"Hillbilly Musicman"

Music & words by Martin Mccoy © 2024

Every day I chase that greenback dollar to feed my family.
Sometimes get chewed out by that boss man on behalf oft the company.
Customers calling by the number, telling me their needs.
I'm trying to keep them satisfied, trying to make all ends meet.

When things get rough I think back of my home place miles away,
my wife, my two kids, the house and meddow for the kids to play.
Outside my office window there's that roaring city life. That's when I pray for quittin' time soon to arrive.

And when I'm by myself I've got that country radio turned on, letting me know who I am by a song.

Chorus:
I'll be your Hillbilly Musicman when you need a song.
I'll be your oldfashioned countryboy when you need a man to count on.
I'll love you red neck style as soften as you can,
But most of all I'll be your Hillbilly Musicman.

It's been ten years now since I decided to do this job of mine.
I'm commuting between two different worlds, like to songs with different rhymes.
I've been looking for all kinds of work with God knows who,
but this job's the best ol' way for me to see my family through.

And when I'm all by myself I've got that country radio turned on,
telling my who I really am by a song.

Chorus

Bridge:
At 5pm I jump into my compact Ford and head out of this town.
In my country home my wife and kids tell me of their day.
I grab my Silverado, take my boy to go out for a ride,
into our forest land, where everything's green and cool and full of life, birds twitter these city blues away.

Chorus

Music & words by Martin Mccoy © 2024

My family lived in a little row house on the poor side of a small, small town just a couple of miles down the road from Belfast.
The costal water were our playgrounds. We would fish and swim and go chasing ducks and seagulls down the coast line and watch the big freighters go past.
My daddy was a mason. He worked for the local building company. For row houses, town houses, apartment houses he would build the walls.
But at night as well he was sometimes gone, and when I asked my mom where he was gone she just shrugged her shoulders and said "Daddy got a night call."

Chorus:
Night call, took my dad away from me.
Night call, way into uncertainty.
Night call, daddy when are you coming back to stay?
Night call, oh I'm missing you so much while you're away.

I remember the day when I turned fifteen. My dad took me aside and said: "Son, you know it takes more than just one job to make a family business run."
He said "You know I'm not just a mason, I'm also a runner, running all kinds of things people think they need, stuff like cocain, booze, ammunition and guns."
Then on the next night call I could go with him. We took a boat, headed out to sea, all men with black capes on and nothing much to say at all.
Then on the rolling waters we met another boat the crew of which had black capes on as well. Chest were swapped, and back ashore dad said: "So long boys, until the next night call."

Chorus:
Night call, took my dad away from me.
Night call, straight into uncertainty.
Night call, Daddy when are you coming back to stay?
Night call, oh I'm missing you so much when you're away.

I'd been abord on lots of tours with him since then. But one night he got a call and said: "Boy, gotta stay home this time, too dangerous for you."
I stayed awake all night. I was fearing for my dad, I felt something's happening out there, something real mean, and dad no longer could see us through.
Then in the morning mama took a phone call. A man said: "Dad was shot in a gun fight. It was a customs man he said. Shot twice, then dad would fall."
Now I ain't sure yet what killed my dad. Was it greed for money, was it customs and all that kind'o shit. All I know is I lost him due to a night call.

Chorus:
Night call, took my dad away from me.
Night call, straight into eternity.
Night call, now he ain't coming back no more.
Night call, I miss him 'till we meet on Heaven's shore.

Music & Words © Martin Mccoy 2023

I dreamed I’d been to Lafayette on a cloudy day in the fall.
I had come a long way to South Louisiane, leaving up north my hardship and all.
I smelled the sweet magnolia blossoms, I saw the sun go down o’r the gulf.
And on a boulevard they were playing Zideco music, Oh I can’t tell you how it soothed my rattled soul. I was in a Lafayette state of mind, yeah I was in a Lafayette state of mind.

Interlude 1

Then I woke up in a bed of all white linen and the pale moon light shining through a window pane.
The walls were all white, too with nothing on them. No decore and no picture frames.
I remember how they took me in this morning, I was raging around my house and my front door, too.
Neighbors finally sent for the police, said “He takes young women and young children, too.”
I’ve never done this kind of things before, I’ll never do it. A little schizo every now and then that’s what I am.
Just looking for some peace and understanding, now they’ll take me to that sanitarium.

Part 2

I dreamed I’d been to Breaux Bridge. I met a Cajun girl on the Bayou Têche.
We spoke Cajun French walking by the Bayou, sitting on a tree stump with our canne à pêche.
Puis on trouvait une belle table au Cajun Café, on mangeait du Gumbo et du Boudain. On bavardait, riait, puis se prenait par la main. Oh comme je me sentait bien content.
I was in a Breaux Bridge state of mind, yeah, I was in a Breaux Bridge state of mind.

Interlude 2

The doctors calmed me down with lots of downers. The nurses were as gentle as could be.
There were many fellow patients, and we had us a good time. We almost felt like one big family.
When I got in there for the first time I felt like they’d hang me the next day. But day by day I saw more good sides to it, ‘till finally all blues had gone away.
One patient was a girl named Sarah Jane. She was fragile, but I felt she’d understand.
After a short while we had fallen for eachother, lucky not to be aloners in the end.

Part 3

I dreamed I’d been to old Berlin. A grey brick wall divided the town.
And a barbed wire fence kept the caged from the free. What a place to keep a good man down.
I tried to go from one side to the other, through check points and security.
On the other side the streets were almost empty, with no one there to talk to me.
No I ain’t in a Berlin state of mind, no no I ain’t in a Berlin state of mind.

Interlude 3

Me and Sarah Jane lived a paradise type of dream. Two young lovers from the lower end.
No worries fighting the hustler’s world outside there, here inside this protected environment.
After thirteen weeks they considered me recovered, They set me free back on the open road.
Sarah Jane was kept, we missed one another, phoned each day, talked away our heavy load.
Then one day instead of a phone call from her got a call from Doctor Allan Dwight.
He said: “Sorry, Jimmy, but I've got to tell you Sarah Jane took her life last night.”

Ending

I’ve lost it all in Big L.A.,
(Guitar interlude)
I wish I was in a Lafayette state of mind, I wish I was in a Lafayette state of mind.

Music & words Martin Mccoy © 1976, 2024

Daughter of the Southland, make me smile once more.
Some time we spent together, and you set my soul off shore.
You've been of such a good friend, but now it seams all gone.
Daughter of the Southland tell me what have I done wrong.

We strolled through fields and forests trying to clear our minds. You gave me all the shelter I was so hard out to find.
The shelter that a child seeks from a wild and raging beast, you granted to me gently, just to say the least.

Bridge 1:
Your words were oh so pure to me, your voice was clearer than the morning sun.
And even the very thought of you it beautified some of my best songs.

We're sitting here so helplessly, with our heads bowed down. None daring say a word, silence is an awful sound.
Some other dude he must have cast on you a lasting spell, turn around to him, may it do you good, I wish you oh so well.

Bridge 2:
Oh girl, it's time for me to go, why did it all turn out this way.
Did I ever turn you down or have I been screaming for music and wine everyday, Southland Daughter say!

Daughter from the Southland, you left a precious trace upon my heart.

Music & words by Martin McCoy © 1981 / 2024

Rainy day love and rainy day feeling
Rainy days got me rocking and reeling,
Rainy days use to make me lonesome and blue.
Nobody knows where he’s gotta go,
the rain keeps on trickling down windows.
And nobody knows what he’s gotta do.
And the rain kept on pouring down day by day.
It was washing all my soul’s surviving force away.
I had no idea whether to walk on or turn around,
when my ears kept on hearing that rainy day sound.

Chorus:
Rainy day people and rainy day stars,
rainy day books and rainy day cars.
Rainy day moods and rainy day nights
were trying to bring me down.

I had a love that I used to treasure. It was unique, with no words to measure.
One rainy day I found me had been up and gone.
I learned a lot, don’t want to forget it, I’m glad it happened,
don’t wonna forget it although she had left with so many things undone.
And the rain came and took all my hopes and dreams away.
So I wondered what cards would be dealt for a brand-new game.
I was waiting to find somebody new, but the rain kept on falling, I wished it weren’t true.

Chorus:
Rainy day people and rainy day stars,
rainy day books and rainy day cars.
Rainy day moods and rainy day nights
were trying to bring me down.

Bridge:
But I kept hoping some sweat day the sun will be coming out.
And these rainy days will be an episode I’ll be laughing about.
I don’t want to feel them storms rushing over me,
and it’s you I can imagine to walk with me.

Music & Words by Martin Mccoy © 1981, 2024

I'm singing oldies. Songs from way back then,
I sing of good events from years ago that seamed to never end.
I'm singing sad songs about love and tears,
and they make me glad again in the present time.
I'm singing oldies when I'm down and out again.
When I'm caught up like a bird in a cage and
I cannot see the end. When my destiny's got me on my knees
and I'm crawling on and on into nowhere.

Chorus:
I'm singing oldies when my mood is getting down,
and I try and try to raise it and I fail and fail again.
I'm singing oldies when my life don't seam worth while no more
and I try to rearrange it just another time.

I'm singing oldies 'cause my love's just run away,
and I cannot catch up to her though I try hard every day.
And the only chance I do have
is to play them old songs now, I'm singing oldies.

Music & Words Martin Mccoy © 1979, 2024

Once I wrote a melody and I used to keep it in my head.
Now in search of this melody I find an empty space instead.

Solo

The only reason why I wrote my tune was to be quite true,
to tell you in a very simple way and make you see that I love you.

Chorus:
Now I can't find your melody no more,
I'm feeling down like a child who lost his toy.
I hope some day you're gonna find the right way
to bring back your melody to play.

You know some folks they're big travellers of the world,
they've seen a lot of countries and towns.
Others travel pretty far in their mind,
and they might easily loose ground.

Solo

Well recently I've been tangled up inside
'cause hard times I've been through.
But I've been fighting for what I felt was right,
but I would never forget you.

Chorus:
Now I can't find your melody no more,
I'm feeling down like a child who lost his toy.
I hope some day you're gonna find the right way
to bring back your melody to play.

Music & Words Martin Mccoy © 2022

He rode in one summer's eve into Port Barre.
He was an oil rig repair man up from Houston town.
Travelling all by himself, with just this job he had to do,
with no wife or kids waiting for him back home.
He checked into his motel, then went out walking,
down by the Bayou Teche underneath the Cajun moon.

As he caught her sitting there on a tree stump by herself,
And he noticed that look of sadness in her eyes.
Being touched inside he approached her gently,
asked if he might take the stump next to hers.
She agreed, and pretty soon they got familiar and told each other,
the story of their broken down lives.
She'd been married to a handsome reckless rascal.

After child number 2 he was up and gone.
And his wife had that habit of pouring whiskey down
then one morning took her life with a stolen gun.

Bridge:
They met again the next three or four evenings.
They felt those warm emotions growing strong.
They figured out their common ways, their common lives to share,
And he promised her to call her from back home.

Guitar solo

Chorus:
And the moon was high way down in Port Barre,
shining on her porch straightly upon her face.
As he held her tight they dreamed their future plans to raise a family.
And they never thought that hey might loose the race.

Along came his last day in Port Barre.
Both their lives seamed to have made an upwards turn.
He was flown out to an off-shore rig where some repair had to be done,
it was to be quite a bit tricky he had learned.
They heard the evil blast out in Port Barre.
As she ran out she saw the fire in the sky.
Late at night police handed her a piece of paper with her address,
They said he'd whispered out her name as he died.

Chorus

Music & words Martin Mccoy ® 1994, 2025

Farewell to Nova Scotia, the faug and the windy beach.
Tomorrow just about this time I’ll be far out of reach.
I'm a trucker by my trade oh Lord, on the highway I belong.
I've only a few minutes left for writing down this song.

Farewell to you dear Mary-Jane, sweat daughter that I love.
I'll sing for you a good night song, just watch the stars above.
Tomorrow night your mother will tell you a good night tale.
Don't worry for she'll comfort you when the cold night winds wale.

Harmonica Solo

Farewell to you dear Ronny Jay, I'll be missing you I swear.
Be nice to your sweat mother and sister when I'm not there.
You're a little too young to understand why your daddy's seldom home
and most times you can talk to him is over a radio telephone.

Farewell my wife Joanna, it's sad to leave you alone.
I know that it's not easy being married to a rolling stone
who's trying to make a living for weeks out on the road.
But in these times without you I carry a heavy load.

Acordeon solo

Farewell to Nova Scotia, I'll be leaving the next day.
I'll drive this 18-wheeler down to California.
from there on down to Mexico and across the Rio Grande.
Then I’ll bring home my wages I earned in this foreign land.