I took a hot train down to new york city
in the year of our lord two thousand and nine
and wavin at the station was a blue eyed beauty
oh i tell you, lord, this woman was fine
so i asked her for a name, and what i got was susannah
in a bright refreshing southern country drawl
a tallahassee belle in the heart of the city
and just when i had thought i'd seen it all
so i said, hey darlin let's leave grand central station
let me take you up to old times square
she said, "i reached that intersection, and when i looked up to heaven
all i saw were televisions in the air"
i said, "fine, good lookin', let me take you down to brooklyn
there's a park with a meadow miles wide
with the sun in the summer it's a little bit warmer
when you look up you can only see the sky"
i truly feared rejection, as she thought through my suggestion,
but my confidence was running pretty high
so i kept a little smile, and my posture and my composure
and i guess a little twinkle in my eye
So she agreed to my idea, and she said she'd come with me
and spend the evening, or at least the afternoon
in the park in the city in this country on this planet
who'd've thought that i'd've ended up with you?
we got to the park 'n' there the dogs were all a'barkin'
with their people and their people's children too
but the smile on susannah and the way she held my hand
it kept my spirits brighter than that sky of blue
we sat down on a bench by a little dusty trail
just to take in all the beauty of the place
and just then my eyes met with the cross around her neck
and the smile flew swiftly from my face
cos you see, im a sinner, and when christians meet with sinners
well, they make a little judgment straight away
and i had had no intention of divine intervention
that would ruin this amazing perfect day
so i said "susannah won't you take my hand
and we'll go down to watch the river and pray"
she said, "i ain't said a word to the spirit since i heard
that we all with be forgiven someday"
I said "are you not a sinner?" she said, "hell yea, im a sinner
but the sinnin' isn' where the problem lies;
it's the liars and the cheaters who do not believe they're sinners
that's the problem with the world tonight."
What a goddamn relief, she didn't care if i believed
and didn't mind me for a second for my sins
hates the liars and the cheaters, if they claim to love jesus
well she sticks her middle finger up at them
the sun was goin down over ol' brooklyn town
but the people were all staying up
so i took her to a bar and then back to the park
where we laid down and looked up at just the stars.
Well the morning came, the sun rose, finding us in a hotel
I had my Susannah wrapped up in my arms
But I had to get back on the road and on the rails
She had to get back to a southern farm
She said she'd see me later and she gave me little kisses
over breakfast in the back seat of a cab
She gave me her number and her address in Virginia
And that precious piece of paper's all I have
I know I'll see her someday when I get a little money
or when I am on the road on tour
My darling sweet Susannah, what a woman for a man to meet
You make me happy darlin' that's for sure
Sometimes I think back on my southern city gal
And I get that little twinkle in my eye
So if you see me with a smile on from now until a while on
you bet your balls that she's the reason why
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