Me and Willie - Emmylou Harris

Me and Willie played in a country band

Seven long years together playing those one-night stands

Used to say the booze and bars was going to wear him out

«Hold On», a song he wrote’ll tear your heart right out

We traveled the northern route from the Great Lakes to Montreal

Hitting all the honkytonks, I bet we played them all

Willie played to ease his soul and drank to ease his mind

I never understood how he played so good while drinking himself half-blind

And you wouldn’t think a man so weak could be so strong

Take a crowd of rowdy drunks, hush them with a song

I’d rather be singing my heart out in a dark and dingy bar

Hitting those high notes with Willie’s sad guitar

And I’d rather be singing a blues song, singing sweet and high

Willie standing right by my side playing country slide

Me and Willie watched a lot of dreams die young

Plans we made — how quick they fade, fumbling one by one

Willie never let it bother him and if he did, it didn’t show

You know he had a way of letting go, making the blue turn gold

And you wouldn’t think a man so weak could be so strong

Taking the blues right out of you and put them in a song

I’d rather be singing my heart out in a dark and dingy bar

Hitting those high notes with Willie’s sad guitar

And I’d rather be singing a blues song, singing sweet and high

Willie standing right by my side playing country slide

I left Willie in a bar in Marietta

Couldn’t stand to watch the man I love drink himself to death

Now I’m working in Ottawa and I’m doing well, I guess

You know the good life don’t look so good from behind a desk

And I’d rather be singing my heart out in a dark and dingy bar

Hitting those high notes with Willie’s sad guitar

I’d rather be singing a blues song, singing sweet and high

Willie standing right by my side playing country slide