The road was singin’
I was hummin’ along
Up an’ down, lost then found
A lot of verses in that song
Had a muse I had to follow
It kept runnin’, I kept chasin’
Where it ends, I don’t really know

I might beg an’ I might borrow
But I’ll keep a straight an’ narrow
An’ I’ll be back
Some far away tomorrow

Prosperity might come an’ go
In the spotlight or maybe layin’ low
I’ve taken chances, rolled the dice but
Rarely done the same thing twice
I’ve seen troubles, I’ve seen pain
Then sunshine after all that rain
And I suppose
I’d do it all again

I might beg an’ I might borrow
But I’ll keep a straight an’ narrow
An’ I’ll be back
Some far away tomorrow

I never lost my love for you, my dear
Back an’ forth always shiftin’ gears
Never thought ‘bout where I was
Until it’s time for leavin’
Seems nothin’ else
ever seemed so clear

I might beg an’ I might borrow
But I’ll keep a straight an’ narrow
An’ I’ll be back
Some far away tomorrow

A simple man
With a simple plan
Leaving town
As quick as he can
Gonna blow this pop stand
Find something real
Catch a fast train
To Nirgendwo
Pack up the suitcase
Pay as you go
Living like this
Was never part of the deal

Somewhere conversations
Took a turn for the worse
They’re aloof, intolerant
And sanctimonious
But with everybody shouting
Different tunes
You might wanna kick it down a notch
Too much confliction
Too much grief
Too much cancelation
Don’t know what to believe
Just getting too deep here
Gotta save the watch

Don’t know
Where paradise lies
A setting sun
A bright sunrise or
If it even exists
In this day and time
A simple man
Looking for peace
Maybe head west
Maybe head east
Maybe just wander from
Ridiculous to sublime

A simple man
With a simple plan
A purpose
None other than
Picking up pieces
Of what he thinks is good
Got nothing to say
‘bout all this mess
Doing his best
To stay out of the way
A simple man
Simply misunderstood

The dogs were barkin’
The children cryin’
Walkin’ through the back door
I can smell the chicken fryin’
(might have) ran a couple red lights
Along the way
But it’s good to be home
My favorite part of the day

I don’t mind workin’
I have workin’ in my blood
My clothes get pretty dirty
And my boots are caked with mud
But I would not trade
For all the money on earth
‘cause I’m livin’ in heaven
I can’t tell you what that’s worth

We might all have different views
In this vast and varied land
Different cultures, different attitudes
I’m doin’ the best I can
Sometimes I get all riled up
I gotta take stand
But I have to admit at the end of the day
Life is grand

There are flowers in the garden
Like you wouldn’t believe
Deer out in the backyard
Wander in through the trees
Birds change with the seasons
I can hear them sing
Sittin’ with my sweetheart
On the front porch swing

Friends come by
When they’ve got some time to kill
I’ll fix a couple burgers
On the backyard grill
No, I wouldn’t change a thing
I’m a fortunate man
Could not have planned it any better
(listen to me) life is grand

We might all have different views
In this vast and varied land
Different cultures, different attitudes
I’m doin’ the best I can
Sometimes I get all riled up
I gotta take stand
But I have to admit at the end of the day
Life is grand

Out of school
When just sixteen
Outlaw child
Drama queen
Tossed by the angels
Dressed in black
Like an out of town thug
They don’t want back
Mad Maddie
Devil in a gray lace gown

Big plans
When just a kid
Grew up doing
What her daddy did
She don’t play favorites
She won’t back down
Mad Maddie
Devil in a gray lace gown

Charmed her way
To the mountaintop
Knocking of rivals
Paying off cops
Numbers and rackets
And bootleg gin
Painting the town an’
Living in sin
Mad Maddie
Devil in a gray lace gown

Had big plans
When just a kid
Grew up doing
What her daddy did
She won’t play favorites
She won’t back down
Mad Maddie
Devil in a gray lace gown

Big, big plans
But just a kid
Grew up doing
What the ol’ man did
Don’t play favorites
Won’t back down
Mad Maddie
Devil in a gray lace gown

My Betty Lou was sleepin’ when I knocked upon her door
She let me in still rubbin’ on her eyes
I said, no need to make the coffee, just rustle on some clothes
An’ come with me, we’re goin’ for a ride

Breezin’ down the highway
In my open Wrangler Jeep
Bouncin’ through the backwoods
We can barely keep our seats
We burst into an open field
Our destination now revealed it’s
Bluegrass Bobby’s Bootleg Bawl Retreat

Sammy he was sittin’ in his fav’rite easy chair
Peaceful relaxation in the air
I said, put yer boots on, son, we’re gonna have some fun
Come with me, we’re goin’ for a ride

Breezin’ down the highway
In my open Wrangler Jeep
Bouncin’ through the backwoods
We can barely keep our seats
We burst into an open field
Our destination now revealed
Bluegrass Bobby’s Bootleg Bawl Retreat

Elvira and her sisters, they were headed off to church
I caught ‘em as they pulled into the drive
I said, my ladies, look at you!
You look much too nice to go inside
Come with me, we’re goin’ for a ride

Breezin’ down the highway
In my open Wrangler Jeep
Bouncin’ through the backwoods
We can barely keep our seats
We burst into an open field
Our destination now revealed
Bluegrass Bobby’s Bootleg Bawl Retreat

gone so long
without a trace
everything I had is gone
but this loathsome face
is still with me
spent a good many years
in the belly of a whale
‘cause where I’ve been
off the top of my head
I don’t seem to recall
I came back to see if anything
was worth coming back for
with my four-legged friend but
we don’t see nothing
we ain’t seen before
there’s nothing here anymore

everything and everybody
are much older now
how they all got along
in this desolate town
I’ll just never know
I’ll never know
there’s nothing here anymore

left this town
when the factories closed down
to find my own way
had to grow up
had to see for myself
what was out there
a lot of the earth passed under my feet
before I returned to my roots
before I learned the harshest truth
in the town where I was born
nobody cares anymore

I was sittin’ on the back porch
The day was about to start
Sun was coming up, hittin’ on the treetops
You were tuggin’ on to my heart

Give me something for my time
I’m looking for some peace of mind
You can make me crazy – you are so unkind
You are a mountain I can’t climb

No sense made of what I do or say
I put myself out on a limb
I smoked a cigarette, finished my coffee thinkin’
“try to begin again”

I went inside where it was cool and dry
I saw you called me on the phone
But you left no message, left no text
Y’know, you wouldn’t even toss me a bone

Give me something for my time
I’m looking for some peace of mind
You can make me crazy – you are so unkind
You are a mountain I can’t climb

I remembered how we parted
You put your doughnut in my tea
You walked away from the table that day
And you shouted back at me

You said,
Give me something for my time
I’m looking for some peace of mind
You can make me crazy – you are so unkind
You are a mountain I can’t climb

I remembered how we parted
You put your doughnut in my tea
You walked away from the table that day
And you shouted back at me

You said,
Give me something for my time
I’m looking for some peace of mind
You can make me crazy – you are so unkind
You are a mountain I can’t climb

I gotta stop what I’m doin’
I can’t go on
I have concertina wrapped around my axle
an’ it’s slowin’ me down
I won’t be joining the fray
I ain’t ready for a fight
my engine’s overheated so
I’m gonna have to sit this one out

Darlin’, I’ve worked on this
every night and day
I really don’t know what to say
but I’m gonna try anyway
y’see, this aeolian wind
is carvin’ up my heart
I’m not made for this kind of weather
I’m gonna have to sit this one out

I’ll just have to sit this one out
I need a hush
I’ll just have to sit this one out
I need a hush

I think I might have sheared a sprocket
‘cause I’m runnin’ in place
I’m out in the open, I’m exposed
an’ I don’t feel safe
I’m caught in a recurring dream
nothin’ really is what it seems
I’m about to go crazy so
I’m gonna have to sit this one out

I try to retrace my route
how I got to this place
I don’t know where I went wrong but
I’m gonna have to sit this one out

My brother picked me up at the Greyhound station
I was passing through on a fool’s vacation
Playin’ softball in the park, smokin’ drinkin’ after dark
Strippin’ down to our au naturel couture
Then you an’ I made love on his livin’ room floor

Where did you go? I never caught your name
It might have been a one-night stand
But I remember just the same
We were lean an’ fast an’ hungry
And life was one big party, but I’m sorry
I never caught your name

Oh, goodness gracious!
ragin’ crazy days
We tripped a light fantastic, for sure
definitely unconcerned

Where did you go? I never caught your name
It might have been a one-night stand
But I remember just the same
We were lean an’ hungry
And life was just a party, but I’m sorry
I never caught your name

As the years went by, I eventually got straight
My brother said he heard that you were workin’ in Kuwait
But that single night of revelry, still lingers in my memory
And left me hankerin’ for more
When you an’ I made love on his livin’ room floor

Where did you go? I never caught your name
It might have been a one-night stand
But I remember just the same
We were lean an’ fast an’ hungry
And life was just a party, but I’m sorry
I never caught your name