• Song:

    Stage Fright

  • Artist:

    The Band

  • Album:

    To Kingdom Come (The De...

The Band
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Album: Stage Fright
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Tracks

1. Strawberry Wine  
2. Sleeping  
3. Time To Kill  
4. Just Another Whistle Stop  
5. All La Glory  
6. The Shape I'm In  
7. W.S. Walcott Medicine Show  
8. Daniel & The Sacred Harp  
9. Stage Fright  
10. The Rumor

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Track 1. Strawberry Wine
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by L.Helm and J.R.Robertson. Album: Stage Fright 
© 1970 Canaan Music, Inc. 
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A7 B7
E7                 A  E  E7                  A E
I would try my finger and I would try my hand
   E7
At any fool game in this man's land
    A7                                         E7
But don't you talk about this-a friend of mine,
           B7                    A7              E7
I ain't never been let down and you'd be wastin' time.

I would scratch and steal, I would maim a man,
I would even run the bounty across the other country,
So don't you talk about this here friend of mine,
I gave it all of my money, but it makes me feel fine.

        E7
Yeah, I know you won't give me no peace of mind,
Try to understand I just wanna feel good all the time.
A7                                             E7
 Don't you talk about a dear old friend of mine,
            B7
Well, I know that you are sweet and more than double fine.

Everybody said you oughta marry that rich man down the line,
But if I had to make a choice I wouldn't change my mind.
       A7
Honey, you just ain't as sweet as my strawberry wine,
   E7 A7                    E7 A7                    E7 A7 A
Oh no, no no no no no no no no, no no no no no no no no.

Yeah, You caught me when I's down a-sleepin' in the park,
Climbin' up the walls and laughin' in the dark.
But I heard you been talkin' about a dear old friend of mine,
Never tasted anything as sweet as my strawberry wine,
No, no no no no no, no no no no no no no no,
No, no no no no no no no.
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Track 2.Sleeping
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by R.Manuel and J.R.Robertson. Album: Stage Fright 
© 1970 Canaan Music, Inc. 
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Intro: F C, Eb Bb, Bb/F F

        F       C/E          Dm7        F7/C
For the life we chose in the evening we rose,

Bbmaj9    A7     A7/C# Dm7    F6/C  F6
just long enough to be lovers again.

    Bb          F/A       Gm7           Gm7/C
And for nothing more, the world was too sore

   F       Eb/F    F
To live in.

Sad old ships, 
A morning eclipse,
I spent my whole life guessing,
Then I turned from the sun
And saw everyone
Searching.

    F                                     Bb
The hoot owl and his song, will bring you along

F      C        Eb Bb    Bb/F    F
Where else on earth would you wanna go?

       F                                    Bb
We can leave all this hate, before it's too late

F       C  Eb Bb   Bb/F     F
Why would we wanna come back at all?

Cobwebs on my pillow,
I'm found in the willow,
I'd spend my whole life sleeping.
To be called by noon
Is to be called too soon
Today.

The storm is passed,
There is peace at last,
I'll spend my whole life sleeping.
Now there's not a sound,
No one to be found
Anywhere.

The shepherd and his sheep
Will wind you to sleep,
Where else on earth would you wanna go ?
To a land of wonder
When you go under,
Why would we want to come back at all ?

Coda: F Eb/F F7              
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Track 3. Time To Kill
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by J.R.Robertson. Album: Stage Fright 
© 1970 Canaan Music, Inc. 
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       A
The many roads I've covered,
       F#
The many trails I've burned,
      B
But when our paths did cross, love, whew!
     E
My whole world made a turn.

                     A
And we've got time to kill,

What a thrill,
E
June and July.
               D
We've got all our love,

Buckets of,
       E
The tears that we cried.
                             A
Now we don't cry no more,
                      D
Gonna bolt the door.
                                E
Don't know what we've got,
                         D
But it feels like a lot,
                          A        E
We don't need no more.

When my day's work is done
We can take in a jamboree,
But I just wanna sit down by the fire
With my love right here beside me.

We've got time to kill,
Catskill,
Sweet by and by.
We've got all our love,
The sky above,
The twinkle in your eye.

Now where the wheel might roll
Is where my love and I shall go.
We're gonna plant the seed,
There ain't nothing we need,
We found our own rainbow.

My love wants to have her fortune read
And I know that she's in a hurry.
If we go along the straight and narrow,
You don't even have to worry.

We've got time to kill,
Standin' still,
Go on, give it a try!
We've got all our love,
Mountains of,
The trees are so high.

We don't need no big car,
Don't eat no caviar.
When we come to rest
We take to the nest
You know where we are.
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Track 4. Just Another Whistle Stop
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by R.Manuel and J.R.Robertson. Album: Stage Fright 
© 1970 Canaan Music, Inc. 
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Intro:
Am Bb G  C / Bm / Am / G / F / /

C                 Bb
To all concerned dead or alive
Am             Ab
The locomotive will arrive
Bringin' souls from all around,
They'll be bound for higher ground.
Look out, stranger, it's comin' through
With plenty of room for me and you.
          C           Am     
And it's just another whistle stop
    Dm            
If you don't quit till we reach the top
C Bm Am G  F
I'd     be much obliged to you

Am Bb C
       Odd man out,
       You know that's the rule.
       You can scream and you can shout,
       But they'll only call you a crazy fool.
Am Bb C Eb               Ab
          Pay no mind to what they say
Eb                         Ab    Am  Bb G   Back to intro at the C
When they're `bitter they talk that way

I seen a young boy on the run
And I seen other children havin' fun.
A police siren flashing light,
I wonder who went down tonight.
People, people, where do you go
before you believe in what you know ?
It's just another whistle stop,
If you don't quit till we reach the top
I'd be much obliged to you.

When the trolley is clean out of reach,
A certain lesson it will teach.
To grind your ax until it's dull,
You've got to get it in your skull.
Tell the people all across the sea
Don't turn your back because it's free.
It's just another whistle stop,
If you don't quit till we reach the top
I'd, I'd be much obliged to you.

And it's odd man out,
You know that's the rule.
You can scream and you can shout,
But they'll only call you a crazy fool.
Pay no mind to what you read,
There's one way home that's guaranteed.

C / Bm / Am / G / F / Em / Dm / C#  Round Again
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Track 5. All La Glory
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by J.R.Robertson. Album: Stage Fright 
© 1970 Canaan Music, Inc. 
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D             Bm7           Em7
 I wanna hear pitter patter
      G      A           D
Climb up your ladder now
Bm7            Em7               A
 It's time for you to dream away,
G                  Bm
 For what a big day you've been through.
Gm7/Bb-bass                                  F#m          D
 You've done all the things that you wanted to do.
    D/C#-bass G     D             G
 All la       glory, I'm second story,
D    A      G D      A 
 Feel so tall like a prison wall.

I'm lookin' for a star bright
To shine down your light now
And keep the little one safe and warm,
'Cause to her it's just a fantasy
And to me it's all a mystery.
All la glory, I'm second story,
Feel so tall like a prison wall.

Em7                       A           A/G-bass
 And before the leaves all turn brown,
F#m               Bm            Bm/A-bass
 Before they fall to the ground,
G             Gm        D
 You will find the harmony,
         A
Wait and see.

Listen to the serenade,
Little girl, promenade now.
You've got the sunshine in your hand
And maybe come some sweet day
You'll walk that Milky Way.
All la glory, I'm second story,
Feel so tall like a prison wall,

A A/G-bass D    D/C#-bass Bm G/A-bass D
  That     tall
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Track 6. The Shape I'm In
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by J.R.Robertson. Album: Stage Fright 
© 1970 Canaan Music, Inc. 

For an analysis of the lyrics, and more, see D L Lewis' article on "Shape I'm In". 
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G              C G                   C
 Go out yonder,   peace in the valley
G                 C     G                  C
 Come downtown, have to rumble in the alley
D                      G
Oh, you don't know the shape I'm in

Has anybody seen my lady
This living alone will drive me crazy
Oh, you don't know the shape I'm in

C             Dm            Em Dm(E bass) C
 I'm gonna go down by the wa - ter
C                  Dm             Em Dm(E bass)
 But I ain't gonna jump in, no, no
C             Dm             Em  Dm(E bass)
 I'll just be looking for my mak - er
F                      D7
 And I hear that that's where she's been? Oh!

Out of nine lives, I spent seven
Now, how in the world do you get to Heaven
Oh, you don't know the shape I'm in

I just spent 60 days in the jailhouse
For the crime of having no dough
Now here I am back out on the street
For the crime of having nowhere to go

Save your neck or save your brother
Looks like it's one or the other
Oh, you don't know the shape I'm in

Now two young kids might start a ruckus
You know they feel you trying to shuck us
Oh, you don't know the shape I'm in
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Track 7. W.S. Walcott Medicine Show
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by J.R.Robertson. Album: Stage Fright 
© 1970 Canaan Music, Inc. 
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Verse:
 G                                 F
When your arms are empty,  got no  where to go
 G       D7        G
Come on out and catch the show
           G                             B7
There'll be saints and sinners you'll see losers and winners
 C                           C#dim
All kinds of people you might want to know
          G                    E7          
Once you get it,   You can't forget it,
       Eb      D7      G
W.S. Walcott Medicine Show

        C          D             E
You know he always holds it in a tent,
              G           C              D
And if you're looking for the real thing,
       C        D7       G
He can show you where it went.

There's a young faith healer he's a woman stealer
He will cure by his command
When the music's hot you might have to stand
To hear the Klondike Klu Klux steamboat band
Don't you sweat it  You can't forget it 
W.S. Walcott Medicine Show

I'd rather die happy than not die at all
And a man is a fool  who will not heed the call

Gonna see Miss Brer Foxhole[*] she's got diamonds in her teeth
She is real gold down underneath
She's a rock and roll singer and a true dead ringer
For something like you ain't never seen
Once you get it,  You can't forget it   
W.S. Walcott Medicine Show
W.S. Walcott Medicine Show
W.S. Walcott Medicine Show
W.S. Walcott Medicine Show

[*] aka. "Diamond Teeth Mary" 
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Track 8. Daniel and the Sacred Harp
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by J.R.Robertson. Album: Stage Fright 
© 1970 Canaan Music, Inc. 

See Peter Viney's article for more about this song.
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Chorus:
  G                     D
Daniel, Daniel and the sacred harp,
  C                   G
Dancing through the clover.
  C             Bm
Daniel, Daniel would you mind,
D7            G
If I look it over.

Verse:
    G                         C                    D7   G
I heard of this famous harp years ago  back in my home town
                               C                             D        Em
But I sure never thought old Daniel be the one to come and bring it around
 G              D            C                 G
Tell me Daniel how the harp came into your posession.
                     D                   C                  G
Are you one of the chosen few who will march in the procession?
C     Em

and Daniel said:
 G                     D               G          D
The sacred harp was handed down, from father unto son,
     C            Bm              Am           D7
And me not being related,  I could never be the one.
       G               D         G            D
So I saved up all my silver, and took it to a man,
      C             Bm               Am              G
Who said he could deliver the harp, straight into my hand.

       Em                 A
Three years I waited patiently, 
             D                            C
'Till he returned with the harp from the sea of Galilee.
       Em                   A                   
He said there is one more thing I must ask, 
     D               C
But not of personal greed.
      Bm                       Am
But I wouldn't listen I just grabbed the harp,
          D7                G
And said take what you may need.

      G                     C                        D        G
Now Daniel looked quite satisfied, and the harp it seemed to glow.
                                 C                     D    Em
But the price that Daniel had really paid, he did not even know.
 G                      D7    
Back to his brother he took his troubled mind.
        C                    G
And he said dear brother I'm in a bind.
                           D7           
But the brother would not hear his tale, 
        C                  G
he said Old Daniel's gonna land in jail.
G                  D               
So to his father Daniel did run,   
       G                   D
And he said oh father what have I done.
       C                    Bm                    Am
His father said son you've given in, you know you won your harp,
         G
But you lost in sin.

       Em                           A
Then Daniel took the harp and went high on the hill,
        D                               C
And he blew across the meadow like a whippoorwhill.
     Em                           A
He played out his heart just the time to pass,
             D                       C                       G
But as he looked to the ground, he noticed no shadow did he cast.

Repeat Chorus
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Track 9. Stage Fright
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by J.R.Robertson. Album: Stage Fright 
© 1970 Canaan Music, Inc. 
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Em                          A
 Now deep in the heart of a lonely kid
Em(G bass)    D           C            Single notes: B Eb
 Who suffered so much for what he did,
Em                            A
 They gave this ploughboy his fortune and fame,
Em(G bass)  D            C             Single notes: B D
 Since that day he ain't been the same.

G                     Am
 See the man with the stage fright
F                 F(D bass)       G
 Just standin' up there to give it all his might.
                         Am
And he got caught in the spotlight,
F
 But when we get to the end
D                          G
 He wants to start all over again.

I've got fire water right on my breath
And the doctor warned me I might catch a death.
Said, "You can make it in your disguise,
Just never show the fear that's in your eyes."

See the man with the stage fright,
Just standin' up there to give it all his might.
He got caught in the spotlight,
But when we get to the end
He wants to start all over again.

F#m                      Bm
 Now if he says that he's afraid,
C        D            G
 Take him at his word.
F#m                        Bm
And for the price that the poor boy has paid,
C               C#o              D Eb          Em 
 He gets to sing just like a bird, oh, ooh ooh ooh.

Your brow is sweatin' and your mouth gets dry,
Fancy people go driftin' by.
The moment of truth is right at hand,
Just one more nightmare you can stand.

See the man with the stage fright
Just standin' up there to give it all his might.
And he got caught in the spotlight,
But when we get to the end
He wants to start all over again, hmm hmm,

F          D           G
 You wanna try it once again, hmm hmm,
F  D               G
 Please don't make him stop, hmm hmm,
F        D                G
 Let him take it from the top, hmm hmm,
F        D               G
 Let him start all over again
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Track 10. The Rumor
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by J.R.Robertson. Album: Stage Fright 
© 1970 Canaan Music, Inc. 
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E      G      A      B7    
E      G      A      B7

E            A     D             E  
Now when the rumor comes to your town,
C#m          Abm             C#m            A   B 
It grows and grows, where it started no one knows.

E            A         D                    E
Some of your neighbors will invite it right in,
C#m          Abm  C#m            C#m     
Maybe it's a lie, even if it's a sin,
        A          B7    E      E7
They'll repeat the rumor again.

A          G     F#m   B7       E    A
Close your eyes, hang down your head
A         B7          E   E7  
Until the fog blows away, let it roll away.
A            G   F#m   B7      E      A
Open up your arms and feel the good,

A      B7        B7        E    G  A  B7  E   G   A   B7
It's a-comin', a brand new day, hmm hmm.

Big men, little men turned into dust,
Maybe it was all in fun, they didn't mean to ruin no one.
Could there be someone, someone here among this crowd
Who's been accused, had his name so misused
And his privacy refused ?

Close your eyes, hang your head
Until the fog blows away, let it roll away,
Open up your arms and feel the good,
It's a-comin', a brand new day,
Hmm.. no, no, no.

Now all you vigilantes wanna make a move,
Maybe they won't, you know I sure hope they don't.
For whether this rumor proves true or false,
You can forgive or you can regret,
But he will never ever forget.

Close your eyes, hang down your head,
Until the fog blows away, let it roll away.
Open up your arms and feel the good,
It's a-comin', a brand new day,
Hmm, la la la la la,
Oh oh la la la la la.
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