Chuck Mead

Out On The Natchez Trail

G. CROWE/C. MEAD

IT STRETCHES ALL THE WAY FROM THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER
TO THE SHOALS OF ALABAM
UP THROUGH THE HILLS TO THE TENNESSEE VALLEY
TO THE BANKS OF THE CUMBERLAND
I WAS MAKING MY WAY DOWN TO TUPELO
WHEN I FELT MY ENGINE FAIL
I WAS ALL ALONE AT THE SIDE OF THE ROAD
OUT ON THE NATCHEZ TRAIL

CHORUS
A OOOO OO
OUT IN THE NATCHEZ TRAIL
BETTER WATCH WHERE YOU WALK
OR YOU MIGHT GET LOST
OUT ON THE NATCHEZ TRAIL

I SET OUT HIKING BY THE PALE MOONLIGHT
LOOKING FOR THE NEAREST TOWN
WHEN I CAME ACROSS A MAN CALLED CHICKASAW SAM
SITTIN ON AN INDIAN MOUND
HE HAD AN OL’ PEACE PIPE AND AN UN-CORKED JUG
FILLED WITH MAGIC ALE
I TOOK A LITTLE SIP AND MY MIND PLAYED TRICKS
OUT ON THE NATCHEZ TRAIL

CHORUS

I HEARD THE SKY THUNDER
I HEARD THE WIND BLOW
I HEARD A WHOLE HERD OF BUFFALO
THE STARS STARTED SPINNIN
AROUND AND ROUND
I FELT MY FEET COMIN OFF THE GROUND

I WAS FLYIN DOWN THE TRAIL
I WAS FLYIN REAL LOW
AND I FLEW ALL THE WAY TO TUPELO
I SAW THE BOY KING I SAW CHICKASAW SAM
THEN IT ALL WENT BLACK WITH A WAVE OF HIS HAND

I WOKE UP WITH THE SUN SHINNIN IN MY FACE
IN THE FRONT OF MY CHEVELLE
HOW I GOT BACK TO THE DOUBLE BRIDGE
I COULD NEVER TELL

I TOOK A LITTLE TRIP TO THE OTHER SIDE
BUT I LIVED TO TELL THE TALE
IT WAS A STROKE OF LUCK WHEN THAT MOTOR CRANKED UP
OUT ON THE NATCHEZ TRAIL

CHORUS

Gunmetal Gray

I was a buck toothed, white trash, sleepy-eyed milltown kid
Nobody ever took a note of nothing that I ever did
I was sneaking a sip from my Daddy’s corn liquor still
Hiding out by the river with the moon and the whippoorwill

The leaves started cracklin’ in the woods something coming my way
I ducked behind a willow and threw that whiskey bottle away
I heard a voice cuttin’ through the darkness chilled me to the bone
Like a Sunday morning sermon spitting out fire and brimstone

I never saw what happened
I never saw a thing
It went down so fast in a flash
Of gun-metal gray

For the next thirty seconds the crickets didn’t even breathe
Then I bent back the branches ‘cause I knew I had to take a peek
I saw a big black boot on a shovel break the cold hard ground
And a man on a mission making sure there wasn’t nothing found

He never saw me looking
And I never said a thing
But that one night wrong and right
Turned gun-metal gray

Maybe I should’ve run straight to the Sheriff
And sung like a bird said I know what he done
The next day everybody’s talking ‘bout the preacher’s young wife
Skipping town with the deacon’s son

Twenty years later I’m the man no one claims to know
But when they need a little something they know exactly where to go
And as for the preacher he’s still packing them in the pews
Would they be singing Hallelujah if I told them everything I knew

We all got secrets to keep
We’ll all have hell to pay
Nothing ‘bout life is black and white
It’s gun-metal gray

Albuquerque

By Chuck Mead & Angeleena Presley

You sent me out west to the desert
Where I didn’t know a soul
You said maybe by the Rio Grande
I could find my own
Now I know that it’s not becoming
To let the whole word see you pine
But it’s hard not to let it show
When you’ve left the world behind in

Albuquerque
Where the air is pure and light
It’s easy to breathe, easy to see
Why I left to make things right
Albuquerque
After all this time alone
I’ll get up off my knees, back on my feet
And learn to live on my own

I keep thinking of your sage advice
And it all rings true
I had a lot of hopes and plans
But they all fell through
Now I’ve done my share of running
But I know that I can’t sit still
And let my lack of wisdom
Waste my own free will

Albuquerque
Where the air is pure and light
It’s easy to breathe, easy to see
Why I left to make it right
Albuquerque
After all this time alone
I’ll get up off my knees, back on my feet
And learn to live on my own

I thought that I’d be lonely
But I was just alone
And now I know the answer
Is waiting back at home
I’m leaving

Albuquerque
Where the air is pure and light
It’s easy to breathe, easy to see
Why I left to make it right
Albuquerque
After all this time alone
I’ll get up off my knees, back on my feet
And learn to live on my own

I Wish It Was Friday

Label: Grassy Knoll Records
By Patrick Davis & Chuck Mead

I wake up every morning
At the start of every week
I pull on my work boots
And feel my old bones creak

Chorus
Lord I wish it was Friday
At the end of the week
48 hours to live my life in peace

Daddy drove an 18 wheeler
He was always on the road
Sometimes I’d hear Mama ask him
When are you coming home?

Chorus

Caesar ruled the western world
From the golden streets of Rome
You could hear him scream from the Senate floor
“Get Brutus on the telephone”

Chorus

Superman said to Batman
I know justice will prevail
But my feet feel just like Kryptonite
And this cave is cold as Hell

Chorus

Moses came off the mountain
Tablets in his hand
He said “I sure could use a shower
To wash off all this sand”
Chorus

Jesus was a carpenter
He worked 14 hour days
If he was here with us right now
I’ll bet you’d hear him say

Chorus

Journeyman’s Wager

Original Release Date: March 17, 2009
Label: Grassy Knoll Records/Thirty Tigers

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Track Listing
(click on a song to find lyrics, samples and more)

1.  Out On The Natchez Trail

2.  Gun Metal Gray

3.  She Got The Ring

4.  Albuquerque

5.  Up On Edge Hill

6.  Wish It Was Friday

7.  A Long Time Ago

8.  After The Last Witness Is Gone

9.  A Song

10.  Old Brown Shoe

11.  No Requests

Dog Days

Original Release Date: January 10, 2006
Label: Dualtone Music Group

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Track Listing

1. Poison
2. After The Hurricane
3. Lower Broad St. Blues
4. Leave It Alone
5. Bottom Of Priority
6. The Devil In Me
7. I’m Going Down
8. You Are The Queen
9. Cajun Persuasion
10. A1 On The Jukebox
11. Let Jesus Make You Breakfast