Rodney Crowell - Highway 17

I^Am put away fifteen grand doing one-night stands mostly liquor stores and fillin' stations M^Fe and this peepin' Tom by the name of J.D. Swan and any number of his odd blood relations ^AmIt was armed robbery in 1957 and mostly our getaways were clean T^Fhen I'd pay off the boys and bury the bread out on Highway 17

^AmI had five kids and a wife with one dress and a yard full of cars that wouldn't run M^Fy two oldest boys they were on to my noise they despised what their daddy done B^Eut I did my thing the best I could making p^Amlans by the light of day A^Fnd then night would fall and it was time to call and I was al^Eways on my way

N^Amow J.D. he was crazy and he was inbred he drank whiskey like it was goin' out of style You know I sh^Fould have seen it coming the writing was on the wall He^F was getting just a little too loose and wild and he m^Amade his mistake out on Airline Drive, You know those North Houston cops are quick they blew a ^Fhole in J.D. the size of Dallas And put a l^Fump on my head with the brunt of a nightstick You know t^Ehat 5 to 10 in Huntsville ain't no good times boys, but I wa^Amlked that line do you know what I mean 'Cau^Fse my mind was snug on that hole I dug out on Hi^Eghway ^Am17 I said my mi^Fnd was snug on that hole I dug out on Hi^Eghway ^Am17

So ^AmI served my time only way I knew how thinking big and making plans All^F about the way I was gonna change the world when I get my hands on that 15 grand Yo^Amu know C.W. and Herschel my two oldest boys they took care of their momma and their little sisters The best way that they could d^Fealing dimes and stealing hubcaps You know pretty soon they were doing good so I w^Ealked out those prison gates a free man On the fi^Amrst day of November 19 and '63 I ki^Fssed my wife and I hugged my babies But they didn't ^Eseem the same to me

^AmYou know the boys looked on they were already grown It w^Amas written across their eyes and their faces I'm the pe^Frfect sample of a bad example Gone^F forever from their graces, but baby s^Amix long years and a lot can change M^Amany miles beyond your wildest dreams, but a s^Fix-lane wide modern interstate ride out on Highway 17 Ma^Amn they sunk my ship 'neath a concrete strip out on Hi^Eghway ^Am17 Ma^Amn they broke my back they built a c^Foncrete track out on H^Eighway ^Am17 Well, people you k^Amnow it ain't funny, they ^Fburied my money out on H^Eighway ^Am17