Highway Desperado Album Lyrics by Jason Aldean

---

Tough Crowd

I see girls with tattoos, good ol' boys in cowboy hats
I see a few soldiers here tonight, welcome back
We got some country ass, beer drinkin', hell raisin' go all nighters
We got some dirt turnin', diesel burnin', hard workin' nine to fivers

Talk about a tough crowd
Make you wanna turn it up loud
Raise the roof tonight and make the red, white and blue proud
Yeah, here's to country strong
I wish y'all could see y'all now
Talk about a tough crowd
(Ooh, yeah)

Parking lot full of pick-ups
Out there lined up in a row
All covered in dirt road dust
Tells me all I need to know
'Bout how you roll

Talk about a tough crowd
Make you wanna turn it up loud
Raise the roof tonight and make the red, white and blue proud
Yeah, here's to country strong
I wish y'all could see y'all now
Talk about a tough crowd
My kind of tough crowd

We got some country ass, beer drinkin', hell raisin'
Dirt turnin', diesel burnin', hard workin' nine to fivers
Go all nighters, survivors

Talk about a tough crowd
Make you wanna turn it up loud
Raise the roof tonight and make the red, white and blue proud
Yeah, here's to country strong
I wish y'all could see y'all now
Talk about a tough crowd, yeah
Talk about a tough crowd
Yeah, my kinda tough crowd

---

Let Your Boys Be Country

Let your boys be country
Let 'em keep that red dirt on his boots
Make 'em proud of that middle nowhere
He's got down in his roots
Let 'em work in a hay field, sweating
For a little summer cash
Raise 'em hard, raise 'em tough
Bring 'em up to have their brother's back

Let 'em ride 'round trucks, making backroad noise
Let 'em hang out on Friday, gettin' wild with the boys
Let 'em go to the woods in the cold, painted up camo green
Yeah, let 'em chase, let 'em fall for a small-town girl
Let everything inside these county lines be his whole world
You want him to grow up to be someone he's damn proud to be
Mamas, let your boys be country

(Oh, oh-oh, oh-oh, oh)

Teach 'em "Yes, ma'am" and "No, ma'am"
And never turn down a cold beer
Tell 'em there ain't nothin' greener
Than the grass you're standing on right here (yeah)

Let 'em ride 'round trucks, making backroad noise
Let 'em hang out on Friday, gettin' wild with the boys
Let 'em go to the woods in the cold, painted up camo green
Yeah, let 'em chase, let 'em fall for a small-town girl
Let everything inside these county lines be his whole world
You want him to grow up to be someone he's damn proud to be
Mamas, let your boys be country

(Oh, oh-oh, oh-oh, oh)
Mamas, let your boys be country
(Oh, oh-oh, oh-oh, oh)

Yeah, let 'em chase, let 'em fall for a small-town girl
Let everything inside these county lines be his whole world
You want him to grow up to be someone he's damn proud to be
Mamas, let your boys be country
Let 'em ride 'round trucks, making backroad noise (oh, oh-oh, oh-oh, oh)
Let 'em hang out on Friday, gettin' wild with the boys (oh, oh-oh, oh-oh, oh)
Let 'em go to the woods in the cold, painted up camo green (oh, oh-oh, oh-oh, oh)
Mamas, let your boys be country

Let your boys be country

---

Knew You'd Come Around

I been here since they opened up the door
Before a bunch of boots filled up the floor
Cover band settin' up and I was already two whiskeys in
Been drinkin' walls around this heart
I knew I'd need a good head start
Got me goodbye dust cloud gone
And baby, I ain't seen you since
But you always find me somehow

I knew you'd come around and lay those memories on me
Right there in the back of the bar in the dark when I'm lonely
There ain't no closin' time, gettin' over you ain't over
They're shuttin' off the lights for the night and I ain't one step closer
To wherever you are, but you never let me down
I knew you'd come around

Yeah, I'm doin' all I know to do
To not let that missin' you get through
You gotta way of workin' on me
Put a hurtin' on me, ain't nothin' new
Damn girl, why's it gotta be right now?

I knew you'd come around and lay those memories on me
Right there in the back of the bar in the dark when I'm lonely
There ain't no closin' time, gettin' over you ain't over
They're shuttin' off the lights for the night and I ain't one step closer
To wherever you are, but you never let me down
I knew you'd come around

I didn't think you'd leave but you did
I wanted you back, but not like this
Ooh, not like this
Yeah

I knew you'd come around and lay those memories on me
Right there in the back of the bar in the dark when I'm lonely
There ain't no closin' time, gettin' over you ain't over
They're shuttin' off the lights for the night and I ain't one step closer
To wherever you are, but you never let me down
I knew you'd come around
I knew you'd come around

---

Hungover In A Hotel

I kinda went off the rails tonight
I went and got on the whiskey
I bought me a last call ticket to ride
Just to see where it gets me
Might wind up smokin' in a parking lot
Burnin' away the last chance I got
Comin' home sorry ain't gonna be enough
If I keep goin', I'm gonna wake up

Hungover in a hotel
Layin' there wishin' like hell
That I would've passed on the last one
'Stead of stayin' out all night long
There ain't a worse feelin' than findin' yourself
Hungover in a hotel
Hungover in a hotel

Yeah, you'd think I'd have learned by now
When I've hit my limit
Knowin' when to push that bottle away
Instead of divin' back in it
No, I don't wanna do her that way again
God knows how many times I've been

Hungover in a hotel
Layin' there wishin' like hell
That I would've passed on the last one
'Stead of stayin' out all night long
There ain't a worse feelin' than findin' yourself
Hungover in a hotel room around high noon
Wakin' up on a bed without you in it
Yeah

Hungover in a hotel
Layin' there wishin' like hell
That I would've passed on the last one
'Stead of stayin' out all night long
There ain't a worse feelin' than findin' yourself
Hungover in a hotel
Hungover in a hotel
Hungover in a hotel

---

Try That In A Small Town

Sucker punch somebody on a sidewalk
Car jack an old lady at a red light
Pull a gun on the owner of a liquor store
You think it's cool, well, act a fool if you like
Cuss out a cop, spit in his face
Stomp on the flag and light it up
Yeah, you think you're tough

Well, try that in a small town
See how far you make it down the road
'Round here we take care of our own
You cross that line, it won't take long
For you to find out, I recommend you don't
Try that in a small town

Got a gun that my granddad gave me
They say one day they're gonna round up
Well, that shit might fly in the city, good luck

Try that in a small town
See how far you make it down the road
'Round here we take care of our own
You cross that line, it won't take long
For you to find out, I recommend you don't

Try that in a small town
Full of good ol' boys, raised up right
If you're looking for a fight
Try that in a small town
(Try that in a small town)

Try that in a small town
(See how far you make it down the road)
'Round here we take care of our own
You cross that line, it won't take long
For you to find out, I recommend you don't
Try that in a small town
(Try that in a small town)

Ooh, try that in a small town

---

Whiskey Drink

Hey, whiskey drink
I know it's been a while
I gotta talk to you, gotta catch you up
On the hell I'm in right now
Yeah, whiskey drink
Now, you won't believe
The things I said, the way she left
The way the leavin' all went down

It might take all night
To get her off my mind
I need you one more time
Yeah, be a good friend

Come on, kick in, whiskey drink
I don't wanna think, think, think
About who she's with or where she is
Or how bad I miss her now
Come on, cigarette
Yeah, smoke out that regret
Pour it straight and strong, make her memory gone
Before you let me leave
Come on, whiskey drink, oh
Come on, whiskey drink

Yeah, tell me, Jack
Tell me that you got my back (that you got my back)
And that you're in it with me 'til the bottle's empty
Just like you always have
Come on, help me out (whoa, help me out)
Just get me by (get me by)
I'd rather be hungover than cold sober
Still hung up on "goodbye"

So come on, whiskey drink
I don't wanna think, think, think
About who she's with or where she is
Or how bad I miss her now
Come on, cigarette
Yeah, smoke out that regret
Pour it straight and strong, make her memory gone
Before you let me leave
Come on, whiskey drink, oh
Come on, whiskey drink

It might take all night (it might take all night)
To get her off my mind (to get her off my mind)
I need you one more time (one more time)

Come on, whiskey drink
I don't wanna think, think, think
About who she's with or where she is
Or how bad I miss her now (how bad I miss her now)
Come on, cigarette
Yeah, smoke out that regret (oh, that regret)
Pour it straight and strong, make her memory gone
Before you let me leave
Come on, whiskey drink, oh-oh, yeah
Come on, whiskey drink

Come on, whiskey drink

(Be a good friend)
(Go on, be a good friend now)
(Be a good friend, whiskey drink, yeah)

---

Whose Rearview

Heard I'm the bad guy, heard I'm the reason
I didn't try hard enough to work it out
Yeah, all your friends are talkin' 'bout
How this breakup ain't breakin' even
Aw, but they don't know they're just hangin' 'round
One side of this two-story town

Ooh
The truth gets covered up
By whiskey smoke and clouds of leavin' dust

Don't you know that we both saw taillights
Drivin' off our separate ways
You in that Ford, me in my Chevrolet
Don't you know what we both said that night
Some love you win, some love you lose
You were blamin' me and I was blamin' you
Whose goodbye broke whose heart in two?
That all depends on whose rearview you're lookin' through

Whose rearview
Whose rearview

This stretch of blacktop blurs out the good times
Baby, don't forget about how
We weren't always where we are right now
We both got memories to burn through
So, don't even try to paint it like
The only hurtin' one is you, yeah

Don't you know that we both saw taillights
Drivin' off our separate ways
You in that Ford, me in my Chevrolet
Don't you know what we both said that night
Some love you win, some love you lose
You were blamin' me and I was blamin' you
Whose goodbye broke whose heart in two?
That all depends on whose rearview you're lookin' through

Whose rearview

Ooh (whose rearview)
The truth gets covered up (whose rearview)
By whiskey smoke and clouds of leavin' dust

Don't you know that we both saw taillights
Drivin' off our separate ways
You in that Ford, me in my Chevrolet
Don't you know what we both said that night
Some love you win, some love you lose
You were blamin' me and I was blamin' you
Whose goodbye broke whose heart in two?
That all depends on whose rearview you're lookin' through

Whose rearview
Whose rearview

---

I'm Over You

Girl, I've had enough
Yeah, we need to talk
I've been thinkin' 'bout this
For a couple months too long
Took some shots to call you up
It ain't you or me, it's us
I think it's time you pack your stuff
Yeah, because

I'm over you not leavin' your car parked out in the yard
Not stealin' my T-shirts every night
I'm over your boots not next to my boots
Over my whiskey not next to your wine
My life could use some forever
And your name could use some new letters
You've had yours your whole life
I'm over you not havin' mine

Girl, just picture this
Two chairs on this porch
Homegood, Home Sweet Home
Sign by the front door, yeah
You take the closet, I'll take the dresser
I'll love you right, but you'll love me better
This house ain't a home if we ain't together
Together

I'm over you not leavin' your car parked out in the yard
Not stealin' my T-shirts every night
I'm over your boots not next to my boots
Over my whiskey not next to your wine
My life could use some forever
And your name could use some new letters
You've had yours your whole life
I'm over you not havin' mine
Mm, not havin' mine

I'm over you not havin' my arms around you every day
Wakin' up here in the same place
There's only one thing left to do
Yeah, because

I'm over you not leavin' your car parked out in the yard
Not stealin' my T-shirts every night
I'm over your boots not next to my boots
Over my whiskey not next to your wine
My life could use some forever
And your name could use some new letters
You've had yours your whole life
I'm over you not havin' mine
Yeah, I'm over you not havin' mine

---

Rather Watch You

I could waste this bottle of whiskey on that sunset
Catch a buzz and let that turquoise blue take my breath
I could lay it on back, watch a boat sail by
Stare off where the water meets the sky
As perfect as it is
On a day like this

I'd rather watch you
Watchin' the waves roll in
Your dirty blonde blowin' in the wind
Water droppin' on your skin
From the bottom of your drink
I'd rather watch you
Killin' it like you do
Pullin' down your shades, takin' in the view
I could do the same right now
But I don't want to
I'd rather watch you

I can't wait for you to feel that late day cool breeze
Watch you put my T-shirt on and wrap your arms 'round your knees
That little piece of heaven you're starin' at
Can't compare to what I'm starin' at
And you can't look away
No, and I can't look away

I'd rather watch you
Watchin' the waves roll in
Your dirty blonde blowin' in the wind
Water droppin' on your skin
From the bottom of your drink
I'd rather watch you
Killin' it like you do
Pullin' down your shades, takin' in the view
I could do the same right now
But I don't want to
I'd rather watch you

(Yeah, I'd rather watch you)

I'd rather watch you
(I'd rather watch you)
Ain't nothin' I'd rather do
You're killin' me without even tryin'
Is there any wonderin' why

I'd rather watch you
Killin' it like you do
Pullin' down your shades, takin' in the view
I could do the same right now
But I don't want to
I'd rather watch you
(Watchin' the waves roll in)
Your dirty blonde blowin' in the wind
Water droppin' on your skin
Again, and again, and again
I'd rather watch you
(I'd rather watch you)

---

Breakup Breakdown

Sittin' at a red light around midnight
Goin' out of my mind
Nothin' in the headlights, thinkin' 'bout her taillights
Lookin' for an exit sign
But there ain't no way out, goodbye in a small town
Turns dirt into leavin' dust
Pedal down but somehow, goodbye in a small town
Will keep ya stuck in the middle of

A breakup breakdown
Gettin' nowhere tryin' not to think about
Where she is right now
I don't know, all I know is it's goin' south
Like a worn-out truck, I need a little luck
'Cause tonight I'm stuck in the middle of
A breakup breakdown

I wonder if she'd pick up if I called her up
Or am I lookin' like at a dead-end road
Was half-way to not missin' her anymore
I'd be there by now if it wasn't for

A breakup breakdown
Gettin' nowhere tryin' not to think about
Where she is right now
I don't know, all I know is it's goin' South
Like a worn-out truck, I need a little luck
'Cause tonight I'm stuck in the middle of
A breakup breakdown
Breakdown

Well, you can burn up the blacktop
Leave it all in a rearview backdrop
But don't think it's a straight shot
You can go as far as you can but you can't stop

A breakup breakdown
Gettin' nowhere tryin' not to think about
Where she is right now
I don't know, all I know is it's goin' south
Like a worn-out truck, I need a little luck
'Cause tonight I'm stuck in the middle of
A breakup breakdown
A breakup breakdown
A breakup breakdown
Breakdown

---

Get Away From You

You're runnin' out of that front door
Climbin' up in my old Ford
It's like I'm there, still lookin' at you
Those hazel eyes still lightin' up in that rearview
The fire in that sunset
Burns like it did the night we met
You know how it is when something's new
Hangin' on to that feeling's all that you wanna do
Yeah

When it's gone and it all slips away
Nothing's ever the same

No, I can't think without thinkin' about you
Losin' you's got me losin' my mind
No, I can't drink without drinkin' about you
Gettin' drunk's just a waste of my time
I know by now I should be movin' on
Gettin' your memory gone, gettin' strong
But, girl, no matter where I go or what I do
Since you got away from me, I can't get away from you

You got me livin' in a ghost town
You've been comin' 'round in my dreams now
Naw, you ain't here but you won't cut me loose
Won't even let me try again with someone new
Yeah

No, I can't think without thinkin' about you
Losin' you's got me losin' my mind
No, I can't drink without drinkin' about you
Gettin' drunk's just a waste of my time
I know by now I should be movin' on
Gettin' your memory gone, gettin' strong
But, girl, no matter where I go or what I do
Since you got away from me, I can't get away from you

I know that you're gone
But it feels like you've stayed
How can I get away?
(How can I get away?)

No, I can't think without thinkin' about you
(Girl, I'm losin' my mind)
No, I can't drink without drinkin' about you
Gettin' drunk's just a waste of my time
I know by now I should be movin' on
Gettin' your memory gone, gettin' strong
But girl, no matter where I go or what I do
Since you got away from me, I can't get away from you

---

Changing Bars

Another corner jukebox
Spinning twenty-bucks worth of songs
Another almost burned-out neon sign
To look at all night long
Yeah, I've tried the same old places
The midnight highs, covered all the bases
You can stare at those rocks in that glass
Turn 'em up, but you can't turn it back

'Cause the whiskey's still gonna talk the same
By three drinks in, you're gonna know her name
You can hang around a brand-new crowd
To kill some time, yeah, you can find
A hole in the wall in any old town
But last call still gonna shut you down
Naw, you ain't changin' her mind or changin' her heart
You're just changin' bars, changin' smoke
Changin' barstools, Crown and Coke
Yeah, goodbye still means gone no matter where you are
You're just changin' bars

You ain't gonna be there long
Before the new wears off
You're gonna find out fast that just another tab
Won't bring back what you lost
You gonna learn that movin' ain't movin' on

'Cause the whiskey's still gonna talk the same
By three drinks in, you're gonna know her name
You can hang around a brand-new crowd
To kill some time, yeah, you can find
A hole in the wall in any old town
But last call still gonna shut you down
Naw, you ain't changin' her mind or changin' her heart
Mm, you're just changin' bars

Yeah, you're just changin' bars, changin' smoke
But there ain't nowhere she can't go

'Cause the whiskey's still gonna talk the same
By three drinks in, you're gonna know her name
You can hang around a brand-new crowd
To kill some time, yeah, you can find
A hole in the wall in any old town
But last call still gonna shut you down
Naw, you ain't changin' her mind or changin' her heart
Yeah, goodbye still means gone no matter where you are
You're just changin' bars (changin' smoke)
(Changin' barstools, Crown and Coke)
Yeah, you're just changin' bars
(Yeah, goodbye still means gone no matter where you are)
Mm, you're just changin' bars

---

From This Beer On

From this beer on, I'm gonna let her go
Gonna paint the town, ain't gonna let it show
That when it's said and done these two-for-ones ain't workin'
When it closes down, I'm gonna walk away
Ain't gonna miss a thing as the neon fades
And when the sun comes up in the morning, I won't be hurting

From this beer on
Ain't gonna sit on a barstool thinking 'bout
Somebody new picking her up, ridin' 'round
Or is she out on a downtown high
Lookin' too good coming off, goodbye
Ain't gonna late-night drunk-dial, call her up
Talk about her like she's mine, like we're still in love
Raise 'em up and here's to movin' on
That's what I tell myself 'til the last one's gone

From this beer on, when I hear her name
Ain't gonna look up, ain't gonna feel a thing
You can bet this time I really mean what I'm sayin'
No, this time I ain't playin'

From this beer on
Ain't gonna sit on a barstool thinking 'bout
Somebody new picking her up, ridin' 'round
Or is she out on a downtown high
Lookin' too good coming off, goodbye
Ain't gonna late-night drunk-dial, call her up
Talk about her like she's mine, like we're still in love
Raise 'em up and here's to movin' on
That's what I tell myself 'til the last one's gone
From this beer on
Yeah, from this beer on

And when it closes down, I'm gonna walk away
Ain't gonna miss a thing as the neon fades
And when the sun comes up in the morning, I won't be hurting

From this beer on
Ain't gonna sit on a barstool thinking 'bout
Somebody new picking her up, ridin' 'round
Or is she out on a downtown high
Looking too good coming off, goodbye
Ain't gonna late-night drunk-dial, call her up
Talk about her like she's mine, like we're still in love
Raise 'em up and here's to movin' on
That's what I tell myself 'til the last one's gone

From this beer on, I'm gonna let her go
Gonna paint the town, ain't gonna let it show
That when it's said and done these two-for-ones ain't workin'

---

Highway Desperado

I chased a lot of sunsets
I seen a desert sky like it's on fire out in Arizona
I struck gold when I rode out to California
Rocky Mountain high
Out lookin' for a new horizon
Midnight ridin' wherever the wind blows

Like a highway desperado
These boots, these days still ain't slowin' down
Hit the ground runnin' down
Every town to town, wherever the wheels go
Can't stop, can't change
Every cowboy knows
You can't hang your hat in just one place
When you're a highway desperado

Well, if you wanna find me (I'll be out west)
I'll be turnin' up a good time with bad company
I got a shotgun angel ready to ride right next to me
Wide open road (Ride or die)
The Carolina coast
Maybe San Antonio, wherever the wind blows

Like a highway desperado
These boots, these days still ain't slowin' down
Hit the ground runnin' down
Every town to town, wherever the wheels go
Can't stop, can't change
Every cowboy knows
You can't hang your hat in just one place
When you're a highway desperado
Yeah, a highway desperado

Rocky Mountain high
(I'm lookin' for a new horizon)
The Carolina coast
(Maybe San Antonio, wherever the wind blows)
Wherever the wind blows

These boots, these days still ain't slowin' down
Hit the ground runnin' down
Every town to town, wherever the wheels go
Can't stop, can't change
Every cowboy knows
You can't hang your hat in just one place
When you're a highway desperado
Yeah, a highway desperado
Mm, highway desperado
Yeah, a highway desperado

(I'll be out west)
(Ride or die)

Like a highway desperado
Yeah, a highway desperado