Back To The Wall Lyrics - Singles - Steve Earle

Sometimes in the evenings I start to get that feeling 

Like I'm empty inside 

I know I'm doin' good now but tonight I'm headed downtown 

Down by the riverside 

I sit underneath the freeway with an old friend from the old days 

And a bottle of wine 

He used to call me "Big Time", said he knew someday that I'd shine 

Said he'd seen all the signs 

He said 

Keep yourself to yourself 

Keep your bedroll dry 

And boy you never can tell 

What the shadows hide 

Keep one eye on the ground 

Pick up whatever you find 

'Cause you've got no place to fall 

When your back's to the wall 

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He's gettin' old and it's showin' so I asked him how it's goin' 

He said "I've seen better I guess 

I've been rained on, I've been frozen, but this here's the life I've chosen 

If it just wasn't for the loneliness" 

Now this river suits me to a T. but if you're trying to raise a family 

This it ain't no place to be 

Hell there's a kid down by the dump there, ought to be in grade school somewhere 

Now he hangs out with me, now I told him 

Keep yourself to yourself 

Keep your bedroll dry 

And boy you never can tell 

What the shadows hide 

Keep one eye on the ground 

Pick up whatever you find 

'Cause you've got no place to fall 

When your back's to the wall 

Photos 

Well we finished off the bottle and I told him, 

"Joe I think I ought to be headed uptown 

Well it was late, and I'd been drinkin', drivin' home I got to thinkin' 

'Bout what's been going down 

'Cause they're nervous down on Wall Street, but they're trying to keep it upbeat 

Or maybe they just don't care 

Down at the river eyes are burnin' cause they feel the tables turnin' 

So if you wind up down there 

Just keep yourself to yourself 

Keep your bedroll dry 

And boy you never can tell 

What the shadows hide 

Keep one eye on the ground 

Pick up whatever you find 

'Cause you've got no place to fall 

When your back's to the wall