I Shoulda Been a Cowboy
Words and Music by Tom Walker
Watched the neon flashing far below me
Flying out over the county line
Streets and houses stretch as far as the mountains
Like it's part of a grand design
Past the town where people stayed
By the lake that they had made
When they stopped the river deep and wide
Set down on a ranch in the desert,
On the trail where those pioneers came,
Cowboy tells me it’s the rainy season,
But it sure don’t look like rain
As the sunset came, I rode a horse with no name
Looking up at spirit mountain
CHORUS:
I guess I should have been a cowboy,
I could have played those cowboy songs
Everyone could come and see me,
Maybe they’d sing along
I guess I should have been a cowboy,
I could have loved some bar and grill,
Charged 250 bucks to see me,
Maybe some day I will, maybe some day I will,
As the sun dropped below the mountain
I Looked up and saw the milky way
It was the First time I’d ever seen it
Not my only first today
As the cowboy lit a fire,
He gave me his spare guitar
Man you shoulda heard us play
CHORUS
Cowboy told me not hide my talent,
Maybe I need a hat and boots like his,
Start singing songs about the old country
And get me a life like this
CHORUS
Being the Best I Can Be
Words and Music by Tom Walker
I've driven all night the sunlight's hurting my eyes
but it's the hurting inside drove me here,
I couldn't leave you like that in tears on the phone now I'm back will you lend me your ear?
​
It blew up out of a little nothing
I came back, I had to do something
Do I look like a man trying to hurt you?
Do I look like a fool who's done wrong?
Do I look like I mean that I'm sorry?
Do I look like I'm just playing along?
As I stand here, I hope you can see
This is me being the best I can be
As you open the door with tears in your eyes
Wearing my shirt you asked me to leave
How do you make that old thing look so right
That same way you get the best out of me?
Let's rewind before this started
I won't ever take you for granted
Chorus
I'm Pedal to the metal,
Pushing my limit
Well this is all I got,
I hope you wanna take it not leave it
Chorus
Funky Country Boy
Words and Music by Tom Walker
That little red second hand is slowing down
And them bigger hands ain't even going around
Worked here so long I got a window seat
Got Georgia pines and mountains far as I can see
If I could trade this office chair and computer
For bull hide saddle and an Appaloosa
Set my out of office permanently
And the City limit sign way behind me
​
I don't suit this 9 to 5
I don't suit this suit and tie
Grab my hat and my guitar
Play some Waylon in half time
This is where the weekend starts
I take the mic and play my part
Cos I'm a funky country boy
funky country boy at heart
I'm a weekend cowboy, don't get me wrong
But I got the clothes and I know all the songs
My boots are still tight but they're looking fine
Hand-made in snakeskin, top of the line
I know I can play this guitar
Chicken pickin all night over 4 on the floor
On Monday morning with my best suit on
I can still hear everybody singing along
​
Chorus
Where You Are At
Words and Music by Tom Walker
Spinning the ice around your glass wearing someone else's beat up jacket,
Too pretty to be drinking alone.
Played truth or dare until dawn but you were giving away nothing,
Your accent put you far from home,
​
Morning sunlight caught the dust, put on your shades let your eyes adjust,
Said you had work you kinda lied, I hid your keys so you couldn't drive
​
I'm crazy 'bout your crazy, that's my downfall
Only thing that's certain you're unpredictable,
Ain't nobody else like you, I like it like that
I wouldn't change you, I'd want you back
I love that I don't know where you are at
​
As the nights were getting long I prayed every day you wouldn't leave me,
Wish you'd tell me you had nowhere to go
Something's anchoring you here, pulling tight stopping you drifting,
In so deep maybe I'll never know
​
You're like the eye of a hurricane, you take me dancing in the rain
You laugh out loud a little too long,
Not scared to dream or to be wrong
​
Chorus
​
So you chose to stick around
My beat-up one-stoplight town
Wearing everything you own
Like you're still travelling alone
​
​
​
Roisin
Words and Music by Tom Walker
The last sign to Utica said 50 miles to go,
The journey's always longer when you're on roads that you don't know
Hitched a ride with a cowboy selling snake oil from his trunk
Got out before we got there when I realised he was drunk
But he told me the story of how he'd chased a girl
Took a year of his life and him half way around the world
To make me feel better he said he had no regrets
But he didn't look like any happy man I've met
Are you running to curb your wanderlust?
Is this about you or is it about us?
I need you to tell me about all the things you've seen
I just want to see you again Roisin
I left Albuquerque about a week ago
They said you'd split town and that you'd joined a travelling show
They recognised your photo but they didn't know your name
Said all the pretty girls that pass through end up looking the same
The night we spent together in Sandusky, Ohio
Taught me things about myself that I didn't know
Early next morning you said you had to go away
Ain't heard nothing from you since that cold december day
Chorus
Found you in Utica half an hour ago
You saw me from the stage when I came to see the show
Tried to get back to see you but they wouldn't let me in
Said there's nobody who works goes by the name Roisin
Maybe you're not running, it's not wanderlust
Who really are you? so there never was an us
I'm going home now, what a fool I've been,
Guess I won't see you again "Roisin"
Guess I won't see you again "Roisin"
Guess I won't see you again "Roisin"
Long Game
Words and Music by Tom Walker
"Son, I had a car like that, I know how it makes you feel"
Daddy flipped the hood, he rubbed his chin checked the engine, kicked the wheels.
He said "You'll feel a million dollars when people watch you driving past
You'll never have a million dollars it'll leave you broke real fast"
"Before I met your mother I had a string of fancy cars
A Toranado, Eldorado and a Crystal Blue Continental Mark
Well a luxury coupe won't be no use, when I'm old and grey
So I picked something up I'd like to drive until my dying day."
Chorus
It'll make you late it'll let you down
Bust your arse, give you the runaround
Make you keep on breaking down
Start thinking 'bout the long game
You can't leave it anywhere,
When you get back it might not be there
Drive you to drink and to despair
Start thinking about the long game
We walked off the used car lot to my jalopy parked out back
There's my beautiful fiancée in the shotgun looking mad
Now she don't look so pretty when she is pissed with me
I'm thinking there's some things just like that car maybe ain't meant to be
Chorus
All the way home she won't talk to me,
Now I can see what my old man means,
Catching his eye in the rear-view
I bet he's never had a car in Crystal blue
Chorus