Good Times Boys - Jack Slim lyrics

Meet Jack Slim, a decent man Who'll always do the best he can An upright guy, he'll always stand In his home down by the sea Amongst the groves and tupelos From boy to man did our Jack grow He never faltered, sinned, or hoed Or lived but righteously He grew up tall and grew up strong An honest man, knew right from wrong He tended fields and studied long How proud we were of he To but one party he did go And there's the Devil with seeds to sow A poisoned soul that didn't know The bane that was on he Her eyes were black, as was her hair And in the light, just standing there She caught Jack's eye without a care Jack Slim, the fool to be Now hear the bells of bronze and steel Ringing out the coming ills Of a man I'd rather k** Than see suffer endlessly Into the home of Jack she came Her kith and kin, drunk and insane The broke just damn near everything To stay for good was their true aim Jack's wife's bed always hot All the town did have their shot The football team, the team's mascot All comers came and came a lot Jack walked round with grinding teeth To yell or scream or cry beneath His subtle pride and courtesy Tested hard and frequently One foul day, our Jack just snapped And kicked the sorry bums and that Out his door without a chat To the road down by the sea The wife, she didn't take this well Told him to go to straight to hell An evil man with a sulfur smell Oh hate old Jack did she She took their boy and ran away To a slick-haired shark who was the man To lay the blame and lend and a hand To the sinners by the sea Opposite the judge old Jack stood Staring down, knowing no good Could come from souls who harbor hate For an honest man as he He lost his house. He lost his heart Lost all he earned or cared about His boy was gone and he was out Of luck or love or glee Now Jack lives inside a tent No money left for food or rent The homeless man's already spent Keeping Johnny Law at bay One day Jack woke with an aching head His gums bled; his face was red He wept a little and then said, “I think this will k** me” No money for a doctor's trip Jack took an awl and placed the tip Against his rotting tooth, his rotting tooth He hammered once. He hammered twice Let out a scream that wasn't nice The tooth was stuck like dirt in ice And stayed just where it was So into town stumbled our Jack He found a gun inside a sack In the sheriff's car parked way out back Behind the country club He took that gun and stole a knife Intent on taking his own life To put an end to all his strife And die just painlessly He placed the gun against his head Thinking he would soon be dead As would his misery He pulled the gun But the gun misspoke The knife shattered and the bullet broke What a poor and sad unlucky bloke In his cave down by the sea So finally Jack made a plan And took the gun inside his hand Approached my boat just like a man Who was going out to sea Going out to sea From the dock, concrete and rocks A few large chains and extra locks Heavy stuff I've not forgot And a bucket made of iron He waved the gun and out we went “I'll surely die, from this earth sent” I said to myself I said to me “Old man, I mean you no harm” “Please don't fear, don't be alarmed” “Your life I'll spare despite my arms” “Back home you soon will be” Further out we went and went Past the buoys and all the scents Of life and liberty And liberty Into the bucket Jack's feet went The concrete followed and I sensed That d**h that day wasn't meant for me Around his waist he chained the rocks Secured them tight with all the locks And then he ordered that I stop And turned his back to me “Mother, please invite me home” “Your son's tired, no wish to roam” “Any way away from thee” “Away from thee” Without another word Jack dived But soon righted to upward side From the concrete at his feet The bubbles, they stopped soon enough And I could breath when Jack could not As he sank into the sea Into the sea Now he rests far down below One thousand fathoms deep or so With fish for company, for company I looked and saw a storm approach And aimed my girl for harbor close But glancing up I saw the coast And Jack's house by the sea Jack's house down by the sea