He was born in West Virginia with a mountain in his yard
Had a dream and then he followed it away
Ran to Tennessee, carried a guitar in his hand
Signed a record deal and thought he had it made
Cut an album on "The Row" and then they ran it up the charts
Called him a renegade and made him grow a beard
Went on an arena tour and did all the late-night TV
Got nominated for New Artist of the Year
He took the fast track to the tip-top. He took the fast track to the tip-top
He took the fast track to the tip-top. Now he’s looking for a slow train down
Smiling for the cameras flashing on his pearly whites
Oh, the lovely ladies thought he was the best
They waited in a line. Oh yeah, he had 'em taking turns
He was relishing the taste of his success
Flew on a private jet, he had a brand new XLII
Rode in limousines instead of yellow cabs
He never gave a second thought to how much everything would cost
The label said they’d put it on his tab
He took the fast track to the tip-top. He took the fast track to the tip-top
He took the fast track to the tip-top. Now he’s looking for a slow train down
When the single ran its course, the label pulled the plug
All the smoke and mirrors went away
Now he’s just another sucker out there looking for a gig
Drinking in a bar down on Broadway
Now he’s back in West Virginia with a mountain in his yard
Wondering how it all could go so wrong
He’s almost out of money and his ego’s getting bruised
And he thinks, “Maybe I should just try writing songs.”
Now there’s an idea
He took the fast track to the tip-top. He took the fast track to the tip-top
He took the fast track to the tip-top. Now he’s looking for a slow train down