That Was Us
Small-Town Mischief: A Journey Through Randy Travis' 'That Was Us'
Lyrics
Twenty dollars out of momma's purse bought
Twenty dollars taken from the speaker's mother's purse was used to purchase a tank of gas.
us a tank of gas
The speaker and a friend bought Redman tobacco during their teenage years.
And some Redman tobacco
Reflecting on their youth when they were just teenage kids.
when we were just teenage kids
The speaker and Leroy, the old buddy, would drive around seeking trouble.
Me and my old buddy Leroy,
Introduction of Leroy, the speaker's old buddy.
we'd go driving around
Recalling the times when they would go driving around.
If there was trouble to be found,
If trouble was to be found, they would certainly find it.
then man we dang sure did
Expressing their adventurous and trouble-seeking nature.
Cutting doughnuts in the fields
Engaging in reckless behavior such as cutting doughnuts in fields.
'Till old man Smith would call the cops
Old man Smith would call the cops when they were causing trouble.
He'd come runnin' out with a shotgun cause we were runnin' down his crops
Describing an incident where they ran down crops, prompting Old man Smith to confront them with a shotgun.
And I reckon he's still wonderin' who that was
Suggesting that Old man Smith may still wonder about their identity.
But that was us
Reiterating the mischievous actions of the speaker and Leroy - "That was us."
Now some of these old local boys moved on
Some of the local boys have moved on, but the speaker and Leroy remain unchanged.
but we never changed a bit
Highlighting the lack of change in the speaker and Leroy's behavior.
Never had a lick of sense, least that's what
Despite what others said, they never gained any common sense.
some folks said
Addressing the perception that they lacked good judgment.
Then finally we turned old enough to buy our
Upon reaching the legal drinking age, they could buy their own beer.
own beer
Reflecting on a year when they bought their own beer but don't remember much, grateful they are still alive.
Don't remember much about that year,
Emphasizing their luck in surviving despite their lack of memory about that particular year.
just lucky we ain't dead
Empty row for spacing.
'Cause somebody said they saw some boys
Rumors circulate about boys with a truck similar to the speaker's attempting to pull down an old water tank.
With a truck looked just like mine
Someone reported seeing boys with a truck resembling the speaker's.
Tryin' to pull down that old water tank
Describing an attempt to pull down an old water tank on the country line.
That sits out on the country line
The water tank is a recognizable landmark in the speaker's hometown.
And people wonder why it leans the way it does
People wonder why the water tank leans, revealing the speaker's involvement.
That was us
Reiterating the mischievous actions and acknowledging responsibility - "That was us."
Seems like small towns never change
Observing that small towns tend to remain the same, but challenges arise in tough times.
But things get tough when times get hard
Reflecting on the impact of difficult times on small towns.
And they said when he got sick
Old man Smith faced financial struggles due to illness, risking losing the farm.
Old man Smith would've lost the farm
Highlighting the potential consequences of Old man Smith's illness.
'Cause he was getting' way behind on all his bills
Old man Smith fell behind on bills, posing a threat to the farm.
'Till somebody brought his crops in from the fields
Community support saved Old man Smith's farm by bringing in his crops.
Yeah and folks 'round here still wonder who
The community still wonders about the identity of those who helped - "That was us."
that was
Empty row for spacing.
That was us
Concluding the song with a repetition of the phrase - "That was us."
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