Well, she’s the empress
She’ll soon be back in town 
Her name is on her train car
She’s Chattanooga bound 
And she’s gonna sit right there on top of the world 
Make love to the minstrel boys and chorus girls
And she’s gonna shake the ground 
She’s gonna make big news 
She’s gonna flip the finger to her old man 
She’s gonna take the crown 
From all those queens of the blues 
‘Cause they can’t sing it like she can 

It’s hard to be a blues queen 
There in the Jim Crow south 
The white hooded Klansmen 
Will tear your tent show down  
But she’s gonna sit right there just painting her nails 
And hum to the big steel wheels grating the rails 
And she’s gonna mess around 
In her sequined shoes 
She’s gonna cross old age off of her lifespan 
She’s gonna take the crown 
From all those queens of the blues 
They can’t shimmy like she can 

It’s bad bootleg liquor 
It’s 1925
Her phonograph records
Have sold a million sides 
And she’s gonna sit right there just tickled to death 
A half gallon bottle of gin to freshen her breath 
And she’s gonna go ten rounds 
She’s gonna leave a bruise 
She’s gonna beat her rivals with her two hands
She’s gonna take the crown 
From all those queens of the blues 
‘Cause they can’t sing it like she can

The Empress

I see you’ve got a rescue dog you never put on a chain
Sleeping on your bedspread of velour
I’m raking up your front yard in the middle of a hurricane 
Can’t even get a pallet on your floor 

	Oh Josefina
	There’s gotta be something worth working so hard for here
	Josefina
	I’m feeling like a walking tear

When I go out I’m OCD cuz you’re everywhere that I look
Even though you’re nowhere to be found 
I’m turning down a one-way street cuz I think I see your truck 
Chasing some poor stranger out of town

	Oh Josefina
	There’s gotta be something worth working so hard for here
	Josefina
	I’m feeling like a walking tear

Down on my knees 
On my knees, on my knees 
Mules kicking in the stall
It’s jealousy, jealousy, jealousy 
Or it ain’t nothing at all  

I wound up down in Storyville where the sailors all come in 
There before the house of ill repute 
Went halfway in and halfway out and halfway back again 
I’ve gotta make some major changes soon

	Oh Josefina
	There’s gotta be something worth hurting so bad for here
	Josefina
	I’m feeling like a walking tear

Walking Tear

There’s a home for the weary stranger 
For the wandering refugee   
Far away from fear and danger  
What a lovely Christmas dream 

There’s a meal for the broke and hungry 
Silver platters hot with steam  
In the land of milk and honey 
What a lovely Christmas dream 

	Joy be with you all the new year 
	Everyone and everything 
	Love’s the only thing we do here 
	What a lovely Christmas dream

There’s a cure for the raging cancer 
For the hate of this regime 
Everyone knows love’s the answer 
What a lovely Christmas dream 

	Joy be with you all the new year 
	Everyone and everything 
	Love’s the only thing we do here  
	What a lovely Christmas dream

Lovely Christmas Dream

I waste half my life in a factory
I make stuff that folks don’t need 
So I can collect my paycheck
And buy stuff that I don’t need 

	So I ain’t gonna work tomorrow 
	I’m gonna stay right where I’m at
	Cause I’d rather be with my baby
	That’s all I know ‘bout that 

All that I ever have to tell you
Is how the bastards grind me down
This company is like my family
But there’s not a true friend to be found 

So I ain’t gonna work tomorrow 
	I’m gonna stay right where I’m at
	Cause I’d rather be with my baby
	That’s all I know ‘bout that

I pray for the clock to go faster 
I pray for my time to end 
But if this day should be my last 
What would I pray for then?

So I ain’t gonna work tomorrow 
	I’m gonna stay right where I’m at
	Cause I’d rather be with my baby
	That’s all I know ‘bout that

When Gabriel sounds his trumpet 
I’ll work like it is no joke 
I’ll ride right back to the old milltown 
On the first thing blowing smoke

But I ain’t gonna work tomorrow 
	I’m gonna stay right where I’m at
	Cause I’d rather be with my baby
	That’s all I know ‘bout that
	
We’ll laugh at the traffic passing 
At 7 o’clock AM 
We’ll snuggle and spoon and stay right where we lie 
And thank god that we’re not them

 I ain’t gonna work tomorrow 
	I’m gonna stay right where I’m at
	Cause I’d rather be with my baby
	That’s all I know ‘bout that

I’ve got a paint set and an easel 
I’ve got a bench press and weights 
I’ve got a mouth harp and three guitars
I’ve got no time to play 

So I ain’t gonna work tomorrow 
	I’m gonna stay right where I’m at
	Cause I’d rather be with my baby
	That’s all I know ‘bout that

We’ll see by the light of morning
We’ll see by the light of the moon 
We’ll heat this house with loving so fine
And we’ll live on a three chord tune…

Ryan Pomante

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