lp discography - covers & lyrics

MERLE HAGGARD

BACK TO THE BARROOMS

MCA 5139
October/1980
Produced by Jimmy Bowen
Cover Recorded: June/1980, in Nashville

1.

MISERY AND GIN

(John Durrill - Snuff Garrett)
« © '80 Careers Music, BMI »
Memories and drinks don't mix too well
And jukebox records don't play those wedding bells
Looking at the world through the bottom of a glass
All I see is a man who's fadin' fast

Tonight I need that woman again
What I'd give for my baby to just walk in
Sit down beside me and say it's alright
Take me home and make sweet love to me tonight

But here I am again mixing misery and gin
Sittin' with all my friends and talkin' to myself
I look like I'm havin' a good time but any fool can tell
That this honky tonk heaven really makes you feel like hell

I light a lonely woman's cigarette
We start talkin' bout what we want to forget
Her life story and mine are the same
We both lost someone and only have ourselves to blame

But here I am again mixing misery and gin...
**********

2.

BACK TO THE BARROOMS AGAIN

(Merle Haggard - Dave Kirby)
« © '80 Tree Publishing, BMI »
Now it's back to the barrooms right back to drinking again
Maybe someday you'll love me enough to stay with me
And whisky won't be my best friend
Now it's back to the barrooms again

The bartender knows me he knows how you do me
And he knows why I'm back here again
He should be given a prize for his patience
Cause bartenders do understand
So it's back to the barrooms again

With the loud music roaring the bartender pouring
And my shaky legs trying to stand
It's over and over I've tried to stay sober
But look what a failure I've been
Cause now it's back to the barrooms again

Yes now it's back to the barrooms right back to drinking again
Maybe someday you'll love me enough to stay with me
And whisky won't be my best friend
Now it's back to the barrooms again
Oh yes it's back to the barrooms again
**********

3.

MAKE UP AND FADED BLUE JEANS

(Merle Haggard)
« © '81 Tree Publishing, BMI »
In downtown Modesto I was workin' the Holiday Inn
I would stick with a gig that would last us throughout the weekend
I was singing a new song I'd wrote on the way into town
When she came in the front door and found her a place to sit down

Hey I knew right away that she like the words to my song
Cause she stared at my git guitar and followed my fingers too long
And she had the likeness of a girl I'd seen in my dreams
But lights can do wonders with make up and faded blue jeans

And the last thing I needed was somebody messin' up my mind
So I found a hundred reasons for lookin' her way one more time
She could cause me to sing bad and fall out of love with guitar
And blow all my chances at bein' a big singing star

With one passin' glance I could tell she was young for her age
Yeah she got to looking better as she got down closer to the stage
And as she sipped on her wine I knew just the kind she would be
And somehow I knew she was here to the bad things to me

And the last thing I needed was somebody messin' up my mind...
[ guitar ] She could cause me to sing bad and fall out of love with guitar
And blow all my chances at bein' a big singing star
**********

4.

EVER CHANGING WOMAN

(Curly Putman - Dave Kirby)
« © '80 Tree Publishing, BMI »
**********

5.

EASY COME EASY GO

(Ian Sutherland)
« © '80 ATV Songs, BMI »
**********

6.

I DON'T WANT TO SOBER UP TONIGHT

(Merle Haggard)
« © '80 Tree Publishing, BMI »
I don't want to sober up tonight
And I don't want to act like things are all right
And I don't want to change just to make you think I'm happy
That's all right I don't want to sober up tonight

I wanna keep my mind a little hazy
I don't care if all my friends think I'm crazy
Way I tease myself I might be a little bazy
That's all right I don't want to sober up tonight

I'm here to drown another day from mis'ry
I'm in here to spend one night without a mem'ry
And way I'm drinking now there won't be any mem'ry
That's all right I don't want to sober up tonight
[ guitar ] I don't want to sober up tonight...
**********

7.

CAN'T BREAK THE HABIT

(Merle Haggard - Leona Williams)
« © '80 Tree Publishing, BMI »
**********

8.

OUR PATHS MAY NEVER CROSS

(Merle Haggard)
« © '80 Tree Publishing, BMI »
Lady I know you're out there somewhere like me you're feeling lost
Maybe right now we both need each other but our paths may never cross
People like us never find each other love is our greatest loss
Maybe I know you're out there somewhere but our paths may never cross

We're two people that should be together cause we're lonely at the very same time
But there's a million too many good reasons why your love can never be mine
Maybe this song was written for you listen and don't turn it off
I wish you could learn it and come sing it with me but our paths may never cross
[ guitar ] I wish you could learn it and come sing it with me but our paths may never cross
**********

9.

I DON'T HAVE ANYMORE LOVE SONGS

(Hank Williams Jr)
« © '79 Bocephus Music, BMI »
There's been some things that I've wanted to say a long time
Never have I spent a day without you on my mind
I've tried a lot of song and I need to try one that's new
I don't have anymore love songs to try on you

We just can't ever get it together it seems
Your arms don't hold me the way that they do in my dreams
And it's hard to make up the things that you never do
I don't have anymore love songs to make up bout you

I don't have anymore love songs to write for you
Too many I wrote before have never come true
It's hard to make up and play the thing that you do
I don't have anymore love songs to sing for you
[ guitar ] And I don't have anymore love songs to write for you
Too many I wrote before have never come true
I borrowed this song from Hank Williams Junior it's true
Cause I don't have anymore love songs to sing for you
**********

10.

LEONARD

(Merle Haggard)
« © '80 Tree Publishing, BMI »
When Leonard finally came to California
He was twenty one years old as I recall
He loved to write a song and pick the guitar
And he came to hang a gold one on the wall
The town in which he lived is not important
You'll which town I mean by time I'm through
He soon became a famous entertainer
But Leonard was a name he never used
He was on his way to having what he wanted
Just about as close as one could be
Hey once he even followed Elvis Presley
And he wrote a lot of country songs for me
But he laid it all aside to follow Jesus
For years he chose to let his music go
But preachin' wasn't really meant for Leonard
But how in the hell was Leonard supposed to know
Well life began to twist its way around him
And I wondered how he carried such a load
He came back again to try his luck in music
And lost his wife and family on the road
After that he seemed to bog down even deeper
And I saw that booze and pills could really do
And I wondered if I'd ever see him sober
But I forgot about a friend that Leonard knew
Well Leonard gave me lots of inspiration
He helped teach me how to write a country song
And he even brought around a bag of groceries
Hey back before Muskogee came along
Really I'm not tryin' to hide his show name
Or the town in which this episode began
Somehow I had to write a song for old Tommy
If just to see the smiling faces in the band
Well when Leonard finally came to California
He was twenty one years old as I recall
And he loved to write a song and pick the guitar
And he came to hang a gold one on the wall
**********

11.

I THINK I'LL JUST STAY HERE AND DRINK

(Merle Haggard)
« © '80 Tree Publishing, BMI »
Could be holding you tonight
Could quit doin' wrong start doin' right
You don't care about what I think
Think I'll just stay here and drink

Hey puttin' you down don't square no deal
Least you know the way I feel
Hey take all the money in the bank
Think I'll just stay here and drink

Hey listen close and you can hear
That loud jukebox playing in my ear
Ain't no woman gonna change the way I think
I think I'll just stay here and drink
[ guitar - piano ] Hey hurtin' me now don't mean a thing
Since lovin' you don't feel no pain
My mind ain't nothin' but a total blank
I think I'll just stay here and drink yeah
[ guitar - sax ] We're gone
**********
TOPlist