The Roadblock
Read The Roadblock lyrics by Stan Ridgway on LyroVerse, with linked artist context and related song paths.
The page facts to cite before the commentary
Use this page for the lyric text, linked artist context, and any LyroVerse editor's note attached to the song. Listener comments remain user-generated and should not be treated as the primary source.
The Roadblock
The lyric stays readable and compact here; the note and related paths sit nearby so you do not lose the song while looking for context.
News travels fast in a small desert town
So it wasn't long at all before the word got around
That a killin' mad car was headed their way
So the sheriff and the boys were gonna stop him
Out on the highway
Right where it intersected big black rock
So it wasn't long at all
Before the whole town was out standin' 'round
Hammerin' a nail and buildin' up a pride
In a roadblock
The mayor's wife sat in the shade
And talked her way through a few good lies
While her husband practiced his acceptance speech
For a medal from the F.B.I.
And Granny rocked back in her chair and said,
"Just what did this man do?"
While some idiot kids from school
Ate the dirty sno-cones colored red, white and blue
At the roadblock
Then the local paper jumped the gun
And printed the big headline
"Town is saved from killer car with roadblock at stateline"
Three miles down the highway in a Chevy '69
Were a pair of crazy eyeballs
Jumpin' left and right in time
To an eight track tape playin' Foghat and Jethro Tull
And a gasoline soaked hand shiftin'
A little plastic skull
And on the arm a blue tattoo that read
"I'm a son of a bitch"
A map open on the front seat
Leather black as pitch
One foot slammed on the gas, no shoe
Just an argyle sock
Andthat car was screamin' wild down the highway
Like lightnin' towards the roadblock
Then all eyes turned down the highway
To a big cloud of smoke
And Granny went into a mild state of shock and started to choke
And then a boy up in a tree yelled out, "Here he comes..."
Then twenty men strong aimed and fired point blank
Nineteen shotguns...
Well the next day the sheriff just tried to stall
While they buried the body out behind a wall
The newspaper said, "Killer still on the lam
Seems the boys at the roadblock shot the wrong man
Nobody really knew just who he was
He was drivin' a Camaro with dashboard fuzz
They all burned the car right there at big black rock
And no one ever said a word at all again
About a roadblock
What this page can answer fast
Who performs "The Roadblock"?
Stan Ridgway performs "The Roadblock", and this lyric page sits inside the Stan Ridgway catalog on LyroVerse.
Are there related songs to explore after "The Roadblock"?
Yes. The related section below points to A Mission In Life and Amnesia with a short reason for opening each page next.
Where can I find more songs by Stan Ridgway?
Use the artist link near the top of the page or the related paths section below to keep moving through Stan Ridgway's lyric pages.
Interpretations, questions, and corrections for this song
Interpretations, questions, memories, and correction notes live together here. The room stays noindex while the best insights are reviewed.
What people are saying
No listener comments on The Roadblock yet.
A strong comment here is specific: the phrase you keep hearing, the mood you come back for, or the reason this song stays in rotation.
Sign in to post the first listener note. Reporting stays open to everyone.