Originally done by Gordon Lightfoot, on "Summer Side of Life"--1971. Also recorded by bluegrass musicians "JD Crowe and the New South." Also--Tony Rice's "Tony Rice Sings and Plays Gordon Lightfoot." Also--Nanci Griffith's "Other Voices, Other Rooms."
This version transcribed from the JD Crowe version, capo on 3rd fret.
INTRO: D G A D
He was standing by the highway
with a sign that just said mother
when he heard a driver coming
about a half a mile away
so he held the sign up higher
so no decent soul could miss it
it was ten degrees or colder
down by boulder dam that day
he was raised up in milwaukee
though he never was that famous
he was just a road musician
to the taverns he would go
singing songs about the rambling
the loving girls and gambling
how the world fell on his shoulder
back in boulder I don't know
it was out in arizona
and he heard the lady listening
to each word that he was singing
to each line that he would write
so he sat down by her table
and they talked about the weather
98.6 and rising
down by boulder dam that night
and she told him she would take him
for a ride in the morning sun
back in boulder he had told her
I don't know when I've had a better friend
now he's traded off his martin
but his troubles are not over
his feet are almost frozen
and the sun is sinking low
won't you listen to me brother
if you loved your mother
please pull off on the shoulder
if you're going milwaukee way
it's ten degrees and getting colder
down by boulder dam today
One of these days I'll get around to tabbing the intro.
