No Place Here

Lyrics: Robert Hunter
Music: Robert Hunter

In "Box Of Rain", Hunter says "I think this lyric from early 1970 manages to retain its own personality despite having undergone a dramatic cannibalization of its phrases into more than half a dozen other lyrics, including "That Train'" "Bertha," "Crooked Judge'" "Loser," "Kick It On Down," "Truckin'," and "Ramble On Rose."

I have added footnotes to show where the 'cannibalization' occured.

Ashes, ashes all fall down (note 1)
Judy run naked all round the town
I know something you don't know (note 2)
But I'm gonna tell you now

Chorus
Goodbye baby, the train don't leave from here (note 3)
Hello, Mama, the grass ain't greener (note 4)
On the far, far side of a Tampa evening
No place to rest your head, you'd better go

Rain gonna fall, wind gonna blow (note 5)
Didn't we do it, didn't we, though? (note 6)
Babe, if you won't stoke my flame
Don't come jerk me round again

We did that walk in single file
More or less in the best of style (note 7)
Ashes, babe, we all fell down
But didn't we know we would?

[chorus]

Dancing barefoot in the street
But not for want of sock or shoe
It rained all night and it rained all day (note 8)
But there's not a drop on you

Rained all night and it rained all day (note 9)
Rain come floated your house away
I know you know I know, too
It don't matter to me or you

[chorus]

Rain gonna fall, wind gonna blow
Didn't we do it, didn't we, though?
All you gotta do, play fair and tough
You get what you want if you want it enough

Notes
(1) there is an obvious linkage to Throwing Stones (lyrics by John Perry Barlow), with both songs independently lifting this phrase from a children's rhyme. "All fall down" also appears in Doin' That Rag and Till The Morning Come".
(2) Loser has the line "Well I know a little something you won't ever know."
(3) That Train has the line "That train don't run here anymore."
(4) Ramble On Rose has the couplet, "The grass ain't greener, the wine ain't sweeter/Either side of the hill."
(5) There are echoes of the line in Doin' That Rag, "Rain gonna come but the rain gonna go."
(6) Kick It On Down has the line "Say, babe, hey, now, didn't we."
(7) Truckin' has the line "Together, more or less in line."
(8) Bertha has the couplet, "It's all night pouring, pouring rain/Lord but not a drop on me."
(9) Crooked Judge has the identical couplet, except with "... my house" instead of "... your house"