Song Lyric Thursday

I've spent the last 31 days back in my old stompin' grounds and have a little over a week to go before I can make parole and return home. Over the last several weeks I have taken my co-workers to numerous places that I frequented many years ago - uttering comments like "I've been drunk here before", "I dated a girl who used to work here", "this place serves kick-ass Mai Tai's", etc.

I've also had some time to reflect, looking back on all of my experiences (good and bad) from my days as a useless drunk and womanizer. With that, here's my song lyrics for this week by Robert Earl Keen; a little "Dreadful Selfish Crime";

Seems like yesterday I was here
Dreamin' my life away and drinkin' beer
Staying up till dawn strummin' on guitars
Sleepin' all day long just like the big rock stars
Barely livin' on money from tip jars

I had a little place just up the block
Had me a French girlfriend I loved the way she talked
We spent our afternoons watchin' the TV
Findin' things to do that we could do for free
When we split up she said you don't do enough for me

CHORUS:
I am guilty of a dreadful selfish crime
I had robbed myself of all my precious time

Had my first gig here in the neighborhood
We had a little band I thought was good
Hocked my old shotgun bought a used P.A.
We got a quart of rum drank it all that day
When the big gig come we were just to drunk to play

CHORUS

Sometimes I can't believe those days are gone
Most of my friends back then have moved along
One's in Hollywood one's a millionaire
Some are gone for good some still livin' here
Me I'm just the same lost in a crowd
Lookin' for the rain in a thunder cloud
I have moved around but it don't matter though
One thing I have found there are just two ways to go
It all comes down to livin' fast or dyin' slow

CHORUS

Comments

[Rob]

"dreadful selfish crime"...

the only thing that comes to my mind is my father-in-law (my late 1st wife's dad) who, at 73 years of age, looks beyond 90. He spent his life drinking and "partying" (mother-in-law divorced when my wife was 13 or 14) and smoking. Now he has recurrent metastatic kidney cancer in his hip and back and possibly his brain. He's been sent to the city for radiation to relieve the pain, but I just found out he fell this morning and broke a hip.

I don't know what my late wife would say were she here today. It doesn't seem right to say "I told you so" when the guy is pretty much knockin' on death's door now.

Talk about dreadful selfish crime.

[daisyfae]

great song. i think every musician has at least one year like that...