Lyr Req: You Never Even Call Me by My Name

Subject: Does anyone know who wrote this?
From: Mike Byers
Date: 21 Apr 01 - 02:07 AM

Now and then the group I play with is asked (usually by someone wearing a "gimme hat", a type so aptly described by the writer William Gibson as a "meshback"),"Cain't yew play any county music?" Well, we can...but we don't. Used to be we'd just shake our heads and go on with our Celtic and traditional stuff. But now we reply with this verse, set to the most banal, commercial country melody you can imagine: "The day my momma got out of prison, I went to meet her in the rain. But before I could get there, in my pickup truck, She got run over by a darned ol' train." None of us can remember where we heard this; does anyone know who wrote it? Is there more?

Subject: RE: Does anyone know who wrote this?
From: GUEST,Arkie
Date: 21 Apr 01 - 02:16 AM

Steve Goodman?

Subject: RE: Does anyone know who wrote this?
From: catspaw49
Date: 21 Apr 01 - 02:28 AM

Steve Goodman wrote it and David Allen Coe did it .... Goodman recorded it too of course but check this version:

CLICK HERE

Spaw

Subject: Lyr Add: YOU NEVER EVEN CALL ME BY MY NAME
From: GUEST,Gene
Date: 21 Apr 01 - 02:36 AM

Spaw was a jump ahead of me - here's the lyrics

YOU NEVER EVEN CALL ME BY MY NAME
Recorded by: David Allan Coe
Written by: Steve Goodman

It was all that I could do to keep from cryin'
Sometimes it seems so useless to remain
You don't have to call me darlin', darlin'
You never even call me by my name

You don't have to call me Waylon Jennings
And you don't have to call me Charley Pride
You don't have to call me Merle Haggard, anymore
Even though you're on my fightin' side

CHORUS
And I'll hang around as long as you will let me
And I never minded standin' in the rain
You don't have to call me darlin', darlin'
You never even call me by my name

I've heard my name a few times in your phone book
I've seen it on signs where I've laid
But the only time I know, I'll hear David Allan Coe
Is when Jesus has his final judgement day

CHORUS
And I'll hang around as long as you will let me
And I never minded standin' in the rain
You don't have to call me darlin', darlin'
You never even call me by my name

[spoken section]
Well, a friend of mine named Steve Goodman wrote that song
and he told me it was the perfect country and western song
I wrote him back a letter and told him
it was NOT the perfect country and western song
because he hadn't said anything about Momma
or trains, or trucks, or prison, or gettin' drunk
Well, he sat down and wrote another verse to the song
and he sent it to me and after reading it
I realized that my friend had written
the perfect country and western song
And I felt obliged to include it on this album
The last verse goes like this here:

Well, I was drunk the day my Mom got outta prison
And I went to pick her up in the rain
But, before I could get to the station in my pickup truck
She got runned over by a damned old train

CHORUS:
So I'll hang around as long as you will let me
And I never minded standin' in the rain No
You don't have to call me darlin', darlin'
You never even call me, I wonder why you don't call me
Why don't you ever call me by my name

Subject: RE: Does anyone know who wrote this?
From: Stewie
Date: 21 Apr 01 - 02:50 AM

The Coe version supplied by Spaw and Gene is better known, but Goodman's version (previously unreleased) may be found on the Rhino label Goodman anthology 'No Big Surprise'. Goodman ended the song (on one occasion) as follows - he probably changed it every time:

(Spoken): 'Oh well, we left out farms, prison, mother, trucks, trains, dead dogs like Old Shep, Christmas and, thanks to David Allan Coe, getting drunk – and there's only time for this last stanza here:

Ever since the dog got drunk and died, and mama went to prison
There ain't nothin' round this farm that's been the same
And, yer know, when mom broke out last Christmas
She drove the goddam getaway laundry truck right into a train

And I am gonna hang around as long as you will let me
And I've never minded standin' in the rain
You don't have to call me darlin', darlin'
But you never even called me by my name

--Stewie.

Subject: RE: Does anyone know who wrote this?
From: Clinton Hammond
Date: 21 Apr 01 - 03:53 AM

Mmmmmm... William Gibson!

That scrawny wee feck sure can write!!!

Good to know I'm not the only space-folkie around!

;-)

Subject: RE: Does anyone know who wrote this?
From: Irish sergeant
Date: 21 Apr 01 - 07:28 AM

STeve Goodman also wrote "City of New Orleans" The man sure can write! Kindest reguards, Neil

Subject: RE: Does anyone know who wrote this?
From: Mike Byers
Date: 21 Apr 01 - 09:46 AM

Thank you all very much. I particularly like the addition of the dog; there had to be a dog in there somewhere. Yep, Gibson sure enough can write, but it was only the luck of publishing that led Neuromancer to being published before Hardwired. Had things been the other way around, Walter Jon Williams might well be known as the father of cyberpunk.

Subject: RE: Does anyone know who wrote this?
From: Charley Noble
Date: 21 Apr 01 - 09:53 AM

Nice work! Thanks!

Subject: RE: Does anyone know who wrote this?
From: paddymac
Date: 21 Apr 01 - 10:00 AM

In its own way, it's one of the greatest tongue-in-cheek songs ever written. (IMHO):>)

---

I closed this thread in an attempt to avoid splitting the discussion. Please post in one of the related threads listed in the crosslinks toward the top of this page.
Thanks.
-Joe Offer-