This one I'm going to dedicate
to one of the best friends I've ever had,
Lindsay McDonald.
She was my manager in these days,
and she made this happen.
And there was a few things
you could do
if you had a record deal,
and that was this. You could,
the first thing I did
when I got a record contract
was if you have a record contract,
you can call anybody's publisher
and get their songs that
they haven't put out yet.
If you just act like you're going
to sing them.
So, got Billy Joe Shaver,
Chris Christopherson,
John Prine,
anybody that had outtakes,
I had access to them.
And then also, if I wanted to,
I could rent studios and stuff.
so, Willie Nelson,
I don't know if you know,
he bought a golf course,
you know this deal?
And he made the pro shop into his own studio,
and the cabanas all around,
I mean, it's like a full hippie fort,
and he golfs.
He makes it, he makes it stoner,
you know, and I wanted to see this
so Lindsey hooked it up
so that I could rent his studio
and Mike Utley flew in to Austin.
I think we took a break on the road. I Think
maybe Will or Joe came with me
and I know Kent Finley and his
son came with me
And I think I used Kent's guitar
because he always had
a really nice.
I think it might have been
that one and
And this is one of the few songs we did.
And then, you know, this one
I still, you know, I like it,
it's like a nice thing to think
but why say, you know?
You know?
Let me make sure this is right.
I don't know what made
me want to sing all this.
Probably nothing, you know?
I probably like the chords, but yeah,
so there's crime, you know. No.
More tough news on late night TV,
news lady tells me
that it's cold outside, they said.
Man gets his car jacked,
graveyard gets ransacked
Everybody knows that there
ain't no place to hide
Let night drive by,
there's blood on the sidewalk
Rain's gonna wash out
that stain someday
That stupid kid, he should've known
this ain't no cakewalk, man
You can't just wear your
bandana that way
Ain't that freedom for you,
ain't that freedom for you,
freedom, American style
Hot car rollin' down the empty highway,
keys were in it, man,
it hurts the owner right
They say this young girl's attacked
in the woods off the parkway
She should've known not
to jog alone at night
Drugs rule downtown
Gangs rule Midtown
You're on your own when
they both collide
I keep my doors locked
with bars on my window
Got an alarm in my car
I keep my kids inside
My kids inside
Ain't that freedom for you?
Ah, ain't that freedom? What?
Ain't that freedom for you?
Freedom, American
Oh, tough news on late night
TV
News lady tells me that it's cold outside
She says, man gets carjacked,
graveyard gets ransacked
Everybody knows that there
ain't no place to hide
I keep my arms around
whatever I've got
It's an alright world, but I watch my self
I know I'm virtually free to
do whatever I want
But I try to remember,
so is everybody else
Ain't that freedom for you?
Ain't that freedom for you,
ain't that freedom for you,
American style
Well, you know,
I like that pretty good,
just sitting there singing it now.
I thought that wasn't as, yeah, okay.
And I'll tell you something else.
In my day, when I was young,
there was a show called Free, remember,
Love American Style.
That's why I think I said that.
And that's why I think I called it TV Guide,
maybe, but I don't know.
It wasn't as preachy as I remember.
And I should also say, God,
I hope I'm not putting
down some song you love.
I'm just telling the truth
about these songs.
They go in and out of fashion with me.
I like some better than others.
The people say they're like your kids,
it's just not that.
I don't have kids. I'll tell you something else,
though. So that song, when I lived in Memphis,
I have a song later that I would sing
called Highland Street
Incident, it was inspired,
both of those songs were,
that was my first attempt
at that song about Highland,
you know? I got hit with a gun right in the face
and it really shook me up and I never,
I could honestly say that's like I never
felt like the same person after that.
This, uh...
