Songs for Lonesome Cowboys

[Intro - fiddle, accordion, Cajun bounce] [Verse 1] Well I worked all week down at the mill Got paid on Friday, got time to kill Called up my baby, said "what you say? Let's kick the dust up, throw the week away" [Chorus] I want to go out and dance with you Baby Doll you know that's what we should do Come on over and we'll be fine When we go out it's dancing time [Verse 2] Put on your dress, the one I like The blue one with the flowers, fits you just right I'll slick my hair back, shine my shoes We'll hit the honky tonk and blow them blues [Chorus] [Fiddle/Accordion break - hot Cajun sawing] [Verse 3] Don't need no money, just need the band Don't need nothing but your little hand Spin you around til the sun comes up Can't get enough, no I can't get enough [Verse 4] The band's playing loud and the floor's packed tight Ain't going home, no, not tonight You and me, baby, feeling so free Ain't no place that I'd rather be [Chorus] I want to go out and dance with you Baby Doll you know that's what we should do Come on over and we'll be fine When we go out it's dancing time Yeah when we go out it's dancing time Come on baby, it's dancing time! [Outro - fiddle riding out, whoops and hollers]

[Intro - fingerpicked acoustic, gentle] [Verse 1] I met you in a hayfield Sunny day in July You were going nowhere Could I take you for a ride... [Verse 2] The day smelled like sunshine Radio playing in between You didn't know the words Prettiest thing I ever seen [Chorus - men's vocal harmony] Easy come, easy go We didn't even know Time was after us, after all What the future wouldn't hold [Verse 3] We stopped in a small town Sun was shining all along You said that, and I knew that The time for love isn't long [Verse 4] Some days, when I think back Wonder if I said it wrong Maybe nothing, maybe somethin' I could have done... [Chorus - men's vocal harmony] [Acapella - men's voices only] [Verse 5] I'm still working in that hayfield The summer sun shining down No sad songs, no regrets Just the memories I found [Final Chorus - men's vocal harmony, fuller] Easy come, easy go We didn't even know Time was after us, after all What the future wouldn't hold [Outro - fingerpicked acoustic fades]

[Intro - gypsy jazz, fiddle, playful and dark] [Verse 1] I thought I might kill him But I wondered how And the feeling passed Can't kill him now [Verse 2] He left his boots by the door His whiskey on the shelf I had a plan all figured out Then I poured one for myself [Verse 3] The shovel's in the garden The river's running deep But I got tired of thinking And then I fell asleep [Chorus] Can't kill him now The moment's gone somehow I was mad as hell at midnight But it's morning now Love's a funny thing I guess Can't kill him now [Verse 4] He came home with flowers Said "baby I was wrong" Hid the rope behind my back And so I played along [Verse 5] He's snoring on the sofa Looks almost sweet I'll keep my options open Find a poison for him to eat [Chorus] [Fiddle break - playful, mischievous] [Verse 6] Maybe next Tuesday If he forgets again I'll revisit my plans He's safe until then... [Final Chorus] Can't kill him now The moment's gone somehow I was mad as hell at midnight But it's morning now Love's a funny thing I guess Can't kill him now [Outro - little laugh, fiddle fades]

[Intro - strings swell, pedal steel weeps] [Verse 1] I've always loved you, my darling I've always said that I care I've always been your sweetheart But now you're no longer here [Verse 2] I kept your ring on my finger I kept your picture by my bed I kept believing you'd come home But you found someone else instead [Chorus] No longer here No longer mine I gave you all my years And you gave me all your lies No longer here [Verse 3] The house still smells like your jacket Your coffee cup's by the door I set the table for two But you don't live here anymore [Verse 4] I've always loved you, my darling That part will always be true I just can't understand, sweetheart How you stopped loving me too [Chorus] [Strings swell] [Final Verse - slow, naked] I've always... loved you... my darling I've always... said... that I care I've always... been... your sweetheart But now... you're no longer... here [Outro - pedal steel fades, alone]

[Intro - steady bass, gentle pulse] [Verse 1] Going down on I-40 Radio playing low Don't know where I'm headed Don't know where to go [Verse 2] Left today the state line Left tomorrow in the dust Everything I needed Turned out to be rust [Chorus] Driving til I'm gone Til there's no one left to be Driving til I'm gone Til there's nothing left of me [Verse 3] Used to think I mattered Used to think I knew Used to be so heavy Now it's falling through [Verse 4] Headlights on the dotted line Engine humming low The less I am the lighter The further I can go [Chorus] [Instrumental break - pedal steel floating, almost psychedelic, spacious] [Verse 5] Sadness was a suitcase Ego was a chain Left them at a truck stop Somewhere west of pain [Verse 6] Stars out like diamonds On a black velvet hood Got nothing left now And nothing feels real good [Final Chorus] Driving til I'm gone Til there's no one left to be Driving til I'm gone Driving til I'm free [Outro - drone fades, engine hum, gone] No you, no me No place left to be If you want to come along Then maybe we'll see

[Intro - sparse acoustic, gentle fiddle, space] [Verse 1] Head out east on Monday Come back again on Friday Two keys in my pocket And neither one is mine [Verse 2] There's a bed back in the city Sheets I bought myself There's a bed out in the country Where I sleep like someone else [Chorus] In-between Between two lives In-between Don't know where my future lies One place has my name One place has my things But I left myself somewhere In-between [Verse 3] Phone calls come from one side Asking when I'm back Phone calls from the other Which way do I tack? [Verse 4] I keep both places clean I keep the lights on low I moving on in-between them It's all that I know [Chorus] [Fiddle break - lonesome, spare, aching] [Verse 5] Maybe home is just driving Maybe home is the sky Maybe home was a feeling I let go passing by [Chorus] In-between Between two lives In-between Don't know where my future lies I left myself somewhere I left myself somewhere I left myself somewhere On the road [Outro - acoustic fade, empty space]

[Intro - horns blast, Tex-Mex swing, LET'S GO] [Verse 1] I've been to Paris I've been to Spain I've been to dive bars I can't even name But every time I raise a glass I think of you, first and last [Chorus] I drink champagne I drink beer But I never drink Without you here Top shelf or bottom It's all the same It's all the same Every sip I take I toast your name [Verse 2] Friday night or Sunday noon Corner booth or hotel room Fancy wine or cheap tequila Nothing hits until I see ya [Chorus] [Horn break - trumpets blazing, swing your hips] [Verse 3] They can pour me something strong They can play my favorite song But the party doesn't start Til you walk in with my heart [Verse 4] So come on baby, through that door Give me something to be thirsty for The band is hot, the night is young And this drink's for you, you're the only one [Verse 5] Whiskey neat or gin and lime Prohibition or modern time Don't matter what's in my cup If you ain't here to drink it up [Verse 6] I've closed down bars in Tennessee Raised a glass in New Orleans But the sweetest drink I ever had Was a cheap cold one with you, and that ain't bad [Final Chorus] I drink champagne I drink beer But I never drink Without you here Top shelf or bottom Coast to coast Baby, you're the one I want to toast You're the one I toast! [Outro - horns, party, celebration, maybe a "HEY!"]

[Intro - mandolin driving, fiddle moan, urgent] [Verse 1] Daddy went down in the mountain When he was just fifteen Came back up with coal dust lungs And nothing in between [Verse 2] Now I'm down in that same hole Crawling on my knees Digging out the black seam Like some kind of disease [Chorus] Black seam Black lung Black coffee before the sun I give this mountain everything And it gives me none Black seam [Mandolin break - furious, crying] [Verse 3] My hands look like my daddy's now My back bends like his too He said "son, get out of here" But what else can I do? [Verse 4] The company owns the houses The company owns the store The company owns my future Can't find the door [Chorus] [Fiddle break - wailing, Appalachian soul] [Verse 5] Sunlight's just a memory By the time I see the sky Stars are out, I'm heading home Too tired to ask why [Verse 6] They'll bury me in this mountain Same as all the rest A pickaxe for a headstone Coal dust in my chest [Final Chorus] Black seam Black lung Black coffee before the sun I gave this mountain everything And it gave me none Black seam Black seam Lord, black seam [Outro - mandolin and fiddle fade, heavy silence]

[Intro - acoustic guitar waltz, gentle fiddle, intimate] [Verse 1] Pour me one more Before the night is gone We're talking in circles Might as well carry on [Verse 2] The bottle's low The stars are bright Ain't no place to be So let's drink tonight [Chorus] One more round One more song One more reason To not go home The whiskey's warm The company's right One more round Before we say goodnight [Fiddle break - lilting, dancing, warm] [Verse 3] You tell me your secrets I'll tell you mine The truth comes easy After glass number nine [Verse 4] We ain't solving nothing We ain't making plans Just two people drinking Doing what we can [Chorus] [Acoustic break - waltz feel, intimate, swaying] [Verse 5] Morning's gonna find us Right here where we sit Worse for wear maybe But I won't regret [Verse 6] So fill my glass darlin' Let the world spin on Nights are made for staying Til the whiskey's gone [Final Chorus] One more round One more song One more reason To not go home The whiskey's warm The company's right One more round One more round For us tonight. [Outro - fiddle and guitar waltz out, warm, fading]

[Intro - spacious pedal steel, dreamy, desert dusk] [Verse 1] I see you sometimes When the sun goes down Riding on the ridge Never making a sound [Pedal steel break - lonely, floating] [Verse 2] Dust don't rise Beneath your horse's feet You tip your hat my way Like we're about to meet [Chorus] Ghost rider Where'd you go? Left me here With this heart you know I wait on the porch When the light turns gold Missing you, my love Who the desert stole [Mandolin break - gentle, aching, dancing like dust] [Verse 3] Your boots are by the door Where you left them last Your coffee cup still sits there Holding on to the past [Verse 4] Folks say I'm crazy Talking to the wind But I know you're out there Riding back again [Chorus] [Pedal steel and mandolin together - weaving, lonesome, gorgeous] [Verse 5] Some nights I hear you Whisper through the sage Telling me you love me From some other age [Pedal steel - solo, wide open, ghostly] [Verse 6] I'll keep the lantern lit I'll keep your side of the bed I'll keep on loving you Long after we're both dead [Final Chorus] Ghost rider Where'd you go? Left me here With this heart you know I wait on the porch When the light turns gold Missing you, my love Who the desert stole My ghost rider Ride on home [Outro - mandolin fades, pedal steel drifts into silence, waiting]

[Intro - pedal steel weeps, acoustic waltz, 3/4 time] [Verse 1] My boss wants a meeting My wife wants to talk The kids need money The dog wants a walk But I got a date With my pillowcase Nap time's calling I'm just sleeping late [Yodel break - yodel-ay-hee-hoo!] [Verse 2] I told my mama I'd call her back I told my buddy I'd help him pack But the couch is calling It's siren song Sorry but listen I'm sleeping alone [Chorus] Oh Nap time (NAPS!) I snore like a horse I drool in the pillows Can't get much worse The world can wait (WAIT!) I'm checking out Nap time, Oh Nap time (NAPS!) That's what it's about [Pedal steel and yodel break] [Verse 3] I set my alarm Then I turned it off I heard it ringing And I said "get lost" Three hours later I don't know my name Woke up confused But I feel no shame [Yodel - yodel-ay-hee-hee!] [Verse 4] My shirt's all wrinkled Got a crease on my face Hair like a crime scene All over the place Day going sideways Don't know what it is This is the life This is the biz [Chorus] Oh Nap time (NAPS!) I snore like a horse I drool in the pillows Can't get much worse The world can wait (WAIT!) I'm checking out Nap time, Oh Nap time (NAPS!) That's what it's about [Fiddle and yodel break - getting sleepier] [Verse 5] Some folks go running Some folks climb hills I'm just a sleeper And I got the skills Olympic napper Gold medal dreams I sleep so hard I forget what sleep means [Verse 6] So pull the blinds down Unplug the phone I'll put a sign On the front door I'll see you later Or maybe I won't Nap time's here My eyes are shut [Final Chorus] Oh Nap time (NAPS!) I snore like a horse I drool in the pillows Can't get much worse The world can wait (WAIT!) I'm checking out Oh Nap time (NAPS!) That's what it's about [yawns] That's what it's about... [Sound Effect: Snoring...] [Outro - sleepy yodel fades into snore]

[Intro - deep bass, finger snaps, dark and sparse] [Verse 1] I wake up at four I'm out by five Work til I'm wondering If I'm alive Sun goes down I ain't done yet Work all day And what do I get? [Chorus] Six foot hole (six foot hole) That's where I'm going Six foot hole (six foot hole) And I keep on owing Broke my back Broke my hands Dyin' slow For the company man Six foot hole [Verse 2] Punch the clock Do it again Same damn thing Til God knows when Paycheck comes And paycheck goes Where it all went Hell if I know [Chorus] [Finger snap break - dark, trudging, sparse] [Verse 3] Boss got a boat Boss got a plane I got a bad knee And a lower back pain He says "work harder" From his leather seat I say "yes sir" On my broken feet [Verse 4] Gave 'em my twenties Gave 'em my prime Gave 'em my body One day at a time Forty years later What's in my hand? A gold-plated watch And I can barely stand [Chorus] [Bass voice break - almost spoken, bitter] [Verse 5] They'll write in the paper "He worked real hard" Bury me out In the back of the yard Kids'll say "Daddy did his best" But all I did Was work to death [Final Chorus] Six foot hole (six foot hole) That's where I'm going Six foot hole (six foot hole) And I keep on owing Broke my back Broke my soul All I got's A six foot hole [Spoken] That's all any of us get... [Outro - finger snaps fade, silence]

[Intro - gentle guitar, clip-clop, harmonica] [Verse 1] The sun is risin' O'er the hill My pony's ready And time to kill No place to be No trail to find Just the open range And peace of mind [Verse 2] I tip my hat To the mornin' sky Watch the eagles Soarin' high A wanderin' man Is what I be The open range Is home to me [Chorus] Ride on, ride on Beneath the sun Ride on, ride on Til day is done No fence to mend No brand to burn Just the open range At every turn [Harmonica] [Verse 3] The campfire glows Beneath the stars My old guitar And these here scars I've rode a thousand Lonesome miles But the open range Still makes me smile [Verse 4] They say "settle down And find a home" But I was born To ride and roam I'll tip my hat And say "so long" The open range Is where I belong [Chorus] [Outro - harmonica fades, hoofbeats in the distance]

[Intro - sparse acoustic, but BRIGHT] [Verse 1] I hear that whistle Comin' down the line The 5:15 She's right on time I got my bundle I got my grin New adventure's About to begin [Verse 2] Station master Tips his cap I tip mine back And laugh at that Them wheels start singin' And so do I This town is shrinking In my eye [Chorus] Last train out That's the one for me Last train out Lord, I'm finally free Don't know where she's rollin' But I don't care Anywhere but here Gets me there [Acoustic guitar - bouncy, happy] [Verse 3] I've swept the floors I've paid my dues I've worn the holes Right through my shoes But tonight I'm leavin' With a smile Gonna ride these rails For a good long while [Verse 4] Mama said "Boy, you're a fool" I said "Mama, That's pretty cool" A fool sees things Others don't see And this fool's finally Runnin' free [Chorus] [Fiddle break - dancing, joyful] [Verse 5] Maybe I'll land In Tennessee Maybe I'll stop By the sea Maybe I'll just Keep on goin' Long as that whistle Keeps on blowin' [Verse 6] So long to the factory So long to the boss What they call leavin' I call no loss Wind in my face Stars up above This is the life That I love [Final Chorus] Last train out That's the one for me Last train out Lord, I'm finally free Don't know where she's rollin' But I don't care Anywhere but here Gets me there Ha ha! Gets me there! [Outro - train sounds, joyful whistle, rolling away happy]

[Intro - gentle acoustic, mandolin melody, setting the tone, spacious] [Verse 1] I walked into that room She was standing there I thought "well, that's my wife" Plain as the air [Verse 2] Don't know how to explain it Don't know what to say Just knew it like I know Night follows day [Chorus] Just met my wife All there is to say Don't make it fancy Knew it right away Just met my wife Nothing more to tell Walked in a stranger Now under her spell [Mandolin break - gentle, simple] [Verse 3] Called my buddy up Said "guess what I did" He said "what now" I said "met my wife" He said "you're kidding" I said "nope" [Verse 4] She takes her coffee black Laughs at dumb stuff Didn't ask for perfect She's more than enough [Chorus] [Fiddle - plain, not weepy] [Verse 5] Some folks write poems Some folks make a scene I just met my wife You know what I mean [Verse 6] Ain't much of a story Ain't much of a song I just met my wife And I wasn't wrong [Final Chorus] I just met my wife That's just what it is Don't need to make it fancy It's just the way it is I just met my wife Simple and true Walked into that room And there was you [Outro - mandolin fades, shrug, done]

[Intro - gypsy country, fiddle, warm and easy] [Verse 1] You drink your whiskey neat I take mine with ice You say tomato I say that's nice [Verse 2] We fight about the window Open or closed You run hot I run cold [Chorus] I love what's wrong with us It ain't much but it's ours Two people who don't fit Still counting stars We ain't perfect darling Who'd want to be I love what's wrong with us You and me [Fiddle - gentle, honest] [Verse 3] You forget to call I forget to care We circle back around And we're still there [Verse 4] Mama said find a good one I said I did He's good at being him And that's enough to give [Chorus] [Instrumental - fiddle and guitar, tender] [Verse 5] We don't match on paper We don't make sense But sense is overrated And so is the fence The neighbors sit on We just wave and grin They wonder how we work We don't know where to begin [Final Chorus] I love what's wrong with us It ain't much but it's ours Two people who don't fit Still counting stars We ain't perfect darling Never gonna be I love what's wrong with us You and me [Outro - fiddle fades, warm, honest, done]

[Intro - banjo roll, then EXPLODES, flatpicking fury - 16 bars] [Verse 1] V8 engine screaming Down the mountain road Sheriff's in my mirror But I ain't gonna slow Dirt flying sideways Trees a greenish blur Running like a black bear With a hound dog on her [Shout] GET IT [Instrumental break - fiddle takes over, banjo rolling underneath] [Verse 2] Daddy built this engine Mama packed the jar Grandpa drew the map out To the county line and far I got fire in my footwell I got lightning in my hands Ain't no law that's catching What they don't understand [Chorus] Mountain runner (Born to Fly) Born to fly Mountain runner (Do or die) Do or die Four wheels screaming (On that dirt) On tha dirt Ain't stoppin' til the engine's hurt Mountain runner (Gone Gone) Gone gone gone [Shout] AH HEY! [Banjo/fiddle break - BLAZING, frantic, joyful chaos - LONG, let it breathe] [Flatpicking solo - absolutely SHREDDING - trade off between guitar and banjo] [Verse 3] Took the curve at Copperhead On two wheels and a prayer Saw the deputy's face And he was grabbing at his hair [Quick fiddle lick] I laughed so hard I nearly Drove into the creek But this old car knows the mountain Better than I speak [Shout] HERE WE GO! [Instrumental - banjo and mandolin trading, building] [Verse 4] They set a roadblock up By Miller's barn I cut through Widow Johnson's Corn and bought the farm [Fiddle answers] A few stalks ain't gonna stop me When I'm running hot This mountain runner's got Everything they ain't ... [Shout] THEY AIN'T GOT! [Chorus] Mountain runner Born to fly Mountain runner Do or die [Shout] PICK IT TOO! [Instrumental explosion - all instruments going wild] [Verse 5] Moon's coming up now I can see the state line One more mile of madness Then I'm drinking shine [Banjo break - frantic picking] [Verse 6] Cross that line at midnight Kill the lights and coast Pull into the holler Where they need me most Unload the mason jars Collect my pay Mountain runner lives To run another day [Final Chorus] Mountain runner Born to fly Mountain runner Do or die Four wheels screaming Through the night Ain't nothing catches What's born to flight Mountain runner Gone gone gone GONE! [Shout] LET'S GO! [Outro - banjo and fiddle chaos trading solos, getting faster, engine revving, tires squealing, GONE - let it go LONG]

[Intro - solo acoustic guitar, simple picking] [Verse 1] The bar's closing down Neon's going dim Just me and my shadow And this glass of gin [Verse 2] I don't know your story You don't know mine But if you're out there listening You're doing just fine [Chorus] This is a song for a lonesome cowboy Out there somewhere tonight You ain't gotta be brave You ain't gotta be strong Just a song for a lonesome cowboy Ride on [Guitar - solo, gentle, aching] [Verse 3] The road gets long The nights get cold Here's to you, cowboy Wherever you go [Final Chorus] This is a song for a lonesome cowboy Out there somewhere tonight You ain't gotta be brave You ain't gotta be strong Just a song for a lonesome cowboy Ride on Ride on [Outro - guitar fades, silence]