Barrel Chested

LYRICS

BARREL CHESTED

I'm broken down and barrel chested again
Some people try for all their lives but they never make a dent
You hang around broke, bored and restless again
Strung out stripped of all your pride with all your money spent

But it's not the same when you're not here
Let me make that picture clear
It's not the same when you're not around
I'm left alone here in this town
But it's just as lame for you,
When you leave me feeling so damn cold
I'm wishing we could both get old before
Either one of us pass this way again

And it's not the same when you're not with me, my dear
I've been trying all night long make that picture clear
Still, whose to blame if you don't miss me when I'm not here
Cartoons, clowns and run down towns tend to lose their
charms over the years

But it's not the same when you're not here
Let me make that picture clear
But it's just as lame for you,
When you leave me feeling so damn cold
I'm wishing we could both get old before
Either one of us pass this way again

But it's not the same when you're not here
Let me make that picture clear
It's not the same when you're not around
I'm left alone here in this town
And it's not the same when you don't call
It's not the same that way at all
But it's just as lame for you,
When you leave me feeling so damn cold
I'm wishing we could both get old before
Either one of us pass this way again

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LAME

Now everything's fine,
But I'm still gonna whine
You've got eyes that shine,
But they aren't mine unless I pay for them in full
And that's the rule
And I guess that's cool

But I ain't no fool,
And I won't be made to look like I'm some troglodyte
I won't come home until it's night
Can't be seen just hanging around,
Unless you come along

Girl if you go, I'm gonna stay home
But if you stay, I'll go away,
And I won't come back all night
No that ain't right, but let's not fight
These words are trite, but there the only ones I know
You must have things to do,
And I can't always be with you
There's a thousand reasons I could name,
But every single one is lame

You take these chains, break these ties that bind me
my whole life
Take me home, I don't mind, and now we both hate life
Face down in some bar you'll find me waiting, wife,
calling out your name

Now wait a minute dear
Get yourself another beer
And as long as you're there, Get me one too and we'll work this thing all out
I had no doubt
Don't you sit there and pout


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ENGINE JOE

Why ya gotta go and sell your soul?
Why ya gotta talk about Engine Joe
Like he's some guy in a fairy tale book?
Everybody knows that he just cooks
Baked beans and brisket in a BBQ stand
On the dirty side of town
He's a dirty old man
But he likes his job more than the rest
Who work with him and consider him the best
Still he wouldn't care if you called him a rat
But why ya gotta talk about Engine Joe like that?

In the very same city on the other side of town
Lives a funny little lady and a rodeo clown
And she swears she's loved him all her life
Promises one day he's gonna make her his wife
Have a couple kids and a little plot of land
Open themselves up a BBQ stand,
Just like Engine Joe on the other side of town
Funny little lady and the rodeo clown
Rodeo clown thinks that Engine Joe is fat
Still he wouldn't talk about Engine Joe like that

Once upon a time there was a race car racer,
And he had himself a suped up AMC Pacer
It was shaped like a bubble, but it drove really fast
Racer couldn't drive so the Pacer it crashed
Got himself a guy with a truck that could tow her
Still he said he didn't think that guy could fix its motor
But that guy he didn't care; he fixed it just the same
I guess that's how Engine Joe got his name
Now he wrangles beef in a BBQ stand
Ever since the day that he mangled his hand
He doesn't care
He just keeps on smokin'
Cigarettes and brisket man
I ain't jokin'

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FRONT PORCH

Driven to silence, but I'm drowning in sin
My mandolin hangs on the wall once again
I can't seem to find the right words from within,
But I won't be looking for long

There comes a time when nothing seems clear
You're passed out on the front porch with a head full of beer,
Confused and clouded by thoughts of you dear
But I won't be thinking for long

So many years ago when I was pure,
I was drunk on direction but afflicted with a cure
For all ailments cynical, that's how things were
But I didn't stay drunk for too long

Notions and knowledge came and sobered me up
I sipped from their bottle; I slammed a whole cup
That swill seemed to sit well, but I should've thrown it up
Cause it didn't sit well for too long

I was a fool
I was stupid because
I was mistaking knowledge for just a good buzz
Five years drunk on wine and words and wit
Served by cynics and charlatans
They were all full of shit

Empty cans of frustration and cans of regret
Line the living room floor that you've often swept
Pop another one open and wretch at the stench
It's a hard drink to swallow for a thirst you can't quench

But there'll come a time when it all seems clear
When you're passed out on the front porch, your head full of beer
Confused and clouded by thoughts of you dear,
But I won't be clouded for long

Now I'm driven to silence, and I'm drowning in sin
My mandolin hangs on the wall once again
I can't seem to find the right words from within,
But I won't be looking for long

I'll stink of drink 'til I let you in,
Then I won't be stinking for long

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I'LL BE DAMNED

Well I've seen you hanging around for awhile,
And I wish that you'd just go away
Cause I've been stuck in this old town for awhile,
And this town has seen it's better days

And I'll be damned if I'll let you
Be a part of some new start
And make me lose my will to leave this place
And I'll be damned if I'll let you
Take my heart and tear it apart
And make me watch the tears fall from your face

You can find me here each night, and I'll be drinking
I'm trying to lose these blues and these woes
Then you'll find me in the morning, and I'll be thinking,
Where did all of my money go?

But I'll be damned if I'll let you
Pick me up and brush me off
And give myself a reason to live
And I'll be damned if I'll let you Take me in and be my friend
And give me something all my money can't give

Guess I finally got my wish
You've gone away
I guess I've proven that I am a man
But I know that I'll just go to shit in all my days
And to this town will be damned; I'll be damned

I'll be damned if I didn't let you
Be a part of some new start
And make me lose my will to leave this place
And I'll be damned if I didn't let you;
You took my heart and tore it apart
And made me watch the tears fall from your face

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BILLY PRITCHARD

Wally got lost in a patch of weeds,
and they found his body floating in a patch of reeds
He said he'd gone fishing with the boy from across the creek
Now here you come waking with a smile on your face
Say you've found someone to love you in this loveless place,
And his name is Billy Pritchard,
and he don't think you're no freak
But I don't want him hanging around here, girl
His eyes are filled with evil
He's gonna drag you to the depths of hell
His daddy was a drunk and his mother a whore
And every night another man would leave her door
And his daddy'd take the money,
and he'd go get drunk some more
They never spared the rod, but they still spoiled the child
On debauchery and witchcraft and everything wild
I'm telling you now daughter that he's wicked to the core

I don't want him hanging around here, girl
His eyes are filled with evil
He's gonna steal your heart and then your soul

Oh yeah, my little dove, don't you fly too far
Don't you leave my aching heart
I don't want to see you leaving town
I don't want to see you hanging around;
Don't want to see you hanging out with that weasel
Cause his eyes are filled with evil
He's gonna drag you to the depths of hell

Daddy I don't believe a word you said
Ever since the day that I learned that my brother was dead
I've just come from Billy Pritchard's
and I know why your hands are red
He said, You took him and Billy fishing by the old oak tree
Told them both to wait for you, you had to go pee
Then you snuck up from behind, and you shot him in the head
But you made a big mistake, father, don't you see
They'd exchange hats underneath that oak tree
You shot your own son, and you blamed it all on Billy

Well I ain't gonna hang around here still,
Cause your eyes are filled with evil
I'm gonna tell the world and watch you hang

Shut your mouth and come inside now, my little dove
Get my gun, get my coat, get my gloves
Understand that everything I do is out of love

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LITTLE DRUNK FISTS

Little drunk fists across the tip of my chin
Guess I should've known that they'd be there again
Little drunk fists across the width of my jaw
Gets sometimes to where I just don't feel them at all
That's OK, I can wait another day
For these stupid concessions to be made
And you weren't to blame
We put Jack and Johnny Walkers' names
In the policeman's notebook when he came
Little drunk fists need some time to their own
Went out to meet some friends but ended up all alone
Little drunk fists find and pick up a phone,
But fumble on the numbers when they try to dial home

Little drunk fists reach for just one more round
But end up buying a sixth when the fifth hits the ground
Little baby fists touch my face; clutch my nose,
Though they'd rather touch their mother's, but she don't know
Little drunk fists drove the car home last night,
Turned left on Oak Street when they should have turned right


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GET GONE AGAIN

I'm so sick of writing
Songs about screwing up
No matter how much I fall down,
It seems it's never enough
No matter how much good luck
Throws itself my way,
I find some way to ruin it;
Fall down again the next day

Road rashed, run down, wrinkled from the rain
The song in my heart makes just one sound,
But I sing along just the same
And I wonder how long I'll hang around
Before I go insane
Before I break down
And get gone again

Put myself on trial again for crimes I couldn't see
My naked aggression was picked up on a charge of indecency
And I remember how I felt when first it exposed itself to me
And pray for forgiveness, and a sympathetic jury

Road rashed, run down, wrinkled from the rain
The song in my heart makes just one sound,
But I sing along just the same
And I wonder how long I'll hang around
Before I go insane
Before I break down
And get gone again

And it makes no difference
what you thought you came here for
Any plans that you might have had; swept right out the door
And it makes no difference how hard you think you've tried,
Cause what you'll find out in the end is that its just a lie

There've been girls that loved me,
But I cheated on them,
With a woman named Whiskey,
And Gin, her best friend
Their affections flow like liquid
To a thousand other men,
Who'll trade loving for liquor;
Salvation for sin

Road rashed, run down, wrinkled from the rain
The song in my heart makes just one sound,
But I sing along just the same
And I wonder how long I'll hang around
Before I go insane
Before I break down
And get gone again


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YOUR EXCUSE

Gunned down in the middle of things,
this thing between you and me
I had no clue, and neither did you,
of anything so unforeseen

You're damn right, you can't fight
the need to be your own friend
But it gets so old, and you're so cold,
for the one that's waiting for you in the end
So come on

Dumb luck, I guess I messed up,
telling you all where to go
But it seemed so right to try to cause a fight,
I guess that goes to show what I know

You're damn right, you can't fight
the need to be your own friend
But it gets so old, and you're so cold,
for the one that's waiting for you in the end
So I say, hell yes, I confess,
to always wanting things to be the same
But this change you use as your excuse
for leaving me behind, well that's lame

Gunned down in the middle of things,
this thing between you and me
I had no clue, and neither did you,
of anything so unforeseen

You're damn right, you can't fight
the need to be your own friend
But it gets so old, and you're so cold,
for the one that's waiting for you in the end

So I say, hell yes, I confess,
to always wanting things to be the same
But this change you use as your excuse
for leaving me behind, well that's lame

And it's too late, I guess that's just great,
telling me how things should stay
But the truth be known, I'd rather be alone
than to have to live like this another day
Come on


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HAZE OF DRINK

I'm lost in my own town
I wonder why none of my friends come around anymore,
That's for sure, any more
I'd like to swing by and pick you up
I'll put you in the back of my pick-up truck,
And we'll go door to door - door to door....

And get lost in the haze of drink
I get lost in the haze of drink
And I don't give a damn what your friends might say
I don't care what they think
When I'm lost in the haze of drink

Sun down it chokes this town
Beckons me, the king, to come and take my crown,
And so I do
I take it straight,
And I stay out late
Yeah, it's sad to say, but in this town
It's the only way I know to lose this permanent frown
From my face
It's just my fate...

And get lost in the haze of drink
I get lost in the haze of drink
And I don't give a damn what your friends might say
I don't care what they think
When I'm lost in the haze of drink

It used to be something that we did for fun,
But now it seems all of my friends have moved on
And left me here all alone
I'll probably wake up in the morning in a pool of sick
But if you see me on the sidewalk, you can give me a kick
I'll say thanks and get back up and get back down...
And get lost in the haze of drink
I get lost in the haze of drink
And I don't give a damn what your friends might say
I don't care what they think
When I'm lost in the haze of drink


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ONE RUNG

Now it's 3 AM,
And the walls are closing in
I can hear them whisper, "That fool,
He's done it again."
The air has turned cold,
But I can't reach my window
So I lay here twisted, and I
Pray for the dreams to flow

Another day done;
Plenty of work, no fun,
And in a bottle or a T.V. dinner
Solace comes

One bad day leads to more,
Like the one drink that you pour,
And becomes a lifetime of hopes
And dreams ignored

I never made any specific plans
I'd always said you knew I was just a simple man
And I never made any deals with you
I never knew that I needed to

You spend your whole life waiting for something to change
Something or someone to come around and rearrange
You spend your whole damn life trying to climb just one rung,
With nothing to do, if it never comes


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(c)1997 Bait Sandwich Songs (ASCAP) and Elttilood Publishing
(ASCAP)
All rights reserved