"Ballad Of The Devil's Backbone Tavern" lyrics - TODD SNIDER

Old Miss Virgy tended bar at this shack out in the hills
It never made her no money, boys, but it paid up of all her bills
Now she must have been eighty years old
But her heart was warm and her beer was cold
And she'd gave away more than she ever sold
She's smiling all the time

I used to sing off in the corner every Friday night
To a loud crowd of cowboys, bikers, and barroom fights
They'd be drinking beer and carrying on
Not a one of them listening to one of my songs
But old Miss Virgy was singin' along
She said she knew 'em all by heart

And then one night after closing she poured me up a beer
She said, "Come over here and sit down you little shit, I got something you oughta hear"
She said, "Life ain't easy getting through
"Everybody's gonna make things tough on you
"But I can tell you right now if you dig what you do
"They will never get you down"

She said "Life's too short to worry
"Life's too long to wait
"It's too short not to love everybody
"Life is too long to hate
"I meet a lot of men who haggle and finagle all the time
"Tryin' to save a nickel, maybe make a dime
"Not me boy, no sir-ee, I ain't a-got the time"

Now I ain't seen Ol' Virgy in, must've been about ten years
I've been bumming around this country singing my songs for tips and beers
Now the nights are long, the driving's tough
Hotels are weird and the pay sucks
But I can't dig what I do enough
So it never gets me down

I say, "Life's too short to worry
"Life's too long to wait
"It's too short not to love everybody
"Life is too long to hate
"I meet a lot of men who haggle and finagle all the time
"Tryin' to save a nickel, maybe make a dime"
She said, "Not me boy, no sir-ee, I ain't a-got the time"