https://soundcloud.com/wabash-cannibal/the-in-law-josey-wales-full-band-demo


The In-Law Josey Wales

It was our first date and her daddy asked me in
Handshake like a vice, and cold dark eyes squeezed in an evil squint
Later that night she wanted to go someplace alone
In my mind her daddy’s stare was still our chaperone
Even out in Waikiki on our wedding night
I was almost too nervous to turn down the lights

Cos he’s tall and mean with a long black coat
He’ll scare you straight with the scriptures he quotes
Sawed-off double barrel on an iron rack
Dynamite in a shed out back
Doin’ fam’ly wrong gets him real upset
Served in the Corps., shot five time in the war
And he ain’t dead yet
He’s hard as oak and tough as nails
He’s the in-law Josey Wales

Well, we were still newlyweds when a levee broke
Though we got out fast, all my mounted bass swam home when our house got soaked
When that thievin’ insurance guy refused to pay
So, me n my father-in-law paid him a visit one day
He growled somethin’ over that pencil pusher’s desk
So they cut me a break and cut me a check

Cos he’s tall and mean with a long black coat
He’ll scare you straight with the scriptures he quotes
Sawed-off double barrel on an iron rack
Dynamite in a shed out back
Doin’ fam’ly wrong gets him real upset
Served in the Corps., shot five time in the war
And he ain’t dead yet
He’s hard as oak and tough as nails
He’s the in-law Josey Wales

Repeat chorus

©2010 Greg Shields/Robert George

This is great. The lyrics are fantastic, the music ,singing, and performance are great.

Years ago I was on this site as VNorth. The one thing I always looked forward to was reading your lyrics. They always seemed to rise above the rest.It is so good, in these trying times to see that some things haven't changed. Thank you for what you do. Never stop doing it.

Steve

Very well done. Loved the lyrics, melody and production. Thanks and good luck with it.

Thanks, everybody.


Steve, I wish I could say I'll be writing forever. Lyrically, I ran out of steam a few years ago. My best days are behind me. I wrote several gritty crime novels and that was about all I had.

Thanks for your kind words.

Why do I always have to be the one....

Yes Grouch, you definitely have a way with words... but (JMHO) sometimes your direction seems a bit random. Why a flood and insurance adjuster...?When, since the singer character actually managed to marry Josey's daughter, the real question becomes who wouldn't they both kill for Josey's grandchildren?

JAPOV, it's been ten years since I wrote this so I don't know what was running through my mind.

But I can guess it was a few things writers must do.

1. Write to the hook. I had to give the father-in-law someone to threaten in vs. 2.

2. It would have to be someone the audience would be instantly inclined to dislike without a lot of exposition. It would also have to be someone he could threaten without emasculating the singer. You have to make the singer look good.

3. Plus, you want good visuals a country (southern) audience would relate to.

An insurance guy.


I didn't understand the second half of your post.

"# 2." Your story starts out great, poor guy trying to date the daughter of Josey Wales lol... but in verse two he's already married. How did that happen? The suitor needs to earn Josey's respect. Has To! That's the only way this story ends right

JAPOV, there was no hindrance to them getting married. Vs 1 says he stared them down and they didn't vo-dee-oh-dough-dough on their date. That's it. He didn't forbid the date.

They had to be married before the chorus. It's called the IN-LAW Josey Wales.

You have to write to the hook.