This is such a subtle song, it’s lead being a mandolin, played quietly, with a banjo, even quieter, and a stand up stringed bass just barely thumping in the back. and a voice just barely there, backed by drums played with brushes, and a haunting harmonica, is still incredibly enticing to listen to.
Makes you want to listen to it, difficult lyrics (volume, delivery, and content), just add to the mystique of why you would want to wait around to die.
It’s worth at least three replays, just to discern some of the subtleties you missed the fourth time around.
Sometimes I don’t know where
This dirty road is taking me
Sometimes I can’t even see the reason why
I guess I keep a-gamblin’
Lots of booze and lots of ramblin’
It’s easier than just waitin’ around to die
One time, friends, I had a ma
I even had a pa
He beat her with a belt once ’cause she cried
She told him to take care of me
Headed down to Tennessee
It’s easier than just waitin’ around to die
I came of age and I found a girl
In a Tuscaloosa bar
She cleaned me out and hit in on the sly
I tried to kill the pain, bought some wine
And hopped a train
Seemed easier than just waitin’ around to die
A friend said he knew
Where some easy money was
We robbed a man, and brother did we fly
The posse caught up with me
And drug me back to Muskogee
It’s two long years I’ve been waitin’ around to die
Now I’m out of prison
I got me a friend at last
He don’t drink or steal or cheat or lie
His name’s Codeine
He’s the nicest thing I’ve seen
Together we’re gonna wait around and die
Together we’re gonna wait around and die
This is such a subtle song, it’s lead being a mandolin, played quietly, with a banjo, even quieter, and a stand up stringed bass just barely thumping in the back. and a voice just barely there, backed by drums played with brushes, and a haunting harmonica, is still incredibly enticing to listen to.
Makes you want to listen to it, difficult lyrics (volume, delivery, and content), just add to the mystique of why you would want to wait around to die.
It’s worth at least three replays, just to discern some of the subtleties you missed the fourth time around.
It’s a well known Townes Van Zandt song:
Sometimes I don’t know where
This dirty road is taking me
Sometimes I can’t even see the reason why
I guess I keep a-gamblin’
Lots of booze and lots of ramblin’
It’s easier than just waitin’ around to die
One time, friends, I had a ma
I even had a pa
He beat her with a belt once ’cause she cried
She told him to take care of me
Headed down to Tennessee
It’s easier than just waitin’ around to die
I came of age and I found a girl
In a Tuscaloosa bar
She cleaned me out and hit in on the sly
I tried to kill the pain, bought some wine
And hopped a train
Seemed easier than just waitin’ around to die
A friend said he knew
Where some easy money was
We robbed a man, and brother did we fly
The posse caught up with me
And drug me back to Muskogee
It’s two long years I’ve been waitin’ around to die
Now I’m out of prison
I got me a friend at last
He don’t drink or steal or cheat or lie
His name’s Codeine
He’s the nicest thing I’ve seen
Together we’re gonna wait around and die
Together we’re gonna wait around and die