Traveling by Cab

He was too old for that bar

but it was the only one around

And he needed a beer

So that's where he was found

He took an empty stool

amid the jocks and punks

He could take them all to school

when it came to being drunks

Miles from home again

He was overdrawn on luck

Hoping that tomorrow

they'd find that part for his truck

So he drank a beer, then two

as a rock band hit the stage

When all he wanted to do

was have a drink with folks his age

(Refrain:)

Then the beer it turned to whiskey

The barmaid ran a tab

You can hit freefall until last call

when you're traveling by cab

There were young girls in the mirror

with no trouble on their minds

As the picture became clearer

he stared ahead just to look behind

Then the band kicked off their first set

They wore their guitars well

There was anger, light and speed,

every whistle, every bell

They had smoke bombs, they had lasers

The singer banged his tambourine

But it's hard to play the music

when you're a pinball machine

Then the drummer took a lighter

and set fire to his sticks

as the barmaid squealed with laughter

and said, "That's one of my favorite tricks."

(Refrain)

As the whiskey took the driver's seat

he touched his wedding ring

He kept thinking of Chuck Berry,

Howlin' Wolf and B.B. King

Then the band it took a break

and it was possible to talk

As the barmaid poured a free one

she said, "Don't they really rock?"

At first he had no words

so he drank his whiskey down

Then he slid off his barstool

and stood on shaky ground.

He said, "That ain't rock'n'roll.

That's just Vaudeville plugging in."

And she looked up and said,

"Ain't that the way it's always been?"

(Refrain #2:)

The beer will turn to whiskey

The barmaid runs a tab

The years spin by in a free fall

Till you're traveling by cab