This is one of the songs that I forgot about as we moved towards Knees' final days as a professional musician. It was written back in 1980 and recorded quickly. In 2013 or so it was tried again, but still I don't like it.
Written: Melendres Street, Las Cruces NM 1980
One of Knees’ more maudlin numbers, he was trying too hard to be commercial and capture the so-called romance of the road. Touring is fine for Willie in his bus but I'm sure being a road musician is a dreary life, once you hit 30.
It’ll never work out I know it,
There’s too many towns
gone by.
She wonder why I’m
silent,
But that’s how singers
cry.
She lays her hand upon
me,
Expecting a reply,
I just lie there
silently,
Cuz that’s how singers
cry.
Seems like I live my life six weeks at a time,
It’s better than
playing one-night stands,
But it’s all the same
design.
You can take someone to
breakfast,
You can kiss her at her
door,
If she comes back the
next night,
You can love a little
more.
But it’ll never work out I know it,
There’s too many towns
gone by.
She wonders why I’m
silent,
But that’s how singers
cry.
She lays her hand upon
me,
Expecting a reply,
I just lie there
silently,
Cuz that’s how singers
cry.
She waits for me at closing time
Greets me with a smile,
I get to know her just
enough
To make it all
worthwhile.
But she belongs to her
home town
And my show must go on,
I got to be in
Tennessee
To sing another song.
Starfish
The 1993 version
