Lyr Add: Roanie (Tom Russell)

Subject: Lyr Add: ROANIE (Tom Russell)
From: Stewie
Date: 29 Nov 00 - 01:39 AM

ROANIE
(Tom Russell)

Mail Pouch Tobacco signs are crumblin' in waltz time
On the sides of forgotten old barns
And the rockin' chair's a-rollin' on the porch down at Dolan's
Where Roanie tells those wild western yarns
About a big roan caballo that ruled the arroyos
Then he's hummin' 'The Strawberry Roan'
And the boys start to sighin' 'cause old Roanie he's cryin'
He's forgotten the words to the song

Roanie, you're nothin' but a drugstore vaquero
You've been tellin' your lies too damn long
A-hummin' the tune to 'The Strawberry Roan'
Forgettin' the words to the song
Hey, Roanie, your old wild west is gone

Now the Great Western Feed Lot's turned into a truck stop
Where old Roanie drinks coffee all night
And he tells all the drivers he's an outlaw survivor
And he beat Jesse James in a fight
And the waitresses smile – Lord, they're lost for a while
Makin' love in some gunfighters bed
And the wild west keeps dyin' and old Roanie keeps on lyin'
About the home on the range in his head

He'd cough and he'd wink, say, Lord I need a drink,
And I gotta get these dogies movin' on
I'm pony ridin' mail down the wild Chisolm Trail
Gotta make Laredo by dawn
Hey, does anyone remember the words to that old song?
As I rode out in the streets of Laredo …
As I rode out in Laredo one day …

Well, the Mail Pouch Tobacco signs are crumblin' in waltz time
On the sides of forgotten old barns
And the rockin' chair's been stolen off the porch down at Dolan's
Where Roanie told those wild western yarns
And that big roan caballo has left the arroyos
He's swayback and plumb broken down
And old Roanie – he's buried in the new cemetery
Yeah, there ain't no more Boot Hills around

Roanie was nothin' but a drugstore vaquero
Who'd been tellin' his lies too damn long
A-hummin' the tune to 'The Strawberry Roan'
Forgettin' the words to the song
And now Roanie and the West are both gone

So it's beat the drum slowly and play the fife lowly …
He had a pain in his chest and he's bound to move on …
Singin', Oh that strawberry roan, mmmmm
Mmmmmmmm
Turn on a nickel and give you some change
Who could ride that strawberry roan?

Words and music by Tom Russell. End of Trail Music.
Source: Tom Russell 'Cowboy Real' Philo CD PH 1146. PS.