In the 1980s Russell made four albums credited to the Tom Russell Band. These featured Andrew Hardin and accordionist Fats Kaplin.
In the 1990s Russell made a number of solo albums, collaborated with blues singer Barrence Whitfield on two albums, and also recorded an acoustic album mixing original material with his favorite cowboy-themed songs. His albums include several guest appearances from other folk, country, and Americana artists, such as Chris Gaffney and Dave Alvin. His song "Outbound Plane", co-written with Nanci Griffith, became a Top Ten country hit for Suzy Bogguss. His most significant album from this period is the 1999 folk opera, The Man From God Knows Where.
His more recent albums include "Blood and Candle Smoke" (2009) and "Mesabi" (2011).
Navajo Rug
Tom Russell Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
A whiskey toast and home fries on the side
You wash it down with a truck stop coffee
That burns up your inside
It was a (something) Colorado diner
A little waitress I did love
Well we sat in the back
Beneath a old stuffed bear
And a worn our Navajo rug
Well old jack, the boss, its close at 6
And its Katie bar the door
As she pulled down that Navajo rug
And spread it on the floor
Ya I saw lightening in the sacred mountains
I saw the dance of the turtle doves
When I was lying next to Katie on that old Navajo rug
Ay, ay, ay
Katie, shades of red and blue
Ay, ay, ay Katie
Whatever became of the Navajo rug and you, Katie?
Well I saw old jack about a year ago
He said the place burned to the ground
And all he'd saved was an old bear too
And Katie she left town
Oh but Katie she got her souvenir too jack spat out tobacco blood
He said you should have seen her running through the smoke
Hauling that navajo rug
And ay, ay, ay Katie
Shades of red and blue
Ay, ay, ay Katie
Whatever became of that Navajo rug and you, Katie?
So every time I cross the sacred mountains
Lightening breaks above
It always takes me back in time to my long lost
Katie love, oh but everything keeps a moving
And every bodies on the go
Well you don't find things that last anymore
Like a double woven Navajo
Ay, ay, ay Katie
Shades of red and blue
Ay, ay, ay Katie
Whatever became of that navajo rug and you, Katie?
Ay, ay, ay Katie
Shades of red and blue
Ay, ay, ay Katie
Whatever became of that navajo rug and you, Katie?
The lyrics to Tom Russell's song "Navajo Rug" tell a beautiful story of a love affair between the singer and his sweetheart Katie in a small diner in Colorado. The song paints a vivid picture of a typical truck stop breakfast with three eggs, whiskey toast, home fries, and truck stop coffee - "that burns up your inside". The singer fondly remembers sitting in the back of the diner with Katie, beneath an old stuffed bear and a worn-out Navajo rug. Despite the simplicity of the location, the couple shares a deep connection that is evident in the way the song is sung.
The mood of the song changes in the second verse as the story takes a turn and we see the importance of the Navajo rug. As the diner closes up for the day, Katie rolls out the Navajo rug on the floor, and the singer sees lightening break out on the sacred mountains. The couple spends the night next to each other, and the singer sees "the dance of the turtle doves". However, everything is not perfect, as we see in the final verse of the song. The diner burned to the ground, and all that was saved was the old stuffed bear. Katie left town too, but not before saving the Navajo rug. The song ends with the singer wondering what happened to the Navajo rug and Katie.
Overall, "Navajo Rug" is a beautiful story about love in a simple setting that is brought to life through Tom Russell's storytelling ability. The Navajo rug is an important symbol throughout the song, representing the singer's love for Katie and the memories they shared.
Line by Line Meaning
Well, It's 3 eggs up
It is breakfast consisting of 3 eggs
A whiskey toast and home fries on the side
The meal comes with whiskey, toast and home fries
You wash it down with a truck stop coffee
After the meal, you drink a coffee from a truck stop
That burns up your inside
The coffee is very strong and hot, which makes your insides feel uncomfortable
It was a (something) Colorado diner
There was a diner located in Colorado
A little waitress I did love
The singer loved a young waitress who worked there
Well we sat in the back
The singer and the waitress sat at the back of the diner
Beneath a old stuffed bear
There was an old, stuffed bear hanging in the back of the diner
And a worn our Navajo rug
There was also a well-used Navajo rug beneath them
Well old jack, the boss, its close at 6
Jack was the owner of the diner, and it closed at six in the evening
And its Katie bar the door
This is a reference to an idiomatic expression meaning that everything was done for the day
As she pulled down that Navajo rug
Katie brought out the Navajo rug from the back
And spread it on the floor
She spread it out on the ground
Ya I saw lightening in the sacred mountains
The singer recalls seeing lightning in the mountains
I saw the dance of the turtle doves
He also saw the dance of the turtle doves
When I was lying next to Katie on that old Navajo rug
The singer reminisces about the time he spent lying next to Katie on the Navajo rug
Ay, ay, ay
An interjection used to express sorrow or frustration
Katie, shades of red and blue
Katie was associated with shades of red and blue
Whatever became of the Navajo rug and you, Katie?
The singer wonders what happened to the Navajo rug and Katie
Well I saw old jack about a year ago
The singer saw Jack the owner a year ago
He said the place burned to the ground
Jack tells the singer that the diner burned down
And all he'd saved was an old bear too
But all he managed to salvage was the old bear in the back of the room too
And Katie she left town
Katie left town after the diner burned down
Oh but Katie she got her souvenir too jack spat out tobacco blood
Katie was able to get the Navajo rug before she left town, but it wasn't easy for her
He said you should have seen her running through the smoke
Jack describes how Katie ran through the flames and smoke to rescue the Navajo rug
Hauling that navajo rug
She was carrying the Navajo rug while running through the smoke
So every time I cross the sacred mountains
The singer says that every time he crosses the sacred mountains
Lightening breaks above
Lightning strikes above him
It always takes me back in time to my long lost Katie love
This memory takes him back to his long lost love, Katie
Oh but everything keeps a moving
The singer reflects that everything keeps moving forward in life
And every bodies on the go
Everyone is always doing something and no one is stopping
Well you don't find things that last anymore
The singer laments that in today's world, things don't last very long
Like a double woven Navajo
He uses the Navajo rug as an example of things that were made to last
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: THOMAS GEORGE RUSSELL
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind