Bacon and Eggs and a Bottle of Jack

Intro- 4 counts

(Banjo roll, fiddle answering)

Verse 1

Hot cast iron, cherry red

Grease poppin’ like a bobcat’s mad

Hickory bacon curlin’ black

Smells like supper, smells like track

Got a hunger way down deep

Past the mud upon my feet

Down where river people know

Salt and smoke can save your soul

Chorus

Bacon and eggs and a bottle of Jack

Heavy load on a weary back

Train keeps moanin’ down the track

I ain’t much for lookin’ back

No sir, no

Ain’t lookin’ back

Just bacon and eggs and a bottle of Jack

---

Verse 2

Well the hen laid down her golden prize

Pig gave up his whole damn side

That’s the bargain breakfast makes

For the busted hearts and the men half-baked

Crack that shell and watch it run

Yellow as the mornin’ sun

Dance around that skillet black

Like a preacher dodgin’ tax

I feel alright

Strong and lean

Mean enough to split kindling

Bootheels tappin’ kitchen tile

Lord, I ain’t hurtin’ for awhile

---

Chorus

Bacon and eggs and a bottle of Jack

Heavy load on a weary back

River keeps callin’ me back downstream

Like an old half-remembered dream

No sir, no

Ain’t lookin’ back

Just bacon and eggs and a bottle of Jack

---

Bridge

Tennessee whiskey in a square glass jar

Took me quick and took me far

Woke up cold behind some bar

With a broke-down fiddle and a burnin’ heart

But the frypan sang come morning light

And pulled me back to life alright

---

Banjo Solo

(Foot stomps, fiddle weaving around the banjo)*

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Verse 3

Sun comes sneakin’ through the screen

Dust motes floatin’ slow and mean

Burnt the toast near black as coal

Still tastes good when the wind blows cold

One more sip

One more drag

Last drop rattlin’ in the bag

Rainwater drippin’ off the shack

Coffee weak and the whiskey black

---

Verse 4

Pop and sizzle, scrape and smoke

Breakfast kings and working folk

Kitchen rules all shot to hell

By the smell from that frying pan spell

Dog’s asleep beside the chair

Bluegrass tangled in the air

And if the world don’t cut me slack

I still got eggs and a bottle of Jack

---

Final Chorus

Bacon and eggs and a bottle of Jack

Heavy load on a weary back

Wheel keeps turnin’, don’t lose track

Life’ll leave you flat on your back

No sir, no

Ain’t lookin’ back

Bacon and eggs and a bottle of Jack

River gonna carry me just like that

Banjo ringin’ through the smoke

Laughin’ hard at every joke

No sir, no

Ain’t lookin’ back

Just bacon and eggs and a bottle of Jack

End Breakdown

(Banjo fading out with skillet percussion and train whistle)