Down at the Liquor Store

"DOWN AT THE LIQUOR STORE"

Down, down, down

Down at the liquor store

Shorty used to sweep the floor

Chew to death that cheap cigar

Walk your whiskey to the car

He'd dust off every bottle

Until every one shined

I still recall his small bald head

And his big white buck shot knife

Johnny Lee was shorty's wife

She'd raised me most my life

So proudly kept and cleaned the house

In that store bought cotton blouse

Dipped bitter-garret snuff

Sang about Jesus' love

Tap her feet to my guitar

Out of time just like I was

She'd stop by the liquor store

Every afternoon a quarter of four

Totin' her pocket book and fred dollar store sack

A quart of Coke a Schiltz six pack

Give her Shorty one of those Johnny Lee looks

Say, hmm... I am headed home to cook

For your umpteen kids in my section eight house

I hear Junebug's gettin' outta jail

As tears & tobacco drippin' off her mouth

For some wild irish rose and a filter king kool

Sonny boy would play the blues

Behind the liquor store he'd sing

So much hurt spillin' out of those strings

Eye's stained cateracts

A heart full of heart attacks

His mansion made of shotgun shack

Nearly ninety years of not looking back

Uncle Shan he ran the place

Thick glasses graced his face

Behind the counter sat his bowling ball

Monday nights we'd watch football

Took the 38 below the cash register drawer

And one last stroll to the back of the store

Sounded like a bottle fell

Guess he was just too sad to ever tell

Shorty said, "Mr. Joe come quick

Lord, look what mister shan done did"

Daddy held his baby brother to his broke chest

While big brother joe cleaned up the mess

The jigger & jug the scars the history

And first legal liquor joint in Mississippi