Busted

Kitty Wells · Especially for You [1964]

(Harlan Howard)



The bills are all due and the babies need shoes but, we're busted

Cotton is down to a quarter a pound and, we're busted

Got a cow that's gone dry and a hen that won't lay

A big stack of bills that gets bigger each day

The county's gonna haul our belongings away, we're busted.



--- Instrumental ---



I called brother Bill thought I'd ask for a loan, we're busted

Now we hate to beg like a dog for a bone but, we're busted

But Bill said that there ain't a thing I can do

My wife and my kids are all down with the flu

And we were just thinking of calling on you, we're busted.



--- Instrumental ---



Now we are not thieves but you sure can go wrong when, you're busted

That food that we canned last summer is gone, we're busted

The fields are all bare and the cotton won't grow

So me and my family must pack up and go

Where we'll make a living the Lord only knows, we're busted...

Busted - Kitty Wells

Kitty Wells' 1964 recording of 'Busted' stands as a pivotal moment in country music history, marking her transition from a vocal interpreter to a songwriter and performer. Released on the album 'Especially for You,' the track showcases her signature blend of twang and emotional depth, characteristic of the honky-tonk genre that defined her career. While best known for her hit 'Stand by Your Man,' Wells demonstrated her versatility here with a composition that captures the tension and vulnerability of a relationship in jeopardy. The recording reflects the era's shift toward more personal storytelling in country music, cementing her status as a leading figure who could both write and deliver compelling narratives about love and heartbreak.