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Cover: Gunman and Other Stories
 
The Gunman and Other Stories

Released in 2001
EMI / Liberty
Review from Leonard's Site
(rating 3 out of 5)
  
(05:18)   Cowboy Dreams
(03:40)   Wildcard in the Pack
(03:18)   I'm a troubled man
(04:36)   The Streets of Laredo / 
             Not long for this world
(03:22)   Love will find someone for you
(04:48)   Cornfield ablaze
(03:05)   When you get to know me better
(08:39)   The Gunman
(03:10)   Blue Roses
(03:12)   Farmyard Cat

Though love 
is a gunman 
and no mercy has he

he'll hunt you 
down


All songs composed by Paddy McAloon, except track 4 which is a traditional theme adapted by Paddy McAloon.
Design and image manipulation by Crues la Mar. All photographs by Stuart Douglas.


Cowboy Dreams

Cowboy dreams
cowboy dreams
You give me cowboy dreams.

Love's a silver bullet that 
blows your world apart
I wanna be remembered as an outlaw
as the boy who stole your heart
I wanna be the guy who wears 
the white hat
then rides across the plain
I'm gonna be your enigmatic stranger
honey, you are looking at your Shane.

Chorus:
Cowboy dreams
cowboy dreams
you give me cowboy dreams.

If ever you're in trouble, 
if ever you are down
I'm gonna be the hanging judge and sheriff
I'm gonna ride your troubles out of town
you're looking at a mountain, 
you're looking at the law
you're looking at a six-gun legend
fastest on the draw.

Chorus

Cowboy dreams
you give me cowboy dreams
yippi-ay-a

I can make you happy, 
it's easier than it seems
I'm gonna ambush at sundown
I'm gonna give you cowboy dreams.

Chorus

Cowboy dreams
you give me cowboy dreams
yippi-ay-a

Love's a silver bullet that blows
your world apart
I wanna have it written on my tombstone:
" Here lies the boy who stole your heart "


Wildcard in the Pack

When she walked in
I was losing
she took a long look
at my hand, at my hand.
And said: There's one card you're using
. . . She said: 
King, queen or jack: 
Love's the wild card in the pack

King, queen or jack: 
Love's the wild card in the pack.

I said: sit down, 
I'm pleased 
I'm pleased to meet you
play this game, play this game ? 
And she said: this game is not new.
You see
King, queen or jack: 
Love's the wild card in the pack

King, queen or jack: 
Love's the wild card in the pack.

Luck comes and goes
well, it's a tumbleweed
the wild wind blows
love's a constant flame
well, it's the card that
keeps you in the game.

Now ill fortune
may pursue you
Still here's how to
beat the odds, beat the odds.
You seat
someone
Smart beside you
if they're watching your back,
love's the wild card in the pack
if they're watching your back,
love's the wild card in the pack.

Luck comes and goes
well, it's a tumbleweed 
the wild wind blows
love's a constant flame
well, it's the card that 
keeps you in the game.

You need
someone
smart beside you
If they're watching your back,
love's the wild card in the pack
King, queen or jack: 
Love's the wild card in the pack

King, queen or jack: 
Love's the wild card in the pack
King, queen or jack: 
Love's the wild card in the pack.


I'm a troubled man

Girl I sing this song for you
for all the miseries I've put you through
all the moods I can't explain
all the sunny days 
I've spoiled with rain
please forgive me if you can
girl, you know that I'm a troubled man
girl, you know that I'm a troubled man.

Child, I sing this verse for you
for all the duties that I've failed to do
all the times I wasn't there
times like broken toys 
beyond repair
please forgive me if you can
Child, your daddy was a troubled man
Child, your daddy was a troubled man.

God in heaven, heed my plight
in my darkness spread eternal light
I am weak, you are strong
I can't count the times
that I've done wrong
please forgive me if you can
Lord, you know that I'm a troubled man
Lord, you know that I'm a troubled man.


The Streets of Laredo / Not longer for this world 

As I walked out . . .  in the street of Laredo

As I walked out in the streets of Laredo
as I walked out in Laredo one day
I spied a poor cowboy wrapped
in white linen
wrapped in white linen
as cold as the clay

As I walked out . . . in the streets of Laredo

Sit down beside me and hear my sad story
mortally wounded he clutched at his heart
breathless and pale still his eyes told a tale
of love for a world he was loathe to depart.

As I walked out . . . in the streets of Laredo

Not long for this world, not long for this world
going the way of the beautiful roses
standing in line and waving goodbye.

Not long for this world, not long for this world
going the way of all valiant soldiers
standing in line and waving goodbye.

Not long for this world, not long for this world
going the way of the beautiful roses
standing in line and waving goodbye.

As I walked out . . . in the streets of Laredo

As I walked out in the streets of Laredo
as I walked out in Laredo one day
I spied a poor cowboy wrapped
in white linen
wrapped in white linen
as cold as the clay.

As I walked out . . . in the streets of Laredo

As I walked out . . .

Scatter roses over my coffin,
scatter roses over the clay
scatter roses over my coffin
scatter roses over my clay.

In the streets of Laredo

The streets of Laredo


Love will find someone for you

There's no gentle way to break
somebody's heart
to say - it's over -
it's time for us to part.

Angel, don't you cry soon I know you'll see
I was wrong for you
this wasn't meant to be
love may do the cruelest things
may bruise those angel wings
but angel, love will find someone for you.

So angel don't you cry, in a little while
every tear will dry,
you'll look back and smile
love may do the cruelest things
may bruise those angel wings
but angel, love will find someone for you.

Love may do the cruelest things
may bruise those angel wings
but angel, love will find someone for you.
ah yes, angel, love will find someone for you.


Cornfield ablaze

I saw you from the tractor 
the harvest had begun
you were the love child of two gods -
I was the farmers awkward son
you left Mount Olympus 
to find your soul mate 
I left a scribbled note, quote
" Dear Pa, this here harvest can wait "

You took a match to my dry August days
cornfield ablaze, cornfield ablaze
flames licked the sky 
that was some summer haze
cornfield ablaze, cornfield ablaze
how do I love you ?
let me count the ways
cornfield ablaze !.

Pa don't be angry,
the fields that were host
to the corn and the wheat -
the fact is they're toast 
in self defence 
I'm obligued to point out
there'll always a risk of combustion
when there's been a drought.

You took a match to my dry August days
cornfield ablaze, cornfield ablaze
flames licked the sky 
that was some summer haze
cornfield ablaze, cornfield ablaze
how do I love you ?
let me count the ways
cornfield ablaze !.

Imagine if the firemen worked
and worked for days
and still the cornfield stayed ablaze . . .

Her hair it was golden,
her hair it was yarn
we were playing with fire
in the number one barn
carried away like two sparks
on a breeze
then we fused into one
at a thousand degrees.

You overwhelmed agricultural man
cornfield ablaze, cornfield ablaze
you wild pyromaniac daughter of Pan
cornfield ablaze, cornfield ablaze
you took a scarecrow
and made him a man
cornfield ablaze !


When you get to know me better

I can tell you'd like to love me
but you haven't known me long
and you don't yet know the ways I'll find
to hurt and do you wrong
I'm a man with one small weakness
any woman in a dress . . .

When you get to know me better
you'll learn to love me less.

Tonight if I'm your angel
and I've flown before you wake
well it's just that I would
hate to let you see my wings are fake
tonight if I'm your angel
one that God forgot to bless.

When you get to know me better
you'll learn to love me less.

If I sing you " Love me Tender "
in a way that you believe
remember that I'll meant it
till the moment that I leave.

When you get to know me better
you'll learn to love me less.

When you get to know me better
you'll learn to love me less.


The Gunman

I know that on some narrow street
our paths will cross, our eyes will meet
and love will leave me at his feet
I'm waiting for the gunman.

When I enter a room
I will only sit facing the door
it's love I'm looking for
as I search every face
I start wondering
is this the place ?

Chorus
Though love is a gunman
and no mercy has he
he'll hunt you down
until the day death sets you free
love is a gunman
and he's coming to town
you'll meet his gaze
both barrels blaze
starring you down
love is a gunman
and no mercy has he
this time his sights
are fixed on me.

You can run
You can hide
You can even saddle up and ride
but love won't be denied
you can wear a disguise
but it isn't fooled by alibis.


Blue Roses

Blue roses will blossom in the snow
before I ever let you go
blue roses will grow up to the sky
before I ever make you cry
blue roses . . .

You need more reassurance than a
frightened orphan child
that I'll always be beguilded
so I search for words to tell you
that my love for you is blind
but this fragment of a children's song
is all that I can find.

Blue roses will blossom in the snow
before I ever let you go
blue roses will grow up to the sky
before I ever make you cry
blue roses . . .

This nursery rhyme is corny,
it is stranded out of time
yet it's simple and it's honest
and since when was that a crime ?
and perhaps whoever wrote it
loved someone like I love you
for in matters of the heart I've learned
there's little that is new.

Blue roses will blossom in the snow
before I ever let you go
blue roses will grow up to the sky
before I ever make you cry
blue roses will blossom in the snow
before I ever let you go
blue roses will grow up to the sky
before I ever make you cry
blue roses .

Farmyard Cat

Two green eyes and a coat of silk
scourge of mice with a saucer of milk
I've got nine lives and a rhyme with mat
I'm a farmyard cat.

Scrounging scraps down a dead end street -
not for me, me the feline elite
( he dreams full cream,
dairy's where he's at )
I'm a farmyard cat.

Farmyard cat, farmyard cat,
farmyard cat, mi miaow
farmyard cat, farmyard cat,
farmyard cat, mi miaow.

( He's a farmyard cat )

All day long lounging in the sun
moon comes up and I'm prowling for fun
here she comes, 
well just fancy that . . .
she's a farmyard cat.

Farmyard cat, farmyard cat,
farmyard cat, mi miaow
farmyard cat, farmyard cat,
farmyard cat.


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