Burma-Shave

Licorice tattoo, turned a gun metal blue

Scrawled across the shoulders of a dying    town

The one eyed jacks, across the railroad tracks

And the scar     on its belly pulled a stranger passing through

He was a juvenile delinquent, never learned how to behave

But the cops would never think to look

In Burma Shave

And the road was like a ribbon, and the moon was like a bone

He didn’t seem to be like any guy she’d ever known

He kinda looked like Farley Grainger, with his hair slicked back

She says i’m a sucker for a fella in a cowboy hat

How far are you going

He said depends on what you mean

He says i’m only stop in ‘ here to get some gasoline

I guess i’m going thataway just as long as it’s paved

And I guess you’d say i’m on my way

To burma shave

And with her knees up on the glove compartment, took out her barrettes

And her hair spilled out like root beer

And she popped her gum and arched her back

Hell Marysville ain’t nothing , but a wide spot in the road

Some night my heart pounds just like thunder i don’t know why it don’t explode

Cause everyone in this stinking town, has got one foot in the grave

And i’d rather take my chances

Out in burma shave

Presley’s what i go by, why don’t you change the station

Count the grain     elevators in the rearview mirror

Mister anywhere you point this thing, has got to beat the hell out of the sting

Of going to bed with every dream that dies here every mornin,

And so drill me a hole

With a barber pole

I’m jumping my parole just like a fugitive tonight

Why don’t you have another swig, and pass that car if you’re so brave

I wanna get there before the sun comes up in

Burma Shave

And the spider web crack and the mustang screamed

Smoke from the tires and the twisted machine

Just a nickel’s worth of dreams and every wishbone that they saved

Lie swindled from them on the way to

Burma Shave

And the sun hit the derrick and cast a bat wing shadow

Up against the car door on the shotgun side

And when they pulled her from the wreck you know she

Still had on her shades

They say that dreams are growing wild just this side of

Burma Shave