Lyrics Down by the Side of the Road - John Prine

Down by the Side of the Road

Her Father was a failure
Her Mother was a comfort
To a doctor and lawyer and Indian Chief.
The shirt ran out of buttons
He lost all his marbles at a baseball game
And they went on Relief.
The bank took away their diplomas
They locked them up inside of the chest
And she moved away to Oklahoma
And got a tattoo on the side of her breast
«God-Damn, My socks are still hard»
From lying on the sofa on the night she was over in my backyard
Yeah, We was shooting the breeze out amongst the trees
When a shot rang low
And left her standing down by the side of the road
Down by the side of the road
Father have mercy, Whoo Whoo
Get her a nurse please
She’s almost alone
I saw her hand reaching out for the telephone
We rather see her locked up inside a home
Than see her standing down by the side of the road
Down by the side of the road
Headlights flashing on her skirt in the wind.
Yonder comes a truck it drove by two men.
Shotgun man leaned out and said do you want to take a ride?
Out in the pale moonlight Light light Light Lie Lie Lie lie
Too long in the hot sun
She could’ve be Miss Wisconsin a long time ago
Spent to much time inside of the early show
We’d bought her a ticket but she didn’t want to go
She was standing down by the side of the road
Down by the side of the road
Headlights flashing, caught a skirt in the wind.
Yonder comes a truck it drove by two men.
Shotgun man leaned out and said do you want to take a ride?
Out in through the pale moonlight
Her Father was a failure
Her Mother was a comfort
To a doctor and lawyer and Indian Chief.
The shirt made out of buttons
He lost all his marbles at a baseball game
And they went on Relief.
The bank took away their diplomas
They locked them up inside of the chest
And she moved away to Oklahoma
And got a tattoo on the side of her breast
God-Damn, My thoughts are still hard.
From lying on the sofa on the night she was over in my backyard
Yeah, We was shooting the breeze out amongst the trees
When a shot rang low
And left her standing down by the side of the road
Down by the side of the road
Down by the side of the road
Down by the side of the road