Almost Overnight (1995)
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Roy cut the tracks for “Almost Overnight” over a marathon three-day 1995 session at Creation Studios. The performances were recorded and mixed live to quarter-inch tape by Rolf Hennemann. Bill Henderson co-produced with Roy.
The solo guitar-vocal performances of songs from the Bim era included definitive versions of “Right After My Heart”, “Thistles” and “I’m So Lonesome I Could Cry”. Roy also included versions of previously unrecorded songs from that same era such as “Peer Pressure”, “Yellow Moon” and “So Afraid”.
Almost Overnight Lyrics
Thistles
Crossed on a red light Must have been blind I've been driftin' a long long time Fightin' my way through the clingin' vines Thistles in my clothes Shake 'em off I'm tryin' Had a good crib hand Couldn't count the cards thought I was cool But my head got jarred Too many strangers in my backyard Thistles in my clothes Shake 'em off Ooh... Had a good taste of that old sunshine I felt too high and I stepped out of line thought I got lucky and I just quit tryin' Thistles in my clothes Shake 'em off Ooh... Crossed on a red light Must have been blind I've been siftin and driftin' a long long time Fightin' my way through the clingin' vines Thistles in my clothes Shake 'em off
ROY FORBES (SOCAN)
Waitin' For You, Mama
Sittin' all alone in the evening time Ain't got much to say Tryin' to find a couple of lines that rhyme So I can tell you in a rhythmical way That I'm just lonesome for you mama Pinin' for you honey Need you in a desperate way I'm just waitin for you mama Waitin' for you mama Your lovin' gonna make my day Why did you have to leave me this way All alone and feelin' so sad Don't you realize that your lovin' is the best thing That this young critter's ever had And he's just lonesome for you mama Pinin' for you honey Need you in a desperate way I'm just waitin for you mama Waitin' for you mama Your lovin' gonna make my day Here's another song all about you Woh, you do know how to make 'em come out You just leave me for a while and then you come back and listen to me tell you what you're all about (to me) I'm just lonesome for you mama Pinin' for you honey Need you in a desperate way I'm just waitin for you mama Waitin' for you mama Your lovin' gonna make my day
ROY FORBES (SOCAN)
Right After My Heart
Your sorrow's getting much too amplified You cause yourself too much grief Somebody's taken you for a ride You need some kind of relief Look at me I'm running around I'm looking all over the world Look at me I'm running right after my heart You're looking like you've been thrown around By somebody who couldn't feel He said he'd show you around the town He stole all that he could steal Look at me I'm running around I'm looking all over the world Look at me I'm running right after my heart
ROY FORBES (SOCAN)
Woh Me
Woh me, I'm comin' to you With a gentle helping hand Woh me, I'm comin' to you With a lovin' understanding Late at night when the moon is shining bright And you're shivering cold You don't have to turn on your electric blanket Cos I'll be there for you to hold Woh me, I'm comin' to you With a gentle helping hand Woh me, I'm comin' to you With a lovin' understanding Late at night When you're tossing and turning And your pillow just won't fit your head right Don't get upset I'll be right here beside you And I'm quite prepared to hold you tight Woh me, I'm comin' to you With a gentle helping hand Woh me, I'm comin' to you With a lovin' understanding Late at night When the wind is blowing And the rain is pounding down on your roof Don't let annoy you Listen to the melody Come over here I've got some love for you Woh me, I'm comin' to you With a gentle helping hand Woh me, I'm comin' to you With a lovin' understanding
ROY FORBES (SOCAN)
Headed The Wrong Way
I'm not sure I could be somewhere in Alberta Or just across the Saskatchewan border Had my head on a pillow I was trying to sleep Woke up suddenly I could almost see your face in my mind Then it faded out like a bad TV But I know where you are And I kind of think that it's where I should be Because I don't think I hugged you tight enough When you left me at the railroad station And I don't think I kissed you long enough Before you drove out of the yard Now I'm thirty-six hours away from you Yes, I'm halfway across the country And this train is movin So slow Don't you know That it's headed the wrong way Feelin' alone and I'm thinkin' about the times That I've taken you for granted Kick myself for some things that I've said That were selfish and out of turn When this train gets to where it's takin' me I'm gonna do what I have to do Then I'm goin' back to the station I'm gonna buy another ticket And I'm gonna train on home to you Because I don't think I hugged you tight enough When you left me at the railroad station And I don't think I kissed you long enough Before you drove out of the yard Now I'm thirty - six hours away from you Halfway across the country And this train is movin so slow Don't you know That it's headed the wrong way
ROY FORBES (SOCAN)
Betsy And The Blue Boys
Any old night that I'm feelin' down I lock up my sadness and I head downtown Forget about all those bills I ain't paid Go out and spend more of the money I ain't made And Betsy, she's singin' just like Patsy Cline Sendin shivers chasin' each other up and down my spine The smoke haze is risin', the liquor goes down The feet start tappin, let's order a round And we'll sing of the future and sing of the past Sing of the present times passin' so fast When Betsy and The blue Boys start singin' their song It won't be too long 'til I'm singin' along Won't be too long Well, I woke up this mornin' with a pain in my head The telephone rang and I wished I was dead I don't care what I did and I'll do it again 'Cos the pain goes away while the memory remains And you got Betsy, she's singin' just like Patsy Cline Sendin shivers chasin' each other up and down my spine The smoke haze is risin', the liquor goes down The feet start tappin, let's have one more round And we'll sing of the future and sing of the past Sing of the present times passin' so fast When Betsy and The blue Boys start singin' their song It won't be too long 'til I'm singin' along Won't be too long
ROY FORBES (SOCAN)
You Can't Expect Me To Change
When I needed help you gave it Asking for nothing in exchange Now I'm better I want to thank you But you keep making demands for all your change Well the price on your kindness is too much to pay I think I knew it but I reasoned it away Now I can see you And I don't believe you You can't expect me to change When my back was up against a wall You lead me away through your gate And now you sit there and you try to tell me That what you gave me is more than I can ever repay Well I don't want to hear you I've heard it all before And when you leave don't forget to shut the door Cos I can see you And I don't believe you You can't expect me to change Well I don't want to hear you I've heard it all before And when you leave don't forget to shut the door Cos I can see you And I don't believe you You can't expect me to change
ROY FORBES (SOCAN)
So Close To Home
I sit around Like a lonely curious teen aged kid The things you say cut through to the bone So close to home Now, I've got feelings It's a hazy rush, not quite yet defined Watch that, you're turning my world to stone So close to home Confusion is starting To spin me like a top I'm stopping and I'm starting' And there are things that I haven't got I walk the floor The sun is climbing, the night is gone The dark is fading and I'm all alone So close to home
ROY FORBES (SOCAN)
Peer Pressure
Well, I've been living in a house Lots of people movin in and out Sittin' on the same bench Never needed a defense But now I'm down on my knees Peer pressure Makin' a mental wreck out of me Well all the hot summer heat Turnin' good milk into sour cream I'm headed for a nerve bend I'm on the receiving end It's bringin' me to my knees Peer pressure Makin' a mental wreck out of me Now if we were hangin out in high school Well maybe then I'd understand But we are many, many Oh so many years Out of that gum slip and detention land You know they've got me on the choppin' block Little knives, subtle shots Dissected, gettin poked I'm at the end of my rope It's bringin' me to my knees Peer pressure Makin' a mental wreck out of me
ROY FORBES (SOCAN)
Farmer Needs The Rain
Ooh the farmer needs the rain And the farmer needs the heat Needs it in the proper order To grow a field of wheat But when the wind keeps a blowin' Blowin' everything away You can bet your boots the farmer's gonna pay Ah, the government is helpful They tell you what to plant You take it into town They turn around and say, "No tanks." And then the cops pull you over Right in front of the bank Just wanna see if you've got Purple gas in your tank Well it's another dry sundown Navy blue and red Linda's out sellin' Tupperware and the kids are tucked in bed Ah the radio is cracklin' And the tractor's in the shed and I'm thinkin' 'bout some things my father said He said the farmer needs the rain And the farmer needs the heat Needs it in the proper order To grow a field of wheat But when the wind keeps a blowin' Blowin' everything away You can bet your boots the farmer's gonna pay And then the credit man comes to see you At the break of day He might have to take the truck Cos you can't pay right away And you look towards the sky All your praying in vain We got a lotta bills to pay When do we get a break The farmer needs, the farmer needs the rain
ROY FORBES (SOCAN)
Kid Full Of Dreams
A kid full of dreams he was walking one day Crossing the railroad tracks Humming a good luck song to himself With the sun shining down on his back He's gonna go to the city He's gonna see the pretty lights He's gonna go where the wind never blows And every thing is gonna work out right Dreamin boy sits alone in his room Strummin' that 'F' hole guitar And if the strings had a buzz well, now, he never knew Because his head was 'way up in the stars He's gonna go to the city He's gonna find another life He's gonna go where the wind never blows And every thing is gonna work out right Singin' his song, "I'll miss you when I'm gone" Planning the big getaway Poor kid with them small town blues Never knew how much he had to pay Now he's lost in the city High on booze and cocaine With his hands in his pocket and his collar turned up He's just standin' alone in the rain He's gonna go where the wind never blows And every thing is gonna work out the same
ROY FORBES (SOCAN)
Colder Than Ever
Friday evening slipping on the ice
Lookin for adventure in the pale moonlight
I had a Coca Cola at the high school gym
But the girls wouldn't dance where the lights were dim
So, there were three or four big shots headin' downtown
Cursin' up a storm and fallin' on the ground
Got to the cafe everybody gone
Cos the band was playin and the dance was on
And the Nighthawks were playin
We were feelin' right out of it
They were really playin'
It was a brand new song about spendin' the night together
We were colder than ever
Dale's big brother wandered out of the hall
Sayin, "Home you little buggers. You're breakin' the law"
then he took us to the alley and he gave us each a beer
And we heard about the women that were easy 'round here
Me, I had a cigarette, couldn't find a light
We shivered in our parkas by the blue street light
Lookin' at the door, we all tried a grin
As we counted up our change but, we couldn't get in
And the Nighthawks were playin
We were feelin' right out of it
They were really playin'
It was a brand new song about spendin' the night together
We were colder than ever
I was headin' out, Eddie said, "Don't go.
Remember the guy my mother's boyfriend knows?
Well, we got a little money, it should be enough
And it sure beats holdin' this power pole up."
So, the bootlegger came and his nose did shine
We gave him all our money for a bottle of wine
We waited in the alley but he never returned
And the older kids chuckled while our faces burned.
And the Nighthawks were playin
We were feelin' right out of it
They were really playin'
It was a brand new song about spendin' the night together
We were colder than ever
ROY FORBES (SOCAN)
Tender Lullaby
I wish sometimes that everything Had gone a bit differently Except the times when everything It couldn't be better for me But if you don't believe in miracles You could be taking bad advice Pull down the guard and take a listen It's like a tender lullaby Oh many time I've made mistakes When I never trusted my heart But people tell me that's when you learn and I think I, no, I know I'm ready to start But if you don't believe in miracles You could be taking bad advice Pull down the guard and take a listen It's like a tender lullaby I wish sometimes that everything Had gone a bit differently And sometimes I wonder if the time Is ever comin' for me But if you don't believe in miracles You could be taking bad advice Pull down the guard and take a listen It's like a tender lullaby
ROY FORBES (SOCAN)
So Afraid
Country kid comin' to the city With a bag full of songs and tapes Sayin' good-bye to the wide sky City sky crawlin' with the waste Country kid movin' in a hippie house People sleepin' every which a way Diggin' out a dime for the pay phone Livin', livin' on blind faith And I was so excited I thought I really had it made I used to think that I was so heavy Before I became So afraid Country kid sittin on the front porch Laughin and gettin' mighty high Never ever sayin' 'excuse me' Gettin' up and walkin right by Country kid walkin' down the sidewalk Laughin' and kickin' at the rocks Smilin' cos he knows he's gonna find someone To mend all the holes in his socks And I was so excited I thought I really had it made I used to think that I was so heavy Before I became So afraid Family's out there somewhere He doesn't think about them a lot Flat broke but he's so full of himself And he's countin' all the things He's countin' all the things that he's got Country kid sittin on the front porch Laughin and gettin' mighty high Never ever sayin' 'excuse me' Gettin' up and walkin right by But later on, as he's layin' in the backyard Chasin' little fears away Fears piling up in the back of his conscience Waitin' for the red letter day Oh, they're just waitin' for the judgment day And I was so excited I thought I really had it made I used to think that I was so heavy Before I became So afraid
ROY FORBES (SOCAN)
Yellow Moon
Yellow moon, lead me to the harvest Yellow moon, lead me to the harvest Across the long fields at sundown Through the ruts, the stubble cuts my bare feet Like needles Use your magic, yellow moon You can turn me to a child again Yellow moon, come on, let me lay down Yellow moon, come on, let me lay down Let me hide in the shadow of the stooks With the spirits of this breathing ground Work your magic, yellow moon Make me a child again Well is it true you control the sun and the rain Is it true you control the poor man's pain Yellow moon, look at the skyline Yellow moon, look at the skyline Is that fire on the big hill Does the wind send those shivers Just to make my heart start racing Work your magic, yellow moon Make me a child again Well is it true you control the sun and the rain Is it true you control the poor man's pain Yellow moon, I believe you know it Yellow moon, I believe you know it Why the wind blows so hard And the field mice hide Come on, take me to the harvest Work your magic, yellow moon You could turn me to a child again Use your judgment, yellow moon Come on and take me to the harvest
ROY FORBES (SOCAN)
Ironbelly
Ironbelly doesn't play pool anymore He just sits in the corner and drinks Ironbelly's belly has gone to pot And the T V tennis game is on the blink Howard's wearin' a glass of tomato juice On the front of his green corduroys And the records on the juke box are all worn out You just can't hear a thing for the noise Mmm, you just can't hear a thing for the noise Jimmy's sittin' over by the lobby door The mail didn't come and he's flat I hear he sings just like Wilf Carter And he exits with a sissy pack You can depend on Tommy and Lee To keep the pool table occupied Seven kids are all grown up And they came out of it quite alive Mmm, they came out of it quite alive Ironbelly calls for another round Mae, she just takes her time She's gonna sink another eight ball She's gonna tell another joke And she's gonna keep everybody in line When it's time to cut the lights She herds you down to the cabaret Where you get pulverized by an out of tune band And you just dance it all away Mmm, you just dance it all away
ROY FORBES (SOCAN)
Talk Around Town
Special
Everybody wanna be special
Everybody wanna be so great at what they do
great at what they do
Honor
Everybody want a bit of honor
Everybody wanna put in time on the pedestal
time on the pedestal
Mm, gonna go out and
Stir up a little bit of talk around town
Burn bright while the sun goes down
Stir up a little bit of talk around town
Burn bright while the sun goes down
Reverence
Everybody wan a bit of reverence
Everybody want the chance to move another mind
Leave their bit of truth behind
Glory
Desperation cries for glory
Some people go out n' try to stop time with a gun
Freeze the frame, you could be the one
Ahh, gonna go out and
Stir up a little bit of talk around town
Burn bright while the sun goes down
Stir up a little bit of talk around town
Burn bright
While the sun goes down
You can feel the heat
Echoes of victory
Tumblin' through the streets
But in the alleyways
that's where the ones who know the stakes
They wait
Meanwhile youngblood cries for money
People do a lot of haywire things for money
Cos people still believe that there's a freedom you can buy
A place where you never, never, never ever have to try
Mm, gonna go out and
Stir up a little bit of talk around town
Burn bright while the sun goes down
Stir up a little bit of talk around town
Burn bright