Dar Williams — Highway Patrolman
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My name is Joe Roberts, I work for the state
I'm a sergeant out of Perrineville, barracks number eight
I always done an honest job, as honest as I could
I got a brother named Franky, and Franky ain't no good
Now, ever since we was young kids, it's been the same come down
I get a call over the shortwave, Franky's in trouble downtown
Well, if it was any other man, I'd put him straight away
But when it's your brother, sometimes you look the other way
Me and Franky laughing and drinking, nothing feels better than blood on blood
Taking turns dancing with Maria as the band played Night of the Johnstown Flood
I catch him when he's straying, like any brother would
Man turns his back on his family, well, he just ain't no good
Well, Franky went in the army back in 1965
I got a farm deferment, settled down, took Maria for my wife
But them wheat prices kept on dropping 'til it was like we was gettin' robbed
Franky came home in '68, me, I took this job
Yeah, we're laughing and drinking, nothing feels better than blood on blood
Taking turns dancing with Maria as the band played Night of the Johnstown Flood
I catch him when he's straying, teach him how to walk that line
Man turns his back on his family, he ain't no friend of mine
The night was like any other, I got a call 'bout a quarter to nine
There was trouble in a roadhouse out on the Michigan line
There was a kid lying on the floor, looking bad, bleeding from his head
There was a girl crying at a table, it was Frank, they said
Well, I went out and I jumped in my car and I hit the lights
I must've done a hundred and ten through Michigan County that night
It was out at the crossroads, down 'round Willow Bank
Seen a Buick with Ohio plates, behind the wheel was Frank
Well, I chased him through them county roads
'Til a sign said Canadian border five miles from here
I pulled over to the side of the highway and watched his taillights disappear
Me and Franky laughing and drinking, nothing feels better than blood on blood
Taking turns dancing with Maria as the band played Night of the Johnstown Flood
I catch him when he's straying, like any brother would
Man turns his back on his family, well, he just ain't no good
I'm a sergeant out of Perrineville, barracks number eight
I always done an honest job, as honest as I could
I got a brother named Franky, and Franky ain't no good
Now, ever since we was young kids, it's been the same come down
I get a call over the shortwave, Franky's in trouble downtown
Well, if it was any other man, I'd put him straight away
But when it's your brother, sometimes you look the other way
Me and Franky laughing and drinking, nothing feels better than blood on blood
Taking turns dancing with Maria as the band played Night of the Johnstown Flood
I catch him when he's straying, like any brother would
Man turns his back on his family, well, he just ain't no good
Well, Franky went in the army back in 1965
I got a farm deferment, settled down, took Maria for my wife
But them wheat prices kept on dropping 'til it was like we was gettin' robbed
Franky came home in '68, me, I took this job
Yeah, we're laughing and drinking, nothing feels better than blood on blood
Taking turns dancing with Maria as the band played Night of the Johnstown Flood
I catch him when he's straying, teach him how to walk that line
Man turns his back on his family, he ain't no friend of mine
The night was like any other, I got a call 'bout a quarter to nine
There was trouble in a roadhouse out on the Michigan line
There was a kid lying on the floor, looking bad, bleeding from his head
There was a girl crying at a table, it was Frank, they said
Well, I went out and I jumped in my car and I hit the lights
I must've done a hundred and ten through Michigan County that night
It was out at the crossroads, down 'round Willow Bank
Seen a Buick with Ohio plates, behind the wheel was Frank
Well, I chased him through them county roads
'Til a sign said Canadian border five miles from here
I pulled over to the side of the highway and watched his taillights disappear
Me and Franky laughing and drinking, nothing feels better than blood on blood
Taking turns dancing with Maria as the band played Night of the Johnstown Flood
I catch him when he's straying, like any brother would
Man turns his back on his family, well, he just ain't no good
Comments (24)add comment
Dragonfly_Launch wrote:
I like Springsteen. Have liked him since Asbury Park. He is an icon. Permanent in the ear. But you are full of purist bullshit. When covers are made out of respect. And the artist is putting his or her own qualities into the interpretation sincerely then it is real music.
Get the hell over it.
Purist bullshit? Nah. Over-the-top rhetoric? Sure. Guilty. Probably nothing shouldn't get the occasional respectful cover. Sometimes miraculous stuff happens, after all. And I didn't say that Dar's version wasn't real music.
But in this case, the cover makes me want to hum along, absently.
Springsteen's version makes me want to cry for the sadness in all of us.
Ain't gonna get the hell over that. Sorry.
Xeric wrote:
This is a travesty. This is blasphemy.
The REAL version is uploaded (yes, by me) and reviewing. Vote for it. Hope for the best.
Some things should never ever be covered, whether the motive be to honor the writer or just plain old money-grubbing. This song is probably motivated by the former--but it doesn't matter, because Highway Patrolman is a song that should NEVER be covered. By anybody. That's all.
I like Springsteen. Have liked him since Asbury Park. He is an icon. Permanent in the ear. But you are full of purist bullshit. When covers are made out of respect. And the artist is putting his or her own qualities into the interpretation sincerely then it is real music.
Get the hell over it.
This is a travesty. This is blasphemy.
The REAL version is uploaded (yes, by me) and reviewing. Vote for it. Hope for the best.
Some things should never ever be covered, whether the motive be to honor the writer or just plain old money-grubbing. This song is probably motivated by the former--but it doesn't matter, because Highway Patrolman is a song that should NEVER be covered. By anybody. That's all.
laladex wrote:
I would have preferred to hear the original, this album was a bit of a disappointment but perhaps I am biased since Nebraska is my favorite Bruce album.
I like this album and love Nebraska. A real good cut from this disc is Ben Harper's "My Father's House." Someone upload it!
I've met Dar, and I just can't imagine that sweet, shy person voicing a highway patrolman. Not the best choice of songs.
Love Dar and love this song, but the two don't mix well. She just doesn't nail it like Bruce does. A marginal cover.
I think that this was a good cover of a Bruce song. There was lots of emotion and integrity here, although of course, the original is lots, lots better.
I would have preferred to hear the original, this album was a bit of a disappointment but perhaps I am biased since Nebraska is my favorite Bruce album. A below comment struck a nerve, previously today RP played Lucky Town and I was surprised at how many people don't get the "Bruce thing." I recently got into this mode where Born to Run did not leave my CD player for a week (this was a direct result of the election) and I am constantly astonished by his writing. Thunder Road is pure brilliance (in addition to all of Nebraska). What kind of music does a person who does not get the Bruce thing get? This is not an attack, but a genuine inquiry.
guitarwhisperer wrote:
To those who say they never got "the Bruce thing", if this song doesn't explain it, then I'll confess Bruce isn't for you.
That said, Dar should leave Bruce to Bruce.
Exactly, if you got to explain Bruce you ain't gunna get it.
Love the way you said it 8)
And, yeah, her voice doesn't have that "been there seen that" sound. Bruce, even better when he's live, has an ironic voice. You know that he's rich and successful, and he knows it, but when he sings about people in jeens just having a beer you know he's done that too.
It's like his song Better Days. "It's a sad funny ending pretending to be a rich man wearing a poor man's clothes." Or something like that. I just love that line.
To those who say they never got "the Bruce thing", if this song doesn't explain it, then I'll confess Bruce isn't for you.
That said, Dar should leave Bruce to Bruce.
One of many awsome covers on this tribute
I dunno, I kind of like this -- I can hear the desperation in her voice.
thanks for playing this song tonight.
Very impressive version of this. Would like to hear more Dar.
Rockabobbie wrote:
Someone gave this a "1" a mere 45 seconds into the cut. Holy cow! Sheesh.
It's hard to find songs at RP that haven't been rated 1 as well as 10. Maybe both are rediculous (as anything inbetween is) or shouldn't be taken too seriously.
I can't stand the temptation to rate myself, from time to time, but frankly I think music shouldn't be rated at all.
Rockabobbie wrote:
Thanks for the clarification though! 
Uhhh, nope, Greg, sorry for the confusion. Not pointed to you at all. When the cut started I saw a "1" flash up immediately. So I began my post. Your came in while I was writing. Didn't try to dig at you at all. In fact, thought your post was thoughtful... and agree, JC did do a better version.
No offense intended, I'm home sick and not all here ...
Thanks for the clarification though!
GregX59 wrote:
Ummm, your post seems to be pointed towards my comment about Johnny Cash covering this song.
FYI - I chose not to rate this song. If you want to pull up my lowest ratings in my profile, you will see this.
Sheesh.
Uhhh, nope, Greg, sorry for the confusion. Not pointed to you at all. When the cut started I saw a "1" flash up immediately. So I began my post. Your came in while I was writing. Didn't try to dig at you at all. In fact, thought your post was thoughtful... and agree, JC did do a better version.
settiman wrote:
<>
Here's something for the posts: Does anyone think this song sounds weird sung by a female?
Yeah, it does a little (sound weird). The sister perspective doesn't quite fit the brazen and almost cold indifference the story can verge into from the brother's perspective. And sharing dances with a little lady at the bar makes for an, ahem, interesting visual.
Rockabobbie wrote:
Someone gave this a "1" a mere 45 seconds into the cut. Holy cow! The story itself is worth 5 points sans music. And Dar makes this her own--in the same way Johnny Cash did. And if his choosing to cover it doesn't suggest how senseless your 1 was, then I suppose you really don't have much cred for rating music on its own merit, just by whether or not it's performed or written by someone who fits into your narrowly defined list based on questionable criteria of things it is "okay" for you to like.
Sheesh.
Ummm, your post seems to be pointed towards my comment about Johnny Cash covering this song.
FYI - I chose not to rate this song. If you want to pull up my lowest ratings in my profile, you will see this.
Sheesh.
The Boss' version of this song is one of my all time favs, as is Nebraska in general. I always think it's hard to hear covers of your favorite songs because they just seem off. Especialy this one. Sorry, she just doesn't have the same blase-intensity (almost matter-of-fact delivery) that makes this so powerful in it's original form.
Here's something for the posts: Does anyone think this song sounds weird sung by a female?
Someone gave this a "1" a mere 45 seconds into the cut. Holy cow! The story itself is worth 5 points sans music. And Dar makes this her own--in the same way Johnny Cash did. And if his choosing to cover it doesn't suggest how senseless your 1 was, then I suppose you really don't have much cred for rating music on its own merit, just by whether or not it's performed or written by someone who fits into your narrowly defined list based on questionable criteria of things it is "okay" for you to like.
Sheesh.
Dar needs to leave the story telling to John Prine.
This needs to go. It's a great song, and I do like Dar Williams, but I don't like her cover of this. Johnny Cash's cover is the best, bar none.
I understand ppl being protective of their favorites artists, I do it to, but when someone is critical for no noted reason and just b/c it's treasonous to dare to record a cover, they're just being stupid. Personally, I've never gotten a lot into Bruce's music and prefer Dar's cover (maybe in no small part b/c "I heard it first and have seen her live).