Playing Safe (Straight From Now On)

by Jeffrey Gutcheon
©2002, Uncle Mike Music, ASCAP

Ten years, doin’ time with no relief
Take a man’s belongings boy, they lock you up a thief
Til that prison preacher turned his head to glory
And Johnny Cash said “Son, you’ve paid for what you’ve done,
Strap a guitar on and tell the world your story.”

He’s playin’ safe, he’s got that wafer on his tongue
40 years if he’s a day and he’s actin’ awful young
He knows the best days of is life are gone
You can tell he’s goin’ straight from now on

And you can smell the perfume on him as sweet as any rose
And when they pass the whiskey out he turns away his nose
And when that reefer comes around he smiles and says “No thanks,
I’m only drinking soda boys, and smokin’ these here blanks.”

“I’m playin’ safe, I’m on that true and narrow now,
Once I threw my life away then they give it back somehow,
I know the good lord gave me only one,
You know I’m going straight from now on.”

If peace of mind comes cheaply then your sin was underpriced
Now there’s thieves on every corner trying to sell the word of Christ
And if there is no reason playin’ safe but self respect
You leave no wagers open boys for Satan to collect

From the CD titled Down On The Borderline on Cool Groove Records CD 102