Barkeep
Tell 'em they don't have to go
But they can't stay here
Cause 2:15 in the mornin'
The law frowns on sellin' beer
So unplug that jukebox, clean the ashtrays, and put up the booze
It's just one more night in the life of them blood bucket blues

Squinting through a dirty cracked windshield
Living off gas money and caffeine pills
Tonight I feel as worn out as that ol' road I've been traveling on
Flirtin' with a waitress outside of Longview
She said she dug my rugged looks and my jailhouse tattoo
But I wouldn't keep her in my sleeper
Lord knows I got a sweet thing at home

But it's a hell of a way to earn your keep
Storms and fast food and not enough sleep
From show to show and town to town
Well your guarantee goes up while your love life goes down
Now it'd be a different story if I could pick and choose
When I wanted to win and I wanted to lose
It's a life that I just can't refuse
Blood bucket blues

Last night I worked a tip jar on nine different drunks
I guess they felt sorry for the singing skinny punk
Bartender bought me a cold beer and said,
"Jess, you ever thought of going back to school?"
While my skin gets thick and my hair gets long
And I still got it in me to write just one more song
It's a life that I just can't refuse
Blood bucket blues

Well it's a hell of a way to earn your keep
Storms and fast food and not enough sleep
From show to show and town to town
Well your guarantee goes up while your love life goes down
Well it'd be a different story if I could pick and choose
When I wanted to win and I wanted to lose
It's a life that I just can't refuse
Blood bucket blues