Ballad of an Aging Musician

Now it’s New Years Eve
And there’s an old Christmas tree
On the dance floor
And it’s one more time
For Auld Lang Syne 
That’s what we’re here for
Now we played the requests
Yeah we gave it our best
But the dance floor was too drunk to care
For us aging musicians,
In lonesome condition
Comin’ in on a wing and a prayer

Now I asked my friend Merle
Did he notice that girl
On the bar stool
Yeah the one in the skirt
and that low cut shirt
She’s just out of school
Well now Merle said to me
Man you’re twice her age
What makes you think that she’d care
For an aging musician
Way out of condition
Comin’ in on a wing and a prayer

Chorus:
We’re aging musicians
On the brink of perdition,
It’s a hard life
Watchin’ days pass by
And that old blue sky,
Turn to twilight
Try as we will
Time won’t stand still,
It ain’t surprisin’
Well we may not have youth
But to tell you the truth
We know that our star is still risin’ 

Now we’ve packed up the van
From this one night stand
And we’re southbound
And I’ll sleep for awhile
On the 500 miles
To my hometown
Where before too long
If nothin’ goes wrong
Well I’ll be back
Where somebody cares
For an aging musician
In broke down condition
Comin’ in on a wing and a prayer 

Chorus

That Pretty Little Song

Well I like coffee in the morning
I like sugar in my tea
I like meat with my potatoes
Yeah chicken fried or fricasseed
I like cherries on my ice cream
With a little bit of chocolate if you please
And all night long I love to listen
To that pretty little song that you sing to me

I like the way that your body shimmys
And I like the way that you wear your hat
And I love the way that you call me baby
Yeah that southern drawl just drives me mad
I like cherries on my ice cream
With a little bit of chocolate if you please
And all night long I love to listen
To that pretty little song that you sing to me

Repeat 1st verse

I Like What I See

Most of us are damaged
Some beyond repair
Some folks are happy
Some are runnin’ scared
So put your hand in mine babe
And walk with me awhile
If you like what you see babe
Then walk another mile
‘Cuz I like what I see babe
Fact it’s drivin’ me wild
Got me thinkin’ like a man babe
And feelin’ like a child 

My daddy taught me angry
My momma taught me love
So I’m a little crazy
And if it wasn’t for my luck
Well I’d be standin’ on a corner
Beggin’ for a meal
‘Stead ‘o’ standing on my feet babe
Holdin’ on to somethin’ real
‘Cuz I like what I see babe
Fact it’s drivin’ me wild
Got me thinkin’ like a man babe
And feelin’ like a child

Now love is such a strange thing
I’ve seen it fly right past my door
I’ve seen it peek around the corner
I’ve seen it lyin’ on the floor
So put your hand in mine babe
Yeah walk with me awhile
If you like what you see babe
Then walk another mile
‘Cuz I like what I see babe
Fact it’s drivin’ me wild
Got me thinkin’ like a man babe
And feelin’ like a child

Honky Tonks and Truth

I love to hear Hank Williams sing his songs
It makes me think not all I’ve done is wrong
If only he were livin’ today
I believe this world would be a better place
Cadillacs and booze, honky tonks and truth, mmm, mmm, mmm

Now a ramblin’ man ain’t got but one way out
When his ramblin’ shoes are all worn out
And that train he hears rollin’ down the line
Well it’s here to take him home just one last time
Cadillacs and booze, honky tonks and truth mmm mmm mmm 

Bridge:
On this journey from the cradle to the grave
It’s hard to tell who’s lost and who is saved
That ramblin’ man was ramblin’ when he died
But all the world still listens to the songs he left behind 

I love to hear Hank Williams sing his songs
It makes me think I’m not the only one
Who’s cried himself to sleep from loneliness
Or seen the light and known that he was blessed
Cadillacs and booze, honky tonks and truth mmm mmm mmm 

Repeat bridge

Repeat 1st verse

Shattered

Well I left her ‘cuz she left me
‘Cuz she’s selfish and she’s mean
And she mistreated me too
Ah but I loved her, yeah I loved her
And I gave her all my heart
And all of my money too 

Ah, and she took it and she spent it
And when it was gone
Man she was gone too
Well now I’m tired and I’m hungry
And I ain't got a home
What in the world is a poor boy to do 

It was a master disaster
It even made the evenin’ news
It was a full blown hurricane
It left me shattered and scattered
And blowin’ in the wind
Lord I never ever felt this kind of pain

So now I’m banged up and I’m broke down
And I’m beat like a drum
And I’m waitin’ for the next plane out of town
I’m goin’ flyin’ with my cryin’
To where I’m better known
Try to get my flat feet on the ground 

Well now I found me another
And mother oh brother
She came on strong and she was pretty too
But she was crazy, she was crazy
Yeah she took off like a loon
And she left me feeling lonesome and blue 

Well it’s a sickness, I got a sickness
I’m a fool for love
And you know I fall in love too easily
And get my heart broke and it’s no joke,
When I’m down there on the floor
Pickin’ up the pieces that are me

Repeat 1st

I'm Fallin' Apart

Everybody’s got a plow and a mule
Everybody’s got a ball and chain
I’m gonna buy me a brand new car
I’m gonna run it right into a train 

Chorus:
‘Cuz I’m fallin’ apart right here in my room
I’m fallin’ apart all because of you
I’m fallin’ apart and it’s a brand new day
I’m fallin’ apart in a brand new way

Somebody call for a doctor
Somebody call for a priest
I believe It’s gonna take Jesus Christ himself
To exorcize this beast

Chorus

I was on the rooftop, I was on the ceilin’
I was on the killin’ floor
Yeah and it all started out so innocent like
When I knocked upon your door

Chorus

You know I saw that train wreck a’comin’
Comin’ on down the line
Ain’t nobody in this whole wide world
That can give me back what’s mine

Chorus

I once saw a painting by Vincent van Gogh
Over there in Amsterdam
He cut off his ear when he went insane
But I really don’t give a damn

Chorus

Since You're Gone

Now it’s been days
Since I laughed
Now only tears,
Have come to pass
It’s been days
Long lonely days
Since you’re gone 

Now daffodils
Are in bloom
And everywhere
There’s signs of you
Now it’s been days
Long, lonely days
Since you’re gone 

See the weeping willow in the park
See the setting sun it’s growing dark
Now it’s been days
Long, lonely days
Since you’re gone 

Yesterday
I had a dream
A butterfly
Sat on my knee
It’s been days
Long, lonely days
Since you’re gone

Kid Like Me

20 years ago I’d ‘a said you was an old man
But now I see you’re just a kid like me
You still play that guitar with a vengeance
Just like you did way back in ‘63

Everyday you drink your morning coffee
Where the waitress knows your name and she treats you good
You ain’t that famous guitar pickin’ daddyo
You’re just another boy from the neighborhood

That picture of you when you was a young boy
Seems you turned out just the way you should
And that woman that you married she’s a good one
I can tell by the way she look at you

Every Thursday night down at the rib house
Set up in the corner of the bar
If you want to get a good seat ya gotta get there early
It’s cigarettes and booze and loud guitars

Well guitar pickers ain’t made they are molded
From metal, flesh and sweat and solid wood
Fingers flying up and down like lightnin’
How do you make that guitar sound so good?      

Well some are like a star and they burn out early
They shoot across the sky then disappear
Yeah somehow some survive without goin’ crazy
They play it loud, play it proud, they play by ear

Now you’re a guitar pickers’ guitar picker
That telecaster sittin’ on your knee
Your eyes are closed, you’re fully concentrated
Just like ya were way back in ‘63

Yeah 20 years ago I’d ‘a said you was an old man
Yeah but now I see you’re just a kid like me
You still play that guitar with a vengeance
Just like you did way back in 63

It's Lucky For You

It’s lucky for you my eyes ain’t what they used to be
It’s lucky for me that you only see what you want to see
And it’s lucky for us ‘cuz there’s no one here but you and me
It’s lucky for you, lucky for me

Now the lights are low and there’s music from a radio
I strike a match, look at you and I light up your smoke
You take my hand and you whisper something soft and low
Yeah it’s lucky for you, lucky for me

Now the night is gone and that mornin’ sun is on your face
You’re lookin’ out, thinkin’ ‘bout, some other place
I’m leavin’ soon 
I’ll be gone without a trace
Yeah it’s lucky for you, lucky for me

It’s lucky for you my eyes ain’t what they used to be
It’s lucky for me that you only see what you wanna see
It’s lucky for us ‘cuz there’s no one here but you and me
It’s lucky for you, lucky for me
It’s lucky for you, lucky for me

Me Talking to Me

Nothing much to say
Nothing much to do
I stayed up all night thinkin’
Slept three hours past noon
Wakin’ with the feelin’
That there’s nothin’ left of me
Just me talkin’ to me 

It’s a cold November mornin’
I take a walk down town
There’s people talkin’ everywhere
But I don’t hear a sound
For it’s a private conversation
Goin’ on inside of me
It’s just me talkin’ to me

Now if I could lose my sorrow
In a pretty woman’s arms
And rest assured my weary heart
Would come to no harm
But I know it ain’t that easy
Back here in reality
It’s me talkin’ to me