• Black Throated Wind
    Lyrics By:
    Music By:

    Bringing me down, I'm running aground
    Blind in the light of the interstate cars
    Passing me by, the buses and semis
    Plunging like stones from a slingshot on Mars

    But I'm here by the road, bound to the load
    That I picked up in ten thousand cafes and bars
    Alone with the rush of the drivers who won't pick me up
    The highway, the moon, the clouds, and the stars

    The black throated wind keeps on pouring in
    With its words of a life where nothing is new
    Ah, Mother American Night, I'm lost from the light
    Oh I'm drowning in you

    I left Saint Louis, City of Blues
    In the midst of a storm I'd rather forget
    I tried to pretend it came to an end
    'Cause you weren't the woman I once thought I'd met

    But I can't deny, that times have gone by
    Where I never had doubts or thoughts of regrets
    And I was a man when all this began
    Who wouldn't think twice about being there yet

    The black throated wind whispering sin,
    And it speaks of a life that passes like dew
    It forced me to see
    That you've done better by me
    Better by me than I've done by you

    Now what's to found, racing around
    You carry your pain wherever you go
    Full of the blues, and trying to lose
    You ain't going to learn what you don't want to know

    So I give you my eyes, and all of their lies
    Please help them to learn as well as to see
    And capture a glance, whoa and make it a dance
    Of looking at you looking at me

    The black throated wind keeps on pouring in
    With its words of a life that could almost be true
    Ah, Mother American Night, here comes the light
    I'm turning around that's what I'm going to do
    Going back home that's what I'm gonna do

    Some alternative words were tested out in 1990 but did not last:

    Verse 2
    Well, it's me and the road, yeah, we're unlocking the code
    That will lead us to some as yet unforseen bar
    Alone with the rush of the drivers who won't pick me up
    The highway, the moon, the clouds and the stars

    But I'm here by the road, yeah, unravelling the code
    That will lead us to some as yet unforseen bar

    Verse 3
    The black-throated wind keeps on pouring in
    Like a siren it promises everything new
    Ah, Mother American Night, invisible light
    Ohhh, I'm flying in you

    The black-throated wind keeps on pouring in
    With its words of a life where everything's new

    Verse 4
    I left St Louis, the City of Blues
    On a screaming blue bender I'd rather forget
    With no scars that show, the keys to the road
    A couple of tens and some stale cigarettes

    Verse 5
    But I can't deny that times have gone by
    Nothing is left but thoughts of regret
    When I was a man, with so much in hand
    That a bird in the bush would be singing there yet

    But I can't deny that times have gone by
    When being with her was as good as it gets

    Verse 6
    The black-throated wind, whispering sin
    And speaking of life that passes like dew
    It's led me to see if you want to be free
    Have your way with each day as its granted to you

    Verse 7
    What's to be found, racing around
    You carry your blues to the edge of the sky
    Think a coyote could care about birds in the air?
    Think a raven thinks coyotes should learn how to fly?

    We drew lines all around us when I was down
    So now mine turns out to go right to the sky

    Verse 8
    So I give you my eyes, they were just a disguise
    Anyway where I'm going it's too dark to see
    Yes, and toss me to Chance and watch me dance
    Choreography certain as bats on the breeze

    So I leave you my eyes ...

    Verse 9
    The black-throated wind keeps on pouring in
    With it's words of a lie I think just might be true
    Oh, Mother American Night, here comes the light
    I'm going right on ahead, that's what I'm gonna do

    The black-throated wind keeps on pouring in
    The prophet that promises everything new
    Ah, Mother American Night, come wrong or come right
    I will always go onward in you

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Some alternative words were tested out in 1990 but did not last:

Verse 2
Well, it's me and the road, yeah, we're unlocking the code
That will lead us to some as yet unforseen bar
Alone with the rush of the drivers who won't pick me up
The highway, the moon, the clouds and the stars

But I'm here by the road, yeah, unravelling the code
That will lead us to some as yet unforseen bar

Verse 3
The black-throated wind keeps on pouring in
Like a siren it promises everything new
Ah, Mother American Night, invisible light
Ohhh, I'm flying in you

The black-throated wind keeps on pouring in
With its words of a life where everything's new

Verse 4
I left St Louis, the City of Blues
On a screaming blue bender I'd rather forget
With no scars that show, the keys to the road
A couple of tens and some stale cigarettes

Verse 5
But I can't deny that times have gone by
Nothing is left but thoughts of regret
When I was a man, with so much in hand
That a bird in the bush would be singing there yet

But I can't deny that times have gone by
When being with her was as good as it gets

Verse 6
The black-throated wind, whispering sin
And speaking of life that passes like dew
It's led me to see if you want to be free
Have your way with each day as its granted to you

Verse 7
What's to be found, racing around
You carry your blues to the edge of the sky
Think a coyote could care about birds in the air?
Think a raven thinks coyotes should learn how to fly?

We drew lines all around us when I was down
So now mine turns out to go right to the sky

Verse 8
So I give you my eyes, they were just a disguise
Anyway where I'm going it's too dark to see
Yes, and toss me to Chance and watch me dance
Choreography certain as bats on the breeze

So I leave you my eyes ...

Verse 9
The black-throated wind keeps on pouring in
With it's words of a lie I think just might be true
Oh, Mother American Night, here comes the light
I'm going right on ahead, that's what I'm gonna do

The black-throated wind keeps on pouring in
The prophet that promises everything new
Ah, Mother American Night, come wrong or come right
I will always go onward in you

Lyrics By
John Barlow
Music By
Bob Weir
Lyrics

Bringing me down, I'm running aground
Blind in the light of the interstate cars
Passing me by, the buses and semis
Plunging like stones from a slingshot on Mars

But I'm here by the road, bound to the load
That I picked up in ten thousand cafes and bars
Alone with the rush of the drivers who won't pick me up
The highway, the moon, the clouds, and the stars

The black throated wind keeps on pouring in
With its words of a life where nothing is new
Ah, Mother American Night, I'm lost from the light
Oh I'm drowning in you

I left Saint Louis, City of Blues
In the midst of a storm I'd rather forget
I tried to pretend it came to an end
'Cause you weren't the woman I once thought I'd met

But I can't deny, that times have gone by
Where I never had doubts or thoughts of regrets
And I was a man when all this began
Who wouldn't think twice about being there yet

The black throated wind whispering sin,
And it speaks of a life that passes like dew
It forced me to see
That you've done better by me
Better by me than I've done by you

Now what's to found, racing around
You carry your pain wherever you go
Full of the blues, and trying to lose
You ain't going to learn what you don't want to know

So I give you my eyes, and all of their lies
Please help them to learn as well as to see
And capture a glance, whoa and make it a dance
Of looking at you looking at me

The black throated wind keeps on pouring in
With its words of a life that could almost be true
Ah, Mother American Night, here comes the light
I'm turning around that's what I'm going to do
Going back home that's what I'm gonna do