Old Days - John Hiatt

I was sittin’in the dressing room with Brownie Mcgee

He was drinkin’that milk with that Dewar’s Whiskey

Said John, there’s nothin’written anywhere

Suggests the blues will set you free

Old days are comin’back to me

I was ridin’in the back seat, with Sonny Terry

Little harmonica player used to drive him around

I think his name was Harry

Tried to get him to eat tofu, raw vegetables, nuts, and berries

But Sonny wasn’t havin’any of it He let me share a room with?

em for a couple of weeks

Sonny slept with his good eye open staring out from under the sheets

I was young and uncomfortable I don’t mind tellin’ya kinda gave me the creeps

Old days are comin’back to me Old days are comin’back to me Don’t know what was so good about?

em I played practically free

I had nothin’to live up to Everywhere to be Old days are comin’back to me On some dates with Mose Allison somewhere out in the Midwest

Said some of my lyrics reminded him of the poet Kenneth Patchen

I took it as a compliment

He was referring to the line about wearin’neon signs on your wounds

Later on I knew what he meant

Old days are comin’back to me On a date with John Lee Hooker at a packed joint up in Washington

He came in with a gorgeous woman on each arm as I was singing my song

Walked?

em right up and sat?

em on the edge of the stage as I went singing along

And that’s called «evenin'son, I’m the headliner»

Old days are comin’back to me

I don’t know what was so great about?

em I played practically free

But I had nothing to live up to And everywhere to be Old days are comin’back to me Played a gig with John Hammond Jr. up in Vancouver BC

Exotic dancer came in my dressing room, started dancing exotically

They were smoking something in the audience that night, smelled exactly

like cat pee

Old days are comin’back to me Opened up a gig for Gatemouth Brown down in Baton Rouge

He was playing that Hillbilly, Jazz, Cajun, Country, Zydeco, and Blues

Throwin’it out past the walls like some kind of musical centrifuge

Old days are comin’back to me Old days are comin’back to me

I don’t know what was so good about?

em I played practically free

But I had nothin’to live up to Everywhere to be Old days are comin’back to me Old days are comin’back to me

I don’t know what was so great about?

em I played practically free

But I had nothin’to live up to Everywhere to be Old days are comin’back to me Old days are comin’back to me