Following the music thread a little while ago, I was listening to a great new recording from John Doe and the Sadies entitled “Country Club” from YepRoc Records. Some of you may recall Mr. Doe from his days in the band X. Anyway, there’s a cover of a 1967 Porter Wagoner #2 hit, composed by Bill Anderson without a wasted word. I’m supplying the lyrics below under the “fair use” scholarly provision of copyright law:
I got back in town a day before I'd planned to
I smiled and said I'll sure surprise my wife
I don't think I'll phone
I'll just head on home
But I didn't know the cold hard facts of life
I passed a little wine store on the corner
I pictured pink champagne by candlelight
I stopped the car right then
got out and hurried in
My mind not on the cold hard facts of life
A stranger stood there laughing by the counter
He said I'll take two bottles of your best
Her husband's out of town and there's a party
He winked as if to say “you know the rest . . .”
I left the store two steps behind the stranger
From there to my house his car stayed in sight
But it wasn't till he turned
into my drive that I learned
I was witnessing the cold hard facts of life
I drove around the block till I was dizzy
Each time the noise came louder from within
Then I saw our bottle there beside me
I drank a fifth of courage and walked in
Lord you should've seen their frantic faces
As they screamed and cried please put away the knife
I guess I'll go to hell
or rot here in this cell
But who taught who the cold hard facts of life
Who taught who the cold hard facts of life
Note: On Amazon, there’s an import set of six Wagoner 1960s concept albums featuring “a rogue's gallery of murderers, philanderers, depressives, death-row inmates, unrepentant barflies, panhandling winos and other losers.” Sounds like the Gold Medal soundtrack . . .
Reviews of Block and Pelecanos forthcoming,
Bob V in NJ
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