Best Of The Doobies Volume 1 – Lyrics

China Grove

Tom Johnston

When the sun comes up on a sleepy little town
Down around San Antone
And the folks are risin’ for another day
‘Round about their homes The people of the town are strange
And they’re proud of where they came
Well, you’re talkin’ ’bout China Grove
Oh, China Grove

Well, the preacher and the teacher
Lord, they’re a caution
They are the talk of the town
When the gossip gets to flyin’
And they ain’t lyin’
When the sun goes fallin’ down

They say that the father’s insane
And dear Missus Perkin’s a game
We’re talkin’ ’bout the China Grove
Oh, China Grove

But every day there’s a new thing comin’
The ways of an oriental view
The sheriff and his buddies
With their samurai swords
You can even hear the music at night

And though it’s a part of the Lone Star State
People don’t seem to care
They just keep on lookin’ to the East

Talkin’ ’bout the China Grove
Oh, China Grove

©1973 Warner-Tamerlane Publishing Corp.
All Rights Reserved

Long Train Runnin’

Tom Johnston

Down around the corner
A half a mile from here
You see them old trains runnin’
And you watch them disappear
Without love
Where would you be now
Without love You know I saw Miss Lucy
Down along the tracks
She lost her home and her family
And she won’t be comin’ back
Without love
Where would you be now
Without love

Well the Illinois Central
And the Southern Central Freight
Gotta keep on pushin’ Mama
‘Cause you know they’re runnin’ late
Without love
Where would you be now – now, now, now
Without love

Where pistons keep on churnin’
And the wheels go ’round and ’round
And the steel rails are cold and hard
For the miles that they go down
Without love
Where would you be right now
Without love
Where would you be now

©1973 Warner-Tamerlane Publishing Corp.
All Rights Reserved

Takin’ It To The Streets

Michael McDonald

You don’t know me but I’m your brother
I was raised here in this living hell
You don’t know my kind in your world
Fairly soon the time will tell
You, telling me the things you’re gonna do for me
I ain’t blind and I don’t like what I think I see Takin’ it to the streets
Takin’ it to the streets
Takin’ it to the streets
Takin’ it to the streets

Take this message to my brother
You will find him everywhere
Wherever people live together
Tied in poverty’s despair
You, telling me the things you’re gonna do for me
I ain’t blind and I don’t like what I think I see

Takin’ it to the streets
Takin’ it to the streets
Takin’ it to the streets
Takin’ it to the streets

©1976 Tauripin Tunes
All Rights Reserved

Listen To The Music

Tom Johnston

Don’t you feel it growin’, day by day
People gettin’ ready for the news
Some are happy, some are sad
Oh, we got to let the music play
What the people need
Is a way to make ‘em smile
It ain’t so hard to do if you know how
Gotta get a message
Get it on through
Oh, now mama’s go’n’ to after ‘while Oh, oh, listen to the music
Oh, oh, listen to the music
Oh, oh, listen to the music
All the time

Well I know, you know better
Everything I say
Meet me in the country for a day
We’ll be happy
And we’ll dance
Oh, we’re gonna dance our blues away
And if I’m feelin’ good to you
And you’re feelin’ good to me
There ain’t nothin’ we can’t do or say
Feelin’ good, feeling fine
Oh, baby, let the music play

Oh, oh, listen to the music
Oh, oh, listen to the music
Oh, oh, listen to the music
All the time

Like a lazy flowing river
Surrounding castles in the sky
And the crowd is growing bigger
List’nin’ for the happy sounds
And I got to let them fly

Oh, oh, listen to the music
Oh, oh, listen to the music
Oh, oh, listen to the music
All the time

©1972 Warner-Tamerlane Publishing Corp.
All Rights Reserved

Black Water

Patrick Simmons

Well, I built me a raft and she’s ready for floatin’
Ol’ Mississippi, she’s callin’ my name
Catfish are jumpin’
That paddle wheel thumpin’
Black water keeps rollin’ on past just the same Old black water, keep on rollin’
Mississippi moon, won’t you keep on shinin’ on me
Old black water, keep on rollin’
Mississippi moon, won’t you keep on shinin’ on me
Old black water, keep on rollin’
Mississippi moon, won’t you keep on shinin’ on me
Yeah, keep on shinin’ your light
Gonna make everything, pretty mama
Gonna make everything all right
And I ain’t got no worries
‘Cause I ain’t in no hurry at all

Well, if it rains, I don’t care
Don’t make no difference to me
Just take that street car thats goin’ up town
Yeah, I’d like to hear some funky Dixieland
And dance a honky tonk
And I’ll be buyin’ ev’rybody drinks all ‘roun’

Old black water, keep on rollin’
Mississippi moon, won’t you keep on shinin’ on me
Old black water, keep on rollin’
Mississippi moon, won’t you keep on shinin’ on me
Old black water, keep on rollin’
Mississippi moon, won’t you keep on shinin’ on me
Yeah, keep on shinin’ your light
Gonna make everything, pretty mama
Gonna make everything all right
And I ain’t got no worries
‘Cause I ain’t in no hurry at all

I’d like to hear some funky Dixieland
Pretty mama come and take me by the hand
By the hand, take me by the hand pretty mama
Come and dance with your daddy all night long
I want to honky tonk, honky tonk, honky tonk
With you all night long

©1974 WB Music Corp. &
Lansdowne Music Publishers
All Rights Reserved

Rockin’ Down The Highway

Tom Johnston

Got those highway blues, can’t you hear my motor runnin’
Flyin’ down the road with my foot on the floor
All the way in town they can hear me comin’
Ford’s about to drop, she won’t do no more
And I smell my motor burnin’
Underneath the hood is smoke
Can’t stop, and I can’t stop
Got to keep on movin’ or I’ll lose my mind Oh, rockin’ down the highway
Oh, rockin’ down the highway
Oh, rockin’ down the highway
Oh, rockin’ down the highway

The highway patrol got his eyes on me
I know what he’s thinkin’ and it ain’t good
I’m movin’ so fast he can barely see me
Gonna lose that man, I know I should
I gotta kick in my pedal
Make my Ford move a little bit faster
Can’t stop, and I can’t stop
Got to keep on movin’ or I’ll lose my mind

Oh, rockin’ down the highway
Oh, rockin’ down the highway
Oh, rockin’ down the highway
Oh, rockin’ down the highway

©1972, 1973 Warner-Tamerlane Publishing Corp.
All Rights Reserved

Jesus Is Just Alright

A. Reynolds

Jesus is just alright with me, Jesus is just alright, oh yeah
Jesus is just alright with me, Jesus is just alright I don’t care what they may say
I don’t care what they may do
I don’t care what they may say
Jesus is just alright, oh yeah
Jesus is just alright

Jesus is just alright with me, Jesus is just alright, oh yeah
Jesus is just alright with me, Jesus is just alright

I don’t care what they may know
I don’t care where they may go
I don’t care what they may know
Jesus is just alright, oh yeah

Jesus, he’s my friend; Jesus, he’s my friend
He took me by the hand; Led me far from this land
Jesus, he’s my friend

Jesus is just alright with me, Jesus is just alright, oh yeah
Jesus is just alright with me, Jesus is just alright

I don’t care what they may say, I don’t care what they may do
I don’t care what they may say, Jesus is just alright, oh yeah

©Yolk Music/AlexisMusic, Inc.
(ASCAP)

It Keeps You Runnin’

Michael McDonald

Say, where you gonna go
Girl, where you gonna hide
You go on leavin’ out your heart
And all it’s sayin’ down deep inside
From here I can feel your heartbeat
Oh, you got me all wrong
You ain’t got no worry
You just been lonely too long
I know what it means to hide your heart
From a long time ago
Oh, darlin’ It keeps you runnin’, yeah it keeps you runnin’
It keeps you runnin’, yeah it keeps you runnin’
It keeps you runnin’, yeah it keeps you runnin’
It keeps you runnin’, yeah it keeps you runnin’

Oh, you know how I feel
Hey, you know I been there
But what you’re keepin’ to yourself
Oh, you know it just ain’t fair
Are you gonna worry
For the rest of your life
Why you in such a hurry
To be lonely one more night
I know what it means to hide your heart
From a long time ago
Oh, darlin’

It keeps you runnin’, yeah it keeps you runnin’
It keeps you runnin’, yeah it keeps you runnin’
It keeps you runnin’, yeah it keeps you runnin’
It keeps you runnin’, yeah it keeps you runnin’

©1976 Tauripin Tunes
All Rights Reserved

South City Midnight Lady

Patrick Simmons

Up all night I could not sleep
The whiskey that I drank was cheap
With shakin’ hands I went and I lit up my last cigarette
Well the sun came, night had fled
And sleepy eyed I reached my bed
I saw you sleepy dreamin’ there all covered and warm South City midnight lady
I’m much obliged indeed
You sure have saved this man whose soul was in need
I thought there was no reason
For all these things I do
But the smile that sent out returned with you

When day has left the night behind
And shadows roll across my mind
I sometimes find myself alone out walkin’ the street
Yes, and when I’m feelin’ down and blue
Then all I do is think of you
And all my foolish problems seem to fade away

South City midnight lady
I’m much obliged indeed
You sure have saved this man whose soul was in need
I thought there was no reason
For all these things I do
But the smile that sent out returned with you

©1973 WB Music Corp. &
Lansdowne Music Publishers
All Rights Reserved

Take Me In Your Arms

Eddie Holland, Lamont Dozier, and Brian Holland

I know you’re leavin’
Leavin’ me behind
I’m seein’ you darlin’
For the very last time
Show a little tenderness
Mama, before you go
Please let me feel
Your embrace once more Take me in your arms
Rock me, rock me a little while
Oh, with you darlin’
Rock me, rock me a little while

We almost feel heartache sometime
Right now, right now
I’m feelin’ mine

I tried my best to be strong
But I’m not able
I’m like a helpless child
Left in a cradle
Before you leave me mama
Leave me far behind
Please let me feel
Happy one more time

Take me in your arms
Rock me, rock me a little while
Oh, with you darlin’
Rock me, rock me a little while

I’m losin’ you
And my happiness
My life is so dark
I must confess

I’ll never, never see your smilin’ face no more
I’ll never, never hear your knock upon my door
Before you leave me
Leave me behind
Please let me feel
Happy one more time

Take me in your arms
Rock me, rock me a little while
Oh, with you darlin’
Rock me, rock me a little while

©1965, 1975 Jobete Music Company, Inc.
All Rights Reserved

Without You

The Doobie Brothers

I get a feelin’, lost without you baby
Livin’ alone is drivin’ me crazy
Don’t you know
I got nowhere to go
You should be the one that’s hurtin’
You got everything you need Back in the days when love was so easy
I was fancy free and laughin’ with no reason
Things have changed
Your touch has grown strange
I can’t help myself
I know that you have left me dyin’ here

Baby, baby
I can’t live without you
Baby, baby
I can’t live without you no more
Baby, baby
I can’t live without you
I feel you know it, huh

Oh, baby, now I’m lost without my baby
Oh, baby, baby, babe, don’t you hear right now

©1973 Warner-Tamerlane Publishing Corp.
All Rights Reserved