The Load Out
Jackson Browne Lyrics

Now the seats are all empty
The concert is over and the crowd has cleared out

Let the roadies take the stage
The stagehands begin their job of dismantling equipment

Pack it up and tear it down
The stage and equipment are being disassembled and loaded onto trucks

They're the first to come and last to leave
The stagehands work long hours to set up and tear down equipment for low pay

Working for that minimum wage
The stagehands are paid a low salary for their physically demanding job

They'll set it up in another town
The stagehands will repeat their job in the next city the band plays in

Tonight the people were so fine
The audience at the concert were enthusiastic and appreciative

They waited there in line
The audience members arrived early and waited in line to get into the concert

And when they got up on their feet they made the show
The audience's energy and enthusiasm contributed to the success of the concert

And that was sweet,
The success of the concert was a positive experience for the band

But I can hear the sound
Despite the success of the concert, the band knows the reality of what comes next

Of slamming doors and folding chairs
The sounds of the crew dismantling the stage equipment

And that's a sound they'll never know
The audience will never hear the sound of the crew dismantling the stage

Now roll them cases out and lift them amps
Instructions for the stagehands to load equipment onto the trucks

Haul them trusses down and get 'em up them ramps
Instructions for the stagehands to disassemble the stage and move it onto the trucks

'Cause when it comes to moving me
The band recognizes the importance of the crew's hard work in setting up and tearing down the equipment for each show

You know you guys are the champs
The band acknowledges the skill and hard work of the crew

But when that last guitar's been packed away
The band knows that even after the crew has finished, their work still isn't done

You know that I still want to play
Despite a long day of work, the band still wants to keep playing

So just make sure you got it all set to go
The band asks the crew to make sure everything is ready for the next show

Before you come for my piano
A reminder to the crew to take extra care when handling the band's instruments

But the band's on the bus
The band is getting ready to travel to their next show

And they're waiting to go
The band is eager to start the journey to the next city

We've got to drive all night and do a show in Chicago
The band has a long trip ahead of them and must play a show as soon as they arrive in Chicago

Or Detroit, I don't know
The band is uncertain which city they will be traveling to

We do so many shows in a row
The band plays many concerts back to back, without much rest in between

And these towns all look the same
The band sees so many different cities on tour that they all start to blend together

We just pass the time in our hotel rooms
The band spends most of their time on tour in hotel rooms when they're not performing

And wander 'round backstage
The band spends their time backstage when they're at the venue

Till those lights come up and we hear that crowd
The moment the lights come up and the crowd roars, the band is reminded of why they keep touring

And we remember why we came
The thrill of performing live music keeps the band motivated on tour

Now we got country and western on the bus
The band's tour bus is stocked with music from different genres

R&B, we got disco in eight tracks and cassettes in stereo
The band has a wide variety of music to listen to during their travels

We've got rural scenes and magazines
The band has reading material to occupy their time on the bus

And We've got truckers on the CB
The band can communicate with truckers on the road via a CB radio

We've got Richard Pryor on the video
The band has access to a video of a comedic performance by Richard Pryor

We got time to think of the ones we love
Despite their busy tour schedule, the band still finds time to think of their loved ones back home

While the miles roll away
The band passes the time by traveling to their next show

But the only time that seems too short
The band wishes they had more time to play their music for their fans

Is the time that we get to play
The band enjoys every moment they get to play their music for their fans

People you've got the power over what we do
The audience has the ability to support or ignore the band's music

You can sit there and wait
The audience can choose to be passive and wait for the band to entertain them

Or you can pull us through
The audience can participate in the energy and excitement of the concert, making it a better experience for everyone

Come along, sing the song
The band invites the audience to join in and sing along with their music

You know you can't go wrong
The band knows that the audience will enjoy singing along and participating in the concert

'Cause when that morning sun comes beating down
The audience will wake up the next day and go about their lives

You're going to wake up in your town
The audience will wake up in the same city they started in

But we'll be scheduled to appear
The band will have moved on to the next city on their tour

A thousand miles away from here
The band will be far away, already preparing for their next show in a completely different city