Overview & Credits

Uncle Steve's ground breaking release, establishing Canada's own country blues music genre.

Major Key

lyric by mark murray & stephen mcphail
music by stephen mcphail

Lonely & blue
Ain't nothing to do...
But ride on alone &
Catch up to you, real soon...

Been playing a minor key
For too long a time...
Moping around &
Blowing my mind, inside out...

Now I think that its time
That I had a change...
Going to climb on my horse
Find a new range, to ride...

Picking on my old guitar
Try that major key...
Turn around in it slow
As I feel me remedied...

Now I've found out at last
Where I've been hung...
Thinking of you & the songs
Still to be sung, oh yeah...

Broken Bow

lyric by david hill & stephen mcphail
music by stephen mcphail

Knew a time when the land was free...
The roughened oak & the melody sea...
Smell of age on the cedar tree...
To do the good let the Indian free...

Hi yuk hi, hi yuk hi...
The spirit will come &
The thunderbird fly...

All through the air the crow it flew...
Cottonwood & the birch it grew...
Among the true the lies did come...
The whiteman's gun & the bottle of rum...

Across the lakes in canoes & by sail...
Overland they came by horse then by rail...
On Indian land the truth prevailed...
But, through the waves
the whitecaps sailed...

The smell of red it faded then...
The air grew stale & the demon moved in...
So listen, whiteman,
while you watch it feed...
You'll pay the price to hold the deed...

Wet Pavement

lyric by jim callaghan & stephen mcphail
music by stephen mcphail

Moving down the highway
Twelve o'clock at night...
Rain on my windshield
Headlights shining bright...

I can see what's up ahead...
I can feel what's behind...
On wet pavement...

Got a long way to go
But, its a long way i've come...
Been talking to my soul
Trying to find what I'm running from...

My dream of love that's past
I've let go at last...
My dream of love to be
I know that I will see...
On wet pavement...

Whistle Blower's Blues

lyric & music by stephen mcphail

Do ya wanna know what's the difference
Between me & you?...
You could call me 'thick',
But choo know... I'd 'thick' its funny...

God knows it makes me sad
When I hear that whistle blow...
From a long line of boxcars
With them whistle blower's blues...

Do ya wanna know what's the difference
Between right & wrong?...
You could call me 'liar',
But choo know... I'm telling you true...

God knows it makes me sad
When I hear that old sweet song...
By those who walk the line
With them whistle blower's blues...

Do ya wanna know what's the difference
Between day & night...
You brighten up my day
By shining... your loving night on me...

Dirt Poor Crazy People

lyric & music by stephen mcphail

You could hurdle every sunbeam
Like dancers daydream...
End up just the same
Dirt poor crazy people....
You could always be right
Even win every fight...
Still be dirt poor crazy people...

You could have everything you see
Explain every mystery...
Find yourself Dirt poor crazy people...
You could have every success
Eliminate all stress...
Still be dirt poor crazy people...

You could keep on keeping on
Your pathway to the sun...
Not mind being dirt poor crazy people...
You could think happy thoughts
Live with what you got...
So what if you are dirt poor crazy people...

Could you ever live forever,
Just because you will it so...
Will God forgive you like your friends do,
Or, does he even know...
Set yourself up for a fall
But, does that mean you won't...
Are the plans you though you bought
For rent or out on loan...

Forever

lyric by jim callaghan & stephen mcphail
music by stephen mcphail

Filled out my application form
Made it out real neat...
But there's still no reference
To the life I really lead...

Everything takes forever...
My dreams won't come together...
Still the same as I've always been...
Everything takes forever...

Worked for eighteen lifetimes
Boss don't know my name...
Thought I was kind of clever
But, my pay is still the same...

It's the end of the world
My head is in a whirl...
Not the right job
Not the right girl...

Grizzly Bear

lyric & music by stephen mcphail

Rumbling through the woods
like a grizzly bear...
Looking for something to eat...
Rumbling through the woods
like a grizzly bear...
Never knowing what I might meet...
See something move, smells like game...
You know I'm on my feet...
Rumbling through the woods
like a grizzly bear...
Looking for something to eat...
Something sure smells good...
mmm, mmm...

See your eyes looking back at me
wondering what I'm going to do...
See your eyes looking back at me
see that you're hungry too...
Better make your move
cause I'm making mine...
Know you're too good to lose
see your eyes looking back at me...
Wondering what I'm going to do
well, you just wonder now... wondering...

You're a fine looking bear & I need a mate
won't you come & hibernate with me...
You're a fine looking bear & I need a mate
won't you come back to my den with me...
Its lonely & cold all by yourself
but, with each other it could be a treat...
You're a fine looking bear & I need a mate
won't you come & hibernate with me...
Ooh, let's hibernate awhile... hibernating...

Sentimental Slob

lyric & music by stephen mcphail

I've been eating out my heart
For much too long...
Keep re-reading your love letters
Though I know you're long gone...
I can't take it anymore, in fact
Think I've had enough...
Going to burn your love letters
In the fireplace...
Stop being such a
Sentimental slob...

I know I've been a sentimental slob...
Your leaving turned me into a blob...
I know I've been a sentimental slob...
But its got to stop...
Ooh, yeah, its got to stop...

I remember & it doesn't
Seem so long ago...
Times we spent together laughing
And singing with the radio...
Now I've been howling at the moon
My sense of humour's not so good...
Going to burn your love letters
In the fireplace...
Stop being such a
Sentimental slob...

Soul Freight

lyric & music by stephen mcphail

Driving a soul freight
For my sin...
Hauling this load since
God knows when...
Riding the rails back to
Where I've been...
I'm a soul freight gone to
Hell & back again...
Hell & back...

Hear that soul freight
Rumble into the station...
Bringing you home to
That soul salvation...
Dragging the past around
Since creation...
Got to give it a rest
With some relaxation...
Relax awhile...

Tree Love

lyric & music by stephen mcphail

My true love
She gives to me...
Such a good feeling...
Just to lay back real easy...
Resting in her cool shade...

Oh, my true love
She's a tree, love...
She has
Woh, my true love...
Of life forever...

My tree love
She been growing...
From just a seedling...
Putting her roots
Way down deep...
Far back in the glade...

My tree love's
A bayou mirage...
I've been dreaming...
Humming her
Sweet song...
Way off in the haze...

Tumbleweed Friend

lyric & music by stephen mcphail

Tumbleweed friend
Roll on...

There's only one thing
That you should know...
That I really love you...
Yes, I do...

Tumbleweed friend
Roll on...

55 Ford

lyric & music by stephen mcphail

Me & my baby, riding along...
Hitch hiking in a 55 Ford...

Man in a bowler hat says:
She needs new front shocks...
Man in a bowler hat says:
Runs fine, but she needs
new front shocks...
Don't be shocked now...

Sign says: bump, ooh, bump!...
Sign says: bump, ooh, that was a bump now... Watch your head...

Well, he screached to a stop & he said:
This is as far as I go...
Yeah, he screached to a stop & he said:
All right buddy, end of the line...
Don't slam the door...

Well, if this is where we get off
Then I guess we just better get off...
I mean, if this is where we get off
think it's time we really got off now...

Oh, me & my baby, riding along...
Hitch hiking on down the line...
Waving out the back window, yeah...