my narrative song

"Highway Patrolman" by Bruce Springsteen


My name's Joe Roberts I work for the stateI'm a sergeant out of Perrineville barracks number 8
I always done an honest job as honest as I could
I got a brother named Frankie, and Frankie ain't no good
Now ever since we was young kids it's been the same come down
I get a call on shortwave Frankie's in trouble downtown
Well if it was any other man, I'd put him straight away
But when it's your brother sometimes you look the other way
Me and Franky laughin' and drinkin'
Nothin' feels better than blood on blood
Takin' turns dancin' with Maria as the band played "Night of the Johnstown Flood"I catch him when he's strayin' like any brother would
Man turns his back on his family he just ain't no good
Well Frankie went in the army back in 1965 I got a farm deferment, settled down,took Maria for my wife
But them wheat prices kept on droppin' Till it was like we were gettin' robbed
Frankie came home in '68, and me, I took this job
Yea, me and Frankie laughin' and drinkin' Nothin' feels better than blood on blood
Takin' turns dancin' with Maria as the band played "Night of the Johnstown Flood"
I catch him when he's strayin' like any brother would
Man turns his back on his family he just ain't no good
Well the night was like any other, I got a call 'bout quarter to nine
There was trouble in a roadhouse out on the Michigan line
There was a kid lyin' on the floor lookin' bad bleedin' hard from his head Was a girl cryin' at a table and it was Frank, they said
Well I went out and I jumped in my car and I hit the lights
I must've done a hundred and ten through Michigan county that night
It was out at the crossroads, down round Willow bank
Seen a Buick with Ohio plates behind the wheel was Frank
Well I chased him through those county roads till a sign said Canadian border five miles from here
Pulled over the side of the highway And watched his tail lights disappear
Me and Frankie laughin' and drinkin'
Nothin' feels better than blood on blood
Takin' turns dancin' with Maria as the band played "Night of the Johnstown Flood"
I catch him when he's strayin' like any brother would Man turns his back on his family he just ain't no good