Whistling Cannonballs (with Paul Kelly) - Shane Nicholson, Paul Kelly

there’s pictures of her mother on the wall

and when she speaks, she don’t look at me at all

she likes to check the time now and then

and i start whistling cannonballs again

her old man sleeps till dark every day

then she cleans and puts the ashtrays away

i think that i could make her my friend

but i’ve been whistling cannonballs again

and as she pulls her skirt above her knees

i’m thinking bad things always come in threes

and so it finished right where it began

and i went whistling cannonballs again

fragile like a teacup in a storm

sweet and tender like a nurse in uniform

but every time i here a violin

then i start whistling cannonballs again

so she curled up like a cat in the chair

with her fingers drawing circles in the air

stared me down and said «lets not pretend

that you weren’t whistling cannonballs again

and without a breath she made it pretty clear

that i should close the door and disappear

it’s been so long i don’t remember when

i started whistling cannonballs again

it’s been so long i don’t remember when

we started whistling cannonballs again