Newsom, Joanna - Good Intentions Paving Co. Lyrics






Twenty miles left to the show
Hello, my old country, hello
Stars are just beginning to appear
And I have never in my life before been here

And it's my heart, not me, who cannot drive
At which conclusion you arrived
Watching me sit here bolt upright and cry
For no good reason at the Eastering sky

And the tilt of this strange nation
And the will to remain for the duration
Waving the flag
Feeling it drag

Like a bump on a bump on a log, baby
Like I'm in a fist fight with a fog, baby
Step-ball-change and a pirouette
And I regret, I regret

How I said to you, "Honey, just open your heart"
When I've got trouble even opening a honey jar
And that right there is where we are

And I been 'fessing double fast
Addressing questions nobody asked
I'll get this joy off of my chest at last
And I will love you 'til the noise has long since passed

And I did not mean to shout, just drive
Just get us out, dead or alive
A road too long to mention, Lord, it's something to see
Laid down by the Good Intentions Paving Company

All the way to the thing we've been playing at, darlin'
I can see that you're wearing your staying hat, darlin'
For the time being all is well
Won't you love me a spell?

This is blindness beyond all conceiving
Well, behind us the road is leaving, yeah, leaving
And falling back
Like a rope gone slack

And I saw straight away that the lay was steep
But I fell for you, honey, as easy as falling asleep
And that right there is the course I keep

And no amount of talking is going to soften the fall
But, like after the rain, step out if the overhang, that's all
It had a nice a ring to it when the ole opry house rang
So with a solemn auld lang
Signed, sealed, delivered, I sang
And there is hesitation and it always remains
Concerning you, me
And the rest of the gang
And in our quiet hour
I feel I see everything
And am in love with the hook upon which everyone hangs
And I know you meant to show the extent
To which you gave a god dang
You ranged real hot and real cold but I'm sold
I am home on that range
And I do hate to fold
Right here at the top of my game
When I've been trying with my whole heart and soul
To stay right here in the right lane
But it can make you feel over and old
Lord, you know it's a shame
When I only want for you to pull over and hold me
Till I can't remember my own name





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Newsom, Joanna Good Intentions Paving Co. Comments
  1. K.... S....

    These lyrics aren't correct

  2. J.... H....

    Consider for a moment there's a good chance this song was written about Andy Samberg.

  3. S.... R....

    I wanna drink wine and act really fancy to this song

    S.... R....

    This is a sloppy wine drunk song imo

  4. G.... F....

    This song is fucking awesome. Love the slow part

  5. n.... ....

    " when ive been trying with my whole heart and soul to stay right here in the right lane but it can make you feel over and old lord you know its a shame when i want you to pull over and hold me till i cant remember my own name"

  6. c.... ....

    the soundtrack to the first time i ever drove cross country, moving from ny to california, with my siblings the 2 most important people in the world to me.
    "and i have never in my life before been here..."

  7. k.... k....

    I want this played at my 'death party'

  8. J.... ....

    I was just watching the Aoife O'Donovan, Chris Eldridge & Julian Lage acoustic cover of this and thinking about how this is one of the best songs of the decade.

  9. J.... S....

    I don’t feel like anyone besides God really gets me, so to have a song that gets me and to know that someone else is experiencing something similar is monumentally comforting

  10. c.... ....

    I've listened to this about thirty times in the past three weeks. I first heard it about two years ago but it didn't speak to me or relate to me. Now it does, and I can't turn it off.

  11. r.... v....

    Some of the most clever, evocative lyrics since Bob Dylan. Timeless.

  12. N.... A....

    This girl is a freak of nature...amazing music and lyrics.

  13. v.... ....

    Listening to this driving through the Yukon territory at night with the Aurora Borealis in the sky and no one else around for who knows how far is quite the feeling.

    v.... ....

    😍😍😍

    v.... ....

    sounds otherworldy

  14. J.... D....

    I've been looking for the music sheet for this song for way too long... Anyone knows where i might find it?

  15. v.... ....

    I wanna play in her band so bad.

  16. v.... ....

    That is the first time I've listened to Johanna newsome. And damn. Maybe it's the right timing, but wish I did it before.

  17. I.... V....

    que hino

  18. M.... O....

    *Oh the weight of the thing we've been playing at, darling

  19. N.... T....

    My entire heart

  20. L.... P....

    This is one of the great Americana albums. As an English person it feels so richly infused with American culture, like the feeling of the frontier, white picket fences, the America we only know from movies, somehow is captured for me in this album. Love her x

  21. T.... a....

    The greatest album of all time, unless art makes your empty soul chafe.

  22. M.... C....

    AMAZING

  23. Z.... F....

    One of the best songs this decade has to offer, imo.

  24. H.... ....

    Just heard this on the radio the other night and I dunno why, but it makes me a little sad.

    Lovely song though, easily worth crying a little on the inside to listen to

  25. J.... c....

    This song is the 0630 plane to Newcastle to see a girlfriend. Beautiful memories looking back.

  26. D.... P....

    So am I correct in that this is about being proposed to?

    D.... P....

    That seems to be a scene in the song. But my understanding is that it is overall about a relationship that is falling apart. The whole album is a 'break-up album' more or less. Again, my take on it.

  27. E.... ....

    One of my favourites from her! So beautiful!

  28. Q.... N....

    God, she's so good.

  29. c.... ....

    Joanna newsom is a crazy genius

    c.... ....

    the new joanna is the best joanna

  30. A.... G....

    That last line gets me every time ;_;

  31. R.... ....

    It's sad to learn that after such a hopeful, lovely ending to this song, there exists Does Not Suffice at the end of the album.

    R.... ....

    I'm not sure it's hopeful... more like, the emptiness after crying until you cant anymore.

  32. O.... ....

    First time hearing this song: "Oh wow this is fun and quirky hahah :D"
    Thirty-six replays in, after looking up lyrics: *lays head on desk and cries over feelings.*

    O.... ....

    Beautiful

    O.... ....

    I was just wondering what they're about, and I see this, so I'm gonna look them up. I can't interpret her lyrics usually.

    O.... ....

    I love this song LOL Am i gay

    O.... ....

    Heard it and immediately had to learn the lyrics, just to sing it in my head to myself. Such a great song!!

    O.... ....

    Exactly.

  33. K.... E....

    instantly in a good mood.

  34. m.... b....

    she is such a genius

    m.... b....

    melizza belle definitely genius!

    m.... b....

    Damn 💖

  35. S.... S....

    Makes me tear up everytime...
    I love the lyrics so much.. <3

  36. j.... ....

    Sounds like Miranda sings

  37. i.... ....

    This song just makes me smile...I love it!

  38. N.... B....

    I am obsessed with this song. Who am I kidding, I am obsessed with Joanna.

  39. V.... W....

    this song is too fucking beautiful.

  40. M.... ....

    It was uploaded two years after the rest of the album.

  41. E.... ....

    There's also a Stevie Wonder song, "Signed Sealed Delivered", that might also be a piece of the puzzle. There are several references to actual songs throughout GIPC, so she might be alluding to his song too.

    Even if she isn't directly referencing Wonder's song, it seems oddly fitting for a song like GIPC.

  42. E.... ....

    "Auld Lang Syne" is the famous NYE poem/song. It starts with "Should old acquaintance be forgot and never brought to mind?" It's often a call to not let old relationships be forgotten, but of course you can answer "yes" AND "no" to that first question.

    "Signed sealed delivered" evokes a sense of certainty, even irreversibility. This tension between fond rememberance and 'it was going to happen anyway' seems - to me at least - to be a theme of the album.

    E.... ....

    EtAnimo never caught that little play on words till I watched this with the lyrics

    E.... ....

    I just realized that pun a few weeks ago. She does it quite often in songs.

    E.... ....

    iHeartCoolStuff what play on words?

    E.... ....

    signed, sealed, delivered is a hit song from stevie wonder. its also a music joke

  43. C.... J....

    care to enlighten such individuals? i never understood that line!

  44. E.... ....

    I'm surprised more people haven't caught on to the "auld lang syne"/"signed, sealed, delivered" pun.

  45. w.... ....

    ok so that is two words :)

  46. w.... ....

    Saw her show in Bloomington Indiana a few years back. Which i can describe in one word. BREATHTAKING!.

  47. T.... O....

    @gaeazadriel Totally Agree! Love this song aswell.

  48. B.... L....

    And this is how rock rolls...

  49. F.... ....

    Amazing, as always

  50. D.... D....

    The lack of love/comments on this song... so disturbing. This song doesn't have the same sweeping beauty as the other songs in this album, but it has SO MUCH CHARACTER. This is probably my favorite song on the album. It deserves a hell of a lot more love than this!

  51. L.... P....

    Love this song. I've had it stuck in my head all day. :)