American Stars ‘N Bars [1977]

 

Reprise 1977

1. Old Country Waltz (3:00)
2. Saddle Up the Palomino (3:01)
3. Hey Babe (3:37)
4. Hold Back the Tears (4:20)
5. Bite the Bullet (3:36)
6. Star of Bethlehem (2:42)
7. Will to Love (7:11)
8. Like a Hurricane (8:20)
9. Homegrown (2:21)

 

The Old Country Waltz

They were playing that old country waltz
In this empty bar echoin’ off the wall.
When I first got the bad news that you set me free,
The band played the old country waltz to me.

Well, I loved, and I lost, and I cried
The day that the two of us died.
Ain’t got no excuses, I just want to ride
While the band plays the old country waltz.

Out the window the moon shines
On the roofs of the cars
While I knock down tequila and salt
And the band plays the old country waltz.

And we’re playin’ it, that old country waltz
In this empty bar echoin’ off the wall.
Ain’t got no excuses, we just want to play
That good old country waltz.

I ain’t got no excuses, I just want to play
That good old country waltz.
That good old country waltz.

 

 Saddle Up The Palomino

Oh, oh, Carmelina,
The daughter of the wealthy banker.
Since she came to town all my friends are gone,
And I’m stuck out here with melody.

Saddle up the palomino, the sun is going down.
The way I feel, this must be real.

If you can’t cut it, don’t pick up the knife.
There’s no reward in your conscience stored
When you’re sleepin’ with another man’s wife.

Saddle up the palomino, the sun is going down.
The way I feel, this must be real.

I wanna lick the platter, the gravy doesn’t matter.
It’s a cold bowl of chili when love lets you down,
But it’s the neighbor’s wife I’m after.

Saddle up the palomino, the sun is going down.
The way I feel, this must be real.

 

Hey Babe

Hey babe, say you’re mine, all mine.
I need it oh so bad.
Hey babe, hey babe.
I know that all things pass.
Let’s try to make this last.

Oh, can you see my love shining for you?
Oh, can you see my love shining for you?

Hey babe, can I count on you
To see me through?
Hey babe, hey babe.
All I need is your love
And the stars above.

Oh, can you see my love shining for you?
Oh, can you see my love shining for you?

Hey babe, say you’re mine, all mine.
I need you oh so bad.
Hey babe, hey babe.
I know that all things pass.
Let’s try to make this last.

Oh, can you see my love shining for you?
Oh, can you see my love shining for you?

Hey babe, I know that all things pass.
Let’s try to make this last.

 

Hold Back The Tears

Hello, my old friend.
It’s good to see you smiling.
You’ve been around so long, you must be strong.
And single life really has its fine points,
Like friends to help you out when things go wrong.

Hold back the tears
That you’ve been cryin’.
Push off the fears
When they come around.

Hold back the tears,
And keep on trying.
Just around the next corner
May be waiting your true love.

Two lying fools,
And then four cryin’ eyes,
Counting on one another to survive.
Crazy love must surely have this pain,
If getting up means going down again.

Hold back the tears
That you’ve been cryin’.
Push off the fears
When they come around.

Hold back the tears,
And keep on trying.
Just around the next corner
May be waiting your true love.

 

  Bite The Bullet

There’s a bar hall queen down in Charlotte town.
I’d sure like to see her when the sun goes down.
I swear her hair is midnight black.
And I can’t wait till I get back.

Carolina queen,
She’s a walking love machine.
I’d like to make her scream,
When I bite the bullet.
Bite the bullet.

Born and raised at the top of the South.
You know she knows what it’s all about.
Good old boys are coming from miles around.
Wanna watch that bullet lay ‘em down.

Carolina queen,
She’s a walking love machine.
I’d like to make her scream,
When I bite the bullet.
Bite the bullet.

There’s a bar hall queen down in Charlotte town.
I’d sure like to see her when the sun goes down.
Good old boys are coming from miles around.
Wanna watch that bullet lay ‘em down.

Carolina queen,
She’s a walking love machine.
I’d like to make her scream,
When I bite the bullet.
Bite the bullet.

 

Star Of Bethlehem

Ain’t it hard when you wake up in the morning
And you find out that those other days are gone?
All you have is memories of happiness
Lingerin’ on.

You might wonder who can I turn to
On this cold and chilly night of gloom
The answer to that question
Is nowhere in this room.

All your dreams and your lovers won’t protect you,
They’re only passing through you in the end.
They’ll leave you stripped of all that they can get to,
And wait for you to come back again.

You might wonder who I can turn to
On this cold and chilly night of gloom
The answer to that question
Is nowhere in this room.

Yet still a light is shining
From that lamp on down the hall.
Maybe the star of Bethlehem
Wasn’t a star at all.

 

Will To Love

It has often been my dream
To live with one who wasn’t there
Like an ocean fish who swam upstream
Through nets, by hooks, and hungry bears.

When the water grew less deep
My fins were aching from the strain
I’m swimming in my sleep
I know I can’t go back again.

Got the will to love, the will to love.
I’ll never lose it, never lose the will to love,
Never lose the will.
It’s like something from up above.

I can be like a fire in the night
Always warm and giving off light
But there comes a time when I shine too bright
Oh, I’m just a fire in the night.

And now my fins are in the air
And my belly’s scraping on the rocks
I still think someone really cares
And I’ll keep swimming till I stop.

Got the will to love, the will to love.
I’ll never lose it, never lose the will to love,
Never lose the will.
It’s like something from up above.

I’m like a singer on the stage
With the golden lights and liquid rage
Down from the mountains to the sea
Cool running love keeps cleansing me.

It keeps my gills from getting dry
But it distorts things in my eyes
Sometimes I see what really isn’t there
Like my true lover, and I care.

Got the will to love, the will to love.
I’ll never lose it, never lose the will to love,
Never lose the will.
It’s like something from up above.

Sometimes I ramble on and on
And I repeat myself till all my friends are gone
And get lost in snow and drown in rain
And never feel the same again.

I remember the ocean from where I came
Just one of millions all the same
But somewhere someone calls my name
I’m a harpoon dodger, and I can’t, won’t be tamed.

Got the will to love, the will to love.
I’ll never lose it, never lose the will to love,
Never lose the will.
It’s like something from up above.

Baby, if I see boredom in your eyes
I’ll know my river has run dry
But I won’t turn back with that lonely tide
I bought that ticket and I’ll take that ride.

If we meet along the way
Please sway beside me, let us sway together
Our tails together and our fins and mind
We’ll leave this water and let our scales shine
In the sun above and the sky below
So all the water and earth will know

It has often been my dream
To live with one who wasn’t there.

 

Like A Hurricane

Once I thought I saw you in a crowded hazy bar,
Dancing on the light from star to star.
Far across the moonbeam I know that’s who you are,
I saw your brown eyes turning once to fire.

You are like a hurricane
There’s calm in your eye.
And I’m gettin’ blown away
To somewhere safer where the feeling stays.
I want to love you but I’m getting blown away.

I am just a dreamer, but you are just a dream,
You could have been anyone to me.
Before that moment you touched my lips
That perfect feeling when time just slips
Away between us on our foggy trip.

You are like a hurricane
There’s calm in your eye.
And I’m gettin’ blown away
To somewhere safer where the feeling stays.
I want to love you but I’m getting blown away.

You are just a dreamer, and I am just a dream.
You could have been anyone to me.
Before that moment you touched my lips
That perfect feeling when time just slips
Away between us on our foggy trip.

You are like a hurricane
There’s calm in your eye.
And I’m gettin’ blown away
To somewhere safer where the feeling stays.
I want to love you but I’m getting blown away.

 

Homegrown

Homegrown’s all right with me.
Homegrown is the way it should be.
Homegrown is a good thing.
Plant that bell and let it ring.

The sun comes up in the morning,
Shines that light around.
One day, without no warning,
Things start jumping up from the ground.

Well, homegrown’s all right with me.
Homegrown is the way it should be.
Homegrown is a good thing.
Plant that bell and let it ring.

 

Credits:

Neil Young: guitar, harmonica, vocal; plus all instruments and vocals on Will To Love
Billy Talbot: bass
Ralph Molina: drums
Frank Sampedro: guitar, stringman
Linda Ronstadt: vocal
Nicolette Larson: vocal
Carole Mayedo: violin
Ben Keith: steel guitar, dobro, vocal
Tim Drummond: bass
Karl T. Himmel: drums
Emmylou Harris: vocal

Recorded at Quadrafonic, Nashville; Wally Heider Recoding Studios, Hollywood; Broken Arrow Ranch, Redwood City, CA, and Indigo Recording Studio, Malibu, Dec. 13, 1974-Apr. 4, 1977

Produced by Neil Young & David Briggs with Tim Mulligan, except
Star Of Bethlehem produced by Elliot Mazer

 

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