Rex's Blues / Ft. Worth Blues
Steve Earle Lyrics

Ride the blue wind high and free
Embrace the freedom and exhilaration that comes with taking risks and venturing into the unknown

She'll lead you down through misery
Despite the initial excitement, this journey may also bring hardship and pain

Leave you low, come time to go
When it's time to move on, you may be left feeling empty and desolate

Alone and low as low can be
In this state of loneliness and despair, you can't sink any lower

If I had a nickel I'd find a game
Even a small amount of money would be enough to seek out fun and entertainment

If I won a dollar I'd make it rain
With a small victory, you would celebrate extravagantly and shower others with generosity

If it rained an ocean I'd drink it dry
Given an abundance of resources, you would consume everything without feeling satisfied

And lay me down dissatisfied
No matter how much you have, you still feel unsatisfied and unfulfilled

Legs to walk and thoughts to fly
Having the ability to explore physically and mentally

Eyes to laugh and lips to cry
Experiencing both joy and sorrow, expressing emotions with laughter and tears

A restless tongue to classify
A constant desire to label and categorize things, seeking to understand and make sense of the world

All born to grow and grown to die
We all enter this world to grow and evolve, but ultimately we are destined to die

So tell my baby I said so long
Inform my loved one that I am saying goodbye

Tell my mother I did no wrong
Assure my mother that I have not done anything morally or ethically questionable

Tell my brother to watch his own
Advise my brother to take care of his own affairs

And tell my friends to mourn me none
Instruct my friends not to grieve over my departure

I'm chained upon the face of time
Feeling trapped and constrained by the passage of time

Feelin' full of foolish rhyme
Overwhelmed with nonsensical thoughts and emotions

There ain't no dark till something shines
There can be no light without darkness to contrast it

I'm bound to leave this dark behind
Determined to escape and move away from this state of darkness

In Ft. Worth all the neon's burnin' bright
The vibrant city of Ft. Worth, with its lively and colorful atmosphere

Pretty lights red and blue
The beautiful illumination of red and blue lights in the city

But they'd shut down all the honky tonks tonight
However, the authorities would close all the dive bars and clubs for the night

And say a prayer or two
Taking a moment to find solace and seek guidance from a higher power

If they only knew
If the people of Ft. Worth only knew

You used to say the highway was your home
In the past, you claimed that traveling and being on the road felt like home to you

But we both know that ain't true
However, deep down, we both understand that it was never really true

It's just the only place a man can go
The highway provides a sense of escape and freedom when a man doesn't know where else to turn

When he don't know where he's travelin' to
When he lacks clarity and direction in his journey

But Colorado's always clean and healin'
Colorado offers a sense of purity and rejuvenation

And Tennessee in Spring is green and cool
During the spring season, Tennessee becomes a refreshing and vibrant place

It never really was your kind of town
Ft. Worth never truly matched your preferences and personality

But you went around with the Ft. Worth Blues
Despite that, you found yourself connected to the sadness and melancholy of the city

Somewhere up beyond the great divide
In a place far beyond a significant separation or difference

Where the sky is wide and the clouds are few
A serene and spacious location with few barriers

A man can see his way clear to the light
A person can perceive a clear path towards enlightenment and positivity

Just hold on tight
Stay determined and steadfast

That's all you gotta do
That's the only requirement for finding your way to a better place

And they say Texas weather's always changin'
There is a common belief that the weather in Texas is constantly fluctuating

And one thing change'll bring is somethin' new
Change has the potential to introduce new and unforeseen experiences and possibilities

And Houston really ain't that bad a town
Contrary to popular opinion, Houston is not such a terrible place

So you hang around with the Ft. Worth Blues
Despite the allure of other places, you continue to stay connected to the sadness and sorrow of Ft. Worth

There's a full moon over Galway Bay tonight
On this particular night, Galway Bay is illuminated by a radiant full moon

Silver light over green and blue
The moonlight casts a silvery glow over the green and blue landscapes

And every place I travel through, I find
Wherever I go, I come across

Some kinda sign that you've been through
Evidence or indications suggesting that you have previously been present or experienced

But Amsterdam was always good for grieving
Amsterdam has always been a place where one can process and mourn

And London never fails to leave me blue
London consistently evokes feelings of sadness and melancholy in me

Paris never was my kinda town
Paris never truly appealed to my personal preferences

So I walked around with the Ft. Worth Blues
Instead, I carried the weight of sadness and melancholy associated with Ft. Worth