By Guy Clark



AND I'D SING THE RED RIVER VALLEY

AND HE'D SIT IN THE KITCHEN AND CRY

RUN HIS FINGERS THROUGH SEVENTY YEARS OF LIVING'

WONDERING, LORD, HAS EVERY WELL I DRILLED RAN DRY

WE WERE FRIENDS, ME AND THAT OLD MAN

LIKE DESPERADOS WAITING FOR THE TRAIN

LIKE DESPERADOS WAITING FOR THE TRAIN



HE'S A DRIFTER AND A DRILLER OF OIL WELLS

AND AN OLD SCHOOL MAN OF THE WORLD

TAUGHT ME HOW TO DRIVE HIS CAR WHEN HE'S TOO DRUNK TO

AND HE'D WINK AND GIVE ME MONEY FOR THE GIRLS

AND OUR LIVES WAS LIKE SOME OLD WESTERN MOVIE

LIKE DESPERADOS WAITING FOR THE TRAIN

LIKE DESPERADOS WAITING FOR THE TRAIN



FROM THE TIME THAT I COULD WALK HE'D TAKE ME WITH HIM

TO A PLACE CALLED THE GREEN FROG CAFE

AND THERE WAS OLD MEN WITH BEER GUTS AND DOMINOES

LYING' ABOUT THEIR LIVES WHILE THEY PLAYED

LIKE DESPERADOS WAITING FOR THE TRAIN

LIKE DESPERADOS WAITING FOR THE TRAIN



AND I LOOKED UP AND HE WAS PUSHING EIGHTY

AND THERE WAS BROWN TOBACCO STAINS ALL DOWN HIS CHIN

TO ME HE'S ONE OF THE HEROES OF THIS COUNTRY

SEE WHY'S HE ALL DRESSED UP LIKE SOME OLD MAN

DRINKING' BEER AND PLAYING' MOON IN FORTY-TWO

LIKE DESPERADOS WAITING FOR THE TRAIN

LIKE DESPERADOS WAITING FOR THE TRAIN



THE DAY BEFORE HE DIES I WENT TO SEE HIM

I WAS GROWN AND HE WAS ALMOST GONE

WE JUST CLOSED OUR EYES AND DREAMT US UP A KITCHEN

AND SANG ANOTHER VERSE TO THAT OLD SONG