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Post by castleoblivion26 on Jul 17, 2020 20:22:29 GMT -5
"I never did good in school I was a rebal at heart While everybody was makin' the grade I was getting up to no good to an art
But then you came along And baby there I went Darlin' with a kiss all of that english Finally started makin' sense
You got me feelin' so good It's more better the I thought it would be Girl you taught me things that I never learned in school I'm in love with a capital U"#34 ~ "I'm In Love With A Capital 'U'"386 Points Average: 32.17 ST DEV: 11.53 .indulgecountry ~ 10 someguy ~ 13 gardyfan ~ 26 LBTrocks ~ 26 kw9461 ~ 31 Cody Wants Out... ~ 31 George Strait Junkie ~ 36 Kanenrá:ke ~ 36 sabre14 ~ 40 tim ~ 42 castleoblivion26 ~ 47 bboat11 ~ 48
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Post by tim on Jul 17, 2020 22:56:24 GMT -5
Neither of the last two reveals came as much of a surprise, especially “I’m in Love With A Capitol ‘U’” which has always been one of my least favorite singles from Joe’s mid-90s material. “Next Thing Smokin’”, on the the hand, is a one of my jams and I had a lot of fun revisiting this...I almost forgot just how much I enjoyed it! I wasn’t expecting my enjoyment of it to be shared amongst the rest of you, though, so again it was one of those songs I was expecting to see out soon.
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.indulgecountry
Diamond Member
Best Country Poster 2011, 2017, & 2018
"You left a mark on my face // And brought a dozen red flags in a vase"
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Post by .indulgecountry on Jul 18, 2020 0:29:33 GMT -5
"Next Thing Smokin'" went out earlier than I expected! I've never really liked that one and I am pleasantly surprised that it wasn't as popular as I thought it was.
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bboat11
Moderator
Pulse's Resident Martina McBride Expert
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Post by bboat11 on Jul 21, 2020 19:24:02 GMT -5
"Pride And Joy" starts out kinda promising with the rock-leaning intro being pretty interesting, but ultimately the melody of the song is kinda repetitive and doesn't do much for me. "Behind Closed Doors" is one that I think ends up faltering just because it is a non-album song, that ultimately is not as well-known as many of the huge hits that surrounded it. I liked the way the chorus builds from beginning to end, but his discography is so strong that this one ultimately does not compare. "All In The Same Boat" has a really fun premise, with really fun lyrics and great chemistry between the three men, who are undoubtedly all pretty good friends in real life. However, the melody and production both get stale really quickly. It ultimately just comes across as a cheaply-made late-career song from three people who are well-past their hit-making days, and does not compare to their actual hits. "Somethin' Like This" is the first loss that feels a little too early for me. It is definitely not one of his bigger or most well-known hits, so it kinda makes sense. But I really enjoyed this one! Especially in the chorus, which has a cool build to the melody. I have similar thoughts about "The Promised Land". It may not be among his best songs, but it is still a very pleasant listen! I can totally see why the songs from this album might get lost in the shuffle like tim said, but they are certainly not bad. Oh wow, "Glass Houses" got done dirty af!!! Tammy Wynette sounds as fantastic as she always did. It was no doubt an awesome experience for Joe to get to sing with such an icon, who was no doubt an idol of his. I may have overranked it a tad at #19, but there is no way it deserves bottom 10! "White Lightning" is a really weird song. I had a lot of trouble ranking it, because it is catchy af, but it is also kinda annoying. Ultimately the catchiness won over, cause I put it at #20. Joe's vocal performance here is really fun, and shows off just how talented he is. I can't at "Starting Over Blues" having the IDENTICAL opening instrumentation from George's "Lovesick Blues" It is well sung, but ultimately this song just sounds like one of those early-career songs that randomly flops in the middle of a long string of big hits, leading to everybody forgetting that it was actually a single. "Somehow Tonight" is leaving in a good place. It is not bad by any means, and is actually pretty catchy! But the bluegrass designation definitely puts a target on its back. I myself as more of a mainstream country fan find it kinda hard to get into music like this. This one was better than average though! "Poor Me" is a great double meaning hook, but the melody just kinda plods along to me. This same theme has since been done way better by a few other people, most notably Trick Pony's "Pour Me". "C-O-U-N-T-R-Y" is a very straightforward '90s country jam. All the stereotypes are here, of course. But the song fails to have any of the definitive wit or personality that makes songs like "Bigger Than The Beatles", "Pickup Man", etc. so great. It just feels like radio filler. There is something sneaky catchy about "Goodnight Sweetheart". But it looks like it wasn't one of his singles. Is it just a fan fave or something? "Zero" must have been in included for the same reason as "Goodnight Sweetheart". This song has a spunky personality to it that neither of the hits from this album that have already left us had. That chorus melody sounds like one that could have been pretty iconic if this song had become a hit! "Next Thing Smokin'" is a really catchy song, and I am not totally sure why I ranked it at #40! I guess I just found his discography so solid that this one kinda got lost in the shuffle. There is a LOT of competition for the higher regions of this rankdown. "I'm In Love With A Capital U" really overstayed imo. This song has really stupid lyrics, and Joe's delivery of this song is absolutely atrocious.... That disgusting exaggerated whiny twang that he puts on just sounds so unnatural and, frankly, shitty.
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Post by tim on Jul 21, 2020 20:13:52 GMT -5
"Zero" must have been in included for the same reason as "Goodnight Sweetheart". This song has a spunky personality to it that neither of the hits from this album that have already left us had. That chorus melody sounds like one that could have been pretty iconic if this song had become a hit! I know that a few album tracks were included in the rankdown and this was one that I happened to suggest as it has always been a favorite of mine. I'm not sure if this would've done any better than the three singles that were released, but it's the only song I ever revisit from the album to this day. As far as "Goodnight Sweetheart" being included I think castleoblivion26 wanted to include that as a comparison to David Kersh who released his own version as a single in 1996.
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Post by castleoblivion26 on Jul 22, 2020 13:15:33 GMT -5
"Zero" must have been in included for the same reason as "Goodnight Sweetheart". This song has a spunky personality to it that neither of the hits from this album that have already left us had. That chorus melody sounds like one that could have been pretty iconic if this song had become a hit! I know that a few album tracks were included in the rankdown and this was one that I happened to suggest as it has always been a favorite of mine. I'm not sure if this would've done any better than the three singles that were released, but it's the only song I ever revisit from the album to this day. As far as "Goodnight Sweetheart" being included I think castleoblivion26 wanted to include that as a comparison to David Kersh who released his own version as a single in 1996. yeah I added a couple extras to make it an even number (sorry I cannot stand uneven numbers). There were only 4 songs added: "Zero", "Goodnight Sweetheart", "The Grandpa That I Knew", and "I'm Not Through Losin' You". "Goodnight Sweetheart" I did add as a comparison to David Kersh, and same with "The Grandpa That I Knew" which is also covered by Patty Loveless (on her On Your Way Home album). I don't plan to do an album series for Joe Diffie so I wanted to showcase those 2 especially.
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Post by castleoblivion26 on Jul 22, 2020 18:51:48 GMT -5
"Well you filled up my head with so many lies You twisted my heart till something snapped inside I'd like to give it one more try but my give a damn's busted
You can crawl back home say you were wrong Stand out in the yard and cry all night long Go ahead and water the lawn, my give a damn's busted
I really wanna care, I wanna feel somethin' Let me dig a little deeper nah sorry, nothin'"#33 ~ "My Give A Damn's Busted"385 Points Average: 32.08 ST DEV: 9.60 someguy ~ 9 castleoblivion26 ~ 21 bboat11 ~ 28 Cody Wants Out... ~ 30 sabre14 ~ 31 Kanenrá:ke ~ 32 George Strait Junkie ~ 34 gardyfan ~ 35 tim ~ 36 kw9461 ~ 38 .indulgecountry ~ 44 LBTrocks ~ 47
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bboat11
Moderator
Pulse's Resident Martina McBride Expert
Joined: February 2013
Posts: 27,283
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Post by bboat11 on Jul 22, 2020 18:58:20 GMT -5
AWESOME song, incredible lyrics, fantastic and memorable melody..........but his delivery is nowhere NEAR the caliber of Jo Dee's
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Post by castleoblivion26 on Jul 22, 2020 19:09:17 GMT -5
"Rudolph was under the weather And had to call in sick So he got on the horn To his cousin Leroy Who lived out in the sticks He said Santa's really counting on me And I hate to pass the buck Leroy said Hey I'm on my way And he jumped in his pick-up truck When Leroy got to the North Pole All the reindeer snickered and laughed They never seen a deer in overalls And a John Deer trucker hat Well Santa stepped in And said just calm down Cuz we all got a job to do Like it or not Leroy's in charge And he's gonna be leading you And it was"#32 ~ "Leroy The Redneck Reindeer"384 Points Average: 32.00 ST DEV: 13.08 George Strait Junkie ~ 13 kw9461 ~ 14 Cody Wants Out... ~ 16 gardyfan ~ 21 tim ~ 29 sabre14 ~ 32 someguy ~ 36 bboat11 ~ 36 LBTrocks ~ 39 castleoblivion26 ~ 49 Kanenrá:ke ~ 49 .indulgecountry ~ 50
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Post by castleoblivion26 on Jul 22, 2020 19:11:32 GMT -5
AWESOME song, incredible lyrics, fantastic and memorable melody..........but his delivery is nowhere NEAR the caliber of Jo Dee's Yeah Jo Dee owns this song but I did enjoy Joe's version and am happy it lasted a little while I am surprised "Leroy" lasted as long as it did, being a Christmas song and all. It's an okay song, not a favorite
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bboat11
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Joined: February 2013
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Post by bboat11 on Jul 22, 2020 19:18:46 GMT -5
I am shook by Leroy's performance here!!! Has a Christmas song ever come this far in an artist rankdown?? It might be a new record!
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bboat11
Moderator
Pulse's Resident Martina McBride Expert
Joined: February 2013
Posts: 27,283
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Post by bboat11 on Jul 22, 2020 19:24:53 GMT -5
I am shook by Leroy's performance here!!! Has a Christmas song ever come this far in an artist rankdown?? It might be a new record! Well, the first rankdown I looked at was Martina's, and "O Holy Night" made it to 38 out of 70 there. Compared to Leroy's 32 out of 50. That puts Martina's at the 54th percentile in her rankdown, and Joe's at the 64th percentile. So his is not a record. Although it might be the second-highest finish for a Christmas song, who knows!
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Post by tim on Jul 22, 2020 19:32:44 GMT -5
While I wouldn't go out of my way to listen to "Leroy the Redneck Reindeer?", there is just something about it that's hard not to like and does feel a bit nostalgic. I think I still hear this occasionally during the holidays and find myself bopping my head along with it whenever I do.
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Cody Wants Out...
9x Platinum Member
Extrovertly Introverted
Forever Young at Heart
Joined: June 2009
Posts: 9,138
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Post by Cody Wants Out... on Jul 22, 2020 19:49:22 GMT -5
Wow! Leroy got much more support than I thought it would! :o Not ashamed of my top 20 placement of it btw!
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Post by castleoblivion26 on Jul 22, 2020 20:21:35 GMT -5
"Now I can only dream of being all you need And I can only try to be the reason why You think about today and forget about the past It's too much to expect, but it's not too much to ask.
Now I can only dream of being all you need And I can only try to be the reason why You think about today 'cause the past is just the past It's too much to expect, but it doesn't hurt to ask It's too much to expect, but it's not too much to ask."#31 ~ "Not Too Much To Ask" W/ Mary Chapin Carpenter376 Points Average: 31.33 ST DEV: 12.41 someguy ~ 4 tim ~ 14 bboat11 ~ 25 Kanenrá:ke ~ 28 sabre14 ~ 28 .indulgecountry ~ 30 gardyfan ~ 34 kw9461 ~ 35 Cody Wants Out... ~ 42 LBTrocks ~ 43 castleoblivion26 ~ 45 George Strait Junkie ~ 48
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Post by tim on Jul 22, 2020 21:33:08 GMT -5
I suppose things are looking a bit more competitive as we head into the top 30 so I probably shouldn’t be all that surprised to see “Not Too Much to Ask” out now (this was also only a top 15 hit for them). Mary Chapin Carpenter is not just one of the most underrated artists on Pulse but her talent as a songwriter never seems to be given its due on here either. That said, this song probably did about as well in the rankdown as it could and wasn’t likely to get much higher.
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.indulgecountry
Diamond Member
Best Country Poster 2011, 2017, & 2018
"You left a mark on my face // And brought a dozen red flags in a vase"
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Post by .indulgecountry on Jul 22, 2020 22:42:53 GMT -5
Lol how in the hell was the Christmas song even still in? I hadn't even noticed. Also yeah his "My Give a Damn's Busted" is honestly pretty unlistenable to me given the existence of Jo Dee's. She puts all the spark and personality into that to make it come alive, and Joe Diffie by comparison offers a limp rendition.
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someguy
Diamond Member
Joined: October 2003
Posts: 16,037
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Post by someguy on Jul 23, 2020 0:58:40 GMT -5
Jo Dee’s version was so much better, but the song he wrote was really good!
I love “Not Too Much To Ask”. It wouldn’t be as high in a MCC rankdown, but it is such a well-written song.
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bboat11
Moderator
Pulse's Resident Martina McBride Expert
Joined: February 2013
Posts: 27,283
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Post by bboat11 on Jul 23, 2020 1:11:41 GMT -5
"Not Too Much To Ask" is a beautiful song. Both of their voices are so well-produced here, causing them both to sound so rich and resonant, and even better in harmony. It doesn't sound like it would have the replay value of some of his solo hits from the same period, so this placement is fine with me!
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kw9461
3x Platinum Member
Joined: January 2007
Posts: 3,767
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Post by kw9461 on Jul 23, 2020 13:23:49 GMT -5
Jo Dee’s version was so much better, but the song he wrote was really good!I love “Not Too Much To Ask”. It wouldn’t be as high in a MCC rankdown, but it is such a well-written song. What's so funny about that is that Joe hadn't had a hit as a songwriter since 1993's "Honky Tonk Attitude". He would usually have his hand in one or two songs per album, but they were never chosen as singles after that. Super random that one of those songs ended up being a massive hit after Joe's career was essentially over.
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Post by castleoblivion26 on Jul 24, 2020 7:54:20 GMT -5
"Brand new shoes, they hurt my feet This neck-tie is chokin' me Cuttin' off my air supply When I hang my head and cry When I hang my head and cry
I see tears on daddy's face Someone's hummin' Amazing Grace Rain beats on this graveside tent Preacher says he did repent Preacher swears he did repent
They've got him layin' there in pin-stripes How'd they get him in that suit I guess the Lord will recognize him Without his overalls and mules They all say he looks so natural All I see's a cold dark hole I won't commit this day to memory That ain't the grandpa that I know That ain't the grandpa that I know"#30 ~ "The Grandpa That I Know"373 Points Average: 31.08 ST DEV: 12.07 Kanenrá:ke ~ 7 someguy ~ 18 sabre14 ~ 20 George Strait Junkie ~ 22 castleoblivion26 ~ 26 gardyfan ~ 32 bboat11 ~ 33 tim ~ 39 Cody Wants Out... ~ 40 kw9461 ~ 44 LBTrocks ~ 44 .indulgecountry ~ 48
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Post by castleoblivion26 on Jul 24, 2020 8:06:59 GMT -5
"Here you come knockin' on my heart like a sledge hammer Tearin' down these walls I built so high I'm tryin' to hide the truth behind all this false glamor But somehow the truth still shows up in my eyes
Got a smile painted on my face Got my heartache locked away prayin' you won't see Stayin' steady, stayin' strong Actin' like there's nothin' wrong 'til you look at me
Won't win this fight, I surrender So turn another page of this pretender"#29 ~ "This Pretender"362 Points Average: 30.17 ST DEV: 9.24 LBTrocks ~ 13 .indulgecountry ~ 17 Kanenrá:ke ~ 22 George Strait Junkie ~ 25 someguy ~ 28 bboat11 ~ 30 kw9461 ~ 32 sabre14 ~ 34 Cody Wants Out... ~ 36 castleoblivion26 ~ 40 gardyfan ~ 41 tim ~ 44
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Post by tim on Jul 24, 2020 8:34:38 GMT -5
Even though I share my middle name with my grandfather I’ve never been all that close to him and therefore as the years have gone by I find myself having a harder time relating to songs such as “The Grandpa That I Know”. Even so, I’m a softy and quite sentimental so I’m still able to appreciate the lyrics but I just wasn’t able to put the song all that high on my list.
I don’t think I had heard “This Pretender” prior to listening to it for the rankdown and enjoyed it enough on the first listen that I had it ranked higher than where it eventually landed. Based on that I’m not surprised to see it do rather well here.
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Post by castleoblivion26 on Jul 24, 2020 8:43:36 GMT -5
"As long as there's a bar You got a home away from home Where the good times never end You're surrounded by your friends And you'll never be alone Leave your problems at the door Hey bartender, can we have ten more? It don't matter who you are People come from near and far As long as there's a bar
There's a couple in the corner makin' out Somebody yelled Skynard, crank it up loud There's a waitress walkin' 'round selling jello shots And a fist fight happening in the parking lot"#28 ~ "As Long As There’s A Bar"357 Points Average: 29.75 ST DEV: 12.53 George Strait Junkie ~ 8 Cody Wants Out... ~ 15 Kanenrá:ke ~ 20 .indulgecountry ~ 20 LBTrocks ~ 21 someguy ~ 26 bboat11 ~ 35 tim ~ 37 sabre14 ~ 39 castleoblivion26 ~ 42 kw9461 ~ 46 gardyfan ~ 48
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Post by tim on Jul 24, 2020 9:01:40 GMT -5
What’s this thing called a “bar” that Joe is singing about because I’ve all but forgotten what one even is :kii: ... all jokes aside this was another song that I hadn’t heard previously and really enjoyed the honky tonk throwback vibe of it. Since this came out last year I believe this is likely his most recent recording in the rankdown before he passed and makes me wonder what other songs like this he might’ve been working on because I certainly would’ve enjoyed an album full of this sound.
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Post by castleoblivion26 on Jul 24, 2020 9:05:03 GMT -5
"I thought that life was runnin' off, leavin' me behind. So like a fool I jumped the fence, Just to see what I could find. But love kept disappearing like Children chasing fire flies in the dark. And to think that I once had it all, In my own backyard.
You'd never know it now, but I used to have it all. A swing set and a plastic pool, a shaggy dog that lived to fetch a ball. An angel with a glass of tea, laughin' at the kids and me, All soakin' wet from washin' that old car. And to think that I once had it all, in my own backyard."#27 ~ "In My Own Backyard"354 Points Average: 29.50 ST DEV: 11.97 Kanenrá:ke ~ 10 George Strait Junkie ~ 14 sabre14 ~ 15 gardyfan ~ 22 kw9461 ~ 22 tim ~ 28 Cody Wants Out... ~ 37 LBTrocks ~ 37 castleoblivion26 ~ 41 bboat11 ~ 41 .indulgecountry ~ 42 someguy ~ 45
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Post by castleoblivion26 on Jul 24, 2020 9:27:25 GMT -5
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Post by castleoblivion26 on Jul 29, 2020 13:42:58 GMT -5
"Darlin' I'll pack up my clothes Take my heart on down the road I'll even make believe I don't love you.
Lose my mind, go insane, turn my face to the pourin' rain There's nothin' I wouldn't do if you want me to.
But I'd rather stay around and love you And be the one to make your dreams come true But if it takes good-bye to make you happy Then I'll just walk away if you want me to."#26 ~ "If You Want Me To"331 Points Average: 27.58 ST DEV: 10.07 bboat11 ~ 12 LBTrocks ~ 16 sabre14 ~ 18 Cody Wants Out... ~ 22 George Strait Junkie ~ 24 castleoblivion26 ~ 25 tim ~ 26 .indulgecountry ~ 27 kw9461 ~ 34 someguy ~ 42 Kanenrá:ke ~ 42 gardyfan ~ 43
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Post by castleoblivion26 on Jul 29, 2020 14:49:38 GMT -5
"This is your brain makin' everything make sense, Countin' those nickels and dimes. This is your brain balancin' on the fence, walkin' that logical line. This is your brain got it all under control, both hands on the wheel. Stay in your lane, keepin' it tame, this is your brain.
Then she walks right by and that all goes out the window, And your IQ starts to dwindle, at the mention of her name. And she winks and smiles and your heart starts over loadin' And you're crazy over everything she does. You ain't insane, this is your brain, on love.
This is your brain buddy you can handle this, Gotta just get a grip. This is your brain man there ain't a woman alive, That you can't resist. This is your brain baby, just slow on down, Don't want to jump the tracks. You can refrain, keep it contained, this is your brain."#24 ~ "This Is Your Brain"328Points Average: 27.33 ST DEV: 11.42 LBTrocks ~ 11 bboat11 ~ 14 .indulgecountry ~ 18 gardyfan ~ 20 George Strait Junkie ~ 23 Cody Wants Out... ~ 25 tim ~ 27 Kanenrá:ke ~ 27 kw9461 ~ 30 someguy ~ 37 castleoblivion26 ~ 48 sabre14 ~ 48
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Post by castleoblivion26 on Jul 29, 2020 15:01:28 GMT -5
"I'm runnin' this shovel way down in a ditch When you're down in a ditch it's a son of a gun Any fool knows you'll never get rich When you're down in a ditch in the Tennessee sun
All I got to show is blisters and sweat Blisters and sweat and minimum pay I'm just tryin' to get out of debt And buddy I bet you, I make it someday
Well I wish that I was the man with the clipboard Sittin' in the shade with an RC cola Makin' calls on the cellular phone And yellin' down at me to keep my butt movin'"#23 ~ "Down In A Ditch"318 Points Average: 26.50 ST DEV: 9.18 bboat11 ~ 13 George Strait Junkie ~ 16 Cody Wants Out... ~ 18 tim ~ 22 someguy ~ 23 LBTrocks ~ 24 kw9461 ~ 25 gardyfan ~ 27 sabre14 ~ 29 Kanenrá:ke ~ 37 .indulgecountry ~ 40 castleoblivion26 ~ 44
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