Ballad of the Devil's Backbone Tavern

Todd Snider

Old Miss Virgy tended bar at this shack out in the hills
It never made her any money boys but paid of all her bills
Now she must have been 80 years old but her heart was warm

And her beer was cold
She gave away more than she ever sold
Smiling all the time
I used to sing off in the corner every Friday night
To a loud crowd of cowboys, bikers and bar room fights
They were drinking beer, carrying on, not a one of them listening to one of my songs

But old Miss Virgy sang along
She said she knew 'em all by heart
And then one night after closing she poured me another beer
She said "Come on over and sit down you little shit
I got something you need to hear"

She said "Life ain't easy getting through everybody's gonna make things tough on you
But I can tell you right now if you dig what you do, they will never get you down"
She said life's too short to worry
Life's too long to wait
Too short not to love everybody
Life's too long to hate

I meet a lot of men who haggle and finagle all the time
Trying to save a nickel or make a dime
Not me, no sireee, I ain't got the time
Now I ain't seen Ol' Virgy in must have been about ten years
I've been bumming around this country singing my songs for tips and beers

Now the nights are long
The driving's tough
Hotels stink, and the pay sucks
But I can't dig what I do enough, so it never gets be down
I say life's too short to worry
Life's too long to wait

Too short not to love everybody
Life's too long to hate
I meet a lot of men who haggle and finagle all the time
Trying to save a nickel or make a dime
Not me, no sireee, I ain't got the time