"Long Black Lincoln Dream" lyrics

I first met Willie Redford
On the junior high school steps
I asked him who he had for math
But his mind was somewhere else
He said his hands were made for guitars
And he loved to play and sing
He said his life was driving by
A long-black-Lincoln dream

Well, school held no attraction
Willie's classroom was the night
Smokey bars and honky tonks
Soon saw his name in lights
Then one night in a tavern
When the whiskey reined supreme
He laughed and joked and shared with me
His long-black-Lincoln dream

He saw himself in a chauffeur-driven
Riding like heaven
Million-dollar car
People talking, stop and gawking
Treat him like a star
With a motorcycle escort
Making every red light green
He said he'd never rest
Until he lived
His long-black-Lincoln dream

Willie took his songs to Nashville
But he never got the breaks
Back here in Harlan county
We all thought his songs were great
The other night after working
Well the joint on soldier's hill
Willie he gave his life to a semi
In his rusty Coupe De Ville

Well today ole Willie made it
He's finally first in line
Even the mayor and the judge
Paid their respects
Ever since the night the whiskey talked
He's been a friend of mine
And I wonder if it's all that he'd expect

He saw himself in a chauffeur-driven
Riding like heaven million dollar car
People talking, stop and gawking
Treat him like a star
With a motorcycle escort
Making every red light green
He said he'd never rest
Until he lived
His long-black-Lincoln dream

He said he'd never rest
Until he lived
His long-black-Lincoln dream