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blues in more than 12 bars - ralph mctell lyrics

billy ran away from home when he was 17 years of age
folks swore that he’d land in trouble just as near as they could gauge
’cause he was a reckless kid, and everything he did
was talked about and noticed by the folks that lived around him
they swore that billy was much too wild
ma said, “no, he’s just a child
there ain’t nothing wrong with billy
that life won’t tame.”

then billy hit the new town with a few coins in his pocket
thought about his past, but he pretty soon forgot it
and he walked into a bar, some fella bought him a drink
and he commenced the drinking until he could hardly think
some guy said “kid, you’ve had enough
it takes a man to drink that stuff!”
and billy swung around and he laid one on him

now the next day in the courthouse, poor billy felt so ashamed
he hung his head down low when the judge called out his name
for fighting in a bar, which was a public place
he gave billy a three month sentence, and poor billy hid his face
the judge said “lock that boy away, give him three months to repay
his debt to society for lack of sobriety.”

billy then wrote a letter saying, “mama get me out of here!
time rolls by so slow, each day seems like a year.”
but his mama never got the letter, ’cause his daddy he read it first
and he figured that billy should serve his time, and that would be the best
now billy served his time, learning a life of crime
and thinking even his mama had let him down
now billy got bad habits, drinking liquor that he could not take
was in and out of trouble, chasing women that he could not make
and he was robbing houses, stealing cars, feeling the blues in more than twelve bars
wasn’t long before he was in the courthouse again
and this time when they made him free he vowed that he would never be
in court or get caught by no one again

so when billy then pulled a job, well he’d up and leave the town
and he robbed around the country till he had enough to settle down
and billy used his head, took a wife into his bed
and he employed some other guys to do his dirty work instead
and billy played it cool, and his kids did well at school
and his life of sobriety was respected by society

at the parties at his place, all the rich folks came around
wasn’t long before billy was the mayor of the town
bankers put up the money, and there wasn’t any fight
and it wasn’t too long ‘fore billy had got the town sown up real tight
while the money backing him, and the rich friends at his side
the next step to state governor was as easy as a fairground ride

and billy then left his home when he was fifty*six years of age
to become the president of the united states
and if you think that is stretching it a little too far
just think of this as having been a blues in more than twelve bars

- ralph mctell lyrics

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