My friend and occasional lyrical muse James Mahoney were one day bantering back and forth lines of haiku over the internet when the lyrics to this song emerged. I was engaged in a viewing of the movie "Second Hand Lions" at the time and thinking how appropriate it was for me as I rapidly approached retirement age, so the chorus naturally emerged from these thoughts.
The complete lyrics eventually jelled and ultimately fit beautifully with some melodic ideas that I was working on at the time.
And now living near Austin, where most of the film was shot, the eventuality of sitting out on my front porch with my old friends and playing guitars to the night critters (rather than firing off shotgun rounds at unsuspecting salesmen), seems so fitting.
lyrics
Second Hand Lions
Copyright 2005 R Nathan/J Mahoney
Intro:
Dm slide Em Dm slide Em Dm slide Em Dm C
Dm slide Em Dm slide Em Dm slide Em Dm C
C
You know I'm gonna come around
Em
When I’m really cranky and old
Dm7
Looking for a drunken old night
G
Where memories unfold
Of remember whens and thems
Mistaken mistakes and unfettered sins.
Tales of stuff we might never had done
Places we went had so much fun
(Add one measure in G then rest)
Where pot bellied pickers
And sharp city slickers
On wooden dance floors
Worn out by shit kickers
Find gals in tight pants
And guys gettin tight
They all wind up rantin'
Late into the night
Tellin' tall tales of Texas
These tall tastes of Texas
Livin' crazy things done
Some just begun
Soon to be, Second Hand Lions
They'll all be reminiscing
With their second hand dreams
And the youth that they're missin'
Chorus
Dm7 G C
Ahhh, Second Hand Lions
Dm7 G C
Playin' forty-two and moon
F G C Am
As our dominos all shuffle
` F G C
In this game, that's ending all too soon
Bridge:
Dm slide Em Dm slide Em Dm slide Em Dm C
Dm slide Em Dm slide Em Dm slide Em Dm C
And with a little luck,
From the tailgate of a pick-up truck,
Parked backed to a fire at camp
We’ll lay one down that's dark and damp.
With a melody so sweet and pale
Driftin’ through the air like scented ale
Warms the soul and sooths the flesh
With wicked words so cool and fresh.
(Add one measure in G then rest)
About unrealized dreams
And old unhatched schemes
We’re too proud to live
And too poor to die.
So we've got to unite
And stay up all night
Lay it all down,
Then pick it back up,
Like that rusty old pickup truck
That never get's stuck
We'll know just where to go
With our load of rhythm and blues in tow
Chuggin’ down that road
That we call yesterday,
Tomorrow my friend
We'll play those surly songs again
About us, Second Hand Lions
Playin' forty-two and moon
As our dominos all shuffle
In this game, that's ending all too soon
Bridge:
Dm slide Em Dm slide Em Dm slide Em Dm C
Dm slide Em Dm slide Em Dm slide Em Dm C
Break
Chorus
Ahhh, Second Hand Lions
Playin' forty-two and moon
As our dominos all shuffle
In this game, that's ending all too soon
Outro:
In this game, that's ending all too soon
Dm slide Em Dm slide Em Dm slide Em Dm C
Dm slide Em Dm slide Em Dm slide Em Dm C
credits
from The Long Road,
released April 15, 2016
Robert Lindsay Nathan - Acoustic Guitar, banjo. Lead Vocal
Rick Richards - Drums,
Mark Hallman - Bass
Andre Moran - Electric Guitars
Beth Chrisman and Jenn Miori Hodges - Harmonies
Elana James - Fiddle
Robert Lindsay (Bama) Nathan was born in New Orleans on September 24, 1952. He was raised in Muscle Shoals Alabama and formally educated in Texas (Gig 'em Aggies). He has been writing songs since the early 1970's and has circled the globe playing them.
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