With the dew rag on
And the cowboy tie
Man that cat is gone
Form memphis to nashville
Then way out west
Put that hollywood party
To the acid test
Got a little bungalow
In the valley somewhere
Took a gig playing bass
With sonny and cher
He took it on his chin
And never got it off his chest
He wouldn't be caught dead wearing that vest
Not rock back billy
Rock back billy
He came to make a stew
With that swamp guitar
He kept it lonesome and blue
Yeah, in the trunk of his car
But no one gave him a long shot
Though he never did doubt
What it was not
Or what it was all about
He got all tangled up with liquor and drugs
Trying to make a racket
Like those english mugs
Till he couldn't get arrested
And he couldn't see straight
He couldn't even shine shoes
In that golden state
Not rock back billy
Come on rock back billy
When you see him on the street
Well, he's no spring chicken
But ask him how he makes ends meet
He'll tell you, "i'm still pickin'"
Aw, rock it, billy, rock it
Yeah they counted him down
When they dropped that beat
But that red hot sound
They could not defeat
It started coming back from boston
From east L. A.
Down in austin, texas
And up new york way
And as long as there's a kid
In a room somewhere
With a beat up guitar
And some funny looking hair
Well, it might be billy's kid
You don't know
And all I've got to say is
Go, cat, go
Come on rock back billy
Come on rock back billy
Rock back billy
Get a load of that guy With the dew rag on And the cowboy tie Man that cat is gone Form memphis to nashville Then way out west Put that hollywood party To the acid test Got a little bungalow In the valley somewhere Took a gig playing bass With sonny and cher He took it on his chin And never got it off his chest He wouldn't be caught dead wearing that vest Not rock back billy Rock back billy He came to make a stew With that swamp guitar He kept it lonesome and blue Yeah, in the trunk of his car But no one gave him a long shot Though he never did doubt What it was not Or what it was all about He got all tangled up with liquor and drugs Trying to make a racket Like those english mugs Till he couldn't get arrested And he couldn't see straight He couldn't even shine shoes In that golden state Not rock back billy Come on rock back billy When you see him on the street Well, he's no spring chicken But ask him how he makes ends meet He'll tell you, "i'm still pickin'" Aw, rock it, billy, rock it Yeah they counted him down When they dropped that beat But that red hot sound They could not defeat It started coming back from boston From east L. A. Down in austin, texas And up new york way And as long as there's a kid In a room somewhere With a beat up guitar And some funny looking hair Well, it might be billy's kid You don't know And all I've got to say is Go, cat, go Come on rock back billy Come on rock back billy Rock back billy Explain Request ×
Lyrics taken from
/lyrics/j/john_hiatt/rock_back_billy.html
