(engine starts)
(piano plays)
* In the morning, when I wake up *
* and listen to the sound
* of the birds outside on the roof *
* I try to ignore what the paper says *
* And I try not to read all the news *
* And I'll hold you if you had a bad dream *
* And I hope it never comes true *
* 'Cause you and I been through so many things together *
* And the sun starts climbing the roof *
* It's a dream
* Only a dream
* and it's fading now
* Fading away
* Only a dream
* Just a memory without any... *
You come here to make a record,
and you've got great musicians,
you know, and I always gather
my own friends around that I pick, you know, to play.
I don't really go for
the studio musician guys that much, you know.
I don't come in and say,
"Get me this and get me that."
But I have my own band
and I like to play on the road
with the same band I use in the studio.
I've been working with Neil for 35...
since '70,
and we cut harvest here in Nashville.
He was doing The Johnny Cash Show
and, uh, he showed up at that studio,
Quadraphonic, down on Grand Avenue, I think,
and, um, he wanted to, uh,
do some music that he had written recently.
And this was in the seventies.
And, uh, he stopped-- one of the engineers
stopped a bass player who was walking down the street
and said, "You wanna come in
and do some, some music with Neil Young?"
And he said, "Sure." so he came in.
It was Tim Drummon was the bass player's name.
And they asked him if Neil wanted a steel guitar player.
And I lived about two blocks down the street,
and, uh, so he called me up and I came down.
And they were already recording at the time
and, uh, I set up my steel and kinda snuck in there
and, uh, started playing and we did 5 songs
before we ever stopped and introduced ourselves.
My family used to drive up
from, from Birmingham, Alabama area,
and we would go, uh, try to make it up
at least once a month and a lot of times
we made it up twice a month
to, uh, come to the Ryman to see the Grand Ole Opry
and to have breakfast with the stars,
as they said down on Broadway back then.
There was a little... a little radio show
that people that was gonna go down to the Ryman that night
could go down and eat breakfast with all the people
that... that were sober enough the next morning
to... to have breakfast.
I performed at the Ryman one time
with my songwriting friend, Dan Penn,
and we were invited to play with, um,
they called it "The Legendary Songwriters Series"
or something, and that was a lot of fun, you know.
And that place
has great acoustics, I think, you know.
It's just, you can crank it out
without trying too hard.
A lot of, you know, the volume
carries real well there, seemed like.
The Ryman auditorium is... there's such a vibe in there
it's--there's a sound in there
that is unlike any other place,
and, uh, that's really nice
because, uh, some places you come in,
and they sound like a big tin can
and, uh, there's something about it.
Obviously, there's a lot of stories in this building,
and I'm sure glad they didn't tear it down.
They were apparently going to tear it down.
But now they're building a high-rise on the side
where those beautiful stained glass windows are.
It's going to block out the light.
And I don't know how anybody could...
that... that should be illegal, you know.
Like the artistic police or the aesthetic police should...
If there was such a thing, should come and arrest them.
Well, this last project, I mean,
He made a statement to me and I didn't believe it.
He said, um, "It's been two years
since I, um, wrote for something," right?
And we got to the hotel around his old buddies again,
we couldn't get him from writing.
Couldn't stop him from writing.
That's just how it comes.
I had no idea that it was--
But there was a little... there was a little...
To be honest, there was a little bit of...
Kind of we just picked up on a little bit of,
like, something's going on.
We don't know what's going on exactly.
When he made this record,
It was right after he found out he had the aneurysm,
and I think of it as like,
his life flashing before his eyes
and just remembering all these things
and wanting to say these things.
'Cause, you know, we didn't really know
what was going to happen.
He said, "I got... I got this brain aneurysm."
And, I mean, the world stopped to me.
It was just like, "You what?"
He was like, "Yeah, I got this brain aneurysm,
"and I'm gonna go to New York next Tuesday
and they're gonna, you know, they're gonna do this thing."
He goes, "And it's really wild what they're gonna do."
And I said, "What are they going to do?"
And he said, "Well, they're gonna go in there
"and they're gonna... they're gonna put
"these little bitty springs in there,
"and they're biodegradable.
"And what that does is that makes the body
produce this scar tissue, which then negates the aneurysm."
And I'm sitting there going, "What?" you know?
"And why are you sitting here right now?
How is that?" you know?
"How can it be that you're going there next Tuesday
and we're sitting here recording?"
I'm just going, what the--
* That prairie wind blowing through my head *
We don't use a tenor saxophone.
We use two baritone parts instead
so that the part of the tenor has a lot of bite to it.
* Tryin' to remember what daddy said *
D-45.
Heart of gold written and recorded.
Old man.
Check 1, 2. You wanna come out?
Check 1, 2.
Check 1,2.
All right. Just keep this with you all night.
Every time you come outside, you need it to get back in.
Thanks.
I just wanna play well, and I wanna, you know,
share the stage with my friends.
Give the best I can.
We're gonna get in there
And let the muse have us.
Take a shot.
Send it out.
(audience applauds)
Good evening, ladies and gentlemen,
and welcome to the Ryman
and the world premiere of Neil Young's Prairie Wind.
(cheers and applause)
(music begins)
* The painter stood
* before her work
* She looked around everywhere *
* She saw the pictures and she painted them *
* Pickin' colors from the air
* Green to green
* Red to red
* Yellow to yellow in the light *
* Black to black when the evening comes *
* Blue to blue through the night *
* It's a long road
* behind me
* It's a long road
* ahead
* If you follow every dream
* you might get lost
* If you follow every dream
* you might get lost
* She towed the line
* She held her end up
* She did the work of two men
* But in the end she fell down *
* Before she got up again
* I have my friends eternally *
* We leave our tracks in the sound *
* Some of them are with me now *
* Some of them can't be found
* It's a long road
* behind me
* And I miss you now
* If you follow every dream
* you might get lost
* If you follow every dream
* you might get lost
* Green to green
* Red to red
* Yellow to yellow in the light *
* Black to black when the evening comes *
* Blue to blue through the night *
* See the bluebird fly
* easy as a dream
* Dipping and bobbing in the sun *
* Could she be the one
* I saw so long ago?
* Could she be the one to take me home? *
* This pasture is green
* I'm walking in the sun
* It's turning brown, I'm standing in the rain *
* My overcoat is worn, the pockets are all torn *
* I'm moving away from the pain *
* Tick-tock
* The clock on the wall
* No wonder we're losing time *
* Ring, ring
* The old church bell
* The bride and her love
* Seeking guidance from above
* Amber waves of grain
* Bow in the prairie wind
* I'm hearing Willie singing on the radio again *
* That song from 9/11 keeps ringing in my head *
* I'll always remember something Chris Rock said *
* Don't send no more candles
* no matter what you do
* Then Willie stopped singing
* and the prairie wind blew
* The green kept rolling on for miles and miles *
* Fields of fuel rolling on for miles *
* Tick-tock
* The clock on the wall
* no wonder we're losing time
* Toll, toll
* The fallen soldier bell
* The old church on the hill
* Still standing when so many fell *
* Back when I was young
* The birds blocked out the sun *
* Before the great migration south *
* We only shot a few
* They last the winter through *
* Mother cooked them good and served 'em up *
* Somewhere a senator sits in a leather chair *
* Behind a big wooden desk
* The caribou we killed mean nothing to him *
* He took his money just like all the rest *
* Tick-tock
* the clock on the wall
* No wonder we're losing time
* Ring, ring
* Ring the wedding bells
* The bride takes the ring
* and the happy people sing
* I just want to thank you
* For all the things you've done *
* I been thinking about you
* I just want to send my love
* I send my best to you
* That's my message of love
* For all the things you did
* I can never thank you enough
* Feel like I'm falling
* Falling off the face of the earth *
* Falling
* Falling off the face of the earth *
* Oh, oh, oh, oh
* I just want to tell you
* you sure mean a lot to me
* It may sound simple
* but you are the world to me
* It's such a precious thing
* the time we shared together
* I must apologize
* for the trouble times
* Feel like I'm falling
* Falling off the face of the earth *
* Falling
* Falling off the face of the earth *
* Oh, oh, oh, oh
* Feel like I'm falling
* Falling off the face of the earth *
* Falling
* Falling off the face of the earth *
* Falling
* Falling off the face of the earth *
* Feel like I'm falling
* Falling off the face of the earth *
* Falling
This is a song here, uh...
when I first started playing guitar,
I was a chicken farmer at the time.
I was about 7 or 8 years old or something.
Maybe a little older than that.
But, uh, my daddy brought me
an Arthur Godfrey ukulele,
a little plastic one.
And I didn't know what to do with it or anything.
He said, "You might need this."
And then he sang me a song...
which I never heard him sing before.
Then he got this funny grin on his face
and was looking at me,
and I was watching him...
and I had to go feed the chickens.
(audience laughs)
1, 2, 3...
* When I was a growing boy
* rocking on my daddy's knee
* Daddy took an old guitar and sang *
* Bury me on the lone prairie
* Uncle Bob sat at the piano
* My girl cousins sang harmony
* Those were the good old family times *
* that left a big mark on me
* Bury me out on the prairie
* where the buffalo used to roam *
* Where the Canada geese once filled the sky *
* And then I won't be far from home *
* Yeah, bury me out on the prairie *
* where the buffalo used to roam *
* You won't have to shed a tear for me *
* 'Cause then I won't be far from home *
* Out on the trans-Canada highway *
* I was talking to a firefly
* Trying to make my way to Nashville, Tennessee *
* When another car passed me by *
* Someday I'm gonna make big money *
* and buy myself a big old car
* Make my way on down to the promised land *
* And then I'm gonna Really go far *
* bury me out on the prairie
* where the buffalo Used to roam *
* where the canada geese Once filled the sky *
* and then I won't be Far from home *
* just bury me out on The prairie *
* where the buffalo Used to roam *
* you won't have to shed A tear for me *
* 'cause then I won't be Far from home *
You know, I look around Nashville today,
There's a lot more cars.
There's a lot more New buildings.
I often wonder what hank Williams would've thought
If he stepped out Of that stage door
On his way to tootsie's And looked up
And saw the Gaylord Entertainment Center
sitting there.
(audience laughs)
(chuckles)
So things have changed,
But, uh, the spirit's still here
and that's, that's a beautiful thing.
(audience applauds)
* In the morning when I wake up and listen to the sound *
* of the birds outside on the roof *
* I try to ignore what the paper says *
* And I try not to read all the news *
* And I'll hold you if you've had a bad dream *
* And I hope that it never comes true *
* 'Cause you and I been through so many things together *
* And the sun starts climbing the roof *
* It's a dream
* It's only a dream
* Just a memory
* fading away
* It's only a dream
* Just a memory
* without anywhere
* to stay
* Red river still flows through my home town *
* Rollin' and tumblin' on its way *
* Swirling around the old bridge pylons *
* where a boy fishes the morning away *
* A bicycle leans on an oak tree *
* While the cars rumble over his head *
* An airplane leaves a trail in an empty blue sky *
* And the young birds call out to be fed *
* It's a dream
* It's only a dream
* and it's fading now
* Fading away
* It's only a dream
* Just a memory
* without anywhere
* to stay
* An old man walks along on the sidewalk *
* With sunglasses and an old stetson hat *
* The fall winds blow the back of his overcoat away *
* As he stops with the policeman to chat *
* And a train rolls out of the station *
* That was really somethin' in its day *
* Picking up speed on the straight prairie rails *
* As it carries its passengers away *
* It's gone
* It's only a dream
* and it's fading now
* Fading away
* It's only a dream
* Just a memory
* without anywhere
* to stay
* It's a dream
* It's only a dream
* And it's fading now
* Fading away
* It's only a dream
* Just a memory
* without anywhere
* to stay
* It's a dream
* It's only a dream
* and it's fading now
* Fading away
Thank you, Nashville.
(chuckles)
It sure is great
to be here tonight with all of you.
(cheers and applause)
You know, it's getting to be about that time,
some of us are starting to lose our parents and stuff.
My daddy passed away a couple of months ago,
and, uh...
In the last part of his life he had, uh, dementia.
And that's, uh...
I know some of you know what that's like,
and, uh...
And it's, uh, it's something else to see your loved ones
living in the moment.
But, uh...
When he passed, we had a nice service for him.
And my little cousin, or niece,
she was about this high and she came up and said,
"Daddy was ok.
He knew what was going on."
Once a police car pulled up behind him.
Right behind him there was this police car.
He said, "Cop."
So I know he was ok.
(audience laughs)
* Trying to remember what my daddy said *
* Before too much time took away his head *
* He said we're gonna go back
* and I'll show you what I'm talking about *
* Back to Cypress river, back to the old farmhouse *
* Prairie wind blowing through my head *
* Trying to remember what daddy said *
* Prairie wind blowing through my head *
* Well, I tried to tell the people *
* But they never heard a word I said *
* They say there's nothing out there *
* but wheat fields anyway
* Just a farmer's wife
* hanging laundry in her back yard *
* Out on the prairie
* where the wind blows long and hard *
* Prairie wind blowing through my head *
* Trying to remember what daddy said *
* Prairie wind blowing through my head *
* Late at night
* Lights dancing in the northern sky *
* Just the Indian spirit
* trying to show me how to fly *
* You can see into the future but it may be a mirage *
* Like a new car sitting there in your old garage *
* Prairie wind blowing through my head *
* There's a place on the prairie where evil and goodness play *
* Daddy told me all about it
* but I don't remember what he said *
* Well, it may be afternoon
* And it may be the dead of night *
* But you'll know when you see it *
* 'Cause it sure is a hell of a sight *
* Prairie wind blowing through my head *
* Trying to remember what my daddy said *
* Prairie wind blowing through my head *
* Before too much time took away his head *
* Prairie wind blowing through my head *
* He said we're gonna go back
* And I'll show you what I'm talking about *
* Prairie wind blowing through my head *
* Going back to Cypress river, back to the old farmhouse *
* Prairie wind blowing through my head *
Thank you.
You know, I got a beautiful young girl.
She's, uh, just turned 21.
She's going back for her last year of college pretty soon.
She'd probably be embarrassed if I said anything more about her.
You know how that is.
Can't say much.
Anyway, there was a time
I used to write these kind of songs
for girls my own age.
Pegi: You still got a few left in you.
Neil: Yeah, I got a few left in me.
(audience laughs)
So this is what you might call
a kind of an empty nester song.
It's a new genre.
They might even have a new kind of radio station for 'em.
* When your summer days come tumbling down *
* And you find yourself alone
* Then you can come back
* and be with me
* Just close your eyes and I'll be there *
* Listen to the sound
* of this old heart
* Beating for you
* Yes, I miss you
* But I never wanted to hold you down *
* You might say
* I'm here for you
* When the winter comes to your new home *
* And snowflakes are falling down *
* Then you can come back
* and be with me
* Just close your eyes and I'll be there *
* Listen to the sound
* of this old heart
* Beating for you
* Yes, I miss you
* But I never want to hold you down *
* You might say
* I'm here for you
* In the spring
* protective arms surrounded you *
* In the fall, we let you go your way *
* Happiness
* I know will always find you
* And when it does
* I hope that it will stay
* Yes, I miss you
* But I never want to hold you down *
* You might say
* I'm here for you
* Yes, I miss you
* But I never want to hold you down *
* You might say
* I'm here for you
* I'll always be
* Here for you
Thank you.
You know, uh...
one of my favorite guitars in the world
is, uh, is Willie Nelson's guitar
and the way it looks.
And, uh, this guitar here,
my friend Grant, Grant Boatwright,
found this guitar for me about 30 years ago
and I bought it from Tuck Taylor.
And, uh...
this is Hank's old guitar.
(audience applauds)
He was here in 1951, I think,
and, uh, that was Hank's last show here.
Maybe. I think it was.
Maybe he got back.
He got fired, I know that.
But maybe he came back one more time.
I'm not sure, but I don't think so.
So I'm glad to see it back here
and I'm glad...
(audience applauds)
Anyway, here's a tune for you.
* This old guitar ain't mine to keep *
* I'm taking care of it now
* It's been around for years and years *
* Just waiting in its old case *
* It's been up and down the country roads *
* It's brought a tear and a smile *
* It's had its share of dreams and hopes *
* And never went out of style
* The more I play it, the better it sounds *
* It cries when I leave it alone *
* Silently it waits for me
* or someone else, I suppose *
* This old guitar
has caught some breaks *
* but it never searched for gold *
* It can't be blamed for my mistakes *
* It only does what it's told
* It's been a messenger in times of trouble *
* In times of hope and fear
* When I get drunk and seeing double *
* It jumps behind the wheel and steers *
* This old guitar ain't mine to keep *
* It's mine to play for a while *
* This old guitar ain't mine to keep *
* It's only mine for a while
* This old guitar
* Was he thinkin' about my country *
* or the color of my skin?
* Was he thinkin' 'bout my religion *
* and the way I worshipped him? *
* Did he create just me in his image *
* Or every living thing?
* When God made me
* Was he planning only for believers *
* or for those who just have faith? *
* Did he envision all the wars
* that were fought in his name? *
* Did he think there was only one way *
* to be close to him?
* When God made me
* Did he give us the gift of love *
* to say who we could choose? *
* When God made me
* Did he give me the gift of voice *
* so some could silence me?
* Did he give me the gift of vision *
* not knowing what I might see? *
* Did he give us the gift of compassion *
* to help our fellow man?
* When God made me
* I am a child
* I last a while
* You can't conceive of the pleasure in my smile *
* You hold my hand
* Rough up my hair
* It's lots of fun to have you there *
* I gave to you
* Now you give to me
* I'd like to know what you've learned *
* The sky is blue
* and so is the sea
* What is the color when black is burned? *
* What is the color?
* You are a man
* You understand
* You pick me up, then you lay me down again *
* You make the rules
* You say what's fair
* It's lots of fun to have you there *
* I gave to you
* Now you give to me
* I'd like to know what you've learned *
* The sky is blue
* and so is the sea
* What is the color ahen black is burned? *
* What is the color?
* Come a little bit closer
* Hear what I have to say
* Just like children sleeping
* We could dream this night away *
* But there's a full moon rising *
* Let's go dancing in the light *
* We know where the music's playing *
* Let's go out and feel the night *
* Because I'm still in love with you *
* I want to see you dance again *
* Because I'm still in love with you *
* On this harvest moon
* When we were strangers
* I watched you from afar
* When we were lovers
* I loved you with all my heart *
* But now it's getting late
* And the moon is climbing high *
* I want to celebrate
* See it shining in your eye *
* Because I'm still in love with you *
* I want to see you dance again *
* Because I'm still in love with you *
* On this harvest moon
* Because I'm still in love with you *
* I want to see you dance again *
* Because I'm still in love with you *
* On this harvest moon
* Harvest moon
* I want to live
* I want to give
* I've been a miner for a heart of gold *
* It's these expressions
* I never give
* That keep me searching for a heart of gold *
* And I'm getting old
* Keeping me searching for a heart of gold *
* And I'm getting old
* I've been to Hollywood
* I went to Redwood
* I crossed the ocean for a heart of gold *
* I've been in my mind
* It's such a fine line
* That keeps me searching for a heart of gold *
* And I'm getting old
* Keeps me searching for a heart of gold *
* And I'm getting old
* Keep me searching for a heart of gold *
* Keep me searching, I'm growing old *
* Keep me searching for a heart of gold *
* I've been a miner for a heart of gold *
* Oh
Thank you.
About that time when I wrote that song
and I was touring, I had also, uh,
just, you know, being a rich hippie for the first time,
I had purchased a ranch,
and, uh...
and I still live there today.
And, uh, there was a couple living on it
that were the caretakers
and an old gentleman named Luis Avila and his wife Clara.
And there was this old blue jeep there
and, uh, Luis took me for a, uh,
took me for a ride in this blue jeep
and he, he gets me up there on the topside of the place
and there was this lake up there that fed all the pastures
and he says, "Well, tell me,
"how does a young man like yourself
have enough money to buy a place like this?"
And I said, "Well, I'm just lucky, Louie.
Just real lucky."
And he said, "Well, that's the darnedest thing I ever heard."
Then I wrote this song for him.
* Old man, look at my life *
* I'm a lot like you were
* Old man, look at my life *
* I'm a lot like you were
* Old man, look at my life *
* 24 and there's so much more
* Live alone in a paradise
* That makes me think of two
* Love lost, such a cost
* Give me things that don't get lost *
* Like a coin that won't get tossed *
* Rolling home to you
* Old man, take a look at my life *
* I'm a lot like you
* I need someone to love me
* The whole day through
* Oh, one look in my eyes
* And you can tell that's true
* Lullabies, look in your eyes *
* Run around in the same old town *
* Doesn't mean that much to me *
* To mean that much to you
* I've been first and last
* Look at how the time goes past *
* But I'm all alone at last
* Rolling home to you
* Old man, take a look at my life *
* I'm a lot like you
* I need someone to love me
* The whole day through
* Oh, one look in my eyes
* And you can tell that's true *
* Old man, look at my life *
* I'm a lot like you were
* Old man, look at my life *
* I'm a lot like you were
* I caught you knocking at my cellar door *
* I love you, baby, can I have some more? *
* Oh, the damage done
* I hit the city and I lost my band *
* I watched the needle take another man *
* Gone, gone
* The damage done
* I sing the song because I loved the man *
* I know that some of you don't understand *
* Milk blood to keep from running out *
* I've seen the needle and the damage done *
* A little part of it in everyone *
* But every junkie's like a setting sun *
* King went a-running after deer *
* Wasn't scared of jumpin' off the truck in high gear *
* King went a-sniffin' and he would go *
* Was the best old hound dog I ever did know *
* I had a dog, and his name was King *
* I told the dog about everything *
* There in my truck, the dog and I *
* Then one day the King up and died *
* Then I thought about the times we had *
* Once when I kicked him when he was bad *
* Old King sure meant a lot to me *
* But that hound dog is history *
* King went a-howlin' after deer *
* Wasn't scared of jumpin' off the truck in high gear *
* King went a sniffin' and he would go *
* Was the best old hound dog I ever did know *
(Neil sniffing)
(howls)
* That old King was a friend of mine *
* Never knew a dog that was half as fine *
* I may find one, you never do know *
* 'Cause I still got a long way to go *
* I had a dog and his name was King *
* I told the dog about everything *
* Old King sure meant a lot to me *
* But that hound dog is history *
* King went a howlin' after deer *
* Wasn't scared of jumpin off the truck in high gear *
* King went a-sniffin' and he would go *
* Was the best old hound dog I ever did know *
Is there a guitar player in the house?
This song here, uh,
I recorded here in Nashville,
and Nicolette Larson sang the song with me,
so we'd like to do this one for her.
* Comes a time
* When you're driftin'
* Comes a time
* When you settle down
* Comes a light
* Feeling's liftin'
* Lift that baby right up off the ground *
* Oh
* This old world keeps spinning round *
* It's a wonder tall trees ain't layin' down *
* There comes a time
* You and I
* We were captured
* We took our souls
* And we flew away
* We were right
* We were giving
* That's how we kept what we gave away *
* Oh
* This old world keeps spinnin' round *
* It's a wonder tall trees ain't layin' down *
* There comes a time
* Oh
* This old world keeps spinnin' round *
* It's a wonder tall trees ain't layin' down *
* There comes a time
* Comes a time
Thank you.
This song here was written by Ian Tyson,
who's a Canadian.
He's living out in Calgary on his ranch right now.
But when I was just a kid, 16 years or 17 years old,
I went to this place near Winnipeg where I grew up,
and it's called Falcon Lake.
And it's just one of those first times
when you really got away from home and were on your own.
I was just kind of feeling it for the first time.
And there was this little kind of a restaurant place
with a jukebox in it that was there
and, uh, I used to go there.
And I think I spent all my money playing this next song
over and over again.
It was the most beautiful record that I've ever heard in my life
and I just could not get enough of it.
And so, uh, I don't have the record with me here,
but I'm going to sing it with my friends
and we'll see what we can do.
* Think I'll go out to Alberta *
* Weather's good there in the fall *
* I got some friends that I could go to working for *
* Still I wish you'd change your mind *
* If I ask you one more time
* But we've been through that a hundred times or more *
* Four strong winds that blow lonely *
* Seven seas that run high
* All those things that don't change come what may *
* If the good times are all gone *
* Then I'm bound for moving on *
* I'll look for you if I'm ever back this way *
* If I get there before the snow flies *
* And if things are looking good *
* You could meet me if I send you down the fare *
* But by then it would be winter *
* Not too much for you to do
* And those winds sure can blow cold way out there *
* Four strong winds that blow lonely *
* Seven seas that run high
* All those things that don't change come what may *
* If the good times are all gone *
* Then I'm bound for moving on *
* I'll look for you if I'm ever back this way *
* Still I wish you'd change your mind *
* If I ask you one more time
* But we've been through that a hundred times or more *
* Four strong winds that blow lonely *
* Seven seas that run high
* All those things that don't change come what may *
* If the good times are all gone *
* Then I'm bound for moving on *
* I'll look for you if I'm ever back this way *
* One of these days
* I'm going to sit down and write a long letter *
* To all the good friends I've known *
* And I'm going to try
* To thank them all for the good times together *
* Though so apart we've grown
* One of these days
* I'm going to sit down and write a long letter *
* To all the good friends I've known *
* One of these days
* And it won't be long
* won't be long
* It won't be long
* won't be long
* And I'm gonna thank
* That old country fiddler
* And all those rough boys
* Who played that rock and roll *
* But I never tried
* to burn any bridges
* But I know I let some good things go *
* One of these days
* I'm going to sit down and write a long letter *
* To all the good friends I've known *
* One of these days
* And it won't be long
* won't be long
* It won't be long
* Won't be long
* From down in L.A.
* All the way to Nashville
* New York city
* To my Canadian prairie home
* My friends are scattered
* Like leaves from an old maple *
* Some are weak
* Some are strong
* One of these days
* I'm going to sit down and write a long letter *
* To all the good friends I've known *
* One of these days
* And it won't be long
* won't be long
* It won't be long
* Won't be long
* One of these days
* And it won't be long
* Won't be long
* It won't be long
* Won't be long
* One of these days
* And it won't be long
* Won't be long
* It won't be long
* Won't be long
* Don't call pretty Peggy
* She can't hear you no more
* Don't leave no message
* Round her back door
* They say the old laughing lady *
* Been here before
* She don't keep time
* She don't count score
* Well, you can't have a cupboard *
* If there ain't no wall
* You've got to move
* There's no time for you to stall *
* They say the old laughing lady *
* Dropped by to call
* And when she leaves
* She leaves nothing at all
* See the drunkard of the village *
* Falling on the street
* Can't tell his ankles
* From the rest of his feet
* He loves his old laughing lady *
* 'Cause her taste is so sweet
* But the laughing lady's loving *
* Ain't the kind he can keep
* There's a fever on the freeway *
* Blacks out the night
* There's a slipping on the stairway *
* Just don't feel right
* And there's a rumbling in the bedroom *
* And a flashing of light
* There's the old laughing lady *
* Everything is all right
* There's the old laughing lady *
* Everything is all right
* There's the old laughing lady *