Gather round my friends
To hear a tale.
About a young man__
No one knew so well.
A drifter dropping off a southbound train.
Happy to be anywhere
But Laredo___
Bobby B BADD
A beat-up black suit on a scarecrow body.
A hundred and fifty-four pounds soaking wet
He bent over to a trickling hose
And slicked back crow black hair
The drifter stretched his bones
A smile
No pain
A miracle___
Across the tracks
The Neon Bar gleamed in the Texas sun.
He strode across the steel rails.
Two things on his mind.
One of them a couple of Lone Star beers___
The door of the Neon Bar swung inward.
The few morning drinkers turned to the silhouette
In the doorway.
Strangers rare this far from the Interstate
Bobby B BADD slapped a twenty on the zinc bar___
“Drinks for all my friends.”
“You got friends here?”
Bobby pulled open his jacket.
“No gun, no knives, only a thirst to wash off the taste of train diesel.
And,
Darling four quarters, please.”

The bartender liked strangers too.
Sheila liked being called Darling even better___
The Neon Bar had a real jukebox.
Real 45s
Scratchy too
Dolly Parton JOLEEN
Sly’s EVERYONE IS A STAR
Merle’s MAMA TRIED
The Stones’ RUBY TUESDAY___
And like that the town was his
Every women in town knew his name
Every man laughed at his jokes
They loved his tales of freedom.
Travels from coast to coast,
As he rode the wind___
Bobby shot pool like Minnesota Fats
But never gambled a game.
Bobby BeBadd hated trouble
But man, that drifter could dance___
Every teenage boys wanted to be like Bobby.
Old men too.
A drifter owing nothing
To no one
Not even himself
All the young townie girls came to the Neon Bar
A quick trip to the alley with Bobby B BADD
He was kind to them
Never went all the way
Kind to divorcees and cougars too
Bobby B BADD hated trouble___
After two weeks he packed his bag
He had almost stayed too long
People wanted to know more
And he had no more to give
Just tales of the wind
A long train headed to west___
Girls cry
The men at the Neon Bar beg him to stay.
He trotted to the tracks.
“I don’t know when I’ll be back this way.”
He didn’t even know
Where here was___
Everyone knew the truth
Never
He waved from a freight car
Nobody waved back
And soon as Bobby B Badd was gone
He was gone.
But the town ain’t been the same
The boys in black
With hair slicked back
Playing Bobby B BADD.
But no on could play that part as well
As Bobby B BADD