1. |
Lightning
05:07
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Drove out to the edge of town
Stopped to cool my motor down
She never used to talk to me that way.
Big thunder rumbling overhead
Stirring up some things she said
About me not having sense to see the rain.
Let this Bible be my road map
Salvation is a long, cold interstate.
Let lightning strike me down, I’m riding out of town
Lord, give me strength, she’s driving me away
Let lightning strike me down, I’ll find my way without her now
I’ll drive right thru this heartache hurricane
Let lightning strike me down.
Underneath an overpass
Jessie sings “storms never last”
She crackles thru on that Delco radio.
Love flashes by in an old, sad song
Sitting here with my flashers on
But, I ain’t turning ‘round and heading home.
It all comes right down to survival
She’d made me feel like I’d forgotten how.
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2. |
Tom Malthus Blues
05:04
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There’s bulldozers on flatbeds, rumbling in from out-of-state
They’re replacing all the cornfields with big houses with big gates
And I swore I’d seen it coming on my satellite TV
They mean to subdivide and conquer
Subverting my American dream.
I put a call into Ben Arnold, he’s my neighbor to the South
He lost a boy to the Oil Wars, knows what conflict’s all about.
Says, “it’s all these politicians, they’ll get us in this mess
They pump out hands and pump themselves full of special interests.”
And, I swore I’d seen it coming – my country ‘tis of these…
Hell, they’ll subdivide and conquer
Subverting my American dream.
So, we’re loading up our combines, our tractors and our F-250’s
And, we’re throwing up a roadblock on the highway leading into God’s Country.
Well, the Sheriff Moses came down, said the law was etched in stone
“Do not unto others if the bank still owns your note.”
Well, that scared off the faint of heart, but most of us stayed true
Caretakers of God’s Country
What would Jesus do?
And, I swore I’d seen it coming – let Revelations be,
They’re gonna subdivide and conquer
Then, we’ll put into practice what we preach.
And, we’re lining up our combines, our tractors and our GM Chevys
And, we’re having ourselves a Revival meeting
Out on Highway 15.
There’s a devil in developers possessed by scorching earth
They write it off as progress
It progressively gets worse.
Our Congressman came calling with a camera crew in tow.
He said, “this’ll all be good for us, broader tax base and new roads!”
And, I called him “good for nothing”
Just like them government subsidies.
They’ll sell us – subdivide and conquer
We ain’t buying it here in God’s Country.
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3. |
Loaded Down
05:12
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Well, I got a tight feeling down here in my gut
This girl I’ve been seeing, she’s got some powerful stuff
I’ve gotta do better – boy, you better get wise
She ain’t in it for the money – she’s in it for the ride.
That’s why I’m sticking to the backroads
She’s got me running too hot
And, I’m drifting out of consciousness
But, drifting’s all I got.
And I carry her with me…
I got air conditioned veins
Got a heart that’s wrapped in chains
A stick of dynamite for brains
And, I’m loaded down today.
She’s got a ton of dirt on me
But, if she sifts thru this debris
She’ll see I tried to hit the brakes
But I was loaded down today.
It takes a well-built motor
To handle this load
Can’t settle for the shoulder
Once you settle for the road.
That’s why I got to be committed
When I slip her into gear
Can’t worry about the mileage
The mileage got us here.
And, I carry her with me.
I got air conditioned veins
Got a heart that’s wrapped in chains
A stick of dynamite for brains
I’m feeling loaded down today.
She’s got a ton of dirt on me
But, if she sifts thru this debris
She’ll see I tried to hit the brakes
But I was loaded down today.
I got a sinking feeling, I can’t feel my toes
Lying in the ditch on Turner Ranch Road
It’s all twisted metal and shards of glass
She’s reaching for me
Guess I was going too fast.
Then, she pulled me from the wreckage
Dragged me clear of the flames
And we left the scene burning
Limped home from the blaze
She’s got diesel in her blood
Got mud flaps on her heart
She’s knows it all under the hood
When you’re hauling damaged goods.
She had a ton of dirt of me
But she hauled it off for free
Took it down that long, steep grade
And, we’re loaded down today.
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4. |
Gathering Dust
05:56
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The band has quit playin’ and the house lights are on
Pry this drink from my fingers and the good times are gone
There’s a girl in the corner, she’s been waiting all night
For some road-weary gypsy to take her home for a while
I ain’t got it in me… all I got’s this guitar
Yeah, I’ll keep breakin’ strings,
But, I’ve long since quit breakin’ hearts
So, I’ll stick to my guns and keep ridin’
Got my sights set on the one that I love
And I’ll go where the music will take me
All the while gatherin’ dust
A wise man once told me, “Play it straight from the heart…
if you don’t stand for something it will all fall apart.”
Like a lonesome dust devil spinnin’ out of control
Gonna flare up and burn out, that’s just the way that it goes
And I’ll look for a good star in this big Texas sky
There must be a heaven, the road is my angel tonight
And I’ll stick to my guns and keep ridin’
Got my sights set on the one that I love
And I’ll go where the music will take me
All the while gatherin’ dust
The band has quit playin’ and we’ve tore it all down
Take this drink from my fingers, we gotta head out of town
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5. |
In Jail
05:06
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Markin’ time on this concrete wall, seems like it wasn’t all that long
She caught my eye with her devilish grin, every pistol needs a firing pin.
She said she loved me ‘cos I was dangerous,
Got my thick skin ‘cos my dad liked to get drunk and beat me up.
She came from money and it made her mean, the bad apple and the demon seed.
We were hard as nails, but it’s me who’s gonna rot in jail.
I remember the night we met, I clocked her boyfriend and off we went.
Four-wheelin’ on her daddy’s ranch, then she put that nine-millimeter in my hand.
We popped off a few rounds at the stars, lying naked on the hood of her Dodge.
Then she got that crazy look in her eyes
said, “let’s go rob the liquor store tonight.”
We were hard as nails, but it’s me who’s gonna rot in jail.
Not for the money, we did it for the thrill
Shoutin’, “Don’t act stupid and nobody gets killed.”
For eighty dollars and a gallon of wine,
Surveillance cameras captured my good side.
She turned me in just to save her own skin,
Creamy thighs turnin’ state’s evidence.
Her daddy’s lawyers said I slapped her around,
I got a guilty verdict and the gavel came down.
We were hard as nails, but it’s me who’s gonna rot in jail.
Yes, it’s me who’s gonna rot in jail.
Markin’ time on this concrete wall, up for parole, well, maybe next fall.
When they ask me if I’ve been reformed,
I’ll say, “Y’all let me out so I can strangle that whore.”
Whoa… baby, baby, baby, she’s so damn cold.
(I’m in jail, mama… I keep her picture in my cell, mama.)
I’m in jail…I’m in jail
And I’ll see her in hell.
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Kevin Higgins Fairport, New York
On the outside I'm a melody tinker, a wistful poet, a framer of moments, a quixotic nomad, a sucker for love, a plunderer
for justice, a friend to those who’ll listen-an impudent ghost to those that won’t.
On the inside I’m a recovering cynic, a light house keeper under siege, a champion of lost causes, and by birthright-my own worst critic. Still, always happiest occupying creative space.
... more
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