Dwight Yoakam

"Rapid City, South Dakota"

"Rapid City, South Dakota"


Just a ragged kid in overalls, he thumbed a ride one day
He said, "Anywhere you’re headed is on my way"
But as we passed the big [Incomprehensible] drive-in
His eyes began to flash, he was leavin’ Rapid City mighty fast

He said, "I hope to god she finds
The goodbye letter that I wrote her
'Cause the mail don’t move too fast
In Rapid City, South Dakota"

Well, he left her just a blanket of snow up on the farm
That won’t keep your conscience very warm
He said his friends were too darn country
And his pa was too damn mean
And there ain’t no money in pumpin’ gasoline

And in her gentle eyes was the merchandise
Of dreams the peddler sold her
As he left her there alone in Rapid City, South Dakota

Now the reason he was goin’, I'm not sure I could say
Might’ve been the rodeo in Santa Fe
"There’s a doctor in Chicago, I know she’ll be alright"
He told himself as he stared into the night

He said, "I hope to god she finds
The goodbye letter that I wrote her
'Cause the mail don’t move too fast
In Rapid City, South Dakota"

All her people treatin’ her
Just like they never know her
Lord, the winter passes slow
In Rapid City, South Dakota

"Readin', Rightin', Rt. 23"

"Readin', Rightin', Rt. 23"


[Chorus:]
They learned readin', writin', Route 23
To the jobs that lay waiting in those cities' factories
They learned readin', writin', roads to the north
To the luxury and comfort a coal miner can't afford
They thought readin', writin', Route 23
Would take them to the good life that they had never seen
They didn't know that old highway
Could lead them to a world of misery

Have you ever been down Kentucky-way
Say south of Prestonburg
Have you ever been up in a holler
Have you ever heard
A mountain man cough his life away
From diggin' that black coal
In those dark mines, those dark mines
If you had you might just understand
The reason that they left it all behind

[Chorus:]
They learned readin', writin', Route 23
To the jobs that lay waitin' in those cities' factories
They learned readin', writin', roads to the north
To the luxury and comfort a coal miner can't afford
They thought readin', writin', Route 23
Would take them to the good life that they had never seen
They didn't know that old highway
Could lead them to a world of misery

Have you ever seen 'em
Put the kids in the car after work on Friday night
Pull up in a holler about 2 a.m.
And see a light still shinin' bright
Those mountain folks sat up that late
Just to hold those little grandkids
In their arms, in their arms
And I'm proud to say that I've been blessed
And touched by their sweet hillbilly charm

[Chorus:]
They learned readin', writin', Route 23
To the jobs that lay waiting in those cities' factories
They learned readin', writin', roads to the north
To the luxury and comfort a coal miner can't afford
They thought readin', writin', Route 23
Would take them to the good life that they had never seen
They didn't know that old highway
Could lead them to a world of misery

Yeah, it turns out that that old highway,
Leads you to a world of misery

They found out that that old highway
Leads you to a world of misery...

"Ring Of Fire"

"Ring Of Fire"



Love is a burning thing
And it makes a fiery ring
Bound by a wild desire
I fell into a ring of fire

I fell into a burning ring of fire
I went down, down, down and the flames climbed higher
And it burned, burned, burned the ring of fire
The ring of fire

I fell into a burning ring of fire
I went down, down, down and the flames climbed higher
And it burned, burned, burned the ring of fire
The ring of fire

The taste of love is sweet
When hearts like ours meet
I fell for you like a child
Ooh, the fire went wild

I fell into a burning ring of fire
I went down, down, down and the flames climbed higher
And it burned, burned, burned the ring of fire
The ring of fire

Then I fell into a burning ring of fire
I went down, down, down and the flames climbed higher
And it burned, burned, burned the ring of fire
The ring of fire

Then I fell into a burning ring of fire
I went down, down, down and the flames climbed higher
And it burned, burned, burned the ring of fire
The ring of fire

Lord it burned, burned, burned the ring of fire
The ring of fire, the ring of fire, the ring of fire

"Rock It All Away"

"Rock It All Away"



I never really believed in
Somethin’ said with a word
At least I never trusted
what I was told or ever heard

I never really believed in
Somethin’ said with a word
At least I never trusted
what I was told or ever heard

I never tried to avoid it
If it did come along
‘Cause whatever happened next
always proved it was wrong

But you rocked that all the way
You rocked what words can’t say
You rocked it up and down
the front and then back around
Every lonely place
You rocked it all away

You and me both walked alone
Down streets where nobody’s home
You and me we both hung around
The kinda places that can’t be found

You and me we both new the score
but whatever it was ain’t adding up anymore
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah

But you rocked that all the way
You rocked what words can’t say
You rocked it up and down
the front and then back around
Every lonely place
You rocked it all away

I never really believed in something said with a word
At least I never trusted what I was told or ever heard

"Rocky Road Blues"

"Rocky Road Blues"



Lord the road is rocky but it won't be rocky long
Lord the road is rocky but it won't be rocky long
Because another man has got my woman and gone

Hey I've got those blues I'm wearing out the soles of my shoes
Yes I've got those blues I'm wearing out the soles of my shoes
My gal went way and left me she left me with the doggone blues

Lord the road is rocky but it won't be rocky long
Lord the road is rocky but it won't be rocky long
Because another man has got my woman and gone

You'll never miss your water until the well runs dry
You'll never miss your water until the well runs dry
You'll never miss your woman until she says goodbye

Lord the road is rocky but it won't be rocky long
Lord the road is rocky but it won't be rocky long
Because another man has got my woman and gone

Ah and I wish to the Lord you'd bring my woman back home
Yeah I wish to the Lord you'd bring my woman back home
I'm not so lonesome I just don't want to be alone

Lord the road is rocky but it won't be rocky long
Lord the road is rocky but it won't be rocky long
Because another man has got my woman and gone

"Sad, Sad Music"

"Sad, Sad Music"



There should be music
Sad, sad music
But this silence that you left
Is all that I have

I must have missed a couple days
Or just forgotten
What went wrong or where it all
Fell apart
And I know you must have told me
You were leavin'
It just never crossed my mind
You'd take my heart

There should be music
Sad, sad music
The kind the movies have
When love like ours goes bad
There should be music
Sad, sad music
But this silence that you left
Is all that I have

I'd swear that I woke up with you
This morning
But I can see that's it been days
Since you were here
And every night it still hits home
Without a warning
As my world becomes a flood of
Scalding tears

There should be music
Sad, sad music
As you walk away without
Looking back
There should be music
Sad, sad music
But this silence that you left
Is all that I have

There should be music...

"Same Fool"

"Same Fool"



I'm just the same fool, the old fool
The one fool, that you won't fool no more

'least not the way that you fooled
The last fool you fooled before

So let the next fool, the new fool
Be a fool, that you will fool for sure

Just know that this fool, won't be fooled
Like all those other fools no more

Go find some real fool, no near fool
The kind of fool, that knows what fools are for

That'll give your foolin' heart, those foolish thrills
It won't stand a chance to ignore

They'll be a fine fool, a flat blind fool
A sort of fool, with not a clue about what's in store

Doing every fool-filled thing you need him to
For however long it is that fools endure

You might be finding a little lately
That I've been a greatly changing man

You don't seem worried, so I'm encouraged
This won't discourage all you other plans

I'm just the same fool, the old fool
The one fool, that you won't fool no more

'least not the way that you fooled the last fool you fooled before
No, not the way that you fooled all those other fools no more

"Second Hand Heart"

"Second Hand Heart"



She said when I trusted love I dreamed in color too
But memories turn black and white, at least mine do…
She said my brother, you know, he used to have this friend…
But this is now and that was then

It’s better off just not to start
Than to have to watch us fall apart
All because of my second hand heart

I said if you could count up memories but only keep the best
You may not see how good they were without the rest
She said look I tried a lot
But I guess love it don’t like me
Oh and by the way, all those tries?
Sure didn’t come for free

So it’s better off just not to start
Than to have to watch us fall apart
All because of my second hand heart

Second hand hearts
Second hand hearts
Second hand hearts
Second hand hearts
Are not just for parts

So I’ll take away your sad luck baby
And you’ll change mine
When hurt starts talkin’ we’ll say hey, ya know, we ain’t got time
Then pick up all those small hopes back off the ground
’Cause after years of tears it’s hard to say what’s up or down

So if you will, I’ll try to start
And take the chance that we might fall apart
To try and save our second hand hearts
She said when I trusted love I dreamed in color too…

"Send A Message To My Heart"

"Send A Message To My Heart"



Send a message to my heart
On the wings of the wind
Let me hear your sweet voice sayin'
You love me again
Even though we're apart
I still hold your memory
Send a message to my heart
To keep you here with me

Darlin' when you're all alone
Tell me do you think of me
Does my name touch your lips
Am I still in your dreams

Do your arms reach out for mine
In the still of the night
Do you wish that I was with you
When you turn out the lights

Send a message to my heart
On the wings of the wind
Let me hear your sweet voice sayin'
You love me again
Even though we're apart
I still hold your memory
Send a message to my heart
To keep you here with me

All these moments alone
Make me realize
Just how empty this old world is
Without you in my life

Our day is yet to come
And our love is so sweet
Send a message to my heart
To keep you here with me

Send a message to my heart
On the wings of the wind
Let me hear your sweet voice sayin'
You love me again
Even though we're apart
I still hold your memory
Send a message to my heart
To keep you here with me

Send a message to my heart
To keep you here with me