Barroom Band

Barroom Band
By: James Dubeau

The barroom band rocks
Swaying
Jumping
Singing
Quickened beats skitter
Across checkered tile
Guitar and drums
Barroom standards
Set the tempo
Leaving the sax
Xylophone
And saw
To fill in odd melodies
Intoxicating the night air
Throwing patrons
With beers in hand
About the joint

Eighteen Weeks

Eighteen Weeks
(Inspired by Merle Travis’s “Sixteen Tons”.)
By: James Dubeau

They say a man is nothing but grit
This lone man can never quit
Never quit and keep on goin'
The towel will never be thrown on in

You go eighteen weeks, what do you get
A little bit stronger and faster I’ll bet
Ambition don’t you leave me ‘cause I can’t stop
Not ‘till this demon flies away from here

I had awoken one day when the clouds did part
I picked up my head and raised my heart
I’ll go for eighteen weeks on the hard road
As long as these feelings do not erode

You go eighteen weeks, what do you get
A little bit stronger and faster I’ll bet
Ambition don’t you leave me ‘cause I can’t stop
Not ‘till this demon flies away from here

I had awoken one day with a mind that’s clear
Just knowing that there was nothing to fear
For the worst of it all had come and gone
And I had gained quite a bit of brawn

You go eighteen weeks, what do you get
A little bit stronger and faster I’ll bet
Ambition don’t you leave me ‘cause I can’t stop
Not ‘till this demon flies away from here

While on the trail just get out of my way
Those who wouldn’t would always pay
With a left and a right I’m knocking ‘em down
That is until I can wear the crown

You go eighteen weeks, what do you get
A little bit stronger and faster I’ll bet
Ambition don’t you leave me ‘cause I can’t stop
Not ‘till this demon flies away from here