i’m five hundred miles away from home

teardrops fell on mama’s note
when i read the things she wrote
she said "we miss you, son. we love you, come on home."
well i didn’t have to pack
i had it all right on my back
now i’m five hundred miles away from home

(chorus)
away from home away from home
cold and tired and all alone
yes i’m five hundred miles away from home

(spoken)
i know this is the same road i took the day i left home.
but it sure looks different now.
well i guess i look different, too cause time changes everything.
i wonder what they’ll say when they see their boy looking this way?

(sung)
oh i wonder what they’ll say when i get home
can’t remember when i ate
it’s just thumb and walk and wait
and i’m still five hundred miles away from home
if my luck had been just right
i’d be with them all tonight
but i’m still five hundred miles away from home

(chorus)

oh, i’m still 500 miles away from home

here am i a beggar
i never thought it would turn out like this
i’d be begging for your kiss
but i must have your love

here am i a beggar
i’ve reached the point of no return
i’ve gone too far where you’re concerned
and i need your love

here am i a beggar
without your love i’m poor
but wealthy i would be
if you would eat my humble plea
and give your heart to me
cause i must have your love

here am i a beggar

here am i a beggar
without your love i’m poor
but wealthy i would be
if you would eat my humble plea
and give your heart to me
cause i must have your love

here am i a beggar

a beggar, beggar, beggar

abilene abilene prettiest town i’ve ever seen
women there don’t treat you mean in abilene my abilene

crowded cities ain’t nothing free nothing in this town for me
how i wish that i could be in abilene my abilene
abilene abilene…
[ ac.guitar ]
i sit alone most every night watch those trains pull out of sight
how i wish they were carryin’ me back to abilene sweet abilene
abilene abilene…
women there don’t treat you mean in abilene my abilene

i’m calling from the station and i haven’t got much time to let you know
got a ticket for missouri and there’s things i need to say before i go
if i could i’d have you meet me but i don’t see how i can
i don’t have enough to pay your fare
there’s a factory in columbus hirin’ now i understand
and they’re looking for an able bodied man
baby you should get some money in the letter that i mailed two days ago
but when i wrote the letter saying you could come to me i didn’t know
that i was goin’ to lose my job in such a little while
now i guess we’ll have to change our plan
they may not hire me in columbus but i’m pretty sure they will
cause they’re looking for an able bodied man
if i had more education now i’d a’ made a better life for me and you
but just simple manual labor is the only kind of work that i can do
the bus is loadin’ for missouri so i guess i’d better go
hon i’ll call you up as soon as i can
i’ll be sending you a ticket cause i know i’ll get a job
if they’re looking for an able bodied man
i’ll be sending you a ticket cause i know i’ll get a job
and remember i’m your able bodied man

oh the sound of the thing is not a ring it’s more like a pleasant purr
and the only sound i hear at night is the sound of my purring air-conditioner
the air is pure and dehumidified thermostatically controlled
now i have no desire to perspire and that’s how progress goes
but the sound of their singing thrilled me as distantly but clearly it rang
though i never saw their faces and never knew their names
and the gentle breeze brought sweet dreams of sweethearts that i never saw
who sang you are my sunshine in newport arkansas