GUY CLARK
TEXAS COOKIN'
(RCA Victor APL1-1944)
September/1976
Produced by Chips Moman
Chips Moman, Danny Roland - el.guitar
Chip Young, Brian Ahern - ac.guitar
Pete Grant - steel/dobro
Mike Leech, Charlie Bundy - bass
Chris Laird, Jerry Kroon - drums/percussion
Johnny Gimble, Tommy Williams, Steve Keith - fiddle/violin
Jack Hicks - banjo
David Briggs, Charles Cochran - piano/keyboards
Mickey Raphael - harmonica
Byron Bach - cello
Background vocals:
Lea Jane Berinati, Susanna Clark, Waylon Jennings, Rodney Crowell, Emmylou Harris,
Nicolette Larson, Tracy Nelson, Hoyt Axton, Jerry Jeff Walker
Recorded:
1976, Chips Moman's Studio, Nashville
1.
TEXAS COOKIN'
(Guy Clark)
« © '76 World Song Publishing, ASCAP »
Well I'm goin' down to Austin Texas I'm goin' down to save my soul
Get that barbeque at chily eat my fill come back home
I'm gonna take my baby with me we gonna have a high ol' time
We gonna eat till we get silly shure do make a beer taste fine
Oh mama ain't that Texas cookin' somethin'
Oh mama it'll stop your belly and back bone bumpin'
Oh mama ain't that Texas cookin' good
Oh mama eat everyday if I could
Well I know a man that cook armadillo tastes so sweet he calls it pie
I know a woman makes pan dulce tastes so good it gets you high
Get them enchiladas greasy get them steaks chicken fried
Sure do make a man feel happy to see white gravy on the side
Oh mama ain't that Texas cookin'...
Well I know a place that got fried okra beat anythin' I ever saw
I know a man that cook cabrito it must be against the law
We gonna get a big ol' sausage a big ol' plate of ranch style beans
I could eat the heart of Texas we gonna need some brand new jeans
Oh mama ain't that Texas cookin'...
Oh mama ain't that Texas cookin'...
Oh mama ain't that Texas cookin'...
Oh mama ain't that Texas cookin'...
**********
2.
ANYHOW I LOVE YOU
(Guy Clark)
« © '72 World Song Publishing, ASCAP »
I wish I had a dime for every bad time
But the bad times always seem to keep the change
You been all alone so you know what I'm sayin'
And when all you can recall is the pain
Just to wait until tomorrow when you wake up with me
At your side and find I haven't lied about nothin'
And I wouldn't trade a tree for the way I feel
About you in the mornin' anyhow I love you
Everyday it gets just a little bit better
And half of gettin' there is knowin' where I been before
I'm sure you understand cause I ain't your first man
And when you feel like runnin' for the back door don't
Just to wait until tomorrow...
[ guitar + harmonica ]
Just to wait until tomorrow...
And I just wait until tomorrow...
**********
3.
VIRGINIA'S REAL
(Guy Clark)
« © '76 World Song Publishing, ASCAP »
Now gents to the middle said a young girl's fiddle
And you ain't got nothing to lose
Allemande right she can play it all night
She can fiddle of the bottom of your shoes
Oh me oh my how she makes that bowhair fly
How she hangs that music crystal in the air
Now promenade down to the lonesome sound of a whippoorwill in the night
Sashay back look at old mad Jack huggin' everything in sight
He said oh me oh my...
[ fiddle ]
Now Banjo Bill he stopped stock still as the notes come a rolling by
And it filled his ears and eased his fears and a tear come to his eye
He said oh me oh my...
Now the old string bass he lost his place and his arms they felt like steel
And the guitar man dropped both his hands and he swore it was not real
He said oh me oh my...
[ fiddle ]
Now it's golden strings on eagle's wings to the calling of the squares
There's fiddle tunes and there's fiddle's tunes but Virginia's splittin' hairs
He said oh me oh my...
Now she cast a spell no tongue can tell no prophet can reveal
Quiet as death hold your breath she played Virginia's real
Oh me oh my...
And it's oh me oh my...
**********
4.
IT'S ABOUT TIME
(Guy Clark)
« © '74 World Song Publishing, ASCAP »
Hear that old tune come driftin' down the hall
Trying to put a stop to clock on the wall
Free flowin' free flown Lord mama how that old thief time carries on
Take off your old coat and let down your hair
Kick off them boots hon I don't care it's only time and only time will tell
Looks a chance with no reason not to take
Looks like our dance while the record player fakes it
Hold on King's X I think I'll be a captain standing on a burning deck
So come waltz you around this old room with me
As if we were some old pair of high degree round and round again
Don't let old fickle stickle catch you keepin' time with a friend
**********
5.
GOOD TO LOVE YOU LADY
(Guy Clark)
« © '76 World Song Publishing, ASCAP »
Now here comes Texas rolling through my mind
There ain't nothing to it mama don't be cryin'
It's just one of those things that everyone goes through
Just an old time feelin' don't mean no harm so roll me in your lovin' arms
Everybody needs a little help from time to time
If I could change anything then I wouldn't be me
I wouldn't have you and it's plain to see
I need all of help that I can get everybody's got 'em some kind of past now
And here comes that old snake in the grass now
Lord it's good to be in Tennessee with you
It's good to have you lady-o on my side through it all
It's good to see you lady-o when the rain starts to fall
It's good to love you lady Lord that's the best of all
**********
6.
BROKEN HEARTED PEOPLE
(Guy Clark)
« © '76 World Song Publishing, ASCAP »
Now broken hearted people always seem to drink
Tryin' to drown those sorrows ain't as easy as you think
But living with a liar is a hard old way to go
Laughin' just to keep from crying ain't no way to grow old
So take me to a barroom driver set me on a stool
If I can't be her man I'm damned if I'll be her fool
They say that whiskey ain't the best way but then I ain't too smart
To think I just found out she was lying from the start
So if this is nothin' but a bad joke looking for a laugh
Well hold on to your lampshade darling cause I'm looking for a hat
And you take me to a barroom...
[ guitar ]
So get this taxi movin' because I got no time to lose
There's no time to be choosy any old bar will do
Now I'm looking to get silly and I'm looking to get loose
And if that don't get it done darlin' I'll come looking for you
Oh now take me to a barroom...
Take me to a barroom...
**********
7.
BLACK HAIRED BOY
(Guy Clark - Susanna Clark)
« © '72 World Song Publishing, ASCAP »
He's a black haired boy of some confusion
And he makes no excuse for the things that he's usin'
He's gentle and wild and a child of the mountain
His words are for singing and his days are for countin'
He's looking for a home he's scared to find
Some lady beside him and he's drunk on white wine
Some lady beside him and he's drunk on white wine
He's a devil in the morning and a saviour at night
Tomorrow's a case of whatever's right
Lonesome and high are the things that he feels
And the cards that he plays are the ones that he deals
He's looking for a home...
He's one of the chances you're entitled to take
He's one of the hearts that it's too late to break
I've seen him be sad and never know why
Seen him fall down to laugh seen him stand up to cry
He's looking for a home...
He's looking for a home...
**********
8.
ME I'M FEELIN' THE SAME
(Guy Clark)
« © '76 World Song Publishing, ASCAP »
Hooray for the drinkin' warm red wine on a day both bright and fair
Hooray for the layin' and playin' a tune on the sunlight through your hair your hair
The sunlight through your hair
Well I wish that I was a fiddle bow flyin' across the strings
And you've takin' me at hand these days by makin' that fiddle sing to you
Makin' that fiddle sing
I wanna be fellin' that feelin' good I wanna be feelin' no pain
I wanna be feelin' my love love me
Me I'm feelin the same the same me I'm feelin' the same
[ harmonica - fiddle ]
Now you lookin' like the mornin' side of the best day I've ever seen
You lookin' like hope to a hopeless fool like the end of an old bad dream I mean
That it must've been an old bad dream
So let's go sailin' from shore to sea on a ship both bright and fine
And we'll run and hollar before the wind to begin' no wearin' time oh time
With a fiddle and that wine
I wanna be fellin' that feelin' good...
I wanna be fellin' that feelin' good...
**********
9.
BALLAD OF LAVERNE AND CAPTAIN FLINT
(Guy Clark)
« © '75 World Song Publishing, ASCAP »
Here comes Martha runnin' down the pier looks like Captain Flint is here
You get the bow and I get the stern Lord would you look at that Laverne
Old Flint's got shrimp from the deep blue sea and buckets of fish for you and me
Old Flint's boat is fine and she's called the Miss-Inclined
And there's no home port painted on her stern
And they say she's like a ghost up and down that Texas coast
But you saw him didn't you Laverne
Daddy says Flint is a weird old bird and what's more I have heard
That his nets are charmed by a woman who knew how to work that Louisiana voodoo
Laverne get away from that boat you hear
Your mama don't want you hangin' round here
Old Flint's boat is fine...
[ guitar ]
Martha Martha won't you tell me please that it's not Laverne that I see
There on the deck of the Miss-Inclined with Captain Flint I must be blind
Laverne girl what's the matter with you old Captain Flint put a spell on you baby
Old Flint's boat is fine...
Old Flint's boat is fine...
Old Flint's boat is fine...
**********
10.
DON'T LET THE SUNSHINE FOOL
(Guy Clark)
« © '76 World Song Publishing, ASCAP »
Don't let the sunshine fool ya
Don't let the bluebirds do ya
And don't let the women do ya
Put your hand in mine
**********
11.
LAST GUNFIGHTER BALLAD
(Guy Clark)
« © '76 World Song Publishing, ASCAP »
The old gunfigter on the porch stared into sun
And relived all the days livin' by the gun
Deadly games of pride were played and livin' was mistakes not made
And he thought of the smell of the black powder smoke
And the stand in the street at the turn of a joke
The thought of the smell of the black powder smoke
And the stand in the street at the turn of a joke
And he can almost feel the weight of that gun
And it's always keep your back to the sun
And it's faster than snakes or a blink of the eye
And it's a time for all slow men to die
His eyes get squinty and his finger switch
And he empties his gun at the son of a bitch
And he's hit by the smell of the black powder smoke
And the stand in the street at the turn of a joke
Hit by the smell of the black powder smoke
And the stand in the street at the turn of a joke
Now the burn of a bullet is only a scar
And he's back in his chair in front of a bar
And the streets're empty and the blood's all dried
The dead 're dust and and the whiskey's inside
So buy him a drink and lend him an ear
He's nobody's fool and he's the only one here
Who remembers the smell of the black powder smoke
And the stand in the street at the turn of a joke
Ah remember the smell of the black powder smoke
And the stand in the street at the turn of a joke
Said I stood in that street before it was paved
I learned the shoot or be shot before I could shave
And I did it all for the money and the fame
Noble was nothing but feelin' no shame
And nothing was sacred but stayin' alive
And all that I learned from my Colt 45
Was to curse the smell of the black powder smoke
And the stand in the street at the turn of a joke
Curse the smell of the black powder smoke
And the stand in the street at the turn of a joke
Now he's just an old man that nobody believes
Says he's a gunfighter the last of this breed
And there's ghosts in the street seekin' revenge
Callin' him out to the lunatic fringe
Now he's out in the traffic down checkin' the sun
And he's killed by a car as he goes for his gun
So much for the smell of the black powder smoke
And the stand in the street at the turn of a joke
So much for the smell of the black powder smoke
And the stand in the street at the turn of a joke
**********