Superstar
Tom Novy Lyrics


Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴  Line by Line Meaning ↴

Earle Steve
Train A Comin
Tom Ames' Prayer
Everyone in Nacadoches knew Tom Ames
would come To some bad end
Well the sheriff had cought him stealin' chickens
and such
by the time that he was ten

And one day his daddy took a ten dollar bill
and he tucked it in his hand
He said I can fell your headed for trouble son
and vour momma wouldn't understand

So he took that money and his brothers old bay
ancl IeE without a word of thanks
Fell in with a crowd in some border town
and took to robbin' banks

Outside the law your luck will run out fast
and a few years came and went
'Till he's tropped in an alley in Abilene
with all but four shells spent

And he realized prayin' was the only thing
that he hadn't ever tried
Well he wasn't sure he knew quite how
but he looked up tothe skv

Said you don't owe me nothin' and as far as I know
Lord don'f owe nathin' to you
And I ain't askin' for a miracle Lord
just a little bit of luck will do

And you know I ain't never prayed before
but it always seemed to me
If prayin' is the same us beggin' Lord
I won't take no charity

Yeah but right now Lord witb my back to the wcll
Can't help but recall
How they nearly hung me for stealin' a horse
in Fort Smith Arkansas

Judge Parker said guilty and the gavel came down
just like a cannon shot
And I went away quietly
and I began to file and plot

Well they sent the preacher down, to my cell
He said the Lord is your only hope
He's the only friend that you gonna have
When you hit the end of Parker's rope

Well I guess be coulda' kept on preachin' 'till Christmas
but he turned his back on me
I put a home made blade to that golden throat
and asked the deputy for the key

Well it ain't the first close call I ever had
I'm sure you already know
I had some help from you Lord and the devil himself
It's been strictly touch and go

Yeah but wbo in the hell am I talkin' to
there ain't no one here but me




Then he cocked both his pistols and he spit in the dirt
and he walked out in the street

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Tom Novy's song “Superstar'' seem to be inspired by the story of Tom Ames, a notorious criminal whose exploits are well-known in Nacadoches. The song describes his life of crime and his eventual realization that praying might be his only way out of trouble. The lines "Outside the law your luck will run out fast and a few years came and went / 'Til he's trapped in an alley in Abilene with all but four shells spent" suggest that Ames' criminal activities are catching up to him, and he is running out of options.


The lyrics describe Ames' desperation and his attempt to turn to religion as a last resort to get himself out of trouble. He is aware of his past actions and is aware that he cannot ask for a miracle, but he seeks just a little bit of luck to help him get out of the predicament he is in. The line "If prayin' is the same as beggin' Lord / I won't take no charity" suggests that Ames is a proud man who does not want to appear weak by asking for help. He acknowledges that he has not prayed before but is willing to give it a try and hope that his prayers are answered.


The final lines, "Yeah but who in the hell am I talking to / There ain't no one here but me / Then he cocked both his pistols and he spit in the dirt / and he walked out in the street" imply that Ames has reached a point where his faith in higher power has run out. He does not believe that praying will save him but instead chooses to rely on his own strength and guns to face whatever comes his way.


Line by Line Meaning

Earle Steve
Introduces the main artist of the song, Tom Novy


Train A Comin
Sets the tone and mood of the song: a story of a criminal on the run


Tom Ames' Prayer
The title of the song, each line of the lyrics tells a part of Tom Ames' story


Everyone in Nacadoches knew Tom Ames
Tom Ames was a well-known individual in his hometown, even at a young age


would come To some bad end
People in the town had a feeling that Tom Ames would end up in trouble


Well the sheriff had cought him stealin' chickens
Tom Ames had been caught by law enforcement for committing petty crimes, such as stealing chickens


and such
Etcetera or other small offenses


by the time that he was ten
Tom Ames was already getting into trouble at a very young age


And one day his daddy took a ten dollar bill
Tom Ames' father gave him money, possibly as a way out of town or to start a new life


and he tucked it in his hand
The father secretly gave the money to Tom Ames


He said I can fell your headed for trouble son
Tom Ames' father felt that his son was headed for danger


and vour momma wouldn't understand
Tom Ames' father believed that his wife would not approve of this


So he took that money and his brothers old bay
Tom Ames used the money and his brother's horse to leave town


ancl IeE without a word of thanks
Tom Ames left town without thanking his father for the money


Fell in with a crowd in some border town
Tom Ames became involved with a shady group of people in a nearby border town


and took to robbin' banks
Tom Ames started to commit more serious crimes, such as bank robberies


Outside the law your luck will run out fast
Committing crimes is dangerous and has serious consequences


and a few years came and went
Time passed, and Tom Ames continued to live a criminal lifestyle


'Till he's tropped in an alley in Abilene
Tom Ames was caught by law enforcement in an alleyway in Abilene


with all but four shells spent
Tom Ames was close to running out of ammunition when he was caught


And he realized prayin' was the only thing
Tom Ames came to the realization that praying was his only option left


that he hadn't ever tried
Tom Ames had not turned to prayer for help before


Well he wasn't sure he knew quite how
Tom Ames was not sure how to pray or what to say


but he looked up tothe skv
Tom Ames looked up towards the sky, possibly seeking guidance or help from a higher power


Said you don't owe me nothin' and as far as I know
Tom Ames acknowledged that he did not deserve any help and that he had nothing to offer


Lord don'f owe nathin' to you
Tom Ames prayed to the Lord, acknowledging that he did not deserve any help


And I ain't askin' for a miracle Lord
Tom Ames humbly asked for help, but not for anything too extravagant


just a little bit of luck will do
Tom Ames was asking for a little bit of help to get him back on track


And you know I ain't never prayed before
Tom Ames was not religious and had never prayed before


but it always seemed to me
Tom Ames had always thought that prayer was similar to begging for help


If prayin' is the same us beggin' Lord
Tom Ames compared prayer to begging


I won't take no charity
Tom Ames did not want to be perceived as someone who took handouts or charity


Yeah but right now Lord witb my back to the wcll
Tom Ames was in a desperate situation with no way out


Can't help but recall
Tom Ames' thoughts were taking him back to a previous close call with the law


How they nearly hung me for stealin' a horse
Tom Ames almost got hanged for stealing a horse


in Fort Smith Arkansas
The incident happened in Fort Smith, Arkansas


Judge Parker said guilty and the gavel came down
Tom Ames was found guilty by Judge Parker, and his fate was sealed


just like a cannon shot
The sound of the gavel was loud and final, like a cannon shot


And I went away quietly
Tom Ames took his sentence quietly, without protest or resistance


and I began to file and plot
Tom Ames started to plan his escape, using tools to file away at his shackles


Well they sent the preacher down, to my cell
Authorities sent a preacher to talk to Tom Ames in his cell


He said the Lord is your only hope
The preacher tried to convince Tom that his only hope was to turn to the Lord


He's the only friend that you gonna have
The preacher tried to convince Tom that the Lord was his only friend


When you hit the end of Parker's rope
When Tom Ames had exhausted all legal options and reached the end of the line


Well I guess be coulda' kept on preachin' 'till Christmas
The preacher could have continued to talk to Tom for a long time


but he turned his back on me
The preacher gave up on Tom and turned his back on him


I put a home made blade to that golden throat
Tom Ames attacked the preacher with a homemade blade, perhaps out of frustration or anger


and asked the deputy for the key
Tom Ames asked the deputy guarding him for the key to his cell


Well it ain't the first close call I ever had
Tom Ames had been in close calls before


I'm sure you already know
Tom Ames was confident that whoever was listening to him already knew of his past experiences


I had some help from you Lord and the devil himself
Tom Ames had received help in the past from both the Lord and the devil, perhaps referring to the criminal underworld


It's been strictly touch and go
Tom Ames' criminal lifestyle had been a dangerous and unpredictable one


Yeah but wbo in the hell am I talkin' to
Tom Ames questions who he is talking to and if anyone is truly listening to his prayers


there ain't no one here but me
Tom Ames is alone in his desperation and there seems to be no answer


Then he cocked both his pistols and he spit in the dirt
Tom Ames prepares to take matters into his own hands and face his fate head-on


and he walked out in the street
Tom Ames faces his destiny and walks out into the street, ready to confront whatever is waiting for him




Writer(s): Robert Berrmann, Thomas Reichold, Robert Borrmann Copyright: Top Ranking Music Publishing Michael Rank E., Top Ranking Music Publishing Michael Rank, GEMA

Contributed by Bella E. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
To comment on or correct specific content, highlight it

Genre not found
Artist not found
Album not found
Song not found
Comments from YouTube:

@8__mario

A time when people used to dance with both hands free... Nowadays everyone is glued to their phones, without enjoying as much as we did back then!

@purelucknoskill5158

Xd

@gentz8310

....and sitting Saturday's nights in Shisha Bars 😂

@dawinfelix6123

Real for Real!! Back on good days!! 🎉

@alpinyoable

I am 46 and dancing almost three times per week and almost treee hours continuously. 10 years of latin dance in the background.

@aleksandrassaramentovas7711

One of the best tracks over the past 20 years!!!

@Admos2000

Look at their faces... no stress-makers, no wannabes, no bitches, just a bunch of young people having fun like hell. Those were the 90s.

@WickedWaiata

No mobile phones or selfies

@francesconespola7317

So true

@971xander

I was looking for this hit for 20 years!!! I'm so happy to find it :) That reminds me of my Germany summer in 1997, with Love Parade.

More Comments

More Versions