Leonard

Album: Back to the Barrooms (1980)
Play Video
  • [Chorus]
    When Leonard finally came to California
    He was twenty-one years old, as I recall
    He loved to write a song and pick on the guitar
    And he came to hang a gold one on the wall

    The town in which he lived is not important
    But you'll know which town I mean by the time I'm through
    He soon became a famous entertainer
    But Leonard was a name he never used

    He was on his way to having what he wanted
    Just about as close as one could be
    Hey, once he even followed Elvis Presley
    And he wrote a lot of country songs for me

    But he laid it all aside to follow Jesus
    For years he chose to let his music go
    But preaching wasn't really meant for Leonard
    But how in the hell was Leonard s'posed to know

    Well, life began to twist it's way around him
    And I wondered how he carried such a load
    He came back again to try his luck in music
    And lost his wife and family on the road

    After that he seemed to bog down even deeper
    And I saw what booze and pills could really do
    And I wondered if I'd ever see him sober
    But I forgot about a friend that Leonard knew

    Well, Leonard gave me lots of inspiration
    He helped teach me how to write a country song
    And he even brought around a bag of groceries
    Hey, back before Muskogee came along

    Really, I'm not trying to hide his show name
    Or the town in which this episode began

    Somehow I had to write a song for old Tommy
    If just to see the smilin' faces in the band

    [Chorus] Writer/s: HAGGARD
    Publisher: Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
    Lyrics licensed and provided by LyricFind

Comments

Be the first to comment...

Editor's Picks

David Bowie Leads the Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Long-Haired Men

David Bowie Leads the Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Long-Haired MenSong Writing

Bowie's "activist" days of 1964 led to Ziggy Stardust.

Women Who Rock

Women Who RockSong Writing

Evelyn McDonnell, editor of the book Women Who Rock, on why the Supremes are just as important as Bob Dylan.

Chrissie Hynde of The Pretenders

Chrissie Hynde of The PretendersSongwriter Interviews

The rock revolutionist on songwriting, quitting smoking, and what she thinks of Rush Limbaugh using her song.

Paul Stanley of Kiss, Soul Station

Paul Stanley of Kiss, Soul StationSongwriter Interviews

Paul Stanley on his soul music project, the Kiss songs with the biggest soul influence, and the non-make-up era of the band.

Song Titles That Inspired Movies

Song Titles That Inspired MoviesSong Writing

Famous songs that lent their titles - and in some cases storylines - to movies.

Jesus In Pop Hits: The Gospel Songs That Went Mainstream

Jesus In Pop Hits: The Gospel Songs That Went MainstreamSong Writing

These overtly religious songs crossed over to the pop charts, despite resistance from fans, and in many cases, churches.