Red Sovine - Bootlegger King lyrics

Born just south of Knoxville to a family both humble and poor Never asked for anything at the early age of ten delivered newspapers door to door Then when he was in his teens he dreamed and scheemed for finer things And he finally figured out what he would do To be a big time business man he went and hired old Hoke and Stan And he started holdin' Chattanooga booze Soon his pockets filled with money and his fingers sported flashing diamond rings He had all he'd ever wanted when they labelled him the bootlegger king He always trusted Stan and Hoke to do exactly as were told They were hired to drive and not to think A smooth talking business man and he convinced old Hoke and Stan That booze was made for selling not to drink That old spring city fally never knew what all it carried But they knew when she unloaded by the banks Two rusty rigs roared out of there brakin' scrapin' jammin' gears Disguised to look like gasoline tanks He knew the ways of opperate runnin' Highway 58 Right on into Kingston Tennessee To make the sheriff turn his back and face that old green pole and jack And swap the load at junction Dixie Lee That bootlegger king's fingers flashed with diamond rings And the lawman never knew quite where to wait But they knew it for the truth for a load of hundred proof He would flash his old pearl handled 38 Then one day he met a girl the sweetest thing in all the world He knew the time had come to change his life But it kinda hurt to go to church to find the ones that got there first Was the same crooks he dealt with just last night The only thing that they believed is honor among the thieves And he found a lot of partners on the scene The choir's mouth were opened wide and that old deacon's bloodshot eyes Were focused on that bootlegger king He sat there on the mourners bench that new born baby made him think He knew he had a lot he must confess He knew enough to write a book with every name of every crook So he'd expose the whole rotten mess And now he's got his conscience clear he still don't know the name of beer Though true friends are few and far between He ain't proud of what he had to do he's heard the words that said the truth They're out to get that bootlegger king That bootlegger king's fingers...