Wednesday, January 2, 2013

The Road

Let's travel back to 1973 when young Knees was playing in Colorado bars and trying to write a commercial song. The one he came up with was so sappy he never played it in any of his bands. There was a flaky recording of it from the late 70s but it was unrevivable and so I didn't include it when it should have appeared.

This version was made in late 2012 after I got the harmonizer.


Written: Third Street, Durango CO, 1973
 
I grew up in the back of an old Ford
We were drivin too fast to get bored
Daddy kept the radio playin
He said “If you believe in the road
It’s just like prayin.”

Mama left us as we passed through Reno
For a man who was winnin at Keno
Daddy laughed all the way down to Zion
He said “If you believe in the road...”
Then started cryin.

I spent sixteen years on the road with my pa
Drivin in cars, singin in bars
An those sixteen years were the best I ever saw
Sleepin in cars, followin stars.

We were busted drivin through Albuquerque
Seems the man was lookin out for me
Daddy said “It looks like bad weather
But if you believe in the road we’ll be together.”

It seems my real father died in San Quentin
So they sent me upstate for detention
Daddy cursed them as they led me away
He said “If you believe in the road...”
He died that day.

I spent sixteen years on the road with my pa
Drivin in cars, singin in bars
An those sixteen years were the best I ever saw
Sleepin in cars, followin stars.


I'm all out of doodles but here is a picture of my father from before the time I was born. We never traveled anywhere together, as I remember. My parents divorced when I was 6. He reminds me of the hired killer in the first season of Ratched. Good-looking guy.