Highway Patrolman

Lyrics

[Verse 1] My name is Joe Roberts and I work for the state I'm a sergeant out of Perrineville Barracks Number 8 I always done an honest job—as honest as I could I got a brother named Frankie, and Frankie ain't no good [Verse 2] Now, ever since we was young kids, it's been the same comedown I get a call on the shortwave: Frankie's in trouble downtown Well, if it was any other man, I'd put him in straight away But when it's your brother, sometimes you look the other way [Chorus] Me and Frankie laughing and drinking Nothing feels better than blood on blood Taking turns dancing with Maria As the band played "Night of the Johnstown Flood" I catch him when he's straying Like any brother would Man turns his back on his family Well, he just ain't no good [Verse 3] Well, Frankie went in the army back in 1965 I got a farm deferment, settled down, took Maria for my wife But them wheat prices kept on dropping til it was like we was getting robbed Frankie came home in '68, and me, I took this job [Chorus] Yeah, we're laughing and drinking Nothing feels better than blood on blood Taking turns dancing with Maria As the band played "Night of the Johnstown Flood" I catch him when he's straying Teach him how to walk that line Man turns his back on his family He ain't no friend of mine [Verse 4] Well, that night was like any other, I got a call 'bout a quarter to nine There's trouble in a roadhouse out on the Michigan line There's a kid lying on the floor, looking bad, bleeding hard from his head There's a girl crying at a table, and it was Frank, they said [Verse 5] Well, I went out and jumped in my car, and I hit the lights Well, I must've done a hundred and ten through Michigan County that night It was out at the crossroads, down round Willow Bank Seen a Buick with Ohio plates, behind the wheel was Frank [Chorus] Yeah, me and Frankie laughing and drinking Nothing feels better than blood on blood Taking turns dancing with Maria As the band played "Night of the Johnstown Flood" I catch him when he's straying Like any brother would Man turns his back on his family Well, he just ain't no good [Verse 6] Well, I chased him through the country roads Til a sign said "Canadian border, five miles" Over the side of the highway And watched his taillights disappear [Chorus] Yeah, me and Frankie laughing and drinking Nothing feels better than blood on blood Taking turns dancing with Maria As the band played "Night of the Johnstown Flood" I catch him when he's straying Like any brother would Man turns his back on his family Well, he just ain't no good