The Ride

I was thumbing from Montgomery
 Had my guitar on my back
 When a stranger stopped beside me in an antique Cadillac
 He was dressed like 1950, half drunk and hollow-eyed
 Said, "It's a long walk to Nashville, would you like a ride, son?"
 I sat down in the front seat and turned on the radio
 And the sounds coming out of them speakers was solid country gold
 Then I noticed the stranger was ghost-white pale when he asked me for a light
 Then I knew there was something strange about this ride
 He said, "Drifter, can you make folks cry when you play and sing?
 Have you paid your dues, can you moan the blues
 Can you bend them guitar strings?"
 He said, "Boy can you make folks feel what you feel inside?
 'Cause if you're big star bound let me warn you it's a long, hard ride"
 A long, hard ride
 Well, he cried just south of Nashville
 And he turned that car around
 He said "This is where you get off boy
 'Cause I'm headin' back to Alabam"
 As I stepped out of that Cadillac I said, "Mister, many thanks"
 He said, "You don't have to call me mister, mister
 The whole world calls me Hank"
 He said, "Drifter, can you make folks cry when you play and sing?
 Have you paid your dues, can you moan the blues
 Can you bend them guitar strings?"
 He said, "Boy can you make folks feel what you feel inside?
 'Cause if you're big star bound let me warn you it's a long, hard ride"
 He said, "Drifter, can you make folks cry
 You can play then sing?
 Have you paid your dues, can you moan the blues
 Can you bend them guitar strings?"
 He said, "Boy can you make folks feel what you feel inside?
 'Cause if you're big star bound let me warn you it's a long, hard ride
 'Cause if you're big star bound let me warn you it's a long, hard ride"
 'Cause if you're big star bound, it's a long, hard ride
 Long, hard ride
 'Cause if you're big star bound
 Let me warn you it's a long, hard ride
 It's a long, hard ride