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I've gone down the river of sadness
I've gone down the river of pain
In the dark, under the wires
I hear them call my name
I gave you the key to the highway
And the key to my motel door
And I'm tired of leaving and leaving
I can't come back no more
Oh, my dark eyed friend
I'm recalling you again
Soft voices that speak nothing
Speak nothing to the end
Oh, Mother of Earth
Blind they call
But yet, stay behind the wall
Their sadness grows like weeds
Upon my thighs and knees
Oh, Mother of Earth
The wind is hot
I tried my best but I could not
And my eyes fade from me
In this open country
I've gone down the river of pain
In the dark, under the wires
I hear them call my name
I gave you the key to the highway
And the key to my motel door
And I'm tired of leaving and leaving
I can't come back no more
Oh, my dark eyed friend
I'm recalling you again
Soft voices that speak nothing
Speak nothing to the end
Oh, Mother of Earth
Blind they call
But yet, stay behind the wall
Their sadness grows like weeds
Upon my thighs and knees
Oh, Mother of Earth
The wind is hot
I tried my best but I could not
And my eyes fade from me
In this open country
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shame no one's heard of these guys...jlp was a genius in his own twisted beautiful way.
the song is pretty fitting to me especially as it is the last track on the Miami album. i think the singer (JLP) is at the end of his journey. he's a traveling dude, moving from town to town and he knows first hand the seedy underbelly of Americana for better or worse. hes been along the highways and the seediest motels along the interstates. the song is more or less an epitaph to the album itself. the album is filled with songs about an America that is tucked away and unnoticed (intentionally?) by the mainstream. the singer is lamenting that all the efforts to bring attention their way has come to nothing. lonely people on the lonely road mean nothing in the greater scheme of things so its time to ride off into the western sunset...
RIP JLP
@mr.v It's been 11 years since you commented this. I don't know if you still alive or if you still using this page, and I know we are going through crazy times. It's a pleasure to find someone who also appreciate how amazing is this piece. In my opinion one of the bests songs ever written. I hope you see this one day. See you soon, maybe you'll read this in the 25th anniversary of JLP's death, it's the next year.
@mr.v I saw them 2 times in 1982 and 1986 in Paris. Miami is one of my favourite album of all time!