Lyrics: Palms and Pete's

Palms and Pete's Song Lyrics

Enjoy these lyrics from all twelve of Paul Sangl's original songs in Palms and Pete's with personal notes from Paul about each song.

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That’s Who We Are (The New Colossus)

I grew up in New York and every time we went to the “city,” we could see the Statue of Liberty. The famous sonnet by Emma Lazarus entitled, “The New Colossus," was written to help raise money for the pedestal on which she stands. It’s the one that has the quote, “Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses…” Her name in the poem is, “Mother of Exiles.”. The other inspiration for this was our flag, unfurled, like an extended hand, reaching out…

Lyrics:
The New Colossus shined her light for everyone.
She said, “Bring them over, be they daughters or your sons.
They’ll get a new start, in the Land of Liberty. Even wretched refuse has a yearning to breathe free.”
     -That’s who we are, not a cold shoulder to the world.
That’s who we are, our proud banner stays unfurled.
   Like open arms, that’s who we are.

“Keep, ancient lands, your storied pomp!” Cries she.
“Our strength has been and always will be diversity.
All kinds, from all places, seek the shelter of our shore.
And in the end they will, my friend, give us something more.”
   -That’s who we are, not a cold shoulder to the world.
That’s who we are, our proud banner stays unfurled.
Like open arms, that’s who we are.

Our kids learn to think, “Lady Liberty’s”, her name.
The mighty woman with a torch of golden flame.
Miss Emma wrote a sonnet about mild commanding eyes.
And in it gave her another, “The Mother of Exiles”.
   -That’s who we are, not a cold shoulder to the world.
That’s who we are, our proud banner stays unfurled.
Like outstretched arms, that’s who we are.
That’s who we are. That’s who we are
The New Colossus shines her light for everyone.

(c) Paul Sangl, 2025.

Don’t Got The Right

This is one of those ideas where the “perfect country song” comes into your head as you’re doing something else. I've had a lot of close calls in life. I don't know if I'm tough or just lucky.

Lyrics:
Don’t got the right, to be sitting here today
Don’t got the right, to be playing the way I play
Don’t got the right, to be feeling this way
Don’t got the right, I got the wrong
I was brought up right, in a decent neighborhood
And I was taught, to treat everybody good
But I was told, stand up where I stood
Which lead to fights, I might’ve swung more than I should

As I grew up, I yearned to travel and roam
And I did venture, o’er land and sea and foam
And I did wander, a far piece from my home
I saw some sights, I was long gone

The years went by with many a bump, and I learned how to survive
Sometimes I’d land safe when I jumped and others lucky just to be alive
Don’t got the right, to be sitting here today
Don’t got the right, to be playing the way I play
Don’t got the right, to be feeling this way
Don’t got the right, I got the wrong
Oh I played rough, as if it were for keeps
And I never, liked to look before I leaped
But that can lead, to your body in a heap
A hitch in your get-along and a stumble in them feet

Now every turn, seems a turn for the worst
I got my finger in the dike, but the dams gonna burst
Let that flood pour o’er me, I got a heck of a thirst
Wash me clean outta sight, I’ll get there first

Don’t got the right, to be sitting here today
Don’t got the right, to be playing the way I play
Don’t got the right, to be feeling this way
Don’t got the right, I got the wrong
No I don’t got no right, I got the wrong

(c) Paul Sangl, 2025.

Intro to Glaciers

Silly! There’s no lyrics for this one! Just a bit of a groove that stuck in my head and wouldn’t go away until I recorded it.

The Glacier's Turned to Water

This is what came from visiting Exit glacier, near Seward, AK, over many years, watching it shrink and retreat back up the mountain. Where we live, the change in the climate is very evident and inescapably plain to see.

Lyrics:
The rain’s been coming down, on a dark and dreary day
By the almanac on my shelf, there should be snow on which to play
But that ain’t likely around here now, not for a while they say
And the arguments go on and on, the deniers all say, “Nay!”
But the glacier’s turned to water, and washed up on the shore
And the things we knew for truth, ain’t so true anymore
Truth, truth, truth, truth

And where’s the politicians, when the storm’s destroyed our homes?
The fire’s burned us out and left us on the street to roam?
They say we’re in their thoughts and prayers, until we’re out of sight
Then kick the can on down the road. How do they sleep at night?
When the glacier’s turned to water, and washed up on the shore
And the people who should listen don’t listen anymore
Listen, listen, listen, listen

Folks gotta make their money, to earn their daily bread
But honestly, I don’t know what’s going on inside their head
Destroying the place we live in ain’t no way to survive
To pretend it isn’t happening ain’t nothing but a lie
When the glacier’s turned to water, and washed up on the shore
And the forests that we need for air have fallen to the saw
Air, air, air, air

I’m here upon a stretch of ground, where a glacier used to stand
And, far away, a brother sees the disappearing land
It’s all so much connected, it’s all one world to me
We gotta start to make ‘em stop, we gotta make ‘em see
That the glacier’s turned to water, and washed up on the shore
It’s just the place we live in folks, ain’t that worth fighting for?
Fight, fight, fight, fight

(c) Paul Sangl, 2025.

The Silvers Are In

This is a nice “double meaning” phrase: the roadside sign about the Silver Salmon being in and the silver we see in our hair as we age. I had hoped to pitch this one to Alaska’s Hobo Jim, but, alas, that’s no longer possible.

Lyrics:
I see that sign, every year on my way into town
Letting me know that the fish are around
“They’re here, they’re here!”, and I start to grin
Best get to fishin’, the Silvers are in

Sometimes it’s true, sometimes not
But if they were boy, this is the spot
Grab poles and reels and give ‘em a spin
“What are you waitin’ on?”, the Silvers are in
The Silvers are in folks, the Silvers are in
It’s time to get going, time to begin
The Silvers are in Lord, the Silvers are in
There’s no time to waste, ‘cause the Silvers are in

Then I start to think of a different meaning
Something else with a far darker leaning
Is that a comment, with a different spin?
I’m caught up in thinking, “The Silvers are in.”

Have I learned to slow down, take it easy?,
Has life’s little “Whoops!”, stopped making me queasy?
I think more and more and it makes me chagrin
This boy’s getting older, the Silvers are in
The Silvers are in folks, the Silvers are in
It’s time to get going, time to begin
The Silvers are in Lord, the Silvers are in
There’s no time to waste, ‘cause the Silvers are in

By this time, I ought to have grown out of all this fluff
Skinnin’ my knees and hiking up stuff
Grownups never bark their shins
I’m trotting up trails and the Silvers are in

I don’t want to grow up, that’s plain to see
I’m having too much fun just being me
I should probably act more grown up and stay in
But there stands a mountain, the Silvers are in
The Silvers are in folks, the Silvers are in
It’s time to get going, time to begin
The Silvers are in Lord, the Silvers are in
There’s no time to waste, ‘cause the Silvers are in

Take off your hat, look at your hair
You may start to see the silver that’s there
There’s no time to lose, if you sit you can’t win
Get off your chair, ‘cause the Silvers are in

With age comes wisdom, that’s what they say
And silver is only a shinier gray
But growing old and slow ain’t worth a bucket of tin
And I say I don’t care that them Silvers are in
The Silvers are in folks, the Silvers are in
It’s time to get going, time to begin
The Silvers are in Lord, the Silvers are in
There’s no time to waste, ‘cause the Silvers are in
There ain’t no time to waste, ‘cause the Silvers are in

(c) Paul Sangl, 2025.

Shortenin'

Why do they call it “shortening?”

Lyrics:
Momma’s little baby loved it, I love it too
Even though, you know down deep, it ain’t no good for you
She used it in the biscuits, she used it to bake bread
And now they say, “Don’t eat too much, it just might make you dead.”
It’s that shortenin’, shortenin’ I say
No matter how you look at it, it’s shortenin’ every day

A little kid craves sugar, likes his cookies and milk
The kind of sweets a grownup likes is of a different ilk
They like to have their goodies, I guess we like ours too
But one thing is for certain, they put a hurt on you
It causes shortenin’, shortenin’ I say
No matter how you look at it, it’s shortenin’ every day

They say it ‘bout your whiskey, they say it ‘bout your beer
It seems the things we likes is always making our end come near
I like to have my bacon, in my breakfast and my beans
I like to have the things I want, do you know what that means?
It means some shortenin’, shortenin’ I say
No matter how you look at it, it’s shortenin’ every day

The list of “don’ts” keeps growing, getting bigger every day
The things we eat and drink are gonna drain our life away
But like the goop your granny used, it makes things taste so good
I wonder if you’d give it up, or even if you could
Give up that shortenin’, shortenin’ I say
No matter how you look at it, it’s shortenin’ every day
Shortenin’, shortenin’ I say
No matter how you look at it, it’s shortenin’ every day

(c) Paul Sangl, 2025.

Hope Passed On

This is a true story. Care givers are remarkable people and they all should be remembered for their kindness to people who aren’t feeling great. She touched everyone she came in contact with and lifted their spirits, so special.

Lyrics:
I’ve got a story to tell, won’t you lend an ear?
It happened in a small town, best known by the city it’s near
A lunchroom in a clinic there, with well and sick and dying
With one thing all in common, their spirits were flying

Her name was Hope, she worked around
Taking meals to folks too sick to come down
Always living up to her name with a grin
And always inviting us all right in

But no meal for her, I never saw her eating
The time she had for that was far too fleeting
To spend on things like a salad bar
She’d better things to do, she played her guitar
She strummed a blue guitar, but never played the blues
She sang songs of inspiration, a notion we could use
Her voice was filled with joy and helped us all to cope
As her name so aptly fit, she passed along some hope

And so it went, when I was sick
And needed uplifting, needed it quick
And seeking to find a friendly place
And finding her bright and smiling face
Oh who couldn’t use a way to cope?
Who wouldn’t listen to a few songs of Hope?

When I got well and went to go home,
I took her lessons with me wherever I roamed
Whenever I tread on a slippery slope
I often thought of those songs of Hope
And when I’d go back for a little stay
Just to make sure that all was still OK
Well, there she’d be with her blue guitar
Singing for new folks, the “Lunchroom Star”
She strummed a blue guitar, but never played the blues
She sang songs of inspiration, a notion we could use
Her voice was filled with joy and helped us all to cope
As her name so aptly fit, she passed along some hope

And then she was not, she went away
No longer there to brighten our days
I looked for Hope, but she was gone
I asked and they told me, “Hope passed on”.

Well I thought about it, for a long while
I remembered the blue guitar and the smile
And I take something with me to reflect upon
She did indeed, Hope passed on
She strummed a blue guitar, but never played the blues
She sang songs of inspiration, a notion we could use
Her voice was filled with joy and helped us all to cope
As her name so aptly fit, she passed along some hope

Her voice was filled with joy and helped us all to cope
As her name so aptly fit, she passed along some hope

(c) Paul Sangl, 2025.

Daddy Mac and Cheese

Robin Hopper has a song called “Fudge,” which is basically a recipe. Food for thought? We do have family recipe books, especially the one that has the “special” takes so the kids can make their favorites.

Lyrics:
You know they got this stuff they call “comfort food”
The worser the weather, the greater the mood
To get yourself some, c’mon put it on your plate
But as far as how you make it, well there might be some debate

I guess some folks are lazy or just ain’t got the time
To make it how you should but let me lay it on the line
Things taste better made from scratch
So roll up your sleeves and make yourself a batch
You can get it at the deli or the grocery store
The quick mix kind, but Babe there’s one way more
Don’t get it from the freezer or a box, if you please
Just get yourself a taste of that Daddy Mac and Cheese

Just fry you up some bacon, burger and dice
a big ole mess of onions, well isn’t that nice?
Melt a little butter, add flour, milk and cheese
And sprinkle tater chips on the top, if you please

Bake it at 350 or 375,
Watch the Cheese a bubbling, ’til its fairly alive
Take it out’ the oven, let it rest a bit
Now all you need’s a plate and a place to sit
You can get it at the deli or the grocery store
The quick mix kind, but Babe there’s one way more
Don’t get it from the freezer or a box, if you please
Just get yourself a taste of that Daddy Mac and Cheese

You know around our place we got a big black book
Called “Cafe La Home”, it’ll help you to cook
All the tasty vittles that you need,
Even that dish called “Daddy Mac and Cheese”

I’m telling you friend, it ain’t no joke
Don’t you know I mean every word I spoke?
It takes a little time to get it just right
But if you start right now, you could have it tonight

You can get it at the deli or the grocery store
The quick mix kind, but Babe there’s one way more
Don’t get it from the freezer or a box, if you please
Just get yourself a taste of that Daddy Mac and Cheese

(c) Paul Sangl, 2025.

Mile 89

There is a spring at mile 89 on the highway near our cabin. Folks in the area who don’t have a well fill their water containers here. Close enough to town.

Lyrics:
Well we’ve all been thirsty a time or two
And we all know just what to do
Drink something cool, that hits the spot
But what’s cool can be determined by the money you’ve got
Hey I know a place, if you’ve got none
Fill your belly baby, drink a ton
The hole at mile 89, this close to town will suit me just fine.

I’ve been running this road a long long time
It’s clear and pure every time
There’s no charge for what you take
But hoisting them barrels, you’re back might break
Hey I know a place, if you’ve got none
Fill your belly baby, drink a ton
The hole at mile 89, this close to town will suit me just fine.

Don’t get no closer, have a care
Stay clear of the “Big Town”, even if you dare.
There’s a big ole tube where the water comes out
And it’s close enough to town, there’s no doubt

Hey I know a place, if you’ve got none
Fill your belly baby, drink a ton
The hole at mile 89, this close to town will suit me just fine.

You say you’ve got no water, you’re in Hell
And you sure ain’t getting it from expensive wells
Don’t go too far, just south of the “Y”
And if you’ve never had it, better give it a try

Hey I know a place, if you’ve got none
Fill your belly baby, drink a ton
The hole at mile 89, this close to town will suit me just fine.
Suit me just fine, in Sunshine.

(c) Paul Sangl, 2025.

The Shade of My Family Tree

I grew up in New York, but my folks were both from Iowa. When they got their vacation time, we’d hit the road. We spent every summer out there, usually with a big gathering or two. When the soy beans got too big to run equipment through, kids could make extra money “walking beans,” cleaning out weeds with a hoe. One side of the family still owns the farm, but the other side lived in town. That house was sold, but we see it when we visit, and I wonder if that back porch still smells the same…. like summer.

Lyrics:
We’ll be be going soon, we all know the tune, Dad is off work for a while
And he’ll squeeze every mile from that big car of ours, son we’re gonna drive for hours
Make it back to the old home farm, yeah there’s a big red barn
Where the corn’s knee high by Fourth of July
I’m talking Iowa man, Iowa
Gonna make some money walking beans
I’m from town, but I know what that means, in the hot, hot, sun
Go fishin’ on the lake, eat corn ’til my belly aches
That’s alright by me
Mom and Dad’s folks I see and I know just where I’ll be
In the shade of my family tree

There’s a place, on the way out there, it’s a change in the air
It picks up a scent of toil that’s been spent,
making things grow “Like this”
And you know when you arrive, it’s as if it comes alive
When you roll down the window and in it flows
And you’re in farm country, farm country
Gonna make some money walking beans
I’m from town, but I know what that means, in the hot, hot, sun
Go fishin’ on the lake, eat corn ’til my belly aches
That’s alright by me
Mom and Dad’s folks I’d see and I know just where I’ll be
In the shade of my family tree

Well that’s the way it was, don’t you know, many years ago
I could smell the sweet perfume of Granny’s back porch room
Where the fresh picked berries were kept, where the veggies slept
Waiting on us hungry kids to show, shuck the corn, c’mon let’s go
We’ve got a ton of good food to get you in the mood
To taste the summer, taste the summer
And I made some money walking beans
I’m from town, but I know what that means, in the hot, hot, sun
I went fishin’ on the lake, ate corn ’til my belly ached
That’s alright by me
Mom and Dad’s folks I’d see and I know just where I’d be
In the shade of my family tree

Well a lot has changed since then, I go back sometimes again
Grand parents are long past, but their shadows are cast
Across my memory and I find, well I wonder if they’d mind
The folks who own the old place now, I wish I’d get the nerve somehow
To ask to visit for a bit, your house has my memories in it
Your house has my memories
And now there ain’t nobody walkin’ beans
And they don’t know what the heck that means, in the hot, hot sun
But they’re still fishin’ on the lake, eatin’ corn ’til their belly aches
That’s alright by me
Grandfolks’ graves I see and I know just where I’ll be
In the shade of my family tree
In the shade of my family tree

(c) Paul Sangl, 2025.

Better Watch Out for Me

Written during my treatment for cancer, when my kids were still in grade school. You can never give up!

Lyrics:
Don’t know if I’ll ever see my hometown again
I’ve got this disease, I got cancer, my friend
They say I can lick it, and lick it I will
Though some of the treatment is a bitter pill

I’m here at a clinic, sometimes sick as a dog
And I lost some weight, though I eat like a hog
I’ll get through it all, I’ll do more than just try
‘Cause no matter how old, you’re too young to die
You see when I’m done, I’ve got too much to do
Watch all my kids grow and some grandchildren too
And so that old town, I may never again see
‘Cause I’ll be too busy, better watch out for me

I may go to England, I may go to France
May go straight to China, hell there’s always a chance
I may go some places I’ve already been
Just don’t know if I’ll ever hit that home town again

You see when I’m done, I’ve got too much to do
Watch all my kids grow and some grandchildren too
And so that old town, I may never again see
‘Cause I’ll be too busy, better watch out for me
Yeah I’ll be too busy, better watch out for me

(c) Paul Sangl, 2025.

Palms and Pete's

The title song! Large family from a small town, and two bars directly across the street from each other. When we had our gatherings, you couldn’t miss by going to either! Peppered with my uncle’s favorite catchphrase.

Lyrics:
Walkin’ down the street, got family to meet,
halfway between old Palms and Pete’s
I’ll have a beer with Ma, a beer with Pa
Think I here Uncle Rob, “Som’ bitch!”
Dad says it’s just an Iowa day, he gets around here he gets carried away
Halfway between Palms and Pete’s
Halfway between old Palms and Pete’s

Standing alone in the middle of the road
One side or the other, don’t know which way to go
I’ll have a beer over here, a beer over there
Where I start first I don’t care, “Som’ bitch!”
Getting down with the family Man, so I don’t need no fancy plan
Halfway between Palms and Pete’s
Halfway between old Palms and Pete’s

Barb and Rose, Pat and Jean, Kathy and Diana all sound the same
You hear them laughing somewhere in the crowd
Don’t know who, but you know it’s loud, “Som’ bitch!”
It’s the Nilles laugh and it’s alright
The family’s all together tonight
Halfway between Palms and Pete’s
Halfway between old Palms and Pete’s

(c) Paul Sangl, 2025.