Music Friday: "Ballad of the Devil's Backbone Tavern"

My mom died Wednesday morning. On the drive up to Iowa yesterday, I listened to CDs in an attempt to get my mind on other things. 

When listening to Todd Snider's Happy To Be Here, I realized one of my favorite songs by Snider reminds me of my mom because the advice Miss Virgie provides sounds like something my mom would say. 

So the song today is a sort of a tribute to my mom. Lyrics are below the video. 





Ballad of the Devil's Backbone Tavern
By Todd Snider

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 me 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.