Aaron Neville

Tell It Like It Is

If you want something to play with
Go and find yourself a toy
Baby my time is too expensive
And I’m not a little boy

If you are serious
Don’t play with my heart
It makes me furious
But if you want me to love you
Then a baby I will, girl you know that I will

Tell it like it is
Don’t be ashamed to let your conscience be your guide
But I know deep down inside me
I believe you love me, forget your foolish pride

Life is too short to have sorrow
You may be here today and gone tomorrow
You might as well get what you want
So go on and live, baby go on and live

Tell it like it is
I’m nothing to play with
Go and find yourself a toy
But I… Tell it like it is
My time is too expensive and I’m not your little boy

Over You

There’ll be some slow walkin’
Gonna be some sad talkin’
There’ll be some flowers bringin’
Gonna be some sad singin’

Over you, I say over you
Over you, pretty baby
If I ever hear you say we’re through

There’ll be some long black limousines
People peepin’ from their window screens
Parade of cars with their headlights on
All of that will be goin’ on

Over you, I said over you
Over you, pretty baby
If I ever hear you say we’re through

There’ll be a hole about six feet deep
For you baby to take your sleep
Into a pine box and down you’ll go
Where you will stay, where it’s free of snow

Over you, I said over you
Over you, pretty baby
If I ever hear you say we’re through

All your folks will be dressed in black
Ride a long black Cadillac
Yeah, baby they’ll be puttin’ you away
The funeral home’ll have the business that day

Over you, I said over you
Over you, pretty baby
If I ever hear you say we’re through

Said I’m gonna slay you baby, whoa now
Over you, pretty baby
If I ever hear you say we’re through

Say you’ll never leave me
I said you’ll never leave me
Say I’m gonna get rid of you , baby
If I ever hear you say we’re through

Whoa, I love you
No, tellin’ what I’d do
That’s why, baby
I want to do all these things to you

The Bells

I’ll never hear the bells if you leave me
I’ll never hear the bells
I’ll never hear the bells if you leave me
I’ll never hear the bells

Do you hear what I hear
Your lips are kissing mine
Can you hear the bells darling
Can you hear them when I’m kissing you

What do I have to do to make you feel the tingling too

Can you hear the bells darling
Can you hear them when I’m kissing you

Oh yeah
Oh, I hear the bells, ringing in my ear
Tell me do you love me, do you love me, do you love me, do you love me like I love you

Oh, it’s one thing that I want you to remember
If you ever leave me I believe I’ll go insane
And I’ll never hear the bells again
No, I’ll never hear the bells again
No, I’ll never hear the bells again

Don’t Take Away My Heaven

Oh, baby, I found heaven when I found you
And this heaven is somethin’ I don’t wanna lose
I only know that if you ever said goodbye, I couldn’t stand the pain
These eyes would cry, cry, cry like the rain

And the sun would have nowhere to shine
And the stars would all fall from the sky
Baby, please
Don’t take away my heaven, oh, no

‘Cause this world would stop turnin’, I know
And I’d lose my whole world if you go
Baby, don’t
Don’t take away my heaven, oh, no

Oh, baby, I saw forever when I saw you
And if you left me, I can’t imagine what I’d do
Now that I’ve gone and built my world around your love, I couldn’t let you go
Don’t ever say goodbye, no, don’t, don’t, don’t ever go

‘Cause the sun would have nowhere to shine
And the stars would all fall from the sky
Baby, please
Don’t take away my heaven, oh, no

‘Cause this world would stop turnin’, I know (Yes, I know)
And I’d lose my whole world if you go (If you go)
Baby, please
Don’t take away my heaven, oh, no

‘Cause you might as well take my life from me
What good would a life without you be anyway (Anyway)
If you go away

Well, the sun would have nowhere to shine
And the stars would all fall from the sky (From the sky)
Baby, please
Don’t take away my heaven, oh, no

‘Cause this world would stop turnin’, I know (Yes, I know)
And I’d lose my whole world if you go (If you go)
Baby, don’t, no
Don’t take away my heaven, oh, no

Don’t take away my heaven, don’t take away your love
Don’t take away my world ’cause baby, I need your touch
Baby, don’t
Don’t take away my heaven, oh, no

Please don’t take away my heaven
Please
Baby, don’t, oh, no
Don’t take away my heaven, oh…

Don’t take away my heaven, don’t take away your love
Don’t take away my world ’cause baby, I need your touch
Baby, don’t, oh
Don’t take away my heaven, oh, no

Warm Your Heart

Well, we’re all searching for peace of mind
Love in this world is hard to find
Come close to me, hold my hand
And warm your heart

Only a true love, can satisfy
Open your arms and close your eyes
Walk with me, hold my hand
And warm your heart

Well, you’re the reason, for the way I’m feelin’
‘Cause I’ve never felt this way before
I want to make you, ohh so happy
That’s all I’m livin’ for, yea

Just sorrow, yes, you should know
We need each other when lights are low
Stay with me, hold my hand
And warm your heart

Well, you’re the reason, for the way I’m feelin’
‘Cause I’ve never felt this way before
I want to make you, ohh so happy
That’s all I’m livin’ for

So come to me and make things right
I’ll keep you happy, both day and night
Stay with me, hold my hand
And warm your heart

You Never Can Tell

It was a teenage wedding, and the old folks wished them well
You could see that pierre did truly love the mademoiselle
And now the young monsieur and madame have rung the chapel bell,
“c’est la vie”, say the old folks, it go to show you never can tell

They furnished off an apartment with a two room roebuck sale
The coolerator was crammed with tv dinners and ginger ale,
But when pierre found work, the little money comin’ worked out well
“c’est la vie”, say the old folks, it go to show you never can tell

They had a hi-fi phono, boy, did they let it blast
Seven hundred little records, all rock, and rhythm and jazz
But when the sun went down, the rapid tempo of the music fell
“c’est la vie”, say the old folks, it go to show you never can tell

They bought a souped-up jitney, was a cherry red ’53,
Drove down to new orleans to celebrate the anniversary
It was there where pierre was married to the lovely mademoiselle
“c’est la vie”, say the old folks, it go to show you never can tell

They had a teenage wedding, and the old folks wished them well
You could see that pierre did truly love the mademoiselle
And now the young monsieur and madame have rung the chapel bell,
“c’est la vie”, say the old folks, it go to show you never can tell
“c’est la vie”, say the old folks, it go to show you never can tell
“c’est la vie”, say the old folks, it go to show you never can tell

Close Your Eyes

Close your eyes
(Close your eyes)
Take a deep breath
(Aah)
Open your heart
(Open your heart)
And whisper
(I love you, I love you)
Tell me, you love me
(You love me)
Tell me, you love me
(You love me)
You love me
(You love me)
You love me

Hold me tight
(Hold me tight)
Don’t say goodnight
(Don’t say goodnight)
We have time
(Lots of time)
Everything’s alright
(Things’ gonna be alright)
Hold me darling
(Never let me go)
Darling and tell me
(And tell me)
You love me
(You love me, you love me)

No, no, no
(No, no, no)
Even though
(Even though)
This is not the way I want it to be
But if you
(But if you)
Got to pretend
(Must pretend)
That’s alright with me

Close your eyes
(Close your eyes)
Take a deep breath
(Aah)
Open your heart
(Open your heart)
And whisper
(I love you, I love you)
Tell me, you love me
(You love me)
Tell me, you love me
(You love me)
You love me
(You love me, you love me)

Close your eyes
(Close your eyes)
Don’t say goodnight
(Don’t say goodnight)
We have time
(Lots of time)
Everything gonna be alright
(Things’ gonna be alright)
Hold me darling
(Never let me go)
Darling and tell me
(Please tell me)
You love me

I love you, darling with all my heart and soul

The Grand Tour

Step right up, come on in, if you’d like to take the grand tour
Of the lonely house that once was home sweet home
I have nothing here to sell you, just some things that I will tell you
Some things I know will chill you to the bone

Over there, sits the chair where she’d bring the paper to me
Sit down on my knee and whisper, “Oh, I love you”
But now she’s gone forever and this old house will never be the same
Without the love that we once knew

Straight ahead, that’s the bed, where we’d lie in love together
And Lord knows we had a good thing going here
See her picture on the table, don’t it look like she’d be able
Just to touch me and say, “Good morning dear”

There’s her ring, all her things and her clothes are in the closet
Where she left them when she tore my world apart
As you leave you see the nursery, oh she left me without mercy
Taking nothing but our baby and my heart

Step right up, come on in, come on in

Louisiana 1927

What has happened down here is the wind have changed
Clouds rolled in from the north and it started to rain
It rained real hard and it rained for a real long time
Six feet of water in the streets of Evangeline

The river rose all day, the river rose all night
Some people got lost in the flood, some people got away alright
The river had busted through clear down to Plaquemine
Six feet of water in the streets of Evangeline

Louisiana, Louisiana
They’re trying to wash us away, they’re trying to wash us away
Oh, Louisiana, Louisiana
They’re trying to wash us away, they’re trying to wash us away

President Coolidge come down in a railroad train
Little fat man with a notepad in his hand
President say, “Little fat man, oh, isn’t it a shame
What the river have done to this poor farmer’s land”

Oh, Louisiana, Louisiana
You’re trying to wash us away, you’re trying to wash us away
Oh, Louisiana, oh Lord, oh Louisiana
They’re trying to wash us away, oh Lord, they’re trying to wash us away
They’re trying to wash us away, they’re trying to wash us away

Everybody Plays the Fool

Ok, so your heart is broken
You’re sitting around mopin’, cryin’, cryin’
You say you even think about dying
Well, before you do anything rash, baby, dig this

Everybody plays the fool, sometime
There’s no exception to the rule, listen baby
It may be factual, it may be cruel, I ain’t lying
Everybody plays the fool

Fallin’ in love is such an easy thing to do
But there’s no guarantee that the one you love, is gonna love you
Oh, loving eyes they cannot see a certain person could never be
Love runs deeper than any ocean, it clouds your mind with emotion

Everybody plays the fool, sometime
There’s no exception to the rule, listen baby
It may be factual, it may be cruel, I ain’t lying
Everybody plays the fool

How can you help it, when the music starts to play
And your ability to reason, is swept away
Oh, heaven on earth is all you see, you’re out of touch with reality
And now you cry, but when you do, next time around someone cries for you

Hey, everybody plays the fool, sometime
Use your heart just like a tool, listen baby
They never tell you so in school, I wanna say it again,
Everybody plays the fool

Everybody plays the fool, sometime
There’s no exception to the rule, listen baby
It may be factual, it may be cruel, I ain’t lying
Everybody plays the fool

Every plays the fool, sometime
There’s no exception to the rule, listen baby
It may be factual, it may be cruel, I wanna say it again
Everybody plays the fool

Don’t Go, Please Stay

Don’t go, please stay
Don’t go, please stay

If I got on my knees and pleaded with you
Not to go, but to stay in my heart
Would you walk out the door
Like you did once before
But this time be different and please stay
Don’t go, please stay
Don’t go

If I call out your name like a prayer
Would you leave me alone with my tears
Knowing i, I need you so
Would you still turn and go

But this time be different in some way
Don’t go, please stay
Don’t go, please stay

You took me away from the rest of the world
When you taught me to love you like this
Now I hang by a thread in the canyon of doom
But I still can be saved by your kiss

If I call out your name like a prayer
Would you leave me alone with my tears
Knowing i, I need you so
Would you still turn and go
But this time be different and please stay
Don’t go, please stay
Don’t go, please stay
Don’t go, please stay

Angola Bound

Too many mornin’ gotta wake up soon
Oh Lord and eat my breakfast by the light of the moon
Oh Lord by the light of the moon
If you see my Momma, tell her this for me
Oh I’ve got a mighty long time, Lord knows I’ll never go free
Oh Lord, I’ll never be free

Angola bound now
Angola bound
Angola bound now
Angola bound

I got lucky last summer when I got my time, Angola bound
Oh my partner got a hundred, I got ninety-nine, Angola bound
You been a long time coming but you’re welcome home, Angola bound
And go to Louisiana get your burdens on, Angola bound
Oh captain, oh captain don’t you be so cruel, Angola bound
Oh you work me harder than you work that mule, Angola bound

If it wasn’t for the captain, oh Lord, I’m shaggin’ house
I’d be with my woman, yeah, before the sun goes down
You come up here skippin’ and a-jumpin’, oh Lord it won’t last long
Gonna wish you was a baby boy, in your mother’s arms

Angola bound now
Angola bound
Angola bound now
Angola bound

Don’t want no gal, boy lovin’ cause I got my load, Angola bound
Don’t want no trouble out the boys I know, Angola bound
Oh they always talkin’ ’bout dangerous blue, Angola bound
If I had my shank I’d be dangerous too, Angola bound

Oh captain say walk and the boss say run, Angola bound
If I had my pistol I would do ‘nere one, Angola bound

If it wasn’t for the captain, oh Lord, I’m shaggin’ house
I’d be with my woman, yeah, before the sun goes down
You come up here skippin’ and a-jumpin’, oh Lord it won’t last long
Gonna wish you was a baby boy, in your mother’s arms

Angola bound now
Angola bound
Angola bound now
Angola bound

If it wasn’t for the captain, oh Lord, I’m shaggin’ house
I’d be with my woman, yeah, before the sun goes down
You come up here skippin’ and a-jumpin’, oh Lord it won’t last long
Gonna wish you was a baby boy, in your mother’s arms

Angola bound now
Angola bound
Angola bound now
Angola bound

If I’d always listened to what my Momma said, Angola bound
I wouldn’t be deep down in the trouble this way, Angola bound
Oh my Momma, she told me, leave that junk alone, Angola bound
Got hooked to the habit had to carry on, Angola bound
The jury found me guilty ’cause they wrote it down, Angola bound
Judge said, “Junkie boy you’re penitentiary bound,” Angola bound

Angola bound now
Angola bound
Angola bound now
Angola bound

Angola bound now
Angola bound
Angola bound now

A Change Is Gonna Come

Betcha by Golly, Wow

There’s a spark of magic in your eyes
Candyland appears each time you smile
Never thought that fairy tales come true
But they come true, when I’m near you

You’re a genie in disguise
Full of wonder and surprise, and

Betcha by golly, wow
You’re the one that I’ve been waiting for, forever
And ever will my love for you keep growing strong
Keep growing strong

If I could, I’d catch a falling star
To shine on you So I’ll know where you are
All the rainbows in your favorite shades
To show I love you, thinking of you

Write your name across the sky
Anything you ask, I’ll try

‘Cause betcha by golly, wow
You’re the one that I’ve been waiting for, forever
And ever will my love for you, keep growing strong
Keep growing strong

Betcha by golly, wow
You’re the one that I’ve been waiting for, forever
And ever will my love for you, keep growing strong
Keep growing strong

Betcha by golly, wow
You’re the one that I’ve been waiting for, forever
And ever will my love for you, keep growing strong
Keep growing strong

Betcha by golly, wow
You’re the one that I’ve been waiting for, forever
And ever will my love for you, keep growing strong
Keep growing strong

Stardust

And now the purple dust of twilight time
Steals across the meadows of my heart
High up in the sky, the little stars climb
Always reminding me that we’re apart
You wander down the lane and far far away
Leaving me a song that will not die
Love is now the stardust of yesterday
The music of the years gone by.
gone by.

Sometimes I wonder why I spend
The lonely nights
Dreaming of a song
That melody haunts my reverie
And I am once again with you
When our love was new
And each kiss an inspiration
Ah, but that was long ago
Now my consolation
Is in the stardust of a song

Beside a garden wall
When stars are bright
You were in my arms
That nightingale tells his fairy tale
of paradise where roses bloom
Though I dream in vain
In my heart it will remain
My stardust melody
The memory of love’s refrain.
(love’s refrain)

Beside a garden wall
When stars are bright
You are in my arms
That nightingale tells his fairy tale
of paradise where roses bloom
Though I dream in vain
In my heart it will remain
My stardust melody
The memory of love’s refrain.

Use Me

Well my friends feel it’s their appointed duty
They keep trying to tell me all you want to do is use me
Well my answer said all that use me stuff
Is I-I-I wanna spread the news
That if it feels this good getting used

Oh, you just keep on using me
Until you use me up
Uh huh, until you use me up

Well my brother, you know he sit me right down and he talked to me
Well he told me, that I ought not let you just walk on me
(Well, you too big for that boy)
Well I’m sure he meant well
You know but when our talk was through
I just said now brother if you only knew
You’d wish that you were in my shoes

Oh, you just keep on using me
Until you use me up
Uh huh, until you use me up

Well sometimes, it’s true you really do abuse me
Well you get me in a crowd of high class people
And then you act real rude to me

But oh baby, baby, baby, baby
When you love me I can’t get enough
And I-I-I said I wanna spread the news
That if it feels this good getting used

Oh, you just keep on using me
(Come on now, now)
Until you use me up
Until you use me up

Talking ’bout you using me
Well it all depends on what you do
It ain’t too bad the way you’re using me
‘Cause I’m sure, I’m using you to do the things you do

Uh huh, until you use me up
Oh no, oh no, until you use me up
Until you use me up
Until you use me up

Baby, just keep on using
Oh no no, until you use me up
Until you use me up
Baby, baby, baby, baby, baby, baby, baby, baby, baby
Until you use me up
Funky, funky, funky, funky, funky, funky
Funky, funky, funky, funky, funky
Until you use me up

…To Make Me Who I Am

I’ve walked through this world sometimes without a friend
My life has been up and down, been close to an end
But I’ve been through the mill
And I’ve paid my dues
Walked so many miles in different peoples shoes

But I’ve been through the fire
And I’ve walked in the rain
I’ve felt the joy and endured the pain

Once I was a schemer
But I always was a dreamer
But it took me who I was and where I’ve been
To make me who I am

I’ve met a lot of lost souls in the bowels of hell
Traveled some crooked roads, got some stories yet to tell
I’ve shot up with the junkie, in piss stench halls
Broken bread with the devil, fallen on my knees to god
Some days I was blessed, some nights I was damned
But I always tried to lend a helping hand

Once I was a deceiver
Not I am a believer
But it took me who I was and where I’ve been
To make me who I am

Oh, I’ve seen the little children, all strung out on dope
No one to care about them, living without hope
But I’ve been lucky that I always had a song
I’ll sing it with compassion, to try to right the wrong.

Once my life was wretched
But why should I regret it
Cuz, it took me who I was, and where I’ve been
To make me who I am

Speech:
This is dedicated to my friends in jail
For my brother jake who had to ride the rail
For my friend roonie and melvin, who were so dear
They were so misunderstood
But I wish they were still here
To hear this song I sing from my heart
They’re forever in my soul, even though we had to part

Once I was a deceiver
Not I am a believer
But it took me who I was and where I’ve been
To make me who I am

God said I forgive you
Wipe away the scars
Cause I know it took who you were
And where you came from
To make you who you are

Cause I know it took who you were
And where you came from
To make you what you are

Don’t Know Much

Look at this face,
I know the years are showing,
Look at this life,
I still don’t know where it’s going.

Chorus:
I don’t know much,
But I know I love you,
And that may be all I need to know.

Look at these eyes,
They’ve never see what matter,
Look at these dreams,
So beaten and so battered.

Chorus:
I don’t know much,
But I know I love you,
And that may be all I need to know.

So many questions still left unanswered,
So much I’ve never broken through,
And when I feel you near me,
Sometimes I see so clearly,
The only truth I’ve ever known,
Is me and you.

Look at this man,
So blessed with inspiration,
Look at this soul,
Still searching for salvation.

Chorus x3:
I don’t know much,
But I know I love you,
And that may be all I need to know.