Taking a short break. . .

. . .from politics, Lucianne.com posted a link to a YouTube video of Tom T. Hall extolling the virtues of the simple things in life, "Old Dogs, Children, and Watermelon Wine". Hall has been a favorite of mine since I was a small child. I can remember listening to him on the old in-dash 8-track player and singing along to "Sneaky Snake" and "I Like Beer" in my dad's car whenever the family would load up and head out to visit our relatives on the other side of town.

I wrote an email to Lucianne to thank her for posting the video, and told her about my favorite Tom T. Hall song from you childhood. "Old Dogs. . ." is a great song, of course, and is one of Hall's signature songs. But, for my money, it simply does not get better than "The Cowboy and the Poet", which is almost a rebuttal of the song Lucianne posted. I mentioned the song in my email to Lucianne, and she was kind enough to respond by sending me a link to a YouTube video of Hall performing my favorite. Here it is:

The Cowboy and The Poet

He was an old-time cowboy, don't you understand
His eyes were sharp as razor blades his face was leather tan
His toes were pointed inward from a-hangin' on a horse
He was an old philosopher, of course

He was so thin I swear you could have used him for a whip
He had to drink a beer to keep his britches on his hips
I knew I had to ask him about the mysteries of life
He spit between his boots and he replied

"It's faster horses, younger women, older whiskey, and more money"

He smiled and all his teeth were covered with tobacco stains
He said, "It don't do men no good to pray for peace and rain.
Peace and rain is just a way to say prosperity,
And buffalo chips is all it means to me."

I told him I was a poet, I was lookin' for the truth
I do not care for horses, whiskey, women or the loot
I said I was a writer, my soul was all on fire he looked at me an' he said, "you are a liar."
"It's faster horses, younger women, older whiskey, and more money"

Well, I was disillusioned, if I say the least
I grabbed him by the collar and I jerked him to his feet
There was something cold and shiny layin' by my head
So I started to believe the things he said

Well, my poet days are over and I'm back to being me
As I enjoy the peace and comfort of reality
If my boy ever asks me what it is that I have learned
Think that I will readily affirm

"It's faster horses, younger women, older whiskey, and more money"