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A GOOD THING
The Measure of a Man
Music & Lyrics: Gino Vannelli
No, you can’t judge a man
By the color of his skin
You can’t rate his cool
By the scruff on his chin
Don’t know what makes him tick
By the Rolex on his wrist
But you can judge a man
By the woman he’s with
That’s why I say
You know the measure of a man
Just how tall he stands
By the woman he’s with
Thing is, she had too much Tanqueray
And did a Roma dance for me
Though my eyes went bug
My heart could not agree
Next thing you know
Dude’s comin’ at me with a stick
Oh yea, you can judge man
By the woman he’s with
I’ll say it again
You know the measure of a man
Just how tall he stands
You know the size of his stones
Just what kind of backbone
By the woman he’s with
Her eyes are the window to his soul
And by the looks of it she’s swallowed him whole
The mere thought of her makes his knees weak
When he opens his mouth it is her I hear speak
Even now I hear her speak
No, I really don’t get
This cold war that I am in
There’s a knife in my back
Where my good friend has been
She’s the moon, he’s the sun
And I am under an eclipse
Oh, you can judge a man
You know the measure of a man
By the woman he’s with
A Good Thing
Music & Lyrics: Gino Vannelli
Aint’t no man of higher education
I am nothing in the way of a wit
Ain’t no poster child for the age of information
But I know a good thing when I see it
I know a good thing
Ain’t too big on old time religion
I keep the faith the way I see fit
Indeed some might say I’m a man gone to perdition
Maybe so, but I know a good thing when I see it
I know a good thing
yeahhhh
Don’t need no weatherman to tell me when
The sun is shining
No GPS, no gyrocompass, best guess west
Is where it sets tonight
Don’t need no dotted line, no print too fine
I’m more of the mind
To read the man, shake his hand,
Let the cards land where they might
I know a good thing
yeahhh
a good thing yeah
I know a good thing
Don’t need no dotted line, no print too fine
I’m more of the mind
To read the man, shake his hand,
Let the cards land where they might
I know a good thing
yeahhh
a good thing yeah
I know a good thing
She got eyes like sapphire diamonds
A set of legs that just won’t quit
I Didn’t quite get her name but I hear wedding bells chimin’
Cause I know a good thing when I see it
I know a good thing
| Evermore
Music & Lyrics: Gino Vannelli
You had me from the very first hello
Your eyes said all I’d ever have to know
And after all these years
Through the rapture and the tears
This much I know is true
I am evermore in love with you
And when the glory days had come and gone
It was you whose voice I heard that cheered me on
When my life came crashing down
My dreams in pieces on the ground
Because you saw me through
I am evermore in love with you
And when I could not give all of myself
You’d come and hold me in a warm embrace
And when my heart was tempted to stray somewhere
else
I’d close my eyes and picture your beautiful face
If the sparkle in your eye should ever fade
And the twilight years should take my strength away
Should the whole world pass us by
And our spirits yearn to fly
When the days are precious few
I’ll be ever more in love with you |
Night Drive
Music & Lyrics: Gino Vannelli
I wanna runaway
Tear up the road ahead
Cry like a bird of night
With my wings outspread
High time I get gone
Get these chains off of me
Only thing I gotta do
Is turn the silver key
And drive all night
Never look back
Vanish out of sight
Slip through a crack
Run till the road meets the sky
And my taillights disappear
I’m gonna drive all night
I’m outta here
She said she don’t love me no more
That I ain’t quite the man
She was hopin’ for
Gotta keep rollin’
Else I might lose my mind
Maybe catch up with happiness
Somewhere down the line
Drive all night
Never look back
Vanish out of sight
Slip through a crack
Run till the road meets the sky
And my taillights disappear
I’m gonna drive all night
Gonna drive like the devil
Ride like the wind
Put the pedal to the metal
Until I drive that woman out from under my skin |
The Dutchbeat
Music & Lyrics: Gino Vannelli
Pretty woman sittin’ wishbone in the window queen of de Wallen
She flashed me ten fingers five times, I’m guessin’ fifty bones all in
Might o’ boned up if not for destiny callin’
Walkin’ the Dutchbeat
Yea, I beat the rocks till I dropped into a coffee shop, but what’s in a name
Cause no go for a cup o’ Joe but hello Mary Jane
Didn’t get religion but felt like heaven all the same
Walkin’ the Dutchbeat
Followed my star to the River Rai
Saw two midnight cowboys ridin’ high
Folks rolled by - no one even blinked an eye
Said, my oh my! And the moon and the stars shine on
Life is beautiful when you’re halfway gone
Walkin’ the Dutchbeat till the break o’ day
Twilight cruisin’ ‘long the Watercourse Way
Takin’ a spacewalk silly grin on my face
All the time in the world not a moment to waste
Dobededobop! Oh yea!
Gotta catch a train to no particular place
Dobededobop! Oh yea!
All the time in the world not a moment to waste
Thought I heard the fat lady sing when ring-a-ding-ding came a long distance
Voice on the other side cried, boy, go to the mountain where th’ain’t none at all
So I tramped to the Lowlands like the great fool Percival
Where a princess in a tower, young flower robbed my heart blind
I cried, Repunzel! Repunzel! Let your hair down for your prince to climb
But her buzz cut left me in quite a bind
Life skipped me like a stone across the sea
Found my other self but I set the bird free
Left me in tears but all tears dry… eventually
Said, my oh my! And the moon and the stars shine on
Life is sure beautiful when you’re halfway gone
| Gypsy Days
Music & Lyrics: Gino Vannelli
Once I knew a woman
Who lived in Gypsy ways
We made Gypsy love
In those my Gypsy days
She wore broadcloth and rock jewels
And second hand lace
Her queenly tatters hung over
Her perfect form and grace
We would talk for hours about any thing
From the front page news to Yeats
About the New Jerusalem that quietly waits in everyone
And then she’d fill the room with spring root and sage
As we lay by candle light
Our bodies locked in love from midnight to the morning sun
When we were one
She walked the earth lightly
One inch above this world
A dreamy blue-eyed moon goddess
With an Andalusian swirl
She was a fierce of spirit
Innocence unchained
No heir to the ills of Adam
My Paradise regained
Then she led me down to the edge of town
Where we lit our Buddha sticks
As we floated high above herringbone bricks in dark galleries
A street lamp made her eyes to shine
Like a beacon in the night
Offering this mariner a guiding light on stormy seas
And memories
Once I loved a woman
Who lived in Gypsy ways
Would that I could return
To those my Gypsy days | Don't Give Up on Me
Music: Gino Vannelli / Lyrics: Gino Vannelli
Don’t give up on me
Don’t you quit on me yet
It’s true we make each other cry
But I’ll take the tears over a kiss goodbye
So baby don’t give up
Don’t give up on hope
Try a little more trust
Though our stars don’t quite align
When we make love see how they shine
So baby don’t give up
Don’t give up on us
We can run and we can hide
Pretend that something died
But our hearts won’t be denied
Try, try, as we may
So let’s close our eyes
Maybe to our sweet surprise
Love will find a way
Don’t give up on me
Don’t leave me sad and blue
Though no one’s game to stand down
In time one of us might come around
So don’t give up on me
And I won’t give up on you
Don’t give up! Don’t stand down!
Don’t let a little pain turn your head around
Don’t give up! Don’t lose heart!
Don’t let a few words keep us apart
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Knight of
the Road
Music & Lyrics: Gino Vannelli
When mama pushed me thru daddy said my do
Was quite the shock
Claimed I cried like a dog bayin’ at the moon
Slung my hips about, learned to twist & shout
Way before I could talk
And by the time I saw nine I started to croon
Then I beat those skins day out day in
I broke my poor mama’s head
Could’ve fared better in school but I was cool
So I joined a band instead
I’m a knight of the road
I’m a bird of passage
Only passing through this land
A boy born with a twinkle in his eye
And a tote bag in one hand
I ‘m a dreamer, a lover, I ain’t no other
Than a Gypsy rollin’ along
Yea I came into this world
And I’ll go out with a song
I’m one side king, other side fool
I wear a straw hat for a crown
The long and lonesome road is home sweet home
So I hang my hat, wherever I’m at
A few loyal subjects gather round
And toss me a coin before it’s time I roam
I love to put on the dog, hog the spot
Lord gaveth me no shame
So if you don’t much care for my general flair
Ain’t none but heaven to blame
I’m a knight of the road ....
Took my castles in Spain, my fifteen minutes o’ fame
I buried it six feet deep
Along with a few choice pieces of attire
At times I take eight by tens from way back when
And pile them into a great big heap
I watch them burn while I dance around the fire
Cause it’s a joyful thing to beat my wings
And let the caged up bird go free
Before I turn to dust to put my trust
In something bigger than me
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This Day On
Music & Lyrics: Gino Vannelli
From this day on you’re nothing to me
From this day on there never was no you
If anything at all I’ll think of you as something
That got stuck to the sole of my shoe
From this day on you’re driven out of my soul
This day on this house is repossessed
As of right now I officially dissolve my unholy alliance
With the Prince of Darkness |
From this day on I am free
From this day on you’re nothing to me
This day on my life begins anew
With a love so strong, now that you’re gone
What else can I do?
I mistook you for an angel of light
But I was only blinded by your angel face
Truth is, the pure as driven snow queen of heaven yeah
Is full of something other than grace |
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Go to page 2 of A GOOD THING (DutchBeat)
Go to page 3 of A GOOD THING (Knight of the Road)
Go to page 4 of A GOOD THING (Videoshoot of The Measure of a Man)
Go to page 6 of A GOOD THING (Reviews & Comments)
Go to page 7 of A GOOD THING (Cd-links)
Go to page 8 of A GOOD THING (Tour Holland Feb.09)
Go to page 9 of A GOOD THING (Slideshow Trojan Horse)
Go to page 10 of A GOOD THING (Slideshow Paradiso)
Go to page 11 of A GOOD THING (Slideshow Bijenkorf)
Go to page 12 of A GOOD THING (Slideshow Oosterpoort)
Go to page 13 of A GOOD THING (Slideshow de Gouden Uren)
Go to page 14 of A GOOD THING (Sunday Telegraaf)
Go to page 15 of A GOOD THING (Jazz Maastricht Festival)
Go to page 16 of A GOOD THING (Soundcheck Maastricht)
Go to page 17 of A GOOD THING (Boerderij Zoetermeer)
Your are on the A GOOD THING web page number 5.
Copyright (c) 23 January 2009 Barend and Trees in Holland
23 Gino Vannelli poems will follow...
You can order the original GINO VANNELLI cd-book with 9 songs and 23 poems here...
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