2)  have a cigar


in the time before the war
in many a far flung store
you could find yourself a fine hand rolled cigar
and now the story's told
how every cigar was rolled
in a long and smooth tobacco leaf of gold.

have a cigar,  have a cigar, boy

now they had to be wet and warm
so to keep them safe from harm
and to preserve their lovely shades of gold and brown.
in every cigar store
was a cedar humidor
in which were stored the fine hand rolled cigars.

have a cigar,  have a cigar, boy

and on every rich man's desk
was a good sized cedar chest
that was filled to the brim with fine hand rolled cigars.


have a cigar, boy  have a cigar,

now one cigar will take you quite far
it may do the trick and it might make you sick
but it will certainly last you all the way home.

in the time before the war
any man with money to burn
would use it to light a cigar.

have a cigar, boy.

now the man who smoked had a watch
and to the chain of the watch was attached
a tiny scissors with which to clip
the end of his cigar before he struck a match.

have a cigar.

now each cigar was made
and in its box was gently laid
by a little man from way down south
who was highly underpaid.

have a cigar

         
and on every rich man's desk
was a good sized cedar chest
that was filled to the brim with fine hand rolled cigars.

have a cigar


3) liza bookman


sister eliza bookman,
she taught me everything i know.
i used to watch her silver shoes
as she danced before the lord.
on the streets of harlem
she took me by the hand,
tried to set me on the road
that leads to the promised land.

sister liza bookman
you're with me still, i know
i can feel your piano rollin' and rollin'
down the heavenly road.

she took me to a storefront church
the sign said 'gospel light'
she said 'now won't you clap your hands
with these people all dressed in white'.
we started in to sing a song
soon i could hear a sound
a mighty cryin' in the wind
and thunder under the ground.

i sang with all my heart that night
i clapped with all of my might.
i had to get down on my knees.
my body was shakin' with fright
the sound of shouts and tambourines
was ringin' in my ears,
and when i looked up i saw sister 'liza's face
and it was covered with tears.

i must have passed out on the floor                  (  RIG version only )
'cause when i looked around
there was sister eliza
reachin' down to help me up off the ground.
she said ' god has blessed you, child
god  has given you sight
now take your brother by the hand
and walk with him into the light'.

i wouldn't blame you now
if you walk away
i've been down so low so long
all i'm good for anyway
is ramblin' around after midnight
and stealin' love.  stealin' love

oh, every song i ever dreamed
you sang it easily
what a fool,  i couldn't bear
to hear the melody i'd rather be
ramblin' around after midnight
and stealin' love.

your love was bloomin' on my doorstep
it was just like a big red rose
but i was afraid  to see
i wandered aimlessly
i had to watch the flower close.

so go, on walk out the door
when your face is gone
i'll sit and cry and think awhile
and when the night comes on
i'll be ramblin' around after midnight
and stealin' love.

your love was bloomin' on my doorstep
oh, just like a big red rose.
you gave me all you had
and i gave you nothin' back
now i can't see your love
as it grows and grows.   yeah,

go on walk out the door
i'll cry these tears alone
i'll watch the wall as shadows fall
and when the night comes on
i'll be ramblin' around after midnight
and stealin' love.

ramblin' around after midnight
and stealin' love.   stealin' love

5) strongest love



lyin' in the dark of the darkest night
thinkin' that you're all alone
soneone's gonna come around to care for you
if you try to make it on your own.

you're walkin' down a dusty highway
underneath a burnin' sun
your feet are tired but you can't sit down
until your race is run.

just when the road seems endless
that's when your love should be strongest.
just when the road seems endless
that's when your love should be strongest.

just when your ship is sinkin' down
out on the dark and stormy deep
bail out your boat, there's a calm sea comin'
it's goin' to rock you off to sleep.

just when your heart is locked away
in the loneliest misery
someone's on his way with the keys in his pocket
he's goin' to set your spirit free.

6)  three steps


when i hear a gospel song
ringin' out so clear and strong
i'm three steps closer to my Lord.

when i feel my spirit lifted
that was bended low and weary
i'm three steps...

when he carries me away
to the place i long to be
i can feel a thrill run through me
from my head down to my feet
and doors begin to open
that before i could not see
i'm three steps.......

now i am only one branch
on a deeply rooted tree
but i'm three steps.....

and if that branch should break
and fall into the sea
i'm three steps.....

and though my soul be tossed
out upon the ocean wide
he'll lift me up into a place
where eagles cannot fly
and set me down so gently
upon the other side.
three steps......

if he had spoke to me this morning
in a voice as clear as day
i would have been afraid to answer
as though my tongue were made of clay
but now that light is so intensified
that i have fallen where i stand
and my own poor eyes are blinded
he's goin' to have to lead me by my hand
i'm three steps.....

when i am so discouraged
i can only see the ground
i'm three steps......

then i know he'll be my light
though there's darkness all around
i'm three steps..

and if i can just remember
that he gave me this song
and sing it out and sing it loud
every day my whole life long
then he goin' to take me higher
i'll be right where i belong
three steps closer to my Lord

and he takin' me higher
higher every day
i can see the gates of heaven shining
shinin' every day........

i was standing on the banks
of a river, clear and wide,
and a man was standing
so still on the other side.
he reached out his hand to me.
he said, "the water is just like the land.
If you want to find me bad enough
why then soon we'll be hand in hand."

then he spoke, he said, i know a place
where we'll never, never have to part.
you can find this special place.
oh, it's deep inside your heart.
i will be your treasure there,
that no man can steal away.
and time will not destroy it,
though you use it every day.

i'm gonna walk, walk on the water,
with Jesus, my savior.   
walk on the water,
with Jesus, my lord.
i'm gonna walk, on the water,
until i reach his precious side.
i'm gonna sing my song in glory,
for the rest of my natural life.

don't spend your time thinkin' about
where you're gonna lay your head.
just take care of business for me
and i'll see that you find a bed.
i watch over the sparrow
as she wings across the sky,
and i give a coat to every lily
in the meadow where she lies.

and brother, don't you bother about
your family or your  friends.
friends and relations might cause hesitation,
but that's where trouble begins.
you got to love me more
than the ties that hold you down
if you want to walk on the water now,
and wear that heavenly  crown.