A Long Time Ago

By Chuck Mead & Mark Collie

I pledged my heart to the country
I sold my soul to rock n roll
I told you I’d be back someday
With my pockets full of gold
I played my hand down at the crossroads
Got stoned on Satan’s grass
And I remembered my Mama read from the Bible
“This too shall pass”

But that was a long time that was a long time
That was a long time ago

All I wanted was a living
And someone to share my life
Maybe a song on the radio
Then I would come back and make you my wife
But hopes and dreams and promises
Don’t always come true
On that winding road to the promised land
That led me away from you

But that was a long time that was a long time
That was a long time ago

I burned right through Atlanta
And everybody knew my name
Singin’ “Rainy Night in Georgia”
“Blue Eyes Cryin’ in the Rain”
On the wings of an Eagle flyin’ on diesel fuel
I count the miles and think of you
And I wonder if you miss me
The way you used to do

But that was a long time that was a long time
That was a long time ago

I broke down outside of Memphis
In a ’73 Ford van
I got a gig tonight on Beale Street
For my Dixie biker fans
I used to say “I’d give anything
Come win come lose or draw”
But I’ve learned that it takes everything
If you want to have it all

But that was a long time that was a long time
That was a long time ago