SONG: Lovers In a Dangerous Time (4:06) don't the hours grow shorter as the days go by you never get to stop and open your eyes one day you're waiting for the sky to fall the next you're dazzled by the beauty of it all when you're lovers in a dangerous time lovers in a dangerous time these fragile bodies of touch and taste this vibrant skin -- this hair like lace spirits open to the thrust of grace never a breath you can afford to waste when you're lovers in a dangerous time lovers in a dangerous time when you're lovers in a dangerous time sometimes you're made to feel as if your love's a crime -- but nothing worth having comes without some kind of fight -- got to kick at the darkness 'til it bleeds daylight when you're lovers in a dangerous time lovers in a dangerous time and we're lovers in a dangerous time lovers in a dangerous time (TORONTO SEPTEMBER 1983) SONG: Maybe The Poet (4:53) maybe the poet is gay but he'll be heard anyway maybe the poet is drugged but he won't stay under the rug maybe the voice of the spirit in which case you'd better hear it maybe he's a woman who can touch you where you're human male female slave or free peaceful or disorderly maybe you and he will not agree but you need him to show you new ways to see don't let the system fool you all it wants to do is rule you pay attention to the poet you need him and you know it put him up against the wall shoot him up with pentothal shoot him up with lead you won't call back what's been said put him in the ground but one day you'll look around there'll be a face you don't know voicing thoughts you've heard before male female slave or free peaceful or disorderly maybe you and he will not agree but you need him to show you new ways to see don't let the system fool you all it wants to do is rule you pay attention to the poet you need him and you know it (TORONTO JANUARY 1982) SONG: Sahara Gold (4:31) dance music from the corner bar over dogs barking at a passing car and your hair tumbles down like sahara gold hot night -- streets are full of life carnival faces in rembrandt light and your hair tumbles down like sahara gold half moon shining through the blind paints a vision of a different kind and your hair tumbles down like sahara gold wet limbs striped with silver light locked together at the centre of the night and your hair tumbles down like sahara gold night bloom filling up the room with the salt and musk of lovers' rich perfume and your hair tumbles down like sahara gold animal grins and wild shining eyes laughing and shouting we're a hundred storeys high and your hair tumbles down like sahara gold (TORONTO JULY 1983) SONG: Making Contact (3:46) step outside -- take a look at the stars catch a glimpse of the way things are -- making contact... smell of sweet fresh oil on skin when you move on me like the tide coming in -- making contact... so many ways to understand one for every woman and man been that way since the world began i hear the drumming of the surf and i have to dance stepping to the rhythm of circumstance -- making contact... i feel so huge -- i feel so small i feel so good i want to swallow it all -- making contact... making contact swimming in an ocean of love making contact swimming in an ocean of love we move together like the waves swimming in an ocean of love every night and every day swimming in an ocean of love one world -- one human race swimming in an ocean of love one kiss from a smiling face swimming in an ocean of love see that sign coming into view swimming in an ocean of love mother sea welcomes you swimming in an ocean of love making contact... (TOBAGO JANUARY 1984) SONG: Peggy's Kitchen Wall (3:42) crashing in the kitchen, noises in the hall roll over and go back to sleep -- it's just a dream, that's all so how come the window's broken? what caused the glass to fall? and who put that bullet hole in peggy's kitchen wall? police arrive -- muddy up the floor dig out half the plaster -- it's a .38 for sure kick the neighbour's door in, saying better tell it all who put that bullet hole in peggy's kitchen wall? blaster on the back porch shaking up the lane they're drinking gin and joking -- laughter falling down like rain everybody wears a halo -- never saw nothing at all so who put that bullet hole in peggy's kitchen wall (TORONTO JULY 83) SONG: To Raise the Morning Star (5:52) rising like lightspill from this sleeping town like the light in a lover's eyes rising from the hearts of the sleepers all around all those dreamers trying to light the sky burning -- all night long burning -- at the gates of dawn singing -- near and far singing -- to raise the morning star rising like lightning in the pregnant air it's electric -- i can feel its might i can feel it crackling in my nails and hair -- makes me feel like i'm dancing on feet of light burning -- all night long burning -- at the gates of dawn singing -- near and far singing -- to raise the morning star singing for the yellow and the brown and the black for the red and the white people, too dovetailing strong points with the things we lack singing for the people like me and you burning -- all night long burning -- at the gates of dawn singing -- near and far singing -- to raise the morning star (TORONTO AND SYDNEY, (AUS.) -- SEPTEMBER 1983) SONG: Nicaragua (4:47) breakfast woodsmoke on the breeze -- on the cliff the u.s. Embassy frowns out over managua like dracula's tower. the kid who guards fonseca's tomb cradles a beat-up submachine gun -- at age fifteen he's a veteran of four years of war proud to pay his dues he knows who turns the screws baby face and old man's eyes blue lagoon and flowering trees -- bullet-packed masaya streets full of the ghosts of the heroes of monimbo women of the town laundry work and gossip and laugh at me -- they don't believe i'll ever send them the pictures i took. for every scar on a wall there's a hole in someone's heart where a loved one's memory lives in the flash of this moment you're the best of what we are -- don't let them stop you now nicaragua sandino in his tom mix hat gazes from billboards and coins "sandino vive en la lucha por la paz" sandino of the shining dream who stood up to the u.s. marines -- now washington panics at u2 shots of "cuban-style" latrines in the flash of this moment you're the best of what we are -- don't let them stop you now nicaragua (MANAGUA FEBRUARY 1983) SONG: If I Had a Rocket Launcher (4:59) here comes the helicopter -- second time today everybody scatters and hopes it goes away how many kids they've murdered only god can say if i had a rocket launcher...i'd make somebody pay. i don't believe in guarded borders and i don't believe in hate i don't believe in generals or their stinking torture states and when i talk with the survivors of things too sickening to relate if i had a rocket launcher...i would retaliate on the rio lacantun one hundred thousand wait to fall down from starvation -- or some less humane fate. cry for guatemala, with a corpse in every gate if i had a rocket launcher...i would not hesitate i want to raise every voice -- at least i've got to try. every time i think about it water rises to my eyes. situation desperate echoes of the victims cry if i had a rocket launcher...some sonofabitch would die (CHIAPAS, MEXICO AND TORONTO -- FEBRUARY AND APRIL 1983) SONG: Dust and Diesel (5:24) battered buses jammed up to the roof dust and diesel the prevailing themes. farmer sleeping on the truck in front, feet trailing over like he's trolling for dreams. smiling girl directing traffic flow .45 strapped over cotton print dress. marimba-brown and graceful limbs give me a moment of loneliness dust and diesel rise like incense from the road -- smoke of offering for the revolution morning headlights pick out fallen sack of corn one lone tarantula standing guard. we pull up and stop and she ambles off -- discretion much the better part of cars. rodrigo the government driver jumps out -- he's got chickens who can use the feed. we sweep the asphalt on our hands and knees -- fill up his trunk with dusty yellow seeds. dust and diesel rise like incense from the road -- smoke of offering for the revolution morning guitars and rifles in blue moonlight soldiers stretched out on sparkling grass. engine broke down -- they took us in -- now we make music for the time to pass. tired men and women raise their voice to the night -- hope the fragile bloom they've grown will last. pride and passion and love and fear -- burning hearts burning boats of the past. dust and diesel rise like incense from the road -- smoke of offering for the revolution morning (INTERAMERICAN HIGHWAY -- NICAARAGUA MARCH 1983)