THE RIDE
by David Allan Coe
Intro: G D A
A
Well I was thumbing from Montgomery.
C
Had my guitar on my back.
D
When a stranger stopped beside me
A
in an antique Cadillac.
A
He was dressed like 1950
C
half-drunk and hollow-eyed
D
He said "It's a long walk to Nashville
A
would you like a ride, son."
A
I sat down in the front seat.
C
He turned on the radio and them
D
sad old songs comin' out of them speakers
A
was solid country gold.
A
Then I noticed the stranger was ghost white pale
C
when he asked me for a light
D A
And I knew there was somthin' strange about this ride.
G D
He said "Drifter can you make folks cry
A
when you play and sing?
A
Have you paid your dues? Can you moan the blues?
E
Can you bend them guitar strings?"
G D A
He said "Boy can you make folks feel what you feel inside
G
CAuse if you're big star bound
D A
let me warn ya' it's a long, hard ride."
A
Then he cried just south of Nashville
C
and he turned that car around.
D A
He said "This is where you get off boy
'cause I'm goin' back to Alabam
A
As I stepped out of that old Cadillac
C
I said "Mister, many thanks."
D
He said "You don't have to call me Mister, Mister.
A
The whole world called me Hank."
Chorus:
G
'Cause if you're big star bound
D A
let me warn ya' it's a long, hard ride."