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Jackson Browne — The Road
Album: Running On Empty
Avg rating:
7.5

Your rating:
Total ratings: 651









Released: 1978
Length: 4:51
Plays (last 30 days): 0
Highways and dancehalls
A good song takes you far
Your write about the moon
And you dream about the stars
Blues in old motel rooms
Girls in daddy's car
You sing about the nights
And you laugh about the scars
Coffee in the morning cocaine afternoons
You talk about the weather
And you grin about the rooms
Phone calls long distance
To tell how you've been
Forget about the losses, you exaggerate the wins
And when you stop to let 'em know
You've got it down
It's just another town along the road

The ladies come to see you
If your name still rings a bell
They give you damn near nothin'
And they'll say they knew you well
So you tell 'em you'll remember
But they know it's just a game
And along the way their faces
All begin to look the same
And when you stop to let 'em know
You got it down
It's just another town along the road

Well it isn't for the money
And it's only for a while
You stalk about the rooms
And you roll away the miles
Gamblers in the neon, clinging to guitars
You're right about the moon
But you're wrong about the stars
And when you stop to let 'em know
You got it down
It's just another town along the way
Comments (18)add comment
 tws wrote:

I wore this record out when it came out. Awesome album!

Pretty sure it was in the road trip cassette case for those drives from Warner Robbins GA to SW PA. Spectacular album through out. Mr. Dave on those awesome fiddle parts.


Woa...! Did not know this one. What a song!
Phone calls long distance 
To tell you how you've been

Great line.
Gamblers in the neon, clinging to guitars..  excellent songwriting! 
 ScottD wrote:

I believe this was written by Danny O'Keefe and I prefer his version, which I first heard on WOWI in Norfolk, VA back in 1972. Jackson is good, but this one belongs to Danny.


I didn't know the Danny O'Keefe version, so I hopped onto YouTube.  Sorry, but I think Jackson owns this.  A slightly more relaxed tempo, wonderful violin, and his voice seal the deal for me.

boring middle of the road soft rock junk.
I wore this record out when it came out. Awesome album!
 ScottD wrote:

I believe this was written by Danny O'Keefe and I prefer his version, which I first heard on WOWI in Norfolk, VA back in 1972. Jackson is good, but this one belongs to Danny.



yes, indeed
 veegez wrote:

This song represents well from a classic American recording.  Damn.




You said it, Veegez - great song from a great album.
 LuvsMusic wrote:


What a smack in the head with a 2x4...I've loved and lived this album since, well, since the old album days.  I never caught the switch to live.  I just played that transition a few times from CD and it just seems obvious.  Wow, thank you for posting that.  It made my day.


I loved that transition about the track, because it's a metaphor for recording in the studio and then .. being on the road. Jackson Browne .. always entertaining.
I believe this was written by Danny O'Keefe and I prefer his version, which I first heard on WOWI in Norfolk, VA back in 1972. Jackson is good, but this one belongs to Danny.
 Sofa_King wrote:
I like that smooth transition to the live version at the end of the second verse 


What a smack in the head with a 2x4...I've loved and lived this album since, well, since the old album days.  I never caught the switch to live.  I just played that transition a few times from CD and it just seems obvious.  Wow, thank you for posting that.  It made my day.
9 - 10 this whole album. Outstanding verging on Godlike.
Oh boy Jackson... Makes me wanna get up and go just far
I like that smooth transition to the live version at the end of the second verse 
Really captures the mood of being on the road.  On my core Mellow Tracks list
{#Devil_pimp}this is a seattle native danny o'keefe one the best kept secrets and song writers out there

This song represents well from a classic American recording.  Damn.