I left home the day I turned eighteen And mama begged me not to go I left her crying on the front porch And then the road became my home I found a way to make some money fast A night in a hotel’s all I need I’d read the bible and talk to Jesus Every night while I cooked speed
Chorus: Gear and dust turns new to rust I can’t trust the people that I meet Yeah making gear and dust I hardly ever get to sleep
Deals were easy in the truck stops And the dancehalls were the same Lord I knew it wasn’t honest But I kept on playing Franklin’s game I saved some money and started thinking That I might head down to the coast Quit all this over-shoulder looking And try my luck out on a boat
Chorus
I met a drifter on the highway I had less cash than he had hate He left me lying in a bar ditch Somewhere beside the interstate When you’re dead it’s not really over Some say they’ve even seen my ghost At a roadside up in Guthrie Lord knows that’s where I sold the most
Chorus
Making gear and dust They finally laid me down to sleep