James McMurtry - Fireline road

^AmMy name is Alice Walker, they never told me why ^GI’m not named for anybody; it’s a name out of the sky They thought it was ^Fpretty I guess, way back when I’ll ^Amchange it someday. I like to pretend, I’m Just a visitor here, like on one of those shows, In a ^Ghouse full of people I don’t hardly know But we'll ^Fall get to home in a week or so ^AmBack to real life

^AmAnd I’m picking up the carpet in the corner where I crash I’m ^Gtoo tired to separate the pennies from the trash And ^FI don’t guess it matters even why Jesus died ^AmI can tell you about sins

^AmWe got this duplex up on Fire Line Road It’s ^Gway out from town, so the rent’s pretty low, ^FNot much more than a cinder block cell, just like the ^Amone next door, and the next one as well

^AmAnd the bus don’t run out here but three times a day The ^G7-11, it’s a full mile away And there’s a ^Fcar in the yard, mostly rust and dents We ^Ammoved here in it, but it hasn’t run since

^GForget my ^Amname, can you ^Gforget my ^Amface ^GGonna lose my^Amself in some ^Gfiner ^Amplace ^GFiner ^AmPlaces, ^Gwhere I’ll ^Amgo ^GI’ll leave no ^Amtrace out on ^FFire Line Road

^AmAnd there’s a pile of daddy’s quick-picks scattered on the floor ^Gamong the half empty bottles, a chair against the door In case he ^Fcomes home drinkin’, with lovin on his mind I’d ^Amnever let it happen, but that don’t stop him tryin’ My sister weren’t so lucky, he got to her too soon She ^Gnever saw it coming, he knew just what to do to keep her ^Fsilent. I swear to god I’ll kill him if I can ^Amsaid she made him do it, after all he’s just a man

^GForget my ^Amname, can you ^Gforget my ^Amface ^GGonna lose my^Amself in some ^Gfiner ^Amplace ^GFiner ^AmPlaces, ^Gwhere I’ll ^Amgo ^GI’ll leave no ^Amtrace out on ^FFire Line Road

^AmNow she snorts that crank, and stares at the phone She ain’t ^Gbig as a minute, just skin on bone She ^Fbites her nails right down to the quick And they’ve ^Amtaken her babies, and they won’t give them back And I know she loves them and God knows she ^Gtries, But when you’re that far down you’re just going to get high It’s like ^Feating or breathing to the rest of us She can’t even ^Amfeel bad without the stuff

^GForget my ^Amname, can you ^Gforget my ^Amface ^GGonna lose my^Amself in some ^Gfiner ^Amplace ^GFiner ^AmPlaces, ^Gwhere I’ll ^Amgo ^GI’ll leave no ^Amtrace out on ^FFire Line Road

^AmMy name is Alice Walker, they never told me why