Joe Ely

I have stumbled on the plains, straggered in the wind Stood at a crossroad or two Cried to a river, swept to the sea All just to get to you I have jumped the yellow cab, hopped a rusty freight Sang till my lips turned blue Flown a silver bird, from tops of th...

Well, I gave all my money to the banker this month Now, I got no more money to spend She smiled when she saw me comin' through that door When I left she said, "Come back again" I watched them lonesome boxcar wheels Turnin' down the tracks out of town And it's...

The carnival is closed for the winter The gates are full of nails All my belongings' in the camper truck In front of some Hell Hole Motel The rides are wrapped in canvass There's a smell of snow in the air They're taking apart the ferris wheel Like a g...

Hey operator, cancel the phone call I hear somebody knockin' at the door Lookie here it's Loretta and she never looked better Her arms full of groceries from the store My, my, my Ain't she fine My, my, my Ain't she fine Cool rockin' Loretta Cool rockin' Lore...

River's on the rise, crows are in the skies Look at that big yellow cornbread moon Now that you're lookin', do you feel something cookin'? Look at that cornbread moon Well, I wouldn't be surprised If I didn't see your eyes shine soon Sometimes I feel like ma...

They call me the Crazy Lemon I'm crazy, wild, free for a while I can't help what they think, I was born that way I'll be a little crazy till my dyin' day Just a man on the run, they call the Crazy Lemon It's true that I stole a Budweiser truck I changed my mi...

There's a flood in the suburbs Where will all the water go? I'm down at your shack Hangin' on to your back door You tell me you're the kind That likes to change your mind And when you start to rain, you pour But this dam of my heart just can't hold much...

I'm ridin' through the middle of some godforsaken town Dark figures from the shadows, they're tryin' to cut me down Some hero of the hour, needs a rival of some kind So don't talk to me right now, I've got survival on my mind It might seem a little strange to...

I keep my fingernails long So they click when I play the piano I keep my fingernails long So they click when I play the piano I'm gonna keep 'em that way Till the swallows get back from Texarkana I keep my fingernails long So they click when I play the piano...

Walkin' on the shore Feelin' mighty bad These have been the worst Ol' blues I ever had So far Since you've gone So far Clouds around my brain How can I drain These Gulf Coast Blues away Talkin' to myself Tellin' me lies Wonderin' if the tide Will ever rise A...

Leaving California, she is on my mind I left her back in Travis county, cryin' to a clothesline A steel guitar on the radio is cuttin' slow and mean I brought home the bottle, she just wanted beans Highways and heartaches Go together like you and me Do you ev...

You sure look fine tonight, in the beer sign light Why did you seem surprised when I saw through your disguise All your friends were there, no one had a care They all just looked away in this honky tonk masquerade You should have known I knew all along That I...

Well, I left my home out on the Great High Plains Headed for some new terrain Standin' on the highway with my coffee cup A wonderin' who was gonna pick me up I had my hopes up high, I never thought That I would ever wonder why I ever said goodbye I had my hop...

I opened the blinds in a Texas Motel room When the sun blasted in, I saw it in you I been a rollin' and a ramblin' all over creation Rollin' down the highway lookin' for the truth I saw it in you I saw it in you I woke up my sidekick, "It's a long way to LLa...

If I have to lose you, to lose you I'll forever wonder why For then I would refuse you, refuse you And that would be a lie But if I choose to love you, love you I will lose my life And all the stars above you, above you Will forever lose their shine I know i...

I'll be your fool, I'll be your lovin' loser I'll be your ridicule I'll be the one you make fun of When all your plans fall through Because you sure need a fool I'm not alone, I've seen the one's you run to I've known the ones you've known I've seen the ones...

Travelin' down this weary road Travelin' down this weary road Travelin' down this weary road A troubled mind is a heavy load Travelin' down this weary road Hold my ticket in my hand Hold my ticket in my hand Hold my ticket in my hand And headed for the promis...

Oh, weary me I'm broke as a man can be My bills are all due, I got holes in my shoe Bill collectors, they won't let me sleep If I could teach my Chihuahua to sing I could make cash registers ring What a sight to behold her She could sit on my shoulder and whi...

Well Johnny come in last night, man he was an awful sight The Bartender said, "Hey Johnny, there'll be no band tonight" "The piano-man's drunk, he been down in the dumps The drummer's in bed, he got a pain in his head No Johnny, there'll be no band tonight" T...

As I was riding across the Mississippi stopped there and I cried No use for a man to keep a mighty river all dammed up inside I jumped bail from the Sweet water County, now I'm on the run On my head is a five number bounty, for a crime I never done Take this...

Love is the beating of hearts Like distant drums in the dark Love gives and love takes away True love will meet you half way Hearts tell you things words can't say In darkness or light of day As far as I can discern Love asks for love in return Baby, I know...

Please understand me everything's all right I just musta notta gotta lotta sleep last night I was high flyin' down the riverside drive Rockin' to the radio man alive Stopped into a joint bought a round of booze Hot dog I got a buzz in my shoe Please understa...

The doors flew back and in they came A tough bunch of cowboys, thirsty They said to the waitress, „Honey what's your name? Mama, won'cha bring us whiskey?” The waitress Her eyes rolled in her head And no one took a single breath When she turned to them and s...

I ain't been sleepin', I ain't been eatin' I've been on pins and needles, waitin' by the phone You better call me, you better call me I've been on pins and needles, waitin' by the phone You better call me or I'll go crazy I ain't been tryin', I feel like dyin...

In the cool of the evening she calls me to dance My back's about broken from choppin' the plants My soul is so thirsty I can't sleep at night She walks in my dreams, brings me delight I was born to the workers to toil and to strife My father before me he work...

"Damn this sand", sang the rambler "Damn this hand", sang the gambler Nobody's satisfied with the road they chose to ride Oh let it go, roll again "Damn these caves", sang the jailer "Damn these waves", sang the sailor Nobody's satisfied with the road they ch...

You say you want drama I'll give you drama You want muscle I'll give you nerve You want sugar Would you settle for honey? You want romance Would you settle for love? Would you settle for love? Would you settle for love? Would you settle for love Or do you ne...

She collected gun-slingers First-stringers, dead-ringers She just needed more She collected dance hallers Know-it-all-ers, wreckin'-ball-ers She just needed more She just needed more She had cars, clothes and health She just needed more She had looks, spare...

Baby like the night life She can't tolerate the quiet life She got a shakin' fever Ain't nobody don't believe her She gotta get the gettin' tonight She gotta get the gettin' while the gettin' is right She said,"Oh, oh, oh, boys, can't you rock this joint I g...

Met her in old Mexico She was laughing sad and young In a smokey room no-one could see Her favorite poets all agreed Spanish is a loving tongue But she never spoke Spanish to me She was born in Monterey And all the Christmas songs were sung The padre knew wh...

Sister, soak the beans I'll be comin Home to Chop the Onion Mama, light the stove It'll take a while for the cornbread to get done I'll be comin' home I've had enough, I'm done with self-denial Can't you hear me moan? Set the table, I'll be there in a while W...

He had hair, black as a fiberglass speedboat The morning air was crisp as a brand new bank note He swaggered like a surfer on a Louisiana dirt bike He swerved like a trucker on the Dallas Turnpike They were sleepless in love, they were lovers They were lovers...

Mighty river muddy as sin Troubled waters like the shape I'm in Would you open your screen, let a poor boy in If I come back home off the streets of sin Off the streets of sin, the streets of sin If I come back home would you let me in? If I could hitch a ri...

You might call it sad confusion You might even call it off But once you called me more than just your friend Now there's more to what I'm thinkin' Then the Mississippi Line And Tennessee's not the state I'm in You call me up at midnight To explain your wherea...

Because you walked that lonesome valley Because I met you in your town Because you saw stars in the alley When the street light, you, did crown Because I saw you lift your head Because you knew I was watching you Because there was nothing to be said That's wh...

I'm going out where the lights don't shine so bright I'm going out where the lights don't shine so bright When I get back, you can treat me like a Saturday night I'm glad to see you coming, I'm glad to see you go She once told me now, „Glad to see you coming...

My heavy heart pounds hard tonight down this highway in the wind The windshield wipers clean away the tears I cry within The love I've thrown away, I know I'll never feel again And I, I'm just twistin' in the wind Some one cut me down from here I can't prove...

Up on the ridge, I seen a rider passin' by Up on the ridge, I seen a rider passin' by I heard thunder in the distance I seen the lightning in his eye Up on the ridge, I gotta tangle with my fate Up on the ridge, I gotta tangle with my fate Details must be dea...

When you're ready for steady to go dancin', romancin' Grab your sweetheart and jump in your car Drive right on down to the bright side of town You'll be glad you don't have to drive far You'll be happy you don't have to go far Park your pick-ups and Cadi...

I been workin' all my life tryin' to beat the company clock In a Louisiana gravel pit, breakin' up rock My baby's had enough, she's packin' up and leavin' She says you're workin' for the man and you ain't breakin' even Workin' for the man and you ain't breakin...