EL&P: Trilogy (1972)

1. The Endless Enigma (Part One)
2. Fugue
3. The Endless Enigma (Part Two)
4. From the Beginning
5. The Sheriff
6. Hoedown (Taken from RODEO)
7. Trilogy
8. Living Sin
9. Abaddon's Bolero

THE ENDLESS ENIGMA (PART ONE)
Why do you stare
Do you think that I care?
You've been mislead
By the thoughts in your head
Your words waste and decay
Nothing you say
Reaches my ears anyway
You never spoke a word of truth

Why do you think
I believe what you said
Few of your words
Ever enter my head
I'm tired of liver for freaks?
With tongues in their cheeks
Turning their eyes as they speak
They make me sick and tired

Are you confused
To the point in your mind
Though you're blind
Can't you see you're wrong
Won't you refuse
To be used
Even though you may know
I can see you're wrong
Please, please, please open their eyes
Please, please, please don't give me lies

I ruled all of the earth
Witness my birth
Cried at the sight of a man
And still I don't know who I am

Are you confused

To the point in your mind

Though you're blind

Can't you see you're wrong

Won't you refuseTo be used

Even though you may know

I can see you're wrong

Please, please, please open their eyes

Please, please, please don't give me lies

I've seen paupers as kings
Puppets on strings
Dance for the children who stare

You must have seen them everywhere

FUGUE

(Instrumental)

THE ENDLESS ENIGMA (PART TWO)
Each part was played
Though the play was not shown
Everyone came
But they all sat alone
The dawn opened the play
Waking the day
Causing a silent hooray
The dawn will break another day

Now that it's done

Are we going to see the reason why I'm here

FROM THE BEGINNING
There might have been things I missed

But don't be unkind

It don't mean I'm blind
Perhaps there's a thing or two

I think of lying in bed

I shouldn't have said

But there it is
You see it's all clear

You were meant to be here

From the beginning

Maybe I might have changed

And not been so cruel

Not been such a fool

Whatever was done is done

I just can't recall

It doesn't matter at all
You see it's all clear

You were meant to be here

From the beginning

THE SHERIFF
Wicked Josie rode away

In the sunset covered sky

A lynching mob had strung his friend up

Right before his eyes

He didn't know what they'd both done

He sure as hell would end up one

A hot tin notch on the sheriff's gun

If he didn't move on

Get out of here
The sheriff followed Josie's journey

From Kansas in the West

He said he'd put a bullet right

Through poor old Josie's chest

But Josie wasn't like the rest

He don't like bullet holes in his vest

In fact he'd do his very best

Don't want any arrest

Don't want to be the guest

Of the sheriff
The nights got so damned cold

He couldn't stand the pace

He looked again for sheriff's men

But couldn't see the chase

Josie found a nice warm place

But then the sheriff solved the case

Hoped to find Josie's face

And said lookie here

Sheriff rode him into town

With Josie look inside

He didn't know about the six-gun

Wicked Josie had

Then Josie drew his gun real fast

Gave the sheriff one big blast

And Josie was a song at last

A legend from the past

Nobody ever messed with the sheriff

HOEDOWN

(Instrumental)

TRILOGY
I've tried to mend

The love that ended long ago although we still pretend

Our love is surely coming to an end

Don't waste the time you've got to love again
We tried to lie

But you and I

Know better than to let each other lie

The thought of lying to you makes me cry

Counting up the time that's passed us by
I've sent this letter hoping it will reach your hand

And if it does I hope that you will understand
That I must leave in a while

And though I smile

You know the smile is only there to hide

What I'm really feeling deep inside

Just a face where I can hang my pride

Goodbye...Goodbye...

We'll talk of places that we went

And times that we have spent together penniless and free
You'll see the day another way

And they could put the sunshinefor a night time where you lay

You're love began I don't know when

But if you do I know that you'll be happy in the end

LIVING SIN
Will you stand up or will you freeze

That savage woman make you please

Turn your inside outside in

Still you don't know where she has been

Living sin
Can't you see through

She's going to realize the way to sound you
Finely ground you

Sudden

Never cured by a one night lover

Sell you

Stories of a meeting with a younger brother

Twisty

All the people lyin' were just a blind cover

No one

Ever gonna pry her from a two-faced mother

Can't you see through

She's going to realize the way to sound you

If you never saw it coming

Hooked you up with Coca-Cola coming

Nice and slippery

ABADDON'S BOLERO

(Instrumental)