No One Lives it For You (1983)

Words and Music ©1983, 2013 by Dallas Denny

Source: Denny, Dallas. (1983). No one lives it for you. Unpublished song.

 

 

 

 

 

Me, 6 December, 2013 (160 MBPS MP3)

 

No One Lives it For You

By Dallas Denny

 

The old man showed me a photograph

Of a guitar with silver strings

And a dog-eared old pawn ticket

Dated nineteen and sixty-three

His hand shook just a little

As he reached for my guitar

And his voice was old and trembling

But his song filled up the bar

 

And he sang

 

Refrain

Life’s over ‘fore you know it

To your glory and your shame

No one lives it for you

So ain’t no one you can blame

Ain’t no one you can blame

 

Then I listened to his story

It was a sad tale to hear it told

And one look at him told me

That he didn’t have far to go

It was a life of chances wasted

And nighttimes down in bars

And dreams ending up in pawnshops

Like his silver—stringed guitar

 

Repeat Refrain

 

Now I’m a rounder and a wastrel

I don’t own a blessed thing

But my guitar and the memory

Of the time that old man sang

And I’ve wasted my share of chances

As I wander near and far

But I stay the hell away from pawnshops

With my silver-stringed guitar

 

Repeat Refrain