23

Simple as my mama said when I was very young
She told me: Not to worry son, one day, you'll be someone
But here I am at 21 as loaded as a stagecoach shotgun
I'm sorry, Mama, please don't look at me
When I got to Oklahoma, I was 17
My papa taught me how to work and Lord, he was mean
Working all day in that August heat
And he taught me how to fish, my uncle taught me how to drink
Well, I went to California and I had me a band
And we played in all the bars in all the southern lands
We played all night, and we drank for free
All of my boys and me

Now I'm 23 and there ain't nobody who can drink like me
Soon, I'll be 24 and the Lord knows that I can't drink no more
I know I shoulda taken it slow, it's not the way that my life goes
Now I know
When you're passed out on the floor
You're sober by 24

Well, I had a girl who loved me the whole damn time
And I'd drink my whiskey, and she'd drink wine
But soon my bottle was too much to comfort me
Yeah, we'd sit on the river and we'd fish all day
And we'd drive across the country, let the radio play
Seven damn years, I never thought she'd leave

Now I'm 23 and there ain't nobody who can drink like me
Soon, I'll be 24 and the Lord knows that I can't drink no more
I know I shoulda taken it slow, it's not the way that my life goes
Lord, I know
When you're passed out on the floor
You're sober by 24

Simple as my mama said when I was very young
She told me: Not to worry son, one day, you'll be someone
But here I am at 21 as loaded as a stagecoach shotgun
I'm sorry, Mama, please don't look at me