Burma Shave

A licorice tattoo turned a gun metal blue

Scrawled across the shoulders of a dying town

Took the one-eyed Jackson across the railroad tracks

And the scar on its belly pulled a stranger passing through

He's a juvenile delinquent, never learned how to behave

But the cops would never think to look in Burma shave

And the road was like a ribbon and the moon was like a bone

He didn't seem to be like any guy she'd ever known

He kinda looked like Farley Granger with his hair slicked back

She says, "I'm a sucker for a fella in a cowboy hat"

How far are you going, he said, "Depends on what you mean"

He says, "I'm only stopping here to get some gasoline

And I guess I'm going that way just as long as it's paved

I guess you'd say, I'm on my way to Burma Shave"

And with her knees upon the glove compartment

She took out her barrettes and her hair spilled out like root beer

And she popped her gum and arched her back

Hell, Marysville ain't nothing but a wide spot in the road

Some night my heart pounds just like thunder

I don't know why it don't explode

'Cause everyone in this stinking town has got one foot in the grave

And I'd rather take my chances out in Burma Shave

Presley's what I go by, why don't you change the stations

Count the grain elevators in the rear view mirror

She said, "Mister anywhere you point this thing

It got to beat the hell out of the sting of going to bed

With every dream that dies here every mornin'"

And so drill me a hole with a barber pole

And I'm jumping my parole just like a fugitive tonight

Why don't you have another swig and pass that car if you're so brave

I wanna get there before the sun comes up in Burma Shave

And the spider web crack and the mustang screamed

The smoke from the tires and the twisted machine

Just a nickel's worth of dreams and every wish bone that they saved

Lie swindled from them on the way to Burma Shave

And the sun hit the derrick and cast a bat wing shadow

Up against the car door on the shot gun side

And when they pulled her from the wreck

You know she still had on her shades

They say that dreams are growing wild just this side of Burma Shave