IV

Fred Neil had the boat readied
a day or two in advance

it stayed along the river

in the reeds and the grass

Fred and his lady came down
in the middle of a dusky night
and on the shore the lady and fred
thought out over the water

the boat was built
for the wise old nights,
the blacks and smoky reds

the boat was built for two
so the lady and Fred
just rowed on away

i'd like to join
but i'll stay on the shore


won't see fred neil again
hes singing low
and rowing towards



if i saw that guy again i'd hope i'd have a real crook by then
we'd be out in the canyon letting the feathers all get dry,

"fred, i'd rather not let go of the things,
i'm letting the heart do its soggy deathly boogie


"fred, i'm gonna be the hapless for a while,
i'm smoking all sorts of wacky desert spirits

"i think it might be best if they didnt let me be

what if those lined up ladies all dispersed somewhere?
i worry about the babes on the other side of the wall

dont let 'em leave me here man

i feel a little bad,
like i got them all sick

i can hear them coughing from this side

i'm clearing my throat too,
theres some mean alien shit boiling in there

does it still get dusky and red out there?
do you wonder where's that lady now, fred?



so i'll say
to the shepherd of the grizzled fleece



he shifts his crook
and says to me,

"listen friend,
i've walked in those fields before
and i've come forth with my hands up
while the whole flock has fled before me

i've gasped in the heavy breeze
i've seen bad greens in the grass




"keep your old heart on the mesas
with the scraggly crow and the little tree

but can't tell no one, can't tell no one

"its good for ya"

you just gotta hope for a good sidekick
some dude who will notice
when your face looks grim in the campfire light
and then you can peel on outta there"