Music Video Friday – 78 Steve Earl

by david on January 13, 2012

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Texas Country musician Steve Earl can write some of the best lyrics around.  This week’s Music Video Friday features Steve Earl who was actually born in Virginia, but only because his military family was there at the time.  He quickly got to Texas and has claimed Texas ever since.  He grew in and around San Antonio, but dropped out of school in the 9th grade to move to
Houston learn more about….what else- the music business.

Yes, we’ve had Steve Earl here before, but because he’s kinda like Dylan and it not a real ‘artistic’ singer, it is sometimes hard to understand him.  That’s why I’ve included the lyrics on this tune called Tom Ames’ prayer.  He’s got to be a tough hombre, he was a heroin addict for many years and he was married seven times.  Last week we featured Guy Clark and he and Steve Earl are good friends.  Steve’s politics are probably not close to mine and in that regard my comment is “shut up and sing”.

Fortunately, that is something he does quite well.  It’s the last line in the song that is my favorite…..pure poetry!

And here are the lyrics…

Everyone in Nacadoches knew Tom Ames would come to some bad end
Well the sheriff had caught him stealin’ chickens and such
by the time that he was ten
And one day his daddy took a ten dollar bill
and he tucked it in his hand
He said I can tell you’re headed for trouble son
and your momma wouldn’t understand

So he took that money and his brothers old bay
and he left without a word of thanks
Fell in with a crowd in some border town
and took to robbin’ banks

Outside the law your luck will run out fast
and a few years came and went
‘Till he’s trapped in an alley in Abilene
with all but four shells spent

And he realized prayin’ was the only thing
that he hadn’t ever tried
Well he wasn’t sure he knew quite how
but he looked up to the sky

Said you don’t owe me nothin’ and as far as I know
Lord don’t owe nothin’ to you
And I ain’t askin’ for a miracle Lord
just a little bit of luck will do

And you know I ain’t never prayed before
but it always seemed to me
If prayin’ is the same as beggin’ Lord
I don’t take no charity

Yeah but right now Lord with my back to the wall
Can’t help but recall
How they nearly hung me for stealin’ a horse
in Fort Smith Arkansas

Judge Parker said guilty and the gavel came down
just like a cannon shot
And I went away quietly
and I began to file and plot

Well they sent the preacher down to my cell
He said the Lord is your only hope
He’s the only friend that you gonna have
When you hit the end of Parker’s rope

Well I guess he coulda’ kept on preachin’ ’till Christmas
but he turned his back on me
I put a home made blade to that golden throat
and asked the deputy for the key

Well it ain’t the first close call I ever had
I’m sure you already know
I had some help from you Lord and the devil himself
It’s been strictly touch and go

Yeah but who in the hell am I talkin’ to
there ain’t no one here but me
Then he cocked both his pistols and he spit in the dirt
and he walked out in that street.

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