Highway Patrol Man
(Bruce Springsteen)
My name is Joe Roberts, I work for the state
I'm a sergeant out of Perrineville barracks no. 8
I always done an honest job as honest as I could
I got a brother named Franky and Franky ain't no good
Now ever since we was young kids it's been the same come down
I get a call over the radio Franky's in trouble down town
Well if it was any other man, I'd put him straight away
But when it's your own brother sometimes you look the other way
Ch:
Me and Franky laughing and drinking
Nothing feels better than blood on blood
Taking 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
Well he just ain't no good
Well Franky 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 getting robbed
Franky came home in '68 and me I took his job
Ch:
Yea we're laughin' and drinkin'
Nothing 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', teach him how to walk that line
Man turns his back on his family
He ain't no friend of mine
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 looking bad, bleedin' hard from his head
There was a girl cryin' at a table, it was Frank they said
Well I went out and I jumped in my car and I hit the lights
I must of done 110 through Michigan country 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 them county roads till a sign said Canadian border 5 miles from here
I pulled over the side of the highway and watched his taillights disappear