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If You Can't Forgive You Can't Love

by John Jenkins Music

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1.
A STRANGER TO YOUR HEART Drifting thoughts like clouds hanging free Wish I could understand This detachment I feel You make me sad Constantly There’s no benevolence As far as I can see And I wish I knew where to go Point me anywhere I don’t need to know A stranger to your heart Strained sincerity What we had has now gone And I feel bereaved And time holds no favours for me no more Like solid ice that needs to thaw Needs to thaw A stranger to your heart Strained sincerity Unsure where it went wrong And why it has to be A stranger to your heart Strained sincerity Unsure where it went wrong And why it has to be
2.
IS THAT WHAT THEY SAY? Dear Mother and Father I got your letter today And I know you’ve been worried With me being so far away But it was something I needed to do As you know Kicked that can around too often at home You tell me Denver’s been quiet this year And Sissie drinks too many beers Is that what they say? Is that what they say? Well I’m still trying to make it but the audience can be tough Think I told you about Betty She understands me and that’s enough And Betty’s mother has shrunken With the years You’ll see the pain on her face But you’ll never see her tears You tell me Frank has come out gay To me it doesn’t matter anyway Is that what they say? Is that what they say? Dear Mother and Father I think I’ve got things just right I’ve got less fear of death And more hope than I did for life Stevie has finished doing time Can’t even remember her crime Is that what they say? Is that what they say? And if you can’t forgive you can’t love I’ll tell God above And tell him how I feel If he’s real Of course he is Dear Mother and Father It’s been so long since you were took And I imagine these things you’d say to me If you could I’m not as foolish as I use to be If there’s such a place as Heaven you’d see That’s what I’d say That’s what I’d say
3.
THE LAST TRAIN FROM BALTIMORE The train pulls out the station And I leave the platform once more My name is Thomas Wilson I use to drive these trains from Baltimore And I sit and I stare and I wonder If on that fateful night I could have done something more Young kids playing on a railway line That’s what young kids do I was told Don’t pull away from me Hold me as I sleep As that moment plays itself out once more Why did it have to be? The hand that fate dealt me The guy who drove the last train From Baltimore Trampled by those memories Like water gushing from a river strong Papers asked if I fell asleep A good story is a good story Who cares if it’s wrong? Don’t pull away from me Hold me as I sleep As that moment plays itself out once more Why did it have to be? The hand that fate dealt me The guy who drove the last train From Baltimore
4.
Kathleen 03:46
KATHLEEN It's plain to see, the sun won't shine today But I ain't in the mood for sunshine anyway Maybe I'll go insane I got to stop the pain Maybe I'll go down to see Kathleen A swallow comes and tells me of her dreams She says she'd like to know just what they mean I feel like I could die As I watch her flying by Ride the north wind down to see Kathleen The stars hang high above, the oceans roar The moon is come to lead me to her door There's crystal across the sand And the waves, they take my hand Soon I'm gonna see my Kathleen Soon I'm gonna see my Kathleen
5.
MOON AND JUNE You used to make me laugh But now you make me cry I wonder where it went wrong And the reasons why? The Moon and June have lost their tune You use to sing my song We use to get along How can something that seemed so right Now be so wrong? That honeymoon Has lost its groom Sometime that sky, the one that we all reach up for Is just a little high And it’s a long way From which to fall We use to kiss goodnight now all we do is fight Bickering like children No logic or insight Once “Mills and Boon” Has become “High Noon” Sometimes I cry about Who we were before Did we have good times? Or is it painful to recall? You use to make me smile But it’s been a while Maybe we should take a break and finish this in style “Jumping the broom” to burst balloons Someday we’ll know Which way the river flowed And what was meant to be Embracing life’s mysteries
6.
Cracks 03:09
CRACKS Hannah walks down streets and avenues Figuring she had nothing to lose And made her way to the port Lost her job down at the Woolworths store Too many cigarette breaks And boys who called And one day the till was found short Her mother took the phone call Her father drank more booze Hannah wasn’t even asked if it was true I guess they thought their little girl Was way beyond rescue Just another crack She had fallen through Hannah walks down streets and avenues Uncertain which one she’ll choose So much a thing as nought Now she sits in her car out of view The curtains look shabby in the old bedroom And the house she thought was big Now looks small Many years since they closed The Woolworths store But the sky looks the same As the day she walked Distressed, lifeless and bruised She sees her Mother weeding flower beds Her Father died from booze Hannah doesn’t even know what’s true They gave up on their little girl Hannah gave up on them too Just cracks that people can fall through Hannah walks down streets and avenues Does it really matter which one she’ll choose So much a thing as nought
7.
THE WRONG SIDE OF SADNESS I was never one to compromise Until I saw the passion in her eyes I’ve been on the wrong side of sadness For too long Maybe that’s why I wrote this song She was the girl from Dylan’s North Country At least that’s what she told me And who am I to say if she’s right Or if she’s wrong One more bar tale to pass along She said say a prayer for me Then she walked out with some Guy from Tennessee And I feel like I’ve been Hung out to dry And I don’t know why I was never one to take good advice Something’s I should have sacrificed But when you are on The wrong side of sadness You can get it wrong That’s why sing this song So say a little prayer for me Or leave me alone and let me be And if I only knew what she had in mind Was she ever that kind?
8.
STRANGERS ON A TRAIN She’s awoken from her sleep The guard shouts out ‘Tickets please’ Pulls up the blind, takes in the view Frost on the window, morning dew I wonder who she is and where she goes No-one knows I wonder what it is she’s looking for She’s looking for Are we the same? Strangers travelling on a train With no place to go Does she ever smile? A million stories behind sad eyes But just one life He looks up from his magazine I wonder if he’s what he seems A creased old suit, a frayed cuff Just like him in need of love I wonder who he is and where he goes No one knows I wonder what it is he’s looking for He’s looking for Are we the same? Strangers travelling on a train Qith no place to go. Sitting alone, a million stories left untold But just one life And this train knows where it’s going This train knows where it’s been Its path marked out before it Unlike those travellers it’s carrying Are we the same? Strangers travelling on a train With no place to go Mile after mile A million stories lost in time But just one life
9.
HEARTS AND MINDS She sits there waiting Wondering if this time He’s gone too far Make up covers the bruises Bums a cigarette from The singer at the bar And if someone could Just take the time Show compassion however small She would probably find herself And get a one way ticket Back to Santa Paula Hearts and minds never align Emotionally she’ll know She’ll never walk Does he think its fine? Every time He promises her ‘No more’ She sits and wonders Where it all went wrong Been here before One more coffee But it’s not the drink That keeps her up to four And if someone Would just take her hand Give her love, however small She would probably find herself And pick herself up from the floor Hearts and Minds never align Her head tells but her heart ignores Whiskey is fine But it plays with his mind His imagination it roams And he knows that without her He’d never last a day He’d climb the walls And she knew he was trouble But her heart had no say in that call Hearts and Minds never align Her head tells but her heart ignores Whiskey is fine Until it plays with his mind His imagination it roams
10.
LIVING SOMEONE ELSE’S LIFE There are so many reasons for me to stay And one would be if you just looked my way Oh I’m sitting across this room Feels like a million miles away And I guess it just won’t be my day Well the band stopped playing about 1 or 2 And I really can’t recall Those songs I thought I knew I pass a freight train on my way home Slowly on the move And I’m tempted to board it Just to try something new They say time my friend Should be my own to spend But it feels wasted and misused Time and again When I thought it was my friend It reminded me I had something good to lose Well I spend my today’s Complaining about yesterdays And it won’t make tomorrow a better day I feel I’ve been living someone else’s life And I wish for once I could just get it right A man that I knew said ‘There’s nothing you can’t do But if you don’t feel it nobody else will’ And I’ll sleep through the day And the sun don’t shine my way And I wonder if it ever will
11.
THE END OF SUMMER I don’t want to live forever But it would be nice to have some more time Do those things I always wanted to Leave this world with a smile I don’t know if we get a second chance Each day could be the last dance Is it the end, the end of summer? Is it the end of a beautiful day? My life been full of memories And it makes me sad one day they’ll be gone I don’t know if we’ll ever meet again All I know is I’m so proud I was your friend Is it the end, the end of summer? Is it the end of a beautiful day? Two lovers walking in the rain Children laughing innocently playing The whole world each and everyone And it will be sad when it’s gone Is it the end, the end of summer? Is it the end of a beautiful day?
12.
WHEN THE MORNING COMES I got the last train to the next city Turned my phone off – I began to feel free I’ll guess I’ll be alright When the morning comes I had a notion it would end this way There was nothing here to make me stay But I’ll be just fine When the morning comes When the morning comes I’ll be way out of sight No-one or nothing can stand in my way When the morning comes Don’t you give up the fight And maybe I’ll meet you halfway I took a wrong turn down a one way street Got my fingers burnt but it felt so sweet Hey I’m gonna be alright When the morning comes There was a moment it crossed my mind And then I realised I’m just doing fine Being cruel to be kind When the morning comes When the morning comes Those troubles will be out of sight Forgotten like a book I’ve thrown away When the morning comes Gonna drink till I’m tight Join me if you find out where I’m staying When the morning comes I’ll be way out of sight Nothing can stand in my way When the morning comes Don’t you give up the fight And maybe I can meet you halfway When the morning comes
13.
DESERT HEARTS I’m watching the sand storms blow From my front porch Where will they be tomorrow? Does anybody really know? Desert hearts in the wilderness, Emotions blowing in the wind Feel I’ve lived more than one lifetime Will I ever get to see you? I’ve been down so many times You can take all my money But you won’t get my pride You live on that mansion on the hill Have you ever heard The story of Jack and Jill? Well mister I’ve seen your face before Weren’t you the guy Who wanted to build that wall? Peace love and understanding always wins They’re gonna get you one day I’m sure they will And I don’t know where they went wrong Why these things have to be I always thought that I was strong Could never see this misery I’ve been asking too many questions All of my life And I still don’t know the answers What is wrong and what is right? There is a world outside my door A place that so many people ignore And I’ve been thinking of an old friend I wish that she was here Life is full of memories to me most are clear There was a girl I used to know She broke my heart but I never let it show I’m watching the flowers grow From my front porch Where will I be tomorrow? Does anybody really know? Desert hearts in the wilderness Emotions blowing in the wind Feel I’ve lived more than one lifetime Will I ever get to see you, again?
14.
Troubled Man 03:45
Troubled Man Trouble Man Whole worlds against you They don’t understand Can’t anyone make you see? How good your life would be But all the world sees is this troubled man Troubled Man How do you sleep? One day so strong The next so weak Can’t you feel your mothers pain Or are you happy to remain a Troubled Man

credits

released August 6, 2021

John Jenkins – Vocals, Backing Vocals, Keyboard
Jon Lawton – Guitars, Bass, Keyboard, Percussion, Programming, Coffee
Lee Shone - Piano
Dave Goldberg – Organ (Kathleen)
Amy Chalmers – Violin/String Parts
Robert Vincent – Backing Vocals, Harmonica (Is that What they Say?)
Stuart Todd (Shadow Captain) – Backing Vocals
Thom Morecroft – Backing Vocals
Ultan Mulhern & John Armstrong (The Folk Doctors) (Backing Vocals)
Calum Gilligan & Jenny Coyle (Limerance) (Backing Vocals)
Pippa Murdie – Mandolin
Robbie Taylor – Mandolin, Fiddle, Banjo
Chris Jones – Bass Dave Orford – Drums
Ian Davies – Bass Tony Peers – Trumpet
Jade Thunder – Backing Vocals
Karl Parry - Harmonica (When the Morning Comes)
Alison Benson – Duet Vocal on “Strangers on a Train”

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John Jenkins Music London, UK

Jenkins’ influences include the likes of Bruce Springsteen, Bob Dylan, Paul McCartney & Wings, artists whose songbooks have continuously broken new ground.

As a member of his own James Street Band, along with performances with The Persuaders and Come in Tokio, John has shared stages with the likes of Elvis Costello, Chris Difford (Squeeze), Echo and The Bunnymen, The Beat and Jarrod Dickenson.
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