heart of their companion way. That's up Laurel Canyon. And what is up the canyon will even eventually come down.

Tracks of the beaten in automobile pound the from nine to fivers round a long line of drivers wind to dine in the divers and dandy lie. One line bled in tandom from some new hatched deals.

Cracks in the heat and then caught by the wheel catch the country store feel for the hackamore crew view the crackerbare coterie standing by. One line bred randyrand and too few wretched meals.

By The People

(Van Dyke Parks)

Strike up the band brother hand me another bowl of your soul. Brother has a long way to go maybe baby should know his cotton mouth is too slow for the song of the forgotten South, just don't hang us up here.

Step by step by please though proletarian am I. By chance am you "wine git out de way o'de darkies. You'd better hustle up a storm to sing this Caucasian lullaby. Sleep oh my darling now sleep.

Draw freehand over Iron Curtain. Stalk up on the trim bamboo. To footridge the bullrushes certain to know law, American express. No Caucasian flair for flim-flam will do. Step by please step by.

Weigh the small advance. There is still a chance. Let's assume that we form a company men. No mention should the pass in revue of the show. Just understand that I prefer to be dead than red white or blue as I write sturdy crew. As you view these few Russians whose true dawn came to view long ago. So I think that you'd better strike up the band brother hand me another bowl of your soul. The song of the forgotten South just don't hang us up here. Here the unknown is at hand and not far from my heel a tarbaby feel for the Czar. For those who are lonely well the Black sea is callin' Georgia's Stalin has fallen so you all come here. We now are near to the end. If you stay with the show say we all had to go to hasten to jar the few nations too far gone to step by.

Pot Pourri

(Van Dyke Parks)

A Southwester in the yard invested with the garden and camped in concentration of a tall lilac to peel the rust off purple arbor. Time is not the main thought from under the rain wrought from roots that brought us coots to hoot and haul us all back to the prime ordeal. Dust off Pearl Harbor time.