"Kissing Willie"
music and lyrics by Ian Anderson

Rock Island (1989); The Best of Jethro Tull: The Anniversary Collection (1993); 25 Years of Jethro Tull: Live Across The World and Through The Years (1993);
Rock Island Remastered (2006); All The Best (2012); 50 For 50 (2018)

Breaking hearts in a market town, she eats filet of sole and washes it down with sparkling wine
Nice girl, but a bad girl's better, qualifies in both ways to my mind, but now she's kissing Willie
She shows a leg, shows it damn well, knows how to drive a man right back to being a child
Well, she's a nice girl, but her bad girl's better, I can read it in her cheating eyes
And know that in a while, well, she'll be kissing Willie, (My best friend, Willie)
Willie stands and Willie falls, Willie bangs his head behind grey factory walls
She's a nice girl, but her bad girl's better, me and Willie just can't help come when she calls
Now she's kissing Willie (my best friend, Willie)



"The Rattlesnake Trail"
music and lyrics by Ian Anderson

Rock Island (1989); Rock Island Remastered (2006)

Got a hair shirt round my shoulder, got a cold stew in my spoon
And I'm falling on my head, lifting feet of lead now, it's got me baying at the moon
Well, there's a race on for tomorrow, I'm stretching out for what might have been
Going to come out from the night, got my second sight, play rough, you know what I mean
I'm going for the kill, I'm going tooth and nail, up that dusty hill on the rattlesnake trail
Got the law laid down to the left of me, got the real world to the right
Heading up through the middle with my cat and my fiddle, yeah, looking for a fight
Going to ride hard in bandit country on the blind side of the bend
Keep my nose to the wind while the rabbit's skinned, bed down at the journey's end
(Be a rattlesnake) I'm going for the kill, I'm going tooth and nail, up that dusty hill, rattlesnake trail
I'm going on the rattlesnake trail, the rattlesnake trail, the rattlesnake trail
Going to be with wolves in winter, run in angry packs by day
But when you give a dog a bone, he has to be alone, growl, keep the other dogs away
See that thin moon on the mountain, see that cold star in the sky
Going to bring them down, shake them to the ground, put that apple in the pie
(Be a rattlesnake) I'm going for the kill, I'm going tooth and nail
Up that dusty hill on the rattlesnake trail, the rattlesnake trail, the rattlesnake trail



"Ears of Tin"
music and lyrics by Ian Anderson

Rock Island (1989); Rock Island Remastered (2006)

In the late hours of a sunset rendezvous, chill breeze against tide that carries me from you
Got a job in a southern city, got some lead-free in my tank, now I must whisper goodbye, I'm bound for the mainland
Island in the city, cut by a cold sea, people moving on an ocean, groundswell of humanity
Now the sum breaks through rain, as I climb Glen Shiel on the trail, of those old cattlemen who drove their bargain south again
And in the eyes of those five sisters of Kintail, there's a wink of seduction from the mainland
Island in the city, cut by a cold sea, people moving on an ocean, groundswell of humanity
Storm-lashed on the high-rise, their words are spray to the wind, blown like silent laughter falling on ears of tin
Take my heart and take my brawn, take by stealth or take by storm, set my brain to cruise
I can see the glow of the suburb lights, I'm fresh from the out-world, singing the mainland blues
There was a girl where I came from, seems a long time, long time gone by
Wears the west wind in her hair, she calls from the hill, yeah, she calls in my mainland blues
There's a coast road that winds to heaven's door, where a fat ferry floats on muted diesel roar
And there's a light on the hillside and there's a flame in her eyes, but how cold the lights burn on the mainland
Island in the city, cut by a cold sea, people moving on an ocean, groundswell of humanity
Storm-lashed on the high-rise, their words are spray to the wind, blown like silent laughter, falling on ears of tin
In my mainland blues



"Undressed To Kill"
music and lyrics by Ian Anderson

Rock Island (1989); Rock Island Remastered (2006)

Working on the late shift, first drink of the day, pull a chair up to the table, have to look the other way
What kind of place am I in? And who's this over here? Shaking through the silver bubbles, climbing through my beer
Won't let it move me, but I can't sit still, could you meet the eyes of a working girl undressed to kill?
Staring through the smoke haze, plaid shirts in the night, well, I'm making sure that everything is zipped up tight
Who's that jumping on the table? Putting tonic in my gin? Brushing silken dollars on her cold white skin
Won't let it move me, but I can't sit still, could you meet the eyes of a working girl undressed to kill?
She could have been sweet seventeen, there again, well, so could I, there was a tear drop sparkle on the inside of her thigh
Going to fetch myself a cold beer, I've got to get a grip, find some place to touch down, find a landing strip
Won't let it move me, but I can't sit still, can you meet the eyes of a working girl all undressed to kill?
Last one out is a cold duck, paddling down the road, I wait outside, my motor running, got a warm dream to unload
Can I face her in the sunshine? In the harsh real light of day? She walks out with recognition in her eyes, I look away
Won't let it move me, but I can't sit still, couldn't meet the eyes of a working girl undressed to kill



"Rock Island"
music and lyrics by Ian Anderson

Rock Island (1989); 36 Greatest Hits (1998); Rock Island Remastered (2006)
Bootlegs: One Flute Over The Cuckoo's Nest (1990)

Savage night on a misty island, lights wink out in the canyon walls
Two old boys in a stolen racer, black rubber contrails in the unwashed halls
And all roads out of here seem to lead right back to the rock island
I've gone back to Paris, London and even riding on a jumbo to Bombay
The long haul back holds faint attraction, but the people here know they're o.k.
See the girl following the red balloon, walking all alone on her rock island
Doesn't everyone have their own rock island? Their own little patch of sand?
Where the slow waves crawl and your angels fall and you find you can hardly stand
And just as you're drowning, well, the tide goes down and you're back on your rock island
Hey there girlie with the torn dress, shaking. Who was it touched you? Who was it ruined your day?
Whose footprint calling card? And what they want stepping on your beach anyway?
I'll be your life raft out of here, but you'd only drift right back to your rock island
Hey, boy with the personal stereo, nothing `tween the ears but that hard rock sound
Playing to your empty room, empty guitar tune, no use waiting for that C.B.S. to come around
'Cos all roads out of here seem to lead right back to your rock island



"Heavy Water"
music and lyrics by Ian Anderson

Rock Island (1989); Rock Island Remastered (2006)

I walked out in the city night, a burning in my eyes, like it was broad daylight
And it was hot, down there in the crowd, the stars went out behind a thunder cloud
Chatter in the air, like a telegraph line, big drops hissing on the neon sign
Thumping in my heart and it's hurting me to see, smokestack blowing, now they're pouring heavy water on me
She was a southern girl, we stared man to man, I move like a stranger in this strange land
She was a round hole, I was a square peg, I watched the little black specks running down her leg
Didn't seem to mind that dirty rain coming down, shirt hanging open, she was wet and brown
Thumping in my heart and it's hurting me to see, smokestack blowing, now they're pouring heavy water on me
What goes up has to fall back down, it's no night to be out dancing in a party town
When it runs hot and it runs so wide, running in the street like a thin black tide
Chatter in the air, like a telegraph line, big drops hissing on the neon sign
Thumping in my heart and it's hurting me to see, smokestack blowing, now they're pouring heavy water on me



"Another Christmas Song"
music and lyrics by Ian Anderson

Rock Island (1989); The Jethro Tull Christmas Album (2003); Rock Island Remastered (2006); Live Christmas At St. Bride's 2008 (2009)

Hope everybody's ringing on their own bell this fine morning
Hope everyone's connected to that long distance phone
Old man, he's a mountain, old man, he's an island
Old man, he's a-walking says 'I'm going to call, call all my children home'
Hope everybody's dancing to their own drum this fine morning
The beat of distant Africa or a Polish factory town
Old man, he's calling for his supper, calling for his whisky
Calling for his sons and daughters, yeah, calling all his children round
Sharp ears are tuned in to the drones and chanters warming
Mist blowing round some headland, somewhere in your memory
Everyone is from somewhere even if you've never been there
So take a minute to remember the part of you, that might be the old man calling me
How many wars you're fighting out there this winter's morning?
Maybe it's always time for another Christmas song
Old man he's asleep now, got appointments to keep now
Dreaming of his sons and daughters and proving, proving that the blood is strong



"The Whaler's Dues"
music and lyrics by Ian Anderson

Rock Island (1989); Rock Island Remastered (2006)

Money speaks, soft hearts lose, the truth only whispers, it's the whaler's dues
I've been running on diesel, been running on coal
Running on borrowed time, if truth's to be told
Two whales in the ocean, cruising the night
Search for each other before we turn out their light
Been accused of deep murder on the North Atlantic swell
But I have three hungry children and a young wife as well
And behind stand generations of hard hunting men
Who raised a glass to the living and went killing again, are you with me?
Money speaks, soft hearts lose, the truth only whispers, it's the whaler's dues, can you forgive me?
Now I'm old and I sit land-locked in a back-country jail
To reflect on all of my sins and the death of the whale
Send me back down the ages, put me to sea once again
When the oceans were full, yes, and men would be men, can you forgive me?



"Big Riff and Mando"
music and lyrics by Ian Anderson

Rock Island (1989); Rock Island Remastered (2006)

Marty loved the sound of the stolen mandolin
Somebody took it on a dare in the night-time
Ran up to the radio, calling out to the wind
Now, bring it, bring it backm at least an hour before flight time
It was a souvenir, but it was a right arm missing
Swap a woodwork rhythm for a humbucking top line
Big Riff, rough boy, wants to be a singer in a band
A little slow in the brain box, but he had a quick right hand
Run left, run right, everywhere he look, nobody watching
No, but that was all he took last night
Running on the power of a stolen mandolin
Steal a little inspiration, steal a little muscle
Will he wake in the morning, wondering, was it really worth it?
So make a little deal, yeah make a little hustle
Ringing on the radio, got a proposition for those English boys
I'll make the sing-song, you can make the background noise
One, two, three, four, one bar in
Give you back the mando if you let this singer sing tonight
Marty loved the sound of the stolen mandolin
Big Riff took it on a dare in the night-time
Now it's four o'clock and we're waiting at the sound-check
Looking for a face staring in from the sunshine
We got two strong lawmen from the sheriff's office
They're going to lift Big Riff before he plays the first line
Big Riff, rough boy, wants to be a singer in a band
Yeah, help him on the stage now, put that microphone in his hand
Think hard, think right, nothing in his mind
So Riff did a runner, but he left the manolin behind



"Strange Avenues"
music and lyrics by Ian Anderson

Rock Island (1989); Rock Island Remastered (2006)

Strange avenues where you lose all sense of direction
And everywhere is Main Street in the winter sun
The wino sleeps, cold coat lined with the money section
Looking like a a record cover from 1971
And here am I, warm feet and a limo waiting
Shall I make us both feel good? And would a dollar do?
But in your streets, I have no credit rating
And it might not take a lot to be alone just like you
Heading up and out now, from your rock island
Really good to have had you here with me
And somewhere in the crowd I think I hear a young girl whisper
Whisper, 'Are you ever lonely, just like me?'