My Friend Red

(Verse 1)

I slid into a seat by a guy they call Red

Who looked like he’d crawled from a hospital bed.

I was bitchin' 'bout bills and a girl who'd gone cold

And how this whole town was just gettin' too old.

He didn’t look up from his longneck or lime

Just said, "Son, you’re killin' my god-awful time.

You're talkin' real loud for a man with a drink

But you ain't said a damn thing to make a man think."

(Chorus)

He said, "Quit whinin' 'bout hands that you're holdin'

Unless you're ready to fold or go all-in.

The sun doesn't care if your heart's in a sling

And the bank doesn't care if you're local-league king.

Life's just a string of 'I almost had it'

And 'God, I’m a fool for the way that I sat it.'

The only thing worse than a run of bad luck

Is a man who thinks he’s too good for the muck."

(Verse 2)

I started to argue, "But Red, you don't know—

The repo man's comin' and I'm short on the dough."

He laughed like a truck with a busted-up gear

And held up a hand with two fingers not there.

He said, "I lost these to a thresher in June

And the wife to a lawyer who sang a new tune.

I ain't sayin' it's easy, I'm sayin' it's life

And you're bleedin' out over a butter-grade knife."

(Chorus)

He said, "Quit whinin' 'bout hands that you're holdin'

Unless you're ready to fold or go all-in.

The sun doesn't care if your heart's in a sling

And the bank doesn't care if you're local-league king.

Life's just a string of 'I almost had it'

And 'God, I’m a fool for the way that I sat it.'

The only thing worse than a run of bad luck

Is a man who thinks he’s too good for the muck."

(Bridge)

He pushed his glass over and gave me a wink

"The world’s gonna turn whether you swim or sink.

So buy me a double and dry up your eyes

Ain't nobody savin' a man who just cries."

(Chorus)

He said, "Quit whinin' 'bout hands that you're holdin'

Unless you're ready to fold or go all-in.

The sun doesn't care if your heart's in a sling

And the bank doesn't care if you're local-league king.

Life's just a string of 'I almost had it'

And 'God, I’m a fool for the way that I sat it.'

The only thing worse than a run of bad luck

Is a man who thinks he’s too good for the muck."

(Outro)

Yeah, the bar light was flickerin' low on the wall

And Red didn't mind if I stumbled or crawled.

Just "shut up and drink," that’s the gospel he threw

And damn if the old man didn’t speak what was true