The Roadblock Lyrics - Singles - Stan Ridgway

News travels fast in a small desert town 

So it wasn't long at all before the word got around 

That a killin' mad car was headed their way 

So the sheriff and the boys were gonna stop him 

Out on the highway 

Right where it intersected big black rock 

So it wasn't long at all 

Before the whole town was out standin' 'round 

Hammerin' a nail and buildin' up a pride 

In a roadblock 

The mayor's wife sat in the shade 

And talked her way through a few good lies 

While her husband practiced his acceptance speech 

For a medal from the F.B.I. 

And Granny rocked back in her chair and said, 

"Just what did this man do?" 

While some idiot kids from school 

Ate the dirty sno-cones colored red, white and blue 

At the roadblock 

Then the local paper jumped the gun 

And printed the big headline 

"Town is saved from killer car with roadblock at stateline" 

Three miles down the highway in a Chevy '69 

Were a pair of crazy eyeballs 

Jumpin' left and right in time 

To an eight track tape playin' Foghat and Jethro Tull 

And a gasoline soaked hand shiftin' 

A little plastic skull 

And on the arm a blue tattoo that read 

"I'm a son of a bitch" 

A map open on the front seat 

Leather black as pitch 

One foot slammed on the gas, no shoe 

Just an argyle sock 

Andthat car was screamin' wild down the highway 

Like lightnin' towards the roadblock 

Then all eyes turned down the highway 

To a big cloud of smoke 

And Granny went into a mild state of shock and started to choke 

And then a boy up in a tree yelled out, "Here he comes..." 

Then twenty men strong aimed and fired point blank 

Nineteen shotguns... 

Well the next day the sheriff just tried to stall 

While they buried the body out behind a wall 

The newspaper said, "Killer still on the lam 

Seems the boys at the roadblock shot the wrong man 

Nobody really knew just who he was 

He was drivin' a Camaro with dashboard fuzz 

They all burned the car right there at big black rock 

And no one ever said a word at all again 

About a roadblock 

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