Pissin’ in the wind, bettin’ on a losing friend
Makin’ the same mistakes, we swore we’d never make again
And we’re pissin’ in the wind, but it’s blowing on all our friends
We’re gonna sit and grin and tell our grandchildren
I heard this song as a kid…where and when I can’t tell you but it came back to me as soon I started to play it. There was no way country radio would have played this back in 1975 so I sure as hell didn’t hear it there. You know what is really odd? I’ve been blogging for 7 years and never have I had a song with “piss” in the title…and this is the second song TODAY I’ve written up with that word in the title. I decided against posting them back to back so I picked another song to follow this post.
I had forgotten about this song until Randy and CB brought up Jerry Jeff Walker. You know his most famous song very well, Mr Bojangles. That song was made popular by the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band. When I get into something…I usually fall hard for it. That is the reason you have seen weeks of Texas songwriters. The writing is so consistently good. Walker was not Texan born but he settled in Texas in the 1970s and stayed there for the rest of his life.
This song is funny and different. He used a Dixieland clarient in a country song which is a wonderful mixture. Needless to say, this is not one of his serious songs but I love the loose feel of it. On top of that, he throws a fun jibe at Bob Dylan’s Blowin’ in the Wind.
The song was on the critically praised album Ridin’ High. The album charted at #14 on the Billboard Album Charts in 1975.
Pissin’ In The Wind
Pissin’ in the wind, bettin’ on a losing friend
Makin’ the same mistakes, we swore we’d never make again
And we’re pissin’ in the wind, but it’s blowing on all our friends
We’re gonna sit and grin and tell our grandchildren
About the time I called this guy it was four in the morning
Teach me the words to the song I was humming
He just laughed and he said that the ole grey cat is sneakin’ down the hall
But all he wants to know is who in the hell is paying for the call
Chorus
Now this Nunn called me up, it was eight in the morning
Wanted to know how in the world am I doin’
He just laughed and he said get together boy, and fall on by the house
Some Gonzo buddies would like to play anything your’s picking now
Chorus
Now we worked and we suffered and struggled
Makin’ our record till we got it right
Now we’re waiting on the check to come sneaking down the hall
Like that old time feeling
That we never should have ever put the record out at all
Chorus
That the answer my friend is just pissin’ in the wind
The answer is pissin’ in the sink
….
