country music – The Coming of the Toads

On the road again, and on the car radio, another Country Music song: I’m 44 now, soon 45 The way I been livin’ Lucky alive So much has been given And taken away Who knows what will happen Today Late summer, almost fall Red rust brushed peaches Dark dust green grape leaves Swelling purples under blue blouse sky: Woke up this mornin’ Didn’t know where I was Wrote a letter to Heaven, Reachin' out for you But you weren’t there And Heaven didn’t answer either Signs along the road, wood weathered grey, in the Yakima Valley: Antiques Fresh Cherries Walla Walla Sweets Later at the Grey Inn Motel Eating maroon cherries from a bottle Drinking brown beer Thinking one thing is clear and sure: Nighttime falls Lento, Largo, Larghissimo Yes, darkness comes Slow like snows, Like muted yeses, Like mouth harp nos, Like in Country Music songs, Driving through the Yakima Valley. Note (in response to one reader's question): The Country Music song lyrics in the poem are taken from an original song I wrote in 2004. So, no, I didn't hear the song on the radio, though I did often find myself driving through the Yakima valley, and I wrote the song on one my Yakima trips. I've explained the age range used in the song in a comment below.

“Bury My Heart in the Muddy Mississippi”
A Country Music song
Guitar Chords: GAD

(Slow intro with a little lilt)
G A
I took my girl to the Friday night dance,
D G
But she said, “I really don’t like to dance.”

(Lively now)
(G) Then some handsome fella
with the (A) swagger of Godzilla,
(D) asked her do you wanna (G) dance,
(G) and the next thing I knew
(A) away they flew.
(D) He’s got her in a (G) trance.

Chorus
G A
Hey, Baby, don’t drive me crazy,
D G
I thought you said you didn’t like to dance.
G A
Well, bury my heart in the muddy Mississippi,
D G
I thought she said she didn’t like to dance.

So I walked on down and I put my money down
On the counter of the mausoleum,
And I asked the mortician how much it cost to die
But he said I was a buck too short.

Repeat Chorus

Late one night I was stopped at a light,
Revvin’ up my hot rod Ford.
Along comes a Chevy, at the wheel’s my Baby,
Askin’ do I wanna dance.
I took her off the line, pink slips on a dime,
And the rest I’m happy to tell.
The moral of this story,
The letter of this tale (D – G…)

Repeat Chorus

Tag Archives: country music

In the Yakima Valley

“Bury My Heart in the Muddy Mississippi”