Song Cover Image

The Dust Don't Own My Shoes

Bubba Patrick
Bubba Patrick
Raw acoustic North Georgia country blues, strong foot-free rhythmic fingerstyle on ONE worn Martin SIX-STRING acoustic guitar, low alternating thumb bass played ON guitar, bent blues notes, sliding guitar strings, gritty soulful HARMONICA cross-harp bends and conversational mature weathered solo Southern MALE singer, Loose 12/8 E7-A7-B7 blues shuffle, porch session, bold and defiant but warm, entirely unplugged, Absolutely no rhythm section or other instruments, ‑drums, ‑percussion, ‑foot stomps, ‑claps, ‑bass guitar, ‑upright bass, ‑electric guitar, ‑banjo, ‑fiddle, ‑mandolin, ‑piano, ‑keyboard, ‑organ, ‑synth, ‑pedal steel, ‑saxophone, ‑brass, ‑orchestra, ‑background singers, ‑choir, ‑duet, ‑female voice, ‑harmony vocals, ‑overdubs, ‑second guitar, ‑full band
V6

[Intro: solo SIX-STRING acoustic guitar, E7 blues shuffle, harmonica wails a short reply] [Spoken — Bubba, easy grin] Well, every road's got dust. Ain't no rule says you gotta wear it home. [Verse 1] Got turned around by a crooked sign, Wasted half a day and a little of my mind. Had a pocket full of worry, Had a head full of news, But the dust on the highway Don't own these shoes. [Verse 2] A man can build a prison Out of things that never came, Keep polishing his troubles Till he thinks they're his name. I can learn from where I've been, Still get to choose Whether yesterday's dust Gets inside my shoes. [Chorus] Let the wind blow, let the old wheels roll, I ain't handing every hard day the keys to my soul. I can lose one round without losing the blues, And the dust can ride behind me But it don't own my shoes. No sir, the dust don't own my shoes. [Harmonica solo: fiery blues bends and call-and-response with ONE acoustic guitar, E7 – A7 – B7 turnaround] [Verse 3] Well, the rain came down before the work got done, I stood there laughing, looking for the sun. Nothing much changed, but I changed my view: The storm gets the sidewalk; It don't get to choose. [Verse 4] If a door stays closed, I can knock once more, Or find a little daylight by another door. Don't need a crown, don't need excuses, Just a steady pair of feet In these well-worn shoes. [Bridge: just voice and fingerpicked guitar] There's a difference, friend, between a scar and a chain. One says you lived, one says stay. So I'll keep the lesson And let the weight fall away. [Final Chorus] Let the wind blow, let the old wheels roll, I ain't handing every hard day the keys to my soul. I can lose one round without losing the blues, And the dust can ride behind me But it don't own my shoes. No sir, the dust don't own my shoes. [Spoken Outro: one resonant E7 chord, harmonica answering] A little dust ain't never hurt a good road. [Final solo guitar blues turnaround]