The light of dawn is near
A lonely night has passed
But there'll be more
Just one more thing in closing
For all the world to hear:
Come home, I love you
Signed, your country boy
Within Your Crowd
Do you remember
How they warned you once before?
They made it clear you weren't to see me anymore
Within your world of riches
Poor boys aren't allowed
So you must learn to love someone
Within your crowd
Don't you know you're taking chances here with
me?
You must protect your reputation, don't you see?
Within your social circle I am not allowed
So you must learn to love someone
Within your crowd
And though I love you more than I can ever say
The danger's much too great and you can't stay
You could never stand dishonor, you're too proud
So you must learn to love someone
Within your crowd
Someday you'll find someone deserving of your love
Someone to kiss the lips that I'm not worthy of
And when I see you passing by, I'll feel so proud
'Cause though I stand outside, my heart's
Within your crowd
BUDDY EMMONS AND I WERE in a bar in Nashville. This guy kept bugging us. So Buddy asked the guy, “Are you sure that this is where you want to be?” I gave him half the song.
Are You Sure?
Look around you
Look down the bar from you
The lonely faces that you see
Are you sure
That this is where you want to be?
These are your friends
But are they real friends?
And do they love you as much as me?
Are you sure
That this is where you want to be?
Please don't let my tears persuade you
I had hoped I wouldn't cry
But lately teardrops seem a part of me
You seem in such a hurry
To lead this kind of life
You've caused so much pain and misery
So look around you and take a good look
And just between you and me
Are you sure
That this is where you want to be?
You Wouldn't Cross the Street (to Say Goodbye)
Today I stood across the street
And watched you leave with him
Right before my disbelieving eyes
And when you saw me standing there
You turned away from me
And you wouldn't even cross the street
To say goodbye
Once you said you'd do most anything
To keep our love
You'd tear out your tongue
Before you'd tell me lies
Once you said you'd go to any lengths
To be with me
Today you wouldn't even cross the street
To say goodbye
Once you said you'd crawl on hands and knees
To be with me
Today you wouldn't even cross the street
To say goodbye
Bloody Mary Morning
Well it's a bloody mary morning
Baby left me without warning
Sometime in the night
So I'm flying down to Houston
With forgetting her the nature of my flight
As we taxi toward the runway
With the smog and haze reminding me
Of how I feel
Just a country boy who's learning
That the pitfalls of the city
Are extremely real
All the nightlife and parties
Temptation and deceit
The order of the day
Well it's a bloody mary morning
'Cause I'm leaving baby
Somewhere in L.A.
Well our golden jet is airborne
And Flight 50 cuts a path
Across the morning sky
And a voice comes through the speaker
Reassuring us Flight 50
Is the way to fly
And a hostess takes our order
Coffee, tea, or something stronger
To start off the day
Well it's a bloody mary morning
'Cause I'm leaving baby
Somewhere in L.A.
The Sound in Your Mind
Well I've been feeling a little bad
'Cause I've been feeling a little better
Without you
It's a little like rain
But it's a lot like a sunny day
And it's hard to explain
But the sound of your name
Don't make music anymore
And it's more like the sound
Of a love that I lost one day
It's a little too late
To start thinking about starting all over
I'd rather stay where I am
I can't take another slam
In the mind
I've been feeling a little bad
'Cause I've been feeling a little better
Without you
But remember my love
Is the sound that you hear in your mind
I've been running around
Even laughing at half of the memories
And you're not hard to remember
I just have to think of your name
I've been feeling a little bad
'Cause I've been feeling a little better
Without you
Is the sound that you hear in your mind
And remember my love
Is the sound that you hear in your mind
It's a quarter to four, April 11.
Today fell on a Wednesday.
WE'RE IN HARRISBURG, PENNSYLVANIA. How lucky can you get? We are headed to sound check pretty soon. Earlier, I got in a nice run in the rain. One thing about running in the rain, it ain't crowded. Harrisburg has always been a good town for us, and besides, my fan club officers, Dandalion and Daffy, live in the area.
Dandalion has been a fan since the '70s. She never misses a show when we're anywhere in Pennsylvania, and she's done a wonderful job of running our fan club for years. Every night I hear from someone who's a member of the fan club that really enjoys being a member. This is all thanks to you, Daffy and Dandalion. You're the best.
Dandalion is also one of the most well-known DJs in the world. Like Bill Mack, Horace Logan, Ralph Emery, and a few more, they did all they could to keep traditional country music on the airways. I see where Dandalion is being inducted into the Pennsylvania Association of Broadcasters Hall of Fame. Dandy's a DJ on WRK2-FM. She was the first woman to host her own network country music show. She's also an inductee in the National Country Music DJ Hall of Fame. I taped a message to play as she's inducted. It's just a short video to be played on the night of the awards. It said how good she is and how she deserves the award. She has always supported traditional country music and the new country; Garth Brooks, the Dixie Chicks, Alan Jackson, Tim McGraw, Faith Hill, and others.
I never have gotten a lot of radio play through the years, but I knew I was in trouble when I heard someone say, “Boy, I sure wish they would play some of the old guys like Randy Travis and George Strait.” But Dandy has always been there for me and all the old farts. God bless you, Dandy. May you have a long and happy life, and congratulations on the award, it couldn't happen to a more deserving person.
Back in Fort Worth in the early '60s, I was just getting started. I had a friend in radio named Bo Powell. He also played all my early records and was a big help in kicking off my career. Thanks, Bo.
IT'S STILL RAINING outside as we load up to go to sound check—sister Bobbie, daughter Lana, drivers Gator and L.G.
, David Anderson, and me. What a crew—bulletproof and invisible all the time. “Bulletproof and invisible” is a Kris Kristofferson phrase. I wonder how he's doing.
I talk to Merle quite a lot. He's still out here, playing, having fun, and drawing great crowds. Merle Haggard is a picking, singing, writing legend. I am probably his biggest fan. We always enjoy playing together and always seem to have entirely too much fun.
Waylon thinks I don't know where he is since he left Nashville, but never fear, ole Willie knows exactly where you are and what you're doing. I have your home under twenty-four-hour surveillance and I've tapped your phone. Just because you live next door to an FBI guy don't mean shit. He's helping me. Just kidding, pal. I hope you're as ornery and mean as you ever were. I want to always remember you that way. I hear from Reggie Young that you're back touring and knocking 'em dead. Keep going.
I received a letter from Johnny Cash inviting me to Jamaica. I think I'm going. Maybe John and I can play some golf. He lives right on a course. John is one of those guys that keeps coming back and coming back. He's got more lives than a cat. It's way too early to be writing him off.
Cash, Waylon, Kris, Haggard, Billy Joe Shaver, me, and a couple more still have a few things to do and say. Amen.
THE GEEZINSLAW BROTHERS are still out there playing, telling jokes, and writing songs. My friend Sam Allred, one half of the Geezinslaw Brothers, is still a DJ and on the air in Austin on KVET. He and Bob Cole have the #1 show in town. Sam and Son (Dewayne Smith) have performed on all the July 4 Picnics, some of the Farm Aids, and are still drawing crowds wherever they go. Thank God for your help, Sam. All the way back, you were there to help do every crazy and insane thing that I could think of doing.
Sammy talked thousands of people into going out in the middle of fields and pastures all over Texas and sitting in the 100 degree heat, drinking beer, smoking pot with people they wouldn't want to be seen with the day before.
There was something about the mixture of pot, beer, a real hot sun, and a lot of good music that calms the savage beasts somewhere in all of us. We are always afraid of the unknown. It's just natural. But once everyone saw everyone else, heard the music, and baked in the sun all day, I think a healing took place.
We learned that the same spirit lives in all of us. We are the same. There is no difference anywhere in the world. People are people. They laugh, cry, feel, and love, and music seems to be the common denominator that brings us all together. Music cuts through all boundaries and goes right to the soul.
I talked with our editor today. He says he's pleased with the first few pages of this book, and encouraged me to continue on in the same direction. I was telling everyone here how brilliant this person is. There is intelligence out there. There is hope. There is a window. Thank you, Scott, for letting a crazy man loose with a pen, paper, and publisher. “Duh! You've got to roll up the windows!” Amen.
Poodie just came in and told me a joke.
This guy had tennis elbow, and heard about a place that had a urinalysis machine that could analyze your urine and tell you exactly what was wrong with you. Already knowing what he had, he decided to test the machine.
The author at work
The guy poured in a sample of his urine, and the machine coughed and sputtered before spitting out a card that read, YOU HAVE TENNIS ELBOW. The guy was amazed.
He decided to play a trick on the machine. He went home and collected urine specimens from his dog, his daughter, and his wife, and mixed them all together with his own. Feeling smart, he went back to the urinalysis machine and poured in the mixed-up sample.
The machine began to smoke, shake, swell up, and cough. It rattled and clanked before finally spitting out the card that read, YOUR DOG HAS WORMS. YOUR DAUGHTER IS ON CRACK. YOUR WIFE IS CHEATING ON YOU. IF YOU DON'T QUIT JACKING OFF, THAT ELBOW OF YOURS WILL NEVER HEAL.
TIGER WOODS JUST passed Michael Jordan in money from endorsements. Ain't America wonderful or what? Something like a million trillion dollars. I'm not really sure what he's getting, but it's more than I make in a week. Right. Tiger Woods deserves every dollar he gets. He has done a great job of showing young people all over the world the way a superstar should be. He's young, healthy, and so good at golf I can hardly believe it. Good luck, Tiger.
The market made a slight gain this afternoon, then kinda farted and fell back, as Poodie would say. There was a man in Abbott who had all his money tied up in cash. I liked his approach. I think it's more important these days to take care of the principle and forget the interest. But of course a glance at my past brilliant financial choices gives you a clearer picture of just how much I know.
Did I tell you the publisher liked the book? These are amazingly intelligent people. No wonder they are where they are.
THERE WAS A GUY IN A HOUSE of ill repute making love to a girl in a room, on a bed next to an open window. They worked their way over too close to the window and fell out. They hit the ground and never missed a beat. They just kept working. A drunk came by and saw the couple screwing in the street in front of the whorehouse. The drunk walked up to the front door and knocked. A lady came to the door and the drunk said, “Madam, your sign fell down.”
KINKY WANTED ME TO TELL YOU THIS JOKE.…
A lady reporter went into an insane asylum to do an exposé on the treatment of patients. She had heard there were some very interesting things going on and wanted to get to the bottom of it. Once inside the asylum, she met a patient who offered to help her get her story. He was a computer expert and turned out to be very helpful in securing information that the reporter could use.
When she had gathered all the information that she needed, she said to the guy helping her, “Sir, you are so smart. You have been so very helpful. I couldn't have gotten all this information without you. Tell me, how did you wind up here?”
He said, “Lady, I'm just as sane as any body. I don't know. I woke up one day and I was here.”
She said, “Thanks so much for your help and information. When I leave here, I'm going to do everything in my power to get you out.”
As she walked to the door the guy picked up a Coke bottle and threw it at her, hitting her right behind the ear. He yelled, “Don't forget!”
Phases and stages
Circles and cycles
Scenes that we've all seen before
Let me tell you some more
Washing the Dishes
Washing the dishes
Scrubbing the floors
Caring for someone
Who don't care anymore
Learning to hate all the things
That she once loved to do
Like washing his shirts
And never complaining
Except of red stains on the collars
Ironing and crying
Crying and ironing
Caring for someone who don't care anymore
Someday she'll just walk away
Walkin'
After carefully considering
The whole situation
I stand with my back to the wall
Walkin' is better
Than running away
And crawling ain't no good at all
And if guilt is the question
Then truth is the answer
And I've been lying to me all along
Except one another
And before you wake up I'll be gone
'Cause after carefully considering
The whole situation
I stand with my back to the wall
Walkin' is better
Than running away
And crawling ain't no good at all
Sister's Coming Home
Sister's coming home
Mama's gonna let her sleep
The whole day long
The whole day long
Sister's coming home
Mama's gonna let her sleep the whole day long
Sister's coming home
Mama don't like the man
That done her wrong, Lord, that done her wrong
Sister's coming home
Mama don't like the man that done her wrong
Sister's coming home
Mama's gonna let her sleep
The whole day long
The whole day long
Sister's coming home
Mama's gonna let her sleep the whole day long
And her mirror's gonna tell her how long she's
been gone
Down at the Corner Beer Joint
Down at the corner beer joint
Dancing to the rock 'n' roll
Sister likes to do it, Lord
Sister likes to move her soul
Down at the corner beer joint
Dancing on the hardwood floor
Her jeans fit a little bit tighter
Than they did before
Than they did before
Than they did before
Lord her jeans fit a little bit tighter
Than they did before
Than they did before
Than they did before
Oh her jeans fit a little bit tighter
Than they did before
I'm Falling in Love Again
I'm falling in love again
I never thought I would again
I never thought I could
And I may be making mistakes again
But if I lose or win
How will I know?
How will I know?
How will I know?
How will I know?
And I'm falling in love again
If I lose or win
How will I know?
4:05 P.M., Sewell, New Jersey
HEADED TO SOUND CHECK, listening to last night's show. Sounds pretty tight. I hope we can do as well tonight.
Lana's beans are delicious. She makes life on the bus a lot more fun. She and sister Bobbie are always asking me if I need food, clothes, shampoo, or whatever. They spoil me rotten. It doesn't affect me. I'm still the same old guy I always was—spoiled rotten.
6:50 P.M., Sewell, New Jersey
SOUND CHECK IS OVER. We are parked across the street from McQuedy Something or Other. If you enjoy the look of prisons, you'll dig this place. Then I see Jackie and Paul and a lot of people coming out of a side door. It looks like a prison break. Very scary.