Robert Earl Keen

The Front Porch Song

Robert Earl Keen


Tom: G

From: trey@terminator.tamu.edu (John S Graves)
E|----------------------------------------------------------------|

Front Porch Song

by Robert Earl Keen, Jr. and Lyle Lovett

from Robert Earl Keen's album No Kinda Dancer

>From Trey Graves ( trey@terminator.tamu.edu )

G  Em  C  D

G                                        Em
This old porch is just a big ol' red and white Hereford bull
         C                        D
Standin' under a mesquite tree in Agua Dulce Texas
G                                                Em
He just keeps on playing hide and seek with that hot August sun
     C                                D             G
He's sweatin' and a pantin' cause his work is never done
   Em
Oh no
               C           D
He's got them cows and that red top cane

This old porch is just a steaming greasy plate of enchiladas
With lots of cheese and onions and  a' guacomole salad
You can get at the La Salle Hotel in old downtown
With ice tea and a waitress who will smile everytime
Yea she will
I left a quarter tip on my ten dollar bill

This old porch is a palace walk-in on the main stream Texas
It ain't ever seen or heard the day of G & R and X's
With the '62 poster that's almost faded down
And a screen with out a picture since Giant came to town
Oh no,
I love them junior mints and them red hots, too
Yes I do, oh yea, and old movie pictures

This old porch is just a weathered gray hair seventy years of Texas
He's doing all he can not to give in to the city
And he always takes the rent late so long as I run his cattle
He picks me up at dinner time I listen to him rattle
He says the Brazos still runs muddy like she's run all along
There ain't ever been no cane to grind the cotton's all but gone
And you know this Chevrolet pickup she was something back in '60
Now there ain't nobody listen to him cause they all think he's crazy
This old porch is just a long time waitin' and forgetin'
And remembering the coming back not crying 'bout the leavin'
And rememberin' and the falling down and the laughter
and the curse of luck from all of those son's of bitches
Who said we'd never get back up

This old porch is just a big ol' red and white Hereford bull
Standin' under a mesquite tree out in Agua Dulce
He just keeps on playing hide and seek with that hot August sun
He's sweatin' and a pantin' cause his work is never done
Oh no
I've known a whole lot of old bulls in my life and there work is
never done


First solo, adapted for guitar (mandolin on the album)
begins at " and old movie pictures"

There's another solo I will tab if anybody's interested.

s:slide

G               Em                       C
E|--------------|-------------------------|-------------15-17-15-20-17-15-|
B|--------------|-------------------12-15-| 13-----15-17-------------------|
G|--16-14-12-15-| 14-12---------12-14------|-------------------------------|
D|--------------|------14----14-----------|-------------------------------|
A|--------------|-------------------------|-------------------------------|
E|--------------|-------------------------|-------------------------------|

*little puase, come in on down beat
        D
*17-15-|--17-15-----------------------------------------|
E|-------| 17------17-15---14------------------------------|
B|-------|--------------16---16-14----------------14-16---|
G|-------|-------------------------16----14-16-17---------|
D|-------|----------------------------17------------------|
A|-------|------------------------------------------------|

 G                                             Em
E|---------------------------------------------|----------------|
B|-15---15-------15----------------------------|----------------|
G|----16---16-14---16-14---16-14-------12---12-|----------------|
D|-----------------------17------17-14----12---| 16-14-12---14---|
A|---------------------------------------------|---------14-----|
E|---------------------------------------------|----------------|

                              C
E|-----------------------------|----------------15-17-15-(17)s20--|
B|-----------------------------| 13---13---15s17-------------------|
G|-----------------12---12--12-|----------------------------------|
D|-12--12-14-12-14---14---14---|----------------------------------|
A|---14------------------------|----------------------------------|
E|-----------------------------|----------------------------------|

     D                                                G
E|-17-| 20----------------------------------------------|-----------|
B|----|---17-18s19-17-15-------------------------------|-----------|
G|----|-------------------16-14---16-14----------------|-----------|
D|----|-------------------------16------16-14-16-14-16-| 17---------|
A|----|------------------------------------------------|-----------|
E|----|------------------------------------------------|-----------|




The Front Porch Song
by Robert Earl Keen Jr. and Lyle Lovett


        G               Em              C               D
E|------3---3---3|------0---0---0|------0---0---0|------2---2---2---3|
B|------3---3---3|------0---0---0|------1---1---1|------3---3---3---3|
G|------0---0---0|------0---0---0|------0---0---0|------2---2---2---0|
D|------0---0---0|------2---2---2|------2---2---2| 2-1-0-----0---0---0|
A|------2---2---2|--------2-----2| 0-2-3-----3-3--|--------3---2---0--|
E|0-2-3---3---3--| 3-2-0-------0--|--------3------|-------------------|


         G                          Em
This old porch is a big ol' red and white Herford bull
         C                        D
Standin' under a mesquite tree in Agua Dulce, Texas
   G                       Em
He keeps on playin' hide and seek with that hot august sun
C                                D             G
Sweatin' and a pantin' cause his work is never done
   Em            C           D
Oh no, With those cows and a red top cane


This old porch is a steamin' greasy plate of enchiladas
With lots of cheese and onions ans a guacamole salad
You can get them at the LaSalle Hotel in old downtown
With ice tea and a waitress who will smile every time
Oh yeah,  I left a quarter tip on my ten dollar bill