Just got Tom Russell's new one, "Cowboys, Indians, Horses, Guns."

He sings this on it, with no changes except the occupation of the protagonist, to fit the theme of the recording. As he sings it, I hear the lyrics like this:

He came in to the ballroom, just a crazy old man.
And his eyes seemed to glaze in the light.
He was just some old cowboy, to judge by his rags,
Come in from the cold of the night.
The whole room was dancing, they paid him no mind
As he slipped to the bar and said, "Would you please be so kind."
And the music kept ringing in the back of his mind.
No telling what a love song will do.

The queen of the ballroom sang her favourite song,
As he stood with his glass in his hand.
He was weary of living the days of his life
And tonight was the last he could stand.
He shut out the future, he shut out the past,
And even the present was closing down fast.
The queen of the ballroom said, "We'll make this the last."
No telling what a love song will do.

As she started to sing for the very last time,
He trembled as he stood there alone.
And the pain he'd been holding inside for so long
Just fell from his heart and was gone.
It was only a love song, simple and clear
And he bowed as it shook him with every last tear.
And he cried from relief and he cried half from fear.
No telling what a love song will do.

Oh, the queen of the ballroom still glitters and shines
Each night at the Old Time Parade.
And maybe it's something they put in the wine,
But her beauty refuses to fade.
"I think she got married to a stranger", they say,
"Just a crazy old cowboy who rode in one day."
And the whole town still dances and the music still plays.
There's no telling what a love song will do.

And the whole town is dancing and the music still plays.
There's no telling what a love song will do.

It's a keeper.

Peter.