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