Casey's Last Ride

"Casey's Last Ride" was written by Kris Kristofferson and it appeared on his debut album in 1970. There are many notable covers of this song by many notable artists: Johnny Cash (he liked it so much he recorded it twice in his career), Waylon Jennings, Willie Nelson (as a duet with Kristofferson), The Highwaymen, John Denver, Emmylou Harris, Alison Krauss, Ricky Skaggs (with The Country Gentlemen), Calexico, Peter Rowan, and the Everly Brothers. Kris Kristofferson recorded another version for his 1995 album "A Moment of Forever".

Casey joins the hollow sound of silent people walking down
The stairway to the subway in the shadows down below
Following their footsteps through the neon-darkened corridors
Of silent desperation, never speakin' to a soul
The poison air he's breathin' has the dirty smell of dying
'Cause it's never seen the sunshine and it's never felt the rain
But Casey minds the arrows and ignores the fatal echoes
Of the clickin' of the turnstiles and the rattle of his chains

"Oh," she said, "Casey, it's been so long since I've seen you"
"Here," she said, "Just a kiss to make a body smile"
"See," she said, "I've put on new stockings just to please you"
"Lord," she said, "Casey, can you only stay a while?"

Casey leaves the underground and stops inside the Golden Crown
For something wet to wipe away the chill that's on his bone
Seeing his reflection in the lives of all the lonely men
Who reach for anything they can to keep from goin' home
Standin' in the corner, Casey drinks his pint of bitter
Never glancing in the mirror at the people passing by
Then he stumbles as he's leaving and he wonders if the reason
Is the beer that's in his belly, or the tear that's in his eye

"Oh," she said, "I suppose you seldom think about me"
"Now," she said, "Now that you've a fam'ly of your own"
"Still," she said, "It's so blessed good to feel your body"
"Lord," she said, "Casey, it's a shame to be alone"