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Appalachian Nightmare Lyrics by Justin Townes Earle

The Saint of Lost Causes

2019

I was born in Cincinnati
My daddy worked on the river
The work dried up back around that time
And he took us down to West Virginia
See my night trouble started early
I was stealing and gettin' in fights
Smoking and drinking by age thirteen
Skipping class and getting high
When I quit school at fifteen
My daddy put me out
My mama cried, waved goodbye
Never heard such a lonesome sound
I went to staying with my best friend's brother
Made his living cooking speed
Says a man can always get by
Who can cook it up nice and clean
So I stuck around for a couple years
'Til he was busted in '89
Was eighteen years old, out on my own
Out to get what I saw as mine
By '92 I was twenty-one
I was back out on the street
Two whole years of county time
Charged with manufacturing
Now I was aware [there'd come a new thing?]
Took like wildfire to the hills
Speed was no longer king
Now everybody was wantin' pills
Now you might say that I'm just the type
To seek his honey at the source
So me and this cat that I met back in county
We started robbin' drugstores
Lord, we was reckless
We was high as a Tennessee pine
You gotta know a junkie's gonna let you down
It's just a matter of time
And when our time come, it was midnight
Two weeks ago in Morgantown
Was knocking off a little local
Just when the clock run out
We were all packed up
Turned out to be quite a score
Had the car waitin' in the alley
Was walking out the door
Well my partner takes two steps outside
He stops and he hollers, "Police!"
A voice that I didn't recognize
Said, "Son don't you so much as breathe"
And then I come out over my partner's shoulder
And I squeezed off a couple shots
First time I ever pointed a gun at a man
And I done killed a cop
Now it's a fact, you can't get a bullet back
Once you've pulled the trigger
And there's no way in hell
They was ever gonna stop looking for a cop-killer
Looking back, I knew it all along
Knew we never had a chance
Right now I know it makes no difference
That I never meant to kill that man
But now I'm held up in a hotel in Canton
Surrounded by police
No way I'm gettin' out alive
There's no way I'm going free
So I'm twenty-four years old
I was trouble most of my days
But I must say that I never thought
It was gonna end this way
And of all of my regrets
The two that trouble me most
I wish I could've been better to my mama
And wish I'd never took a shot of dope
So Lord, if you're listening
I never asked much of you
And I already know I ain't going to heaven
If what they say is true
Then you'll forgive me
What I'm 'bout to do
Credits
Justin Townes Earle

Justin Townes Earle

About “Appalachian Nightmare” by Justin Townes Earle

Read the complete lyrics to "Appalachian Nightmare" by Justin Townes Earle from the album "The Saint of Lost Causes" in 2019. On Lyrks you can follow along with the full text, explore the artist's discography, and discover related songs. The track is often categorized under Folk, Blues, Country.

"Appalachian Nightmare" is performed by Justin Townes Earle. from the album "The Saint of Lost Causes" in 2019 This page provides the full lyric text for fans who want to sing along, study the songwriting, or compare versions across releases. Lyrks organizes lyrics by artist and song slug so you can bookmark and share a stable URL. Music lyrics help listeners connect with emotion, narrative, and rhythm in a track. Whether you are learning English, researching a favorite chorus, or preparing for karaoke, having accurate line breaks and section labels (verse, chorus, bridge) makes the experience easier. We link to the official artist profile on Lyrks where available, including biography snippets, top songs, and chart placements when we have that data. If you enjoy "Appalachian Nightmare", explore more songs by Justin Townes Earle using the links below. Chart and trending pages on Lyrks highlight what listeners are searching for this week. For copyright or correction requests, see our DMCA and contact pages.

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Frequently asked questions

"Appalachian Nightmare" is credited to Justin Townes Earle. Songwriting credits may include additional writers listed on the release; check the credits section on this page for linked collaborators.

"Appalachian Nightmare" appears on "The Saint of Lost Causes" in 2019.

Visit the Justin Townes Earle artist page at /artist/justin-townes-earle for biography, popular tracks, and links to more lyric pages.