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Broken Freedom Song: Live From San Francisco

by Kris Kristofferson

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1.
Well you fight like the devil to just keep your head above water Chained to whatever you got that you can't throw away And you're shootin' through space on this river of life that you're ridin' And it's whirling and sucking you deeper on down every day So you turn to your trusty old partner to share some old feelings And you find to your shock that your faithful companion is gone And the truth slowly dawns that you're lost and alone in deep water And you don't even know how much longer there is to go on Like an old Holy Bible you clung to through so many seasons With the rules of survival in words you could still understand When they prove something wrong you believed in so long you go crazy And you're so close to folding the cards that you hold in your hand Singing Holy Toledo I can't see the light anymore All those horizon that I used to guide me are gone And the darkness is driving me farther away from the shore Throw me a rhyme or a reason to try to go on
2.
See the ruin on the hill, where the smoke is hanging still, Like an echo of an age long forgotten. There's a story of a home crushed beneath those blackened stones, And the roof that fell before the beams were rotten. Cecil Darby loved his wife, and he laboured all his life, To provide her with material possessions. And he built for her a home of the finest wood and stone. And the building soon became his sole obsession. Oh, it took three-hundred days, for the timbers to be raised, And the silhouette was seen for miles around. And the gables reached as high as the eagles in the sky, But it only took one night to bring it down, When Darby's castle tumbled to the ground. Though they shared a common bed, there was precious little said, In the moments that were set aside for sleepin'. For his busy dreams were filled with the rooms he'd yet to build, And he never heard young Helen Darby weeping. Then one night he heard a sound, as he laid his pencil down, And he traced it to her door and turned the handle. And the pale light of the moon through the window of the room, Split the shadows where two bodies lay entangled. Oh, it took three-hundred days, for the timbers to be raised, And the silhouette was seen for miles around. And the gables reached as high as the eagles in the sky, But it only took one night to bring it down, When Darby's castle tumbled to the ground.
3.
Got a song about a soldier, Ridin' somewhere on a train Empty sleeve pinned to his shoulder And some pills to ease the pain Started drinkin' in El Paso, He was drunk in San Antone, Tellin' strangers who were sleepin' How he hated goin' home Just a simple song of freedom, He was never fightin' for, No one's listenin' when you need 'em, Ain't no fun to sing that song no more. Got a song about a sister, Waitin' somewhere by the phone, For some man who never missed her, Ever since he come and gone And its harder for a woman, With a baby on the way, That's the price of bein' human, When you're poor enough to pay, So she listens to the freedom, In the silence at her door No one's missin' 'til you need 'em Ain't no fun to sing that song no more Got a song about a Savior, Lookin' lonesome and afraid, At a city full of strangers, And a cross He never made And He's sadder than He's wiser, And a longer way from home, And He wonders why His Father, Left Him bleeding and alone. Just a broken song of freedom, And the closing of a door, No one's missin' 'til you need 'em Ain't no fun to sing that song no more.
4.
Shandy 03:43
Shandy was somebody's daughter Driving to something insane They busted her crossing the border Quick as a sniff of cocaine All she could pay was attention So all they could take was her time Proving an ounce of possession Ain't worth a piece of your mind. 'Cause nightmares are somebody's daydreams Daydreams are somebody's lies Lies ain't no harder than telling the truth Truth is the perfect disguise Locked in the goldhandle bathroom Martin was changing his mind Shedding his humble pretensions One careful toke at a time And wiping the mask off the man in the mirror Who really was Billy the Kid Smiling at somebody dying For something that he never did 'Cause nightmares are somebody's daydreams Daydreams are somebody's lies Lies ain't no harder than telling the truth Truth is the perfect disguise As soon as he sat down beside her Shining like Saturday night Shandy was his for the saving Sweet as she looked in the light And maybe they moved from the bar to the bedroom Maybe just stood there instead Martin woke up wet and screaming Dreaming of blood on the bed. 'Cause nightmares are somebody's daydreams Daydreams are somebody's lies Lies ain't no harder than telling the truth Truth is the perfect disguise
5.
I seen another soldier who got wasted in the war He said he left his soul there overseas The notion he defended doesn't matter anymore And circumstance had brought him to his knees We sat there in the silence of a cold and empty room Down the Hall I heard a baby cry He looked up from the potion he was cooking in a spoon And nailed me with the anger in his eye He said, do you really believe in Freedom? I said, I do He said, oh, what about me? They killed both of her parents in an undercover war For wanting all their children to be free She said, it's even sadder that it's in El Salvador They named it for the Savior don't you see Suddenly the Truth was like a blinding flash of light Holy Thunder rolled across the sky I stared into the wonder of the Warrior Jesus Christ And destiny was burning in his eyes. He said, do you really believe in Freedom? I said, I do He said, oh, what about me? And the Sandinista said, do you really believe in Freedom? I said, I do He said, oh, what about me?
6.
The scene was a small roadside cafe. The waitress was sweepin' the floor. Two truck drivers drinkin' their coffee, And two Okie kids by the door. "How much are them candies?" they asked her. "How much have you got?" she replied. "We've only a penny between us." "Them's two for a penny, " she lied. And the daylight grew heavy with thunder, With the smell of the rain on the wind. Ain't it just like a human? Here comes that rainbow again. One truck driver called to the waitress, After the kids went outside. "Them candies ain't two for a penny, " "So what's it to you?" she replied. In silence they finished their coffee. Got up and nodded goodbye. She called, "Hey, you left too much money." "So what's it to you?" they replied. And the daylight was heavy with thunder, With the smell of the rain on the wind. Ain't it just like a human? Here comes that rainbow again. Ain't it just like a human? Here comes that rainbow again.
7.
Nobody Wins 02:47
Any more it doesn't matter Who's right or wrong We've been injuring each other For much too long And it's too late to try to save What might have been It's over Nobody wins Make believin' in forever Is just a lie And it seems a little sadder Each time we try 'Cause it's a shame to make The same mistakes again And again It's over. Nobody wins We've gone too far too long Too far apart The lovin' was easy It's the livin' that's hard And there's no need to stay and see The way it ends It's over. Nobody wins
8.
The Race 02:05
The race is harder than arithmetic some will say it can't be won so it gets harder when your shoes are snake (Not sure of this lyric) but I had set my mind to run. but it was harder than I bargained for broken dreams at every turn I had hard enough to almost make it through and a lesson yet to learn. I slipped at fell before the finish line just when it seemed I couldn't loose I can fall anytime you want me too you are the shit beneath my shoe.
9.
The Captive 03:15
I'd like to say that I can see the target of my destiny . And that it guided everything I do . I'd like to think that I could take a drink of you and just walk away but God and I both know it's not true . Someday I'm bound to be free . And I'll be ready for whatever life ensues . But for the moment I remain the captive of the human brain . That blew it'self to pieces over you . Sorry that I put you through the one thing that we could not do . Was get along together or apart . Thankin' you for leavin' me a stronger man than I used to be . And just a little harder in the heart . Someday I'm bound to be free (you know me) . And I'll be ready for whatever road I choose . But for the moment I remain the captive of the human brain that. Blew itself to pieces lovin' you ...
10.
The Circle 06:20
Who killed this woman this artist this mother? Who broke the candle and snuffed out her light Along with her husband and wounded her children And sauntered away like a beast in the night? "Not I" said the soldier "I just follow orders and it was my duty to do my job well" "Not I" said the leader who ordered the slaughter "I’m saddened it happened, but then, war is hell" "Not us" said the others who heard of the horror Turned a cold shoulder on all that was done In all the confusion a single conclusion The circle of sorrow has only begun And in Argentina... Straight to the circle on Sundays Down through the canyons they come Bearing names of their mothers and daughters Names of their fathers and sons Stolen away with no warning, never to ever return On el Rio del Muerto, All the bridges are burned Los desaparecidos, lost in the darkness alone Gone from the face of the earth With no trace left behind them to mark with a stone And the faces of Los Olvidados, only survivors recall But for the pain and the heartbreak, did they matter at all? Slowly the circle of sadness, spins in the Plaza Mayor Lonesome remains of the madness and pain In a world gone insane in a war And the song of those broken survivors, dancing alone in the dark With the silence of Los Olvidados, like a hole in the heart Los desaparecidos, lost in the darkness alone Gone from the face of the earth With no trace left behind them to mark with a stone And the faces of Los Olvidados, only survivors recall But for the pain and the heartbreak, did they matter at all?
11.
Sky King 02:45
Every mornin at line you'd see him arrive He stood five-foot-six about one-eighty-five About as broad at the shoulder as he was at the hip Everybody knew he didn't give a shit, sky king Now some say Sky was born in New Orleans Where he built hisself a rotor on a sewing machine Cut his teeth on a collective pitch Old Sky was a low flyin son of a bitch, sky king Sky King Sky King Short fat sky And then came a day at Stage Field Nine When his engine failed and men started cryin And sirens screamed and hearts beat fast And everybody thought he'd breathed his last, 'cept Sky Well he pushed that collective on down through the floor But the damn rotorblade wouldn't turn anymore So his butt puckered up and with a frightening sound He just sucked that old chopper up off of the ground, Sky King The ship wasn't hurt but it took half the class To get the seat cover out of Sky King's ass, Sky King Well they never reopened that landing strip They just put a marble stand on top of it And these few words are written on that thing Ain't a butt that can pucker like old Sky King's
12.
Sandinista 03:38
Sandinista, you can hold your head up high You have given back their Freedom You have lived up to your name Sandinista, may your spirit never die Hold the candle to the darkness You're the keeper of the flame Sandinista, keep believing in the dream The truth is stronger than the shadows Keep it shining in your eyes Sandinista, may the soldiers disappear May your children live forever May their laughter fill your lives Sandinista, los fuerzas de la oscuridad nunca pueden extinguir la puridad de tu llama revolutionara con su terror y sus mentiras con su dinero y sys maquinas la libertad en tus ojus el amor caliente en tu corozon son fuerzas mas poderosas que las armas de la guerra Sandinista, you can hold your head up high You have given back their Freedom You have lived up to your name Sandinista, may your spirit never die Hold the candle to the darkness You're the keeper of the flame
13.
Was it wonderful for you? Was it holy as it was for me? Did you feel the hand of destiny That was guiding us together? You were young enough to dream I was old enough to learn something new I'm so glad I got to dance with you For a moment of forever Sometimes when you're cryin', you're happy Sometimes you're just cryin' I know. I know. Come whatever happens now Ain't it nice to know that dreams still come true I'm so glad that I was close to you For a moment of forever.
14.
They're killing babies in the name of Freedom We've been down that sorry road before They let us hang around a little longer than they should have And it's too late to fool us anymore We've seen the ones who killed the ones with vision Cold-blooded murder right before your eyes Today they hold the power and the money and the guns It's getting hard to listen to their lies. And I've just got to wonder what my Daddy would've done If he'd seen the way they turned his dream around I've got to go by what he told me, try to tell the truth And stand your ground DON'T LET THE BASTARDS GET YOU DOWN Mining roads Killing farmers Burning down schools full of children Fighting communism And I've just got to wonder what my Daddy would've done If he'd seen the way they turned his dream around I've got to go by what he told me, try to tell the truth And stand your ground DON'T LET THE BASTARDS GET YOU DOWN
15.
There's a silence full of stars for as far as I can see In the silence where you are do you ever dream of me The moon is dark the night is silver wild perfume is on the breeze I feel the stars cold as forever half as true as you and me And I'll be your friend I'll be your lover I'll be whatever you ever need Right to the end until it's over I swear to you you can count on me But my heart is breaking here tonight my soul is weary from the fight My God I've tried and I've been true my love I'm coming home to you I'll be your friend...

credits

released July 8, 2003

Daniel Timms - Composer
Karen McWhorter - Production Coordination
Kris Kristofferson - Composer, Guitar (Acoustic), Harmonica, Main Personnel, Primary Artist, Vocals
Justin Johnson - Digital Editing
Maude Gilman- Design
Sam Erickson - Photography
Jim DeMain - Mastering
Tom Corwin - Recording
Keith Carper - Guitar (Bass), Main Personnel, Vocals (Background)
Keith Caper - Bass, Vocals (Background)
Stephen Burton - Guitar (Acoustic), Guitar (Electric), Mandolin, Vocals (Background)
Craig Burbidge - Digital Editing
Stephen Bruton - Guitar (Acoustic), Guitar (Electric), Main Personnel, Mandolin, Vocals (Background)
Alan Abrahams - Audio Production
Alan V. Abrahams - Mixing, Producer

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