One (or Two) For the Road

Silver Fox has a post up about road songs:

So one day, I'm in the passenger seat of some other geo's truck, being driven from place to place through thick trees and over rutted and roily dirt roads somewhere in central Idaho, in search of particularly fascinating outcrops — any outcrops would do, given the number of trees and lack of visibility — and JS, the geo-type whose projects I was visiting, pulled two of his newly made road tapes out of the glove box. The tapes, filled with road songs, were meant to be played while on the road, any road. Brainstorming while we listened, all the while watching for outcrops, we came up with a million more road songs, and a rather loose definition.

A road song must contain a word pertaining to roads — road, highway, freeway, byway, street, interstate — or it can instead contain words pertaining to cars, trucks, semis, and railroads or railway cars. Travel songs without mentioning the roads or railroads or the vehicles don't count, and airplane or boat songs are generally out. Exceptions to these rules may exist, but I can't think of any.

And it occurs to me, there's a perfect road song she may never have heard:



See? It's even got the word "interstate" right there in the title.

And there's a second song that doesn't quite qualify as a road song, but it's about being a long way from home, and it's wonderful, and so it shall be included here:



Silver, my dear, if you enjoyed those, and wish for just a little bit more, let me know, and a CD shall be on its way to you directly.  The Peacemakers have plenty more where that came from.

Lyrics below the fold.




Lyrics for "Interstate":

Well, the fact of the matter
There ain't no facts involved
Take it further
It doesn't matter
Well out here on the border
Ants drag bones across the hot dry ground
and over there at the trailer park
They got a million souls at the lost and found

Well you should have known better
Dead thoughts and lost horizons
And to take it further
It don't get any better
Well out here on the border
Ain't nobody asking questions
No I don't need a miracle
But I could use a push in the right direction

Handgun and a bottle of Boone's
and a "69" Ford and a new pair of shoes
Left from Boise Idaho '95
When they crossed the state line
They were just in time to fall
Asleep at the wheel

Last fact of the matter
Never was no facts involved
And to take it further
It never really matters
Well out here on the border
Ants drag bones across the hot dry ground
and over there at the trailer park
They got a million souls at the lost and found

Handgun and a bottle of Boone's
And a "69" Ford and a new pair of shoes
Left from Boise Idaho '95
So I was just in time to miss
the Five O'Clock news
The velvet black Interstate was something to feel
Spent $5.99 on a stone cold meal
Another bottle of wine
I was feelin' just fine
And when i crossed the state line
I was just in time
To fall asleep at the wheel

Handgun and a bottle of Boone's
And a "69" Ford and a new pair of shoes
Left from Boise Idaho '95
So I was just in time to miss
the Five O'Clock news
The velvet black Interstate was something to feel
Spent $5.99 on a stone cold meal
Another bottle of wine
I was feelin' just fine
And when i crossed the state line
I was just in time To fall--

Handgun and a bottle of Boone's
And a "69" Ford and a new pair of shoes
Left from Boise Idaho '95
So I was just in time to miss
the Five O'Clock news
The velvet black Interstate was something to feel
Spent $5.99 on a stone cold meal
Another bottle of wine
I was feelin' just fine
And when i crossed the state line
I was just in time To fall
asleep at the wheeeel ...

Lyrics for "Mekong":

Barkeep
Another Mekong please
Yes of course,
you can keep the change

A new glass here
for this new friend of mine
Forgive me, I forgot your name
Flip a coin
What shall we talk about
Heads I tell the truth
and tails I lie

Well I came all the way
From Taipei today
Now Bangkok's pouring rain
and I'm going blind again
And I haven't seen my girl
for fifteen thousand miles

But is it true
It's always happy hour here
and if it is I'd
like to stay a while
Well as cliche as it may sound
I'd like to raise another round
And if your bottle's empty
Help yourself to mine
Thank you for your time
And here's to life

Barkeep
We need to go around again
One for me and what's his name
My new best friend
Deal me in and I'll
pick my cards up off the floor
I'll see a lucky coin
And raise a pack of lies

Smile to the girl at the door
Another 4 dollar whore
But don't look her in the eyes
She'll break your heart

We came all the way
From Taipei today
Still Bangkok's pissin' rain
and we're going blind again
And I haven't seen my girl
in fifteen thousand miles

Well is it true
It's always happy hour here
And if it is I'd
like to stay a while
Well as cliche as it may sound
I'd like to raise another round
And if your bottle's empty
Help yourself to mine
Thank you for your time
And here's to life

Well is it true
It's always happy hour here
And if it is I'd
like to stay a while
Well as cliche as it may sound
I'd like to raise another round
And if your bottle's empty
Help yourself to mine
Thank you for your time

Well as cliche as it may sound
I'd like to raise another round
And if your bottle's empty
Help yourself to mine
Thank you for your time

And here's to life
Here's to life
Here's to life
Here's to life
Again