The Singles
On this page are the lyrics of songs written by Cave not found on the albums. As some of you might know, some of these lyrics are not available, so I wrote them down while listening to the songs; therefore, some words might have been misunderstood and a -?- signifies a word (or words) I couldn't understand. Feel free to email me those words, I would appreciate it!
Jump directly to a song:
Little Janey's Gone - Good Good Day - Come Into My Sleep - Babe I Got You Bad - Little Empty Boat - Right Now I'm a-roaming - The Ballad of Robert Moore and Betty Coltrane - King Kong Kitchee Kitchee Ki-Mi-O - Knoxville Girl - Blue Bird - Cassiel’s Song - Sail Away - The Train Song - Shoot Me Down - Swing Low - Little Ghost Song - Everything Must Converge
Little Janey's Gone :
Janey's gone now and she won't be back no more.
It was only yesterday I went knocking on her door.
Now she's gone away.
We won't see her no more.
Little Janey's gone now, Janey's gone now,
Janey's gone now, Janey's gone.
Little Janey's gone now, Janey's gone now,
Janey is gone away.
Oh, yes, she is gone away.
Oh, man, that's for sure.
Little Janey's gone now, Janey's gone now,
Janey's gone away.
Janey's gone, oh people,
Oh, Lord, little Janey is gone.
She was the only one that we all could depend on
And now she's gone away.
We won't see her 'round here no more.
Little Janey's gone now, Janey's gone now,
Janey's gone now, Janey's gone.
Little Janey's gone now, Janey's gone now,
Janey's gone away.
Oh, yes, she is gone away.
Oh, man, that's for sure.
Little Janey's gone now, Janey's gone now,
Janey's gone away.
Janey's gone now and she won't be back no more.
We'll have to find some other place to go and score
'Cause now she's gone, don't you see,
They're gonna to throw way away the key.
'Cause little Janey's gone down, Janey's gone down,
Janey's gone down, Janey's gone.
Little Janey's gone down, Janey's gone down,
Janey's gone away.
Good good day :
See the little cloud up in the sky.
It's a good good day today.
See the little cloud pass on by.
It's a good good day today.
Mary comes now, let Mary be,
Can you see her down on the street?
Mary's laughing 'cause Mary sees
That she's a-wearin' that dress for me.
There can be times,
Yeah...
When no things come together,
Yeah...
Under a clear sky and you can believe,
Yeah...
You hold your breath for this moment,
Yeah...
But do not breathe for this day alone
Is a good day, yes I know,
It's a good day, yeah I know,
Today...
Hear her feet skipping up the stairs.
It's a good good day today.
She is the answer to all of my prayers.
It's a good good day today.
Mary comes now, she don't knock
'Cause she's runnin' on her own little clock
Mary's laughing 'cause Mary knows
That this day was meant for us.
And Mary full knows,
Yeah...
And any foresees that the future,
Yeah...
Is a-down on its knees
And are all crying and a-reelin'
And tears roll down their cheeks
'Cause I can believe in the one
That is standing in front of me
On this day, don't you know,
Is a good day, yes I know,
It's a good day, I told you so,
Today...
See her breasts how they rise and fall,
It's a good good day today.
And she knows I've used that line before,
It's a good good day today.
Mary's laughing, she don't mind
'Cause she knows she's one of a kind.
Mary's laughing, just to me,
Standing next to me
And April knows,
Yeah...
That the wind always blows
Something to someone,
Yeah...
Once in a while, so let it rain,
Let it fall,
Let the wind, oh, through your door
'Cause right now for this moment
For ever me,
Standing next to her,
On this day, which I know
Is a good day, yeah I know
Oh, it's a good day, I told you so
Today...
Come Into My Sleep :
Now that mountains of meaningless words
And oceans divide us;
And we each have our own set of stars
To comfort and guide us...
Come into my sleep,
Come into my sleep,
Oh, yeah...
Dry your eyes and do not weep
And come into my sleep.
Swim to me through the deep blue sea,
Upon the scattered stars set sail;
Fly to me through this love-lit night,
From one thousand miles away...
And come into my sleep,
Come into my sleep,
Oh, yeah...
As midnight nears and shadows creep,
Come into my sleep.
Bind my dreams up in your tangled hair,
For I am sick at heart, my dear.
Bound my dreams up in your tangled hair,
For all sorrow it will pass, my dear...
Take your accusations, your recriminations
And toss 'em into the ocean blue;
Leave all of your regrets and impossible longings
And scatter them across the sky behind you...
And come into my sleep,
Come into my sleep,
For my soul to comfort and keep:
Come into my sleep,
Oh yeah...
For my soul to comfort and keep...
My sleep...
Come on...
Babe, I Got you Bad :
Oh babe, I've got you bad,
Dreaming blood-wet dreams
Only mad men have;
Baby, I got you bad,
I wish to God I never had
And it a'makes me feels so sad,
Oh, baby I got you bad,
Yeah babe, I got you bad.
I long for your kiss,
The turn of your mouth
Your body is a long thing heading South
And I don't know what I'm talking about,
All my words don't matter
Oh baby, I got you bad.
The seasons have gone wrong,
And I lay me down in a bed of snow
Darling, since you've been gone,
Well, my hands they don't know where to go
And all my teeth are bared,
I got you so much I'm scared,
Oh baby, I got you bad.
With a sweep of my hand,
I undid all the plans
That exploded the moment I kissed you
On your small hot mouth
And your caramel limbs
Which are hymns to the glory that is you;
Look at me darling, it's sad sad sad
Oh look at me darling, it's sad sad sad,
But baby I got you bad.
Smoke bellowing from the bridges
And the rivers we swam in are boilin'
And my hands are reaching for you everywhere,
But you're not there, or you're recoiling
And a weary moon dangles from a cloud,
Oh darling I know it's not allowed
To say I've got you bad.
I got you bad...
Little Empty Boat :
You found me at some party,
you thought I'd understand...
You barreled over to me,
with a drink in each hand.
I respect your beliefs girl
and I consider you a friend,
but I've already been born once,
I don't wanna be born again.
Your knowledge is impressive
and your argument is good,
But I am the resurrection babe
and your standin' on my foot...
But my little boat is emtpy,
it don't go;
And my oar is broken,
it don't row row row...
My little boat is empty,
it don't go;
And my oar is broken,
it don't row row row...
Your tiny little face
keeps yappin' in the gloom;
seven steps behind me
with your dust-pan and broom.
I can't help but imagine you
all postured and prone,
but there's a little guy on my shoulder
'says I should go home alone...
But you keep leaning in on me
and you're lookin' pretty pissed;
that grave you've dug between
your legs is hard to resist...
But my little boat is empty,
it don't go;
And my oar is broken,
it don't row row row...
My little boat is empty,
it don't go;
and my oar is broken,
it don't row row row.
Give to God what belongs to God
and give the rest to me;
tell our gracious host to fuck himself,
it's time for us to leave...
But my little boat is empty,
it don't go;
and my oar is broken,
it don't row row row...
My little boat is empty,
it don't go;
and my oar is broken,
it don't row row row.
Right Now I'm a-roaming :
When I get home,
I'm gonna clean up my house;
When I get home,
I'm gonna kick out that mouse;
When I get home,
I'm gonna put things in order...
But right now, right right now,
right now I am a-roaming.
When I get home,
I'm gonna make that call;
When I get home,
I'm gonna talk it through;
When I get home,
I'm gonna straighten it out...
But right now, right now,
right now I am a-roaming.
When I get home,
I'm gonna give up the booze;
When I get home,
I'm gonna eat me some food;
When I get home,
I'm gonna kick them drugs...
But right now, right now,
right now I am a-roaming.
When I get home,
I'm gonna call my mother;
When I get home,
I'm gonna cook her some dinner;
When I get home,
I'm gonna invite my brothers...
But right now, right right now,
right now I am a-roaming.
When I get home,
I'm gonna see my little boy;
When I get home,
I'm gonna buy him a toy;
When I get home,
he's gonna jump for joy...
But right now, right right now,
right now I am a-roaming.
When I get home,
I'm gonna unpack my bags;
When I get home,
I'm gonna wash these dirty rags;
When I get home,
I'm gonna pack 'em up again
and I'm gonna go,
I'm gonna go,
I'm gonna go right back a'roaming.
The Ballad of Robert Moore and Betty Coltrane :
There was a thick-set man with frog-eyes was standing at the door
And a little bald man with wing-nut ears was waiting in the car
Well, Robert Moore passed the frog-eyed man as he walked into the bar
And Betty Coltrane, she jumped under her table...
"What's your pleasure?" asked the barman, he had a face like boiled meat;
"There's a girl called Betty Coltrane that I have come to see."
But I ain't seen that girl round here for more than a week"
And Betty Coltrane she hid beneath the table...
Well, then in came a sailor with mermaids tattooed on his arms,
Followed by the man with the wing-nut ears, who was waiting in the car;
Well, Robert Moore sensed trouble, he'd seen it coming from afar
And Betty Coltrane she gasped beneath the table...
Well, the sailor said, "I'm looking for my wife! They call her Betty Coltrane."
And the frog-eyed man said, "That can't be! That's my wife's maiden name!"
And the man with the wing-nut ears said, "Hey, I married her back in Spain!"
And Betty Coltrane crossed herself beneath the table...
Well, Robert Moore stepped up and said, "That woman is my wife."
And he drew a silver pistol and a wicked Bowie knife
And he shot the man with the wing-nut ears straight between the eyes
And Betty Coltrane she moaned under the table...
Well, the frog-eyed man jumped at Robert Moore who stabbed him in the chest;
As Mr. Frog-eyes died, he said, "Betty, you're the girl that I loved best"
Then the sailor pulled a razor and Robert Moore blasted him to bits
And, "Betty, I know you're under the table!"
"Well, have no fear" said Robert Moore "I do not want to hurt you!
Never a woman did I love near half as much as you;
You are the blessed sun to me, girl, and you are the sacred moon."
And Betty shot his legs out from under the table...
Well, Robert Moore went down heavy with a crash upon the floor
And over to his trashing body Betty Coltrane she did crawl;
She put the gun to the back of his head and pulled the trigger once more
And blew his brains out all over the table...
Well, Betty stood up and shook her head and waved the smoke away;
Said, "I'm sorry, Mr. Barman, to leave your place this way."
As she emptied out their wallets, she said, "I'll collect my severance pay..."
Then she winked and threw a dollar on the table.
King Kong Kitchee Kitchee Ki-Mi-O :
Mr. Frog went a-courting and he did ride
With a sword and a pistol by his side
And he rode 'til he came to Miss Mouse's door
And there he knelt down on the floor
He said, "Little Miss Mouse, will you marry me?"
Way down yonder in a hollow tree
With an owl and a bat and a bumble bee
Miss Mouse had suitors, three and four
And they came rushing through the door
Well, they grabbed Miss Mouse and began to fight
In the hollow tree it was a terrible night
"Little Miss Mouse, will you marry me?"
Way down yonder in a hollow tree
With an owl and a bat and bumble bee
Well, Mr. Frog threw the suitors to the floor
With his sword and his pistol he killed them all
And they went to the vicar the very next day
Then left on their honeymoon right away
Glory glory glory be
Way down yonder in a hollow tree
With an owl and a bat and a bumble bee.
Knoxville Girl :
I met a little girl in Knoxville,
A town we all know well.
And every Sunday evenin',
Out in her home I dwell.
We went to take an evenin' walk
About a mile from town.
I picked a stick up off the ground
And I knocked that fair girl down.
She fell down on her bended knees
And mercy she did cry.
"Oh really dear, don't kill me yet,
I'm unprepared to die..."
She never spoke another word,
I only beat her more
Until the ground around me
With her blood did flow.
I took her by her golden curls
And I dragged her round and round,
Throwing her into the river
That flows through Knoxville town...
"Go down, go down Knoxville girl!
With your dark and roven eyes...
Yeah, go down, go down Knoxville girl!
You can never be my bride."
I started back to Knoxville,
Got there about midnight.
My mother she was worried
And woke up in a fright
"Say there son, what have you done
To bloody up your clothes?"
I told my anxious mother
I was bleedin' of my nose.
I called for me a-candle
And I called for me a-bed
And I called for me a-handkerchief
To bind my achin' head.
I rolled and trashed the whole night through
Oh, horrors I did see:
The devil stood at the foot of my bed
Pointin' his finger at me.
They carried me down to Knoxville
And put me in a cell.
My friends all tried to get me out
But none could post my bail.
I'm here to waste my life away
Down in this dirty old jail
Because I murdered that Knoxville girl,
Girl I loved so well.
Blue Bird :
I got a blue bird
A blue bird on my shoulder
I got a blue bird
A blue bird on my shoulder
I saw her standing
Standing by the water
She was naked
Her hair in great disorder
And I know why I'm flying
And the rest is lies
I sent a warning
A warning of disaster
I sent a warning
I warned of great disaster
I sent that blue bird
That blue bird down the water
I sent that blue bird
Floating down the water
And I know that I'm flying
And the rest is lies
And I know that I'm flying
And the rest is lies.
Cassiel's Song :
We've come to bring you home
Haven't we, Cassiel?
To cast aside your loss and all of your sadness
And shuffle off that mortal coil and mortal madness
For we're here to pick you up and bring you home
Aren't we, Cassiel?
It's a place where you did not belong
Where time itself was mad and far too strong
Where life leapt up laughing and hit you hear on and hurt you
Didn't it hurt you, Cassiel?
While time outran you and trouble flew toward you
And you were there to greet it
Weren't you, foolish Cassiel?
But here we are, we've come to call you home
And here you'll stay, never more to stray
Where you can kick off your boots of clay
Can't you, Cassiel?
For death and you did recklessly collide
And time ran out of you, and you ran out of time
Didn't you, Cassiel?
And all the clocks in all the world
May this once just skip a beat in memory of you
But then again those damn clocks, they probably won't
Will they, Cassiel?
One moment you are there
Then strangely you are gone
But on behalf of us all here
We're glad to have you home
Aren't we, dear Cassiel?
Sail Away :
I climbed the hill, lay in the grass
A little dark-eyes girl drifted past
She said, "All the best has come, it could not last
And the worst is has come true"
Her hands were small and fluttered up
A lamb amongst the buttercups
I pulled on my coat and buttoned it up
For the worst it had come true
Sail away, sail away
To a place where your troubles can't follow
Sail away, sail away
Save all your tears for tomorrow
The fins of the city moved toward us
And the swallows swooped and the starlings warned us
And the peril in everything is assured us
That the worst it had come true
And all my sorrows made their bed beside me
The shame, the disgrace and the brutality
And she whispered then, "Let laughter flee
For the worst it has come true"
Dry your tears, forget why we're here
Leave all your sorrows behind you
Never lose heart, all things must pass
To a place where your troubles can't find you
She came beside me, amongst my coat
Her breath was warm against my throat
We clung to each other so very close
For the worst it had come true
Sail away, sail away
To a place where your heart will not shame you
Take my hand, through this night without end
For the worst it has come to claim you
Sail away, sail away
To a place where no one can betray you
Take my hand, through this night without end
For the worst it has come to claim you
The Train Song :
Tell me how long's the train been gone?
Tell me how long's the train been gone?
And was she there? And was she there?
Tell me how long's the train been gone?
Tell me how many coaches long?
Tell me how many coaches long?
What did she wear? And what did she wear?
Tell me how many coaches long?
Tell me when did the whistle blow?
Tell me when did the whistle blow?
And did she tie her hair?
And did she tie her hair?
Tell me when did the whistle blow?
Tell me how long's the train been gone?
Tell me how long's the train been gone?
And was she there? And was she there?
Tell me how long's the train been gone?
Shoot Me Down :
An old sentimental night
you roll me at your sides
you shot me down
Though I had no enemy here
you get me very near and shoot me down
shoot me down
your hands they flutter up
-?-
and shoot me down... in flames
Stand back baby, stand back and let me breathe
I think I must be filin’ outta here
I can hear the grass grow
I can hear the melting snow
I can feel your breath against my ear
I might just disappear
Yeah, wouldn't that be nice?
Yeah, wouldn't that be nice?
Well, wouldn't that be nice?
I look into your eyes
it comes as no great surprise
you're gonna shoot me down
shoot me down
I know that when you smile
it'll only be a short little while
Shoot me down... in flames
Shoot me down
in flames
Shoot me down
in flames
you're gonna shoot me down
oh, in flames
shoot me down, shoot me down
in flames
shoot me down in flames
shoot me down in flames
shoot me down in flames
Swing Low :
How is little Thomas Magee?
Thomas Magee, he swallowed a key
Jedediah, little Thomas Magee
Holly holly, just let him be...
His wife now, little Thomas Magee
called his kettle -?- on the telephone
heart was beating in my chest
I needed something I could not have guessed
the phone kept ringing there's no one home
ran to his house, rapped on my window
blood was pumping much too fast
I stuck my finger through the glass
strange music playing on the radio
Swing low
swing low
swing low
swing low,
way down low
and carry me home
Pray like Peter, preach like Paul
Jesus died to save us all
I climbed through the window
and crawled on the floor
I wrecked all of the furniture
but I still couldn't find what I was looking for
problems still reclaimed as a whole
cannot be solved and must be outgrown
the bottomless night still could not be known
the empty ring on the telephone
and the strange music playing on the radio
Swing low
swing low
swing low
swing low,
yeah way down low
and carry me home
Where you go?
Where do u go?
swing low, baby,
save my soul
Where do u go?
Where do u go?
yeah swing low baby save my soul
swing low (x10)
Little Ghost Song :
Please forgive me
(it's impossible to say)
if I appear unkind
(it's impossible to know)
but any fool can tell you,
it's all in your mind
Down in the meadow,
the old lion stirred
as his hands cross his mouth,
he has no use for word
Poor little girl,
with your hands full of snow.
Poor little girl,
'had no way to know
.
But you've got me eatin'
you've got me eatin' out
you've got me eatin'
right outta your hands
-?-
or the frozen field
and the hollyhocks hang harmlessly
and the old lion ?
But you've got me eatin'
you've got me eatin'
you've got me eatin' right outta your hands
you've got me eatin' right outta your hands
got me eatin' right outta your hands
got me eatin' right outta your hands
got me eatin' right outta your hands
Everything Must Converge :
Everything must converge,
In time
And so it goes, by and by.
Everything must converge,
Some day,
Somehow, some way...
Everything must converge,
In time,
Or so it seems and by and by,
Every little thing must converge,
It's true,
By and by and so they say...
Like the river that runs to the sea,
Like the sun going down on me...
Everything must converge,
One day
But I hope,
And I pray
That everything must converge,
It's true,
In time,
For me and you
Like the river that runs to the sea
Like the sun going down on me.
Everything... must converge
Everything... must converge
In time
In time
In time
