Read me first!

[skirob]

This is on a trial basis. The other forum has already become a pain in my ass in only 3 days and I don't need a second one to monitor. Nonetheless, let's see how it goes.

Rule #1: Don't post old material from SKB
Rule #2: Don't post SKB's name or address
Rule #3: If you merely want to call Brian C. a goatf*****, don't bother. He's heard it before. It'll get yanked
Rule #4: This ISN'T southknoxbubba. He shut it down and it's OK. Let it go and leave him alone
Rule #5: I'm not a babysitter for grown adults. Abide by #1-4 and all will be cool.

Thanks

[# 9]

Knox Politics has been moved to its own forum. This was done at the request of many people over on the Blab. One of the problems was guests pushing the envelope and not following the easy basic forum rules. Please read and follow the rules. Let’s not make it a pain for the people that administer this forum. They are not paid for their time.

The most important thing you can do is register. When you register you give an email address. This makes it easy for the Administrator to communicate with you. No one else will see this email address unless you choose to make it public.

You can use a Yahoo Mail or Google Email account when you register here. You can use a pseudonymous name. It is important that we make it easy for this forum to survive and evolve.

I am serious about asking questions and finding answers about what is happening in downtown Knoxville. I hope you will join me and we can make this forum something to be proud of.

[earlnemo]

Knox Politics has been moved to its own forum. This was done at the request of many people over on the Blab. One of the problems was guests pushing the envelope and not following the easy basic forum rules. Please read and follow the rules. Let’s not make it a pain for the people that administer this forum. They are not paid for their time.

The most important thing you can do is register. When you register you give an email address. This makes it easy for the Administrator to communicate with you. No one else will see this email address unless you choose to make it public.

You can use a Yahoo Mail or Google Email account when you register here. You can use a pseudonymous name. It is important that we make it easy for this forum to survive and evolve.

I am serious about asking questions and finding answers about what is happening in downtown Knoxville. I hope you will join me and we can make this forum something to be proud of.


And you know who you were then
girls were girls and men were men.
Mister, we could use a man like Herbert Hoover again.
People seemed to be content.
Fifty dollars paid the rent.
Freaks were in a circus tent.
Those were the days.

[shoetick]

And you know who you were then
girls were girls and men were men.
Mister, we could use a man like Herbert Hoover again.
People seemed to be content.
Fifty dollars paid the rent.
Freaks were in a circus tent.
Those were the days.

you trying to start something?

[earlnemo]

you trying to start something?

Yea.

[shoetick]

Yea.

Nobody knew where he came from
They only knew he came in
Slowly he walked to the end of the bar
And he ordered up one slug of gin.

Well, I could see that he wasn't a large man
I could tell that he wasn't too tall
I judged him to be 'bout five-foot three
And his voice was a soft Texas drawl.

Said he was needin' some wages
'Fore he could ride for the west
Said he could do most all kind of work
Said he could ride with the best.

There in his blue eyes was sadness
That comes from the need of a friend
And tho' he tried, he still couldn't hide
The loneliness there, deep within.

Said he would work thru the winter
For thirty a month and his board
I started to say where he might land a job
When a fellow came in thru the door.

And I could tell he was lookin' for trouble
>From the way that he came stompin' in
He told me to leave Shorty there by himself
Come down and wait on a man.

The eyes of the little man narrowed
The smile disappeared from his face
Gone was the friendliness that I had seen
And a wild look of hate took its' place.

But the big one continued to mock him
And he told me that I'd better go
Find him a couple of glasses of milk
Then maybe Shorty would grow.

When the little man spoke, there was stillness
He made sure that everyone heard
Slowly he stepped away from the bar
And I still remember these words.

Oh! it's plain that you're lookin' for trouble
Trouble's what I try to shun
If that's what you want, then that's what you'll get
'Cause cowboy, we're both packin' guns.

His hand was already positioned
Feet wide apart on the floor
I hadn't noticed but there on his hip
Was a short-barreled Bass Forty-Four.

It was plain he was ready and waitin'
He leaned a bit forward and said
When you call me Shorty, say Mister, my friend
Maybe you'd rather be dead.

In the room was a terrible silence
As the big one stepped out on the floor
All drinkin' stopped and the tick of the clock
Said death would wait ten seconds more.

He cussed once or twice in a whisper
And he said with a snarl on his lips
Nobody's Mister to me, little man!
And he grabbed for the gun on his hips.

But the little man's hands was like lightning
The Bass Forty-Four was the same
The Forty-Four spoke and it sent lead and smoke
And seventeen inches of flame.

For the big one had never cleared leather
Beaten before he could start
A little round hole had appeared on his shirt
The bullet went clear thru his heart.

The little man stood there a moment
Then holstered the Bass Forty-Four
It's always this way so I never stay
Slowly he walked out the door.

Nobody knew where he came from
They won't forget he came by
They won't forget how a Forty-Four gun
One night made the difference in size.

As for me, I'll remember the sadness
Shown in the eyes of the man
If we meet someday, you can bet I would say
That it's me, Mr. Shorty, your friend.

[# 9]

Ev'ryone considered him the coward of the county.
He'd never stood one single time to prove the county wrong.
His mama named him Tommy, the folks just called him yellow,
But something always told me they were reading Tommy wrong.

He was only ten years old when his daddy died in prison.
I looked after Tommy 'cause he was my brother's son.
I still recall the final words my brother said to Tommy:
"Son, my life is over, but yours is just begun.

Promise me, son, not to do the things I've done.
Walk away from trouble if you can.
It won't mean you're weak if you turn the other cheek.
I hope you're old enough to understand:
Son, you don't have to fight to be a man."

There's someone for ev'ryone and Tommy's love was Becky.
In her arms he didn't have to prove he was a man.
One day while he was workin' the Gatlin boys came callin'.
They took turns at Becky.... There was three of them!

Tommy opened up the door and saw his Becky cryin'.
The torn dress, the shattered look was more than he could stand.
He reached above the fireplace and took down his daddy's picture.
As his tears fell on his daddy's face, he heard these words again:

"Promise me, son, not to do the things I've done.
Walk away from trouble if you can.
It won't mean you're weak if you turn the other cheek.
I hope you're old enough to understand:
Son, you don't have to fight to be a man."

The Gatlin boys just laughed at him when he walked into the barroom.
One of them got up and met him halfway 'cross the floor.
When Tommy turned around they said, "Hey look! ol' yellow's leavin'."
But you coulda heard a pin drop when Tommy stopped and blocked the door.

Twenty years of crawlin' was bottled up inside him.
He wasn't holdin' nothin' back; he let 'em have it all.
When Tommy left the barroom not a Gatlin boy was standin'.
He said, "This one's for Becky," as he watched the last one fall.
And I heard him say,

"I promised you, Dad, not to do the things you done.
I walk away from trouble when I can.
Now please don't think I'm weak, I didn't turn the other cheek,
and Papa, I sure hope you understand:
Sometimes you gotta fight when you're a man."

Ev'ryone considered him the coward of the county.

[bonnetbee]

It seems that rule 5 might be more important than 1-4.

[trancendyce]

and yet rule 5 seems to be mostly about rules 1-4.