Blues In More Than 12 Bars-Ralph McTell

[ti:Blues In More Than 12 Bars] [ar:Ralph McTell] [al:My Side Of Your Window] [by:] [offset:0] [00:00.00]Blues In More Than 12 Bars - Ralph McTell [00:13.80]Billy ran away from home when he was 17 years of age [00:17.86]Folks swore that he'd land in trouble [00:20.11]Just as near as they could gauge [00:22.23]Because he was a reckless kid and everything he did [00:26.53]Was talked about and noticed [00:28.66]By the folks that lived around him [00:31.08]They swore that billy was much too wild [00:33.43]Ma said no he's just a child [00:35.27]There ain't nothing wrong with Billy that life won't tame [00:38.66] [00:39.79]Then Billy hit the new town [00:41.76]With a few coins in his pocket [00:43.96] [00:44.47]Thought about his past but he pretty soon forgot it [00:48.45]And he walked into a bar some fella bought him a drink [00:52.82]And he commenced the drinking until he could hardly think [00:57.18]Some guy said Kid you've had enough [00:59.57]It takes a man to drink that stuff [01:01.64]And Billy swung around and he laid one on him [01:04.82] [01:05.97]Now the next day in the courthouse poor Billy felt so ashamed [01:10.36]He hung his head down low [01:12.28]When the judge called out his name [01:14.70]For fighting in a bar which was a public place [01:18.86]He gave Billy a three month sentence [01:20.97]And poor Billy hid his face [01:23.33]The judge said lock that boy away [01:25.58]Give him three months to repay [01:27.63]His debt to society for lack of sobriety [01:32.33]Billy then wrote a letter saying [01:34.56]Mama get me out of here [01:36.15] [01:36.70]Time rolls by so slow each day seems like a year [01:40.51]But his mama never got the letter [01:42.37] [01:42.89]'Cos his daddy he read it first [01:44.88]And he figured that Billy should serve his time [01:47.32]And that would be the best [01:49.44]Now Billy served his time learning a life of crime [01:53.74]And thinking even his mama had let him down [01:57.83] [02:23.81]Now Billy got bad habits drinking liquor that he could not take [02:28.16]Was in and out of trouble [02:29.99]Chasing women that he could not make [02:32.28]And he was robbing houses stealing cars [02:34.86]Feeling the blues in more than 12 bars [02:37.11]Wasn't long before he was in the courthouse again [02:41.03]And this time when they made him free [02:43.38]He vowed that he would never be [02:45.78]In court or get caught by no one again [02:49.78]So when Billy then pulled a job [02:51.79]Well he'd up and leave the town [02:54.16]And he robbed around the country [02:56.15]Till he had enough to settle down [02:58.52]And Billy used his head took a wife into his bed [03:02.74]And he employed some other guys to his dirty work instead [03:07.12]And Billy played it cool and his kids did well at school [03:11.36]And his life of sobriety was respected by society [03:15.83] [03:41.30]At the parties at his place all the rich folks came around [03:45.50] [03:46.06]Wasn't long before Billy was the mayor of the town [03:49.70] [03:50.38]Bankers put up the money and there wasn't any fight [03:54.20]And it wasn't too long [03:55.48]Before Billy had got the town sown up real tight [03:58.34] [03:58.87]While the money backing him [04:00.79]And the rich friends at his side [04:02.96]The next step to state governor [04:05.04]Was as easy as a fairground ride [04:07.32]And Billy then left his home [04:08.93]When he was fifty six years of age [04:11.36] [04:11.87]To become the President of the United States [04:15.93]And if you think that is stretching it a little too far [04:19.51] [04:20.04]Just think of this as having been a blues [04:22.82]In more than twelve bars