1. |
Mr Rock & Roll
03:41
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Mr. Rock and Roll
Sullivan in sixty-four, that’s when he knew for sure
who he was and what he had to do
saved some money from his paper route, bought a guitar played twist & shout
at the teenage fair, summer sixty-five
he was alive and he had arrived
Hey mr. rock & roll
silver strings and a little bit of soul
hey mr. rock & roll
He played the dives until his dues were paid, finally made his way to LA
where he signed his name on the bottom line
he hit the big time and it hit him back, had a Hollywood heart attack
in a long black limousine
he saw stars then he was back in the bars
Hey mr. rock & roll
this crazy little thing’s getting out of control
hey hey mr. rock & roll
what did you trade for your soul?
You can play that guitar like ringing a bell
but can you hear that bell toll
for mr. rock & roll
Now it’s Saturday night and he’s holding court down in the local bar
four sets from nine to one and there’s no cover charge
He’s still alive and he will survive
Hey mr. rock & roll
doin life without parole
hey hey mr. rock & roll
make them do the pony make them do the stroll
Hey mr. rock & roll
got to keep on rockin don’t you know
You can play that guitar like ringing a bell
but can you hear that bell toll
for mr. rock & roll
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2. |
Song for Henry Aaron
04:13
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Song for Henry Aaron
Mark Spangler (c)2021
Henry came from Mobile Alabama
In the spring of fifty-two
A country boy in the city diorama
Painted Jim Crow black and blue
Henry heard the voices mocking
He didn’t pay no mind
He mostly let his bat do the talking
And became the greatest of all time
Henry tore up the Negro league, his star was on the rise
All the scouts could not believe their eyes
Wasn’t long til Henry ruled the show
There was no debate
He was a one man murderer’s row
He had five hundred homers by sixty-eight
As Henry chased the record it riled up the racists
Both home and away
They had to watch that man circling the bases
And The Hammer was his sobriquet
Some hid behind their sheets and hoods, some their three-piece suits
The day Henry Aaron beat Babe Ruth
Henry hit number seven-one-five
The eighth of April seventy-four
One-oh fastball just inside
It was the pitch he was waiting for
America looked in the mirror, faced a moment of truth
The day Henry Aaron beat Babe Ruth
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3. |
Invisible Girl
03:47
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Invisible Girl
Mark Spangler ©2021
She drives a rust bucket car eight miles to the gallon
And she throws a lot of sparks cause the tailpipe’s draggin’
She’s working hard every day
Tryin’ to keep the wolf at bay
Living with her mom and she’s a mother herself
Trying to raise three kids she appreciates the help
The county sends a man every month to report
She’s got to prove she’s clean to the judge and the court
Purple streaks running through her hair
Tattooed roses on her everywhere
But aint nobody even knows she’s there
Invisible girl take care
Just because she’s poor people say she’s lazy
And if she has a couple drinks they call her crazy
She’s off to get her check and buy a pack of smokes
Some food for her babies and a forty-ounce coke
Every night she dreams about a brand new life
Where she has every single thing she needs
And some of what she likes
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4. |
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Teach Us How to Love (The Animal Song)
Mark Spangler©2020
My dog old faithful friend
On him I depend
We’re pals to the end
My cat knows where it’s at
She jumps in my lap
We take a nap
From armadillos down to zebras
Each and every kind of creature
All the things that run and fly
Buffalo and butterflies
Albatross to wallaby
The whales and dolphins swimming free
They’re all here to teach us how to love
My pig’s got a lot on his plate
He can’t fit through the gate
He’s watching his weight
My fish longs for the sea
Her name is Marie
She’s stuck here with me
The stallions and the golden eagles
German shepherds and the beagles
Animals both great and small
There’s no way to count them all
The purest souls in heaven’s kingdom
Endless source of nature’s wisdom
They’re all here to teach us how to love
I'll meet you on that rainbow bridge
We'll talk about the things we did
Chasin' balls and hiking trails
Or just out walkin' waggin' tails
The purest souls in heaven’s kingdom
Endless source of ancient wisdom
They’re all here to teach us how to love
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5. |
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Psychedelic Stomping Grounds
Mark Spangler (c) 2021
With a job to do and bills to pay
Been a long time since I passed this way
But today I had some time to spend
And I got a little something from a friend
I took a walk along the shore
Like I did in days of yore
And I knew just what to expect
As the medicine took effect
The ancient voices call my name
And the veils of illusion fall away
All is one, one is all
Miracles and wonders abound
In these psychedelic stomping grounds
The earth sings out its mystic song
And I am right where I belong
Standing here at heaven’s gate
Like I did in 68
Out beyond all space and time
A vision holy and sublime
All is one, one is all
and love is all around
In my psychedelic stomping grounds
All is one, one is all
Miracles and wonders abound
In my psychedelic stomping grounds
Nice place to visit but you can’t hang around
These psychedelic stomping grounds
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6. |
I'm Not Coming Home
03:45
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I’m Not Coming Home
Mark Spangler (c)2021
Sha la la la la
Sha la la la la
You were so mean to me
Always chewing up the scenery
Making every little thing into some big deal
You kicked me out of our happy home
Put me on the street with a fine-tooth comb
There I stood all soaking wet
That’s a night you’re gonna regret
I’m not coming home
I’m not coming home
You cut me to the bone
I’m not coming home
I’ll say it right out loud
Looks like you lost your good thing now
You can sing that silly song till your face turns blue
The phone that’s ringing won’t be me
So get up off of your bended knees
Maybe you don’t know it yet
I can’t forgive I can’t forget
I’m not coming home
I’m not coming home
My heart has turned to stone
I’m not coming home
Sha la la la la
Sha la la la la
I’m not coming home
Sha la la la la
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7. |
Widowmaker
04:09
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Widowmaker
Mark Spangler (c)2021
For a young man here
The choices are few
Hire on to a fishing boat
Or join a logging crew
My lover’s fate was sealed
When he went into the woods
Settin’ chokers and skinnin’ cats
Was his livelihood
When he asked me for my hand
He said my darling you must understand
There’s a tree they call the Widowmaker
Waiting out there just for me
I won’t see it coming
So there’s no use running you see
When the boy and I
Go walking through the timber
He always talks about
The man he can’t remember
In the evergreens
He looks at me so sadly
Oh mama won’t you tell me please
Which one took my daddy
Son it’s everywhere
As far as you can see
That tree they call the Widowmaker
Stole my love away from me
We never saw it coming
And we never will be free
From that tree they call the Widowmaker
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8. |
Marry Up
02:43
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Marry Up
Mark Spangler (c) 2021
When I proposed to that beauty queen
I guess I should have known
She had no business with a guy like me
I hoped that maybe with my boyish charm I could hold my own
But she left me just as pretty as you please
When you marry up
There’s no place to go but down
It takes a million bucks
To keep a girl like that from runnin round
It don’t really matter what you think you feel
It’s a business deal
When you marry up
Sometimes I wonder after all these years
Does she ever think of me
How it was and how it might have been
Well if she does I hope she knows
The best things in life are free
All I can do is shake my head and grin
When you marry up
There’s no place to go but down
It takes a million bucks
To keep a girl like that from runnin round
It don’t really matter what you think you feel
It’s a business deal
When you marry up
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Mark Spangler Portland, Oregon
Songwriter/guitarist Born: 1952
Height: 6'5"
Weight: 185
Restrictions: B (corrective lenses)
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