Me and Willie

Me and Willie played in a country band
Seven long years together playing those one-night stands
Used to say the booze and bars was going to wear him out
«Hold On», a song he wrote’ll tear your heart right out
We traveled the northern route from the Great Lakes to Montreal
Hitting all the honkytonks, I bet we played them all
Willie played to ease his soul and drank to ease his mind
I never understood how he played so good while drinking himself half-blind
And you wouldn’t think a man so weak could be so strong
Take a crowd of rowdy drunks, hush them with a song
I’d rather be singing my heart out in a dark and dingy bar
Hitting those high notes with Willie’s sad guitar
And I’d rather be singing a blues song, singing sweet and high
Willie standing right by my side playing country slide
Me and Willie watched a lot of dreams die young
Plans we made — how quick they fade, fumbling one by one
Willie never let it bother him and if he did, it didn’t show
You know he had a way of letting go, making the blue turn gold
And you wouldn’t think a man so weak could be so strong
Taking the blues right out of you and put them in a song
I’d rather be singing my heart out in a dark and dingy bar
Hitting those high notes with Willie’s sad guitar
And I’d rather be singing a blues song, singing sweet and high
Willie standing right by my side playing country slide
I left Willie in a bar in Marietta
Couldn’t stand to watch the man I love drink himself to death
Now I’m working in Ottawa and I’m doing well, I guess
You know the good life don’t look so good from behind a desk
And I’d rather be singing my heart out in a dark and dingy bar
Hitting those high notes with Willie’s sad guitar
I’d rather be singing a blues song, singing sweet and high
Willie standing right by my side playing country slide