Rick Jerram

SIDEWAYS

Tonight there's one more argument 
Down there in the street 
I hear her laying truths on him 
He's shifting on his feet 
He's going sideways 
See him going side-ways 
He's doing that old crab shuffle out of here 

The moon is pressing on the window 
Are you lonely in your bed? 
This town's too tight around me 
The kindness has all fled 
Let's slip out sideways 
Let's go side-ways 
Let's do that old crab shuffle out of here 

Yes, let's drive to the moonlit swimming hole, 
Just where the river bends 
I'll hold your hips against me 
Remind you I'm your friend 
Let's lie down sideways 
Do you like it side-ways? 
We'll do that old crab shuffle out of here

 
Let's take a drive 'cross the county line 
Why can't we love all the time? 
Why can't we love all the time? 

Well, the engine is still running 
But I'm sitting here forlorn 
I made one remark. You stopped the truck 
You've slammed the door and gone 
Why does it come out sideways? 
It comes out side-ways 
It's that mean old crab shuffle all the time It's that mean old crab shuffle all the time 

Freedom's round the corner 
And where it's heading is now clear 
It's almost at the eight-lane 
Scuttling out of here 
It's going sideways 
Going side-ways 
It's doing that old crab shuffle out of here 

It's taken a drive 'cross the county line 
Why can't we love all the time? 
Why can't we love all the time? 

Well, it's time to turn the truck now 
You can't walk back alone. 
I'll find you in the darkness 
I guess we'll drive on home 
Try to keep the wheels on the road 
As Life just goes sideways 
Life just goes sideways 
It's that same old crab shuffle all the time It's that same old crab shuffle all the time

Rick Jerram  2008 

CHOSEN

This morning the Angel spoke straight out to me. 
He wound down the window and pointed his gun. 
There I was walking the other side of the street 
With no idea that I was the one 
Till he said 'Come over here, son. 
'Cause we've chosen you to be you.' 

The circle of Friends cradles a flame, 
-Makes West Philadelphia's a sheltering tree. 
But here I'm still seeking the reason I came 
-It's not on the shelves of the library- 
When this crazy starts shouting at me 
'The trouble is you don't believe that it's true
God's chosen you to be you 

Last night the moon illuminated the sky 
In a shimmering grey I'd not seen before. 
I finally told her about all of my lies 
As she and I drove 'cross the bridge at East Falls, Feeling so small I could crawl. 
She said 'It's hard to reconcile to all that you do 
But I've chosen you to be you.' 

So a man lifts his newborn to the mystery of life 
On a carpet of gold leaf and the trees almost bare, 
High branches scraping, sky shines like a knife, 
Just for a moment he's alone with his care, 
So he bows to his baby right there 
'It's a mystery too who you'll turn into 
But we're choosing you to be you.' 

The world is remade one life at a time, 
It's a mystery that never ceases. 
Listen to the fruit drop from the vine 
By the Church Of Broken Pieces 

Where the Angel this morning called me by name, (In a city this size who knows who you'll meet) 'You've been living too long,' he said, 'in pride & in shame. 
Look out with your eyes and shift on your feet. 
Tomorrow's Thanksgiving and gratitude's sweet, 
So greet everyone on the street. 
There are too many things that only you can do 
And Life's chosen you to be you. 
Life's chosen you to be you.'

ALL THAT RENT TO PAY

The only light in the room is the T.V. screen
Telling us to live way beyond our means,
That only money is green
And we should live just for today
But there's all that rent to pay
Yes there's all that rent to pay.

So here we are caught like a cat that's treed 
We've been educated to live for greed 
Yes indeed 
It's been good up to today 
But now there's all that rent to pay, Good Lord, 
Yes there's all that rent to pay. 

Rivers choked and the land levelled down 
God's in Appalachia asking everyone 
Hey! Where's my mountains gone? 
They were here just yesterday 
Now there's all that rent to pay, Good Lord, 
Yes there's all that rent to pay. 

Where does this road lead? 
The signs are easy to read 
We thought we bought the land with beads 
But it was only a lease and God's got the deeds 
We may just bleed 
When it comes to Judgement day 
And there's all that rent to pay, Good Lord, 
Yes there's all that rent to pay. 

There's a veiled yellow moon over the reservoir 
They're trying to hide the facts in the Wednesday choir 
They raise their voices higher 
They get down on their knees to pray 
But there's still that rent to pay, Good Lord, 
Yes, there's all that rent to pay, Good Lord, 
Yes there's all that rent to pay.