Promised Land 1983

Promised Land 1983

I put 40 dollars in a Greyhound ticket
towards the California shore
hopin' it would take me all the way to Lou'sana
or maybe just a little more.

Stuffed my harmonica into my pocket
set my watch to Pacific time
and when that 'Hound rolled into Mobile, Alabama
driver said it was the end of the line.

I said thank you, Mr. Driver, for your trouble
and I did enjoy the ride
Hope your kids grow up to be just like their daddy
and I said one last goodbye

I spent that day and half the evening
tryin' to get out of Alabam
My watch said it was 10 0'clock in L.A.
when I chanced to flag a trucker down

He said, Hop in I'm going clear across Texas
I'll take you just as far as I go
this highway sure gets so damn lonesome
that I couldn't stand the ride alone

Been a straight through drive from Norfolk, Virginia
All loaded up and hammer down
I'm Frank, pleased to meet you, we'll get a bite later
when we rumble into Houston town.

I pulled my harmonica out in San Antonio
rhythm was the diesel's whine
and when Frank picked up the tempo I was playin'
gotta tell you we was making time

Such good ol' boys, we was almost in tune
making up the words as we go
and we were almost brothers when the ride was over
on the other side of El Paso.

I was sipping on a Mountian Dew doing nothing
sitting down by the side of the road
hoping I could find somebody that would take me
all the way across New Mexico

Caught a lift with a Southern Baptist holy roller
in a too old Fairlane Ford
when I seen them diamond, shining lights of Phoenix
Don't you know I said Praise the Lord

Phoenix treated me like a long lost lover
and her sun sure warmed my bones
got myself nourished at the rescue mission
washed the road dust off my clothes.

Heard the siren song of Los Angeles County
crushed my cigarette in the ground
lit my next Lucky in a cabover Peterbilt
Southern California bound

We rolled to a stop about five in the morning
in a Chula Vista produce mart
just me and the driver, and the corn and lettuce
the morning was cool and dark

Walked right over to the glass booth pay phone
searching pockets for a dime
Hey operator, call collect to Tallahassee
tell my mama that I'm on the line.

Ed
San Diego (an assumption, actually)