Live 25 May 1997 version
[Spoken intro:] Thank you. This is a uh, uh, another song about men and women. This is one that's very unusual. This is a happy song (chuckles). I don't write too many happy songs because uh, when I, I found out that the public in general doesn't like 'em, number one, and uh, uh two, they come back and they bite you in the ass later, you know. You're real happy about something and you'll see it comes back and gets you and "Take that, mister happy gong writer!" you know (chuckles). That does happen. But anyway uh, this is one I wrote in spite of myself (chuckles). And uh, uh, I guess this is a song mainly about sort of not doing unto others as was done unto you. I think uh, which is a pretty good lesson to learn. I think we get our, our kids come along and uh, you have the chance to sort of do it differently, you know. To uh, I guess, correct or change some of the things about, and the way that you were brought up. And that's really what this song is about, I guess. It's about trying not to do unto others as has been done unto you. Uh, the bad stuff anyway (chuckles, cheers). Yeah! Alright. So uh, it's pretty happy, I don't wanna get too happy while I'm singing it. If I do, just somebody come up and slap me (chuckles). It's called "Long Time Comin'".
Out where the creek turns shallow and sandy
And the moon comes skimmin' away the stars
The wind in the mesquite come rushin' over the hilltops
Straight into my arms
Straight into my arms
Well I'm ridin' hard carryin' a cache of roses
A fresh map that I made
Tonight I'm gonna get birth naked and bury my old soul
And dance on its grave
And dance on its grave
It's been a long time comin', my dear
It's been a long time comin', now it's here
And now it's here
Well my daddy he was just a stranger
Lived in a hotel downtown
Well when I was a kid he was just somebody
Somebody I'd see around
Somebody I'd see around
Well now down below and pullin' on my shirt
Yeah I got some kids of my own
Well if I had one wish for you in this god forsaken world, kids
It'd be that your mistakes'd be your own
That your sins would be your own
It's been a long time comin', my dear
It's been a long time comin', but now it's here
And now it's here
Well out 'neath the arms of Cassiopeia
Where the sword of Orion sweeps
It's me and you Rosie, cracklin' like crossed wires
And you breathin' in your sleep
You breathin' in your sleep
Well there's just a spark of a campfire left burnin'
Two kids in a sleeping bag beside
I reach 'neath your shirt, put my hands across your belly and feel
Another one kickin' inside
And I ain't gonna fuck it up this time
It's been a long time comin', my dear
It's been a long time comin', but now it's here
It's been a long time comin', my dear
It's been a long time comin', but now it's here
And now it's here
Whoa!
The above lyrics are for the live 25 May 1997 performance of LONG TOME COMIN' at Palais Des Congrès De Paris in Paris, France, during The Ghost Of Tom Joad Solo Acoustic Tour.
Thanks Bo at Greasy Lake for the lyrics help.
List of available versions of LONG TIME COMIN' on this website:
LONG TIME COMIN' [Album version]
