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A Front Row Seat to Hear Ole Johnny Sing Lyrics by Shel Silverstein

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Now you know some fellahs, they want fame and fortune
Yeah, and other fellahs they just wanna swing
But all I wanted all my life
Was a TV set and a truck and a wife
And a front row seat to hear ole Johnny sing
Yeah the TV and the truck I got on credit
And I got that girl with a little old Woolworth ring
And life was warm and life was sweet
But still, it was kinda incomplete
Without a front row seat to hear ole Johnny sing
Hey, John you walk the line
Do "Delia" one more time
And when you do them "Cottonfields"
You warm this heart of mine
So, one day I thought, Hey, I'm gonna do it!
(That's what I said)
So, I mortgaged the farm and pawned her wedding ring
I sold the gold tooth out of my mouth
And jumped in the pickup and headed South
For a front row seat to hear ole Johnny sing
I hit Nashville cold and wet and hungry
I said, "I'm here, bring him on let him do his thing."
But they told me down at the Old Pit Grill
I'd have to go all the way to Hendersonville
For a front row seat to hear ole Jonny sing
I found his house knocked on the door and it was opened
By a brown-haired girl and a baby with a teethin' ring
I said "I seen you somewhere before
But don't stand there and block the door
I want a front row seat to hear ole Johnny sing."
Hey, John you walk the line
Do "Delia" one more time
And when you do "Big River", John
You warm this heart of mine
She said I'd have to go down to The Opry
And the feller there said I'd have to wait till Spring
He said, "We've been sold out for months and months
And this poor insane fellah wants
A front row seat to hear ole Johnny sing."
Well, he said a couple more things, and I started cryin'
And then he laughed at me and that's when I started to swing
Well I bust through the doors in a roaring rage
Crawled over the crowd till I reached the stage
For a front row seat to hear ole Johnny sing
Hey, John you walk the line
Do "Delia" one more time
And when you do that "Ring Of Fire"
You warm this heart of mine
Then some crazy guard started shootin'
I shot back, and the next thing I know I was winged and on the floor
When a guy in a voice kinda deep and low
Says, "Boy that's a mighty long way to go
For a front row seat to hear ANYBODY sing."
And I guess that judge, he weren't no music lover
I got fifteen months but that don't mean a thing
Cos' yesterday in the prison yard
A show come through and HAR! de HAR!
I had a front row seat to hear ole Johnny sing
Hey, John you walk the line, ...
Credits
Shel Silverstein

Shel Silverstein

About “A Front Row Seat to Hear Ole Johnny Sing” by Shel Silverstein

Read the complete lyrics to "A Front Row Seat to Hear Ole Johnny Sing" by Shel Silverstein. 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, Comedy, Country.

"A Front Row Seat to Hear Ole Johnny Sing" is performed by Shel Silverstein. 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 "A Front Row Seat to Hear Ole Johnny Sing", explore more songs by Shel Silverstein 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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"A Front Row Seat to Hear Ole Johnny Sing" is credited to Shel Silverstein. Songwriting credits may include additional writers listed on the release; check the credits section on this page for linked collaborators.

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