W.C. Minger Liner Notes

8/8/2019 W.C. Minger Liner Notes

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/wc-minger-liner-notes 1/20





The best of us lead lives or unswerving dedication to the daily routine. Beset by thevagaries, we hold as well we are able to our steady course down a road with nouncertain end. The weak among us fall and die on the road; but we all fall and diesomewhere. Along the way our path is punctuated by fleeting moments of glory,blessed periods of respite relaxing with our true friends, and the occasional slip intohideous pits of shame and degradation. One moment we are secure, asleep in thetender arms of a lover, the next battered down and about by some sudden calamity.We are befriended by strangers, beheaded by cruel outlaws, nourished by gifts of

cheese, and each day we wake like poultry and confront our continuum. There is much to do, and our priorities allow us neither the time nor the perspective to poetize the prosaic.

Now and again, perhaps also routinely, there appears among us one who knows and feels too much our collective predicament to heed the peregrinations of his own existence; a centroid life form, subliminally assaulted by the vicissitudes of service

to the communal cerebrum. And there is not much for the fellow to do but tell therest of us how it feels. Such a figure is our friend Bill; a febrile fissiped whosefragile future forewarns of a funky farrago of futility; a cultural liver, if you will,full of the rank waste of human frailty. Yet the man’s glebous yearnings defy thehomogenized instincts of the priapized populace. He confutes the cast a numinous wimple occluding the murderous maunderings of mundanity and offering us a glimpse

of our unadorned selves. So here they are, recorded at last, a rowdy round of rhetoric from the rictus of that remarkable reprobate, William Charles “Wild Bill” Minger IV. Enjoy!

-Paul Duffy, Tonasket, WA 2/25/95



TrackListing

1.WheretheHellCanaWinoHide4:18(W.C.MingerIV)

Iwaspassedoutonamattress

InashacksouthofTonasket

WithsomeWesternFamilycannedfoodproblems

Sittin'onmyshelf

ThatFrigidairewasloaded

Withthestuffthatkeepsmegoing

AndI'dgopayitavisit

IfIcouldgettherebymyself.

Chorus:

Sowherethehellcanawinohide

Whenhisbrain'sjustalittlebitfried

Whenhejustcan'tbebothered

Whenhefeelslikehe'sbeingsmothered

ByfoolslikeyouandalltherestThatwanttowastehisprecioustime

Thatbossman'scomin’forme

He'sgotajobthat'sboundtoboreme

Pickin'pears,proppin'treesorpullin’suckers‐

Idon'tknowwhereitends‐

Rightnowhighway97

LookslikethenearestthingtoheavenButthatbastardonhistractor

Iscomin’aroundagain.

WhiskeyJennyisunemployed

SosheswearsI'mherfavoriteboy

Shegetsahalf‐assedgrinonhermandolin

Whenmypaydaycomesaround.

Idon'tmakeenoughtoloanher

Idon'tevenwanttophoneher

SowhenIgetmycheck

I'mgonnabuysomewreck

Andleavethisdustyoldtown.

2 Ramona 3 33



I'dratherwalkandclearmyhead

Andgetadrinktogo

Chorus:

NowupthereinLakeElsinore

Alessandro'slookingforher

Youcouldsayhewasthebitandthebridle

AndRamonawastheburr

Underneathhisworn‐outsaddle

Anddiggingintohisheart

ButRamona'sgonetoAguanga

Togetabrandnewstart

Alessandro'dpickedenoughlettuce

Tofeedamillionrabbitsormore

FromBrawlytoCalexico

TotheColoradoRivershore

Andheusedtoridethebroncos

AttheImperialCountyFair

WhileRamona'dbraidhispony'stailWithaflowerinherhair

ButRamonagotsickandtired

Ofalwaysbeingsonice

Andsharingan'84Pontiac

Withafamilyoffieldmice

Shesaid"MaybeI'mjustaputa

AndalocoIndiotoo,ButIain'tnowetbackMexican

LikeAlessandroandhiscrew"

AsRamonawalksintoAguanga

Tobuyacowboyhat

AlessandropourssomeoilintohisPontiac

RamonarunsintoAliceandBill

UpbyPalomar

She'sgonnahideoutintheiradobeshack

Andpraytothestarsoncemore

3.OnBeyondZero5:59

(W.C.MingerIV)



AnditwashightimeIcollectedmyreward

WhenIsawyouatthetable

WithUncleDillandMabelAnditwasplaintoseethatyouweremorethanbored

Thesnowwasfreshanddeep

SoJoaquinwouldsurelykeep

Justlongenoughtohaveadrinkorthree

UncleDill,hesaidhello

AndMabelmumbledsomethingslow

Whileyouofcoursehadnowordstosaytome

ButIsaid"ForallthemilesthatIsoughtyou

Here'sthetreasurethatIbroughtyou

It'soutthereinthatwagoninthesnow

Y'knowthemotherloadhasdied

AndI'vegotcrow'sfeetaroundmyeyes

JustfrombringinginthecarnagethatIowe."

WellIfeltquitedramatic

ButthenI'vealwaysbeenthemanicDepressivesinceyoucameintomylife

Bethatasitis

Allyourlovewastrulyhis

Althoughheneverwould'vehadyouforhiswife

Withallthetrustthatyoubetrayed

FromSonoratothegrave

Andtheweirdthingsthatkeptfumblingfromyourmouth

How'boutinthegreatNorthwestWhenheturneddownyourlastrequest

AndthenheleftyouforthatwomanintheSouth?

WellUncleDillandMabel

Pushedtheirchairsbackfromthetable

Youbowedyourheadpretendingnottocry

I'veseenbetteracts

Andifyouwannaknowthefacts

IoncesawSugardotheDenverStompinBlythe

Yeahthatwasbackin'51

WhenmeandJoaquinwereontherun

FromSacramento,SanJose,andMonterey

HeshotacinnamoninLodi

And a sheriff do n near Ojai



'CausetheresatJuaquinMurrieta

InhisbootsofSpanishleather

WithtwopistolsonanappaloosamareWhenyouranoutsidetokisshim

Justtotellhimhowmuchyou'dmissedhim

Hishorseandhimjustvanishedintheair

4.SomethingtoWriteHomeAbout3:58

(W.C.MingerIV)

IusedtothinkIwasmightycool

Withmypainandmisery

Iplayedthebluesforcompany

Andtheboozewaskillingme

UntilyoucamealongtotellmeIwaswrong

Andgivemeabettergriponreality

Chorus:

Yougivemesomethingtowritehomeabout

LifemakesalittlemoresensetomeSinceweshareacommondestiny

Anditmakesmesadtothinkthatyou

Don'tknowIknowwhatyou'vebeengoingthrough

Afteryou'vetakenthatgiftoflovefromme

There'sotherwomenthatIknow

They'resofullofclass

It'sjustaconsciencethattheylackTheytalkbehindyourback

They'remoresociallyacceptable

Beingmoralderelicts,youknow

ExchangingliesandrumorsfortheFacts

Nowthatwe'vebeentogether

I'vegotajobthathardlypays

I'mfeelingbettereveryday

Atleastthat'swhatmydoctorssay

We'vegotalittleplaceaboutamilefromHell

Withaholeinthebottomofthewishingwell

Andthedevilcomesbytohelpusonourway

5 Home on the Range 5 44



Youjumpedoffthatboxcarandintoadarkbar

Andcameupwiththeseoriginallines:(Refrain)

"Iwantahomewherethebuffaloroam

Wherethedeerandtheantelopeplay"

ButI'dtoooftenheardthosediscouragingwords

I'madrifter,I'marounder,I'mastray

AnddespiteallyourwishesIneverdodishes

AndIoftengetcloudyallday

Myhouseisabackpack;myranchisatraintrack

SotoHellwithyourHomeontheRange

Wellthebarwastoobusy,theheatmadeusdizzy

Sowewentouttofindussomeshade

WehadafewbeersandthenIsawthetears

Shininglikesweatonherface

Allherpentupsilencewasworsethenherviolence

Ibegantofeelaloneandestranged

ForthefirsttimeinyearsIfeltagreatfear

Andthoughtaboutsomehomeontherange

Allthoseyearsofrunning,ridingandhidingfromthelaw

Insomejerkwatertown

Allthoseyearsofworkinganotherman'sdirt

Seemedtoplantmysoulintheground

SoIdreamedupanadobewithfivepintoponies

Amuleandadogandatruck

IcouldseeallmyfamilycominguptomeSaying,"Boy,yousuregotsomeluck"

Wehitallthecrops,neverquitonejob

Welivedoffofcheapwineandbeans

Ihadtotellallmyfriendsagainandagain

Ihadtodomuchandbigbetterthings

Thentoplaymyguitarallnightinsomebar

TheymusthavethoughtI'dgoneinsane

Thantomissallthatfunandstillbeabum

Forthatmythicalhomeontherange

Afterwe'dpickedalltherewaslefttopick

Wedecidedtocountupourcash

The frost as pon s so e bo ght an old school b s



6.DrydenBlues3:06

(W.C.MingerIV)

Iwassittingonthedrunkestsideoftown

Withafewoldfriendsthatusedtocomearound

WeweredrinkingJoseCuervoGold

Pretendingweweren'tgettingold

Sogowhenyou'regone,don'ttrytouseacanoe

Go,Lord,whenyou'regoneyou'relikeafishwithoutashoe

IfI'dgonethenIwouldn'tbeherenow

ButI'mstillhereandsoareyou

We'reputtingourfootinthesameoldfish

Pretendingthatwe'regettingrich

Sogowhenyou'regone,don'ttrytouseacanoe


Gowhenyougo,thehighwaycalls

Bewhatyouare,ifthat'sanythingatall

Gowhenyougo,butpleasestaygoneDon'thangaroundsingingthesameoldsongs

Justgowhenyou'regone,don'ttrytouseacanoe


7.Deportees5:03

(W.Guthrie,arrangedbyW.C.MingerIV)

8.OkanoganBlue3:11(W.C.MingerIV)

Blastoffacoupleofrounds

Blastthosebeercansintotheground

Andthenthinkaboutwhatyou'vedonewiththislife

Telltheworldyouknow"Adios'

Tell'emyouain'tnothingbutafuckingghost

Andthenhitthetrailwhenyou’redonewiththislife

Donewiththislife‐Whoreallycares?



I'vepaidmyshare



I'vebeenworkedoverbyloggersandgoons

Wearingbadges,somewerechangingdiapers

Iwon'tsinganysongsaboutridingthetrainsIdon'twantsomeyuppietocapitalizeonmypain

Likesomescabpaidpiedpiper

9.WhiskeyJenny3:19

(W.C.MingerIV)

Weweresittinginherinner‐cityroom

TalkingaboutthecountrywhereI'dbegoingsoon

AndallthefolksthatusedtocomeanddineOnbeans,biscuitsandgravyandjugsofGallowine

Chorus:

ThenshepulledoutherfiddleandItriedtoplayitfast

Singingsongsoflovegonewrongandwhiskeyforbreakfast

And"TonightI'llbestayingherewithyou"

Itmightberight‐it'sprob'lywrong‐butwhatelsecouldIdo

Isaid"JennyI'vebeendirtydrunkandgone"

Shesaid,"Whohasn'tWilly.Letsplayanothersong

"AndbythewayI'mgonnagetmydegree"

Whichdidn'tmakemuchsensetoaradicallikeme

Iwokeuptothesoundoftrolleysintherain

TohitcharidetoOaklandwhereIcouldcatchatrain

ThatwouldtakemeupthevalleyinthedawnAndtoawomanwaitinginthestateofWashington

NowI'mwanderingwiththerankthatknowsnorest

AndIstilldreamofWhiskeyJennyandthefrecklesonherbreasts

Shesaid,"Neverlosethemusicinyerhead

"Becauseifyoulosethatmusicyoumightaswellbedead"

10.MissouriBreaks3:02

(W.C.MingerIV)

Whatisthatsoundbehindthehoundsonthetrail

Likesteelhittingbrassinthedark?

Whatisthatsound,thathammeronthenail

That splits the cold night like a spark?



FloodingthedirtonwhichIstand?

Icouldbeseeingtheenemy

OnamissiontoharvestanddestroyIcouldbeseeingyouandme

Wonderingifitwasagirloraboy.

WellIreckonyou’restilloutthere

Inthesunshineandthecorn

Withanotherfoolnursingtheshakes

Ireckonyou'veplantedanothergardeninthestorm

Wellthat'stheMissouribreaks.

Whatisthatcryunderthesighingofthewind

Likeaghostpassingthroughmydoor?

Whatisthatcrythatpierceslikeapin

Inaneffigyofragsonthefloor?

Itcouldbethecryoftheenemy

Plunderingourhousesinflames

Itcouldbethecryofyouandme

Onourseparatetrailsofpain.

11.WaltzingMatilda4:50

(Trad.,arrangedbyW.C.Minger)



















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W.C. Minger Liner Notes