Lake Placid Blues

Lake Placid Blues - Tony Joe White

At the time I was too young for the men

But it's become much clearer through the years

We gathered round the boy in his army clothes

Said goodbye and his mother shed her tears

Every day she watched for the postman

But the long awaited letter was overdue

It's not the silence that makes you crazy

It's the sound of a heart breaking in two

Then it came across the ocean

It was hard to understand the awful news

I don't know why I still remember

I guess it's just the Lake Placid Blues

I turned eighteen and left that part of the country

Went down on the Padre Island coast

Of all the hard times I still remember

The repossession of the guitar hurt the most

I often stood in line outside the mission

And I huddled there beside them in the rain

A priest came to the door with empty eyes

I could see he no longer felt their pain

Some were searchin' for forgiveness

And others only wanted food

I needed more than I could ask for

There is no comfort with the Lake Placid Blues

It's hard to find good friends in a lifetime

You can usually count 'em on one hand

I shivered by the fire and the dawn was breakin'

And I scattered his ashes on the sand

And the silver cranes came over in formation

In a sacred manner they flew

And I will always remember

The sky the Lake Placid Blues

Lake Placid Blues

Lake Placid Blues