I Had My Hopes Up High Lyrics - Joe Ely

Well, I left my home out on the Great High Plains 

Headed for some new terrain 

Standin' on the highway with my coffee cup 

A wonderin' who was gonna pick me up 

I had my hopes up high, I never thought 

That I would ever wonder why I ever said goodbye 

I had my hopes up high 

Well, the first ride I got was in a dynamite truck 

The driver kept tellin' me his bad luck 

As we swerved around the curves, I began to shout 

I said, "Hey mister would you let me out?" 

I had my hopes up high, I never thought 

That I would ever wonder why I ever said goodbye 

I had my hopes up high 

And the next ride I got was with a man in trouble 

The beard on his face was all in a stubble 

Runnin' from the law he was goin' ninety-nine 

I said, "Hey mister, you're out of your mind" 

I had my hopes up high, I never thought 

That I would ever wonder why I ever said goodbye 

I had my hopes up high 

And the next ride I got was with a preacher man 

Told me that the wicked would be buried in sand 

I don't know why I did it but I lost control 

I said, "Ho Papa, would you save my soul?" 

I had my hopes up high, I never thought 

That I would ever wonder why I ever said goodbye 

I had my hopes up high 

And I finally got a ride on a carnival train 

Nearly blew away in a hurricane 

I got to thinkin' bout that preacher down in Louisianne 

Now I'm sittin' on the Delta Siftin' sand 

I had my hopes up high, I never thought 

That I would ever wonder why I ever said goodbye 

I had my hopes up high 

I never thought 

That I would ever wonder why I ever said goodbye 

I had my hopes up high