Robert Earl Keen – The Road Goes On Forever

The road goes on forever and the party never ends

This is the kind of song that a songwriter dreams of writing and very few ever do. The Road Never Ends was released in 1989 on his second album West Textures. It has become Keen’s signature song. It’s a Bonnie and Clyde type of song framed by that chorus. I heard this song way back in the early nineties but was reminded of it in a comedy song of all things. Todd Snider with Beer Run .

Keen was born in Houston, Texas, and performed some concerts with the likes of Townes Van Zandt and Guy Clark. The song has been covered by Joe Ely, The Highwaymen, and Jack Ingram.

Keen grew up listening to Bob Wills’ Western swing, so he asked his parents for a fiddle. His frustration at trying to master it found him giving that up and trying an acoustic guitar…which worked out much better. He moved to Austin in 1978 and launched his professional career playing folk and bluegrass at night spots around town and other venues such as Gruene Hall in nearby New Braunfels.

Keen won the 1983 New Folk competition at the Kerrville Folk Festival which encouraged him to record his first album, No Kinda Dancer. In 1986 he headed for Nashville but less than two years he was back in Texas landscaping and trying to make a living. He kept playing and released a live album in 1988 and then this one in 1989. His popularity and influence grew after that.

He had a top 10 country album in 2001 called Gravitational Forces and his five next albums were in the top 21 in Country music and his last one called Happy Prisoner number 10 in 2015. Keen decided to retire and spend time with his family now.

This song has spawned a lot of tattoos.

Tattoo REK

The Road Goes On Forever

Sherry was a waitress at the only joint in townShe had a reputation as a girl who’d been aroundDown Main Street after midnight with a brand new pack of cigsA fresh one hangin’ from her lips and a beer between her legsShe’d ride down to the river and meet with all her friendsThe road goes on forever and the party never ends

Sonny was a loner he was older than the restHe was going into the Navy but he couldn’t pass the testSo he hung around town he sold a little potThe law caught wind of Sonny and one day he got caughtBut he was back in business when they set him free againThe road goes on forever and the party never ends

Sonny’s playin’ 8-ball at the joint where Sherry worksWhen some drunken outta towner put his hand up Sherry’s skirtSonny took his pool cue laid the drunk out on the floorStuffed a dollar in her tip jar and walked on out the doorShe’s runnin’ right behind him reachin’ for his handThe road goes on forever and the party never ends

They jumped into his pickup Sonny jammed her down in gearSonny looked at Sherry and said lets get on outta hereThe stars were high above them and the moon was in the eastThe sun was settin’ on them when they reached Miami BeachThey got a hotel by the water and a quart of Bombay ginThe road goes on forever and the party never ends

They soon ran out of money but Sonny knew a manWho knew some Cuban refugees that delt in contrabandSonny met the Cubans in a house just off the routeWith a briefcase full of money and a pistol in his bootThe cards were on the table when the law came bustin’ inThe road goes on forever and the party never ends

The Cubans grabbed the goodies and Sonny grabbed the JackHe broke a bathroom window and climbed on out the backSherry drove the pickup through the alley on the sideWhere a lawman tackled Sonny and was reading him his rightsShe stepped into the alley with a single shot .410The road goes on forever and the party never ends

They left the lawman lyin’ and they made their getawayThey got back to the motel just before the break of daySonny gave her all the money and he blew her a little kissIf they ask you how this happened say I forced you into thisShe watched him as his taillights disappeared around the bendThe road goes on forever and the party never ends

Its Main Street after midnight just like it was before21 months later at the local grocery storeSherry buys a paper and a cold 6-pack of beerThe headlines read that Sonny is goin’ to the chairShe pulls back onto Main Street in her new Mercedes BenzThe road goes on forever and the party never ends

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Author: Badfinger (Max)

Power Pop fan, Baseball, Beatles, Alternative music, old movies, and tv show fan. Also anything to do with pop culture in the 60s and 70s... I'm also a songwriter, bass and guitar player. Not the slightest bit interested in politics at all.

33 thoughts on “Robert Earl Keen – The Road Goes On Forever”

  1. Thanks for the reminder of another great Texas singer songwriter. I hear him sometimes on the Outlaw Country SiriusXM station. This would be the only Keen song that I could say that I know however. It’s a song for the ages, truly.

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  2. I’m entirely new to Robert Earl Keen, Max, and, dude, what an intro! I love that song! I can literally picture it as a mini-movie before my eyes – so good! You’re right, “The Road Goes On Forever” is the kind of song many songwriters want to write. This is as good as it gets for a story-telling song!

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    1. It really is…I hung out at a friend’s dorm room in Clarksville back then…and this song was big in that area. It tells a good story and it flows rather well.

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      2. Yes it only has that one repeating line…kinda like Tangled Up In Blue as far as structure. Its hard to write these songs that don’t end up sounding forced.

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  4. I’ve heard OF him but not any of his tunes. This is quite an epic piece. I kept thinking that was what Steve Miller had been trying to come up with ‘Take the Money & Run’, but he fell short!

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      4. I have listened to one of his and his Linda’s albums and loved it…Shoot Out The Lights. I didn’t know this one though!

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  6. He was coming up on my guesses. Good one Max. Another great story song. Ely pushed me to Keen. This is a regular in Joe’s set ( He does a couple others Keen tunes). Man you are digging deep which is great. Good on you. Robert has a bunch of good ones. Keep digging.

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    1. This is one that I knew way back but forgot about it and didn’t know who did it. It was like seeing an old friend again.
      I thought you were going to say his name soon when you were guessing.

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  8. Try ‘Whenever Kindness Fails’ another good one. I’m guilty of not listening to him enough but Like I said his songs are staple with Ely. McClinton has a twin to this ‘Down Into Mexico’. I think we might have touched on it before. You had me twisting on this one Max.

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    1. I’m glad I got one on you anyway lol… but if you would have continued you would have hit upon him. He was much younger than the older ones but I’m glad he got to hang with them some…it rubbed off on him by the sound of it.
      I’ll check those out CB…I like I’m Coming Home also. I’m listening to Whenver Kindness Falls now…yea….good stuff man. I’ll check that other one out today.

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      1. Oh yeah, songwriting ain’t easy, you have to pare it down to the bone, which means adjectives- the poets lifes blood- are pretty thin on the ground. Getting the flow right can drive ya caaraazy.

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      2. Yes…the flow I think is the hardest thing to do. I always hate when I have to put a more cliche word in…but sometimes it’s better than forcing another word.

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