Well, I was raised in central Texas Where we picked our guitars reckless We took our country music seriously We loved the sound of old Hank Williams Ernest Tubb and Jimmy Rodgers Moon Mullican, Bob Wills were dear to me Hank Snow strummin' on a Martin guitar Merle Travis thumb pickin' eight to the bar They were true to life hillbillies Raised on cornbread, booze and fillies And they picked there country music from the heart
We picked with little Lester Flatt Kitty Wells with Johnny and Jack Johnny Horton, Maddox brothers, sister Rose And if you really wanna winner Bill Monroe, Jimmy Skinner Singin' blues and country bluegrass through their nose I say now, don't love me darling, I'm a rambler Oh, you're the sweetest sweetheart in this world I know it's not right for you to love me Don't give your heart to a rambler, little girl
Shot Jackson's steelin' can't be put into words The same for Roy Wiggins or Jerry Byrd Today they suffer from neglect By the ones you least expect That say that could only country music's got to change Well, I'm a rockabilly rebel And I pick my rhythm double With a beat that sets them rockin' near and far Just a reckless rockabilly Beatin' out the sounds that thrill me On a slappin' bass, tin dobro and guitar
The nineteen-fifties gave us something new Raw hillbilly mixed with rhythm and blues It brought us Fats and Muddy Waters Lighnin' Hopkins and The Clovers Carl Perkins, Big Joe Turner, Jessie Stone John Lee Hooker and Leadbelly Set the pace for Jerry Lee Elvis the Pelvis, Little Richard, Chuck Berry Oh Maybellene, why can't you be true Oh Maybellene, why can't you be true Started back doin' the things you used to do
Well, the Nashville sound's gotten sugary sweet They watered it down, eliminated the beat Sounds like they had too much rehearsal Time to start a big reversal With some good old rockabilly, rock 'n' roll 'Cause I'm a rockabilly rebel And I pick my rhythm double With a beat that sets them rockin' near and far Just a reckless rockabilly Beating out the sounds that thrill me On a slappin' bass, tin dobro and guitar Just a reckless rockabilly Beating out the sounds that thrill me On a slappin' bass, tin dobro and guitar