Live 23 Jun 2005 version
My name is Joe Roberts, I work for the state
I'm a sergeant out of Perrineville, barracks number 8
I always done an honest job, as honest as I could
I got a brother named Franky, Franky ain't no good
Hey ever since we was young kids, it's been the same come down
And I get a call on the shortwave, Franky's in trouble downtown
If it was any other man, well I'd put him straight away
When it's your brother sometimes you look the other way
Yeah me and Franky laughin' and drinkin', nothin' feels better than blood on blood
Takin' turns dancin' with Maria as the band played "Night of the Johnstown Flood"
I catch him when he's strayin' like any brother would
Man turns his back on his family, he just ain't no good
Well Franky he went in the army back in 1965
Yeah I got a farm deferment, settled down, took Maria for my bride
Them wheat prices kept on droppin', it was like we were gettin' robbed
Franky came home in '68, me I took this job
Yeah me and Franky laughin' and drinkin', nothin' feels better than blood on blood
Takin' turns dancin' with Maria as the band played "Night of the Johnstown Flood"
I catch him when he's strayin', hey like any brother would
Man turns his back on his family, he just ain't no good
Well the night was like any other, yeah I got a call about quarter to nine
Well there was trouble in a roadhouse out on Michigan line
There was a kid lyin' on the floor lookin' bad, he's bleedin' hard from his head
There was a girl cryin' at a table, it was Frank, they said
I went out and I jumped in my car, yeah and I hit the lights
Well I must've done a hundred and ten in Michigan County that night
It was out at the crossroads, way down 'round Willow bank
I seen a Buick with Ohio plates, behind the wheel was Frank
Well I chased him through those county roads
Till a sign said "Canadian border five miles from here"
I pulled over the side of the highway and watched his taillights disappear
Yeah me and Franky laughin' and drinkin', nothin' feels better than blood on blood
Takin' turns dancin' with Maria as the band played "Night of the Johnstown Flood"
I catch him when he's strayin', like any brother would
Man turns his back on his family, he just ain't no good
The above lyrics are for the live 23 Jun 2005 performance of HIGHWAY PATROLMAN at Scandinavium in Gothenburg, Sweden, during the Devils & Dust Solo Acoustic Tour.
List of available versions of HIGHWAY PATROLMAN on this website:
HIGHWAY PATROLMAN [Album version]
