Ballad Of The Brothers (The Willie Door)

Two east coast brothers hit the road in an Edsel station wagon
They flipped a coin and they headed west to a random destination
If they saw this great big world, they'd get their lives on track
Those city slickers never knew they wouldn't be coming back

Fred did the weather on channel 10 and Paul taught high school math
Just a couple of Philly boys trying to find a path
They left behind their modest dreams and a whole lot left to fix
Threw their caution to the wind and they jumped on 66

On down through Missouri and the Oklahoma prairie
But when they crossed the Texas line things got a little scary
South on Highway 35 they motored into Austin
But distant thunder made 'em wonder just what this trip was costin'

Don't you climb through the Willie door
Keep your feet off the Gruene Hall dance floor
The ghosts of Texas music haunt this funky Texas honkytonk
Go home, you don't know what's in store
If you're climbing through that Willie door

Those boys were drawn like moth to flame
To the old dance hall with a funny name
Somehow, they knew just what to do
They grabbed the rope and they swung on through
Like the rabbit hole in Alice
That old tin shack became a palace
Their quiet voices turned to hoots
Wingtip cordovans changed to boots

East coast cockney turned to drawl
No turning back for Fred and Paul
They hit the stage and they grabbed guitars
Suddenly they're superstars
Who knew just how they knew the words
The tune, the groove, and the guitar chords
Cowgirls danced like they'd gone mad
Cowboys said them boys ain't bad

Gruene Hall started whirling 'round
Then it lifted off the ground
And climbed into the Texas hills
They started jamming with Bob Wills
Then Robert, Janice, Waylon, and Guy
The brothers' music filled the sky

As the sun rose in the east, that tin shack set back down
Once again New Braunfels was a lazy country town
And that happy, sweaty, tired crowd slowly drifted away
No one knew who those boys were but they sure knew how to play

A week went by and the local folk soon began to question
Who put those Eagles stickers on that abandoned Edsel wagon
And what about those brothers, did they ever make it big
Not so much, but all agreed it was a pretty damn good first gig

Don't you climb through the Willie door
Keep your feet off the Gruene Hall dance floor
The ghosts of Texas music haunts this funky Texas honkytonk

Go home, you don't know what's in store
If you go climbing through
Don't go climbing through
If you go climbing through that Willie door
That Willie door
Don't go, don't go
Through the Willie door