The Long Black Road

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[Verse 1] He left Mobile with a six-string case And a coffee-stained map in the passenger space Mama pressed a silver dime in his hand Said, “Don’t lose your name trying to be a man” He played for coins by the county line Learned every cracked note one night at a time A winter in Memphis, a summer in heat And a pair of worn boots that kept time with his feet [Chorus] He’s walking that long black road With a song in his chest and a heavy load Every mile takes a little skin Every hard goodbye puts a new truth in When the morning finds him broke and blue He tunes that old guitar and starts again [Verse 2] He knew a bartender named June in Tupelo Who paid him in supper and a place to go She said, “Your hands tell stories your mouth never will” Then she caught the late train past the watermill He chased a record deal through a hurricane town Watched bright promises wash down the ground But the crowd in a roadhouse on Highway Nine Sang back every word like the song was still alive [Chorus] He’s walking that long black road With a song in his chest and a heavy load Every mile takes a little skin Every hard goodbye puts a new truth in When the morning finds him broke and blue He tunes that old guitar and starts again [Bridge] Now his hair’s gone gray at the edges And his voice has a gravelly grain But the first chord still opens the same door And the last chord still carries the pain He ain’t looking for a crown or a name Just a room where the tired hearts lean A little truth beneath the smoke and dust And a reason to sing what he’s seen [Final Chorus] He’s walking that long black road With a song in his chest and a lighter load Every mile left a little skin Every hard goodbye let the daylight in When the evening settles soft and blue He tunes that old guitar and starts again Yes, he tunes that old guitar and starts again [Outro] Down by the river, the last notes roll A weathered bluesman, a steady soul The road keeps turning beyond the bend And the song keeps walking with him to the end