A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
All My Troubles Go By
by Mike Campbell 2003
There's cows in the pasture, there's wheat in the field,
There's clouds rolling in with the storm.
There's holes in the fence and there's hay to be baled,
There's always some pest in the corn.
There's droughts and there's floods and there's bills to pay,
OOOOO Sometimes my worries pile high,
But when these things happen, I remember your face,
And all of my troubles go by.
All of my troubles go by, go by,
All of my troubles go by.
I simply remember your beautiful face,
And all of my troubles go by.
Now sometimes I walk a lonely road,
Not knowing just where it might lead.
And sometimes I feel like my heart might break,
It causes my soul to bleed.
And sometimes I wish I could fly away,
OOOOO Sometimes I just want to cry.
But when these things happen I remember your face,
And all of my troubles go by.
All of my troubles go by, go by,
All of my troubles go by.
I simply remember your beautiful face,
And all of my troubles go by.
All of my troubles go by, go by,
All of my troubles go by.
I simply remember your beautiful face,
And all of my troubles go...
And all of my troubles go...
And all of my troubles go by-ay-ay-ay.
All of my troubles go by.
Andersonville
by Mike Campbell 1995
I'll sing of Bill Thompson, for a soldier was he,
We're in Andersonville now Billy.
He was raised on a farm in Ohio country.
We're in Andersonville now Billy.
At Shiloh, at Bull's Run, at Gettysburg too,
He road with the blue cavalry,
Now he lies in the dirt weighing just 80 pounds,
We're in Andersonville now Billy.
When he came to this prison he was hearty and strong.
We're in Andersonville now Billy.
With a smile on his face he would greet everyone.
We're in Andersonville now Billy.
For months he had kept all our spirits on high,
With stories of his family,
But starvation and sickness have shattered his mind.
We're in Andersonville now Billy.
Say a prayer for Bill Thompson, whoever you be,
We're in Andersonville now Billy.
Though his body is dying his soul will be free.
We're in Andersonville now Billy.
He calls to his Captain who's not even here,
And smiles when he looks up at me.
Then he dies in my arms and I let go a tear,
We're in Andersonville now Billy.
I will sit with this man who I proudly called friend,
We're in Andersonville now Billy.
And I swear that his dying will not be the end,
We're in Andersonville now Billy.
This prison kills more than a hundred a day,
But I know what my future must be,
I'll survive and make sure that his story gets told,
We're in Andersonville now Billy.
Anniversary Song
by Mike Campbell 1998
Long ago when you and I were young dear,
I asked you to be my bride,
You were so pretty and I was so happy,
To have you walk by my side.
And when I put that ring on your finger,
I promised that we'd never part,
Looking back on the years, I'm telling you dear,
These words come from my heart.
You're the love of my life little darling,
The only one that I'm dreaming of,
You're the sparkle of light that is there to ignite,
All of the stars in the heavens above.
Together we've faced all our troubles,
Together we've shared all the pain,
We've had lots of fun, we have danced in the sun,
And walked hand in hand in the rain.
Now sometimes the waters were troubled,
And sometimes the waters were calm,
Sometimes our boat would leak just a little,
But we kept each other warm.
And through the years we've stayed together,
I love you even more today,
And if I had to live my life over again,
I wouldn't change a single day.
So Happy Anniversary darling,
I hope that you'll always be mine,
We've had a good life as husband and wife,
I'll love you til the end of time.
You're the love of my life little darling,
The only one that I'm dreaming of,
You're the sparkle of light that is there to ignite,
All of the stars in the heavens above.
Together we've faced all our troubles,
Together we've shared all the pain,
We've had lots of fun, we have danced in the sun,
And walked hand in hand in the rain.
Back In The Clydesdale
by Mike Campbell 2004
I went to the bar after working all day,
And ordered a dark Guinness Beer.
But the Yuppies were chatting so thick on their cell phones,
I guess the barman did not hear.
He brought me a glass and a tall boy of Bud,
And set them down in front of me,
Well I coughed and I sputtered in pure disbelief,
And sang out this chorus with glee.
OOOOO
Put that Budweiser back in the Clydesdale,
Its not the right flavor for me.
The color's all wrong and there's not enough foam,
And its got all the kick of weak tea.
Now pour me a pint of that good Guinness Stout,
With color you cannot see through.
Put that Budweiser back in the Clydesdale, boys,
And pour me a beer that is true.
Then the waitress came by when I'd finished my first one,
An angry young woman named Jill,
She snatched up my empty without even looking,
And went off to find a refill.
Then she brought back a glass of some pale liquid garbage,
And said, "Here's the Bud you asked for."
Well I gave her a glare that would knock down a horse,
And sang out this chorus once more.
Chorus
So if ever you're seeking a beer with good flavor,
To finish your day or your meal.
If they serve you a Millers, a Coors or a Bud,
Or some other brand that ain't real,
If the "King of Beers" is the only selection,
I hope that you'll answer like this,
Put that Budweiser back in the Clydesdale, boys,
I won't drink twelve ounces of that lousy beer.
Chorus
Backing Up Is Hard To Do
(tune: Breaking Up Is Hard To Do)
by Mike Campbell and Kristina Hansen - 1994
I turned 16, but I can't go far,
Not until I learn to drive the car.
The driving test gives me the blues,
Cause backing up is hard to do.
My daddy said, "Now don't you cry,
Why don't you give it just another try,
It is a skill that you'll get through,
Though backing up is hard to do."
They say that backing up is hard to do,
Now I know, I know that it's true.
I don't want to be dead,
Instead of backing up I wish that we were going straight ahead.
I beg of you, don't make me cry,
I just don't understand the reason why,
Why I can't circle a block or two,
Cause backing up is hard to do.
Remember when I was just five,
You told me how much fun it was to drive,
Well long ago I trusted you,
But backing up is hard to do.
They say that backing up is hard to do,
Now I know, I know that it's true.
I don't want to be dead,
Instead of backing up I wish that we were going straight ahead.
Bobble Headed Brian
by Mike Campbell - 2013
Brian Smalley plays guitar like nobody in the world,
He plays it fast as lightning, he don't play it like a girl.
With tons and tons of energy, he earns his daily bread,
And he nods in rhythm to keep the time, just like a bobble head
Chorus
Bobble headed Brian bobs his head when e'er he plays,
He;s done it all his life even in his younger days.
It helps him keep the rhythm, at least that's what he said,
And we love the way he plays & sings & bobs his bobble head.
He usually wears a ball cap because sunburn isn't fun,
It protects his baldy noggin from getting too much sun,
Sometimes a crumpled hat of straw is what he wears instead,
And it bounces like blue blazes there upon his bobble head.
Chorus
He writes songs like Lydia and Cockle-doodle-doo,
Tiki Hut Repairman, Jumper Creek and Mad Like You,
Songs like Just One Feather, Ocean Pond and Sugar Belle,
And I hope I see you ... at Barberville.
Chorus
When Taeya was his sweetie and the question he did pop,
He was so happy he talked & talked & talked & talked & talked,
But when the preacher asked him, "To this woman will you wed?"
His nerves were shot, he could not talk so he used his bobble head.
Chorus
Burn That Bridge
by Mike Campbell 2003
In the springtime we built a bridge of love,
Built it from your heart to mine.
In the warmth of the summer our love was so strong,
I thought that bridge would last for all time.
But autumn can bring many changes to life,
What might have been up turns down.
Now in the winter, your heart has turned so cold,
I just might burn that bridge to the ground.
Burn that bridge to the ground, ground, ground,
Burn that bridge to the ground.
Now your heart has turned so cold,
I just might burn that bridge to the ground.
Instrumental
Our love helped us cross over troubled waters,
No matter how deep or how wide.
Like a bridge when we'd come to a dangerous chasm,
Our love helped us reach the other side.
But this bridge of love has changed through the years,
Like green leaves turning brown,
Now your heart has turned so cold,
I just might burn that bridge to the ground.
Burn that bridge to the ground, ground, ground,
Burn that bridge to the ground.
Now your heart has turned so cold,
I just might burn that bridge to the ground.
Burn that bridge to the ground, ground, ground,
Burn that bridge to the ground.
Now your heart has turned so cold,
I just might burn that bridge to the ground.
Calypso In Alaska
by Mike Campbell 1993
We love calypso in Alaska,
We've got calypso in our soul.
We sing calypso music in Alaska and
All the polar bears dance in the snow.
We've got volcanoes here in Alaska,
Sometimes they rumble and they blow,
But this has nothing to do with geology,
Volcanoes just like calypso.
There's many earthquakes too in Alaska,
Makes it easy to move your feet,
But when the earth shakes the ground in Alaska well,
Even buildings get calypso beat.
We love calypso in Alaska,
We've got calypso in our soul.
We sing calypso music in Alaska and
All the polar bears dance in the snow.
Up on the north slope of Alaska,
There is a bay that we call Prudhoe,
And when the oilmen quit their working each night,
They like to sing to the calypso.
We had the Exxon-Valdez disaster,
Caused by sleepy old Captain Joe.
But he would never have grounded on Bligh's Reef,
If he'd been listening to calypso.
We love calypso in Alaska,
We've got calypso in our soul.
We sing calypso music in Alaska and
All the polar bears dance in the snow.
Now an igloo is a small frozen ice house,
This is something that everyone knows,
But how Alaskan's keep them warm inside,
Is by dancing to calypso.
When it gets real cold here in Alaska,
Instead of freezing our ears and our toes.
We charter jumbo jet planes to Alaska, man
And even the polar bears go.
We love calypso in Alaska,
We've got calypso in our soul.
We sing calypso music in Alaska and
All the polar bears dance in the
Polar bears dance in the
Polar bears dance in the snow.
Carhartts
by Mike Campbell 1995
I was driving to Glennallen in my big 10 wheeler truck,
When the new snow on the road caused me to slide off and get stuck.
I was not worried for I had been a Boy Scout as a lad,
And I'd brought along my Carhartts if the weather should turn bad.
So I put on bunny boots and donned bib overalls and coat,
I'd bought them down at Brewster's and they kept me warm as toast,
The bunny boots were snowy white, the Carhartts tawny brown,
And dressed as warmly as can be I started off towards town.
Well I'd gone about 3 miles when it began once more to snow,
And coming at me from the north a chilly wind did blow,
This inclement, stormy weather made it hard for me to see,
I decided just to wait it out beneath an old spruce tree.
'Twas then I saw the hunters in their cammo colored deuce.
They were pointing rifles at me and were shouting, "There' a moose!"
I waved my arms to warn them off, to show them it was me,
Then I realized this probably looked like antlers in the tree.
Well suddenly a bullet struck the branch above my head,
If I'd stood there any longer I am sure that I'd be dead,
Shots landed all around me as I slid down the ravine,
And took off running fast as any track star you have seen.
I was sprinting hard to stay ahead, to keep from getting killed,
And with all of this exertion I was no longer chilled,
I peeled off and tossed away my dear old Carhartt coat,
And as it fell, four shots rang out and blasted it to smoke.
Now I kept on running even when the hunters lost their chase,
And I credit my survival near entirely to haste,
But I heard them cheering loudly as I crested o'er the hill,
Congratulating each other on the Carhartt coat they'd killed.
Well I think back now and then about how close to death I came,
And of how much brown duck canvas can resemble antlered game,
So to make sure that my body never does become extinct,
All the clothes I wear into the woods are now florescent pink.
And somewhere in America, just where I cannot say,
There is a big game hunter with a trophy from that day,
I know its stuffed and mounted on his wall so he can gloat,
And tell stories of his courage when he killed my Carhartt coat.
Christmas Without Snow
by Mike Campbell 2005
Well I'm working here in southern California,
A place I always thought my dreams could grow,
But I miss my friends and family in Alaska,
And it doesn't seem like Christmas without snow.
It just doesn't seem like Christmas without snow.
As I watch the store clerk bagging up my groceries,
I can see the traffic rushing to and fro,
There are colored lights and lots of decorations,
But it doesn't seem like Christmas without snow.
It doesn't seem like Christmas without snow.
I grew up in Alaska, where the temperatures are low,
And the dancing Northern Lights would seem to cause the wind to blow,
We would sing our Christmas carols around the evening fire's glow,
And listen to the silence of the snow.
(Instrumental)
The shopping mall has piped in Christmas music,
And the colored lights sure add a festive glow,
But it's hard for me to get into the season,
For it doesn't seem like Christmas without snow.
It just doesn't seem like Christmas without snow.
I'll keep working here in southern California,
And I won't let my disappointment show,
But I miss my friends and family in Alaska,
And it doesn't seem like Christmas without snow.
It just doesn't seem like Christmas without snow.
Clippership
by Mike Campbell 1994
When I was a lad in Portsmouth Town my father was a seaman,
He brought us things from Zanzibar, Flanders and New Zealand,
Hey boys, ho boys raise those sails high,
When the wind is right and the sails are tight this Clippership can fly.
When I was grown and in my prime I signed aboard a clipper,
Sailed her south around the Horn, my sweetheart I did miss her,
Hey boys, ho boys raise those sails high,
When the wind is right and the sails are tight this Clippership can fly.
Oh the gales blow hard with mountainous seas when you sail around the Horn,
Storms will drive you to your knees, you'd wish you'd not been born.
Hey boys, ho boys raise those sails high,
When the wind is right and the sails are tight this Clippership can fly.
And now we're through to the tropical seas and headed on toward China,
Trade winds pushing all the way our trip could not be finer.
Hey boys, ho boys raise those sails high,
When the wind is right and the sails are tight this Clippership can fly.
All our purchases are made we're headed back to sea,
Our cargo hold is loaded down with the finest silk and tea.
Hey boys, ho boys raise those sails high,
When the wind is right and the sails are tight this Clippership can fly.
Our journey to the Orient is almost at an end,
Old England's coast is on our bow we'll soon be home again.
Hey boys, ho boys raise those sails high,
When the wind is right and the sails are tight this Clippership can fly.
And now I'm back in my own good bed and when I close my eyes,
I dream about my clipper ship and hear the Chantyman cry, singing,
Hey boys, ho boys raise those sails high,
When the wind is right and the sails are tight this Clippership can fly.
Dance With The Man In The Moon
by Mike Campbell - 2015
I remember the winter of '72,
Cernan and Evans and Schmitt were the crew.
I was so thrilled to be watching that night,
For this was Apollo’s last flight.
I was in Melbourne Beach 30 miles away,
When that big Saturn rocket turned night into day.
The ground it was shaking with the roar and the boom,
When those astronauts left for the moon
They're going to dance with the man in the moon,
They'll waltz across moonbeams, and drive across dunes.
That big rocket's lifting, they'll be up there soon,
Where they'll dance with the man in the moon.
We listened each day for the smallest of clues,
And each evening old Cronkite would give us the news.
With bright color pictures of earth in the sky,
Over landscape so barren and dry.
Their moon buggy gave them a mighty good run,
And driving that thing seemed like acres of fun,
Jumping and leaping like a couple of loons,
They danced with the man in the moon.
Yeah, they danced with the man in the moon,
They waltzed across moonbeams and drove across dunes,
Their time on the surface was over too soon,
For their dance with the man in the moon.
On December 19th it was over at last,
The America landed with barely a splash.
We toasted our heroes and hoisted our beers,
But no one's been back there in years.
How many decades will we have to wait,
Before someone else grabs the handles of fate,
And puts an astronaut back on those dunes,
To dance with the man it the moon.
And they will dance with the man in the moon,
They'll waltz across moonbeams and drive across dunes,
I hope my grand children remember this tune,
When they dance with the man in the moon.
Down to the Islands
by Mike Campbell 1994
Well they're sending me down to the islands,
Such a miserable place to be,
For it rains all day, and you can get blown away,
By the sixty mile an hour breeze.
Ah but most of the time, this job is just fine,
And I know that I'll be coming back,
So for the next few weeks I will just grit my teeth,
And go to work in Kodiak-ak-ak-ak-ak.
When I fly down to the islands,
Its in a small propeller plane,
And when I look below at all the ice and snow,
I know I must be insane.
I've got my seatbelt firmly fastened,
And there's a barf bag just in case,
The plane goes up and down, my head it spins around,
And I end up with the belly ache-ache-ache-ache-ache.
Well I'm going down to the islands,
Its not as much fun as you might think.
At the starting hour I might smell like flowers,
But by the afternoon I stink,
I've got herring scales in my mustache,
And there's fish slime in my shoe,
And here and there, and even in my hair,
I get all covered with the seagull do-do-do-do-do.
Yes I'm going down to the islands,
Where they have those great big bears,
And I think that my boss, is hoping I might get lost,
And eaten while I am down there.
Ah but I really don't think that he hates me,
I know it may not sound like much,
But although Kodiak's bad, you know I'm honestly glad,
He sent me there instead of Dutch-utch-utch-utch-utch.
Well they're sending me down to the islands,
Such a miserable place to be,
For it rains all day and you can get blown away,
By the sixty mile an hour breeze.
Ah but most of the time, this job is just fine,
And I know that I'll be coming back.
So for the next few weeks I will just grit my teeth,
And go to work in Kodiak-ak-ak-ak-ak.
Eau d’ Phew
By Mike Campbell 2003
It was an Arizona autumn in the year of '82,
When me and Tom McFarland had too little work to do,
We saddled up our horses, packed some grub to last the week,
And headed for some fishing up a canyon called Oak Creek.
Now we took all day to get there for we rode the horses slow,
And the sun behind the mountains gave the sky a rosy glow,
It was sure a peaceful evening as we sat there by the fire,
Drinking coffee laced with whiskey til the time came to retire.
We'd been sleeping several hours, near oblivious to all,
When old Tommy's tiny bladder woke him up to nature's call,
For a big man he moved silently just like a mountain cat,
As he tiptoed out into the woods wearing johnnies and a hat.
He found a little clearing with some bushes and some trees,
I'm sure he thought it would be good to finally be relieved,
When all at once he heard some critter scratching on a trunk,
And out into that clearing came a big old striped skunk.
The breeze was coming toward ol' Tom, so it hadn't got his scent,
So he decided to stand still until that critter went,
He thought the skunk would pass on by so to the spot he froze,
Like a statue of Adonis, or of David in its pose.
But as the call of nature came more pressingly to Tom,
It was then he realized that this here skunk she was a mom,
For out into the clearing moseyed five more little foes,
And two of them came over, started licking at his toes.
Then Tom decided no matter what they would not make him move,
That a man was smarter than a skunk was what he meant to prove,
But his vocal chords, all on their own, let out a little wail,
And each of them there polecats went and lifted up their tails.
Now I had drunk that coffee too, and when nature called to me,
I also rose and looked around to find a likely tree,
I thought my eyes were playing tricks to see old Tom awake,
Surrounded by what looked to me like a herd of rattlesnakes.
I knew that Tom was in a fix and I his only hope,
I had to quickly think of some intelligent way to cope,
So I grabbed my pistol, cocked her back and blasted several rounds,
And each of them skunks sprayed him when they heard that awful sound.
Old Tom he started jumping round and cussing like a bear,
He grabbed them varmints by their tails and flung 'em through the air.
And by the time he finished he was covered through and through,
By that odor sometimes known as "Polecat Eau d' Phew"
To those of you who've whiffed the mountain laurels when they bloom,
Or while strolling caught the scent of a lady's fine perfume,
Imagine the other limit of that same old sniffing scale,
That was how Tom McFarland smelled as we headed back down the trail.
Now there's a moral to this story, in fact there's probably more than one,
You should put your glasses on your face before you fire a gun,
And be cautious in the forest, when you've had a bit to drink,
And never snicker at your partner when he really, really stinks.
Everybody's Happy
by Mike Campbell - 2012
Out of Jacksonville on a southbound run,
I'll be in Miami when the day is done,
On Flagler's line we'll be doing alright,
This train will be churning while the diesel is burning,
And the cars on the highway will be giving me the right of way,
Over swamps, over trails, over bridges on the rails,
Until pretty soon I'll be in your sight.
So listen to the whistle when the train comes through,
I will be a whistling just for you.
Hear my train coming down the li-i-i-i-i-i-ne,
Everybody's happy when the train's on time.
The seaboard's got a little storm coming in,
There's a cool rain falling and we got a little wind,
With the throttle in my hand I can punch it on through,
I'll be driving this train through the wind and the rain
And the railroad tracks beat a clickity clack
I'll be rocking with the knocking while I'm gawking at the clock and,
Then about three thirty I'll be passing you.
Chorus
I've whistled in the morning and I've whistled at night,
You can hear me whistle when things are right,
This train I'm driving is a hell of a ride,
I'm hoping that you will be my bride.
Flying down the rails is a thrill for me,
There's live oak, palm and tall pine trees.
A ring in my pocket and its coming your way,
Past the herons and the egrets and the owls with their secrets,
Sleepy alligators and the beaches with their waders,
Past swamp rats, bobcats, tourists doing this and that,
Say you will marry me and make my day.
Chorus
Evil Freddy
by Mike Campbell 1998
Well I used to be a cowboy down in southern Arizona,
Use to ride along the border on my old Appaloosa,
Mending all the broken fences so the cattle don't stray,
Oh, down Mexico way.
Now there was a senorita living down in Sonora,
And I used to go and see her when I's working on the border,
And I'd bring her little presents so her eyes would shine,
Oh, trying to make her mine.
But she had an evil brother by the name of Frederico,
Everybody knew that Freddy was a bad bandito,
He was wanted by the Sheriff for breaking all the laws,
O-nly just because.
He had robbed all the stages and he'd stolen from the banks,
And when he'd go into cantinas he would really get tanked.
He'd pull out both his pistols and he'd fire 'em in the air,
Oh, everybody got scared.
Evil Freddy had a habit when he was drinking at the bar,
He liked to dance "La Cucaracha" to the music of guitars,
And everybody had to join him or he'd shoot them in the head,
Oh, until they was dead.
One sunny day in Yuma I was having me a toddy,
It was hot enough to vaporize the sweat off of my body,
I had just finished pouring me a giant glass of gin,
Oh, when Evil Freddy walked in.
He'd been riding real hard trying to out run the posse,
He was hot and he was sweaty, he was acting real bossy,
He drew his big pistola and he stuck it in my ear,
Oh, and then he said real clear.
"You been with my little sister and that makes me very mad,
She's the only hermanita that this hombre ever had,
So you better say your prayers to the man up in the sky,
Oh, 'cause you're going to die.
But before I shoot you I am going to drink this glass of water,"
I just didn't have the heart to say I didn't think he ought to.
So he grabbed my glass of gin and then he chug-a-lugged it down,
Oh, then his eyes spun round.
He was coughing, he was wheezing he was trying hard to breath,
He dropped his pistol on the table when he stumbled to his knees,
I picked it up and turned it round and gave his head a clout,
Oh, then Evil Freddy passed out.
When the Sheriff and his posse finally stumbled through the door,
I was standing over Freddy who was unconscious on the floor,
We took some rope and tied up both his hands and his feet,
Oh, then the Sheriff gave a speech.
He said, "Cowboy listen to me for you've done your country proud,
You have captured that bandito who was ugly, mean and loud,
And tonight we'll all be thanking both you and the Lord,
Oh, now about the reward."
Now I own El Rancho Grande and I'm living pretty high,
Got Evil Freddy's little sister, she's the apple of my eye,
And we've got a dozen children and we're happy as can be,
Oh, now about Evil Freddy.
Well he'd been a model prisoner so they let him out early,
He had found himself religion and he saw his life more clearly,
But he didn't want to work around anybody else,
Oh, he had to be by himself.
So I hired him as a cowboy up near southern Arizona,
Where he rides along the border on an old Appaloosa,
Mending all my broken fences so my cattle don't stray,
Oh, into the U.S.A.
Falling In Love
by Mike Campbell 2004
The sky overhead is such a beautiful blue,
All of my dreams they are coming true,
And everything's better since I found you,
I think I'm falling in love.
There's a song bird singing from the willow tree,
Feels like he's singing just for you and me,
Colors seem brighter than they used to be,
I think I'm falling in love.
I'm falling in love with the girl of my dreams,
Wearing my heart right out on my sleeve,
I just want the whole world to know,
That I think I'm falling in love, love, love, love,
My heart is soaring far above the sky,
If I had wings I know I could fly,
All I can say is my, oh my,
I think I'm falling in love.
(Instrumental)
I'm falling in love with the girl of my dreams,
Wearing my heart right out on my sleeve,
I just want the whole world to know,
That I think I'm falling in love, love, love, love,
My heart is soaring far above the sky,
If I had wings I know I could fly,
All I can say is my, oh my,
I think I'm falling in love.
I think that I'm falling, sure that I'm falling,
I've already fallen in love.
Feeling Like A Rock
by Mike Campbell 2000
Oh I am feeling like a rock,
I am solid and firm and I'm bound to the earth,
And the wind and the rain just wash over me,
Yes I'm feeling like a rock.
Yes I am feeling like a rock,
I know that I'm hard to ignore and if anyone wants
To build on this site, they must deal with me.
For I am feeling like a rock.
Oh I am feeling like a rock,
And all the buildings above me are safe and secure,
Because I'm down below,
And I'm feeling like a rock.
But when I think of the wind and the rain,
I wonder where they go.
And my mind, it imagines all the people and places,
I cannot go.
Sometimes I wish I could fly on the wind,
I yearn for the rain to erode this old body,
And wash me away again.
But I am feeling like a rock,
I am hated for being the object that dreams and ships
Are shattered upon.
I am feeling like a rock.
Yes I am feeling like a rock,
And when the people I love come to scream at my face,
I find that I cannot soften for them,
For a rock must be hard,
And I'm feeling like a rock.
First Kill
by Mike Campbell 1993
Oh, me name is Ian MacGregor and I hail from Aberdeen,
I signed onboard this whale fishing ship just after I turned seventeen.
I was eager to please and I learned me jobs well and the captain soon gave me a
chance,
To prove to the world, to the crew and meself I had talent for throwing the
lance.
There was a good view of the whales in the pod from the bow of the boat where I
ride.
We were just bearing down on an old humpback cow with a calf swimming next to
her side.
The sky it was clear and the weather was good and the sea was a beautiful blue,
I pulled me arm back and timed my throw right and the whale was stuck deep and
true.
Yeah the harpoon went in so far up the shaft, that I knew she would be my first
kill,
But the sorrowful cry that she gave to her calf struck me even deeper still,
I sat back down hard when she jerked on our boat and watched as the line it
played out,
But each one of us knew that she wouldn't run far, there was already blood in
her spout.
And it took several strokes from our ten foot long pikes to finish the life of
that whale,
There were tears on my cheeks though when hauling her back with the calf
swimming next to her tail.
Then I sat as though stunned in the bow of my boat while the crew hooked up
shackles and gear,
I was shocked by the foul evil thing I had done when another sound came to my
ear.
A plaintive cry, so mournful and sad came forth from the wee little calf.
I reached out and stroked his barnacled head while the knives started cutting
the fat.
Then the fires were stoked for to render the oil, while the mate hollered down
from the deck.
"Hey MacGregor, you fool, what ya sitting there for, stick your lance in that
little one's neck."
I looked at the man who had called down to me and I thought about what he had
said,
I picked up my lance, but I turned it around and smacked the calf hard on his
head.
Then he rolled to his right and he flourished his tail and disappeared under the
wave.
And though I was sad for the cow I had killed I felt good for the calf that I
saved.
And no more would I kill on that whale fishing trip, though I served out my time
all the same.
Mending and cleaning and helping the cook 'til they dropped me at a seaport in
Maine.
And for the last forty years now I've live a good life with a wife and four sons
that we've raised.
And I've taught them that killing for profit or sport is a thing that should
never be praised.
But I wonder at times when I think of that day and the changes that it made in
me.
How can we as men still live with ourselves when we slaughter the whales of the
sea.
How can we as men still live with ourselves when we slaughter the whales of the
sea.
Florida Sky
by Mike Campbell - 2012
There's a Florida sky every morning,
It'll rise through a light misty haze,
And the colors at dawn are enough to live on,
For all of the rest of the day.
I sit out and watch every morning,
With some coffee out on the lanai,
What e'er the day brings me there's nothing can faze me,
For I've got my Florida sky..
My love and I,
Living our lives,
Under Florida sky.
Dark clouds are on the horizon,
They are moving fast, coming up strong,
The sky seems to ask have I finished my task,
Should I stay or should I move along?
As the thunder storm swirls around me,
I'm filled with a glorious high,
This rain, wind and flash and the thunderous crash,
Are a part of my Florida sky.
Chorus
I've lived in the desert, I've lived in the tundra,
I've lived in the mountains so high.
But sunshine or star light, morning or twilight,
They can't touch my Florida sky.
As the quiet of evening approaches,
I watch as the sun's going down,
I sit on the strand, where the water and sand,
Wear the colors like they were a gown.
The horizon's on fire with crimson,
Scarlet clouds going by,
Nothing else matters, but the wind and the waters,
And that glorious Florida sky.
Chorus
Free Walter
by Mike Campbell 1996
Now Walter the King Crab was large as can be,
The king of all King Crab that lived in the sea,
Though his size was enormous, his brain it was not,
Which was probably why he got caught.
OOOOO
Free Walter, Free Walter all the little crabs said,
We love our dear king, though his brain might be dead,
Free Walter, Free Walter they shouted with glee,
Throw him back, throw him back in the sea.
Throw him back in the sea.
Now to Walter's misfortune he happened to be,
Ensnared in a trap in the crab fishery,
When along came a boat and pulled up their crab-pot,
And brought Walter up to the top.
OOOOO
Free Walter, Free Walter all the crewmen did say,
Such a marvelous crab should go back in the bay,
Free Walter, Free Walter they shouted with glee,
Throw him back, throw him back in the sea.
Throw him back in the sea.
Well Captain Sundeen, he was vicious and mean,
He decided that Walter was going to be steamed,
He would eat him for breakfast with orange juice and eggs,
Then munch all day long on his legs.
OOOOO
Free Walter, Free Walter the ship's cook did beg,
Don't smear him with tartar, don't nibble his legs,
Free Walter, Free Walter they shouted with glee,
Throw him back, throw him back in the sea.
Throw him back in the sea.
So the Captain relented and to port they did go,
Where he sold poor old Walter to a circus side show,
They built him a tank so the people could peer,
At the giant sized crab they had here.
OOOOO
Free Walter, Free Walter all the people did say,
If you don't turn him loose we will all go away,
Free Walter, Free Walter they shouted with glee,
Throw him back, throw him back in the sea.
Throw him back in the sea.
So they traded their King Crab for a three headed horse,
And Walter was shipped off to L.A., of course.
Where he starred in a movie of blood, sex and gore,
Made him six million dollars or more.
OOOOO
Free Walter, Free Walter cried the S.P.C.A,
You movie directors can't treat him that way,
Free Walter, Free Walter they shouted with glee,
Throw him back, throw him back in the sea.
Throw him back in the sea.
Then a starlet confessed she was bearing his child,
And lawyers were hired and charges were filed,
And before even one of his weird eyes could blink,
Poor Walter was locked in the clink.
OOOOO
Free Walter, Free Walter the angry mob yelled,
That innocent crab don't belong in that cell,
Free Walter, Free Walter they shouted with glee,
Throw him back, throw him back in the sea.
Throw him back in the sea.
His trial was followed both near and afar,
Followed by the Enquirer and the National Star,
And everyone watched it on cable TV.
To see what Walter's verdict would be.
OOOOO
Free Walter, Free Walter cried a jury of peers,
Then the courtroom went crazy and everyone cheered,
Free Walter, Free Walter they shouted with glee,
Throw him back, throw him back in the sea.
Throw him back in the sea.
He rode to the airport in a black limousine,
His name had been cleared, his record was clean,
And he sipped some champagne as he waved to the crowd,
That cheered him and shouted out loud,
OOOOO
Free Walter, Free Walter all the people did shout,
This crab is our hero, its true, there's no doubt,
Free Walter, Free Walter they shouted with glee,
Throw him back, throw him back in the sea.
Throw him back in the sea.
Then Walter he got on a big DC-10
Which flew him right back to his old home again,
And the Captain and crew were as glad as could be,
To throw Walter back in the sea.
OOOOO
Free Walter, Free Walter sang the whole world with joy,
Every man, every woman, each girl and each boy.
Free Walter, Free Walter they shouted with glee,
Throw him back, throw him back in the sea.
Throw him back in the sea.
Friends
By Mike Campbell 2006
When problems are many and troubles are deep, And life seems like darkness and blight. It's the friendships we've formed that will help see us through, Good friends never waver in shining their light. So lift up your glasses and give a good cheer, Our friends form the rock where we stand, And friendship is worth a good song and a beer, Its our friends that make living so grand. I'm a lucky old fellow, I've friends by the score, And they're all the most wonderful kind. They stand by me whenever the wolf's at my door, And it don't seem to matter if I'm losing my mind. So lift up your glasses and give a good cheer, Our friends form the rock where we stand, And friendship is worth a good song and a beer, Its our friends that make living so grand. (Instrumental break) Friends of fair weather are easy to find, But they're there only when times are high. It's the friends that stand by you in hurricane winds, They're the ones you should measures friends by. So lift up your glasses and give a good cheer, Our friends form the rock where we stand, And friendship is worth a good song and a beer, Its our friends that make living so grand. (Repeat chorus ad nauseum)
Frightened
by Mike Campbell 2005
I am frightened,
I don't want to go to school because they'll find me.
They will trip me in the hall, they will knock me to my knees,
And it will hurt and will make me feel weak.
I am so tired,
For I cannot sleep at night because they scare me,
So I lie awake and wonder what they'll do to me,
When they find me again tomorrow.
I mustn't tell,
If I tell on them they say that I'll be sorry,
And I know that they will find a way to beat me,
Even worse than they have beaten me before.
What can I do,
For I fear that this might just go on forever,
And a life that's lived in fear, a life that's lived in fear,
Is not worth living.
Halibut
by Mike Campbell 2000
On a fishing charter boat out of Homer, Alaska,
Big halibut under the sea is what I am after,
My fishing pole in my hands,
My sinker dropped down to the sands,
And I knew with that hook in her mouth, she would be mine.
All I need is one big fish to fill my freezer up to the top,
And my favorite fish is halibut.
When she started to dance my pole it bent over double.
That fish was so big man I knew that she'd give me some trouble,
So I braced myself on the rail,
My god she felt like a whale,
As I tightened my drag I just knew that she would be mine.
All I need is one big fish to fill my freezer up to the top,
And my favorite fish is halibut.
When I finally saw my fish just under the water,
I yelled for the Captain to bring his gun for the slaughter,
He put two rounds in her head,
He made sure that that big fish was dead,
As we hauled her on board I could hear all the other folks say,
All we need is one big fish to fill our freezers up to the top,
And our favorite fish is your halibut.
All I need is one big fish to fill my freezer up to the top,
And my favorite fish is halibut.
Hate To See You Go
by Mike Campbell 1994
Oh the leaves they are a turning, and the weather's getting cold,
There was ice upon the car window today.
And the radio reported that the rain might turn to snow,
And the geese are heading southward on their way.
Oh I think about this summer and all the fun we had,
Playing music at the festivals and shows,
And though I know its time for you to get out on your own,
Tracy I sure hate to see you go.
When you were just a baby, I held you in my arms,
I marveled at the way your brown hair curled.
And you would grab my finger with your tiny little hand,
And I was the proudest daddy in the world.
Oh it seems like only yesterday when you were just a girl,
And there were so many things you didn't know.
And now you're off to college and I am prouder still,
But Tracy I sure hate to see you go.
But go, and see what you must see,
And so, become the woman you must be.
Like a little sparrow when it finally learns to fly,
The time as come to leave the nest so warm.
But you know you're always welcome back whenever you decide,
Just to visit or to shelter from the storm.
So whenever you are happy or feeling sad and blue,
Or when the northern wind begins to blow.
Just call me on the telephone and let me hear from you,
'Cause Tracy I sure hate to see you go.
Oh Tracy I sure hate to see you go.
Her First Waltz
By Chris Collins and Mike Campbell 2014
I asked her to dance and at first she said no,
But I asked her again and she said she would go.
At first she was hesitant so we started out slow,
For this was her very first waltz.
We counted the beat as we danced one-two-three
I smiled at her and she smiled back at me,
The way that she moved it was hard to believe,
That this was her very first waltz.
We moved in a circle around the great hall,
She was the most beautiful dancer of all,
With one dance she became the belle of the ball,
Dancing her very first waltz.
As she danced the melody came into her heart,
Her steps and the music were never apart,
The way that she danced was the vision of art,
And this was her very first waltz.
The joy that she felt was so plain on her face,
Of all of her fears there's no longer a trace,
Everyone saw she had style and grace,
Dancing her very first waltz.
We moved in a circle around the great hall,
She was the most beautiful dancer of all,
With one dance she became the belle of the ball,
Dancing her very first waltz.
High Country
by Mike Campbell 1996
Oh Mary, sweet Mary I've just come from town,
Where young Joseph Connolly was showing what he found.
He's returned from high country and truth, it be told,
He's come back with great riches, his pockets filled with gold.
When I saw all the treasure he's taken from this earth,
The short time in high country that multiplied his worth.
I compared it to the many years I've toiled on this land,
And the sum of my wealth I can count on one hand.
How cruel the Almighty, when he decides our fate,
How wrong, though, my temptation this young man to hate,
I was filled with great anger, consumed with envy,
That he should find, in high country, all I wanted for thee.
Way up in high country, where the air smells so clean,
Men are finding their fortunes in rivers and streams,
It's a road I must follow for it calls out my name,
And this fever for gold, sure might drive me insane.
I have packed up my gear and the clothes that I shall wear,
Placed my blanket and saddle on the back of the mare,
I shall go to high country for all the gold we need,
Then return, like young Joseph, and lay it at your feet.
So now I must leave you, dear Mary, my love,
But I swear that each night twill be you I dream of.
And if anyone comes out here asking for me,
You must tell them high country is where I shall be.
Highway of Dreams
by Mike Campbell 1995
It was built by the army back in World War II
So all of the northern supplies could get through,
A road to Alaska through a land of extremes,
And we called it our highway of dreams.
With the kids sleeping soundly and the wife on my right,
We drove through Seattle, crossed the border at night.
Up Fraser Canyon to Prince George like a streak,
Spent the next night in Dawson Creek.
We were off to Alaska on the highway of dreams,
A road to adventure few people have seen,
We'll cross over mountains, canyons and streams,
As we drive up the highway of dreams.
Just east of the Rockies, the road headed north,
And everything costs about twice what its worth,
The people were friendly, they were helpful and glad
To take us for all that we had.
Then it snowed in the mountains and the road went to pot.
The kids they were screaming, our tempers were hot,
It was in Watson Lake when the car finally died,
And we knew that repairs would be high.
We were stuck in the Yukon on the highway of dreams,
This road to adventure ain't all that it seems,
I'm glad we brought the credit card as part of our team,
To survive this highway of dreams.
When the parts finally got there we were back on the road,
We tried not to think of the money we owed.
A glance at the map we saw the end was in sight,
So we drove till the morning light.
Now the ice and the snow have all disappeared,
The storm clouds have parted, the sun's shining here,
There's a breeze in my window only bugs in my way,
Going to get to Alaska today.
Well we made it to Alaska on the highway of dreams,
This road to adventure few people have seen,
We crossed over mountains, canyons and streams,
As we drove up the highway of dreams.
It was built by the army back in World War II,
So all of the northern supplies could get through,
A road to Alaska through a land of extremes,
And we called it our highway of dreams.
I Never Told You
by Mike Campbell 1997
I never told you that I loved you,
I never said how much I cared,
For I've been hurt by love a time or two before,
I didn't know if the love I gave might not be shared.
And so I kept my love in silence.
Never knowing what to say,
And now you've got and married someone else instead,
And you've packed your things and moved so far away.
And now I know my arms will never hold you.
Now I know how lonely life can be.
If only I had told you that I'd love no one but you.
Then at least you'd know just what you mean to me.
I thought I saw you in the market,
Was only someone with your hair,
I smelled your perfume as I left the movie show,
But when I looked around, you were not there.
I touch your picture every morning,
On my way out to my car.
I sing you love songs nearly every single day,
And I always seem to wonder where you are.
I realize I'll never lie beside you,
A lifetime filled with emptiness it seems,
If only I had told you that I'd love no one but you,
Then perhaps you'd not be haunting all my dreams.
Iditarod
by Mike Campbell 2003
There's a race across the frozen snow and its run from Anchorage into Nome,
Across a land that was built by God, it's a race they call Iditarod,
I've run that race myself three times, when I'd lose I'd start to crying,
Figured I'd never race again until I found me a way to win.
Iditarod, Iditarod, OOOOO Iditarod.
So I got me a mail order PhD in bio-medical-genealogy,
I needed dogs that were fast and mean so I started into splicing genes.
I got chromosomes from a thoroughbred mare, pitbull, cheetah and a grizzly bear,
Added some wolverine and gazelle, a little bit of road runner, "What the hell!".
Iditarod, Iditarod, OOOOO Iditarod.
I spliced them all to some Husky genes, there was just enough to make me a team,
I crossed my fingers and I made a wish, and tossed each one in a Petrie dish.
Well three months later them pups were born they had spotted hair, hooves and
horns,
They were big and mean and awful strong and each one thought I was his mom.
Iditarod, Iditarod, OOOOO Iditarod.
Well finally race day came around and I brought my team into Anchor town.
We went running off down the street with a growl and a whinny and a "beep,
beep".
Out of Wasilla, into Knik, running so fast it was making me sick,
Through Yentna, Skwentna, mountains high, we were third into Nikolai.
Iditarod, Iditarod, OOOOO Iditarod.
We rested for twenty-four in McGrath, out of Ophir moving fast,
Underneath the sky so blue, out of Kaltag number two,
Against the wind across ice so thick, first place into Shaktoolik,
But while we were running along, I could tell there was something going wrong.
Iditarod, Iditarod, OOOOO Iditarod.
So I set up my electron microscope, gave one of my dogs a needle poke,
Put some blood into that machine, but then I couldn't believe what I was seeing,
The gazelle genes were starting to shake, the bear genes wanted to hibernate,
The thoroughbred genes still wanted to run, but each of them wolverine genes
were done.
Iditarod, Iditarod, OOOOO Iditarod.
They were flopping around like a bunch of bats, their insides fighting like dogs
and cats,
Facial ticks and burps and farts, their double helix was falling apart.
At Safety, they gave a mighty roar, broke their lines and away they tore,
Out across the tundra gray, in each of sixteen different ways.
Iditarod, Iditarod, OOOOO Iditarod.
Now I pulled that sled all on my own,
I was sixty-third under the arch in Nome,
And not one single dog was left,
Of the team I thought would win that test.
But I know that they are out there still, they'd be too difficult to kill,
You'd need fourteen tags and permits too, like getting permission to shoot a
zoo.
So if you ever run into my hybrid beasts, take a photograph at least,
Give them my best as they run by, and let them know that their mom says, "Hi".
Iditarod, Iditarod, OOOOO Iditarod.
Iditarod, Iditarod, OOOOO Iditarod.
If Not For Buffy
by Mike Campbell 2004
In the town of Sunnydale, California,
The place where the Hellmouth stands,
There's vampires and demons, zombies and ghouls,
Running all over this land.
I know they are evil and I think that their purpose,
Is to kill all the good boys and girls.
And they keep multiplying and increasing their numbers,
They'll surely take over the world.
If not for Buffy, if not for Buffy,
If not for Buffy the vampire slayer where would we be.
If not for Buffy, if not for Buffy,
If not for Buffy the vampire slayer where would we be.
Now the vampires say this world is so soft,
They just don't know where to begin,
They want to remove all the blood from the humans,
And bring this world to an end.
So they plot and they scheme and they join with their buddies,
To come up with their psychotic plans.
And all of them working together like that,
Would mean the end to the family of man.
If not for Buffy, if not for Buffy,
If not for Buffy the vampire slayer where would we be.
If not for Buffy, if not for Buffy,
If not for Buffy the vampire slayer where would we be.
There's a boy and a girl they want to get married,
Funny how the two of them met.
They talked to each other in the Buffy chat room,
On the world wide internet.
Before that neither one knew about the other,
Living under the same sky above.
They never would have met, they never would have kissed,
They never would have fallen in love.
If not for Buffy, if not for Buffy,
If not for Buffy the vampire slayer where would we be.
If not for Buffy, if not for Buffy,
If not for Buffy the vampire slayer where would we be.
I'll Always Be In Love
by Mike Campbell 1998
Sky is grey, rainy day, wonder why you went away,
I'll always be in love with you.
Winter sky, snow will fly, never even said goodby.
I'll always be in love with you.
I watch for your letters and wait by the phone,
Hoping that you'll let me know.
How could you leave me here all alone,
Knowing that I loved you so.
Cloudy skies, misty eyes, loneliness can't be disguised,
I'll always be in love with you.
Starry sight, moon is bright, wonder where you are tonight,
I'll always be in love with you.
My friends they all tell me to find someone new,
Don't go on with thoughts of the past.
But I know my heart it will always be true,
Loving you 'til the last.
Sky is clear, I shed a tear, how I wish that you were here,
I'll always be in love with you.
Sky is blue, my heart is too, what am I supposed to do.
I'll always be in love with you.
Jimmy
by Mike Campbell 2012
Jimmy was a Barred Rock rooster,
He lived outside in the yard,
In any kind of weather Jimmy had a pretty feather,
But living with Jimmy was hard.
He was always great with the chickens,
Seemed to have a pretty good head,
But every morning at 4 am,
Jimmy would wake us out of bed.
There's a whole lot of squawking and a whole lot of talking,
There's a whole lot of stinky chicken poo.
But the worst thing about having chickens in the yard,
Is Jimmy's old cock-a-doodle-doo.
Doodle doo, doodle doo, doodle doo, doodle doo,
doodle-doodle-doodle-doodle doo.
Now the neighbor on the right was William,
And the neighbor on the left was Vi,
And the neighbors in the back were Jill and Jack,
And they all wanted Jimmy to die.
For he woke them up every morning,
They were not very happy you see,
And Vi and Bill and Jack and Jill,
Were getting pretty mad at me.
There's a whole lot of squawking and a whole lot of talking,
There's a whole lot of stinky chicken poo.
But the worst thing about having chickens in the yard,
Is Jimmy's old cock-a-doodle-doo.
Doodle doo, doodle doo, doodle doo, doodle doo,
doodle-doodle-doodle-doodle doo.
I tried to be a good neighbor, invited them over for a keg,
I mowed their lawns and every week, I gave them each a dozen fresh eggs.
Next year under my Christmas tree,
Much to my surprise,
I got a hatchet from old Jack and Jill,
I got a roasting pan from Vi..
I got a summons from the city,
That was Williams work you see,
Cause he don't like noise and he don't like Jimmy,
And he sure as hell don't like me..
Now there's still a lot of squawking and there's still a lot
of talking,
And there's still a lot of stinky chicken poo.
But thanks to all of my neighbors,
There's no more cock-a-doodle-doo.
Doodle doo, doodle doo, doodle doo, doodle doo,
doodle-doodle-doodle-doodle doo.
Johnny Come And Do
by Mike Campbell 1994
Gonna tell you the story of a friend of mine,
Johnny come and do what you do so fine.
First name's Johnny and his last name's Cline,
Johnny come and do what you do so fine.
Johnny got a job on the Grey Funnel Line,
Johnny come and do what you do so fine.
Polished all the brass, made the windows shine,
Johnny come and do what you do so fine.
Johnny come and do, come and do, come and do,
Johnny come and do what you do so fine.
He had a handsome face and he knew how to rhyme,
Johnny come and do what you do so fine.
Quick with a kiss and a merry old time,
Johnny come and do what you do so fine.
All the girls up and down the line said,
Johnny come and do what you do so fine.
He polished their brass almost any old time,
Johnny come and do what you do so fine.
Johnny come and do, come and do, come and do,
Johnny come and do what you do so fine.
Fell in love with a girl name of Gwendolyne,
Johnny come and do what you do so fine.
Her father was the owner of the Grey Funnel Line,
Johnny come and do what you do so fine.
So he saved his nickels and he saved his dimes,
Johnny come and do what you do so fine.
He bought a wedding ring for Gwendolyne,
Johnny come and do what you do so fine.
Johnny come and do, come and do, come and do,
Johnny come and do what you do so fine.
Now her father really loved his Gwendolyne,
Johnny come and do what you do so fine.
He didn't want his daughter to fret or pine,
Johnny come and do what you do so fine.
So he sent John a message on the telegraph line,
Johnny come and do what you do so fine.
He made him a captain on the Grey Funnel Line.
Johnny come and do what you do so fine.
Johnny come and do, come and do, come and do,
Johnny come and do what you do so fine.
Little Jim
by Mike Campbell 1999
Little Jim, he was a fisherman and a good man through and through,
But when, each time, Jim docked in port, he was known to drink a few.
On the twenty-sixth day of March back in 1964,
Little Jim tied up to the Kodiak pier and headed for the bars on shore.
Little Jim tied up to the Kodiak pier and headed for the bars on shore.
In the wee hours of the morning, with a stumble in his stride,
Jim staggered back to his ship so he could sleep through a few high tides.
His head so filled with whiskey, in his cabin he laid down,
And slept like a babe in his mother's arms when the earthquake hit that town.
Jim slept like a babe in his mother's arms when the earthquake hit that town.
Oh the damage was enormous, nine-two on the Richter Scale,
And the people cried as the buildings shook and the sea began to boil.
All the sirens, they were screaming, as the tidal wave grew near,
When the water rushed out of the harbor, every face was filled with fear.
But still Jim kept on sleeping while his lines all broke away,
And his ship settled down in the Kodiak mud at the bottom of Chiniak Bay.
Jim's ship settled down in the Kodiak mud at the bottom of Chiniak Bay.
Then the tidal wave came crashing in with a great unearthly roar,
Picked up Jim's ship like it was a toy and carried it over the shore,
It skittered right down the street crashing into cars and walls,
But Jim was used to Alaskan storms and he slept right through it all.
Little Jim was used to Alaskan storms, he slept right through it all.
Many ships were torn apart that day and many lives were lost.
But Little Jim's ship was gently placed in the middle of a parking lot.
Now several hours later when his bladder did prevail,
Little Jim woke up to Nature's Call and stumbled to the rail.
He stared at all the damage and his blood went cold with fear.
"Oh Christ," said Jim, "How could I have been so drunk to have driven her here!"
"Oh Christ," said Jim, "How could I have been so drunk to have driven her here!"
Lost and Alone
by Mike Campbell 2012
I shall never return to my mountain home,
Where the mists and the snows once chilled my bones.
I'm kept in this prison with no hope of leaving,
And I'm feeling so lost and alone.
Yes, I'm feeling so lost and alone.
I've a smoldering temper they say,
There are times I should just walk away,
I knew I'd been drinking and not really thinking,
That murder would happen that day.
Chorus
Outside t'was dark as a tomb,
The rain gave the feeling of doom,
I was drinking quite hard and losing at cards,
When MacPherson walked into the room.
Chorus
He hollered my name from the door,
He said he would give me what for,
He brandished his knife, and said he'd have my life,
But I shot him dead there on the floor.
Chorus
A jury of peers said guilty,
Murder in the second degree,
Now this is my hell in an eight by ten cell,
And I'll never be able to leave.
Chorus
Mars Outback
by Mike Campbell 2005
I wonder what it will all look like,
When I land my ship on Mars,
Will the sun shine bright and in the night,
Will I see the moon and stars.
And when I take my walk-about,
I wonder what I'll do,
If I should see coming right at me,
A bright green kangaroo.
Oh, come to the Martian Outback,
Come share the sights with me,
Just take my hand with yours, my dear,
We'll see what we will see.
As I stroll along the canals on Mars,
I'll see yellow platypus.
And will blue Martian Koala bears,
Have six inch ivory tusks.
And when I come to a billabong,
I'll stop and rest awhile,
Beneath the leaves of a red gum tree,
Like a Martian crocodile.
Oh, come to the Martian Outback,
Come share the sights with me,
Just take my hand with yours, my dear,
We'll see what we will see.
We could both be Martian Swaggies,
With our gear inside our packs.
And everything that we might need,
Will be snug upon our backs.
Perhaps I'll find a bit of land,
At the edge of a canyon wide.
I'll build a Martian Outback hut,
So's I can live inside.
It will have a hammock for when I sleep,
A porch and a rocking chair,
But I could never call it home,
'Til you are with me there.
Oh, come to the Martian Outback,
Come share the sights with me,
Just take my hand with yours, my dear,
We'll see what we will see.
Morris The Moose
by Mike Campbell 1993
I'm gonna tell you the story 'bout a crazy moose,
He lives back in the hills in an old caboose,
He strings his antlers with Christmas lights,
And eats only junk food day and night,
He's Morris the misfit, munching moose
His tummy's empty and his brains are loose,
He eats all day, he don't like hay,
He's Morris the misfit, munching moose.
Oom baba doom, baba doom, baba doom,
Ba doom, boom, boom, boom, boom.
Each winter just after it has snowed,
Morris goes boogying down the road,
When he gets hungry he'll stop and shop,
He'll get some Fritos corn chips and soda pop.
When he goes driving in his car,
He drinks Dr. Pepper from a Mason jar.
He drives right up to Burger King,
And orders sixteen Whoppers with everything.
Chorus
Now Morris got himself a job,
Dealing Blackjack and five card draw.
But they let him go, because he could not break,
His habit of eating all the table stakes.
Then he took to a life of crime,
Robbing stores in the summertime,
He never hurt a single sole,
And took only Twinkies and Tootsie Rolls.
Chorus
Now Morris like his music hot,
From the big band swing to the old bebop,
To Hepcat rhythm with a lot of soul,
And good boogie woogie and Rock and Roll.
With all the food that he puts down,
He ought to weigh five thousand pounds,
But ask him and he's proud to say,
He can dance those extra pounds away.
Chorus
Chorus
Pete
by Mike Campbell 1994
He was there to hold me steady when I first learned how to walk.
He taught me all the bad words when I finally learned to talk.
When summer came he showed me how to beat the summer heat,
Two years older was my brother Pete.
Oh he helped me learn to hold the mane when riding on the mule,
And pulled me in his wagon to the little swimming pool.
He let me ride his bike although I couldn't reach the seat.
For an older brother he was pretty neat.
It was hard on all the family when he died and went away,
Mom went kind of crazy and she never was the same,
And Daddy's laughing eyes how they lost some of their cheer,
And more than once I saw them filled with tears.
He never went to high school, never learned to drive a car,
He never had a girlfriend, never traveled very far,
At nine years old his carefree life came tumbling to an end,
How I wish that he was with us once again.
He never got to tell my children of their father as a kid,
Nor laugh as we remembered all the crazy things we did,
We never argued politics nor shared a glass of beer,
For while I was growing up he was not here.
Oh Pete is there an afterlife and is that where you are,
Can you hear me wishing when I look up at the stars,
Are you watching as we struggle each and every day,
And do you help to smooth my troubled way.
Now I sit out on my back porch playing tunes on my guitar,
I watch my own two sons as they run laughing through the yard,
My memories come rolling back how he and I would play,
On just this sort of lazy summer's day.
Pint Of Your Beer
by Mike Campbell 2000
CHORUS
Oh, give me a pint of your beer, me boys, a lovely porter
will do,
Me dear old wife has left me and me life is nearly through,
I cannot bring myself to cook since that awful day,
So give me a pint of your beer, me boys before I waste away.
Me lovely wife, sweet Nancy, was not a timid mouse,
She gave an ultimatum, I must help around the house,
But while I was deciding where to start on all her chores,
She told me she was finished and she walked right out the door.
CHORUS
Now the widow, McCuddy, was glad to see the wife and I were through,
She was bringing over casseroles, pots of Irish stew.
I've never been so terrified in my entire life,
I believe the widow, McCuddy, would like to be my second wife,
CHORUS
Ah me sister, Kate, took pity when she heard about my plight,
She gave me breakfast every morn and dinner every night,
But then I was told to leave by her ugly husband Harve,
I suppose the fates have spoken, won't be long until I starve.
CHORUS
Now me brother Pat's a gentleman with sixteen kids or more,
I thought it would not matter if I showed up at his door,
After eighteen months he told me I was driving him insane,
Now he's gone and kicked me out and I'm on my own again,
CHORUS
So I went to Dr. Kelly for advice to see me through,
I'd been famished for so long it was the least that I could do,
But the doctor must be crazy and his scale cannot be sound,
Though I've been starving for so long it said I've gained near fifty pounds.
CHORUS
Rainy Day Blues
by Mike Campbell 1995
Oh the sun doesn't shine much in Kodiak,
At least it seems that way to me,
Each time I've got to come down here,
Grey skies are all that I see.
When the wind comes in off the ocean,
How it chills me to the bone,
And the steady sound as the rain hits the ground,
Makes me feel so alone.
I've got the Kodiak Island tired of these rainy day blues,
Oh this kind of weather is never the kind I would choose,
I like to run beneath a bright sun where the sky has a deep azure hue,
Instead of these grey clouds everyday,
On Kodiak Island, tired of these rainy day blues.
I've been working hard here in Kodiak,
But there's still so much more work to do,
I've already been here far too long,
And it seems like I'll never get through.
There's a rainbow on the horizon,
And to the north I can see blue skies,
But where I stand here, the rain is near,
And I keep wondering why,
I've got the Kodiak Island tired of these rainy day blues,
Oh this kind of weather is never the kind I would choose,
I like to run beneath a bright sun where the sky has a deep azure hue,
Instead of these grey clouds everyday,
On Kodiak Island, tired of these rainy day blues.
Even if the rain stops falling outside,
And the weather turns sunny and warm,
My heart would still feel these rainy day blues,
'Cause I don't have you in my arms.
But the rain is still falling in Kodiak,
And my plans to come home have changed,
There's a problem at one of the fish canneries,
I've got to go back there again,
But I'm sick of the smell of the ocean,
And I'm tired clear down to my shoes,
But if things go right, in another few nights,
I will be flying back home to you.
I've got the Kodiak Island tired of these rainy day blues,
Oh this kind of weather is never the kind I would choose,
I like to run beneath a bright sun where the sky has a deep azure hue,
Instead of these grey clouds everyday,
On Kodiak Island, tired of these rainy day blues.
Sad Eyes
by Mike Campbell 1999
Once my eyes were happy, they laughed all through the day,
Once my eyes could look at you and see a brighter way,
Once my eyes were filled with love they sang a happy song,
But now my eyes are sad, 'cause you are gone.
I look at your photograph and I see your happy smile,
Then I look around this empty house and I wonder for awhile,
I look into the mirror and my eyes look back at me,
I swear these are the saddest eyes I've seen.
Sad, sad eyes, looking back at me
I swear these are the saddest eyes I've seen.
If I had a dollar for each time you made me cry,
Then I could stack those dollars and they would reach clear through the sky,
But if I had me a genie, if he gave me wishes three,
I'd wish right now that you would come back to me.
Sad, sad eyes, looking back at me
I swear these are the saddest eyes I've seen.
But once my eyes were happy, they laughed all through the day,
Once my eyes could look at you and see a brighter way,
Once my eyes were filled with love they sang that happy song,
But now my eyes are sad, 'cause you are gone.
Salmon Love
by Mike Campbell 1997
I've been swimming in the ocean for about four years,
It's really kind of boring cause there's nothing doing here,
I cruise around all day, I watch the other fishes swim,
I think it might be time for me to head back home again,
There is a little place upstream that I've been thinking of,
I believe I got a case of that, salmon love.
I said, Oh my, just look at my size,
I am so much larger than when I was a fry,
Oh my, like a streak in the sky,
I'm fast, strong and handsome through the water I fly.
Fishing boats are dragging their nets on the tide,
There doesn't seem to be any place I can hide,
Thousands of my buddies getting caught everyday,
But I'm gonna get through, I know I'll find me a way,
And now I'm in the river and I'm headed for home,
Cause this salmon love it just won't leave me alone,
I said, Oh my, gotta jump real high,
A waterfall is coming, lord I wish I could fly,
Oh my, now what else do I spy,
Why it's a grizzly bear who's got a hungry look in his eye.
Salmon love is driving me to swim upstream,
Living like a salmon boys it ain't what it seems,
There's fishermen on every bank as far as I see,
And all of them are trying to get their hooks in me,
There's a spinner in my dorsal and a fly in my tail,
I think every single fisherman belongs in jail,
I said, Oh my, I see with my eye,
All the pretty colors of them fishing flies,
Oh my, now I really must try,
I have got to get to heaven before I can die.
Salmon love, you see, it is a terminal disease,
But it doesn't make me shiver and I hardly ever sneeze,
It turns my body bright red, my head and fins turn green,
My upper jaw gets snaggled, lord I look so damn mean,
But if I can find a place to spawn with the moon up above,
Then I won't mind terminating from salmon love.
Sailor's Lament
by Mike Campbell 2000
I am a man, I have a heart
But I can't live when we're apart,
And so I've built this boat it's true.
And now I'm sailing home to you
Sail home to you.
And if I sail on troubled seas,
I'll banish fear with thoughts of thee,
And if I'm cold amid the storm,
I know your love will keep me warm,
Oh you keep me warm.
And if my boat should lose its sails,
Then I will call upon the whales,
And I will sing of the love I've known,
And they will surely bring me home,
They will bring me home.
And when at last, I am at your door,
Then I will travel, never more,
For in your arms I long to be,
Not on this cold and heartless sea,
On the cold, cold sea.
Seventh Son
by Mike Campbell 2005
I was born unto my parents on the seventh of July,
My father was a seventh son and so, by chance, was I.
The stars were all aligned, I was the seventh baby born,
In the year 1907 at seven in the morn.
Upon my seventh birthday I was given half a crown.
'Twas at the Galway races and they let me bet it down.
The odds were one to seven on a dapple colored gray,
And they cheered me as a lucky lad to win so much that day.
Throughout my years of schooling many blessings I received,
Good fortune seemed to give me anything that I might need.
My teachers and my peers alike thought me their lucky friend,
When e'er I left they'd count the days 'til I'd return again.
On my twenty-seventh birthday to the races I did go,
I took my sweet Kathleen because she loves the ponies so.
In the seventh race, the seventh horse, a bay named Seventh Son,
My eyes near popped the odds on him were seventy to one.
I quickly bade Kathleen to sit and both our seats to hold,
Then hurried to the bank and withdrew all my gold.
I mortgaged all my lands and pawned my father's watch and chain,
When I bet it on that horse to win, they thought I was insane.
Now the horses leave the starting gate, they thunder down the track,
Seventh Son is in the lead, he cannot be held back.
The crowd is cheering madly and my heart is beating fast.
But around the turn he falters and one horse slips on past.
They are all bunched up together down the back stretch they have sped,
Seventh Son has slipped to third, but only by a head.
His feet are flying swiftly and there's thunder in his stride,
But even so another horse comes slipping by inside.
Now around the final turn the horses kicking up the dust,
It's hard to see who's in the lead but in my luck I trust.
I close my eyes, I turn my back, I listen to the crowd,
And as the horses cross the line the cheering is so loud.
My heart is in my throat as I gaze up at the board,
A lifetime of good luck is not a thing to be ignored.
And seven's been my lucky number all of my lifetime,
But that number seven horse was seventh 'cross the line.
Shenandoah Roll On Home
by Mike Campbell 2004
I am a Confederate sailor man,
Roll on Shenandoah.
I'll fight them Yankees wherever I can,
Roll on Shenandoah.
In eighteen hundred and sixty-four,
We bought from England a ship of war,
We named our ship the Shenandoah,
Shenandoah roll on home.
Roll on, roll on, Shenandoah roll on home.
Around Good Hope to Australian shores,
Roll on Shenandoah.
We've burned their ships and we'll burn some more,
Roll on Shenandoah.
To Alaska where ice and the sea are one,
Where Yankee whaling songs are sung,
They are no match for this ship's guns.
Shenandoah roll on home.
Roll on, roll on, Shenandoah roll on home.
Our Captain Waddell, he is brave and true,
Roll on Shenandoah.
He fought not knowing that the war was through,
Roll on Shenandoah.
Thirty-eight ships as war trophies,
A thousand prisoners taken at sea,
But the war is lost now our ship must flee.
Shenandoah roll on home.
Roll on, roll on, Shenandoah roll on home.
We sailed with speed around Cape Horn,
Roll on Shenandoah.
It's death for us all if we try for home,
Roll on Shenandoah.
For too many months we have not touched sand,
Our duty called and we made our stand,
But it's England's shore where we must land.
Shenandoah roll on home.
Roll on, roll on, Shenandoah roll on home.
There are Union ships searching high and low,
Roll on Shenandoah.
Their merchants rail that our ship must go,
Roll on Shenandoah.
They call us pirates and they scream,
If we get caught we'll be hung it seems,
But they'll only catch us in their dreams,
Shenandoah roll on home.
Roll on, roll on, Shenandoah roll on home.
Roll on, roll on, Shenandoah roll on home.
Snowshoe Shuffle
by Mike Campbell 1995
Well in the winter time of year,
With all that snow laying round up here,
That is the place where I'll be found,
Just scooting myself across the cold, cold ground.
But I don't ski or snowmobile,
I don't run around in no four-wheel,
I got shoes that are four feet long,
I do the snowshoe shuffle.
And the snowshoe shuffle helps me shuffle on across the snow,
With the snowshoe shuffle I can shuffle myself anywhere I go,
Well, I am a big man heaven knows,
But I never sink down in the snow,
Even when I go where there ain't no roads,
My snowshoes carry my load..
There's moose out on this trail with me,
And lots of ravens in the trees,
And sweet, tranquil serenity,
As I shuffle myself across the cold country,
I thank my lucky stars above,
For letting me wander the land I love,
It makes me truly thankful for
The snowshoe shuffle.
And the snowshoe shuffle helps me shuffle on across the snow,
With the snowshoe shuffle I can shuffle myself anywhere I go,
Well, I am a big man heaven knows,
But I never sink down in the snow,
Even when I go where there ain't no roads,
My snowshoes carry my load..
Talkeetna Waltz
by Mike Campbell 1994
Oh I built you a cabin in the Talkeetna Mountains,
The river runs right by the door.
When the northern lights brightened the heavens in winter,
You said you could want nothing more.
With you in my arms we'd look out on Denali,
I never believed we would part,
Though the mountains were pretty you left me for the city,
And now there's an ache in my heart.
And I need you here by my side again,
Where the wind and the water run free,
Oh I hope you'll return to the Talkeetna Mountains,
And bring your love back home to me.
When the sun shines its rays on the Talkeetna Mountains,
The river will sparkle and shine,
I can sit on my porch and throw stones in the water,
And remember the love that was mine.
Oh this river it tumbles right out of the mountains,
It rolls right on down to the sea.
Like the salmon in season, let love be the reason,
To follow it back home to me.
For I need you here by my side again,
Where the wind and the water run free,
Oh I hope you'll return to the Talkeetna Mountains,
And bring your love back home to me.
The Mountain Man
by Mike Campbell 2005
It was the coldest day that these parts had seen in many years,
We were playing cards at Smitty's house and drinking up his beers,
Ed was warming up his tush, while Jones was dealing stud,
When suddenly out upon the porch, we heard an awful thud.
I cracked the door a tiny bit so's I could look outside,
And saw a huge, half frozen man wrapped up in a grizzly hide,
There was ice encrusted in his beard and snow upon his head,
If he'd not been humming "Loralie", I'd sworn that he was dead.
"Come in, come in", I says to him, "and warm up by the fire."
Smitty put on some extra logs to drive the temperature higher.
We helped the man inside the room, hung his fur up on the wall,
He looked to be 300 pounds and nearly 7 feet tall.
As he started thawing out though, his smell attacked my nose.
I knew it must have been some time since last he washed his clothes,
His booming voice sang, "Loralie", when he'd downed a cup of gin,
And his breath, dear Lord, it staggered me and caused my eyes to spin.
He sang three lines from his favorite song, told us all to call him Herb,
Then expelled a blast of flatulence that echoed with reverb,
Our eyes began to water and senses cried with pain,
"By God," gasped poor old Smitty, "I hope the chair's not stained."
'Twas at that awful moment when to our great surprise,
The fur we'd hung up on the wall snarled and opened its eyes.
Ed yelled out, "That bear's not dead!" Then he fainted on the floor,
Jones grabbed up his mackinaw and bolted for the door.
The bear was over 6 feet tall and weighed near half a ton,
I looked around but couldn't find my hunting knife or gun,
So I picked up one of Smitty's chairs and tossed it at the beast,
He just chewed it up and spit it out, no bother in the least.
Now Smith was throwing china plates to keep the thing at bay,
But all that he accomplished was to send the thing my way,
I overturned the sofa as it lashed out with its claws,
And my heart beat like a hammer as I stared into its maw.
But the mountain man, he kept his cool, and reached out towards the stove,
He grabbed the iron shovel, hit the bear upon the nose,
And then he cursed and scolded it like a man would to a pup,
And with its head bent down in shame, it hung itself back up;.
Now Smitty was beside himself, "You've nearly ruined my house."
But for one more blast of flatulence, Herb was quiet as a mouse.
Then he sang the chorus of "Loralie" and wrapped up in his bear,
Out they went into the cold and left us standing there.
The house it was a ruin, broken stuff was everywhere,
Smith and I were still in shock from out battle with the bear,
We knew that when his wife got home she'd surely have our heads,
Her temper was so volatile, we all had cause to dread.
We dragged Ed out onto the porch and rubbed his face with snow,
Jones climbed down from off the roof, where he had chose to go,
We propped the windows open, put soapy water in the sink,
And tried to wash and clean the house of Herb's horrific stink.
But when Smitty's wife got home that night, the fat was in the fire,
For even in the best of times she thought of us as liars,
And though it was the truth we told, about Herb, the bear and all,
Her own conclusion was that we had had a drunken brawl.
For the heirloom clock was broken and the drapes and curtains tore,
Her mother's finest china lay in pieces on the floor.
"What you boys have done here to my house is nothing but a sin,
So all of you, get out! Get out! And ne'er come back again.
I still think of Herb, the mountain man, and that cold and fateful day,
Whenever I must travel through the mountains on my way.
As I sit there by the campfire underneath a starry sky,
I listen hard and hope to hear him singing "Loralie".
Sweet Loralie, I have caused you to cry,
After all of your kindness towards me.
Though I love you so, I now must go,
And my face you will no longer see.
The Sculptor
by Mike Campbell 1993
When I was a young man I found me a sweetheart,
I carried her books as we walked home from school.
But then when she left me to walk with another,
My poor heart was broken, I felt like a fool
By my father, the sculptor, said son do not worry,
For if you are patient and careful and wise,
You will find you a new love and she'll bring you true love,
Your heart will be filled when you look in her eyes.
True to his wisdom and just as he told me,
I found my true love in my twenty-third year.
But marriage and children and building a family,
Can bring on more problems than stories you hear.
But my father, the sculptor, said son do not worry,
For if you are patient and careful and wise,
You will let your love guide you and not become blind to,
The wonders and good times your family provides.
He made art out of stone, out of wood, out of bone,
Sometimes he would work through the night in our home.
He could take things in pieces and then make them whole,
And he worked hard at sculpting my soul.
As our children grew older they had many interests,
They blossomed and tried many things on their own.
But once in awhile they would clash with their parents,
Oh it seemed like, to them, they would never be grown.
Then Grandpa, the sculptor, would say kids don't worry,
For if you are patient and careful and wise,
You will get through these times when no one understands you,
And cherish these years 'til the day that you die.
Now my wife and I sit on our boat on the ocean,
We'll watch the sunset and think back on good times,
And although the sculptor is no longer with us,
The love that he showed us continues to shine.
For throughout our lives we have tried not to worry,
We've worked to be patient and careful and wise,
Now we play with our grandkids and watch them as they live,
And try our own hand at sculpting their lives.
He made art out of stone, out of wood, out of bone,
Sometimes he would work through the night in our home.
He could take things in pieces and then make them whole,
And he worked hard at sculpting my soul.
They Were Different
by Mike Campbell 1993
When we came to this country they were already here,
They offered their friendship, we met them with fear,
Then we slaughtered them quick and shed not a tear,
They were different and they got in our way.
We continued to chase them across the Great Plains
Where their lives were destroyed and their buffalo slain,
And we killed them again, and again, and again.
They were different and they got in our way.
Then over the mountains and valleys we went,
And we burned them and shot them 'til our bullets were spent,
And we took all their land and paid them not a cent,
They were different and they got in our way.
Oh their customs were different,
And their values were different,
They were different as night is from day,
Their religion was different,
And their culture were different,
So we killed them and went on our way.
The People were thought of as worthless and small,
So the promises made them in government halls,
Were ignored, for most times, they got nothing at all,
They were different and they got in our way.
We forced them to live on the government dole,
And we gave them small pieces of the land that we stole,
But we cared not a damn that their lives were not whole,
They were different and they got in our way.
So now when we see them lying drunk in the rain,
We refuse to accept any part of the blame,
We just turn our heads and we say, "What a shame,
They're so different, but they're out of our way."
Now their customs are different,
And their values are different,
Than they were when we came that first day.
Because for them to survive,
With their differing lives,
They had to learn to get our of our way.
Tiny Bit Of Heaven
by Mike Campbell 2005
Our ship pushes 'round St. George once again,
Mountainous seas and gale force winds,
I check my line and repent my sins,
And yearn for a tiny bit of heaven
Ice forms hard on the crosstrees and masts,
Nobody knows how long this storm will last.
But until my time on watch has passed,
I'll pray for a tiny bit of heaven
Heaven waits for everyone they say,
Not just for the people who can pay.
When day is done I will lie upon my bed,
So many things just clutter up my head,
But life goes on until you're dead,
Then maybe a tiny bit of heaven.
Trailer Park Song
by Mike Campbell 1999
Well I moved my family up to Alaska don't you know.
Where the wildlife and scenery are grand,
And I wasn't all that worried about the bad economy,
For a civil service job was in my hand.
But when we got to Anchor town,
A decent house could not be found,
And we knew the winters here were cold and dark.
The price of housing was so high,
That my loving wife and I,
Bought a trailer in a crappy trailer park.
It's got little tiny bedrooms that open on the hall,
One for the girls the other for the boys.
But all of their possessions are still packaged up and stored,
For they have no room for dolls or other toys.
And so they climb around like monkeys,
On their sets of wooden bunkies,
For their normal beds are much too large to fit.
And the bathroom is so small I get no privacy at all,
When I try to brush my teeth or have a sit.
Now the Wilsons to the north of us are really quite a pain,
For they play their stereo so loud at night.
And the strangers to the south of us we really do not know,
But they've slashed our tires and stolen all our bikes.
And the dealer on the west, I know the cops like him the best,
For they're always there investigating crime.
But the Murphys to the east, why now they bother us the least,
Since their kids are in the slammer doing time.
Now I'm really not implying that a trailer is all bad,
Compared to living in a house of wood and stone.
For when a winter storm will dump three feet of snow upon my roof.
With my trailer I can clear it on my own.
And when the stress of work still lingers,
And I'd like those magic fingers,
To vibrate gently as I lie reposed.
I do not need a big earthquake to make my domicile shake,
All I've got to do is wash a load of clothes.
Now I'm glad to say this is the ending of my little song,
About my family living in a trailer park.
And quite honestly I wish that I had written something else,
Like a sailing song about a whale or shark.
But if those of you out there, will take the time to really care,
And if each buys just one copy of this song,
Then that trailer park will be, part of our ancient history,
And we'll be living in a house before too long.
Traveling Marilyn
by Mike Campbell 1998
Marilyn rode her bike to Alaska,
Drove a dog team out to Nome,
Kayaked across the sea to Russia,
When will Marilyn come back home
Come home Marilyn, I need you here again,
Traveling Marilyn please come home,
When you come home Marilyn, don't ever leave again,
My pretty Marilyn I love you so.
Then Marilyn, she walked on down to China,
Took a rick-shaw to old Nepal,
Skied down the slopes all the way to India,
Marilyn has certainly done it all.
She climbed the mountain, she swam in the fountain,
Sipped her tea with the King and Queen,
She even ran with the bull's in Spain,
There's not much that Marilyn has not seen.
So come home Marilyn, I need you here again,
Traveling Marilyn please come home,
When you come home Marilyn, don't ever leave again,
My pretty Marilyn I love you so.
Then Marilyn safaried deep in the Congo,
Rowed her boat all the way to the coast,
I wish that Marilyn would come back home again,
She is the one that I love the most.
So come home Marilyn, I need you here again,
Traveling Marilyn please come home,
When you come home Marilyn, don't ever leave again,
My pretty Marilyn I love you so.
Then she took a cruise ship to New York City,
Drove a car back to West L.A.
Tomorrow she's getting on board a big airplane,
Marilyn is coming back home to stay.
So come home Marilyn, I need you here again,
Traveling Marilyn please come home,
When you come home Marilyn, don't ever leave again,
My pretty Marilyn I love you so.
Turnagain Waltz
by Mike Campbell 2004
Turn and turn again, round and round again, waltzing with you is like,
Floating on a cloud, shouting out loud, how much I love you,
My heart is in a spin, I can't believe I'm in love with this girl,
And we're dancing the Turnagain Waltz.
Oh, oh, oh, play the tune again, sing and croon again,
While we twirl across the floor,
Dancing the Turnagain Waltz.
When you're in my arms, there can be no harm,
All our cares fade away,
Dancing the Turnagain Waltz.
Step and turn and glide, moving side by side,
Once again around the floor,
We'll keep dancing even if the music halts.
So turn and turn again, round and round again,
Twirl again across the floor,
We're dancing the Turnagain Waltz.
(Instrumental)
Turn and turn again, round and round again, waltzing with you is like,
Floating on a cloud, shouting out loud, how much I love you,
My heart is in a spin, can't believe I'm in love with this girl,
And we're dancing the Turnagain,
Turn and turn and turn and turn again,
Dancing the Turnagain Waltz
The Voice of Larry Mangum
by Mike Campbell - 2012
I retired from Alaska with my lovely bride,
To Florida's sunny gulf coast.
Got hired to sing at a summer event,
And I surely did not want to roast.
Having dressed for hot weather, I was up on the stage,
Singing my very first song,
But something was nagging me deep in my brain,
Like maybe I'd done something wrong.
Then the voice of Larry Mangum
Came sliding up into my ear.
"When on stage don't wear shorts whatever you do,
That's really a terrible Idear.
You've got the knobbiest knees in the world,
I'm telling you this as a friend,
So always wear slacks when you are on stage,
Or your singing career could end."
Well I panicked and stumbled and forgot my words,
Remorse really comes with a price,
I tried to remember what else Larry said,
When he'd given performing advice,
Don't scratch your butt, don't pick at your nose,
And never unbutton your shirt.
This was advice from a man who was follically challenged,
And probably older than dirt.
Then the voice of Larry Mangum
Came sliding up into my ear.
"Never wear sandals when you're on stage,
That's really a terrible idear.
You've got the ugliest toes in the world,
I'm telling you this as a friend,
So always wear shoes when you're on stage,
Or your singing career could end."
I was mortified, knowing that below my knees,
My feet were near fully exposed,
Phalanges were wiggling outside of my sandals,
In truth, I was showing my toes,
My head was exploding, the audience was staring,
I felt like I needed to run,
As I stood there on stage like an idiot child,
Wondering what else I had done.
Then the voice of Larry Mangum
Came sliding up into my ear.
"Don't keep your capo up on your guitar,
That's really a terrible Idear.
Your guitar is the classiest thing on the stage,
I'm telling you this as a friend,
So don't tarnish that headstock whatever you do,
Or your singing career could end."
Now capos and sandals and shorts be damned,
I was going to finish my song.
Larry would have me dress up in a burkha,
If it wasn"t politically wrong.
So I smiled and looked at the audience,
As I quickly rekindled my zen,
I come from Alaska for crying out loud,
A place where men are men.
Then the voice that lives inside me,
Came sliding up into my ear,
"Whatever you do, Mike, don't listen to Larry,
That's really a terrible idear,
Florida's hot almost all of the time,
So never wear shoes or slacks,
And don't ever listen to that Mangum guy,
If he tries to give you some flack.
Yeah when Larry Magnum tries to give you advice,
Just think quack quack quack quack quack quack."
When Your Ship Comes In
by Mike Campbell 1995
Oh when your ship comes in be standing at the pier,
When your ship comes in be near.
Have the courage and strength to follow your dream,
And be ready when your ship comes in.
I once knew a sailor with no ship to sail,
But he worked night and day on the pier.
He earned only a pittance for his hard day's toil,
And I wondered why he kept working here.
Then one stormy night a ship came in,
And her crew it was one man shy,
When he signed on board, he said to me
These words as he waved goodbye.
When your ship comes in be standing at the pier,
When your ship comes in be near.
Have the courage and strength to follow your dream,
And be ready when your ship comes in.
Now I'd dreamed of sailing since my youth,
And though I'd had opportunity,
The life I'd chose, wearing landsman's clothes,
Had kept me from the sea.
But with his words still burning in my ears,
I knew my time was now,
So I quit my job at the factory,
To follow my dream somehow.
And when my ship came in I was standing at the pier,
When my ship came in I was near.
I found the courage and strength to follow my dreams,
And I was ready when my ship came in.
There are many people in this land,
Who never live their dreams.
They work so hard their whole life long,
Just building some other man's scheme.
So you landsmen all, who hear my call.
It's never too late to begin,
Throw off your fears and take your stand,
And be ready when your ship comes in.
And when your ship comes in be standing at the pier,
When your ship comes in be near.
Have the courage and strength to follow your dream,
And be ready when your ship comes in.
Oh when your ship comes in be standing at the pier,
When your ship comes in be near.
Have the courage and strength to follow your dream,
And be ready when your ship comes in.
Whiskey John
by Mike Campbell 1993
Come sit down me lads and I'll tell you the tale
Of a man named Whiskey John.
He was six feet eight from toes to pate,
A harpooner big and strong.
We sailed together on the Marilyn Kay,
To the whaling grounds in Scammon's Bay,
Where we had what's called a very bad day,
Poor old Whiskey John.
While we pulled at the oars, John stood at the bow,
Getting ready to throw at a whale.
'Fore he could begin the boat we were in,
Was smashed by a bloody great tail,
It was into the drink for my mates and I
But John, he flew up into the sky,
Couldn't believe that he went so high,
Poor old Whiskey John.
John, John, John, John, poor old Whiskey John.
Then he clapped his hands as he flew through the air,
Praying, "Lord, where am I bound?"
And he landed flat on a whale's broad back,
And made such a sickening sound.
For his foot got stuck in the whale's spout,
Try though he did, he couldn't pull it out,
We knew he would drown and we had no doubt,
Poor old Whiskey John.
We could tell real quick that the whale was mad,
By the splash and the foam that he made,
John flipped all around like a circus clown,
With cuss words all the way,
That whale he thrashed with all his soul,
But he could not dive or even roll,
Not with a foot jammed in his hole.
Lucky Whiskey John.
John, John, John, John, poor old Whiskey John.
Then the whale swam hard for the sandy shore,
With murder on his mind.
He turned at last with a mighty blast,
And the two were no longer entwined.
John skipped on the water and hit the sand,
Couldn't believe that he made dry land,
Stood there shaking his head in his hand,
Poor old Whiskey John.
Then with a turn of his flukes that angry whale,
Came scooting up over the shore,
John's eyes bugged out and he let go a shout,
When he found he was in for more.
He turned and ran with all his might,
Babbled like a babe and his hair turned white,
The whale kept chasing him clean out of sight.
Poor old Whiskey John.
John, John, John, John, poor old Whiskey John.
Well we found old John the very next day,
he was ten miles in from the sea.
That nasty whale had chased him there,
Then run him up a tree.
Well we called to John but he wouldn't come down,
Screamed when we dragged him to the ground,
Figured that his clock had come unwound,
Poor old Whiskey John.
Now the moral to you whaler men,
Who hear this tale of mine,
Be careful when you hunt them whales,
Across the salty brine.
If you piss one off then you might be,
In a similar sort of misery,
High in the branches of a tree,
Just like Whiskey John.
John, John, John, John, poor old Whiskey John.
John, John, John, John, poor old Whiskey John.
Wilderness Letters
by Mike Campbell 1996
She was only sixteen when he asked her to marry in fair Dublin city in May.
Then at eighteen, with two little sons in their arms they sailed off to Americay,
And they traveled across this wonderful land to a place on a far distant sea,
In Seattle town, where the rumor went round, there was gold in a far north
country.
So with too little gear and a kiss and a tear, he sailed off in search of his
gold.
And he wrote them from Skagway, from Chilcoot, from Dawson in letters his
travels were told.
She would read them each night to her two little boys, sweet Patrick and
handsome young John,
Come and sit down beside me and listen, she'd say, and I'll read where your
father has gone.
And he wrote of a wilderness covered with snow,
And of rivers and mountains so grand,
And he told them of the gold fields and of all the times,
That great wealth had just slipped through his hands.
After nearly three years she got a small package, "Dear Madame", the letter
began,
My name is O'Brien, I'm writing to tell you of the death of your dear husband
Dan.
He was working my claim running sluice by the river when the chute we were using
fell down,
He was trapped underneath by the beams and the braces, before we could save him
he drowned.
Many years have gone by, her son John now is married, and moved off to far
Baltimore,
Ah but Patrick, her eldest, lies buried in Belgium where he died near the end of
the war,
Sometimes in the evening, she'll sit on her front porch and remember those times
long ago,
Then she'll open the box that contains all his letters and carefully untie the
bow,
And she reads of his wilderness, covered with snow,
And his rivers and mountains so grand,
And she puts on her smile and remembers the times,
When their dreams were still fresh in their hands.
William Wallace
by Mike Campbell 2000
'Twas when England's tyrant, Longshanks, held his sword over the clans,
We were blessed when the Almighty, plucked a hero from these lands,
His name was William Wallace, he said Scotland must be free,
And I swore that I would follow, wherever he would lead.
Li-dee-di-di-dum-dee-di-do, Li-dee-dum-de-day.
Wallace raised his rebel army, many thousand Scottish men,
And we battled our oppressors on the highlands and the glens,
When York was finally taken from the nephew of the king,
Wallace sent his head to Longshanks saying Scotland shall be free.
Li-dee-di-di-dum-dee-di-do, Li-dee-dum-de-day.
On the battlegrounds at Falkirk, our army made its stand,
Against old Longshanks' soldiers, oh we battled man to man,
But the Scottish lords betrayed us, they refused to take the field,
And with Wallace gravely wounded, we'd no choice but to yield.
Li-dee-di-di-dum-dee-di-do, Li-dee-dum-de-day.
When Wallace finally was captured, he was placed in London's Tower,
His body it was tortured, oh he felt old Longshanks' power.
Beheaded and dismembered, all his limbs then scattered nigh,
But Wallace still lives on inside our hearts, his soul shall never die.
Li-dee-di-di-dum-dee-di-do, Li-dee-dum-de-day.
Now there's a mist up on the highlands, where the outlawed pipers call,
And they play for William Wallace, but it stirs us one and all,
We'll remember well his courage, fighting tyranny and greed,
And we'll ne'er forget his cause, my friends, until our homeland is free.
Li-dee-di-di-dum-dee-di-do, Li-dee-dum-de-day.