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3 Al Purdys Lyrics by Bruce Cockburn

Bone On Bone

2017

[Intro]
Stand in the swaying boxcar doorway
Moving east away from the sunset and
After a while the eyes digest a country and
The belly perceives a mapmaker's vision
In dust and dirt on the face and hands here
Its smell drawn deep through the nostrils down
To the lungs and spurts through bloodstream
Campaigns in lower intestines and
Chants love songs to the kidneys
After a while there is no arrival and
No departure possible any more
You are where you were always going
And the shape of home is under your fingernails
[Verse 1]
I'm a product of some parents of the sort that shouldn't breed
Didn't get much schooling past learning how to read
Got the poetry bug in some forgotten institution
When first I did embark on this career of destitution
The beauty of language set a hook in my soul
Me like a breadcrust soaking soup from a bowl
[Chorus]
You can call this a rant but I declare I declaim
Al Purdy's poems are the name of the game
The winds of fate blow where they will
I'll give you three Al Purdys for a twenty dollar bill
[Verse 2]
Porkers in the counting house counting out the bacon
Matter's getting darker in the universe they're making
They love the little guy until they get a better offer
With the dollar getting smaller they can fit more in their coffers
The doings on the corner neither sung nor seen
They're circling the shopping carts at Sherbourne and Queen
[Chorus]
I resemble that assembly but I'm not the same
Al Purdy's poems are the name of my game
The winds of fate blow where they will
I'll give you three Al Purdys for a twenty dollar bill
[Trumpet Solo]
[Chorus]
You can spit on the prophet but respect the word
I got some lines I want to spin you that you ought to have heard
The winds of fate blow where they will
I'll give you three Al Purdys for a twenty dollar bill
The winds of fate blow where they will
I'll give you three Al Purdys for a twenty dollar bill
[Outro]
And after the essence of everything
Had exchanged itself for words and became
Another being and could even be summoned
From the far distance we chanted a spell of names
And we said "Mountain be our friend"
And we said "River guard us from enemies"
And we said what it seemed the gods themselves
Might say if we had dreamed them and they
Had dreamed us from their high places
And they spoke to us in the forest
From the river and the mountain
And the mouths of the ochre-painted dead
Had speech again and the waters
Spoke and the speech had words
And our children remembered
Credits
Bruce Cockburn

Bruce Cockburn

About “3 Al Purdys” by Bruce Cockburn

Read the complete lyrics to "3 Al Purdys" by Bruce Cockburn from the album "Bone On Bone" in 2017. On Lyrks you can follow along with the full text, explore the artist's discography, and discover related songs. The track is often categorized under Singer-Songwriter, In English, Pop.

"3 Al Purdys" is performed by Bruce Cockburn. from the album "Bone On Bone" in 2017 This page provides the full lyric text for fans who want to sing along, study the songwriting, or compare versions across releases. Lyrks organizes lyrics by artist and song slug so you can bookmark and share a stable URL. Music lyrics help listeners connect with emotion, narrative, and rhythm in a track. Whether you are learning English, researching a favorite chorus, or preparing for karaoke, having accurate line breaks and section labels (verse, chorus, bridge) makes the experience easier. We link to the official artist profile on Lyrks where available, including biography snippets, top songs, and chart placements when we have that data. If you enjoy "3 Al Purdys", explore more songs by Bruce Cockburn using the links below. Chart and trending pages on Lyrks highlight what listeners are searching for this week. For copyright or correction requests, see our DMCA and contact pages.

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Frequently asked questions

"3 Al Purdys" is credited to Bruce Cockburn. Songwriting credits may include additional writers listed on the release; check the credits section on this page for linked collaborators.

"3 Al Purdys" appears on "Bone On Bone" in 2017.

Visit the Bruce Cockburn artist page at /artist/bruce-cockburn for biography, popular tracks, and links to more lyric pages.