They come here to see him in this honky tonk roadhouse
A burning young star at the top of his game
They're packed wall to wall for a glimpse at their hero

Who's almost gone crazy chasing this fame

The road has been hard, somehow he's been harder

But the pills and the whiskey have taken their toll
He keeps the truth hidden as long as he's singing
But it comes rushing in with the last dying note


It's the rise and fall of a honky tonk hero
Who's been burning the candle at both ends too long

He'll fly high tonight but it's all smoke and mirrors
While the truth lies there hidden in the words of his songs


There was someone who loved him, a girl back in Texas
With the ways of an angel as he now recalls
But he traded her love for a song and the highway

Oh how bitter his tears whenever they fall

(Repeat Chorus)