Robert Earl Keen

[fox69]

"Feelin' Good Again"

"Feelin' Good Again"


Standin there on Main Street across from Mr. Blues
My faded leather jacket my weathered brogan shoes
A chill north wind was blowin but the Spring was comin on
As I wondered to myself just how long I had been gone

So I strolled across ol Main Street walked down a flight of stairs
Stepped into a hall and saw all my friends were there
A neon sign was flashing welcome come on in
It feels so good feeling good again

My favorite band was playin' and Otis Redding song
And when they sang the chorus everybody sang along
Dan and Margarita were swayin side by side
I heard they were divorcing but I guess they let it slide

I wished I had some money with which to buy a round
I wished I cashed my paycheck before I came to town
But I reached into my pocket and found three twenties and a ten
It feels so good feelin good again

There was old man Perkins sittin on his stool
Watchin Butch and Jimmy John talkin' loud and playin pool
The boys from Silver City were standin by the fire
Singin like they thought they were the Tabernacle choir

And I wanted you to see them all I wished that you were there
I looked across the room and saw you standing on the stair
And when I caught your eye I saw you break into a grin
It feels so good feelin good again

I wanted you to see them all I wished that you were there
I looked across the room and saw you standing on the stair
And when I caught your eye I saw you break into a grin
It feels so good feelin good again
It feels so good feelin good again

 

[fox69]

"Floppy Shoes"

"Floppy Shoes"


Packed up and good to go
Cranked up that radio
Way down in Mexico
That sun's gonna shine

Kick the cat and leave the key
On the nail behind the tree
Can't wait until I see
That city limit sign

[Chorus:]
Give me a thousand miles of highway
Tie-dyed shirt and floppy shoes
You be Wonder Woman, I'll be Rocket Man
Just one kiss will light the fuse

Hell bent and flyin' fine
No tellin' what we'll find
There's nothin' on my mind
But lovin' you today

Sleepin' underneath the stars
Countin' plates and railroad cars
Check out them back street bars
And border town cafes

[Chorus]

Trade in our TV trance
For alot of wild romance
We might not get another chance
And kiss it all goodbye

Makin' love till kingdom come
Bathed in Puerto Rican rum
Spend up every Benjaman
And live until well die

[Chorus]

 

[fox69]

"Flyin' Shoes"
(originally by Townes Van Zandt)

"Flyin' Shoes"
(originally by Townes Van Zandt)



Days full of rain
Sky's comin' down again
I get so tired
Of these same old blues
Same old song
Baby, it won't be long
'fore I be tyin' on
My flyin' shoes
Flyin' shoes
Till I be tyin' on
My flyin' shoes

Spring only sighed
Summer had to be satisfied
Fall is a feelin' that I just can't lose.
I'd like to stay
Maybe watch a winter day
Turn the green water
To white and blue
Flyin' shoes
Flyin' shoes
Till I be tyin' on
My flyin' shoes

The mountain moon
Forever sets too soon
Bein' alone is all the hills can do
Alone and then
Her silver sails again
And they will follow
In their flyin' shoes
Flyin' shoes
They will follow in their
Flyin' shoes

Days full of rain
Skys comin' down again
I get so tired
Of the same old blues
Same old song
Baby, it won't be long
Till I be tyin' on
My flyin' shoes
Flyin' shoes
Till I be tyin' on
My flyin' shoes

 

[fox69]

"Footprints In The Snow"

"Footprints In The Snow"


Now some folks like the summertime when the they can walk about
Strolling through the meadow green it's pleasant there no doubt
But give me the wintertime when the snow is on the ground
For I found her when the snow on the ground

I traced her little footprints in the snow
I found her little footprints in the snow
I bless that happy day when Nellie lost her way
For I found her when the snow was on the ground

I dropped in to see her there was a big round moon
Her mother said she just stepped out but would be returning soon
I found her little footprints and I traced them in the snow
I found her when the snow was on the ground

Now she's up in heaven she's with the angel band
I know I'm going to meet her in that promised land
But every time the snow falls it brings back memories
For I found her when the snow was on the ground

 

[fox69]

"Fourth Of July"
(originally by Dave Alvin)

"Fourth Of July"
(originally by Dave Alvin)



She's waiting for me when I get home from work
But things just ain't the same
She turns out the light and cries in the dark
Won't answer when I call her name

On the stairs I smoke a cigarette alone
The Mexican kids are shooting fireworks below
Hey, baby, it's the Fourth of July
Hey, baby, it's the Fourth of July

She gives me her cheek when I want her lips
And I don't have the strength to go
On the lost side of town in a dark apartment
We gave up trying so long ago

On the stairs I smoke a cigarette alone
The Mexican kids are shooting fireworks below
Hey, baby, it's the Fourth of July
Hey, baby, it's the Fourth of July

Whatever happened, I apologize
So dry your tears and baby, walk outside
It's the Fourth of July

On the stairs I smoke a cigarette alone
The Mexican kids are shooting fireworks below
Hey, baby, it's the Fourth of July
Hey, baby, it's the Fourth of July

 

[fox69]

"Furnace Fan"

"Furnace Fan"


We were at the Rhythm Room
In Scottsdale Arizona
It was in the summertime it must have been '02
We got there way too early and we sat around for hours
Loaded in when the man came down
And the smushball game was through

You can fry an egg out there on the city sidewalk
You can fry your bacon and and and and
I understand why lizards live in sunny Arizona
Why people do and call it home I'll never understand

It's hotter than a furnace fan out in Arizona
110 ain't nothing when you live out there you see
Stars come out you scream and shout "Hey it's good to know you"
If you're going there and you don't mind say hello for me

Uncle Joe he lives out there in Phoenix Arizona
He wears a cap that spells it out "I'm Uncle Joe"
His kid is in the restaurant biz
So he bought us fourteen boxes
Of chicken strips and ranch style dip
And wings from buffalo

It's hotter than a furnace fan out in Arizona
110 ain't nothing when you live out there you see
Stars come out you scream and shout "Hey it's good to know you"
If your going there and you don't mind say hello for me

The room was small but the crowd turned out in Scottsdale Arizona
They listened to the stuff we played
And sometimes sang along
We finished up but they wanted more
So we kept right on playing
We played and stayed in the desert shade
'Til we played up every song

It's hotter than a furnace fan out in Arizona
110 ain't nothing when you live out there you see
Stars come out you scream and shout "Hey it's good to know you"
If you're going there and you don't mind say hello for me

If you're going there and you don't mind say hello for me

 

[fox69]

"Goin' Down In Style"

"Goin' Down In Style"


I left Houston, Texas on a Gulf Coast Hurricane
I was blown down by tornadoes, washed up by the rain
Well my pappy wasn't happy with me, he told me to go
So I stole my daddy's Cadillac, and I headed down the road
I had a grin from ear to ear with each and every mile
I'm headed for the border man, I'm goin' down in style.

Well I hit Corpus Christi, and the wind was at my back
I drove them women crazy in my daddy's Cadillac
I'd cruse them down the boulevard, treated them like queens
I took them all the places that they wanted to been seen
And when I had to leave them, I'd tell them with a smile
I'm headed for the border, man I'm goin' down in style

Well, you've got to take your chances if they ever come along
Close your eyes and listen to that great big engine wind
And it down really matter, whether you are right or wrong
Cause when you cross the border yeah you leave this world behind
I stomped down on the pedal, I set the cruise control
Five hundred raging horses blew on by the state patrol
Yeah, there sirens were screaming, Lord the lights were flashing red
A dozen more were waiting at the road block up ahead
I scattered them like chickens, I heard one of them cry
"He's headin' for the border man, he's goin' down in style."

Yeah when you cross the border you ain't ever coming back
And there ain't no redemption when the cops are on your tail
The closest thing to heaven, is the great big Cadillac
The city lights of Houston, or the fiery gates of hell
They nabbed me on the hill that overlooks the Rio Grande

I'm feeling just like Moses looking at the promise land
They hauled me back to Houston, they threw me into jail
My momma started crying when my daddy paid the bail
I'm sorry I'm not there to hear the outcome of my trial
I'm headed for the border man, I'm goin' down in style

 

[fox69]

"Goin' Nowhere Blues"

"Goin' Nowhere Blues"


In the corner of the barroom
Lives the ghost of Langston Hughes
He's takin' notes and smokin' cigarettes
Sippin' slowly on his booze
Got them goin' nowhere blues

And on the stage beneath the spotlight
Woody Guthrie sings the news
He's always ready for the good fight
Never thinkin' that he'll lose
Got them goin' nowhere blues
Through the back way in the alley
Sellin all you should refuse
Looks like Jane has finally given in
Hey, what the hell it ain't no use
Got them goin' nowhere blues

Out the front around the corner
Martin Luther shines your shoes
He's preachin' justice and equality
I guess Martin's payin' dues
He's got them goin' nowhere blues

On the other side it's a free ride
You've got money you can burn
When the ground shakes and the earth breaks
Which way you gonna turn
Are you ever gonna learn
In the poolroom on the table
Swillin' wine and smashin' cues
They locked him up last night for fighting
Cesar Chavez blew a fuse
He's got them goin' nowhere blues

All the members of the union
All the farm and labor crews
They used to be meet here by the dozens
They disappeared in ones and twos
Got them goin' nowhere blues
So you wonder why they come here
They come here to look for clues
Passin' time until they live again
To fight these going nowhere views
Leave these goin' nowhere blues
To fight these goin' nowhere views

 

[fox69]

"Gone On"

"Gone On"


Had a girl long ago
She was fast and I was slow
I tried to love her
She gone on

I wrote her letters, called her freinds
They say that true love never ends
I'm here to tell ya
She gone on

[Chorus:]
It's like a racetrack everyday
Movin' it on up or get outta the way
Don't wait too late to pull me along

I had a buddy, we had a few
He liked to talk about the ring-dang-do
It liked to kill him
He gone on

We got together the other year
He found religion, I found a beer
[?] to tell ya
He gone on

[Chorus]

That's my story, that's my song
Somebody asks ya where I'm gone
You can tell 'em
He gone on

 

[fox69]

"Goodbye Cleveland"

"Goodbye Cleveland"


I been down this street once or twice
I played the bars and the blues
Never took no one's advice
To me it's all yesterday's news

And we would drink at old Flannery's
We were drinkin' and drinkin' some more
The clock struck a quarter to three
The cops busted right in the door

[Chorus:]
Goodbye Cleveland
Turn down the rock and roll, turn out the light
Goodbye Cleveland
Goodbye, good luck and goodnight

She had the rock and the roll
Born with the brass and a style
They took her heart and her soul
She ain't been back in a while

There's Blind Blake and Willie McTell
Albert and Albert and Kaye
There's wankers and bankers in hell
Who'd give it all back just to say

[Chorus]

I buried my ma and my pa
I left you some cash on the shelf
I'm goin' down south 'til I thaw
I'll be better off by myself

Goodbye Cleveland
Turn down the rock and roll, turn out the light
Goodbye Cleveland
Goodbye, good luck and...
Goodbye Cleveland
Turn down the rock and roll, turn out the light
Goodbye Cleveland
Goodbye, good luck and goodnight
Goodbye, good luck and goodnight