[Country Joe's Place]

Tonight I'm Singing Just For You

[_____________________]

[Tonight I'm Singing Just For You]

Side 1:
  1. Ring of Fire (2:27) *
  2. Tennessee Stud (3:17) *
  3. Heartaches by the Number (2:42) *
  4. Tiger by the Tail (2:02)
  5. Crazy Arms (2:55)
  6. You've Done Me Wrong (1:43)
Side 2:
  1. All of Me Belongs to You (2:19) *
  2. Oklahoma Hills (2:40)
  3. Tonight I'm Singing Just For You (3:23) *
  4. Friend, Lover, Woman, Wife (2:50)
  5. Six Days on the Road (2:17)

[_____________________]

Ring of Fire

Love is a burning thing
And it makes the fiery ring
Bound by wild desire
I fell into a ring of fire.

I fell into a burning ring of fire
I went down, down, down and the flames went higher
And it burns, burns, burns, the ring of fire,
The ring of fire.

I fell into a burning ring of fire
I went down, down, down and the flames went higher
And it burns, burns, burns, the ring of fire,
The ring of fire.

The taste of love is sweet
When hearts like ours meet.
I felt for you like a child
And old but the fire went wild.

I fell into a burning ring of fire
I went down, down, down and the flames went higher
And it burns, burns, burns, the ring of fire
The ring of fire.

I fell into a burning ring of fire
I went down, down, down and the flames went higher
And it burns, burns, burns, the ring of fire,
The ring of fire.

Tennessee Stud

Long about eighteen twenty-five
I left Tennessee very much alive.
Never would've gotten through the Arkansas mud
If I hadn't been a-ridin' on a Tennessee stud.

Tennessee stud was long and lean,
The color of the sun, his eyes were green.
He had the nerve and he had the blood,
There never was a horse like Tennessee stud.

Had some trouble with my sweetheart's Pa,
One of her brothers was a bad outlaw.
Sent her a letter about my uncle Fud
And I rode away on a Tennessee stud.

I rode on down through a beautiful land,
I ran smack into an Indian band,
Jumped their necks with a whoop and a yell
And I rode away like a bat out of hell.

Circled their camp a time or two
Just to show 'em what a Tennessee horse can do.
Redskin bucks couldn't get my bud
'Cause I was riding on a Tennessee stud.

So I rode on down through a beautiful land
Across the river called the Rio Grande,
Raced my horse with a spaniard's fold
And won me a sack full of silver and gold.

Me and a gambler, we couldn't agree,
Got in a fight over Tennessee.
Drew our guns and he fell with a thud
And I rode away on a Tennessee stud.

Tennessee stud is long and lean,
The color of the sun, his eyes are green.
He had the nerve and he had the blood,
There never was a horse like the Tennessee stud.

Got just as lonesome as a man can be,
Dreamed about my girl back in Tennessee.
Tennessee stud's green eyes turned blue
'Cause he was dreaming of his sweetheart, too.

So we loped on back 'cross Arkansas
And I whooped her mother and I whooped her pa.
Found that girl with the golden hair
And she was riding on a Tennessee mare.

Stirrup to stirrup and side by side
We crossed the mountains and the valleys wide,
Come to Big Muddy, but we forded the flood
On a Tennessee mare and a Tennessee stud.

Pretty little baby on the cabin floor,
Little horses colt playing round the door.
I love the girl with the golden hair
And the Tennessee stud loves the Tennessee mare.

Tennessee stud is long and lean,
The color of the sun, his eyes are green,
He had the nerve and he had the blood,
There never was a horse like the Tennessee stud

Never was a horse like the Tennessee stud
Never was a horse like the Tennessee stud
Never was a horse like the Tennessee stud.

There never was a horse like the Tennessee stud
There never was a horse like the Tennessee stud ...

Heartaches by the Number

Heartache number one was when you left me,
I never knew that I could feel this way.
And heartache number two was when you came back again —
You came back but never meant to stay.

Now I've got heartaches by the number, troubles by the score,
Every day you love me less, each day I love you more.
Yes, I've got heartaches by the number, a love that I can't win
But the day that I stop countin', that's the day my world will end.

Heartache number three was when you called me,
You said that you were coming home to stay.
With hopeful heart I waited for your knock on the door,
I waited but you must have lost your way.

Now I've got heartaches by the number, troubles by the score,
Every day you love me less, each day I love you more.
Yes, I've got heartaches by the number, a love that I can't win
But the day that I stop countin', that's the day my world will end.

Tiger by the Tail

I've got a tiger by the tail, it's plain to see,
And I won't be much when you get through with me.
Well, I'm losing weight and turning mighty pale,
And it looks like I have got a tiger by the tail.

Well, I thought the day that I met you, you were meek as a lamb,
Just the kind to fit my dreams and plans.
And now the pace we're living takes the wind from my sails,
And it looks like I have got a tiger by the tail.

I've got a tiger by the tail, it's plain to see,
And I won't be much when you get through with me.
Well, I'm losing weight and turning mighty pale,
And it looks like I have got a tiger by the tail.

Well, every night you drag me where the bright lights are found,
There ain't no way for me to slow you down.
I'm about as helpless as a leaf in a gale,
And it looks like I have got a tiger by the tail.

I've got a tiger by the tail, it's plain to see,
And I won't be much when you get through with me.
Well, I'm losing weight and turning mighty pale,
And it looks like I have got a tiger,
It looks like I have got a tiger,
It looks like I have got a tiger by the tail.

Crazy Arms

Now blue ain't the word for the way that I feel
And the storms brewing in this heart of mine.
This ain't no crazy dream, I know that it's real,
You're someone else's love now, you're not mine.

Crazy arms that reach to hold somebody new,
For my yearning heart keeps saying you're not mine.
My troubled mind knows soon to another you'll be wed,
And that's why I'm lonely all the time.

Please take the treasured dreams I had for you and me
And take all the love I thought was mine.
Someday my crazy arms may hold somebody new,
But now I'm so lonely all the time.

Crazy arms that reach to hold somebody new,
For my yearning heart keeps saying you're not mine.
My troubled mind knows soon to another you'll be wed,
And that's why I'm lonely all the time.

You've Done Me Wrong

Well, you tell me that you care
But now you're gone
You got me crying.
No use denying
You done me wrong.

If I could look inside
Your heart then maybe I
Would know the reason
Why you were leaving
Me alone.

Well, you know
It's not so
When you say you tried
Well you know you lied,
I didn't do one wrong thing to you.

Won't you tell me
Why you went away
And left me here so lonely,
I miss you only
For I love you.

Did I ever make you sad
So you'd be mad
Enough to hurt me
And desert me
For so long ?

Well, you're tellin' everyone
What you've done,
You think it's funny.
Well, listen, honey,
You done me wrong.

Well, you know
It's not so
When you say you tried
Well you know you lied,
I didn't do one wrong thing to you.

Won't you tell me
Why you went away
And left me here so lonely ?
I miss you only
For I love you.

All of Me Belongs to You

All of me belongs to you all the time,
You're the only one that's ever on my mind.
There's no way that I could ever be untrue,
There's not one single part of me that don't miss you through and through,
'Cause all of me belongs to you.

My eyes are worthless 'cause you're not here to see,
My lips are so forgotten since you've forgotten me.
My arms are aching from reaching out for you the way they do.
There's not one single part of me that my heart don't include,
'Cause all of me belongs to you.

Fingers claw the darkness in my dreams
Searching for a love I've lost but can't redeem.
Hey, I'm yours, and I can't give my heart to someone new,
There's not one single part of me that my heart don't include,
'Cause all of me belongs to you.

Fingers claw the darkness in my dreams
Searching for a love I've lost but can't redeem.
Hey, I'm yours, and I can't give my heart to someone new,
There's not one single part of me that my heart don't include,
'Cause all of me belongs to you.

Oklahoma Hills

Many a month has come and gone
Since I wandered from my home
In those Oklahoma hills where I was born.
Many a page of life has turned,
Many a lesson I have learned,
While I feel like in those hills I still belong.

But as I sit here today
Many miles I am away
From the place I rode my pony through the draw
While the oaken black jack trees
Kiss the purple prairie breeze
In those Oklahoma hills where I was born.

Way down yonder in the Indian Nation
Ride my pony on the reservation
In those Oklahoma hills where I was born,
Way down yonder in the Indian Nation
A cowboy's life was my occupation
In those Oklahoma hills where I was born.

Now as I turn life a page
To the land of the great old sage
In those Oklahoma hills where I was born
While the black oil rolls and flows
And the snow white cotton grows
In those Oklahoma hills I still belong.

Way down yonder in the Indian Nation
Ride my pony on the reservation
In those Oklahoma hills where I was born,
Way down yonder in the Indian Nation
A cowboy's life was my occupation
In those Oklahoma hills where I was born.

Way down yonder in the Indian Nation
Ride my pony on the reservation
In those Oklahoma hills where I was born,
Way down yonder in the Indian Nation
A cowboy's life was my occupation
In those Oklahoma hills where I was born.

Tonight I'm Singing Just For You

My goal was fame and fortune at the start,
I played and sang to make my dreams come true.
But darling, listen carefully with your heart,
'Cause tonight I'm singing just for you,
Yes, tonight I'm singing just for you.

I hear my records on the radio.
I hope tonight my dear you hear them, too.
For though they're dedicated to Ann and Jane and Sue,
Tonight I'm singing just for you,
Tonight I'm singing just for you.

Each girl feels I'm singing for her and only her,
For each girl knows that what I sing is true.
But darling, the real reason they believe in me
Is because I'm so in love with you
And they can feel that love light shining through.

Darling, the real reason they believe in me
Is because I'm so in love with you
And they can feel that love light shining through.

Friend, Lover, Woman, Wife

Well, she's a friend, she's a lover,
She's a woman, she's a wife,
She's the answer to the prayer that every lonely man dreams of.
She's a temptress, she's a lady,
She's the mother of my baby
And I thank God that I'm the lucky man she loves.

Sometimes I lie awake and watch her sleeping
And I just wanna bust and love drops fill my eyes
I wonder what she'd think if she woke up and caught me weeping,
'Cause daddy's heroes ain't supposed to cry.

You know the morning always seems to catch us laughing,
We got the baby in the bed between us safe and warm.
And I thank the Lord above for all the good times I'm having
Wrapped up in my woman's loving arms.

'Cause she's a friend, she's a lover,
She's a woman, she's a wife,
She's the answer to the prayer that every lonely man dreams of.
She's a temptress, she's a lady,
She's the mother of my baby
And I thank God that I'm the lucky man she loves.

When the load gets heavy on my shoulders
I can't keep the pace and I need a place to hide,
I run home to my own little world and take her in my arms and hold her
And I soon forget that there's another world outside.

Well, she's a friend, she's a lover,
She's a woman, she's a wife,
She's the answer to the prayer that every lonely man dreams of.
She's a temptress, she's a lady,
She's the mother of my baby
And I thank God that I'm the lucky man she loves.

Six Days on the Road

Well, I pulled out of Pittsburgh rolling on the Eastern seaboard.
I've got my diesel wound up and she's running like never before.
There's a speed zone ahead on right and I don't see a cop in sight,
Six days on the road, now I'm gonna make it home tonight.

Well, it seems like a month since I kissed my baby goodbye,
And I can have a lot of women, but I'm not like some other guys.
I can find one to hold me tight, but I couldn't make believe it's alright.
Six days on the road, now I'm gonna make it home tonight.

I got a ten forward gears and a Georgia overdrive.
I take little white pills and my eyes are open wide.
I just passed a "Gimmy" and a "White", I've been passing everything in sight,
Six days on the road, now I'm gonna make it home tonight.

Well, the I.C.C. is a-checking on down the line.
I'm a little overweight and my log blows way behind.
But nothing bothers me tonight, I can dodge all the scales all right,
Six days on the road, now I'm gonna make it home tonight.

Well, my rig's a little low, but that don't mean she's slow.
There's a flame from her stack and the smoke's blowing black as coal.
My hometown's coming in sight, if you think I'm happy, you're right,
Six days on the road, now I'm gonna make it home tonight.
Six days on the road, now I'm gonna make it home tonight.

[_____________________]

Recorded at Bradley's Barn, Mt. Juliet, Wilson County, TN, August 1969
Producer: Samuel Charters
(with many thanks to ED Denson for his help with the session)
Engineer : Jerry Bradley
Mixing: Jack Lothrop

Joe McDonald: vocals
Grady Martin: dobro, sitar, guitar
Ray Edenton: guitar
Harold Bradley: guitar
Hal Rugg: steel guitar
Hargus Robbins: piano
Norbert Putnam: bass
Buddy Harmon: drums
The Jordanaires: backing vocals *

Original vinyl release: Vanguard VSD 6557 [March, 1970]
Original CD release:  One Way OW 31000 [July 18, 1995]

Ring of Fire (Merle Kilgore, June Carter) copyright © by Painted Desert Music Corp., BMI
Tennessee Stud (Jimmy Driftwood) copyright © by Warden Music, BMI
Heartaches by the Number (Harlan Howard) copyright © by Sony/ATV Songs Tree, BMI
Tiger by the Tail (Harlan Howard, Buck Owens) copyright © by Sony/ATV Songs Tree, BMI
Crazy Arms (Ralph Mooney, Chuck Seals) copyright © by Pamper Music, BMI
You Done Me Wrong (Ray Price, George Jones) copyright © by Cedarwood Publishing, Fort Knox Music Inc, Starrite Publishing Co, Trio Music Co Inc, BMI
All of Me Belongs to You (Merle R. Haggard) copyright © by Sony/ATV Songs Tree, BMI
Oklahoma Hills (Leon Jerry Guthrie, Woody Guthrie) copyright © by Michael H. Goldsend, Inc, ASCAP
Tonight I'm Singing Just For You (Billy Edd Wheeler, Jerry Lieber) copyright © by Trio Music & Butterfield Music Corp., BMI
Friend, Lover, Woman, Wife (Mac Davis) copyright © by Screen Gems-EMI Music Inc., BMI
Six Days on the Road (Earl Greene, Carl Montgomery) copyright © by Southern Arts Music &Tune Publishers Inc, BMI

The cover portrait is of Joe and Robin McDonald, and their daughter, Seven. Photographed in the Berkeley hills by Jules E. Kliot.

This page made possible through the kind assistance of Serge Mironneau.

[_____________________]


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