I'm in between freights and I sure would be obliged
If I could share your company.
I'm on my way to nowhere,
Been running from my past;
Running from the things I used to be.
Now, I know my words sound strange to you,
But, if you wait 'til the song is sung and the story's told
You might come to understand.
Why I'm old and bent and devil sent,
Runnin' out of time;
When I long ago held a royal flush in my hand.
Chorus:
Oh, I was a supermarket fool.
I was a motorbank stool pigeon,
Robbing my hometown.
Thought I'd lost my blues,
Yes, I thought I'd paid my dues.
I thought I'd found the life to suit my style.
And ol' Spider John,
The robber man,
Long, tall and handsome.
Yes, ol' Spider John with a loaded hand,
Taking ransom.
Then one day I met Diamond Lil.
She was the sweetest thing, I declare,
That the summer wind had ever blown my way.
But Lil, she had no idea my illustrious occupation.
She thought I was a saint, not a sinner gone astray.
Spider, he loved his Lily so much
He could not confess his sins,
For he knew if he did, the lady would surely take her leave.
But you know that the word got around and Lily left town
And he never saw her again.
Tossin' and turnin', causin' his heart to grieve.
Chorus:
Oh, I was a supermarket fool.
I was a motorbank stool pigeon,
Robbing my hometown.
I thought I'd lost my blues,
Yes, I thought I'd paid my dues.
I thought I'd found the life to suit my style.
And ol' Spider John,
The robber man,
Long, tall and handsome.
Yes, ol' Spider John with a loaded hand,
Taking ransom.
That is all my story.
Been these thirty years since I took to the road
To find my precious jeweled one.
If you see my Lily, won't you give her my regards.
Tell her ol' Spider got tangled
In the black web that he spun.
You can tell her that Spider got tangled
In the black web that he spun.
Willis Alan Ramsey (born 5 March 1951) is an American singer/songwriter, a cult legend among fans of Americana and Texas country. He was born in Birmingham, Alabama, and raised in Dallas, Texas. Ramsey graduated from Highland Park High School in 1969, and was a prominent baritone in the school's Lads and Lassies Choir. In his senior year, he played a leading role in the musical Carousel. He released the critically acclaimed album, Willis Alan Ramsey, in 1972 on the Shelter label. The album included "Muskrat Candlelight" which was covered (under the title "Muskrat Love") by America in 1973 and by Captain & Tennille in 1976.
Owing to conflict with his label, Ramsey left Shelter at the end of his contract. As a result, Ramsey's fans have been waiting half a century for the release of his "mythical second album". When asked where the new album is, he often responds, "What's wrong with the first one?"
In the 1980s, he moved to Great Britain to reconnect with his ancestry and study traditional and modern music narrative. At the same time, he enjoyed a revival in the United States, due in part to numerous artists who cut versions of Ramsey's songs, including Widespread Panic ("Geraldine & The Honey Bee"), Jerry Jeff Walker ("Northeast Texas Women"), Waylon Jennings, Shawn Colvin ("Satin Sheets"), Jimmy Buffett ("The Ballad of Spider John"), and Jimmie Dale Gilmore ("Goodbye to Old Missoula"). In 1989, he returned to the United States and began performing again. Backed by Champ Hood, multi-instrumentalist (of Uncle Walt's Band fame), Ramsey could often be found on the same bill with another Dallas singer-songwriter, Alison Rogers. The two married in 1991 and continue to perform together. In 1996, Ramsey and Rogers co-wrote Lyle Lovett's hit, "That's Right (You're Not from Texas)".
In 2000, Ramsey appeared on Austin City Limits, showcasing his new material and performing his classics. He is currently mixing his new album, Gentilly, so called since 1997. Gentilly is planned to be an independent release, financed by friends and fans mostly from the Dallas and Austin area. Currently working with Jonathan Day of the band Pressbox. Co-produced by Ramsey, Alison Rogers and Jamie Oldaker, guest musicians include Oldaker (drums, percussion); Sam Bush & Tim O'Brien (mandolin, vocals); Viktor Krauss, Roscoe Beck & Freebo (bass); Bruce Bouton (steel guitar); Mickey Raphael (harmonica); Walt Richmond (piano, organ); Joel Guzman (accordion); Marcia Ball, Tommy Malone, Abra Moore & Alison Rogers (vocals). Ramsey, Rogers, and Everett Moran are engineering.
And I thought I had hearing problems.....
You've never listened to Tumbleweed Connection? I mean, the voice is different enough, but if you stuck this song in the middle of that album it would barely feel out of place at all, I'd bet.
And Willis lives just down the road and performs every now and again....
https://www.willisalanramsey.com
Thanks Bill!
Great stuff.
W.A.R. is famous for two reasons: his amazing first album, and maybe the worst case of writer's block in history.
He also wrote 'Muskrat Candlelight', which was retooled as 'Muskrat Love' by a number of notable artists.
Another bunch of performers who don't like to rush into anything are The Flatlanders. Their sophomore effort came out a few years ago, something like 30 years after their first album. But they've been busy working. Mr. Ramsey, not so much.
Austin lore has it that when Willis Alan was asked when he would release another album he replied... 'Why? Wasn't that one good enough?' or something along that track.
A song that paints a picture.
A portrait which anyone with any regrets, and you live long enough who doesn't have those (?), can understand in a heartbeat.
And curse for so heavily reminding you of things you'd just as not like to forget.
So it goes.
Highlow
American Net'Zen
You've never listened to Tumbleweed Connection? I mean, the voice is different enough, but if you stuck this song in the middle of that album it would barely feel out of place at all, I'd bet.
My first thought on hearing this "Bernie Taupin write this?".
And I thought I had hearing problems.....
W.A.R. is famous for two reasons: his amazing first album, and maybe the worst case of writer's block in history.
He also wrote 'Muskrat Candlelight', which was retooled as 'Muskrat Love' by a number of notable artists.
Another bunch of performers who don't like to rush into anything are The Flatlanders. Their sophomore effort came out a few years ago, something like 30 years after their first album. But they've been busy working. Mr. Ramsey, not so much.
Given the sad beauty of this ballad, I can only hope that your use of "retooled" conceals an absolute corruption of another good Ramsey song into the unspeakable human rights atrocity known as "Muskrat Love", a toxic sicky-sweet soul killer.
The Captain and Tenille are wanted in 53 countries for that crime against humanity.
"his first release and he has been working on a followup album since its release ..... in 1972!"
I almost choked on my coffee!
W.A.R. is famous for two reasons: his amazing first album, and maybe the worst case of writer's block in history.
He also wrote 'Muskrat Candlelight', which was retooled as 'Muskrat Love' by a number of notable artists.
Another bunch of performers who don't like to rush into anything are The Flatlanders. Their sophomore effort came out a few years ago, something like 30 years after their first album. But they've been busy working. Mr. Ramsey, not so much.
You've never listened to Tumbleweed Connection? I mean, the voice is different enough, but if you stuck this song in the middle of that album it would barely feel out of place at all, I'd bet.
good call!
Seems that Mr. Ramsey, here, may be an accomplished graduate of the Bruce Springsteen Academy of Lyric Enunciation. Graduated with honors.
Seems like it was a popular singing style in the early 1970s, but this was released before Springsteen's first album was.