A Hundred Lies — Malcolm Holcombe (2025)

Lyrics

A Hundred Lies

Cheeks as red as a mirror
Sunken eyes made o' stone
See em meltin' in the honest sun
As a hundred lies unfold

Dirty bread in some ol alley
To a weddin' ring made on the slide
Knowin' right still doin' wrong
As a hundred Lies unfold

chorus

A hundred Lies in ev'ry town
Let me buy an sell the ground
One bit o' good to call my own
As a hundred lies unfold

Got to believe in somethin'
To take away this heavy weight
She carried all the junk her bags could hold
As a hundred lies unfold

chorus

Only love can break a fall
Frozen broken bones gonna scream
Hope in pieces tell it all
As a hundred lies unfold

chorus

first verse

Dressed In White

Candles in the window
Flashin' thru the night
In a room upstairs is a woman
In my mind all dressed in white

Words wrapped up in losin'
Hammered to a wall
In a dirty city searchin'
In my mind all dressed in white

chorus

Dressed in white forever
Callin' for the best
The best her father offered
In my mind all dressed in white

Paul was a single man
Great as many been told
People come and go and why
In my mind all dressed in white

chorus

first verse
chorus
chorus

Who Carried You

From a cajun diner to Carolina
Sick in the mornin' to see the town doctor
Life and Agatha Christie in a Trailway
Back from New Orleans
Who dunnit, who carried you

From the church yard to the liquor store
From the clothes line clean out the door
Life and Agatha Christie in a Trailway
Back from New Orleans
Who dunnit, who carried you

Thelma Marie, three boys love Pearl and Gene
From fifty-nine to heaven
Left thirty-seven years oh Lord
Who dunnit, who carried you

Remember sittin' on a lap
Smellin' listerine in black and white
Might be a Fada TV, or a Fleetline to the A&P
Who dunnit, who carried you

Thelma Marie, three boys love Pearl and Gene
From fifty-nine to heaven
Left thirty-seven years oh Lord
Who dunnit, who carried you

From a cajun diner to Carolina
Sick in the mornin' to see the town doctor
Life and Agatha Christie in a Trailway
Back from New Orleans
Who dunnit, who carried you

Malcolm Holcombe (c)l993, Purple Girl Music/BMI

A Far Cry From Here

I've heard misfortune losses
And wasted ways before me by the costs
Of givin' someone time enough for spendin'
Love only borrowed

I've placed myself at ease
Listenin' to the lies of self-belief
For wantin' somethin' close enough for keepin'
A far cry from here

But I believe in ways than these
To speak another dear who has been spared
Innocent so near
A far cry from here

Even still the night is passin'
Behind her heart an emptiness still follows
The distance dams the swallows hard for lendin'
Love only borrowed

chorus

Some are sad but true to know
There's belongin' in just longin' for someone
My shoulder rests a road I only follow
Love only borrowed

chorus
chorus

A far cry from here
A far cry from here...

Malcolm Holcombe (c)l993, Purple Girl Music/BMI

To The Homeland

The moon hangs full in the rain
The mornin' star shines your name
Poor children on the streets after dark
Crossin' my heart to the homeland

Turnin' my back to the wind
Scratchin' time around my chin
Deep water frozen under the bridge
Crossin' my heart to the homeland

chorus

Sweet words have I heard from you
A steady love beyond the blues
Ready waitin' if I'm able
Crossin' my heart to the homeland

There's a silence in the hills
A lonesome road standin' still
Miles and miles between us to fill
Crossin' my heart to the homeland

chorus
chorus

Crossin' my heart to the homeland

Justice In A Cradle

Strong soap and lots of hot water
Behind my ears pound by pound
Before my eyes one moment to moment
Pages rockin' justice in a cradle

Stingin' knives for skillful good reason
Lovin' sweat on shiny metal tables
Stayin' life torn slow from sinkin'
Pages rockin' justice in a cradle

Starch my shirt and raise my heart
Missin' faces blew outta paintin'
Black and white ain't enough to cover
Pages rockin' justice in a cradle

Catchin' hell payin' for answers
Skinny arms now wrapped around a rainbarrel
Pourin' slaughter for a swiss chocolate camel
Pages rockin' justice in a cradle

chorus

Strong soap and lots of boilin' water
Poundin' moments rockin' outta slaughter
Pages tearin' justice from the cradle
For the growlin' belly of the swiss chocolate camel

chorus

Unleash my eyes away from the belly
Pry my arms far far from the rainbarrel
Spit in the eye of the swiss chocolate camel
Pages rockin' justice in a cradle

chorus
chorus

Malcolm Holcombe (c)l993, Purple Girl Music/BMI

Emma Jean

In a phone booth by the school
Cops an the drummin' sounds
The blue truth keeps hummin'
In the downpoor satisfied

The dam breaks to the heart
The shakedown crucified
Rain drops on rain
In the downpoor satisfied

instrumental

Emma Jean's in line
An her mama she dont cry
Sixteen years a hidin'
In the downpoor satisfied

first verse

Emma Jean's in line

Back On The Edge O' Town

She's a drivin' weepin' willow
Steadfast when the sun goes down
Surely punchin' a feather pillow
Back on the edge O' town

She's cuttin' round the corner
Sharp eyes on a steady hand
She's a sweetheart city daughter
Back on the edge O' Town

chorus

Now the streetlights shine like diamonds
She's got the redlights turnin' around
An the mornin's comin' up smilin'
Back on the edge O' town

Highrollin' with a fever
Highsteppin' from the crowd
Honey's flowin' down the river
Back on the edge O' town

chorus

Hey lil red robin out my window
Warm blooded on the cold cold ground
She's a sign of hope and wonder
Back on the edge O' town

chorus
chorus

Back on the edge O' town

No Place To Be

A feeble mind is set for keepin'
People sure enough to care for
Thinkin' why they still aint here
Wanderin' aint no place to be

Pendulum swingin' to pieces
Callin' darlin' you near
With or without who's not sleepin'
Wanderin' aint no place to be

chorus

They aint no rainbows in the sidewalks
They aint no good magic at all
Aint too much ol fashioned freedom
An wanderin' aint no place to be

Day in an day out from runnin'
Thru dirty windows and lights
Forgettin' the glorious sunrise
Wanderin' aint no place to be

chorus

Pictures of children in your faces
Hungry for livin' til the end
Man was made for better places
An wanderin' aint no place to be

chorus
chorus

Wanderin' aint no place to be

Only For You

A thorn in my throat
I cant swallow alone
A rose in your eyes
Only for you

A door locked inside
Broken in two
A window left open
Only for you

chorus

A sound in my head
I'm runnin' behind
Words close at hand
Given to find
Only for you

A friend on the river
Honest an' true
A light to the water
Only for you

chorus

first verse

A Hundred Lies — Malcolm Holcombe (2025)

Lyrics

References