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These Hands
: Lyrics
All songs written by Neil Murray © 1993
Published by Universal Music Publishing
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1. SING YOUR
DESTINY
(Neil Murray)
I feel my life a mystery
So many things I cannot see
Won’t somebody let me know
Show me where the dreamin’ goes
Well the spirit’s gone from a dusty place
The cattle have worn the land away
The crows are flying long and low
Away out where the dreamin’ goes
There’s a bird of mystery
Singin’ out your destiny
History you can’t ignore
I’m not talking behind the library door
Did somebody mention bones
Scattered on the dreamin’ road
Do you understand the feelin’ here?
We paid in blood, our lives were dear
There is a land that waits for you
If it speaks to me, it’ll speak to you
There’s a bird of mystery
Callin’ out your destiny
Sing your destiny
So many things left unresolved
There’s a lot I wish I’d never known
By the time I learn I’ll be too old
To start out on that dreamin’ road
But I hope and pray someday I’ll know
Just where it is I have to go
And all the longing will unfold
All the stories will be told
More precious than a pot of gold
They say that’s what the dreaming holds
There’s a bird of mystery
Singin’ out your destiny
Can you hear that bird of mystery
Callin’ out your destiny
Sing your destiny
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2.
BIG TRUCK
(Neil Murray)
I
met a man just the other day
Said he could tell me what my problem is
He said “Son, you’re trying to take too much on your shoulders
You got too many battles up ahead”
And he said, “What you need is a new direction
What you need is a change of heart
What you need is to lighten your load
Have you thought about a brand new start”
I run a big truck mister
I run it hard everyday
I drive a big truck
And I’ll be drivin’ for the rest of my days
Most folks just wanna know if you’re makin’
money
That’s their only measure of success
Other folks they tell ya, you ain’t getting any younger
Better think of doin’ somethin’ else
But I got deliveries to the country
I got deliveries for the man in the street
I got deliveries for all walks of life
But most of all for myself
I run a big truck matey
Every night and every day
I drive a big truck
And I’ll be drivin’ for the rest of my days
Oh yeah, I do get lonely
Oh yes, I’ve had my doubts
But this road I’m on, I’ve been on so long
And I’m too far-gone to stop now
I run a big truck mister
I run it hard everyday
I drive a big truck
And I’ll be drivin’ for the rest of my days
For all of my remainin’ days
My remainin’ days
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3. FAR AWAY
(Neil
Murray/Andrew Travers)
It was a ’65 Ford Falcon Ute that we took
to go up north
And I burnt my right arm drivin’ ‘cross the desert
But it was better than a package tour
Or a picnic at the Rock
For we had to see the country for ourselves
Far away, beyond the Queensland border
Far away, towards that western sky
Well if I ever take you out to a dusty northern town
Kiss good-bye your former life
I was in Alice for a day
But I didn’t ever want to stay
‘Cause to me it’s just become a tourist town
I’d rather head off way outback
Where the road becomes a track
And your car’s the only thing to let you down
Far away, beyond the Queensland border
Far away, towards that western sky
Well if I ever take you out to a dusty northern town
Kiss good-bye your former life
Every man needs a job to earn his weekly
bob
But it doesn’t mean he has to be, be tied down
If he can live out in the scrub
In the country that he loves
He may never feel the need
To come to town
Well can you drive me for a while
‘Cause my eyes are a-getting’ tired
And the lights upon the hill make it hard to see
Just-a leave the window down
I know we’ll never go back down south
‘Cause there’s a thousand insect voices a-callin’ me
Far away, beyond the Queensland border
Far away, towards that western sky
Well if I ever take you out to a dusty northern town
Kiss good-bye your former life
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I’ve been searchin’ for a long, long time
I track by day and I listen by night
I hear people
That can’t get no rest
My nerves are strained I’m on the edge of my chair
I might be listenin’ for somethin’ that’s not there
It’s hard to tell
I’ve been on the trail so long
Well there’s been a lot of trouble down this way
Look at all the bones scattered on the trail
We’ve been bashed and we’ve done the bashin’ too
So many crimes, never been solved
So many confessions, I wish I wasn’t told
Words in anger
You can’t take ‘em back
You’re gonna have to forgive
You’re gonna have to accept
Take that step
Right upon that Holy Road
Ah, won’t you get me on, get me on that Holy Road
So much heartache in the world I can’t
forget
So much love, sometimes we neglect so many dreams
Sometimes you have to let ‘em go
You know you can’t go on like this when it’s eating you inside
If you don’t do something soon, you know you’re gonna die
Before your time, before your time is due
You’re gonna have to forgive
You’re gonna have to accept
And take that step
Right upon that Holy Road,
Won’t you get me on, get me, get me on that Holy Road,
Won’t ya get me on, get me on that Holy Road
Ah, won’t you get me on, get me on that Holy Road
Get me on that Holy Road
Who’s gonna know where to find this road?
Is it overseas or in a new age book store?
Don’t worry about it, don’t think too much
You’re gonna have to endure and learn like the rest
You might be held on the ground in silence
Until you’re told, you can get up now
You may have to get out of your car and
start walkin’
You may have to cut your losses now and start talkin’
You may have to find yourself, all over again
Whatever it is
You’re gonna have to forgive
And take that step
Right upon that Holy Road,
Won’t you get me on, get me, get me on that Holy Road
Won’t you get me on, get me on, get me on that Holy Road
Won’t you get us on now, get us on, get me on that Holy Road
Won’t you get us on, get me on that Holy Road
Get me on that Holy Road
Won’t you get me on . . . . Holy Road . . . .
Won’t you get me on . . . .Holy Road . . . .
I’m askin’ won’t you get me on . . . . on that Holy Road
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5.
SALTY GROUND
(Neil Murray)
I wandered as a small boy
I wandered on the salt lakes with the wind in my hair
I carried a seedling
I carried the plan for a big tree in my hand
Wet ground in the winter time
Wet ground, boggin’ up the place
Trees comin’ down and crops goin’ in
And soil on my face
This is the thing I’m calling, yes
Big tree can you come back on to salty ground
I helped my father
I helped my father with the plough
We did a good day’s work, yeah
We did a hard day’s work
Turning up the soil beneath our feet
That was changing into salty ground
This is the thing I’m calling
This is the thing I’m calling, yes
Big tree can you come back on to salty ground
Livin’ in the dry country
Not much shade or shelter any more
People can you live here now
People can you live here now
Can you carve some life for yourself
Can you make it right here on this salty ground
Before I die
This is the thing I’m calling
This is the thing I’m calling
This is the thing I’m calling, yes
Big tree can you come back on to salty ground
Can you come back now big tree, yes
Big tree can you come back on to salty ground
Big tree can you come back on to salty ground
Big tree can you come back
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6.
IS NOTHING GONNA CHANGE
(Neil Murray)
Old man standing down at the
dock
He’s been through two wars
He says good-bye to his only son
Who’s dressed in uniform
Each generation that comes into this world
Hopes not to make the same mistakes as the very first
But here we are again
Sending young men off to war
How can this go on
Do we forget what happened before?
Is nothing gonna change
Is nothing gonna change in this world?
If you just do what you always do
Nothing changes in this world
Disinformation is a noxious
weed
It runs rampant all over the land
Who knows what to believe?
The government it won’t let on
There’s been a cover up
It’s too late when you find out
Your hands are dipped in blood
Is nothing gonna change
Is nothing gonna change in this world?
If you just do what you always do
Nothing changes in this world
If you accept what they say
Nothing’s gonna change in this world
If you don’t think for yourself
Nothing changes in this world, in this world
In this world there’s Utopian
ideas
Some end in despair
But when some have the courage to dream
We all move a little closer to there, now
Was Ghandi a Peter Pan?
Do Dr King’s words fall on deaf ears?
How long must we learn the lessons?
How many more years?
Is nothing gonna change
Is nothing gonna change in this world?
If you just do what you always do
Nothing changes in this world
If you accept what they say
Nothing’s gonna change in this world
If you don’t think for yourself
Nothing changes in this world, in this world
In this world, in this world
In this world, in this world
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7.
KEEP THIS PICTURE
(Neil Murray)
One night in a crowded bar, a face I can't forget
Another night, that same face
Full of grief and bitterness
Tears on the pillow baby, tears by me and you
We've come this far together
I wish it could come true
Do you recall the desert baby can you see that mountain still?
Can you feel the night time
Does it bring you a chill?
Stars above our heads
Were strung out and forlorn
Remember how we held each other and waited for the dawn
I'll keep this picture with me now that, now that you’re gone
I'll keep this picture with me now that, now that you are gone
If I could have a child, I'd have that child with you
Greater love hath no one, than to hear these words from you
There's only just one lifetime and that's enough to do
Tears on the pillow, I came too late for you
But, I'll keep this picture with me now that, now that you’re gone
I'll keep this picture with me now that you are gone
Do you remember, yes do you remember
How we waited for the dawn?
I'll keep this picture with me now that you are gone
I see the mountains, I feel the night time, I see the stars and I see the dawn
And the tears, they fall like rain every day since you passed on
But, I'll keep this picture with me now that you are gone
I'll keep this picture with me now that you are gone
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8.
ONE DAY
(Neil Murray)
You’ve come undone, now you’re confused
You’re not certain what to do
The pain of loss is like a tide
You feel you’re caught in a slide
You see these mountains
They are tall and these buildings, they too can fall
To the sea, so stretch away your memories
And here I say
One day you will find your voice
One day you will make your choice
See how the world spreads from your feet
To where the sky and earth they meet
Toss up clouds that come and go
Some sort of message in the flow
Your feelings now are but a moment
Remember this loss could be a kiss
Just like the breeze against your skin
There’s a secret strength you’re taking in
Oh I say, one day you will find your voice
One day you will make your choice
One dream will come true for you
One love will call on you
And you will find your family was there all the time for you to see
And from your door, you’ll step outside and read that message in the sky
What brings you wisdom when you grow old?
What warms the house when you get home?
What calls your name, the same as truth?
What speaks of love from me to you?
chorus
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We sing the church hymns in Creole
crocodiles cruise the river below
The same as years before when the missionaries landed
They can make a meal out of man or beast you know
When they came, we lay down our spears
Put on their clothes, held our hands in prayer
We lined up for rations, we lined up in fear
Of a God, we didn’t understand
Our customs, they were banned
Now the song line is broken
People are chokin’
We’re losin’ our direction, culture is erodin’
I wish I could remember what my father tried to show me
And pick up, what’s come undone
Jesus can you mend this broken song?
For I am the song man for my tribe
And I’ve got to find the words somehow tonight
For they’re depending on me
To start this ceremony
For so long, we’ve never done
So can you help me mend this broken tune?
Do you know the words, can you make ‘em ring true?
There’s no stars out tonight, there’s no daylight yet in sight
For me as I lay upon this grave
For the song line is broken
People are chokin’
We’re losin’ our direction, culture is erodin’
I wish
I could remember what my father tried to show me
And pick up, what’s come undone
Jesus can you mend this broken song?
Broken song, when the words have been
forgot
Broken song, when the story has been lost
Broken song, when the dancing has been stopped
Jesus can you mend this broken song?
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10. PRELUDE
(Neil Murray)
Instrumental
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Yes it’s you who keep
us waitin’
You want us to wait for the right time
The right time to find out who we are and what it is we must do
Where we must go and who will be there with us
And who it is that cannot
Who it is that have gone before us
And who it is that we truly love
Oh, these hands
These hands that tremble with the cup of life
Oh, these hands
These hands that steer my soul toward the light
We have been waitin’ such a long time
We have been waitin’ for the day
We that are lost and without purpose
We that are waiting still that way
But oh, these hands
These hands that hold my head against your breast
Oh, these hands
Your hands of sweet love and tenderness
Yes it’s you, you leave me breathless
You leave me wantin’ more than I could take
And it’s you, you leave me helpless
You leave me down here waiting at the gate
Why do the beautiful never make it?
Curled up in the corner of a room
When loss and despair walk hand in hand
Death comes in too soon
But oh, these hands
Your hands that have cared for me so much
Oh, these hands
Your hands that I am missin’ now so much
And through it all you keep us waitin’
You keep us waitin’ for so long
Through hard questions with no easy answers
For signs of hope where hope is gone
Still in all we are kept wantin’
Wantin’ much more than we can take
For a touch of love where love has been taken away
Regretting all our past mistakes
Oh, these hands
These hands that come to me within the night
Oh, these hands
Your hands that hold my head up to the light
Still in all you keep us lookin’
Lookin’ for a better world to show
To appear among the disappointments
The bitter disappointments that we know
And it’s you who keep us waitin’
Waitin’ for the time to come
Thinking of those who are no longer with us
Thinking of those we truly love
Oh, these hands
May your hands return to me again some day
Oh, these hands
May your hands return to guide me all the way
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