Ride (Charley)
Skippin’ town on a midnight train
Those city lights can drive a boy insane
Fell asleep to the drumming rain
Ride, young Charley, ride
Out in Omaha he found his muse
A red-haired girl who really lit his fuse
She made him want to learn to sing the blues
Ride, young Charley, ride
Out in the woods they fell in love
While thunder rumbled from the clouds above
His friends all said she fit him like a glove
Ride, young Charley, ride
(Instrumental)
Well, they got married and they settled down
Into a van that Charley drove around
Woke up most days in a brand-new town
Ride, Charley, ride
Changed directions with the evening breeze
They saw the mountains and they saw the seas
That kind of beauty brings you to your knees
Ride, Charley, ride
For ten years they criss-crossed this land
Just the two of them, hand in hand
Never before was there a happier man
Ride, Charley, ride
(Instrumental)
They sold the van and found a place to stay
His face grew lined, her haired turning grey
Their love grew stronger, though, day by day
Ride, Charley, ride
Now age is cruel and death isn’t fair
One day he woke up and she wasn’t there
Her spirit floated out into the air
Ride, old Charley, ride
After that, Charley wasn’t the same
He was alone with only time to blame
He lived for years, though, just nursing that flame
Ride, old Charley, ride
Then one day he up and rented a van
Took one more trip across the length of the land
Back to the woods where it all began
Ride, Charley, ride
Ten miles in, he knew he’d reached his end
He heard her calling up around the bend
No human eye ever saw him again
Ride, Charley, ride
(Instrumental outro)