The Horses and the Hounds - James McMurtry

He was an old time cowboy Don't you understand? His eyes were sharp as razor blades His face was leather tanned His toes were pointed inward From a hanging on a horse He was an old philosopher of course He was so thin I swear You could have used him for a whip He had to drink a beer To keep his breeches on his hips I knew I had to ask him About the mysteries of life He spat between his boots And he replied "Faster horses" "Younger women" "Older whiskey" "More money" He smiled and all his teeth were covered with tobacco stains He said, "It don't do men no good to pray for peace and rain" Peace and rain is just a way to say prosperity And buffalo chips is all that means to me" So, I told him I was a poet I was looking for the truth I do not care for horses Whiskey, women or the loot I said I was a writer And my soul was all on fire He looked at me And he said, "You are a liar" "It's faster horses" "Younger women" "Older whiskey" "More money" Well, I was disillusioned If I say the least I grabbed him by the collar And I jerked him to his feet There was something cold And shiny laying by my head So I started to believe The things he's saying Well, my poet days are over And I'm back to being me As I enjoy the peace And comfort of reality If my boy ever asks me What it is that I have learned I think that I will readily affirm "Son, it's faster horses" "Younger women" "Older whiskey" "More money" "Faster horses" "Younger women" "Older whiskey" "More money" "Faster horses" "Younger women" "Older whiskey" "More money" "Faster horses"

I was thinkin' 'bout you crossin' southern Alberta Canola fields on a July day About the same chartreuse as that '69 Bug You used to drive around San Jose Never knew where my old white Lincoln might take me Party on wheels with suicide doors Bring the kids and the dogs and your grandma, too We always had room for more 'Til that white-knuckle ride back from Santa Cruz Second-best surfer on the Central Coast Had you wrapped up all the way back to Los Gatos And I coulda cut his throat And it wasn't like we were an item to start with It had no basis in fact But the whiskey could push me to sudden extremes I don't want to think about that I don't want to think about that Take my hand, Marie Take a death grip on some part of me Keep me from driftin' far out to sea Or I'll be lost out there We all filtered away with the days gettin' shorter Seekin' our place in the greater scheme Kids and careers and a vague sense of order A-bustin' apart at the seams I heard you switched coasts, moved in with your sister I doubt you'd have called it "familial bliss" We met up in Brooklyn before it went hipster You carried your keys in your fist In a way-back corner of a cross-town bus We were hidin' out under my hat Cashin' in on a thirty-year crush You can't be young and do that You can't be young and do that Take my hand, Marie Take a death grip on some part of me Keep me from driftin' far out to sea Or I'll be lost out there Or I'll be lost out there I was thinkin' 'bout you crossin' southern Alberta Canola fields at harvest time Looked like tumbleweeds all raked up into rows In brown rusty contour lines And there's not much movin' on the romance radar Not that I'm cravin' it all that much But I still need to feel every once in a while The warmth of a smile and a touch In a way-back corner of a cross-town bus We were hidin' out under my hat Cashin' in on a thirty-year crush You can't be young and do that You can't be young and do that You can't be young and do that You can't be young and do that Take my hand, Marie Take a death grip on some part of me Keep me from driftin' far out to sea Or I'll be lost out there Or I'll be lost out there I'll be lost out there

The in-laws are waiting the games have begun The cell phone keeps ringing

Answer me when I call to you What became of the life I knew Tell me why I can't be free Tell me what you expect of me I'm so down about it I can't sleep at night I sit watching the bugs as they bounce off the light Answer me when I'm calling out Tell me what's all the noise about Explain to me the rules of love Tell me just what I'm guilty of I somehow I must've missed it I never knew I was blind Repeat it real slow so I get it this time (Chorus) I'm off and running to take what's mine I'm off and running again I 'm off and running To take what's mine I'm off and running And I won't get caught this time With my soul on empty and my face to the wind I'm off and running I'm off and running again Answer me when I call your name What'd you do with my ball and chain? I'm out here in the open air And I can't find it anywhere And I'm so lost without it It was such a part of me I guess I'll get along How hard can it be?

I've had enough of this small town bullshit I'm not stayin' in school I'm makin' good dough workin' with my brother Cleanin' out pools I'm going out to California And man it won't be long As soon as I get my license Color me gone Oh knock it off Johnny Man, your livin' in your head You ain't even got a car And those chicks don't believe a word ya said But you're doin' all the talkin' So I just keep quiet And this'll probably go no where But I can't blame ya for tryin' It's just us kids hangin' round the park at night Hangin' round 'neath the vapor light We got no drugs and we got no guns Not even botherin' anyone I don't have to wear a necktie I don't have to punch a clock I started up a dot com company And man it rocks Won't you come with me down to Mexico In the winter with some friends? My divorce will be final Along about then Meanwhile I got a gram and a real good ride And don't you know I hurt way down inside? Just us kids in the parking lot Out here givin' it all we got We don't want to get old and die And there ain't nothing we wouldn't try Ya know we could really have it all Our kid's gonna graduate next fall I could take retirement in 10 years It's a damn short movie How'd we ever get here? [Repeat x2] Just us kids hangin' out today Watchin' our long hair turnin' gray Not so skinny maybe not so free Not so many as we used to be [Repeat x3] Not so skinny maybe not so free Not so many as we used to be