sometimes i don t know where this dirty road is taking me sometimes i don t even know the reason why but i guess i keep a gamblin lots of booze and lots of ramblin well it s easier than just a waitin around to die one time friends i had a ma i even had a pa well he beat her with a belt once cause she cried she told him to take care of me headed down to tennessee well it s easier than just a waitin around to die well i came of age and i found a girl in a tuscaloosa bar she cleaned me out and hit in on the sly i tried to hide the pain i bought some wine and hopped a train well it s easier than just waitin around to die a friend said he knew where some easy money was we robbed a man and brother did we fly the posse caught up with me and drug me back to muskogee two long years waitin around to die well now i m out of prison i got me a friend at last well he don t drink or steal or cheat or lie his name s codeine he s the nicest thing i ve seen yah together we re gonna wait around and die yah together we re gonna wait around and die it s plain to see the sun won t shine today but i ain t in the mood for sunshine anyway maybe i ll go insane i got to stop the pain or maybe i ll go down to see kathleen a swallow comes and tells me of her dreams she says she d like to know just what they mean and i feel like i could die as i watch her flying by ride the north wind down to see kathleen the stars hang high above the oceans roar the moon is come to lead me to her door there s crystal across the sand and the waves they take my hand and soon i m gonna see my sweet kathleen soon i m gonna see my sweet kathleen