Willy the Wandering Gypsy and Me
Tom T. Hall · Storyteller - Poet - Philosopher [Mercury] [1995]
Three fingers whiskey pleasures the drinker
But moving does more than that drinking for me
Willy he tells me that doers and thinkers
Say moving's the closest thing to being free.
He rosined his riggin he laid back his wages
He's dead set on ridin' the big rodeos
My woman's tight with an overdue baby
And Willy keeps yelling hey big T let's go.
Willy you're wild as a Texas Blue Norther
Ready rolled from the same makins as me
And I reckon we'll ramble till hell freezes over
Willy the wandering Gypsy and me.
Now ladies we surely will take up your pleasures
But I've got to warn ya there never will be
A single soul living can put brand or handle
On Willy the wandering Gypsy and me.
Well they dance on the mountains and they shout in the canyons
And they swarm in a loose herd like the wild buffalos
Jammin' our heads full of figures and angles
And tellin' us stuff that we already know.
Willy you're wild as a Texas Blue Norther
Ready rolled from the same makins as me
And I reckon we'll ramble till hell freezes over
Willy the wandering Gypsy and me.
Would you believe Billy Joe Shaver and me...
Willy the Wandering Gypsy and Me
Tom T. Hall stands as one of country music's most distinctive storytellers, crafting narratives that often blur the lines between fiction and autobiography. This track appears on his 1995 compilation, Storyteller - Poet - Philosopher, which serves as a retrospective of his extensive Mercury Records tenure. Hall's songwriting style frequently features vivid character studies and conversational tones, allowing listeners to inhabit the lives of the people he describes. The song continues his tradition of exploring themes of travel, connection, and the transient nature of life through a personal lens. As a key figure in the genre, Hall's work remains celebrated for its literary quality and emotional resonance, offering a window into the human condition through the medium of country music.