Old man sittin' on the dock
Frettin' that National Steel
Got his feet in the water
Hands on the metal
Playin' it all by feel
He's got nothin' but time
And the changin' tide
The pull of the moon
And the spinnin' of the earth
Blind since birth
Old man sittin' on a crate
With an amped-up Silvertone
When he reaches for
That bottleneck slide
Makes you shiver and moan
Blue notes float
Like puffs of smoke
He pulls another lucky
From the pocket of his shirt
Blind since birth
At the state run school
Eight years old
A cheap six-string
So the story goes
Old man sittin' in the dark
Frettin' that National Steel
Got his feet on the floor
Hands on the metal
Playin' it all by feel
Blue notes cry
Scream and sigh
'Til his fingers bleed
And his backbone hurts
Blind since birth