Guy Clark – South Coast of Texas

The south coast of Texas is a thin slice of life

It’ s salty and hard it it stern as a knife

Where the wind is for blwon’ up hurricanes for showin’

The snakes how to swim and the trees how to lean

Chorus

The shrimpers and their ladies are out in the beer joints

Drinkin’ em down for they sail with the dawn

They’re bound for the Mexican Bay of Campche

And the deck hands are singin’ adios Jole Blon

There’s snowbirds in search of that sunshine and night life

And fond of greasin’ palms down the beach as they’re goin’

This livin’ on the edge of the waters of the world

Demands the dignity of whooping cranes and

The likes of Gilbert Roland

Chorus

In the cars of my youth how I tore thru those sand dunes

Cut up my tires on them oyster shell roads

But nothin’ is forever say the old men in the shipyards

Turnin’ trees into shrimp oats Hell I guess they ought to know

Chorus