Barmaid's Blues

Barmaid's Blues

That's alright Joe, don't you cry no
let me pour you another glass of beer
sure the bar's closed, but by now you oughta know
if you've got nowhere to go you can stay here

and we can talk about the better days when you always had a card to play
and the piano and the poker games, they carried us away
that outlaw Jesse James
he was known to keep a spare ace
and he shot this place full of holes but he sure could tell a joke

Now all of the gunslingers got rings on their fingers
and they got the barroom girls home ironing their shirts
and I've got a feeling like I'm waiting on the last train home
it's been a little slow
but it's coming I know

Do you remember that oil man?
I probably should have married him
he always had an honest dime to spend
but he couldn't dance
and I was never one to compromise
I've always been the stubborn kind
so when he rode out of town, I just laughed

and how the whiskey burned
and how the men did flirt
like the ponies tied outside
pawing at the dirt
I broke the years down, I turned 'em into days
and one by one I danced 'em all away

Now I serve' em what they ask for
they got the money I'll give something more
it still says welcome on the front door
we keep that old piano tuned
but when it's time to close
it's just you and me Joe
and the ghost of something great here in this room