Mudcat Café message #3161051
The Mudcat Café TM
Thread #138137 Message #3161051
Posted By: Joe Offer
26-May-11 - 05:55 PM
Thread Name: Casey's last ride - meaning?
Subject: ADD: Casey's Last Ride (Kris Kristofferson)
For the record, here are the lyrics:
CASEY'S LAST RIDE
(Kris Kristofferson)
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 speaking to a soul
The poison air he's breathing 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 clicking of the turnstyle and the rattle of his chain
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 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 bones
Seeing his reflection in the lives of all the lonely men
Who reach for anything they can to keep from going home
Standing in the corner Casey drinks his pint of bitter
Never glancing in the mirror at the people passing by
And he stumbles as he's leavin' 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 family 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
Emmylou Harris sings the following at the end of the song, but Kristofferson does not
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 put on new stockings just to please you
Oh, she said, Casey can you only stay a while
Words and Music by Kris Kristofferson
source: http://www.sing365.com/music/lyric.nsf/Casey-s-Last-Ride-lyrics-John-Denver/4203B5BBE508CC08482568850008042D
I made a few corrections after listening to the Emmylou Harris and Kris Kristofferson recordings