The Devil went down to Georgia,
he was looking for a soul to steal.
He was in a bind, 'cause he was way behind,
he was willing to make a deal.
When he came across this young man
sawing on a fiddle and playing it hot.
And the Devil jumped up on a hickory stump and said,
"Boy let me tell you what:
I guess you didn't know it, but I'm a fiddle player too,
And if you'd care to take a dare,
I'll make a bet with you.
Now you play a pretty good fiddle,
boy, but give the Devil his due.
I bet a fiddle of gold against your soul
'cause I think I'm better than you."
The boy said, "My name's Johnny and it might be a sin,
But I'll take your bet, you're gonna regret,
'cause I'm the best there's ever been."
Johnny, rosin up your bow and play your fiddle hard,
'Cause hell's broke loose in Georgia and the Devil deals the cards
And if you win you'll get this shiny fiddle made of gold,
But if you lose, the Devil gets your soul!
The Devil opened up his case and he said, "I'll start this show."
And fire blew from his fingertips as he rosined up his bow.
And he pulled the bow across the strings and it made an evil hiss.
Then a band of demons joined in,
and it sounded something like this.
When the Devil finished, Johnny said,
"Well you're pretty good old son.
But sit down in that chair right there
and let me show you how it's done!"
Fire on the Mountain, run, boys, run.
The Devil's in the house of the rising sun.
Chicken in the breadpan a picking out dough,
Granny does your dog bite, "No, child, no."
The Devil bowed his head because he knew that he'd been beat.
And he laid that golden fiddle on the ground at Johnny's feet.
Johnny said, "Devil, just come on back
if you ever want to try again,
I done told you once, you son of a bitch,
I'm the best there's ever been."
He played...
Fire on the Mountain, run, boys, run.
The Devil's in the house of the rising sun.
Chicken in the breadpan a picking out dough,
Granny will your dog bite, "No, child, no."
When I woke up it was raining
Well I got soaked
When I woke up this morning
I was cold and wet and broke
I ain't got no destination
I'm just gonna follow my shoes
I may run on up to Dallas
But the fiddle player's got the blues
Feel kinda like ole Ray Charles
Georgia on my mind
Sho wish I could get there
I ain't got a dime
These hard times that I'm having
I guess they call it paying dues
That's just how things get goin'
When fiddle player's got the blues
Yeah, he's got the blues
They say playing in these beer joints
Kinda keeps a man in touch
Sho beats pickin' cotton
But it just don't beat it much
I guess it all comes down
To whatever life you choose
And you know I ain't complaining
I woke up on a cement floor this mornin,
My head felt like somebody been walkin on it,
Don't know how I got here,
Don't remember nothin at all,
but if I done all the things that they say I did,
well I sure musta had a ball
Cause in 30 more days
I'm goin back home,
to see that gal of mine,
but the Wichita Jail
is a long long way
from the Tupelo County line,
I gotta do my time
Well I aint got a cent of the money I had
I spent it
Shirts tore, my shoes got a big hole in it,
Theres a king size knot on the side of my head
and I got one big black eye
But brother if you think I look bad,
you oughtta see that other guy
Cause in 30 more days
I'm goin back home,
to see that gal of mine,
but the Wichita Jail
is a long long way
from the Tupelo County line,
I gotta do my time
Well this nine pound hammer feels like it weighs a ton
makin lil ones outta big ones in this red hot Kansas sun
I just hope I can make it 30 more days
and get out of this mess I'm in,
and if I ever get back to Mississippi
I aint ever gonna leave again
Cause in 30 more days
I'm goin back home,
to see that gal of mine,
but the Wichita Jail
is a long long way
from the Tupelo County line,
I gotta do my time
I gotta do my time
I gotta do my time
Won't somebody somewhere come up here and take me to Waco
Cause I've got the blues
These big city sidewalks just don't suit my shoes
Won't somebody somewhere come up here and take me to Waco
I'm tired of being alone
I just ain't that tough, I think I've had enough
I just want to go home
The music and the bright lights and the women and the wine
Took all my money burned a hole in my mind
Now the party is over and the good times are through
The last bell is ringing
The fat lady's singing
And the moon just turned blue
I'd jump on a Greyhound, but I ain't got no money at all
I'd hop me a freight train but I'm afraid I might fall
I'd flag down a semi, put my thumb in the air
Just give me a ride to the East Texas line
Me and my buddy got us some wild hair
and figured we wanted to go somewhere
so we loaded up in my ragtop Chevrolet
We had a little bit of money and a whole lot to show with Hank Junior blarin' on the radio
we got a tank full of gas and we was on our way
We figured we go down to New Orleans
and we were barrelin' down ol' seventeen
when a man with a blinkin' red light was on our tail
He said "You were doin' sixty in a fourty-five
but I'm gonna let you go this time
but if I catch you again I'm gonna slap
you in the county jail"
We said "Thank you sir, you've sure been nice
you ain't gonna have to tell us twice"
and we were southbound and down with
the wind blowin in our face
We kept on rollin' and pretty soon
the radio was cookin' out a Haggard tune
and we were pullin into Houston
and checkin' out all them places
I was feelin' dry and I said
"I think we better stop and get ourselves a drink"
Ol' Jim said "Yeah cuz we got time to kill"
We kept on rollin' and I see this spot
and we pulled into the parkin' lot
with this place called the Cloud Nine Bar and Grill
We walked through the door and the place was jammed the lights were low they had a punk rock band
and some orange-head feller singin' 'bout suicide
I said "Jim, this ain't our kind of place"
He said "Well lets just have one round anyways"
so against my better judgement we walked on inside
Went up to the bar and we sat down and
this feller walked up and said "I'll buy this round" and he sat down on the barstool next to Jim
He looked like a girl but he talked like a guy
he had lipstick on and mascara in his eye and everybody in that place looked just about like him
I said "Jim this ain't our kind of bar
let's go on out and get back in the car
'Cause there's gonna be trouble and
there ain't no sense in takin the chance"
We was gettin' up and gettin ready to leave
and somebody grabbed ol' Jim by the sleeve
It was this good lookin' girl
she was askin' my buddy to dance
I said "Jim don't do it, theres somethin' missin' There's fellers dancin' and fellers kissin'
there's a feller in a high
heeled shoe wearin' panty hose!"
He said "Partner I just cant turn this down
You just go on over there and have one more round
I'll dance with the lady and
we'll get on down the road"
So he walked away and left me alone
and this funny lookin feller kept comin' on
and he was makin' me mad with
some of the things he said
And then he put his hand on my knee
and I said "If you dont get your paw off me
I'm gonna locate your nose around
on the side of your head"
He said "I love it when you get that fire in your eye" I said "Well partner, try this on for size"
and I unloaded on him and he went out like a light
Everybody in that place must have been his friend
they all headed for me, I said "This is the end"
'cause where I come from we don't
give up with out a fight
They were screamin and yellin'
and scratchin' and clawin'
I was punchin' and hittin'
and kickin' and pawin'
I was holdin' my own cause
I've been in a scrap or two
Ol' Jim come runnin' up out the blue
and that gal he was with come runnin' up too
and persisted to beat on me with a high heeled shoe
I grab her by the hair and it come off in my hand
and that beautiful girl was just a beautiful man
and ol' Jim just got sick right there on the floor
He dropped that dude like a shot from a gun
smeared his lipstick made his make up run
and me and ol' Jim started
fightin' our way to the door
Man we let of there in that old Chevrolet
put her on the floor and it stayed that way
We was goin' down the highway doin'
about a hundred and ten
We was headin' for home and we was gettin' near
and then a red light come on in the rear view mirror and that same blame cop pullin' us over again
Well I'm sittin here in this county jail
and I had to call my daddy to send our bail
and I learned me a lesson I never will forget again
I done give up drinkin', I've given up bars
and runnin' around the country in souped up cars
and gone back to where the women are women
I was takin' a trip out to LA
toolin' along in my Chevrolet
tokin' on a number and diggin' on the radio
just as I cross the Mississippi line
I heard that highway start to whine
and I knew that left rear tire was about to go
Well the spare was flat and I got uptight
'cause there wasn't a fillin' station in sight
so I just limped down the shoulder on the rim
I went as far as I could and when I stopped the car
it was right in front of this little bar
A kind of a redneck lookin' joint
called the Dew Drop Inn
Well I stuffed my hair up under my hat
and told the bartender that I had a flat
and would he be kind enough to give me change for a one
There was one thing I was sure proud to see
there wasn't a soul in the place 'cept for him and me
And he just looked disgusted and
pointed toward the telephone
I called up the station down the road a ways
and he said he wasn't very busy today
and he could have somebody there
in just about ten minutes or so
He said "Now you just stay right where yer at"
and I didn't bother tellin' the durn fool
I sure as hell didn't have anyplace else to go
I just ordered up a beer and sat down at the bar
when some guy walked in and said
"Who owns this car with the peace sign
the mag wheels and four on the floor?"
Well he looked at me and I damn near died
and I decided that I'd just wait outside
so I layed a dollar on the bar and headed for the door
Just when I thought I'd get outta there with my skin
these five big dudes come strollin' in
with this one old drunk chick and
some fella with green teeth
And I was almost to the door when the biggest one
said "You tip your hat to this lady, son"
and when I did all that hair fell out from underneath
Now the last thing I wanted was to get into a fight
in Jackson Mississippi on a Saturday night
especially when there was three of them
and only one of me
Well they all started laughin' and I felt kinda sick
and I knew I'd better think of somethin' pretty quick
so I just reached out and kicked ol'
green-teeth right in the knee
He let out a yell that'd curl your hair
but before he could move I grabbed me a chair
and said "Watch him folks 'cause he's a
thouroughly dangerous man"
"Well you may not know it but this man's a spy
he's an undercover agent for the FBI
and he's been sent down here to
infiltrate the Ku Klux Klan"
He was still bent over holdin' on to his knee
but everyone else was lookin' and listenin' to me
and I layed it on thicker and heavier as I went
I said "Would you believe this man has gone as far
as tearin' Wallace stickers off the bumpers of cars
and he voted for George McGovern for president?"
"Well he's a friend of them long-haired hippie type pinko fags I betcha he's even got a Commie flag
tacked up on the wall inside of his garage"
"He's a snake in the grass, I tell ya guys
he may look dumb but that's just a disguise
he's a mastermind in the ways of espionage"
They all started lookin' real suspicious at him
and he jumped up and said "Now just wait a minute, Jim
you know he's lyin' I've been livin'
here all of my life"
"I'm a faithfull follower of Brother John Burch
and I belong to the Antioch Baptist Church
And I ain't even got a garage, you can call home and ask my wife!"
Then he started sayin' somethin' about the way I was dressed but I didn't wait around to hear the rest
I was too busy movin' and hopin'
I didn't run outta luck"
And when I hit the ground I was makin' tracks
and they were just takin' my car down off the jacks
So I threw the man a twenty and
jumped in and fired that mother up
Mario Andretti woulda sure been proud
of the way I was movin' when I passed that crowd
comin' out the door and headin' toward me in a trot
And I guess I shoulda gone ahead and run
but somehow I couldn't resist the fun
of chasin' them just once around the parkin' lot
Well they're headin' for their car but I hit the gas
and spun around and headed them off at the pass
well I was slingin' gravel and
puttin' a ton of dust in the air
Well I had them all out there steppin' an' a fetchin'
like their heads were on fire and their asses was catchin' but I figured I oughta go ahead an
split before the cops got there
When I hit the road I was really wheelin'
had gravel flyin' and rubber squeelin'
and I didn't slow down 'til I was almost to Arkansas
I think I'm gonna re-route my trip
I wonder if anybody'd think I'd flipped
Workin out here on the railroad line
Breaking my back for nickles and dimes
Sweatin' in the hot sun all of the time
Well I wake up and pray that the sun don't shine
Tomorrow morning I swear to my soul
I'm gonna go cut me a hickory pole
And sit right back by the fishin' hole all day
Tomorrow
Tomorrow
Tomorrow's gonna be another day
Tomorrow
Tomorrow
Tomorrow's gonna be another day
[fiddle bridge]
So go tell that man that I won't be back
To lay no more of that railroad track
I got little green weeds growing round my shack
I keep my money in a gunny sack
Well I'm never gonna be a millionaire
Just pass me over cause I don't care
I'll sit right back in my easy chair all day
Tomorrow
Tomorrow
Tomorrow's gonna be another day
Tomorrow
Tomorrow
Well, the train's a grinder
switch is runnin' right on time
And them Tucker Boys are
cookin' down in Caroline
People down in Florida can't be still
when ol' Lynyrd Skynrd's pickin'
down in Jacksonville
People down in Georgia
come from near and far
To hear Richard Betts pickin'
on that red guitar
(chorus)
So gather 'round, gather 'round chillun'
Get down, well just get down chillun'
Get loud, well you can be loud and be proud
Well you can be proud, hear now
Be proud you're a rebel
cause the South's gonna do it again and again
(instrumental)
Elvin Bishop sittin' on a bale of hay
he ain't good lookin' but he sure can play
And there's ZZ Top and you can't forget
that old brother Willie's gettin' soakin' wet
And all the good people down in Tennessee
are diggin' barefoot Jerry and C.D.B
(chorus)
So gather 'round, gather 'round chillun'
Get down, well just get down chillun'
Get loud, well you can be loud and be proud
Well you can be proud, hear now
Be proud you're a rebel
The Pope and the Dope
Charlie Daniels
1970
Now if a order was to come down from the Pope,
The Catholics ain't allowed to smoke no dope,
if they couldn't get high would they feel real low,
And Would they get pissed off down in Mexico,
and if Mayor John Lindsey was to propose,
the Oh Calcutta cast had to wear clothes,
would they still come all the way from Kokomo,
just to dig the show,
What if Eldridge Cleaver was to devise a plan,
For the Black Panther Party of America to be merged with the Ku Klux Klan,
And If Richard Nixon made Spiro Agnew
the new ambassador to Timbuktu,
if he was to do it well, do you guess
it'd improve his relationship with CBS,
What if Lester Maddox was to pass a law,
that the black population of Georgia had to be moved into Arkansas,
Aww Would it make Orval Faubus sore and start a 2 state civil war,
And Would they ask the government for federal aid to buy pickaxe handles and razorblades
Bop Bop Bop Bop Bodeop Doe
Now if Martha Mitchell was to address
a special meeting of the SDS,
If she told them her views on Vietnam,
Would they make her an honorary minuteman,
And if Governor Wallace was to come unglued,
and run for President in 72,
Could he carry all of the Southern states,
with Julian Bond for a running mate,
Now if the CIA, and the IRS, and the FCC,
Found out that J. Edgar Hoover and the FBI owned stock in AT&T;,
and the UAW, and the BNO, and the AFL and CIO, and the ICC,
Oh the cowards came by morning and attacked without a warning
Leaving flames and death and chaos in our streets
In the middle of this fiery hell brave heroes fell
In the skies of Pennsylvania on a plane bound for destruction
With the devil and his angels at the wheel
They never reached their target on the ground
Brave heroes brought it down
Chorus:
This is a righteous cause so without doubt or pause
I will do what my country asks of me
Make any sacrifice
We'll pay whatever price
So the children of tomorrow can be free
Lead on red, white and blue
And we will follow you until we win the final victory
God help us do our best we will not slack or rest
Till the last fallen hero rests in peace
Now the winds of war are blowing and there's no way of knowing
Where this bloody path we're traveling will lead
We must follow till the end
Or face it all again
And make no mistake about it, write it, preach it, talk it, shout it
Across the mountains and the deserts and the seas
The blood of innocence and shame
Will not be shed in vain
Chorus:
This is a righteous cause so without doubt or pause
I will do what my country asks of me
Make any sacrifice
We'll pay whatever price
So the children of tomorrow can be free
Lead on red, white and blue
And we will follow you until we win the final victory
God help us do our best we will not slack or rest
Till the last fallen hero rests in peace
God help us do our best we will not slack nor rest
There's a place not too far away from here
Out with the cows and the Lone Star beer
Where the livin' and lovin' is quite all right with me
Well they call it Texas and it's a mighty fine place to be
Runs from Texarkana to El Paso
And Oklahoma down to old Mexico
And there's Houston, Dallas, Austin and San Antone
People in Texas sure do make you feel at home
They just want everybody to leave them alone
While they drink their whiskey and roll their own
And they like their music with a little bit of southern sound
They kick up their heels every evening when the sun goes down
And you can call them country and they don't care
And if you don't like the way they wear their hair
You can take you likes and shove 'em on up the line
BRIDGE:
Well if this old fiddle could talk
If this old fiddle could sing
Man if this old fiddle could only talk
It could tell you some wondrous things
Talk to me fiddle
Tell me about when you came across the sea
In the hands of a jewish immigrant who was longing to be free
And you were part of his life for forty years
Through times both lean and fat
And he raised his family and lived out his days
In a New York tenement flat
Talk to me fiddle
Tell me about how that cajun fiddlin' man
Found you in a pawn shop and took you back down
To the Louisiana bayou land
You knew his wife and you knew his kids
And you watched his family grow
And you played your heart out caju'n style
At the Louisiana Fais Do Do
Well talk to me fiddle
Then a big shot yankee gambler found you down in New Orleans
And took you up the river on the Mississippi Queen
Then there came the day that you were all
That he had left to lose
And a black man won you in a poker game
And taught you how to play the blues
Talk to me fiddle
Then a hobo from Biloxi found you living in the rain
And he got himself a free ride on a west-bound cattle train
And you got off in Texas
Where they play that western swing
Where the people do the two-step
And old Bob Wills was the king
Talk to me fiddle
You've been bouncing around America from sea to shining sea
Pulling out of Woodstock heading down to Little Rock
Come on boys it's time to go
The bus blew out a front tire durn thing almost caught on fire
Had to call in for a tow
And we still got seven hundred miles to go
Pulling into Little Rock getting close to eight o'clock
Glad we got two opening acts
Show starts in an hour no time for a shower
We'll have to eat when we get back
But we don't care beacuase this place is packed
CHORUS:
We're road dogs road dogs
Burning up the interstate
Hot and wild southern style
That crowd in Memphis just won't wait
From midnight till dawn we're rolling down the highway
Heading for another town
Road dogs road dogs
We sure do get around
D J got his feelings hurt didn't get a tee shirt
Says he's gonna ban our stuff
Promoters acting funny hope he's got our money
Guess I'll have to call his bluff
We play our music that should be enough
(spoken)
Stroker Ace was born to race
he had a mean streak ten feet wide
A son of a gun with a taste for fun
and more than his share of pride
Take a dirt road curve with the Devil's nerve
and make a car dance across the mud
Haulin' shine was his regular line
'til the track got in his blood
He was a real hot shot and he bragged a lot
but man, that fool could drive
Cause he loved the feel of a steering wheel
and the girls with the bedroom eyes
And in a racing tight or a bar room fight
ol' Stroker stole the show
A back street blazer and a real
hell raiser and a racetrack Romeo
(sung)
Mama lock your daughters up
that wild bunch is back in town
And them little girls get frisky
when they hear that racecar sound
They bringin out the yellow flag
somebody's brakes have failed
There's an oilslick on the inside
and a wreck along the rail
You better stand on it, Stroker
cause a bandit's on your tail
(spoken)
It's a downright joy for a country boy
when he hears them engines moan
But you gotta hang tough and it gets real rough
when you're out there on your own
Cause they'll push you around
they'll knock you down
when you're up there against the wall
And you always know when an engine blows
that a man can't win 'em all
You could push that car just a little too far
any Sunday afternoon
And if you break your neck in
some damn fool's wreck they'd
forget about you soon
But ol' Stroker Ace was born to race
and it's worth all the trying
Just to drink champagne in the Victory Lane
and to hear that concrete whine
(sung)
Stroker get your dander up
this ain't no time to lag
You've got to make a lap up
if you want to take that checkered flag
Number ten is closin' in to even up the score
It's time to wave bye-bye and
put the pedal on the floor
You better stand on it Stroker
cause you're blowin' off their doors
(spoken)
Blow their doors off, Stroker
Stand on it, Son
Got on a plane in 'Frisco
and got off in Vietnam
I walked into a different world
the past forever gone
I could have gone to Canada
or I could have stayed in school
But I was brought up differently
I couldn't break the rules
Thirteen months and fifteen days
the last ones were the worst
One minute I'd kneel down and pray
and the next I'd stand and curse
No place to run to
where I did not feel that war
When I got home I stayed alone
and checked behind each door
cuz I'm
(chorus)
Still in Saigon
Still in Saigon
I am still in Saigon
in my mind
The ground at home was covered in snow
and I was covered in sweat
My younger brother calls me a killer
and my daddy calls me a vet
Everybody says I'm someone else
and I'm sick and there's no cure
Damned if I know who I am
where was only one place I was sure
When I was
(chorus)
Every summer when it rains
I smell the jungle, I hear the planes
I can't tell no one, I feel ashamed
Afraid some day I'll go insane
(instrumental)
That's been ten long years ago
and time has gone on by
Now and then I catch myself
eye-searching through the sky
All the sounds of long ago
will be forever in my head
Mingled with the wounded cries
and the silence of the dead
Cuz I'm
(chorus)
I am still in Saigon
I am still in Saigon
Yes, I'm still in Saigon
I'm not a poet
I'm just a man
I'm not an angel
I'm just doing the best I can
I've got a heart
It feels pain
Just like anyone else
I don't like standing in the rain
Standing, standing, standing in the rain
Standing, standing, standing in the rain
Love is a miracle
You can see
I give it to you
Then you give it right back to me
You've got a heart
It feels pain
Just like anyone else
You don't like standing in the rain
If you do what you love
And love what you do
You can't get the blues
And the blues can't get you
It's the same old story
Since the beginning of time
Life without love
Is the cause of all crime
Standing, standing, standing in the rain
Standing, standing, standing in the rain
Talking in whispers
Leads to shame
Living in shadows
Baby, you'll be the they'll blame
Just like anyone else
They don't like standing in the rain
Standing, standing, standing in the rain
Standing, standing, standing in the rain
Just like anyone else
No one like standing cold and naked in the rain
Just like anyone else
Well, the train to Grinder's Switch is runnin' right on time
And them Tucker Boys are cookin' down in Caroline
People down in Florida can't be still
When ol' Lynyrd Skynrd's pickin' down in Jacksonville
People down in Georgia come from near and far
To hear Richard Betts pickin' on that red guitar
Chorus:
So gather 'round, gather 'round chillun'
Get down, well just get down chillun'
Get loud, well you can be loud and be proud
Well you can be proud, hear now
Be proud you're a rebel
'Cause the South's gonna do it again and again
Elvin Bishop sittin' on a bale of hay
He ain't good lookin', but he sure can play
And there's ZZ Top and you can't forget
That old brother Willie's gettin' soakin' wet
And all the good people down in Tennessee
Are diggin' barefoot Jerry and C.D.B
The house lights blaze the spotlights dim and the encore fades away
We've got five hundred miles to go and another show to play
But there's a few old diehard fans still hanging out back stage
They're the ones who have been faithful from the start
So we renew our old aquaintances and discuss the life and times
Of Tommy, Toy and Ronnie and the ones we've left behind
And all the minstrel warriors who got old before their time
But they'll always have ap lace here in our hearts
And its time to pick up memories and remember our old freinds
Do you think we'll ever see the likes of Stevie Ray again
CHORUS
Sail away it's time for moving on
This music is my mission and this highway is my home
While you sleep we've got promises to keep
And miles to go before teh morning light
We're the tall dark ships that pass you in the night
We thank you for your kind words and for coming to the show
It's so good to see you all again but we've relly got to go
The weather's getting stormy and they say it's gonna snow
And Omaha's a far piece down the line
We'll it's sure been fun but the time has come to get on out of here
The driver's getting nervous and the road crew's out of beer
And if the good Lord's willing we're gonna see you all next year
And we'll drop you all a card at Christmas time
But the boys are getting restless and the hours getting late
The time goes by so easy but that highway won't wait
Some people call it rock, some people call it roll
Some people call it boogie, some people call it soul
You can call it what you want, but it don't mean a thing
When the drummer starts a-cooking and the band begins to swing
CHORUS:
We're gonna rock this joint
We're gonna rock this joint tonight
We're gonna burn up the floor and then we'll do it some more
We're gonna rock this joint tonight
We're gonna rock this joint
We're gonna push it till it's clean out of sight
Me and the boys are gonna make a little noise
We're gonna rock this joint tonight
We're gonna turn up the music and turn down the lights
Like we do it down in Dixie on a Saturday night
Open up the windows and turn up the heat
With a boggie woogie rockin' rollin' country kinda beat
REPEAT CHORUS
BRIDGE:
We're gonna rock it to the limit gonna roll it right up to the wall
We're gonna get up get down and have ourselves a natural ball ya'll
INSTRUMENTAL
REPEAT BRIDGE
So let's get jiggy with it that's all right
Grab somebody and hold on tight
Fasten your seat belt we're going for a ride
And if you ain't set to boogie then you'd better run and hide
Have you ever spent the late afternoon
watching the purple shadows deepen in Arizona desert?
Or seen a herd of Elk plow their way
through waist deep snow on a cold Colorado dome?
Did you ever see the sun go down in Hawaii,
Or seen the stormy waves break over the rock bound coast of Maine?
Or have you ever see an eagle fly up out of the mists of Alaska?
Or a big October moon hanging full over the still Dakota badlands?
Have you ever tasted the gumbo in New Orleans, Bar-B-Que in Carolina
Or the chicken wings in Buffalo?
Have you ever had Brunswick stew in Macon, or cornbread in Burmingham?
Or brisket slow cooked over hill country mesquite wood?
Did you ever drink the water from a gurgling branch in Utah,
Or, stand on the mountain above El Paso Del Norte
And see the lights twinkling clear over into Mexico?
Did you ever jangle horses in the pre dawn stillness of a perfect Texas day
And watch their shodded hooves kicking up sparks on the volcanic rock?
Or tended a trout line on a foggy Carolina morning,
Or heard the distant song of a lovesick whippoorwill
On a pristine Tenneesee late night?
Have you seen the faces on Mount Rushmore or stood at the Vietnam monument?
Have you ever crossed the mighty Mississippi,
Or been to the daddy of them all in Cheyenne, Wyoming?
Or seen the mighty Vols run out on the football field on a chilly autumn afternoon?
Did you ever see the Chicago skyline from Lake Shore Drive at night?
Or the New England follage in the fall,
Or the summer beauty of the Shenandoah valley,
Or Indiana covered with new snow?
Did you ever seen a herd of wild horses running free
Across the empty spaces in Nevada?
Or, caught a walleyed pike out of a cold Wisconsin stream?
Or ,marveled at the tall ship docked in the harbor at Baltimore?
Did you ever see the early morning dew sparkling on the blue grass,
Or, the wind stir the wheat fields on a hot Kansas afternoon?
Or, driven the lonely stretches of old Route 66?
Have you ever heard the church bells peal their call to worship
On an early Sunday, in some small town in the deep south?
Or pass through the redwood forest just as the sun was going down?
Have you ever been to Boise or Batchlee or Beufort or Billings?
Have you ever passed through Sanford or Suffolk or San Angelo?
Have you ever seen the falls at Nigara?
The ice palace in Saint Paul?
Or the Gateway to the west?
This then is America!
The land God blesses with everything
And no Effel Tower: no Taj Mahal;
No Alps; No Andes;
No native hut; nor Royal Palace -
Can rival her awesome beauty,
Her diverse poplulation, her monolithic majesty.
America the Free !
America the mighty!
America the beautiful !
I pledge alligence to the flag of the United States of America
And to the republic for which it stands
One Nation Under God indivisible
From a town in Louisiana on the wrong side of the tracks,
came a rowdy Ragin Cajun by the name of Rupernac,
He was harder than a hickory long and thinner than a rail,
He was faster than a Copperhead and he werent afraid of hell,
He turned 18 in the Parish courthouse facin 10 to life,
about some altercation in a beer joint with a knife,
He said judge I mean your honor I hope you'll understand,
but if it happened here today I think I'd do it all again,
cause you don't get up in my face, you don't call my mama names,
you don't whistle in my kitchen, you dont pull my big dogs chain,
I don't mean no disrespect but I been stubborn, all my life
He'd been two years in prison when his cousin Jay came down,
said his sister was in trouble in some far off Northern town,
He broke out of jail that night and left a note behind,
I'll see ya'll in a week or so, till then I'm hard to find,
He found her in a tavern up in westside Buffalo,
Gave her a one way ticket home and pushed her out the door,
Said I'm lookin for the man who done my little sister harm,
he's a soul destroying punk that stuck a needle in her arm,
and some pimp back in the corner, started makin himself small,
but he grabbed him by the collar and he pushed him to the wall,
He said you try to run away, you gone regret it, all your life,
The Cajun started laughin when the pimp pulled out a knife,
He said I oughtta kill ya, but I'm gonna spare your life,
With one sledgehammer fist he knocked him sprawlin on the floor,
and then he kicked him in his forked end, and he headed for the door,
He walked on down the sidewalk and hit the Southern trail,
He went back to Louisiana and he walked into the jail,
He said I had some business up above the bunkie line,
but my debts have all been settled and I've come to do my time,
and I hope I didnt cause no trouble, I wasnt tryin to run away,
But a feller owed me somethin and I had to make him pay,
You've got your diamonds and your Cadillac
Two thousand dollar suit across your back
You've got your mansion out on millionaire's row
Go all the places that the rich folks go
Your Bible is a check book and your church is a bank
You don't believe in charity and you don't give thanks
For what you've got brother that's a lot
You lie and swindle and you steal and you cheat
You throw widows and orphans right out on the street
You say when it comes to business it's alright to be tough
You think your money's enough
(first chorus)
But you're praying to the wrong god mister
You're living for your sensual pleasures and your evil desires
Praying to the wrong god mister
One of these days it's going to eat your flesh like fire, like fire
Eat your flesh like fire
When you need answers you don't go to the Lord
You've got your tarot cards and Ouija Board
You put your faith in Scientology, in fortune tellers and astrology
You hate your neighbors and you cheat on your wife
You say you'll make it up in your next life
You say all roads lead to the mountain top
You've got a long way to drop
(second chorus)
And you're praying to the wrong god mister
Satan wants to blind you to the truth and tell you all is well
And you're praying to the wrong god mister
You're running down a highway leading you straight to Hell, to hell
He's just an old rock 'n' roller playing music in a backstreet bar.
He sings a little flat and he never learned to play the guitar.
But he keeps on belting out them rhythm and blues,
"Long Tall Sally" and "Blue Suede Shoes".
He never faced the fact that he's never gonna be a star.
He's just an old rock 'n' roller playing music in a backstreet bar.
He had a record in the sixties, it was big enough to go Top Ten.
And though he tried and he tried he never could make it happen again.
He's been living twenty years on bourbon and pride.
Jerry Lee went crazy and Elvis died.
Then his third wife left him but he never really thought it would last.
And now she ain't nothing but another little blast from the past.
But sometimes late on a Saturday night when the crowd's out havin' fun,
He steps up on the mike with a gleam in his eye and once again he's twenty-one.
And then it's "Be-Bop-A-Lula" and "Heartbreak Hotel" and "That'll Be The Day"
Then the Sweet Bird of Youth just flies away.
He's an earthbound eagle that never did learn how to fly.
He ain't never gonna make it but he sure did give it a try.
So go dye your hair and turn the music up loud,
And when it's time to go at least you'll go down proud.
You ain't never gonna be nothing but what you are
Just an old rock 'n' roller playing music in a backstreet bar.
Ain't it good to be alive and be in Tennessee
When a man's been mistreated
When he been kicked around
He been laughed at and lied to
Oh, ya know, it keeps goin' down
When a man hits the bottom
One thing I know, yes I know
Ain't no place left to go
Ain't no place left to go
I've been locked down by a woman
Locked out in the street
I been locked up in a jail house
I've been locked into a bad bad dream
When a man hits the bottom
I'll tell you for sure
Ain't no place left to go
Ain't no place left to go
Blue is my color
Misery is my ball and chain
Thirteen is my number
Hard luck is my middle name
When a man hit the bottom
Tell you for sure
Ain't no place left to go
I was born in Memphis on the wrong side of town
Way back up in the projects
We didn't have much bet there was music all around
That was something we could respect
Memphis got the rythm Memphis got the soul
And you know that's a good sign
It's the home of Elvis, he's the king of rock & roll
And everybody had a good time
Willie's on the corner with his dancing shoes
Perry's in the alley cooking barbeque
BB's down on Beale Street and he's singing the blues
Everybody is alright
Ain't nobody uptight
Dancing in the moonlight
Muddy Mississippi roll on
Old man river keeps on playing his song
It'll get your fingers snapping
The first thing you know you're kinda grooving along
And your feet will start to tapping
Have you ever been to Memphis on a Saturday night
When everything is cooking
The whole town's rocking the music is hot and the girls are all good looking
The mighty Mississippi is muddy and wide
But there's people driving over from the Arkansas side
Get on out amongst us and we'll go for a ride
Hanging on the sidewalk
Talking all that jive talk
Nothing but a nighthawk
People say I'm no good
and crazy as a loon
Cause I get stoned in the mornin'
and get drunk in the afternoon
Kinda like my ol' blue tick hound
I like to lay around in the shade
And I ain't got no money
but I've damn sure got it made
(chorus)
And I ain't askin' nobody for nothing
if I can't get it on my own
If you don't like the way I'm livin'
you just leave this
long haired country boy alone
Preacher man talkin' on TV
puttin' down the rock and roll
He wants me to send a donation
cause he's worried about my soul
He said "Jesus walked on the water"
and I know that it's true
But sometimes I think that preacher man
might do a little walkin' too
(chorus)
(instrumental)
A poor girl wants to marry
and the rich girl wants to flirt
A rich man goes to college
and the poor man goes to work
A drunkard wants another drink of wine
and the politician wants a vote
I don't want much of nothing at all
but I will take another toke
They got a dance floor the size of Texas
They got a band seven nights a week
And if you don't show up before the sun goes down
You ain't gonna find a seat
They got some grown up Texas ladies
That's made their papas proud
They like their music country
And they like their country loud
Well, every Saturday night before they turn down the lights
And the band stars pickin' hot
They start dancin' on the tables
Dancin' on the ceilin', dancin' in the parking lot
You start fellin' it flow from your head to your toe
And you sure are glad you come
Down to Little Joe and Big Bill's
Dance hall and sugar hill bar-b-q emporium
When it comes to southern cookin'
They know what it's all about
They got some bar-b-q ribs and red beans and rice
Make you tongue snap your eyeballs out
And you don't wanna 'cause no trouble
Buddy 'less you're willin' to die
'Cause Big Bill will stomp a mud hole in you
And Little Joe will walk you dry
Well there's a cowboy's dream in tight blue jeans
Swingin' through the swingin' doors
And there's a long tall cutie scootin booty
Out there on the floor
Well I guess it's time to get in line
'Cause they house is startin' to hum
Down at Little Joe and Big Bill's
Dance hall and sugar hill bar-b-q emporium
Well every Saturday night when they turn up the lights
When it's just about time to close
The fiddlin' man takes the bow in his hand
And start rockin' San Antonia Rose
When you're walkin' out
There ain't no doubt that you sure had a whole lot of fun
Down at Little Joe and Big Bill's
Dance hall and sugar hill bar-b-q emporium
Down to Little Joe and Big Bill's
What will you do when you get lonely
With nobody waitin by your side?
You've been running and hiding much to long
You know it's just your foolish pride
CHORUS:
Layla, you got me on my knees
Layla, I'm begging darling please
Layla, darling won't you ease my worried mind
Layla, you got me on my knees
Layla, I'm begging darling please
Repeat Chorus
Repeat Chorus
Let's make the best of the situation
Before I finally go insane.
Please don't say we'll never find a way
And tell me all --- my love's in vain
Repeat Chorus
On a clear night, many many years ago
Two weary strangers moving slow
Were looking for a place to stay
But there was no place
Though they traveled many miles
So Mary being great with Child
Lay down on the sweet smelling hay.
Then a bright light fell from heaven
As a special star shone bright
And three wise men from a foreign land
Came to worship him that night
And in the clear night you could hear the angels sing
Praises to the newborn King
Jesus is the light of the world.
And the angels heralding the Holy Birth
Were singing Peace to men on Earth
Unto you is born a Son
And the shepherds
Though they had their flocks to tend
Journeyed unto Bethlehem
To behold the Holy One
And then the Boy grew up to be a Man
Come to set the captives free
Come to heal the sick and raise the dead
And to cause the blind to see
And the best part is even though
He's gone away
He'll be coming back someday
Jesus is the Light of the world.
And the best part is even though
He's gone away
He'll be coming back someday
Jesus is the Light of the world.
Jesus is the Light of the world.
Jesus
is the Light
Full moon rising cross the blue ridge mountains
It's just now starting to shine
It's about time. Yes, it's about time
Time to call up my baby and tell her that she's mine all mine
Big old stars just hanging in the night sky
Twinkling through the Georgia pines
It's about time. Yes, it's about time
Time to call up my baby and tell here that she's mine all mine
CHORUS
Every evening when the sun goes down
That old bluesy feeling comes around
I call my baby on the telephone
I can't wait until I get back home
Lonesome old train whistle blowing over yonder
Headed for the end of the line
It's about time yes it's just about time
Time to call up my baby and tell here that she's mine all mine
I'm hurtin'
Cause she's cheatin'
And I'm beggin'
Cause she's leavin'
And she's laughin'
And I'm cryin'
She done did everything
To bring a good man down
And this time she's really
Gone for real she's really gone
She took the house
I got the payment
She said beat it
I hit the pavement
I'm walkin'
She's ridin'
And that's my cherry red ragtop ford she's riding
This time she's really gone for real
She's really gone
She's gone and I'm danglin' in the wind
She's gone I got them empty bed blues again
Well this time she's really gone for real
She's really gone
She was foxy
She was classy
She was sexy
A little sassy
I was flyin
I was floatin
And then she pulled the plug
And I went down the drain
This time she's really
Gone for real she's really gone
Well she's officially, certified, absolutely
Positively, genuine, bona fide, never coming back again
Lady it's just your style the way you close your eyes and smile
When I hold you close and kiss you
The way you touch my hand, you always seem to understand
And when you're gone how much I miss you
Just being with you makes me high
That lovin' look that's in your eyes
Makes me stop and realize
How very much I love you
The special little things you do every morning waking up with you
Makes me want to live forever
We'll take whatever comes our way
If it's sunshine or rainy days,
Just as long as we're together
Thanks for being my best friend
Even if the world should end
And know you always can depend on
How very much I love you
I can't count the times I depended on you
You're all that keeps me in control
You are the melody heavenly sent for me
You are the music of my soul
Every night I close my eyes, turn my face up toward the sky
And thank the good Lord that I found you
I know that there could never be, anybody else for me
Just you and me and a little white pup
Sittin' here waiting for the sun to come up
To keep the chill away
Drinkin' our coffee at the first crack of dawn
Watchin' a doe while she nuzzles her fawn
It's my favorite time of the day
CHORUS:
High Lonesome
God don't ever let this mountain change
High Lonesome
I hope you will always stay the same
Sometimes in the evening when everything's still
Sweet mountain music floats over the hill
On a laurel-scented breeze
Sometimes when nightbirds are scolding the mist
I think I might know where heaven is
It's just above the trees
REPEAT CHORUS
Watchin' my summertimes turnin' to falls
Seein' my SON growing honest and tall
Keeps me satisfied
If I live forever or I die today
All I would ask is you just let me lay
Here on this mountainside
And sin kept my life in a whirl
Lust, greed and money and sensual pleasures
Mark the boundaries of my narrow world
I was headed for hell but as far as I fell
Your Spirit still followed me down
Then when I hit the bottom and cried out for mercy
You picked me up off the ground
(chorus)
Heart of my heart, rock of my soul
You changed my life when You took control
Thy will be done, God's only Son
Faithful and true
Lord of all Lords, King of all Kings
The sweet sacrifice of praises we bring
Worthy's the Lamb, all that I am
I give to you
Satan kept telling me that it was too late
I'd committed the unpardonable sin
But I knew he was lyin' when I felt conviction
Tug on my heart strings again
I'm not proud of the past but I can't do a thing
To make up for the time that I've lost
Now my heart and my soul
And what life I have left
I lay at the foot of the cross
chorus
I give to You
God Bless the Mother
Who brought up her baby boy
To believe that some things in this world
Are worth fighting for
The ones who raise the brave young men
Who're marchin' off to war
God Bless the Mother
God Bless the Father
Who taught his little girl
Freedom is a precious thing
And it's rare in this old world
The ones who wear their uniforms
Their land they proudly serve
God Bless the Father
[Chorus]
Christmas is a special time
When we want our loved ones near
There's a lot of lonesome homesick soldiers
Wishin' they were here
Lets say a prayer to the Lord Above
That they'll all be home next year
And the bells of Peace
Will Ring in the Holiday
God Bless America
We thank for the USA
We thank you for the Prince of Peace
Who was born on Christmas Day
And please protect our sons and daughters
In the land so far away
God Bless America
[Bridge]
[Chorus]
[Repeat third verse]
God Bless the Fathers
You can put me in the ocean
Stranded in a boat
Put me on an island
No bottle or a note
Put me on a Greyhound bus
With a dog behind the wheel
Tie me up, you'll still get stuck
With a hearing how I feel
Drop me in Alaska
In thirty feet of snow
Drop me at the cold north pole
Where the eskimos won't go
Drop me in the desert
With the heat of the burning sand
Ring my bell, but I'll still tell you
How I really stand
Get me back to Dixie
I love my Tennessee
In the Smokey Mountains
That's where I want to be
From the muddy Mississippi
To the land of the Cherokee
Get me back to Dixie
I love my Tennessee...
Love my Tennessee
(Fire on the mountain, run boys run!)
You can run me up a mountain
Where only eagles fly
Throw me down a cold dark well
Where I can't see the sky
Tie me to the railroad tracks
And read me my last rites
Long as that train don't stop
Until Tennessee is in sight
Get me back to Dixie
I love my Tennessee
In the Smokey Mountains
That's where I want to be
From the muddy Mississippi
To the land of the Cherokee
Get me back to Dixie
I love my Tennessee
Get me back to Dixie
I love my Tennessee...
Lamps in the windows burnin' bright, over in Santa Fe tonight
Full moon shining down along the border
But the ground is hard and the night is black
Over here by the railroad track
And I wish to the Lord that I was back in Georgia
Blue water in the evening sun,
Calling me when the day is done
Mama mama pray for your son
All of my life I've been told
That the LA streets was paved with gold
Fame and fortune waiting to reward ya
But it didn't take long to understand
California ain't the promised land
But at least a man's a man in Georgia
Blue skys in the mornin' there
And there's green trees and breathin' air
Rockabye in my easy chair
Well the St. Marys River in the Georgia moonlight
Flowing under the Folkston Bridge
The sun comes up through the long leaf pine trees
Over 'round the Kingsland ridge
I may be here but my mind is still
About 90 miles north of Jacksonville
Well I may not make it, it's a long ole road
But mama I've paid all the debts I owe
And if I don't you know they gonna find me tryin'
They took my songs and they took my soul
They made me hard and they made me old
Hell I just been born, but I feel just like I'm dying
Jamming down the highway, feelin’ no pain
Thanks to Mother nature, two wheels and a chain
It's good to be alive and the Sun is shinin' brighter
Whisper in my ear, girl, hold on a little tighter
(Chorus)
You know it's alright. living and lovin' every day and
night
Thanking the lord for the music in me
Piece of mind and feeling free
Soon I'll be on the road, pickin' guitar
Knowing that my home ain't very far
But don't you worry sweet thing ‘cause you know I'll be
there
To kiss my Tennessee girl with the long golden hair
(Repeat Chorus)
Some say I'm livin' too hard but it couldn't be better
I know I'll be movin' on sooner or later
So all I'm asking you is to give me a hand
and think of me Girl as I travel the Land
*Laisse le bon temps rouler!
Hey baby won't you stop what you're doin'
Go on home put your red dress on
Tell you mama I said not to worry
I'll have you home before the break of dawn
Sonnier's got his squeeze box pumping
Thibadeaux's got his fiddle out
Meet me over by the side of the river
There's big doins down at Boudreaux's house
CHORUS:
Take my bateaux down to the bayou
Pole on over to the fais do do
Don't be late
Don't keep me waitin'
Everybody's gonna go
I wanna be there when the band starts playin'
Zydeco music makes me wanna dance
Sun's goin' down and a full moon's shinin'
Mighty fine night for the big romance
I've got a question, I just might pop it
I know something that you don't know
I got a ring of gold in my pocket
Tonight's the night and you can't say no
REPEAT CHORUS 2x
The Devil went down to Georgia
He was lookin' for a soul to steal
He was in a bind 'cause he was way behind
And he was willin' to make a deal
When he came across this young man
Sawin' on a fiddle and playin' it hot
And the Devil jumped up on a hickory stump
And said, "Boy, let me tell you what"
I guess you didnt know it
But I'm a fiddle player too
And if you care to take a dare
I'll just make a bet with you"
"Now you play a pretty good fiddle, boy
But give the Devil his due
I'll bet a fiddle of gold against your soul
'Cos I think I'm better than you"
The boy said, "My name's Johnny
And it might be a sin
But I'll take your' bet, you're gonna regret
Cause I'm the best there's ever been"
Johnny your rosin up your bow and play your fiddle hard
'Cause hell's broke loose in Georgia and the Devil deals the cards
And if you win you get this shiny fiddle made of gold
But if you lose the Devil gets your soul
The Devil opened up his case
And he said, "I'll start this show"
And fire flew from his fingertips
As he rosined up his bow
And then he pulled the bow across the strings
And it made an evil hiss
And a band of demons joined in
And it sounded something like this
When the Devil finished
Johnny said, "well you're pretty good old son
But just sit down in that chair right there
Let me show you how its done
Fire on the mountain, run boys, run
The Devil's in the House of the Rising Sun
Chicken in the bread pan pickin' at dough
Granny does your dog bite? No child, no
The Devil bowed his head
Because he knew that he'd been beat
And he laid that golden fiddle
On the ground at Johnny's feet
Johnny said, "Devil,just come on back
If you ever wanna try again
I done told you once you son of a bitch
I'm the best there's ever been"
He played, 'Fire on the Mountain', run boys, run
The Devil's in the House of the Rising Sun
Chicken in the bread pan pickin' at dough
The first things I remember are frosty Carolina mornings with a cheery fire
crackling in my mommas big black wood cook stove
I remember snow flakes as big as goose feathers and the moon the color of new
made country butter and a night sky like diamonds against black velvet reaching
from horizon to horizon
I remember when the biggest problems in my barefoot life were sand spurs and
red ant hills
I remember sitting with my grand daddy on the front porch and watching the last
of that magnificent southern sun bleed away into the twilight sky
I remember sunday school and kneeling at the cross and trying to imagine what
God looked like sunday dinner short pants hair cuts and a little puppy my
daddy brought home to me and I remember love
I remember steam puffing fire breathing awesome 10 wheel locomotives and the
conductors watch looked as big as one of my grand mothers biscuits
I remember my mother smiling in a red and white cherckered dress and christmas
always seemed so far away yes I remember you Carolina grand old lady if the
south
I remember you as home
One of the memories that stays on my mind
about an old southern lady that I left behind
is a ramshackle bridge where the deep river winds
and an old two-lane blacktop through the tall long-leaf pines
Carolina, Carolina
You're hard but you're hard to forget
I still remember the magnolia nights
and goosefeather snow flakes in the gray morning light
sandspurs and puppies and red autumn leaves
and the warm lights in the clear night on a cold Christmas Eve
Carolina, Carolina
You're hard but you're hard to forget
Carolina I knew you
before the highways got to you
and I loved you as one of your own
and I still do
Carolina, Carolina
You're hard but you're hard to forget
Wild as a coastal boranca, swift as the wind blowin' free
With two eyes like fire brands that glow in the night
Somewhere up there he's waitin' for me
And he knows that I'm coming for him
I just can't rest 'til I find
That raven black stallion, who wears no man's brand
With a wild restless spirit like mine
They call him Caballo Diablo
Half horse and half devil they say
Caballo Diablo the outlaw
Of the blanca Sierra Madre
Two men before tried to take him
They had their chance one by one
But each met his fate when those flashin' black hooves
Brought death 'neath the Mexican sun
Still I can't leave I must find him
You fool of a horse can't you see
I may be half man, but the other half's devil
And you're just exactly like me
(refrain)
Even the breeze has stopped movin'
Hush now - be still
Don't make a sound and stay close to the ground
Cause he's waitin' just over that hill
Downwind behind him move quickly
Do it fast now, he's startin' to stir
Grab a hand full of mane and up onto his back
And start breaking him down with my spurs
But try as he will he can't shake me
As over the precipice we go
To spill the lifes blood of a horse and a man
On the rocky Sierra below
On a cold concrete sidewalk, on the corner of fifth and main
Sits an old black blind man, and no one knows his name
He plays the same old guitar, he plays the same old tune
And when the people pass him by, some are heard to say
Words and Music: CHARLIE DANIELS
Tabbed by Jerry Gant
Dm C
IN THE SOUTHERN PART OF TEXAS, EAST AND WEST OF EL PASO
A7 Dm
WHERE THE MIGHTY FRANKLIN MOUNTAINS GUARD THE TRAIL TO MEXICO
THERE'S A NEW-MADE WIDOW CRYING AND A HEARSE A ROLLIN SLOW
A7 Dm C/E F C/E Dm
I GUESS THE DEVILS PASSED THIS WAY AGAIN
THERE'S A LATHERED SORREL STALLION RUNNING THRU THE JOSHUA TREES
AND A YOUNG MAN IN THE SADDLE WITH HIS COAT TAILS IN THE BREEZE
HE'S GOT A SIX GUN ON HIS RIGHT HIP AND A RIFLE AT HIS KNEES
A7 Dm C Dm C F C
AND HE'S DEALING IN A GAME THAT HE CAN'T WIN
CHORUS
Dm C
POOR BILLY BONNEY, YOU'RE ONLY 21,
Bb F
PAT GARRETT'S GOT YOUR NAME ON EVERY BULLET IN HIS GUN
EVERY NOTCH YOU CARVE ON YOUR SIX GUN
HAS A BLOODY TALE TO TELL
Am7 Dm
YOU'RE A MILE AHEAD OF GARRETT AND A STEP OUTSIDE OF HELL
THOSE FANCY CLOTHES YOUR WEARIN AND THE WOMEN IN YOUR BED
CAN'T TAKE AWAY THE TRACES OF THE MEN THAT YOU'VE LEFT DEAD
AS YOU RIDE ACROSS THE BAD LANDS WITH A PRICE UPON YOUR HEAD
AND NOW THE WHEEL OF FORTUNE STARTS TO Turn
YOU'RE REPUTATION'S GROWN TILL IT'S THE BIGGEST IN THE LAND
AND THERE AIN'T ALOT OF PEOPLE LEFT WHO WANT TO CALL YOUR HAND
AND I GUESS YOU'LL GO DOWN SHOOTIN AND LIKE ALL BRANDED MEN
WHEN YOU SHAKE HANDS WITH THE DEVIL YOU GET BURNED
We got some trouble in our own back yard.
Things are are kinda tough, times are kinda hard.
Got a lot of people livin' out in the street, people goin' hungry without nothin' to eat,
and in this land of plenty, this souldn't be goin' on.
We got enough for everybody we just gonna have to pass it along.
Well I'm glad about the fall of communism, I'm glad about the
Berlin wall, and I like seein' old Saddam bite the dust, in fact I'm glad about it all.
And I believe in helping everybody,
but when it comes to all them foreign loans,
I think we oughta remember that charity begins at home.
Yes it starts right now in (America, America,)
I know the sun is risin' on a better day.
(America, America,) we got the power and we know the way.
(America, America,) well let me say a few words about the Red, White, and Blue.
(America, America,) I know you're gonna do it I believe in you.
Now I been tryin' to figure this out, but there's somethin' that I just don't know.
How can you make things better when you
take our jobs, and send 'um down to Mexico?
And then there was this big shot, from the land of the risin' sun.
He said the workin' people in America were lazy and dumb.
Well let me tell you somethin' Jack.
The next time I go on a shopping trip, and take somethin' off of the rack,
if it don't say, "Made in the U.S.A." I'm just gonna put it back.
We can't leave it to the politicians, cause they don't do nothin' but talk,
and it's we the people that are gonna have to walk the walk.
And we can do it right now in (America, America,)
hey I know the sun is risin' on a better day.
(America, America,) yeah we got the power and we know the way.
(America, America,) now let me say a few words about the Red, White, and Blue.
(America, America,) I know you're gonna do it I believe in you.
Well we got the best dang farmers in the whole wide world.
The fastest horses and the prettiest girls. We got the Army, the
Navy, Air Force, and Marines, the mightiest fightin' force the world's ever seen.
We the kinda people that can get things done,
We're servin' notice that we're still number one.
We got the nerve (We got the nerve.), we got the will,
(We got the will.), we are all together cause you know that we are still.
(America, America,) well I know the sun is risin' it's a risin' on a better day.
(America, America,) hey, hey we got the power and we know the way.
(America, America,) now let me say a few words about the Red, White, and Blue.
I was hanging in out in L.A. looking for a real cool place to go
I struck up a conversation with this dude wearing hip hop clothes
He said you talk like you're from Texas let me welcome you to our town
An I hope you have a real find day
But don't you let me catch you when the sun goes down
CHORUS
We got scalawags we got queens in drag we got pushers pimps and punks
We got crips and bloods we got dykes and studs
We've got junkies thieves and drunks
This is where the juice got turned aloose and if you ain't caught on yet
Ain't no law in California
Welcome to the wild wild west
He said there's women in this city that are just too low down to crawl
And homeboys packing pieces they'll shoot you just to watch you fall
You'ld better get on back to Hicksville that's the bast thing you can do
There's hustlers hoods and outlaws that'd love to find a country boy like you
(chorus)
What this world needs is
a few more rednecks
Some people who ain't
afraid to take a stand
What this world needs is
a little more respect
For the Lord and the law
and the workin' man
We could use a little
peace and satisfaction
Some good people up front
to take the lead
A little less talk and
a little more action
And a few more rednecks
is what we need
I was raised on beans and cornbread
and I like my chicken fried
Yes I drive a pickup truck
and I'm full of American pride
I keep a Bible on my table
I got a flag out on my lawn
And I don't believe in mindin'
no one's business but my own
And I love them Rambo movies
I think they make a lot of sense
And it's a shame ol' John Wayne
didn't live to run for president
And I don't care what nobody says
I don't trust ole Gorbachev
And I don't know who turned him on
but it's time to turn him off
(chorus)
Now they're tryin' to take my guns away
and that would be just fine
If you take 'em away
from the criminals first
I'll gladly give ya mine
And I don't mind payin' taxes
but it makes my temper itch
When my hard earned money goes
to make some politician rich
What most people call a redneck
ain't nothin' but a workin' man
And he makes his livin'
by the sweat of his brow
and the calluses on his hands
Now you intellectuals may not like it
but there ain't nothin' that you can do
Cause there's a whole lot
more of us common-folks
then there ever will be of you
(chorus)
That's what we need
And a few more rednecks
Wild wild young men they like to have a good time
They chase too many women they drink to much wine
Going for a wild ride stomping on the gas
Walking on the wild side living way too fast
Playing in hot game they ain't never gonna win
Wild wild young men
Wild wild young men
Wild wild young men like to party down
They got money in their pocket they're gonna spread it around
They try to make a big point of acting like a fool
Hanging out in the juke joints trying to be real cool
They're bound to come to some bad end
Wild wild young men
Wild wild young men
Young girl let me tell you don't give your heart
To no wild wild young man cause he'll tear it apart
You ain't nothing but a sweet toy put your head in a spin
He's just a honky tonk cowboy a feather in the wind
Don't care about no one but his so called friends
(Chorus)
What this world needs is a few more rednecks
Some people ain't afraid to take a stand
What this world needs is a little more respect
For the Lord and the law and the workin' man
We could use a little peace and satisfaction
Some good people up front to take the lead
A little less talk and a little more action
And a few more rednecks is what we need
I was raised on beans and cornbread
And I like my chicken fried
Yes, I drive a pickup truck
And I'm full of American pride
I keep a Bible on my table
I got a flag out on my lawn
And I don't believe in mindin'
No one's business but my own
And I love them Rambo movies
I think they make a lot of sense
And it's a shame ole John Wayne
Didn't live to run for president
[And I'm a catfish connoisseur
And I love the Lynyrd Skynyrd band
And I'm crazy about the NFL
And I'm a diehard NASCAR Fan]
And I don't care what nobody says
I don't trust ole Gorbachev
And I don't know who turned him on
But it's time to turn him off
(Chorus)
Now they're tryin' to take my guns away
And that would be just fine
If you take 'em away from the criminals first
I'll gladly give ya mine
And I don't mind payin' taxes
But it makes my temper itch
When my hard earned money goes
To make some politician rich
What most people call a redneck
Ain't nothin' but a workin' man
And he makes his livin'
By the sweat of his brow
And the calluses on his hands
Now you intellectuals may not like it
But there ain't nothin' that you can do
Cause there's a whole lot more of us common-folks
Then there ever will be of you
(Chorus)
That's what we need
Intro:
(D - G - D - Bm - D - A - D)
(D) I've been thinking back over my life,
And (G) some of the questions I've (D) had.
I've thought about living,
I've thought about (Bm) dying.
And (E) what makes me happy or (A) sad.
Well (D) most of my questions I've kept to myself,
Like, (G) "Why in the world was I (D) born?"
But the number one question I'd like to (Bm) ask,
(D) I'd like to (A) ask of the (D) Lord.
Chorus:
(D) Jesus how could You love me,
Oh sweet (G) Jesus how could You love (D) me.
Cause when I had a choice between good and (Bm) bad,
I (D) picked bad (A) two out of (D) three.
(D) What makes a man start looking around,
When he's (G) already got a good (D) wife.
What makes a man pour drink from a (Bm) bottle,
When he (E) knows it can cut like a (A) knife.
Tho' (D) some are called good,
Some are called bad,
We have (G) all been tempted and (D) charmed.
But all of us sinners,
The man in the (Bm) sandals will (D) welcome right (A) back in his (D) arms.
Call up Trudy on the telephone
Send a letter in the mail
Tell her I'm hung up in Dallas
And they won't let me outta this jail
And if she asks you how I'm fairing
Tell her I'm just about to lose my mind
Worried about old Johnny Lee Walker
And the girl I left behind
Now Johnny Lee Walker was a card mechanic
Had a hand for trouble and a eye for cash
Luckiest man in Dallas County
He had a gold watch chain and a black mustache
And he loved his whiskey and he loved his women
Drove a big long Cadillac limosine
Kept a big fine fancy townhouse in Dallas
And a hotel suite in New Orleans
Carried a switchblade knife in his left hip pocket
And a 44 hog leg up under his coat
Cut you down in a New York minute
If he catch you cheating that was all she wrote
So call up Trudy on the telephone
Send her a letter in the mail
Tell her I'm hung up in Dallas
And they won't let me outta this jail
If she asks you how I'm fairing
Tell her I'm just about to lose my mind
Worried about old Johnny Lee Walker
And the girl I left behind
I just got to town last Friday evening
Sure as hell didn't mean to stay
I was on my way back to Louisiana
Had a powerful thirst and six months pay
I met a peroxide blonde in a bar on D-ville
I was flying high and feeling mean
Poured down a bottle and a half of red eye
I dropped 35 dollars in the slot machine
And the boys in the back was dealing 7 card
I set down and won me a 110
I was raking in chips like Grant took Richmond
Till big Johnny Lee come a strolling in
He red dogged the table like a 707
Pretty soon he done won all of my bread
I accused him of cheating he reached for a pistol
I grabbed a chair and went upside of his head
Then I took off a running like a motorcycle
Heard the bullets whining and sirens wail
But it took half the cops in Dallas County
Just to put one coon *** boy in jail
So call up Trudy on the telephone
Send her a letter in the mail
Tell her I'm hung up in Dallas
And they won't let me outta this jail
And if she asks you how I'm fairing
Tell her I'm just about to lose my mind
Worried about old Johnny Lee Walker
This ain't no rag it's a flag
and we don't wear it on our heads
It's a symbol of the land
where the good guys live
are you listening to what I said?
You're a coward and a fool
and you broke all of the rules
and you wounded our American pride
And now we're coming with a gun
and we know you're gonna run
but you can't find no place to hide
We're gonna hunt you down like a mad dog hound
make you pay for the lives you stole
We're all through talking and a messing around
and now it's time to rock and roll
These colors don't run and we speak as one
when we say united we stand
When you mess with one, you mess with us all
every boy, girl, woman and man
You've been acting mighty rash
and talking that trash
let me give you some advice
You can crawl back in your hole
like a dirty little mole
but now it's time to pay the price
You might of shot us in the back
now you have to face the fact
that the big boys' in the game
And the lightning's been flashing
and the thunder's been crashing
and now it's getting ready to rain
This is the United States of America
the land of the brave and the free
We believe in God and
we believe in justice
we believe in liberty
You've been pulling our chain
we should've done something 'bout
you a long time ago
But now the flag's flying high
and the fur's gonna fly
and soon the whole world's gonna know
This ain't no rag, it's a flag
old Glory red, white and blue
The stars and the stripes
when it comes to a fight
we can do what we have to do
Our people stand proud
the American crowd is faithful, loyal and tough
We're good as the best and better than the rest
and you're gonna find out soon enough
When you look up in the sky
and you see the eagle fly
you better know he's a heading your way
Cause this ain't no rag it's a flag
and it stands for the
When you look up in the sky
and you see the eagle fly
you better know he's a heading your way
Cause this ain't no rag it's a flag
and it stands for the USA
Momma I fear the night is falling
Blacker than jet and cold as ice
And somewhere a gentle voice is calling
And I hear the sounds of paradise
See the innocent dying
Has the world gone insane
Now the death angelsflying
And he's calling my name
I know this will be my finest hour
I stand face to face with the enemy
Defying his awesome evil power
And hold my light high for the world to see
And nothing else matters
Just hold fast to the right
See the enemy scatter
See his forces take flight
Momma don't shed a tear for me
Don't wring your hands and moan
Remember it's darkest
Just before dawn
You know we'll meet again
Around that shining throne
My hands were not empty
I was never alone
See the innocent dying
Has the world gone insane
Now the death angels are flying
Well if you ever go back
into Wooley Swamp well
you better not go at night
There's things out there
in the middle of them woods
that'd make a strong man cry with fright
Things that crawl and things that fly
and things that creep around on the ground
And they say the ghost of Lucius Clay
gets up and it walks around
(chorus)
But I couldn't believe it
I just had to find out for myself
And I couldn't conceive it
cause I never would listen to nobody else
No I couldn't believe it
I just had to find out for myself
Some things in this world
you just can't explain
(spoken)
The old man lived in the Wooley Swamp
way back in the booger woods
He never did do a lot of harm in the world
but he never did do no good
People didn't think too much of him
they all thought he acted funny
The old man didn't care about people anyway
all he cared about was his money.
He'd stuff it all down in Mason jars
and bury it all around
And on certain nights when the moon was right
he'd dig it up out of the ground
He'd pour it all out on the floor of his shack
and run his fingers through it
Yeah ol' Lucius Clay was a greedy old man
and that's all there ever was to it
(chorus)
(spoken)
The Crayver boys was white trash
they lived over on Carver's Creek
They were mean as a snake and sneaky as a cat
and belligerent when they'd speak.
One night the oldest brother said
"Ya'll meet in the Wooly Swamp later
we'll take old Lucius's money and
we'll feed him to the alligators"
They found the old man out in
the back with a shovel in his hand
And thirteen rusty Mason jars
he just dug up out of the sand
And they all went crazy and they beat the old man
then they picked him up off the ground
Then they threw him in the swamp
and they stood there and laughed
as the black water sucked him down
Then they turned around and went back to the shack
and they picked up the money and ran.
But hadn't gone nowheres when they realized
they were running in quicksand.
And they struggled and screamed
but they couldn't get away
And just before they went under
they could hear that old man laughing
in a voice that was loud as thunder
That's been fifty years ago
an' if you go by there yet
There's a spot in the yard in back of that shack
where the ground is always wet
And on certain nights if the moon is right
and you're down by the dark wood path
You can hear three young men screaming
and you can hear one old man laugh
(sung)
Well if you ever go back
into Wooley Swamp well
you better not go at night
There's things out there
in the middle of them woods
that'd make a strong man cry with fright
Things that crawl and things that fly
and things that creep around on the ground
And they say the ghost of Lucius Clay
gets up and it walks around
(chorus)
(spoken)
Some things in this world
When I was a young man in Sweetwater Texas
Just one thing stayed on my mind
To ride a white horse over Durango Mountain
And leave Sweetwater Texas behind
Well I turned twenty-one there in Sweetwater Texas
And just one thing made me stay there
I wanted to leave but I was in love with
the girl with the chestnut brown hair
Then there came a time
when she said she be mine
And go any place anytime
So we rode a gray dog over Durango Mountain
And left Sweetwater Texas behind
It was thunderin' and lightin' when we left Nolan County
And the bus rolled along through the night
And ole thirty-six was a magic black demon
leading towards the cities bright lights
It was ten in the mornin' when we rolled in to Houston
Our hopes where as high as the sky
But hopes turned to weeks, then to years, and then forever
I never knew how fast time goes by
And there was cowboys sellin' cars
and country girls in bars
Somehow it just don't seem fair
And I wanted to die 'cause I knew I was losin'
The girl with the chestnut brown hair
So many times I said
I would rather be dead
than to take downs to go to bed
and ups to clear my head
And if the good Lord see the way
to let me live one more day
I'm so tired of being alone
Gonna ride a white horse over Durango Mountain
Well it's easy for a country boy to be misunderstood
When the honky tonks are jumping and the girls are looking good
Yeah, I get excited and some people think I'm rude
It's the way my daddy raised me it's my rebel attitude
CHORUS:
I'm a southern boy
Southern born and bred
I've got Sweet Home Alabama buzzing all around in my head
I'm right at home in Georgia or down in Caroline
Yeah I'd be happy anywhere below that Mason-Dixon line
A working and a sweating 'til I hear that whistle blow
Country rock a cooking on my pick-up radio
I rush home for a shower and put on my dancing shoes
I get the Friday fever and the Sunday morning blues
I'm a southern boy
I like a rowdy crowd
Put Bocephus on the jukebox and turn that sucker way up loud
Don't need a reservation
We're just a-having fun
Yeah it's party time in Dixie
Ya'll just come on down and get ya some
From Rockingham to Birmingham
Mobile to New Orleans
Jacksonville to Copper Hill
Pike to Bowling Green
Layfayette to Somerset
Boone to Rocky Mount
If you don't live in Dixie then
You're only camping out
I'm a southern boy
I say my sirs and m'ams
I'm kinda rough around the edges but I'm mighty proud of who I am
Roll on Mississippi rock on Tennessee
If it was good enough for Elvis you know it's good enough for me
I said, if it was good enough for Elvis you know it's good enough for me
I ain't nothing but a simple man
call me a redneck, I reckon that I am
But there's things goin' on
that make me mad down to the core
I have to work like a dog to make ends meet
There's crooked politicians
and crime in the street
and I'm madder than hell and
I ain't gonna take it no more
We tell our kids to just say no
and then some panty waist judge
lets a drug dealer go
And he slaps him on the wrist
and he turns him back out on the town
Well, if I had my way with people sellin' dope
I'd take a big tall tree and a short piece of rope
and hang 'em up high and let 'em
swing till the sun goes down
(chorus)
Well you know what's wrong with the world today?
People done gone and put their Bibles away
There livin' by law of the jungle
not the law of the land
Well the good book says it
so I know it's the truth
An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth
You'd better watch where you go
and remember where you've been
That's the way I see it I'm a simple man
Now I'm the kind of man
that wouldn't harm a mouse
But if I catch somebody
breakin' in my house
I've got a twelve gauge shotgun
waitin' on the other side
So don't go pushin' me against my will
I don't want to have to fight you
but I durn sure will
So if you don't want trouble
then you'd better just pass me on by
As far as I'm concerned there ain't no excuse
for the raping and the killing and the child abuse
And I've got a way to put and end to all that mess
You just take those rascals out in the swamp
put them on their knees and tie 'em to a stump
and let the rattlers and the bugs
and the alligators do the rest
Well you pass around the pipe and you all get high
Never even stop and wonder why
Maybe it's because you wanna die
Maybe it's just the way things have to be
You stay up late and drink too damn much whiskey
You know that sort of thing is kind of risky
Maybe it's just because you like to feel frisky
Maybe it's just because you like to feel free
Saddle Tramp
How many people watch you ridin' by
Like a thunder cloud that floats
Across the Arizona sky
And wonder if they're looking
At a mighty happy man
Or just a lonely breeze that drifts
Across the endless desert sand
Well it's gettin' kinda cold in Ruidoso
Abilene ain't gettin' any closer
One more drink, one more hand of poker
'Cause a fool and his money's
Gonna have to part
You're too proud to ever show your sorrow
You don't steal and you won't beg or borrow
You may be here today but you're gone tomorrow
There ain't no strings on your boot heels
Or your heart
Saddle Tramp
How many people watch you ride away
Wonder why you never promise
To come back some day
Maybe thinking you were holding
All the pieces in your hand
Or are they slippin' through your fingers
Like the endless desert sand
1976 Hat Band Music
International Copyright Secured
Well, down in Mississippi, there's a little bitty town
And there ain't much happens 'till the sun goes down
Then all the people come from miles around
To hear a little four-piece band
There's a dog house bass and a kid on the drums
And a guitar picker just as hot as they come
Up steps a man with a bow on his thumb and a fiddle in his hand
He tunes up the fiddle and he rosins up the bow
And he plays an old tune called "Cotton Eyed Joe"
And they dance all night on a hard wood floor to the redneck fiddlin' man
CHORUS:
Good times go by easy
Good times fly away
One night some boys from town came by
With a bellyfull of liquor and the devil in their eye
And they said, "Old man, you're way out'a style
You don't play Rock N' Roll"
Well, he picked up his fiddle with style and ease
And he played a little rock just as pretty as you please
Then he bent down, turned around, knocked them to their knees
When he played a little mountain soul
Then, he tightened up his bow and he made another pass
And he played "Sally Good'N" kinda' rowdy and fast
Then he played a little blues and he played a little jazz
Just to show them he could do it all
CHORUS
Well, he tuned up the fiddle and he rosined up the bow
And he played an old song called "Cotten Eyed Joe"
INTRO SOLO
A E You may be down, you may be out Fm E D
With nothing to be glad about A E
But you can stand right up and shout D E
'Cause Jesus died for you
You may think that you can't cope
Fm E D
You may be drunk or hooked on dope
Believe me brother, you've still got hope
'Cause Jesus died for you
Maybe you ain't got a dime
You're standing in the welfare line
Or maybe you're in prison doin your time
But Jesus died for you
Satan may have you in retreat
But you won't go down in defeat
'Cause you can sittin in the mercy seat
'Cause Jesus died for you
FIRST CHORUS
E D A
He died for you - to complete salvation's plan
E D A
He died for you - He's got nail scars in His hands E A C#m
He bore the cross - to sanctify the lost B
All you've got to do is believe it, E
Get down on your knees and receive it!
You may think you're too far gone
You've sinned so bad you can't atone
But bow your head and come on home
'Cause Jesus died for you
SHORT SOLO
This ol' world keeps falling apart
But you don't have to let it break your heart
You can make a brand new start
'Cause Jesus died for you
Now Satan is a mighty foe
But just stand firm because you know
You've got a better place to go
'Cause Jesus died for you
When there's trouble in the wind
Or when you face the bitter end
You can start all over again
'Cause Jesus died for you
You can face death with a smile
Laugh at all your troubles and trials
Never have to walk another lonely mile
Jesus died for you!
SECOND CHORUS
He died for you - to break the devil's hold
He died for you - to redeem your mortal soul
Don't be afraid - 'Cause you debt has done been paid
You just come and do your best -- The Holy Spirit's gonna do the rest!
SOLO
REPEAT FIRST CHORUS
Makes no difference how wrong you've been
How heavy is your load of sin
The door's still open come on in
'Cause Jesus died for you
Now you may think you're too far gone
You've sinned so bad you can't atone
But bow your head and come on home
'Cause Jesus died for you D
A Jesus died for you D
A Jesus died for you
The hero in the big white house
Shakes his head and moans about
The misery of his fellow man
Just as though he really cared
While the hand he holds behind his back
Conceals the truth from those he is deceivin'
The camera rolls another reel
While the robots on the hill
Are dashing madly to and fro
Smiling at the status quo
While in the secret, smoke-filled rooms
They sell the very air that you are breathing
When it's payback time
And you take that final ride
When there is no place to run to
And there ain't no place to hide
The supreme court of the universe
Where justice is not blind
And no prisoners will be taken
When it's payback time
Another day, another knife
Another precious unborn life
Will never see the light of day
Will never run or jump or play
It's just another sacrifice
To that greenback god of choice you are serving
Their blood cries out to be avenged
And someday you will cower and cringe
Where the books don't lie and the judge don't deal
No high-priced lawyers to appeal
Where the verdict is eternal
And you can't escape the verdict you're deserving
When it's payback time and heaven rules supreme
When your gold and silver's worthless
And you stand before the King
When your nightmares are reality
And there is no exit sign
And it's too late for repentance
When it's payback time
The sun comes up the pendulum swings
And each new frightening morning brings
The children's cries, the cannon roar
More loudly than the day before
The wax of time is drippin' down
From both ends of that candle burning brightly
A mighty shout, a trumpet blast
When the last is first and the first is last
The world is hushed and time stands still
And the final chapter is fulfilled
The sky will part each knee will bow
To greet the awesome hour of His returning
When it's payback time
And the sheep are gathered in
When the roll is called up yonder
And eternity begins
When the wedding supper's ready
And the faithful called to dine
Who'll be sitting at the table
When it's payback time
CHORUS:
My baby plays me just like a fiddle
She knows I love her a lot not a little
I'm just a stick that she likes to whittle
I got a heart and she's in the middle of it
I got the hoe cakes she's got the griddle
My baby plays me just like a fiddle
I come home at night
She wants to go dancin'
I'm so doggone tired
I just don't feel like romancin'
Then she walks into the room
With those blue jeans painted on
Then I change my tune
It's always the same old song
REPEAT CHORUS
My buddies call to ask
If I want to go fishin'
For some large mouth bass
Then she says she's been wishin'
We could stay at home
Then she gives me that look
She's got that red dress on
And she's got me on the hook
REPEAT CHORUS
She's goes to the stereo
Takes of my Lynyrd Skynyrd
She puts on Julio
And the light starts gettin' dimmer
She says I love you
Puts them arms around my neck
I smell French perfume
And I know what's coming next
REPEAT CHORUS
Midnight train, roll on
Midnight train, roll on
Clear them tracks and keep that whistle blowin
Take this stranger on to Santa Fe
It seems like romance and danger
Follow this here tall dark stranger all along the way
Well the train was rumblin through the night heading south to Santa Fe
And in a fancy car, with a private bar, and a personal valet
There was a bunch of cold eyed men a sittin at a poker table
Bettin hot stakes all around
Ole Louisiana Lou had a knife in his shoe, was dealin' a hand of cards
And ole Stagger Lee Crocket had a gun in his pocket, was sweatin bettin hard
And over in the corner this Mexican guy with two gold teeth and a patch on his eye
Took a long hard look around
And then the door flew open, the stranger walked in and said don't ya'll get excited
I know this here's a private game, and I know I wasn't invited
But I got a roll that'd choke a mule
I'm just about a big enough fool to lay it all right down
And everybody nodded as the stranger took his seat
He knew this bunch of cutthroat's would be mighty hard to beat
As the stranger knew then the toughest two by far were where he sat
Was a pot belly fellow from south Alabama, and a dude in a black felt hat
Midnight Train, roll on
Midnight Train, roll on
Well clear them tracks and keep that whistle blowin
Take this stranger on to Santa Fe
It seems like romance and danger
Follow this here tall dark stranger all along the way
Well the stranger sat down he looked around at all them evil faces
And the pot-belly fellow drew a pair of queens, but the stranger he drew aces
And he kept on raising and pushin his luck, kept on winning like a run away truck
He was giving them a beating
And the stakes got higher than a Chinese kite, the stranger kept getting hot
Till every cent everybody had was lying out in that pot
Then the stranger threw down a royal flush,
Somebody said “Hey Man, that's enough friend I think you've been cheatin"
Little folks are people too
Very much like me and you
The little things they say and do
They kinda make your day
Foolishness and common sense
Through the eyes of innocence
Skip a rope or jump a fence
Gettin' in the way
Daddy, why are you so tall?
Daddy, why am I so small?
Daddy, who makes snowflakes fall?
Could it be the Lord?
Chasing puppies, climbin' trees
Bumping heads and skinnin' knees
It's not very hard to see
That kids are God's reward
Little folks get down and out
The girls will cry and boys will pout
Before you know what it's about
They're smiling once again
Colored kites on summer breeze
Jingle Bells and Christmas trees
Too soon they're only memories
Do you remember when?
Daddy, what makes eagles fly?
What makes clouds float in the sky?
And Daddy, if I really try
Will I grow up someday?
But little folks slip through our hands
Like so many grains of sand
You'd best enjoy them while you can
When I was a boy on my daddys knee
that's when he said these words to me
Said "listen to what I'm gonna tell you son
and you can help the world go round
Don't climb no mountain cause you might slip
and I know you'll drown if saving ships
Here's a guitar all shiny and red
and it makes a magic sound"
(chorus)
Roll, roll, let it roll
Let it flood down to your soul
Let it talk, let it swing
Play that music, let it ring
Now you can pick Buddy Holly
Chuck Berry too, and you can
do anything that you wanna do
Won't cause no harm
and never started no wars
and it sounds like father rain
They can call it county, they can call it rock
but I'll play this sucker till the day I drop
If you got any troubles just tune on in
cause it'll ease away your pain
(chorus)
(instrumental)
Some folks get them college degrees
and then they open up an office
and they charge big fees
I never was good for much at all
except for playin' kinda loud
I could feel it in my feet
hear it in my head
I even played that music
when I'm laying in bed
It never did get me anywhere at all
but it makes me kinda proud
(chorus)
Come on and roll, roll, let it roll
Let it flood down to your soul
Let it talk, let it swing
Well the eagle's been flying slow
and the flag's been flying low
And a lot of people are saying
that America's fixing to fall
But speaking just for me
and some people from Tennessee
we got a thing or two to tell you all
This lady may have stumbled
but she ain't never fell
And if the Russians don't believe that
they can all go straight to hell
We're gonna put her feet back on
the path of righteousness and then
God bless America again
(chorus)
And you never did think that
it ever would happen again
In America, did you?
You never did think that
we'd ever get together again
Well we damn sure fooled you
We're walking real proud and
we're talking real loud again in America
You never did think that
it ever would happen again
From the sound up in Long Island
out to San Francisco Bay
And every thing that's
in between them is our home
And we may have done a little
bit of fighting amongst ourselves
but you outside people best leave us alone
Cause we'll all stick together
and you can take that to the bank
That's the cowboys and the hippies
and the rebels and the yanks
You just go and lay your head
on a Pittsburgh Steeler fan
and I think you're gonna finally understand
He never had much but he saved enough
To buy a souped up Chevrolet
For years he drove them little dirt tracks
Tryin' to make himself a name
Until one night down in Gainesville
When he finally found some fame
It took all he had but he took the flag
And a drive down victory lane
From Talladega, Alabama
He's the new man on the track
Lined up next to Sterling Marlin
Dale Jarrett's two cars back
And it's gentlemen start your engines
And the pace car pulls away
He may not out run his heroes
But he'll prove he's here to stay
CHORUS:
Legends of the asphalt
Men with nerves of steel
They'll give up everything they own
Just to stay behind the wheel
From a Thunderbird to a Chevrolet
Who wins nobody knows
They're runnin' hard for the checkered flag
They're high speed heroes
It's a pedal to the metal
Rev up and change the gears
And the sound of Sunday thunder
Is sweet music to his ears
There's a pileup on the back stretch
And the crowd begins to roar
And his mind goes back to other days
And the ones who came before
There's Richard, Dale, and Herbie,
Davey, Lee, and Cale
And in the second turn's the very place
Where old fireball hit the rail
Dale Earnhardt took the long ride
He didn't go alone
He just drove off into glory
And the angels took him home
Thinks he's a toughguy
Superfly
Stays high
Sneakin down the alleyway to make another buy
Talkin bout a big deal
Big wheel
Nothins real
Wouldn't know the truth if it looked him in the eye
Sneakin out the back door
Top floor
Dirt poor
You know the boys gonna get himself in jail
Living on the back street
Concrete
Fast speed
Lost in the jungle with the tiger by the tail
Everytime I see him
Everytime I see him
Everytime I see him
He's just barely getting by
Everytime I see him
Everytime I see him
Everytime I see him
He's down there getting high
Midnight siren
Whats it mean
Bad dreams
Shiverin and shakin in the middle of the night
Down in a cold sweat
In debt
Upset
Hidin in the back room to keep ot of sight
Walkin that tough walk
Jivetalk
Double cross
Sneakin down the side street hidin from the sun
Makin them big plans
Big man
Be this man
Gonna make a million but he never gets it done
Everytime I see him
Everytime I see him
Everytime I see him
He's just barely getting by
Everytime I see him
Everytime I see him
Everytime I see him
He's down there getting high
Thinks he's a loverboy
Super joy
Tough toy
Thinks he's kinda sexy but the ladies say he ain't
Nothing but a no class
Jiveass
Movin fast
Wants to be a winner but the monkey says he can't
After hours nightspot
Whatcha got
Hot shot
Gotta keep movin just to keep from going down
The boy won't ever learn
Slow burn
Overturn
End up in a coffin there six feet in the ground
Everytime I see him
Everytime I see him
Everytime I see him
He's just barely getting by
Everytime I see him
Everytime I see him
Everytime I see him
(chorus)
Sittin' on a barstool
actin' like a darn fool
that's what I'm a-doin' today
Sittin' here drinkin'
tryin' to keep from thinkin'
I'm a-boozin' my troubles away
Well now I couldn't make her stay
but doggone her anyway
she can't say that I didn't try
Pour me another one
I'm finished with the other one
I'm drinkin' my baby goodbye
(spoken)
Everytime we disagreed
she was always askin' me
"Are you a man or a mouse?"
Now that she's gone
she probably thinks I'm home
just a-mopin' around the house
She probably thinks
that she's the one thing
I just couldn't get along without
Well wouldn't it surprise her
I got a sympathizer
as long as these bottles hold out
Well I'm-a
(chorus)
(spoken)
Every time I try to
sit down and talk to her
it always ends up in a fuss
I tried to reason with her
right up to the time
she got on that Greyhound bus
It would be better
if I could forget her
'cause she sure forgot about me
And if it takes all night
I'm gonna do it right
I'm gonna sit here till I can't see
Well I'm a-
(chorus 2x)
Pour me another one
I'm finished with the other one
I'm drinkin' my baby goodbye
I said pour me another one
I'm finished with the other one
He's the loosest dude I've ever been exposed to
He loves the bottle and a dirty joke
He likes to hang out on the street
And he'd rather fight than eat
And his nose and the women keep him broke
He's been in every jail from here to Juarez
And every funky old backstreeet saloon
He's a victim of his fate
Born a hundred years too late
And sometimes I think
A hundred years too soon
He's a outlaw, He's a bum
He's a rounder and then some
He's as ornery as a redneck fool can be
He ain't ever gonna be no different
He's a da** good cowboy
And I hope to he** he stays in Tennessee
He didn't finish school or go to college
When he turned 16 he just had to go
And while everyone who did
Was building homes and having kids
He was out West ridin' in some rodeo
He got busted up in Cheyenne last September
And he had to get his hat and pack his trunk
And he came on back to town,
He just kinda hangs around
He's the local hero and the local drunk
He's a outlaw, He's a bum
He's a rounder and then some
He's as ornery as a redneck fool can be
He ain't ever gonna be no different
He's a da** good cowboy
And I hope to he** he stays in Tennessee
You may think he's a little crazy
And you may think that where he's at's nowhere
And in your righteous sight,
You just might be right
But he da## sure did have fun gettin there
He's a outlaw, He's a bum
He's a rounder and then some
He's as ornery as a redneck fool can be
And if you don't like him you won't like me either
He's a da** good cowboy
When it's Christmas time in Carolina
The kinfolks gather up at Grandma's house
And they fill the house with love
And they honor God above
They remember what the season's all about
It's been ten long years since I've been there with them
And I can't face another holiday alone
And tonight I'm going back
And if this train don't jump the track
I'll spend Christmas Eve with all the folks at home
Carolina I hear you calling
I just have to close my eyes and I'll be there
Carolina I hear you calling
I can almost touch the mountains in your hair
When I left my home in Carolina
I never thought that things would get this far
I was only seventeen when I struck out for New Orleans
Trying to do or die on my guitar
Well I always thought someday I'd be returning
But I kept drifting with that same old traveling wind
Can I still call you home or have I stayed away too long
Carolina would you have me back again
Carolina I hear you calling
I just have to close my eyes and I'll be there
Carolina I hear you calling
I can almost touch the mountains in your hair
(Carolina)
Carolina I hear you calling
I just have to close my eyes and I'll be there
Carolina I hear you calling
I can almost touch the mountains in your hair
Every time I hear a fiddle
and it's cookin' just a little
well it makes me want to jump up and run
And if he's sawing with some
soul boogie woogie rock 'n roll
well I know I'm gonna have some fun
And when the rosin starts to fly
and I'm lookin' in the eye
like I'm just about to blow a fuse
Mama call the doctor
'cause your boy has got
the rocking Boogie Woogie
Fiddle Country Blues
I met a man from Tennessee
this is what he said to me
He said "Music is a rhapsody"
He picked up his violin
stuck it underneath his chin
and started playing me a symphony
I said "That ain't the way it's done
let me see that fiddle, son"
and I sawed him off a chorus or two
He said you'd better call the doctor
'cause I think you've got
the rocking Boogie Woogie
Fiddle Country Blues
Now if you want to play me some fiddle
I'll tell you right from the start
You'd better play me something
lowdown hoedown honking
I don't want to hear no funeral march
It's got to pick me up and roll me over
it's got to make me want to jump up and sing
If it ain't buzzing like a beehive
kick it into overdrive
or it don't mean a doggone thing
So let me rosin up my bow and
I think that I can show you
the way I like to play this thing
Let's put some boogie rhythm in it
kick it on up to the limit
I'm gonna put some fire on these strings
And if you feel your feet start moving to the beat
and you feel like you've got ants in your shoes
Well you'd better call the doctor
'cause you've probably got
the rocking Boogie Woogie
Fiddle Country Blues
I said you'd better call the doctor
'cause you've probably got
the rocking Boogie Woogie
Fiddle Country Blues
Where the sun goes up and the sun comes down nothing ever changes in a border town
It turns around and starts all over again
It's alcohol and nicotine and everyday's like Halloween
It's a muy loco world we're living in
It's broken dreams and shady deals
Red hot cars and cold blue steel
And every night temptation comes around
And down on the border where the coyotes howl
The hot winds blow and the big boys prowl
Always something evil going down
CHORUS
Look out boy you're gonna lose control
Blow your cool and curse your soul
Open up your eyes and read the signs
Are you gonna be a man and stand up tall
Or turn your back and say the hell with it all
Don't you know that the blind can't lead the blind
And you're just about to cross the line
Don't you know if you turn your back the water gets muddy and the cards get stacked
Nobody gets a free ride in this game
A rich man poor man beggar man thief doctor lawyer or an Indian chief
In the eyes of the law they're all gonna look the same
But right's still right and wrong's still wrong
And they keep on singing that same old song
About the only ones are you and me
Take a look in the mirror cause you know what you are
A belly full of guts and a little tin star
And you're standing between the devil and the deep blue sea
![Charlie Daniels Band - Fire On The Mountain 1974 [FULL ALBUM]](http://web.archive.org./web/20130508022939im_/http://i.ytimg.com/vi/lzUmPBJBXf8/default.jpg "Charlie Daniels Band - Fire On The Mountain 1974 [FULL ALBUM]")
