The Red Rose & The Briar Lyrics - John Wesley Harding

Midweek and we reached scarlet town 

I was almost dying of thirst 

We parked the car in some old schoolyard 

The windscreen caked in dirt 

There was no water in the engine left 

No tread upon the tyres 

The electrics were broke cos you went mad 

You ripped out all the wires 

Across the road, a small cafe 

In this state of disrepair 

You went for papers and a shave 

So I saved you a chair 

I knew it wasn't the journey's end 

And that your dream was incomplete 

But I just could not stand anymore 

I was dead upon my feet 

I was dead upon my feet 

There's nothing there in the market square 

But the ghost of the scarlet town crier 

I was dead upon my feet 

I sing the red rose and the briar 

I sing the red rose and the briar 

The waitress told me her life story 

She'd always meant to up and go 

She wiped a cup on her red pinafore 

As we waited for you to show 

And I told her just a little of you 

But left the picture incomplete 

You still weren't there to paint it in person 

So I skipped out on the street 

I skipped out on the street 

The newsagent grinned, he said yes you'd been in 

You bought a local paper and some shades 

The washroom attendant said that you'd freshened up 

That you'd left but you hadn't paid 

And I couldn't figure out where you were 

So I went back just to look near the car 

There was nothing there where it should have been 

Just oil on dirt and tar 

Just oil on dirt and tar 

There's nothing there in the market square 

But the ghost of the scarlet town crier 

And there was nothing there where it should have been 

I sing the red rose and the briar 

I sing the red rose and the briar 

I saw it parked way down the street 

In a garage off on the right 

And a man said 'get your hands off son' 

I just traded that wreck for a motorbike 

There was nothing left of mine inside 

Not even the broken radio 

And I couldn't figure out where that left me 

So I went back to look for rose 

The cafe rouge was a lunchtime rush 

Of regulars yelling for food 

The service in there left a lot to be desired 

And all the regulars were getting rude 

I saw an apron thrown over a chair 

A note said 'hey john we're gone, we're gone' 

And I just smiled cos I loved you both 

So I put the apron on 

I put the apron on 

There's nothing there in the market square 

But the ghost of the scarlet town crier 

And I just put the apron on 

I sing the red rose and the briar 

I sing the red rose and the briar