Lyrics from live performances

[Verse 1]
I lost my money to some dirty old bookie
Way up in Philly, he was a bad man
But you can't bet your life on the table
When you got yourself a bad hand
So I went and got my good friend Mickey
And we made ourselves a bold stand
Wound up bleeding on the bar floor
And we don't bet on the ball no more

[Chorus]
Where them bets are tough and bartenders mean
In the great American bar scene

[Verse 2]
My brother from Tulsa has got himself a warrant
But he's on the run up in Cheyenne
They hammered me up and asked me some questions
But I ain't no damn rat, man

[Chorus]
Put cuffs on so tight that he started bleeding
From his wrist down through to his right hand
Put "State Trooper" up on the record machine
It's the great American bar scene
[Verse 3]
Neon lightin', wooden floors, light leaves
As her feet quietly slide across
Tough boys of all came and went
She's a Heaven-sent and I'm at a loss

[Chorus]
So if you've got the time, I've got the quarter
And a two-steppin' song called "Hey Porter"
Why does love always feel like a fever dream
In the great American bar scene?

[Verse 4]
My heart stays hurtin' and hands stay workin'
And I'm still just a sinning man
I've tried like hell to keep my health
Treat others well and understand

[Chorus]
Why life's so unfair, uncertain and mean
In the great American bar scene