Poetry in song

Wow! Willie Nelson with short hair. And Billy Walker. Thank you. And Patsy Cline! Splendid x 100.
 
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Wow! Willie Nelson with short hair. And Billy Walker. Thank you. And Patsy Cline! Splendid x 100.

Hard to believe that was taped almost fifty years ago. Did you notice Willie got a little choked up when he started singing Crazy?
 
I did. Gorgeous. Thanks for the link. Here's one for you. I simply adore Bob Walkenhorst. He's done a lot of solo work since the Rainmakers. What a fine lyricist.

I like it:

In the '51 flood the river got mean
The levee broke at a town downstream
Up on our land where the county lines meet
Caught a couple of them boys with some TNT

Something had to give and it gave down there
My thoughts are with you but my family's here
It was you this time, it was us before
Nothing's fair in flood and war

And blood's thicker than water
But thin and cold in the flood
The mud and the guilt and the gun get heavy
We do what we gotta

We walk the levee
 
It's beautiful but tragic. It took years for someone to figure out they suffered from false logic. There were more options than us vs. them. All it took to keep everyone safe from flood was a big ditch. People are not, should not be binary.
 
Try this one on for size: Lick My Decals Off (Captain Beefheart)

Rather than I want to hold your hand,
I wanna swallow you whole
'n I wanna lick you everywhere it's pink
'n everywhere you think
Whole kit 'n kaboodle 'n the kitchen sink
Heaven's sexy as hell
Life is integrated,
Goes together so well
'n so on
Well, I'm gonna go on 'n do my washing
Well, now you may think I'm crazy but I want you to
Lick my decals off baby
'n I don't want you to be lazy
'cause it's drivin' me crazy
'n this song ain't no sing-song
It's all about the birds 'n the bees
'n where it went all wrong
'n where it all belongs
'n the earth all go down on their knees
lookin' for ah little ease
She stuck out her tongue 'n the fun begun
She stuck out her tongue 'n the fun begun
She stuck it out at me, 'n I just thumbed my nose
'n went on washing my clothes
 
Try this one on for size: Lick My Decals Off (Captain Beefheart)

Rather than I want to hold your hand,
I wanna swallow you whole
'n I wanna lick you everywhere it's pink
'n everywhere you think
Whole kit 'n kaboodle 'n the kitchen sink

Heaven's sexy as hell
Life is integrated,
Goes together so well
'n so on
Well, I'm gonna go on 'n do my washing
Well, now you may think I'm crazy but I want you to
Lick my decals off baby
'n I don't want you to be lazy
'cause it's drivin' me crazy
'n this song ain't no sing-song
It's all about the birds 'n the bees
'n where it went all wrong
'n where it all belongs
'n the earth all go down on their knees
lookin' for ah little ease
She stuck out her tongue 'n the fun begun
She stuck out her tongue 'n the fun begun
She stuck it out at me, 'n I just thumbed my nose
'n went on washing my clothes

I had never actually heard that before, although I remember Captain Beefheart. That was some out there shit 45 years ago.
 
Another good one:
Deacon Blues (Steely Dan)

This is the day
Of the expanding man
That shape is my shade
There where I used to stand
It seems like only yesterday
I gazed through the glass
At ramblers
Wild gamblers
That's all in the past

You call me a fool
You say it's a crazy scheme
This one's for real
I already bought the dream
So useless to ask me why
Throw a kiss and say goodbye
I'll make it this time
I'm ready to cross that fine line

I'll learn to work the saxophone
I'll play just what I feel
Drink Scotch whisky all night long
And die behind the wheel
They got a name for the winners in the world
I want a name when I lose
They call Alabama the Crimson Tide
Call me Deacon Blues

My back to the wall
A victim of laughing chance
This is for me
The essence of true romance
Sharing the things we know and love
With those of my kind
Libations
Sensations
That stagger the mind

I crawl like a viper
Through these suburban streets
Make love to these women
Languid and bittersweet
I'll rise when the sun goes down
Cover every game in town
A world of my own
I'll make it my home sweet home

I'll learn to work the saxophone
I'll play just what I feel
Drink Scotch whisky all night long
And die behind the wheel
They got a name for the winners in the world
I want a name when I lose
They call Alabama the Crimson Tide
Call me Deacon Blues

This is the night
Of the expanding man
I take one last drag
As I approach the stand
I cried when I wrote this song
Sue me if I play too long
This brother is free
I'll be what I want to be

I'll learn to work the saxophone
I'll play just what I feel
Drink Scotch whisky all night long
And die behind the wheel
They got a name for the winners in the world
I want a name when I lose
They call Alabama the Crimson Tide
Call me Deacon Blues
 
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You managed to come up with another one I hadn't heard, even though I'm very familiar with the group. I always think of this song when someone mentions Steely Dan:

HEY NINETEEN

Way back when
In Sixty-seven
I was the dandy
Of Gamma Chi
Sweet things from Boston
So young and willing
Moved down to Scarsdale
Where the hell am I

Hey Nineteen
No we can't dance together
No we can't talk at all
Please take me along
When you slide on down

Hey Nineteen
That's 'Retha Franklin
She don't remember
The Queen of Soul
It's hard times befallen
The sole survivors
She thinks I'm crazy
But I'm just growing old

Hey Nineteen
No we got nothing in common
No we can't talk at all
Please take me along
When you slide on down

The Cuervo Gold
The fine Colombian
Make tonight a wonderful thing

No we can't dance together
No we can't talk at all

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5J7IrPVLc4U
 
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