The Kid From Spavinaw Lyrics - Modern Art - Tom Russell

I was born in Oklahoma, 1931 

Outside the town of Spavinaw 

Where the red dust clouds the sun 

And I ran beneath your diamond skies 

And I drank your waves of grain 

My name is Mickey Mantle, boys 

And baseball is my game 

My father's name was "Mutt", boy 

And he worked down in the mines 

He pitched to me in the evening 

At least a thousand times 

A thousand times again, in my nightmare and my dreams 

You're going to live in the house that 

Ruth built, kid 

You're going to make that Yankee team 

Sure enough, the Yankee scout comes drivin', 

Right down route 66 

He'd have never come to 

Spavinaw class D ball in the sticks, 

But I happened to be playing in an old wood ball park 

Way out on the mother road 

That Yankee scout he signed me and I went up to the the show 

Strike 1, that was the drinkin' 

Strike 2, there go the knees 

Then my old man died in Denver 

Some type of lung disease 

When God starts throwing change ups 

You can't swing with fame or wealth 

If I'd known I's going to live this long 

I'd have taken care of myself. 

I don't miss the lights of Times Square 

I don't miss Toots Shore's bar 

I miss my old man pitchin' baseball 

Near the shed in our backyard 

I wish that he were still alive 

To see these trophies on my shelf 

If I'd known I was going to live this long 

I'd have taken better care of myself 

I was born in Oklahoma, 

1931 Outside the town of Spavinaw 

Where the red dust clouds the sun