Those neon light nights, couldn’t stay out of fights, keeps a-haunting me in memories. There is one in every crowd, for crying out loud, why was is always turning out to be me?
I never have any problem getting enthusiastic with a good song and a good band.
I was king of the mountain for a long time, well, I don’t want that no more. I like to perform every once in a while for people who want to see me, and cut albums of music that is what I’m really about.
I sat at a bar having a beer trying to hold down the stool.
The villains have turned into heroes. The heroes have turned into heals.
Finally, my manager negotiated a deal where I got to produce my own records.
I can’t walk, so I can’t go home. No need to talk, cause I’m all alone. If I stay here they’re gonna lock me in, hitting the bottle again.
If I could only fly, you see, a lot of my problems would be gone. When you think of just how much I’d save on shoes alone.
I’m old and crazy, but I still give a damn. And I still think the boys got screwed over in Vietnam.
One night of love don’t make up for six nights alone. But I’d rather have one than none Lord, cause I’m flesh and bone.
I say, Lord, do right be me, I’m tired of being lonesome, on’ry, and mean.
What bothers me most is that I don’t bother you.
You know, I feel sorry for the young artists.
We did an album one time called White Mansions, about the civil war, but it was written by a guy from England. His looking at it from over there and it not being a part of his history made it so he could be objective.
His songs were soon curled on the lips of the world, they had earned him the highest acclaim. And yet his greatest desire was the simple warmth of love’s fire, cause it’s cold on the dark side of fame.
Did ole Hank really do it this way?
They got me for possession of something that was long, long gone.
Lately I’ve heard rumors that the eagle may be lame. Just because I’ve been idle, don’t mean that I’m tame.
The men who could not fight, in a war that didn’t seem right. You let them come home, America.
We got a lot of politicians up there on Capital Hill. Ain’t it funny how they prosper while the country stands still?
Cuz I was never pretty anyway and never cared anything about that.