Those other years, those dusty years When we drove the big hearse through I tried to forget the miles we rode and Spanish Johnny, you! He'd sit beside a water ditch When all his herd was in He'd never harm a child But sing to his mandolin He sang the old songs, the old talk And the dealin' of our games Spanish Johnny seldom spoke But sang songs of Spain And his talk with men was vicious talk When he was drunk on gin But those were golden things he said To his mandolin We had to stand, we had to judge We had to stop him then See those hands so gentle to a child Had killed so many men He died a hard death long ago Before the roads came in And the night before he swung He sang to his mandolin We carried him out in the morning light The man who done no good Laid him down in a cold, cold clay Stuck in a cross of wood And a letter we wrote to his kinfolks To tell'em where he'd been We shipped it on down to Mexico Along with the mandolin
You know she took the Chevrolet with her this morning, people She didn't leave me nothing but a mule to ride She took the car this morning Left me an old mule to ride You know, when the car backed out the driveway That old mule laid down and died She didn't leave me nothing, people Nothing but this old helpless blues She didn't leave me nothing, people Nothing but this old helpless blues I turned it into my apartment Yes, and a cardboard suitcase full of "I owe you"
I said, what did you do to me, baby Oh, how can you just stand right there in my face and watch me cry? Oh, tell me, baby, how can you stand in my face, watch me cry? Oh, she said: I got news for you Oh, darling, I can stand in your face and watch you die! She took my ring right off the night stand, people You know, she went and put my grandpa's watch in the pawn She took my gold diamond ring off the night stand, people She put my grandpa's watch in pawn She said: if you don't believe I'm leaving, baby If you don't believe I'm leaving, baby If you don't believe I'm going, sweet thing If you don't think I'm quitting Denver Why just you count those days are gone?
There is nothing I can do, if you're here to hear me cry Nothing I can do if you're here to hear me cry But my love will follow you, as the years go passing by
I gave you everything, everything, that's one thing you can't deny I gave you everything, it's one thing you can't deny My love will follow you, as the years go passing by
There is nothing I can do, if you're here to hear me cry No, if you're just here to hear me cry But my love will follow you, as the years go passing by
Oh, I'll leave it up to you , baby, so long good bye Yes, I'll leave it up to you, farewell, good bye But my love will follow you as the years go passing by
Ah, the girl's a valentine, she's fine Her eyes are green and her hair is brown Ah, that's a genuine woman that ain't on hand in town
Well now, just as soon as I see her I'm gonna say "Get your fine self right home!" And then just one more thing I've gotta know What in the world did I do to make the woman go?
She's gone, yes she's gone She's gone, solid gone
Now she might be in Chicago, I thought I saw her down in Tennessee I traveled round the world to bring my baby on home to me
She's gone, yes she's gone She's gone, solid gone
And now some people just call her sugar Although her real name is Nancy Joe She's the only gal for me I'm going to be her steady boy
Ah, just as soon as I see her I'm gonna say "you better get it on home today" Just one thing I need to know What in the world did I do to make the woman go?
She's gone, yes she's gone She's gone, solid gone
Well now she might be in Chicago I thought I saw her down in Tennessee I traveled round the world to bring my baby on home to me