Ballad Of The Brothers (The Willie Door)

Two east coast brothers hit the road in an Edsel station wagon

They flipped a coin and they headed west to a random destination

If they saw this great big world, they'd get their lives on track

Those city slickers never knew they wouldn't be coming back

Fred did the weather on channel 10 and Paul taught high school math

Just a couple of Philly boys trying to find a path

They left behind their modest dreams and a whole lot left to fix

Threw their caution to the wind and they jumped on 66

On down through Missouri and the Oklahoma prairie

But when they crossed the Texas line things got a little scary

South on Highway 35 they motored into Austin

But distant thunder made 'em wonder just what this trip was costin'

Don't you climb through the Willie door

Keep your feet off the Gruene Hall dance floor

The ghosts of Texas music haunt

This funky Texas honkytonk

Go home, you don't know what's in store

If you're climbing through that Willie door

Those boys were drawn like moth to flame

To the old dance hall with a funny name

Somehow, they knew just what to do

They grabbed the rope and they swung on through

Like the rabbit hole in Alice

That old tin shack became a palace

Their quiet voices turned to hoots

Wingtip cordovans changed to boots

East coast cockney turned to drawl

No turning back for Fred and Paul

They hit the stage and they grabbed guitars

Suddenly they're superstars

Who knew just how they knew the words

The tune, the groove, and the guitar chords

Cowgirls danced like they'd gone mad

Cowboys said them boys ain't bad

Gruene Hall started whirling ‘round

Then it lifted off the ground

And climbed into the Texas hills

They started jamming with Bob Wills

Then Robert, Janice, Waylon, and Guy

The brothers' music filled the sky

As the sun rose in the east, that tin shack set back down

Once again New Braunfels was a lazy country town

And that happy, sweaty, tired crowd slowly drifted away

No one knew who those boys were, but they sure knew how to play

A week went by and the local folk soon began to question

Who put those Eagles stickers on that abandoned Edsel wagon

And what about those brothers, did they ever make it big

Not so much, but all agreed it was a pretty damn good first gig

Don't you climb through the Willie door

Keep your feet off the Gruene Hall dance floor

The ghosts of Texas music haunts

This funky Texas honkytonk

Go home, you don't know what's in store

If you go climbing through

Don't go climbing through

If you go climbing through that Willie door

That Willie door

Don't go, don't go

Through the Willie door