Ten Degrees And Getting Colder

Tony Rice with Ricky Skaggs, Jerry Douglas, J.D. Crowe and Bobby Slone
1975

he was standing by the highway
with a sign that just said "Mother"
when he heard a driver coming
about a half a mile away
then he held the sign up higher
where no decent soul could miss it
it was ten degrees or colder
down by Boulder Dam that day

he was raised up in Milwaukee
though he never was that famous
he was just a road musician
to the taverns he would go
singing songs about the rambling
the loving girls and gambling
how the world fell on his shoulders
back in Boulder i dont know

it was out in Arizona
that he heard the lady listening
to each word that he was saying
to each line that he would write
so he sat down by her table and
they talked about the weather
ninety-eight point six and rising
down by Boulder Dam that night
and she told him she would take him
for a ride in the morning sun
back in Boulder he had told her
"i don't know when i had a better friend"

now he's traded off his Martin
but his troubles are not over
for his feet are almost frozen
and the sun is sinking low
won't you listen to me, brother
if you ever loved your mother
please pull off on the shoulder
if you're going Milwaukee way
it's ten degrees and getting colder
down by Boulder Dam today

--gordon lightfoot