Three Chords and a Cliché
Three Chords: Authenticity Amidst Imitations
Lyrics
Walkin' in this smoky bar
Walking into a smoky bar
You grab a drink
Grabbing a drink
Lookin' round this whole damn place
Observing the entire place
But every picture settin' on the wall
Pictures on the wall have historical significance
Has history from before
These images predate attempts to perform on stage
You tried to grace this stage
Efforts made to grace the stage
You tried to tell thee
Attempting to convey a message
You're really ready
Claiming readiness
You're just a poor imitation of me
Being a poor imitation of someone else
I know the road you're tryin' to go
Aware of the path the person is trying to take
You're nothin' but a fool
Labeling the person as a fool
Went down the wrong rabbit hole
Choosing the wrong path
cll of the greats played three chords
Great musicians played three chords
cnd all of them said some things
Expressing ideas through music
You can't say anymore
Limiting oneself by adhering to clichés
You fake wannabes
Criticizing fake imitators
Your bullshit ways
Disapproving of insincere behavior
You play nothin' but three chords and fuckin' a cliché
Playing only three chords and relying on clichés
In the buckle of the Bible Belt
In a conservative region
You take a breath
Taking a moment to breathe
Chills and nerves
Experiencing chills and nerves
Crawlin' down your back
Feeling discomfort in a religious setting
Mother church ground feelin' cold
The church ground feels cold
Displeasured country souls
Souls in the church disapprove
Sittin' in the pews hearing you yap
Sitting in the pews, listening to the person talk
You tried to tell thee
Attempting to convey a message again
You're really ready
Claiming readiness once more
Better learn from
Suggesting learning from specific locations
Bristol and Virginia mountain peaks
Referring to Bristol and Virginia mountain peaks
I know the road you're tryin' to go
Knowledge of the person's intended path
You're no crkansas traveler
Not a skilled traveler from Arkansas
Just a turkey in the straw
Just a clichéd performer
cll of the greats played three chords
Great musicians played three chords
cnd all of them said some things
Expressing ideas through music again
You can't say anymore
Emphasizing the limitation of clichés
You fake wannabes
Criticizing fake imitators again
Your bullshit ways
Disapproving of insincere behavior again
You play nothin' but three chords and fuckin' a cliché
Playing only three chords and relying on clichés again
You tried to tell thee
Attempting to convey a message once more
You're really ready
Claiming readiness yet again
You're just poor imitation of me
Being a poor imitation once again
I know the road you're tryin' to go
Knowledge of the intended path repeated
You're no crkansas traveler
Not a skilled traveler from Arkansas repeated
Just a turkey in the straw
Just a clichéd performer repeated
Fiddler, let them puppets hear you
Calling on a fiddler to play a tune for the audience
play your tune
Encouraging the fiddler to let the audience hear the music
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