WOULDN'T YOU?
Copyright©by Rick Yost

As old as I am
You'd think I'd know
How the world works
And what makes it go
Wouldn't you?
Wouldn't you?

You'd think by now
I'd understand the way it is
You'd think the world
Would be better than this
Wouldn't you?
Wouldn't you?

It's a strange story told at night
And the keeper of the fire
Keeps it burnin' bright
Burnin' bright

Now I see big brother
How we are the same
Not by the blood we pump so hard
But we burn a flame
Burn a flame

I live on the back-side of the Moon
I'm not afraid of the dark
I think It's cool
So cool

Oh Mother night
Keep me warm
It won't be long,
I'll be comin' home
Comin' home

And as old as we are
You'd think we'd know
How the world works
And what makes it go
Wouldn't you?
Wouldn't you?

I WOULD BE KING
Copyright© by Rick Yost

I have witnessed things
I will never speak of
I've done things I just can't explain
But if the world judged men
By the wealth of their souls
I would be King
Yes I would be King

Folks where I come from
Dream of where I've been
They don't see that I have been insane
This life has been full of
Sweet tears of joy
Tempered with a blinding pain
Tempered with a blinding pain

I've seen with my own eyes
Things you would not believe
I've gone where I never should've been
But if the world judged men
By the wealth of their souls
I would be King
Yes I would be King

This love I have found
Took me by surprise
I thought I'd seen all I would see
To think I might have missed
My Baby's sweet kiss
This life was waiting here for me
All this love was waiting here for me

Repeat 1st Chorus

SUCCESSFUL MAN
Copyright ©by Rick Yost

The last twenty years
Went by so fast
I'm not at all where
I thought I'd be

And the dreams that I had
They've all left me now
My life's a blur
That's hard to see

Chorus:
But now I'm learning
To be a Successful Man
Doing all I do the best I can
I missed out on my fortune
And my ship never came in
But I'm learning to be a
Successful Man

Here I am on Nowhere Street
Worn out shoes
On worn out feet
My hands are tired
And my calluses are gone
Long gone

Old memories of old songs
Old jams still go strong
And those that waited home
Much too long
Much too long

Chorus:

I WON'T BE BLUE
Copyright ©by Rick Yost

There are things I've heard
Like snow at night
There are things I've seen
Where there was no light
I live for thunder
Dance in the rain
I've chased lightning
Across the open plain

Chorus:
And when it's time to go
I Won't Be Blue
Life may have shown me
More than it's shown you

The wind blows cool
Tugs at my sleeve
I run like a child
And kick through the leaves

Don't damn my eyes
If I start to cry
Don't hinder my wings
When I start to fly

The wind plays rhythm
To the song of the grass
All the birds in the trees
They've been singin' Jazz

Now I'm a simple man
Sometimes called a fool
'Cause it's the golden man
That makes all the rules

But I will sing my song
Yeah I'll play my tune
Feel the heat of the Sun
And the pull of the Moon

Chorus:

MESSIAH
Copyright©by Rick Yost

He came to the village
On a big white horse
And he brought with him the rain
He said if we were worthy
He would take away our pain
There was much rejoicing

He proved to us his strength
So we prayed and we
Promised him our souls
But he's taken too many
Of our daughters
And he's asked for too much gold
Too much gold
So we pray to him to leave us
And we told him of
Another village to be saved

And he said
"Oh my children, yes now I must go.
God's work requires so much
Heavenly gold."

And we sang,
"Oh Messiah, you stone-cold liar
How do angels fly carrying gold?
Oh Messiah, we'd walk through your fire
If you'd just come and take us home
Take us home
Won't you take us home?"

He walked into the village
A crippled old man
Barefoot with a cane
He said if we were worthy
We could take away our own pain
Then he spoke of what he called the truth
That's when we knew he was insane
So we dragged him to where
The crazies go, to the dungeon
To wear the chains

And he said,
"Oh my children,
You know not what you do.
These chains you think you put on me
You really put on you."

And we sang,
" Oh Messiah, your mind is old and tired.
The harvest of the truth won't bring us gold.
Oh Messiah, we'd walk through your fire.
If you'd just come and take us home.
Take us home.
Won't you take us home?"

He'd lived in the village since he was born
And he'd been sick, since day-one
We knew this ten-year-old to be the Devil
He would thrash around and speak in tongues.
So we drowned him in the village square.
We hoped Messiah would be pleased.

And we said,
"Oh young one, please travel without fear.
We send you to a better place, and that's
Anyplace but here!"

And we sang,
"Oh Messiah, we grow so old and tired.
Is it a waste of time to wait for you?
Oh Messiah, we'd walk through your fire.
If you'd just come and take us home.
Take us home.
Won't you take us home?"

"Won't you take us to the Promised Land
Away from this shifting sand.
Oh Messiah take us home.
Won't you take us home?"

SONGS I'VE SUNG
Copyright© by Rick Yost

I play music
'Cause it helps keep me sane
I like to watch the people smile
And forget about their pain

But they don't know me
They don't know who I am
I'm just the jukebox
I'm the blues playin' man
Yes I am

But now the world turns much faster
Than it did when I was young
Can I forgive myself
The things I haven't done?
Will anyone remember me
When my life is done?
Or will they remember only
The Songs I've Sung?
The Songs I've Sung

She's a special woman
To live with a music man
She's my inspiration
And I'll marry her if I can
She's what I've been lookin' for
She makes my life complete
She makes me sigh with her
Sky blue eyes
And her smile so sweet

But now the world turns much faster
Than it did when we were young
Do we still have time
For us to have a son?
And if we do will he remember
All his Daddy's love?
Of will he remember only
The Songs I've Sung?
The Songs I've Sung

IF THE MOON WERE A WOMAN
Copyright© by Rick Yost

On the night we first met
I stared up at your window from the street
I leaned against the phone booth
Smoked cigarettes while I dreamed
And my heart would take a leap
As your silhouette would slowly cross the shade
Then you turned out your light
But I can still see your face

And then in that sudden darkness
I looked above your roof to see the Moon
It shone so big and bright
It must have known of me and you

If the Moon were a woman
She'd be jealous of you
For all the hours that I've spent
Gazing at her, thinking of you
Yes if the Moon were a woman
It would be you

You have a timeless smile
And the light of the Sun shines in your eyes
And with this light all around you
You gracefully arc across my sky

If the Moon were a woman
She'd be jealous of you
For all the hours that I've spent
Gazing at her, thinking of you
Yes you
If the Moon were a woman
It would be you
Yes If the Moon were a woman
Baby,
It would be you

TIMBERLINE
Copyright© by Rick Yost

My life is a dog sled
And the lead dog is blind
I've been so cold for so long
I no longer feel my mind

Jack will take your hands
Like he'll take your feet
It's not about the cold
It's about the loss of heat

Chorus:
And I push on across this tundra
Still don't know why
Mother Nature kills off her weak
High above the Timberline
High above the Timberline

How long must I be this way?
This truth is icy cold
I've lost the feeling to my life
Now I only feel my soul

This block of ice within my chest
Melts way too fast for me
Yes I'll fight the cold
And still retain my heat

Chorus:

Above the Timberline
Is where life becomes extreme
And its a fine line
Between a nightmare and a dream

This wound you left in my soul
Is where my heat escapes
The more miles I put between us
And however long it takes

I stumbled in my leap of faith
Still retained my 'cool'
You ask that blind dog he'll tell ya
This world is full of fools

Chorus:

EL CASTILLO
Copyright© by Rick Yost

Named for a Mayan pyramid in Chichen Itza, Mexico I climbed once. Translation:
The Castle.
Played in conventional tuning.