Me and Willie played in a country band
Seven long years together playing those one night stands
Used to say the booze and bars were goin' to wear him out
Hold On, a song he wrote, 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 and 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, oh we watched a lot of dreams die young
Plans we made, how quick they fade, fumblin' one by one
Willie never let it bother him and if he did, well it didn't show
You know he had a way of lettin' go, making blue turn gold
And you wouldn't think a man so weak could be so strong
Take the blues right out of you, put them in a song and 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 and I'd
Rather be singing a blues song, singing sweet and high
Willie standing right by my side playing country slide