OLD JOHN AND FOUR MULES

YOU JUST NEVER KNOW WHO YOU’RE GOING TO MEET

WHEN YOU GO DOWN THE TRAIL IN THIS OLD LIFE

SOME ARE GOING TO BE GOOD, SOME BAD

SOME DON'T EVEN HAVE GOOD SHOES ON THEIR FEET

I MET AN OLD BOY LIKE THIS YESTERDAY, LOOKED LIKE HE HAD ALOT OF STRIFE

AND I GUESS TO MOST, HE LOOKED PRETTY SAD

HE SAID THAT THEY CALLED HIM JOHN, SO I TOOK IT THAT WAS HIS GIVEN NAME

HE WAS JUST SITTING THERE ON THE SIDE OF THE ROAD

WATCHING HIS FOUR MULES EATING GOD'S GREEN GRASS

I WENT OVER TO THE MAN THAT SAID JOHN WAS HIS NAME

SAID THAT HE HAD A LONG WALK, JUST RESTIN’ HIS LOAD

AND LETTIN’ HIS MULES EAT SOME OF GOD'S GREEN GRASS

I ASKED JOHN WHERE HE WAS FROM, SAID WHERE THE CACTUS GREW TALL

JOHN WAS NOT A MAN WHO HAD A LOT TO SAY

I ASKED HIM WHERE HE WAS HEADED, THAT IS, IF HE WANTED TO TELL ME

MISTER, I HEADED EAST WHERE THE PINES GROW TALL

BUT YOU SEE THAT MOUNTAIN, IT IS A-BLOCKING MY WAY

YOU SEE PEOPLE MAKE IT SO A PERSON LIKE ME CAN’T TRAVEL FREE

AND TO HIS WAY OF THINKING, WATER WAS FOR DRINKIN’

BUT I THINK THAT GOD KNEW HIS OLD HEART WAS CLEAN

I GOT A MAP HERE MISTER, SO I GUESS I HAVE SOME HOPE

AND MAYBE THIS OLD HOT SUN HAS MESSED UP MY THINKING

YOU FROM AROUND HERE, COULD YOU SHOW ME WHERE I AM, IF YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN

SO I SHOWED OLD JOHN, SEE THOSE BIG ROCKS, THERE’S A TRAIL

YOU TAKE THAT TRAIL, JOHN, YOU AND YOUR OLD MULES WILL BE ALL RIGHT

AND ON THE OTHER SIDE, YOU’LL SEE WHERE THE PINES GROW TALL

TRAVEL SLOW JOHN AND GOD WILL NOT LET YOU FAIL

TRAVEL BY DAY AND REST BY NIGHT

IF WE LET HIM, GOD WILL LEAD US ALL

I KNEW JOHN WAS NOT A BEGGIN’ TYPE OF MAN

BUT HE DID LOOK A LITTLE HUNGRY TO ME

AND I HAD A TEN DOLLAR BILL THAT I COULD SPARE

JOHN SAID NO THANK YOU SIR, I EAT BY GOD'S PLAN

GOT PLENTY IN THEM OLD PACK SADDLES, FOR THE MULES AND ME

BUT SOMETIMES WATER IS NOT A LOT FOR US OUT THERE

I ASKED OLD JOHN IF I COULD TAKE A PICTURE OF HIS FOUR MULES

I WANTED HIS PERMISSION, NOT ONE TO INVADE ONES PRIVACY

‘CAUSE TO ME THIS WAS A NICE DAY FOR ME

JOHN SAID SURE, TAKE A PICTURE OF MY OLD MULES

YOU KNOW MISTER, THIS OLD WORLD IS JUST ONE BIG CONSPIRACY

AND I WANT TO THANK YOU FOR BEIN KIND TO ME

I SAW OLD JOHN AGAIN TODAY OUTSIDE A CAFE

OLD JOHN SAID, MISTER I STUDIED THOSE BIG ROCKS YOU WERE A- TELLIN’ ME ABOUT

I HAVE FOUND ME A NEW WAY WHERE THE ROCKS ARE NOT AS TALL

ME AND MY OLD MULES CAN TRAVEL BETTER AND BE FREE

I SAID JOHN, YESTERDAY I KNEW THAT YOU WOULD FIND THAT WAY, THERE WAS NO DOUBT

AND YESTERDAY I COULD HAVE TOLD YOU, BUT NOW YOU HAVE LEARNED AND CAN STAND TALL

YES SIR NOW THAT I LOOK AT IT, I RECKON YOU COULD HAVE, IF YOU WERE A MIND TO

YOU TOLD ME TO STUDY THE ROCKS, THE LESSON WOULD BE THERE

YES SIR JOHN, THAT I DID

AND YOU GET HIGH MARKS IN THE OLD SCHOOL OF HARD ROCKS, YES YOU DO

NOW YOU CAN TRAVEL TO WHERE THE PINES ARE TALL, YOUR TICKET IS A PRAYER