Guy Clark

[fox69]

"Baton Rouge"

"Baton Rouge"


I'm gonna leave Texarkana
I'm goin' down to Louisiana
I'm gonna try my luck in Baton Rouge
I'm gonna follow ol red river down
Till I see the lights of town I ain't gonna get no sleep in Baton Rouge

[Chorus]
Baton Rouge Baton Rouge
I'm gonna get me some alligator shoes
Baton Rouge Baton Rouge
I'm gonna wear 'em out in Baton Rouge

It was a Texas girl that broke my heart
Then she tore my truck apart
I guess I'll get me another in Baton Rouge
I like Crawfish I like rice
I like girls that treat you nice
I'm gonna find me one in Baton Rouge

[Chorus]

I'm gonna learn to walk that walk
I'm gonna learn to talk that talk
I'm gonna learn to dance in Baton Rouge
Ain't life just like a cul-de-sac
I'm a Texas boy and I'm goin' back
Soon as I catch my breath in Baton Rouge

[Chorus]

I'm gonna strut my stuff in Baton Rouge
I'm gonna cool my heels in Baton Rouge

 

[fox69]

"Be Gone Forever"

"Be Gone Forever"



Sometimes a loser
Sometimes a hero
This is a lonely captain's story
Sword and a pistol by his side

Do Lord, oh do remember Him
Yes, yes, remember Him, there will be a singer
Whenever his time has come to die
Be gone forever

Sometimes an angel
Sometimes unwanted
This is a lonely nurse's story
Watch and a clipboard by her side

Do Lord, oh do remember Him
Yes, yes, remember Him, there will be a singer
Whenever his time has come to die
Be gone forever

Sometimes a legend
Sometimes a beggar
This is a lonely hobo's story
Cane and a switchblade by his side

Do Lord, oh do remember Him
Yes, yes, remember Him, there will be a singer
Whenever his time has come to die
Be gone forever

Sometimes we're ugly
Not really worth it
This is a lonely planet's story
We're the third one from the sun

Do Lord, oh do remember Him
Yes, yes, remember Him, there will be a singer
Whenever his time has come to die
Be gone forever

 

[fox69]

"Better Days"

"Better Days"



Standing at the window her face to the glass
As far as she can see the time has come to pass
As far as she can see the sky is all ablaze
And this looks like the first of better days

She's takin' charge of her life for a change
She's takin' it back that she's lost
It's just as clear as the window pane
She'll survive at all cost

See the wings unfolding that weren't there just before
On a ray of sunshine she dances out the door
Out into the morning light where the sky is all ablaze
This looks like the first of better days

 

[fox69]

"Black Diamond Strings"

"Black Diamond Strings"



Black Diamond Strings
This Black Diamond Strings
Drinkin’ 1 W. Harper
Playin’ Black Diamond Strings

Black Diamond Strings
Are like white flour and grits
You play Black Diamond Strings
‘Cause it’s all you can get

Black Diamond Strings on a catalog guitar
That’s pretty high cotton whoever you are
You break one you change one, that’s as good as it gets
You can play all year long on two or three sets

J.W. Crowell was a hell of a man
He played two nights a week in a hillbilly band
He played at the Ice House on Telephone Road
And he played in the yard just to lighten his load

Black Diamond Strings
Oh, Black Diamond Strings
Drinkin’ 1 W. Harper
Playin’ Black Diamond Strings

Black Diamond Strings
Are like white flour and grits
You play Black Diamond Strings
‘Cause it’s all you can get

Say hey, J.W, come on play that frogline
Let Old Rodney sit in, hell, he’s goin’ on nine
His fingers are bleedin’, but he’s keepin’ good time
Playin’ Black Diamond Strings, and he’ll never quit tryin’

And I causette she told ‘em both
She said, "You boys pack it up, it’s time to go home
We got church in the mornin’, man, it’s comin’ up dawn
Don’t make me say it again or I’m gone
You can stay here forever, but you’re gonna walk home"

Black Diamond Strings
Oh, Black Diamond Strings
Drinkin’ 1 W. Harper
Playin’ Black Diamond Strings

Black Diamond Strings
Are like white flour and grits
You play Black Diamond Strings
‘Cause it’s all you can get

Black Diamond Strings
Oh, Black Diamond Strings
Drinkin’ 1 W. Harper
Playin’ Black Diamond Strings

Black Diamond Strings
Are like white flour and grits
You play Black Diamond Strings
‘Cause it’s all you can get

 

[fox69]

"Black Haired Boy"

"Black Haired Boy"



But he's a black haired boy of some confusion
He makes no excuse for the things that he's usin'
And he's gentle and wild, a child of the mountain
His words are for singing and his days are for countin'

He's looking for a home, he's scared to find
Some lady beside him and he's drunk on white wine
Some lady beside him and he's drunk on white wine

But he's a devil in the morning and a savior at night
Tomorrow's a case of whatever is right
Lonesome and high are the things that he feels
And the cards that he plays are the ones that he deals

He's looking for a home, he's scared to find
Some lady beside him and he's drunk on white wine
Some lady beside him and he's drunk on white wine

But he's one of the chances you're entitled to take
He's one of the hearts that it's too late to break
I've seen him be sad and never know why
Seen him fall down to laugh, seen him stand up to cry

He's looking for a home, he's scared to find
Some lady beside him and he's drunk on white wine
Some lady beside him and he's drunk on white wine

He's looking for a home, he's scared to find
Some lady beside him and he's drunk on white wine
Some lady beside him and he's drunk on white wine

 

[fox69]

"Blowin' Like A Bandit"

"Blowin' Like A Bandit"



Lawdy mercy land of goshen shades of gray out on the ocean
Don't you dare take that boat out to sea
For the high seas are runnin' you will sure enough be done in
If you dare take that boat out to sea

Cause out there in the gulf the wind is blowin' like a bandit
And I'm talkin' bout a hurricane and your riggin' will not stand it
There's an ill wind a blowin' you better get back to your moorin'
Don't you dare take that boat out to sea
You better take a weather warnin' you'll be shark bait in the mornin'
If you dare take that boat out to sea

You better give up on that shrimpin' you just might come home a limpin'
If you dare take that boat out to sea
You better not make one more drag you're gonna wind up in a bag
If you dare take that boat out to sea

Cause out there in the gulf the wind is blowin' like a bandit
And I'm talkin' bout a hurricane and your riggin' will not stand it
Lawdy mercy land of goshen shades of gray out on the ocean
Don't you dare take that boat out to sea
For the high seas are runnin' you will sure enough be done in
If you dare take that boat out to sea

 

[fox69]

"Boats To Build"

"Boats To Build"



It's time for a change
I'm tired of that same ol' same
The same ol' words the same ol' lines
The same ol' tricks and the same ol' rhymes

Days precious days
Roll in and out like waves
I got boards to bend I got planks to nail
I got charts to make I got seas to sail

I'm gonna build me a boat
With these two hands
It’ll be a fair curve
From a noble plan
Let the chips fall where they will
'Cause I've got boats to build

Sails are just like wings
The wind can make 'em sing
Songs of life songs of hope
Songs to keep your dreams afloat

I'm gonna build me a boat
With these two hands
It’ll be a fair curve
From a noble plan
Let the chips fall where they will
'Cause I've got boats to build

Shores distant shores
There’s where I'm headed for
Got the stars to guide my way
Sail into the light of day

I'm gonna build me a boat
With these two hands
It’ll be a fair curve
From a noble plan
Let the chips fall where they will
'Cause I've got boats to build

 

[fox69]

"Broken Hearted People"

"Broken Hearted People"



Now broken hearted people always seem to drink
And tryin' to drown those sorrows ain't as easy as you think
But living with a liar is a hard old way to go
Laughin' just to keep from crying ain't no way to grow old

So take me to a barroom driver
Set me on a stool
If I can't be her man
I'm damned if I'll be her fool

They say that whiskey ain't the best way, but then I ain't too smart
To think I just found out she was lyin' from the start
So if this is nothing but a bad joke lookin' for a laugh
Hold on to your lampshade darlin' cause I'm looking for a hat

So take me to a barroom driver
Set me on a stool
If I can't be her man
I'm damned if I'll be her fool

So get this taxi movin' cause I got no time to lose
There's no time to be choosy, any old bar will do
Cause I'm lookin' to get silly and I'm lookin' to get loose
And if that don't get it done darlin', I'll come looking for you

So take me to a barroom driver
Set me on a stool
If I can't be her man
I'm damned if I'll be her fool

 

[fox69]

"Bunkhouse Blues"

"Bunkhouse Blues"



At the Broken Heart Ranch
You can always get work
As a cowfool
There's feelin's to wrangle
Loose ends to untangle and tie

Sun up to sundown
Ridin' herd on old memories
Sundown to sun up
Singin' the bunkhouse blues

There's a lone bawlin' calf
Lost in a little box canyon
Got no companion
Lord, don't I know how he feels

Up there on the canyon rim
Blows a cold coyote wind
Buzzards grinnin' down at him
I'm singin' the bunkhouse blues

At the Broken Heart Ranch
Saturday night sure gets lonesome
I long for the lights
And the comfort of someone in town

Playin' cards and killin' time
Somebody stole my piggin' line
this ain't no nursery rhyme
I'm talkin' the bunkhouse blues

 

[fox69]

"Calf-Rope"

"Calf-Rope"



The last time it snowed in Del Rio hell froze
I could not believe that I missed it
So far from the border so close to the line
Son I almost got down and kissed it

But it’s too far from home and it’s too late to look back
Two times a night make it tough
Bee Spears showed me the day that I met him
Too much ain’t never enough

Lord this old road she’s enough to make you holler
Holler Calf-Rope -- Make you holler Calf-Rope

Let me just say that the road to good intentions
Is paved with the fools I’ve been
You can get up or stay up, it’s all the same com sunup
All you got to do it is go again

Lord this old road she’s enough to make you holler
Holler Calf-Rope-- Make you holler Calf-Rope
Calf-Rope-- Make you your
Nose to the road grind runnin’ right on road time
Gone deaf dumb and road blind you can chalk it up to road crime

It’s a fool of the road kind tryin’ to make the road rhyme with
Calf-Rope -- Make you holler Calf-Rope