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Uneasy Rider

by Charlie Daniels

on 16 Biggest Hits (1973)

[Verse]
I was taking a trip out to L.A
Tooling along in my Chevrolet
Taking on a number and digging on the radio
Just as I crossed the Mississippi line
I heard that highway start to whine
And I knew that left rear tire was about to blow
Well the spare was flat and I got uptight
Cause there wasn't a filling station in sight
So I just limped on down the shoulder on the rim
I went as far as I could and when I stopped the car
It was right in front of this little bar
Kind of a red-neck looking joint called the Dew Drop Inn
I stuffed my hair up under my hat
And told the bartender that I had a flat
And would he be kind enough to give me change for a one
There was one thing I was sure proud to see
There wasn't a soul in the place except for him and me
He just looked disgusted and pointed toward the telephone
I called up the station down the road a ways
He said he wasn't very busy today
And he could have someone out there in just about 10 minutes or so
He said, "Now, you just stay right where yer at!"
And I didn't bother to tell the darn fool
That I sure as hell didn't have anyplace else to go
I just ordered up a beer and sat down at the bar
When some guy walked in and said, "Who owns this car
With the peace sign, the mag wheels and the four on the floor?"
He looked at me and I damn near died
And I decided that I'd just wait outside
So I laid a dollar on the bar and headed for the door
Just when I thought I'd get out of there with my skin
These 5 big dudes come strolling in
With one old drunk chick and some fella with green teeth
I was almost to the door when the biggest one
Said, "You tip your hat to this lady, son!"
And when I did, all that hair fell out from underneath
Now the last thing I wanted was to get into a fight
In Jackson Mississippi on a Saturday night
Especially when there was three of them and only one of me
They all started laughing and I felt kinda sick
And I knew I better think of something pretty quick
So I just reached out and kicked old green teeth right in the knee
Now he let out a yell that'd curl your hair
But before he could move I grabbed me a chair
And said "Now watch him Folks cause he's a thoroughly dangerous man!"
"You may not know it but this man is a spy
He's a undercover agent for the FBI
And he's been sent down here to infiltrate the Ku Klux Klan!"
He was still bent over holding on to his knee
But everybody else was looking and listening to me
And I laid it on thicker and heavier as I went
I said, "Would you believe this man has gone as far
As tearing Wallace stickers off the bumpers of cars
And he voted for George McGovern for President."
"Well, he's a friend of them long haired, hippy-type, pinko fags!
I bet you he's even got a commie flag
Tacked up on the wall inside of his garage."
"He's a snake in the grass, I tell you guys
He may look dumb but that's just a disguise
He's a mastermind in the ways of espionage"
They all started looking real suspicious at him
And he jumped up and said "Now just wait a minute Jim!
You know he's lying I been living here all of my life!"
"I'm a faithful follower of Brother John Birch
And I belong to the Antioch Baptist Church
And I ain't even got a garage, you can call home and ask my wife!"
Then he started saying something bout the way I was dressed
But I didn't wait around to hear the rest
I was too busy moving and hoping I didn't run out of luck
When I hit the ground I was making tracks
And they were just taking my car down off the jacks
So I threw the man a twenty and jumped in and fired that mother up
Mario Andretti would be sure been proud
Of the way I was moving when I passed that crowd
Coming out the door and headed toward me at a trot
And I guess I should of gone ahead and run
But somehow I just couldn't resist the fun
Of chasing them all just once around the parking lot
Well they headed for their car, but I hit the gas
And spun around and headed them off at the pass
I was slinging gravel and putting a ton of dust in the air
I had them all out there stepping and fetching
Like their heads was on fire and their asses was catching
Then I figured I had better go ahead and split before the cops got there
When I hit the road I was really wheeling
Had gravel flying and rubber squealing
And I didn't slow down till I was almost to Arkansas
I think I'm going to reroute my trip
I wonder if anybody'd think I'd flipped
If I went to L.A., via Omaha