It's been a long time since I walked through this old town But, oh, how the memories start to flow And there's the old movie house, they finally closed it down You could find me there every Friday night twenty years ago I worked the counter at the drugstore down the street But nobody's left there I would know On Saturday mornings that's where all my friends would meet You'd be surprised what a dime would buy twenty years ago All my memories from those days come gather round me What I'd give if they could take me back in time Oh, it almost seems like yesterday, where do the good times go? Life was so much easier twenty years ago I guess I should stop by Mr. Johnson's hardware store His only son was my friend Joe But he joined the army back in 1964 How could we know he would never come back twenty years ago All my memories from those days come gather round me What I'd give if they could take me back in time Oh, it almost seems like yesterday, where do the good times go? Life was so much easier twenty years ago Oh, it almost seems like yesterday twenty years ago

Lookin' in the bathroom mirror Puttin' my makeup on Maybelline can't hide the lines Of time that's gone I weighed 105 soakin' wet I'd knock 'em dead in that sundress Had it all, just too young to know That was twenty years and two husbands ago I remember when he took my hand And said "I do" And the kitchen I was standin' in When he said "I'm through" And I swore I'd never fall back in Put my heart through that again Never let somebody get that close But that was twenty years and two husbands ago Water under the bridge I guess that's all life really is That's just the way it is Drivin' the kids to school today It occurred to me With all the wrong turns that I've made I'm right where I should be But I go back there from time to time Lookin' for that peace of mind And find it's always just a dead-end road Yeah, that was twenty years and two husbands ago Water under the bridge I guess that's all life really is That's just the way it is Lookin' in the bathroom mirror Puttin' my makeup on

Well, I've been running from something Twenty years in my car Down a road that's leading me nowhere Yeah, we drive through the farmland No one knows where we're from Could I kiss you and make you a queen Or something in between? Do you want to see The place where I am free? 'Cause in my mind I need it But you're nowhere near to me Move to New York City Take your woman by the hand Leave her there with your things on the doorstep And there's no way around it Could this be our last dance? So fall asleep with the TV, darling I'll be back again Do you want to see The place where I was free? 'Cause in my mind I've been there And there's no one here but me In the morning it'll find you Let the light shine away Down a road that's leading me nowhere And there's no way around it Could this be our last dance? Just fall asleep with the TV, darling I'll be back again, I'll be back again

Here I go again Up and down alone All my friends went home Years ago All my toys are broken and So am I inside mom The carnival has closed Years ago I'm a little boy No, I'm a great big man No, let's be a little boy For a little while longer Maybe an hour? No Steven We have to go back now Isn't that our mom calling? "Steven come home!"

I'm brushin' up my memories My brain is like a camera It's showin' me some pictures of My life Among those photographs of mind An unforgettable image Can make me recognise your face To strike the balance of my life Is simply useless now for me My watch is always slow you know I'm weak You wanted me to be so strong I couldn't take a chance on you And now I know that I was wrong A real fool If I could buy the years I spent I'd put them in a money-box So I could live that time again With you I wasn't there to squeeze your hand When you needed me and now It's late to realise the price I've lost Then years ago All my life was just a video game Then years ago Remember Then years ago I was sure that I could buy the world Then years ago How strange is sometimes to recall Your mind can fly but you can follow 'Cause your body is not so free And I I'd like to know if you're in love If you just think of me sometimes But to my questions no reply It's too late

I'm tired of spinning my wheels I need to find a place where my heart can go to heal I need to get there pretty quick Hey mister what you got out on that lot you can sell me in a pinch Maybe one of them souped up muscle cars The kind that makes you think you're stronger than you are Color don't matter no I don't need leather seats All that really concerns me is Speeeeed How fast will it go Can it get me Over her quickly Zero to sixty Can it outrun her memory Yeah, what I really need Is an open road And a whole lot of speed I'd like to trade in this old truck Cause it makes me think of her and that just slows me up See, it's the first place we made love where we used to sit and talk On the tailgate all night long but now she's gone And I need to move on So give me Speeeeed How fast will it go Can it get me Over her quickly Zero to sixty Can it outrun her memory Yeah, what I really need Is an open road And a whole lot of speed Throw me them keys so I can put some miles between us Tear off that rearview mirror there's nothing left to see here Let me lean on that gas Oh she catches up fast So give me Speeeeed How fast will it go Can it get me Over her quickly Zero to sixty Can it outrun her memory Yeah, what I really need Is an open road And a whole lot of speed That's what I need I'm tired of spinning my wheels... I'm tired of spinning my wheeeeeeels!

This ain't no temporary, typical Tearful goodbye, uh-uh-uh This ain't no breakin' up, then wakin' up And makin' up one more time, uh-uh-uh This is gone (gone), gone (gone) Gone (gone), gone Gone like a freight train, gone like yesterday Gone like a soldier in the Civil War, bang-bang Gone like a '59 Cadillac Like all the good things, that ain't never comin' back She's gone (gone), gone (gone) Gone (gone), gone, she's gone This ain't no give it time I'm hurtin' but maybe we can work it out, uh-uh-uh Won't be no champagne Red rose, romance, second chance, uh-uh-uh This is gone (gone), gone (gone) Gone (gone), gone Gone like a freight train, gone like yesterday Gone like a soldier in the Civil War, bang-bang Gone like a '59 Cadillac Like all the good things, that ain't never comin' back She's gone (gone), gone (gone) Gone (gone), gone She's gone This is gone (gone), gone (gone) Gone (gone), gone Gone like a freight train, gone like yesterday Gone like a soldier in the Civil War, bang-bang Gone like a '59 Cadillac Like all the good things, that ain't never comin' back She's gone (gone), she's gone (gone) She's gone (gone), she's gone, yeah She's gone Gone like a freight train, gone like yesterday Gone like a soldier in the Civil War, bang-bang Gone like a '59 Cadillac Like all the good things, but she's gone Long gone, don't be wrong Never comin' back, my baby's gone (she's gone) Wanna get home, sittin' alone So pack your bags, and now she's gone Never comin' back, she's gone No, no, never, no, no, never No, no, never, no, no never comin' back No, no, never, no, no never comin' back

Benjamin rode out of Montana On a Palomino pony Told me he was all alone He lost his family in forty-nine Benjamin took me to San Diego Guess we caused quite a commotion Sellin' Pacific Ocean water And callin' it seaweed wine Oh, I never had as good a friend as Benjamin He loved to travel He'd been ever' place I'd been and back again That boy could unravel Stories that would make your eyes Big as blackberry pies, I'm tellin' you Life could be fun for anyone Who had a good friend like Benjamin Had a good friend like Benjamin Well, me and Ben thumbed a ride to Alabama Spent the summer pickin' cotton Now, it was so doggone hot We bought us a three-speed electric fan Then at night we'd drink a Coca-Cola Listen to the rain a-fallin' Hearin' the bob white callin' As though he'd know we'd understand Oh, I never had as good a friend as Benjamin He loved to travel He'd been ever' place I'd been and back again That boy could unravel Stories that would make your eyes Big as blackberry pies, I'm tellin' you Life could be fun for anyone Who had a good friend like Benjamin Had a good friend like Benjamin Well, Ben and me spent some time in Oklahoma Livin' on a reservation Workin' at a service station Pumpin' gas, passin' time We caught a train down to Harlan County Thinkin' we were awful lucky Just to walk along a Kentucky backroad Without no reason nor rhyme Oh, I never had as good a friend as Benjamin He loved to travel He'd been ever' place I'd been and back again That boy could unravel Stories that would make your eyes Big as blackberry pies, I'm tellin' you Life could be fun for anyone Who had a good friend like Benjamin Had a good friend like Benjamin Had a good friend like Benjamin

Let me set the mood, set the situation Imagine that you're sittin' in the congregation Hey, he's talkin' 'bout Judgment Day If you listen real close, hear what he say You may run on for a long time Run on for a long time May run on for a long time But let me tell you God Almighty's gonna cut you down Go 'n' tell that long-term liar Go 'n' tell that midnight rider Tell the gambler, rambler, backbiter Tell him God Almighty gonna cut him down Great God Almighty, let me tell you my need Yes, my head's been wet with the midnight deed I been down on my bended knee Talkin' to the man from Galilee My God spoke, spoke so sweet I thought I heard the shufflin' of angel feet He put one hand on my head Great God Almighty let me tell you what he said You may run on for a long time Run on for a long time May run on for a long time Let me tell you God Almighty gonna cut you down You may throw the rock, hide your hand Workin' in the dark against your fellow man But sure as God made the day and night What you do in the dark will be brought to light You may run and hide, slip and slide Try to take the mote from your neighbor's eye But sure as the Lord made the rich and poor What you reap, my brother, is what you sow You may run on for a long time Run on for a long time Run on for a long time But let me tell you God Almighty gonna cut you down Some people go to church just to signify They try to make a date with their neighbor's wife But let me tell you, brother, just as sure as your born Better leave that woman, better leave her alone One of these days just mark my words You think that your brother's gone off to work You'll walk up and knock on the door That's all, brother, there ain't no more (Swing low, sweet chariot) You may run on for a long time Run on for a long time May run on for a long time But let me tell you God Almighty gonna cut you down Go 'n' tell that midnight rider Go 'n' tell that long-term liar Tell the rambler, gambler, backbiter Tell him God Almighty gonna cut him down Amen