Ballad of the Devil's Backbone Tavern

Old Miss Virgy tended bar at this shack out in the hills

It never made her any money boys but paid of all her bills

Now she must have been 80 years old but her heart was warm

And her beer was cold

She gave away more than she ever sold

Smiling all the time

I used to sing off in the corner every Friday night

To a loud crowd of cowboys, bikers and bar room fights

They were drinking beer, carrying on, not a one of them listening to one of my songs

But old Miss Virgy sang along

She said she knew 'em all by heart

And then one night after closing she poured me another beer

She said "Come on over and sit down you little shit

I got something you need to hear"

She said "Life ain't easy getting through everybody's gonna make things tough on you

But I can tell you right now if you dig what you do, they will never get you down"

She said life's too short to worry

Life's too long to wait

Too short not to love everybody

Life's too long to hate

I meet a lot of men who haggle and finagle all the time

Trying to save a nickel or make a dime

Not me, no sireee, I ain't got the time

Now I ain't seen Ol' Virgy in must have been about ten years

I've been bumming around this country singing my songs for tips and beers

Now the nights are long

The driving's tough

Hotels stink, and the pay sucks

But I can't dig what I do enough, so it never gets be down

I say life's too short to worry

Life's too long to wait

Too short not to love everybody

Life's too long to hate

I meet a lot of men who haggle and finagle all the time

Trying to save a nickel or make a dime

Not me, no sireee, I ain't got the time