DARLINGS OF THE OPEN STAGE LYRICS 

Time With You 
Dwight Peters ©2005
 
You wake up, raise your head 
Throw back the covers on the bed 
Whisper goodbye, in my ear 
I’m still asleep but I can hear 

Don’t want to sail the ocean blue 
Climb the highest mountain at Katmandu 
I’m going to hold you the whole night through 
I just want to spend all my time with you 

You come home, at the end of day 
Sing out my name in your way 
Take my hand, hold me tight 
We’ll be together through the night 

I just want to spend all my time with you


Last Village Waltz 
Dwight Peters ©2005
 
It’s another hotel in another small town 
Main street is empty, not a soul around 
Where the cafe once stood tumble weeds move along 
At the old hall the old sign creaks out one last song 

And in this old town another oldtimer says 
You should have seen this place back in the days 
When the railway ran through like blood through the veins 
And grain wagons stretched out across the plains 

So we’ll have another and another again 
We’ll drink to the memory of all our old friends 
Now this town’s a dyin’, we won’t let it tonight 
There’s not much left and not much goin’ right 

He tells of the time when he took his chance 
Proposed to his girl at the Old Barn Dance 
Puts the withered old photo back into his shirt 
The town like his wife’s headed back to the earth 

All across this great prairie the small town stood proud 
Grain elevators rose touching the clouds 
For those who have passed and for those who remain 
For just one more night we’ll live it a gain 

There’s not much left and there’s not much goin’ right


So Beautiful 
Dwight Peters ©2005
 
Got a message, one we can’t ignore 
Got a feeling, we’ve heard it before, before 
Now open up the door 

So Beautiful can’t let it slip away 
So Beautiful can’t let it slip away 

We got problems, just won’t go away 
Things aren’t working out no matter what they say, they say 
We’ll find a better way 

Little children, sing away their fright 
Hear the footsteps, walking in the night 
The time has surely come, for the meek to inherit the earth 
Give us the hope of a brand new world 

Free the people, give peace a chance a again 
No more injustice, no more us and them, us and them 
It’s got to end


Lazy Prairie Moon 
Dwight Peters ©2005
 
That old lazy prairie moon wandering across the sky 
Like a little lost doggie on its way back home 
That old lazy prairie moon, shining out so bright & high 
Dancing to the sound of its own tune 

Hold on tight as we drive through the night 
Got to get to the dance before they play our favorite song 

That old lazy prairie moon wandering across the sky 
Dancing to the sound of its own tune 

Hold on tight as we dance through the night 
Arm in arm we float across the wooden floor 

That old lazy prairie moon wandering across the sky 
Dancing to the sound of a lover’s tune


Good Times 
Dwight Peters ©2006 

Sometimes you win, sometimes you lose 
Most times you aren’t even in the game 
So many hard years, so many oceans of tears 
Makes you wonder if things are ever going to change 

But the grass looks much greener this morning 
And the sun’s shining bright on the grain 

I got a feeling the good times will come again 
Good times will come again 

You work and you toil, bring life to the soil 
Jus a pawn in the season’s guessing game 
Yet another crop lost, no longer tallyin’ the cost 
Makes you wonder if things are ever going to change 

But the wind smells much sweeter this morning 
And the blue sky feels good for the pain


Papineau Station 
Dwight Peters ©1984
 
A rainy night in the city without sleeping 
Tears wash away what was and leave anew 
Another day sinks slowly into darkness 
And you see the lady standing with a broken heart adieu 

If you’re going to Papineau Station 
See all the people and the things that they may sell 
If you’re going to Papineau Station 
Say hello to the lady with the sadness in her eyes 

Can you see her standing in the shadow 
A voice cries out from memories deep inside 
She packs her bag and wanders thru the darkness 
Swiftly moving past the memories that are leaving her behind 

Turn back the times at hand 
Revolution takes a stand, silently running deep 
While at Notre Dame, the candle burns out in the night 

Another night in the city without sleeping 
Tears wash away what was and leave anew 
Another day sinks slowly into darkness 
And you see the lady standing with a broken heart adieu 

If you’re going to Papineau Station 
See all the people and the things that they may sell 
Millions of people with their hands across the nation
Say hello to the lady with the sadness in her eyes


Red River 
Dwight Peters ©1995 

All join hands follow me, to a place where, waters meet 
Now the future’s here at last, like a current? Has it passed? 

Where would we be now if Louis Riel refused to pay for postage stamp? 
How would we feel if the General Strike didn’t give the CCF its might? 

When the sun goes down on this prairie town 
Put out the fire and go home 
You can see it fade something’s slipping away at Red River 

As sons & daughters move away, their family’s sacrifice they betray 
Survive the winter turn the soil, fill the sandbag, a river’s foil 
Where would we be now if Louis Riel refused to pay 
for postage stamp? 
If Duff Roblin hadn’t built his ditch how many people would have gotten damp? 

When the sun goes down on this prairie town 
Put out the fire and go home 
Heard the wind cryin’ that something’s dyin’ at Red River 

You can stay at home sit and read a book 
Through the pages of time take a second look 
All that’s gone is not lost, can you just stand there? 
Where the waters meet you can feel the rage 
From another time it will set the stage 
Let the spirit rise and not damn you 

Join the circle save a tree, a sea of white, fills the street 
A second chance for a boy of gold, a river’s courage a city’s soul 
Where would we be now if Louis Riel refused to pay for postage stamp? 
Bill Mosienko would have dropped the ball had he not tried to light the lamp 

When the sun comes up on this prairie town 
People rise up to the dawn 
There’s a will to survive that always keeps its alive at Red River


Ochre River 
Dwight Peters ©2003 

Ochre River, can you hear me? 
I’ve lost the one I love and I’m quickly sliding out of reach 
Ochre River, have you seen her? 
She’s the one you brought my way when we found each other 
on your beach 
I still remember when I first saw her 
Dancing on your shore, playing with the ice while she would sing 
Well we were young and oh so foolish 
We leapt among the flows as the winter melted into spring 

Came the summer, we’d sit for hours 
Watch you quickly flow, down from Riding Mountain in the south 
And as the night’d fall, we’d hear the wolf’s call 
We’d hold on so tight, while you ran off in the night 

Then the leaves changed, things got rearranged 
Cold was in the air, bringing in a frost over her heart 
Then came the day that she would say 
She had found another and it was time for us to part 

Ochre River, don’t take her away


New Day 
Dwight Peters ©2002
 
The sun is rising open up your eyes, it’s a new day 
Sooner than later you’ll realize 

All the things you thought would be true 
Will someday come back to you 
And all the love that you gave away 
Will come back to you to stay 

What you give is what you get 
And you ain’t seen the half of it yet 
A world of happiness awaits you 

The dawn is breaking wipe away your tears, it’s a new day 
It’s your time now so take a look in the mirror 

All the things that were said aren’t true 
No one can hold a candle to you 
And the smile that was yours each day 
Will come back to you to stay 

All the things that were said aren’t true 
No one can hold a candle to you 
And the smile that was yours each day 
Will come back to you to stay 

It’s a new day 
The sun is rising open up your eyes, it’s a new day

Walkers Line 
Dwight Peters ©2004
 
Drink up, said the waitress,  it’s past closing time 
I gotta clear the tables and be back in by 9 
Think I’ll take the backroad, said ol’ Jake with a sigh 
That’ll get me to the highway, just past Walker’s Line 

Get back to my family, make sure my baby’s fine 
Yes I do believe I’ll take the backroad to Walker’s Line 

Stand back said Leo, I saw some headlights shine 
We can flag down the driver, now smile and just look fine 
The dogs’ll soon be closing in, I’m through doin’ time 
Need to get ‘round the roadblock down at Walker’s Line 

I ain’t goin’ back to prison, if it means somebody dyin’ 
Yes I do believe we’ll jump the roadblock at Walker’s Line 

You folks from around here? asked ‘ol Jake with a sigh 
You don’t look familiar but I’m a mighty high 
Leo slowly aimed his gun, Jake came into line 
They could hear the shots way down at Walker’s Line 

Didn’t think you looked familiar, but I’m a mighty high 
Yes I just want to see my baby, past Walker’s Line 

Order up said the waitress, and don’t ya waste my time 
Didn’t get much sleep last night, had something on my mind 
And when ol’ Jake wandered in, she almost felt like cryin’ 
Didn’t know she followed him up to Walker’s Line 

Had a real strange dream last night, see I was a little high 
Something ‘bout a roadblock down at Walker’s Line 

Who told the policeman? At Walker’s Line


Darlings of the Open Stage 
Dwight Peters ©2004 

Out of the dark they wander in, it’s another Friday night 
Take the chair that’s now a friend, get the name in line 
Found the last words to a song, a puzzle now complete 
Take a drink for courage, set back in your seat 

Darlings of the open stage, sing your song tonight 
Take us to another place where everything seems right 
Now you’ve only got 10 minutes, so give it all your might 
Darlings of the open stage, sing your song tonight 

Someone sings a cowboy song, another one plucks the bass 
But it always starts with a spoken word when you’re in this place 
A poem about an eagle’s soar that takes us on a flight 
Rolls away the loneliness, makes the hurtin’ right 

Soldiers of musical fortune, prisoners of life’s defeat 
There ain’t a place in the whole wide world that we would rather be 
The room is an oasis, the desert beats at the door 
We head out to its fury, can’t wait to come back for more 

#1 on the hit parade, You will be all the rage 
Darlings of the open stage, sing your song tonight


Anson Northrup 
Dwight Peters ©2005
 
In eighteen hundred and fifty-nine, out on the great west plain 
The Prairie Schooner & ox cart, ruled the golden waves 
In old St. Paul a bounty was set, by the shaking of the traders’ hands 
To bring the mighty steamships to La Verendrye’s lands 

Down on the Mississippi, Anson Northrup was heard to say 
That eight thousand dollar bounty’s mine and my riverboat’s the way 
We’ll launch at Crow Wing River and then go up the Red 
But first we’ll have to strip her down and take it north by sled 

The little girl playing on Fort Garry’s wall cried, Sounds like someone blowing in a bottle 
The great bells chimed at St. Boniface, as the Captain leaned on the throttle 
The children screamed, farmers ran to town, Metis feared the waking of the dead 
Their muskets roared and William Ross implored 
There’s a steamboat comin’, there’s a steamboat coming, 
The Anson Northrup’s comin, comin ‘round the bend 

The ragged ship set its compass north, followed the old Red River Trail 
And only 3 dared to get on board, so sure that it would fail 
As sparks roared from the smokestacks, rainin’ down on the dry cargo bins 
The furnace drew such a colossal draft, might take the fireman right in