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James McMurtry — Choctaw Bingo
Album: Saint Mary of the Woods
Avg rating:
6.6

Your rating:
Total ratings: 2725








Released: 2002
Length: 8:15
Plays (last 30 days): 0
Strap them kids in, give 'em a little bit of vodka
In a cherry coke, we're goin' to Oklahoma
To the family reunion for the first time in years
It's up at uncle Slaton's 'cause he's getting' on in years.

No longer travels but he's still pretty spry
Not much on talk and he's too mean to die
And they'll be comin' down from Kansas and from west Arkansas
It'll be one big old party like you've never saw.

Uncle Slaton's got his texan pride
Back in the thickets with his asian bride
He's got an airstream trailer and a Holstein cow
Still makes whiskey 'cause he still knows how.

Plays that Chocktaw bingo every Friday night
You know he had to leave Texas but he won't say why
He owns a quarter section up by Lake Eufala
Caught a great big old bluecat on a driftin' jugline.

Sells his hardwood timber to the chippin' mill
Cooks that crystal meth because his shine don't sell
He cooks that crystal meth because his shine don't sell
You know he likes that money, he don't mind the smell.

My cousin Roscoe, Slaton's oldest boy
From his second marriage up in Illinois
He's raised in East St Louis by his mamma's people
Where they do things different thought he'd come on down.

He's goin' to Dallas Texas in a semi truck
Caught from that big Mcdonalds, you know that one thats built up on that
Big old bridge across the Will Rogers turnpike
Took the big cabin exit stopped and bought a carton of cigarets.

At that indian smoke shop with the big neon smoke rings
In the Cherokee nation hit Muskogee late that night
Somebody ran the stoplight at the Shawnee bypass
Roscoe tried to miss him but he didn't quite.

Bob and Mae come up from some little town
Way down by Lake Texoma where he coaches football
They were two A champions now for for two years running
But he says they won't be this year, no they wont be this year.

And he stopped off in Tushka at the pop knife and gun place
Bought a SKs rifle and a couple full cases of that
Steel core ammo with the berdan primers
From some east bloc nation that no longer needs 'em.

And a desert eagle thats one great big old pistol
I mean fifty caliber made by bad-ass Hebrews
And some surplus tracers for that old BAR
Of Slaton's as soon as it gets dark, we're gonna have us a time
We're gonna have us a time.

Ruth-Anne and Lynn come down from Baxter Springs
That's one hell-raisin' town way down in south eastern Kansas
Got a biker bar next to the lingerie store
That's got Rolling Stones lips up there in bright pink neon
And they're right downtown where everyone can see 'em
And they burn all night, you know they burn all night
You know they burn all night.

Ruth Ann and Lynn they wear them cut off britches
And those skinny little halters and they're second cousins to me
Man, I don't care I want to get between 'em
With a great big ol' hard on like a old bois d'arc fence post
You could hang a pipe rail gate from do some sister twisters
'Til the cows come home and we'd be havin' us a time.

Uncle Slaton's got his texan pride
Back in the thickets with his asian bride
He's got a corner pasture and an acre lots
He sells them owner financed strictly to them.

It's got no kind of credit 'cause he knows they're slackers
And they'll miss that payment and he takes it back
Plays that Choctaw bingo every Friday night
He drinks his Johnny Walker at that club 69
We're gonna strap those kids in give em a lil bit of Benadryl
And a cherry coke we're goin' to Oklahoma, we're gonna have us a time
We're gonna have us a time.
Comments (1048)add comment
Comments (1046) -- Where did all the comments go?  I only see about 200.  I would hope RP keeps all the comments, unless they were just spam.
 yofitofu wrote:
This is like a tongue in cheek anthem to MAGA nation.


Trust me, there's no tongue in any cheek. This is exactly what life is like in small town Oklahoma. It's more of an ode to redneck living.
A great "unplugged" video of that song.  YouTube gold.
 
Well that certainly was interesting. 
I might have said this before, but I'll say it again; I really like this song!
 idiot_wind wrote:

These lyrics are spot on...

It's a bizarre world in SE Kansas, NE OK

Maybe hast to do with oil drilling and the polluted water everyone drinks, cause the EPA ain't welcomed.


   


OK seems like a damned weird place. There's a thread in the RP Forum called "Derplohoma" that makes me smhlmao all the time...
This is like a tongue in cheek anthem to MAGA nation.
love this cause its true. Been there done most of dat
dude , lets hear the music, you talk too much!!!
‘Merica!!! Fuck yeah!!!!
 Hannio wrote:

Only song ever written that mentions Berdan primers.  I'm giving it an 8 just for that alone. 



...from some East bloc nation that no longers needs 'em.  
 cc_rider wrote:
Ever been to Oklahoma?
c.

Yep, twice, and that was one more than I needed to realize that I don't need to go back.  However, no matter how crazy they are and how far removed from my own ethos, they are still human beings.  

I live in Georgia; wonder how Okies -- or you --see us?  
 bluehz wrote:

I can Appreciate the Americana, but when Americana bleeds into guns, then its a big "NO" from me.


I understand your emotion and rationale -- and I agree with them to a point -- but truth is truth and "USA " plus "guns" is truth.
 jpfueler wrote:

lyrics are missing




. . .  one stanza . . . wonder why?
Without knowing (and without scrolling through the comments) I would say this has to be Wide Spread Panic backing him up.
There ain't one "," in this song's lyrics. ;-)
These lyrics are spot on...

It's a bizarre world in SE Kansas, NE OK

Maybe hast to do with oil drilling and the polluted water everyone drinks, cause the EPA ain't welcomed.


   
Can't quite  give it a nine, but I wish 8.5 was an option...
"He got Ono sideboard he one spinal cracker...
This is Chuck Berry's "You can't catch me" with different lyrics
I can Appreciate the Americana, but when Americana bleeds into guns, then its a big "NO" from me.
 Hippostar wrote:


"These people"?  You realize that line of thinking is what has led to some of the worst things people have done to each other, especially coming to light in the past year and a half. 

Let's practice being responsible with our words and be part of the solution and not perpetuate the problem.
Ever been to Oklahoma?
c.

 plaidtoaster wrote:

I heard this on Radio Paradise when I was in college in 2004 and I still love it to this day. Character description and storytelling ON POINT! You don't like these people, but you do know exactly who they are!



Oh, I dunno... they can be a hell of a lot of fun long as you don't gotta live with 'em, speakin' from personal experience! 
 cptbuz wrote:

Great song...Americana defined.




Wondering if this tune describes Sacramento too. Yep, not really like New York City either. 
One of the great things about America is it is a very diverse place.
Agree, great tune.
 plaidtoaster wrote:

I heard this on Radio Paradise when I was in college in 2004 and I still love it to this day. Character description and storytelling ON POINT! You don't like these people, but you do know exactly who they are!



"These people"?  You realize that line of thinking is what has led to some of the worst things people have done to each other, especially coming to light in the past year and a half. 

Let's practice being responsible with our words and be part of the solution and not perpetuate the problem.
Most excellent tune
gonna have us a time....  
Buddy of mine raised in the woods of east Oklahoma absolutely loves this...says it could not describe things there any better.  He moved away years ago, isn't going back.  But it doesn't keep us from cranking it up like we're teenagers again as we drive along dirt roads in the Western U.S. 

My dad the woodworker (from east Texas) used to say that bois d'arc would dull his saw blades faster than anything. 
Older review but still...
http://www.slate.com/articles/...
A distinct smell of Come Together at high speed.
Brilliant.
New it was James from the first few notes!  Love his story tellin' and guitar shufflin' style. Check out We Can't Make it Here No More if you have never heard it before. Great song!  Thanks Bill   
 jpfueler wrote:

lyrics are missing



Yes the ones about having a threesome with your second cousins 
wow...another song with a reference to east st louis

being born there, many years ago....I'm always intrigued by songs that can reference that city   
Love it and the piano kicks ass!
lyrics are missing
 cptbuz wrote:

Great song...Americana defined.



Totally agree! Check out, if you haven't, We Can't Make it Here...I really like his style!
the melody sounds so much like Come Together that I can't not sing along to this with the Beatles lyrics...

He got joo joo eyeball... 
This feels like the longest red neck song you'd never want playing when you had a hangover
Three decades ago my dad and I picked up a couple hitchhikers pickin' up cans. Five teeth between the two of them, but they were great people and they told us all about their upcoming family reunion that will feature x, y, z, and "all the beer you can drink!" This song reminds me of their stories...
About 8mins toooo long. Reminds me of one of those flying thingies that annoy traffic controllers at airports....uh, what are they called?....Ahh, yes - drones.
7 => 8 just for the great story telling!
Have the holders of the rights to Chuck Berry's "You Can't Catch Me" sued Mr. McMurtry as they sued Mr. Lennon for melody appropriation?
Bought a SKS rifle... woots!
For the love of music, make this stop.  
The lyrics posted here are missing one verse, near the end:


Ruth Ann and Lynn, they wear them cut-off britches
And them skinny little halters
And they're second cousins to me
Man, I don't care, I want to get between 'em
With a great big ol' hard-on like a old Bois d'Arc fence post
You could hang a pipe rail gate from
Do some sister twisters 'til the cows come home
And we’ll be havin' us a time
Uh-huh
"Come together" with the tune removed.
Love the line:
'were gonna strap those kids in
give em a lil bit of benadryl'

My wife, children and I drove around like gypsies in the early 2000's and we used that little trick more than once!  Don't worry they are both grown and healthy.
   

just got that groove that make you dance in your chair....less yer dead n 'at.
I've been enjoying James on his FB live sessions on Wednesday nights.  Very nice.
 djengs wrote:
Y'know, people complained a lot below about the pace and repetition of this song,  but perhaps if you just picture it as a the story you heard by the two guys behind you in the 7-11 out on that flat ass road heading up to Nowhere,  OK  that stopped for a fresh 6-pack to fuel them a few more miles then I think you get the mood, mental acuity, and moral drift Larry was trying convey. Brilliantly, IMHO. Stopping for a full breath, much less a repeated chorus, would entirely ruin the the whole thing. Love it. Probably learned more about that family in these few minutes than a week of probing on ancestry.com.
 
That's his Dad. But yeah, when does the guy breathe?
c.
I heard this on Radio Paradise when I was in college in 2004 and I still love it to this day. Character description and storytelling ON POINT! You don't like these people, but you do know exactly who they are!
Saw James McMurtry at a songwriters festival a few years ago. He was quite humble and engaging. Stayed around long after the show just to talk to people. Of course, he played a blistering version of  Choctaw Bingo. This song takes on an entirely new dimension played live. 
Great song...Americana defined.
 Hannio wrote:
Only song ever written that mentions Berdan primers.  I'm giving it an 8 just for that alone. 
 
Agreed, but 'bad-ass Hebrews' kicks it up to a 9 for me.

I shot a Desert Eagle once. Not as terrifying as you'd think. Its heft damps the recoil.

c.


One stanza missing - ha! Sister twisters! pxd
Fuckin' brilliant - that is all. pxd
Only song ever written that mentions Berdan primers.  I'm giving it an 8 just for that alone. 
I believe that some of the lyrics under the "lyrics" button have been omitted.
 scadawizard wrote:
I have no idea why I don't care for this song but it reminds me of 99 bottles of beer on the wall with 200 verses.  Compared to the other thousands of great music cuts Bill plays I suppose one push of the PSD button every few months is a pretty good thing.

 
Yeah, I hear that too. Frustrating. Great lyrics. But take it somewhere musically.
This tune always makes me smile...
Great Lyrics
I have no idea why I don't care for this song but it reminds me of 99 bottles of beer on the wall with 200 verses.  Compared to the other thousands of great music cuts Bill plays I suppose one push of the PSD button every few months is a pretty good thing.
Saw him in a small venue on a cold night, last November.

Really good show. Pretty good guitar player. Great attitude.  
 merobreno wrote:
Probably already posted this but.............Just one word: EPIC.

 
Yes it is.
Probably already posted this but.............Just one word: EPIC.
 vluvlu wrote:
All I can think is "Shut the F up!"....worse song ever.

 
Well, as some say 'opinions are like assholes, we all have one', or 'that's why there's different flavors of ice cream'. I myself can dance myself silly to this and love the crazy images conjured by the lyrics.  This is an outline for a potentially fun movie!
Going to go see this guy next week at a bar venue. Expectations are high! 
All I can think is "Shut the F up!"....worse song ever.
Y'know, people complained a lot below about the pace and repetition of this song,  but perhaps if you just picture it as a the story you heard by the two guys behind you in the 7-11 out on that flat ass road heading up to Nowhere,  OK  that stopped for a fresh 6-pack to fuel them a few more miles then I think you get the mood, mental acuity, and moral drift Larry was trying convey. Brilliantly, IMHO. Stopping for a full breath, much less a repeated chorus, would entirely ruin the the whole thing. Love it. Probably learned more about that family in these few minutes than a week of probing on ancestry.com.
I LOVE this song.  Being the only person in my family NOT born in Oklahoma, this is like hearing about my family.  Including "running the stop sign on the Shawnee bypass" as my grandma was hit by someone doing this, resulting in her death six weeks later.  I got a white country kicker cousin named La'Quita - we called her Queeter - who wore them cut off britches.  An uncle drove them big semi trucks.  Most of my mom's family still live in Muskogee and we used to vacation at Lake Eufala.  I've driven by most of the places mentioned.

Like a stroll down memory lane....

{#Bananajam}
 Piranga wrote:
When he does this live, everybody goes crazy!

 
Yup- and it's great {#Dancingbanana_2}
 ScottFromWyoming wrote:
I will respond briefly just to keep this brilliant explanation circulating. As an aside, Bois D'arc is the osage orange tree, found only in the Ozark Mountains and vicinity, at least until it was sold in the nineteenth century as living spiny hedges across the East (spiny and tough). The fruit can weigh several pounds and make great objects to throw at cars (not me), though). The name refers to its use by native Indians as material for bows. One need not live in or be especially familiar with rural Oklahoma to understand the truth in this song.
 markw wrote:
This clip will explain some of it. Words couldn't do it justice. Don't forget to put your ear plugs in. 

Before they were allowed to operate casinos, the only legal gambling in Oklahoma was Bingo at gaming centers on Indian land. For poor and bored rural Oklahomans this was cheap entertainment that would sometimes pay off a few hundred dollars. 

In an (much) earlier post I included a link to info about the world's largest McDonald's on the Indian Nations turnpike. In Oklahoma it's as close as we're likely get to something like the Eiffel Tower. 

The "two-A" or double-A (football) Championship refers to a ranking system that groups high schools based on enrollment and geographical regions. AA is the second smallest ranking, indicating a rural or small town's high school. Like bingo, high school football is a major source of entertainment and pride for rural Okies. 

Cut-off britches = worn out blue jeans that have been repurposed as shorts by cutting the legs off. This guy's cousins have apparently cut them off very short, ala Daisy Mae, or more appropriately Daisy Duke (Dukes of Hazard TV show). It's hot and humid here in the summer, especially down in the boondocks. Skimpy clothing is de rigueur. Oh, by the way... Oklahoma has the highest rate of teenage pregnancy in the US. 

A pipe-rail gate is made from heavy duty, larger diameter (~4-6 inch) steel pipe and is HEAVY. It is usually hung from a steel post and pivots to block off a small road or driveway. In rural areas the driveway to a house can be quite long since the house on an acreage can be set back a distance from the main road. The singer is likening his manhood to a branch of a Bois D'arc tree (pronounced BO-dark in Oklahoma). This is extremely hard wood. Fence posts made of it last forever. The metaphor is obvious, but likening it to this wood takes it to the ultimate level. 

A Blue Cat is a variety of catfish, a lake-dwelling bottom feeder that can grow quite large (big as a bus according to local legend). When Uncle Slayton was a younger man he might not have relied on a trotline to supply him with fish. He probably would have done some hand fishing, or noodling. With over 600 miles of shorline Lake Eufaula, near his quarter-section, is prime spot for this type of activity. 

Hope this helps. Even in Oklahoma, rural areas like the one in this song are like foreign countries, the last remaining frontier outposts in America. They have a culture all their own. Outsiders are generally not welcome, but if you can gain their trust and respect you can find no better friends. Salt of the Earth. 


 


When he does this live, everybody goes crazy!
I really like this drumming style.  "SLAP-SLAP-SLAP" on the snare with a brush, I think; a simple bass drum beat; and no cymbals during the verse.

And REALLY LIKE the fact that Mr McMurtry feels no need to rhyme his lyrics. 
Great big ol'... {#Cool}.

Mid-western culture on the skids?
 Catalytic wrote:
The most boring white texan rap I've ever heard. 

 
This song doesn't hold a six-shooter compared to that Black Texan Rap!
Damn good.
 Catalytic wrote:
The most boring white texan rap I've ever heard. 

 
"White Texan rap" ?  I didn't know there was such a genre.


Garb.
I lived in Oklahoma a couple of years ago.  Even though the content of Choctaw Bingo is a bit sketchy, it's damn nice to hear familiar places in Texas and Oklahoma in mainstream music.

If you're a songwriter, this is the key to build up fan followings.
Exactly right. "Live in ought three" is one of the best, rippin' live albums I've ever heard. All of JM's studio stuff sounds bland in comparison.

coloradojohn wrote:
Yup, this is a good one, but it can't hold a candle to the verve and vigor of the "Live in Ought-Three" version! Check it and you'll hear it!

 


Epic! Every story paints a picture...Don't it?
The most boring white texan rap I've ever heard. 
Yup, this is a good one, but it can't hold a candle to the verve and vigor of the "Live in Ought-Three" version! Check it and you'll hear it!
 laramieu wrote:
You used to play a less polished version of this song. It was MUCH better.

 

I think so, too.  James is milking this for all it's worth.
  hschlossberg wrote:
Does this thing never end or change?!?!

gillespp wrote:

Isn't it great?

 
 Why Yes, Yes it is!
Man this is as red neck as it gets!
Love that piano thinggy jamming it's ass off.

The story makes this one listenable to me.

 Jelani wrote:

 

And bill has to pay more for music..

Ok,the lyrics are missing some lyrics, in particular, regarding Ruth Ann and Lynn....and what he might get up to with them.
What's up with that?

 


The needle got stuck after just a few seconds in.
Between friends and relations taking their kids on road trips and what with me driving that very route between Dallas and southern Oklahoma all the time I can well relate to all aspects of this song. It's spot on for me and I really like it especially the Live in Ought Three version. markw's post way down below explained the song as best as anyone.
 hschlossberg wrote:
Does this thing never end or change?!?!

 
Isn't it great?
 jhorton wrote:
Okay, let's move this up on the list of most overplayed songs in the history of RP.

 
Let's not.
good way to learn a language Cold Bear
Does this thing never end or change?!?!
 ppopp wrote:
Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz. 

 
you're damn snoring woke me up{#Wink}
Okay, let's move this up on the list of most overplayed songs in the history of RP.
Ok,the lyrics are missing some lyrics, in particular, regarding Ruth Ann and Lynn....and what he might get up to with them.
What's up with that?
Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz. 
 ColdBear wrote:
When I heard it first, I could not understand the lyrics. I'm French and that is too fast and includes to much slang. But I could figure out what it was about. I immediately liked it because I could feel it tells a kind of epic story. Then I tried to understand it in details. Now I love it, just the same way I loved Breaking Bad. 

 
Hahaha! Good for you!
When I heard it first, I could not understand the lyrics. I'm French and that is too fast and includes to much slang. But I could figure out what it was about. I immediately liked it because I could feel it tells a kind of epic story. Then I tried to understand it in details. Now I love it, just the same way I loved Breaking Bad. 
 markw wrote:
I love logging in to check the comments on this song from time to time. They are the same mix of love/hate as in the beginning. I can see how some folks would just never get it. You might have to be from Oklahoma or Texas to even have a clue. I left a couple of comments a few years back that detail what some of the lyrics are about. I don't see a way to search for them anymore, but I'll bet they are still there somewhere. This is some first class, literary songwriting, I don't care who you are! The people that hate it probably hate Dylan too, but to each his own.

 
 markw wrote:
This clip will explain some of it. Words couldn't do it justice. Don't forget to put your ear plugs in. 

Before they were allowed to operate casinos, the only legal gambling in Oklahoma was Bingo at gaming centers on Indian land. For poor and bored rural Oklahomans this was cheap entertainment that would sometimes pay off a few hundred dollars. 

In an (much) earlier post I included a link to info about the world's largest McDonald's on the Indian Nations turnpike. In Oklahoma it's as close as we're likely get to something like the Eiffel Tower. 

The "two-A" or double-A (football) Championship refers to a ranking system that groups high schools based on enrollment and geographical regions. AA is the second smallest ranking, indicating a rural or small town's high school. Like bingo, high school football is a major source of entertainment and pride for rural Okies. 

Cut-off britches = worn out blue jeans that have been repurposed as shorts by cutting the legs off. This guy's cousins have apparently cut them off very short, ala Daisy Mae, or more appropriately Daisy Duke (Dukes of Hazard TV show). It's hot and humid here in the summer, especially down in the boondocks. Skimpy clothing is de rigueur. Oh, by the way... Oklahoma has the highest rate of teenage pregnancy in the US. 

A pipe-rail gate is made from heavy duty, larger diameter (~4-6 inch) steel pipe and is HEAVY. It is usually hung from a steel post and pivots to block off a small road or driveway. In rural areas the driveway to a house can be quite long since the house on an acreage can be set back a distance from the main road. The singer is likening his manhood to a branch of a Bois D'arc tree (pronounced BO-dark in Oklahoma). This is extremely hard wood. Fence posts made of it last forever. The metaphor is obvious, but likening it to this wood takes it to the ultimate level. 

A Blue Cat is a variety of catfish, a lake-dwelling bottom feeder that can grow quite large (big as a bus according to local legend). When Uncle Slayton was a younger man he might not have relied on a trotline to supply him with fish. He probably would have done some hand fishing, or noodling. With over 600 miles of shorline Lake Eufaula, near his quarter-section, is prime spot for this type of activity. 

Hope this helps. Even in Oklahoma, rural areas like the one in this song are like foreign countries, the last remaining frontier outposts in America. They have a culture all their own. Outsiders are generally not welcome, but if you can gain their trust and respect you can find no better friends. Salt of the Earth. 



These lyrics are hilarious!
 jgrosch wrote:
I'm really starting to warm up to James McMurty. He reminds me of  Steve Earle
 

 
ME TOO! Except for the fact that I actually like Steve Earle (at least a little).
sounds like Come Together (Beatles) on the wrong speed without the chorus...it never shifts gears
It's the — same old drone — over and over
Yes it's the — same old drooone — over and over
<repeat ad nauseam> 
I agree wholeheartedly with the comments by markw below.
James McMurtry is a brilliant lyricist.  His father was Larry McMurtry author of The Last Picture Show and Terms of Endearment, among others, which were made into critically acclaimed movies.

So, James has the pedigree and in all his lyrics vividly captures life in those remote desert areas where markw is from.

I grew up there too. I rated him a solid 9! 
This song is so boring. 
 
I love logging in to check the comments on this song from time to time. They are the same mix of love/hate as in the beginning. I can see how some folks would just never get it. You might have to be from Oklahoma or Texas to even have a clue. I left a couple of comments a few years back that detail what some of the lyrics are about. I don't see a way to search for them anymore, but I'll bet they are still there somewhere. This is some first class, literary songwriting, I don't care who you are! The people that hate it probably hate Dylan too, but to each his own.
I walk 47 miles of barbed wire
I use a cobra-snake for a necktie
Yuck!
This might be my least favorite song on RP. I think I prefer that Basement Jaxx aural reaming to this. Seriously.
Rockin'!
 DaidyBoy wrote:
I know nothing about songwriting but I think some important pieces are missing here.  Horribly repetitive, which is a shame cos everything else is so tight and enjoyable.

 
I think its the actual melody he sings. He never gets out of a pattern. The lyrics are all over the place and paint an incredibly visual narrative, but the tone of his drone is horrendous for this length of a song...
gawd this song gets tired after the first 2 seconds
 flyboy wrote:
There's a thread through this song that I didn't realize before.  All of the places he mentions are on US Route 69.  Uncle Slayton lives by Lake Eufala, which Rt. 69 crosses the middle of.  Roscoe stops at the big McDonald's straddling the Will Rogers Turnpike, which is at the rest area just before the Big Cabin exit coming from St. Louis, which is the exit for Rt. 69.  He hits someone with his truck in Muskogee, which is on Rt. 69.  Rt. 69 goes by the east end of Lake Texoma, where Bob and Mae are from.  They stop in Tushka to buy guns, which again is on Rt. 69.  Ruth Ann and Lynn are from Baxter Springs, Kansas, which is on Rt. 69 in SE Kansas.  Finally, Slayton drinks at Club 69, which is on Rt. 69 in Eufala

 
I've lived in Oklahoma for going on 40 years and have been to every one of these places more than once. LOVE this song. We go see McMurtry whenever he comes to town.
There's a thread through this song that I didn't realize before.  All of the places he mentions are on US Route 69.  Uncle Slayton lives by Lake Eufala, which Rt. 69 crosses the middle of.  Roscoe stops at the big McDonald's straddling the Will Rogers Turnpike, which is at the rest area just before the Big Cabin exit coming from St. Louis, which is the exit for Rt. 69.  He hits someone with his truck in Muskogee, which is on Rt. 69.  Rt. 69 goes by the east end of Lake Texoma, where Bob and Mae are from.  They stop in Tushka to buy guns, which again is on Rt. 69.  Ruth Ann and Lynn are from Baxter Springs, Kansas, which is on Rt. 69 in SE Kansas.  Finally, Slayton drinks at Club 69, which is on Rt. 69 in Eufala
I am a big James McMurtry fan, but I prefer Ray Wiley Hubbard's cover of this better.  Ray's voice and inflection captures the character much better in my opinion.