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Won't you scratch my itch sweet Annie Rich
And welcome me back to town
Come out on your porch or I'll step into your parlour
And I'll show you how it all went down
Out with the truckers and the kickers and the cowboy angels
And a good saloon in every single town
And I remember something you once told me
And I'll be damned if it did not come true
Twenty thousand roads I went down, down, down
And they all lead me straight back home to you
'Cause I headed West to grow up with the country
Across those prairies with the waves of grain
And I saw my devil, and I saw my deep blue sea
And I thought about a calico bonnet from Cheyenne to Tennessee
We flew straight across that river bridge, last night half past two
The switch-man wave his lantern goodbye and good day as we went roling through
Billboards and truck stops pass by the grievous angel
And now I know just what I have to do
And the man on the radio won't leave me alone
He wants to take my money for something that I've never been shown
And I saw my devil, and I saw my deep blue see
And I thought about a calico bonnet from Cheyenne to Tennessee
The news I could bring I met up with the king
On his head an amphetamine crown
He talked about unbuckling that old bible belt
And lighted out for some desert town
Out with the truckers and the kickers and the cowboy angels
And a good saloon in every single town
And I remember something you once told me
And I'll be damned if it did not come true
Twenty thousand roads I went down, down, down
And they all lead me straight back home to you
Twenty thousand roads I went down, down, down
And they all lead me straight back home to you
And welcome me back to town
Come out on your porch or I'll step into your parlour
And I'll show you how it all went down
Out with the truckers and the kickers and the cowboy angels
And a good saloon in every single town
And I remember something you once told me
And I'll be damned if it did not come true
Twenty thousand roads I went down, down, down
And they all lead me straight back home to you
'Cause I headed West to grow up with the country
Across those prairies with the waves of grain
And I saw my devil, and I saw my deep blue sea
And I thought about a calico bonnet from Cheyenne to Tennessee
We flew straight across that river bridge, last night half past two
The switch-man wave his lantern goodbye and good day as we went roling through
Billboards and truck stops pass by the grievous angel
And now I know just what I have to do
And the man on the radio won't leave me alone
He wants to take my money for something that I've never been shown
And I saw my devil, and I saw my deep blue see
And I thought about a calico bonnet from Cheyenne to Tennessee
The news I could bring I met up with the king
On his head an amphetamine crown
He talked about unbuckling that old bible belt
And lighted out for some desert town
Out with the truckers and the kickers and the cowboy angels
And a good saloon in every single town
And I remember something you once told me
And I'll be damned if it did not come true
Twenty thousand roads I went down, down, down
And they all lead me straight back home to you
Twenty thousand roads I went down, down, down
And they all lead me straight back home to you
Lyrics submitted by magicnudiesuit
Track duration: 04:26
"Return of the Grievous Angel" as written by Beau Brown Gram Parsons
Lyrics © BUG MUSIC
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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The 'king' who wears an 'amphetamine crown' is surely Elvis - interesting how well known is was that Elvis was a speed freak. People go on about Gram's buddy Keith Richards being a drug addict, but Elvis was one too!
Terrific song and lovely backing vocals by Emmylou Harris. Gram wanted her picture on the album cover, but his wife Gretchen complained to the record company after Gram's death, the cover was then changed to feature only Gram.
Gram was often referred to as the "Grievous Angel". I think that this song was written about himself. Gram spent most of his childhood grieving. His father committed suicide when he was young and his mother also died before adulthood. This song is biographical.
It's a beautiful song and is often overlooked.
The narrator could have been Gram himself, as opposed to an oblique 'persona', especially in the last verse: Notice that right after "Cheyenne to Tennessee', he meets up with 'the king', who wears an 'amphetamine crown' and talks about 'unbuckling that old bible belt'.
Elvis????