Chattin' up the oil men, her hair piled high
Bought designer clothes at the Galleria Mall
Dancin' in Deep Ellum, she was fairest of them all
The husbands and the houses, they'd come and then they'd go
And when the dust would settle, she'd be right back on her own
If you want to get ahead you got to do the shuck and jive
So every day it's out of bed and onto 35
Putting on mascara in the rearview mirror
In the back seat of her mind there's a little flash of fear
Is this the life she wanted when she was a little girl
Or is there something more out in the great big world?
She started feeling crazy, she started thinking wild
She wondered what would happen if she drove 600 miles
She planned her getaway, she had the motive and the means
That's how a beaten down Dallas gal became the Chili Queen
After twenty-too many years chasing wedding rings
She traded in her Lexus, sold off all her things
Goodbye to fancy dinners, goodbye to therapy
She headed west on 20 with a chili recipe
On the dash a pack of Salems and a half a pint of gin
Not caring if she'd ever see the Metroplex again, no
She drove all through the night toward that little border town
It's time for starting over, no time for backing down
Sunrise in Terlingua on that truck stop caffeine
That's how a beaten down Dallas gal became the Chili Queen
She found a place in Agua Fria with a kitchen out the back
Bought some pots and pans and she started to relax
Stirrin' and a-tastin' out in the open air
Sunshine on her skin, desert breezes in her hair
She won the chili cook-off, went off to celebrate
Dancin' at La Kiva like she's 'bout to levitate
She kissed a river rat, they started singing drinking songs
Said, I'm here for a good time, I'm not here for long
Now they're headed for the desert in search of mescaline
She planned her getaway, she had the motive and the means
Sunrise in Terlingua on that truck stop caffeine
Dancin' at the Starlight like she was seventeen
That's how a beaten down Dallas gal became the Chili Queen
Slaid Cleaves is an American singer-songwriter born in Washington, D.C., and raised in South Berwick, Maine and Round Pond, Maine, United States. An alumnus of Tufts University, where he majored in English and philosophy, Cleaves lives in Austin, Texas.
His full name is Richard Slaid Cleaves, but Slaid is the name that he has used his entire life.
Cleaves is a full-time touring musician, but like most musicians has held many day jobs: janitor, warehouse worker, ice cream truck driver, rope-tow operator, film developer, groundskeeper, meter reader, test subject, and pizza delivery driver.
Cleaves's musical roots extend back prior to his days playing in a high school "garage band" with his childhood friend Rod Picott. The two shared a love of music, especially Bruce Springsteen and named their band The Magic Rats, after a character in Springsteen's song "Jungleland."
He brought his love of American artists such as Woody Guthrie, Johnny Cash, Hank Williams, Chuck Berry, Bruce Springsteen, Tom Petty, Tom Waits, Creedence Clearwater Revival, and more with him to Cork, Ireland, where he spent his junior year of college. To help pass the time he learned how to play the songs on guitar and on November 18, 1985, he made his debut as a busker in Cork City, Ireland.
After several false starts he started to gain notice around Portland, Maine and in 1990 released his debut cassette, The Promise. Only a few songs off this album, "Sweet Summertime", "Lonesome Highway" and "Wrecking Ball" still occasionally get played in concert. The original tape has unfortunately been lost, and only copies remain.
That was followed a year later by Looks Good from the Road, recorded with his rock band, The Moxie Men, which featured Cleaves on lead vocals and acoustic guitar, his brother J. on bass, Mark Cousins on drums and Pip Walter on electric guitar, acoustic guitar, and vocals. By the end of the year they were the darlings of the Portland press and touted as one of the bands "most likely to succeed."
However, Cleaves's solo acoustic side took over and in 1991 he moved with his wife, Karen, to Austin, Texas. In 1992, he was a winner of the prestigious New Folk competition at the Kerrville Folk Festival, an award previously given to such artists as Nanci Griffith, Robert Earl Keen and Steve Earle.
Cleaves continued to work hard in Austin, playing various clubs around the city, touring, and continuing to hone his craft as a songwriter. In 1997, he recorded and released his first national album, No Angel Knows for the Rounder-Philo label, which has been his home ever since.
In 2000, Cleaves had an Americana charts hit with his album Broke Down and song of the same name. The title track was co-written with his childhood friend Picott, whom he grew up with in Maine.
Cleaves continued to gain notice with his follow-up album, 2004's Wishbones, appearing on the ESPN2 show Cold Pizza, and his music is praised by Nicholson Baker in his 2009 novel, The Anthologist.
In 2006 Cleaves released Unsung, a collection of songs written by other singer-songwriters including Graham Weber, J. J. Baron, Michael O'Connor (who often tours with Cleaves), Adam Carroll, and Nicole St. Pierre.
Dreamer: A Tribute to Kent Finlay, released in early 2016 on Austin-based Eight 30 Records, features Cleaves' version of "Lost," his co-write with Finlay.
Highway Prayer: A Tribute to Adam Carroll, released in late 2016 on Austin-based Eight 30 Records, features Cleaves' version of "South of Town."
Cleaves tours nationally performing solo and with a band in many configurations.
