Ain't It Rough?

"Spoken: I wrote this song about musicians
You know sometimes musicians got to play where they're not wanted
Oh I know you might find that hard to believe, but that's true
Let's say you're settin' up one Friday night and a fella
at the bar says, "Hey, weren't you here last Friday night?"
You say, "Yeah, I was here last Friday night"
He say, "I didn't like you"
Under your breath you go "Well that makes us even"
But you keep on setting up
You feel a little tap on your shoulder
You turn around and there's this woman
She got on more makeup than five drag queens
in West Hollywood and she says, "Are you loud?"
You say, "MacLeod"
"Are you loud?"
"Oh, no we ain't loud, just acoustic bass and a guitar"
"Is that a speaker?"
"Well that's an amplifier.
We use that so we can hear ourselves while you all are enjoying your
dinners, your libations, your conversations, and watching television"
"I think you're loud. I'm going to tell the manager you're loud"
Well, you had enough then.
That's when you tell her "Madam,
compared to your make up - we're mute"
She says, "Well, I never!"
You say, "Well, maybe you should"
I had to write this song: Ain't It Rough?

Well I was working in this country bar
Picking nothing new on my guitar
And I was really thinking I ain't getting too far
When this fella having a couple beers said
"Son when you get done, come over here
I'm gonna' tell you how to be a star
Well, first you need a will of steel
A genuine country feel
By the way, do you know a song by George Jones?"
Well, I found my way to start to play
"He Stopped Loving Her Today"
But when I got to the bandstand that man was gone."

Ain't it rough?
Ain't it tough?
When you're doing all you can but it ain't enough
I know it's rough
I know it's tough
When you're doing all you can
But it ain't enough

"Spoken: Well, I was working in this Holiday Inn
Playing bad music and watching sin
But I don't mind telling you the pay was alright
But I had to wear this tight pink suit
That the leader of the band he thought was cute
I got nervous sitting down every night
I was picking guitar and handling the lights
And I'm gonna' tell you I was doing alright
But I felt some trouble when this drunk kept coming on
I said, "Excuse man I got a cue"
He said, "Is that more important than me talking to you!"
I said, 'It's something I got to do, don't get me wrong"
Well, he got mad, started raising sand
Swung at me, hit the leader of the band
They gave me a slip, matched my suit, I'm gone."

Ain't it rough?
Ain't it tough?
When you're doing all you can but it ain't enough
I know it's rough
I know it's tough
When you're doing all you can
But it ain't enough

"Spoken: Well my girlfriend called me lazy
She said, "Didn't you get a trade in the Navy?
Get a straight job things will better you'll see"
Well I figured she had a point
'Cause all I been working was joints
So good bye night life and hello straight life for me
I got me a suit and tie
Packed my resumes, ah resumes, with a whole bunch of lies
And headed downtown to start my new life
Well, I looked around and I got a job
And I'm gonna' tell you I was working hard
But that girl I've talking about? She became my wife
Now she wanted me to bring home the bacon
But the part of the pig I got was still aching
And when I came home one night that girl was gone
So I picked up my guitar
And I realized you don't got to be no star
That's why I'm here in this bar singing this song!"

Ain't it rough?
Ain't it tough?
When you're doing all you can but it ain't enough
I know it's rough
I know it's tough
When you're doing all you can
But it ain't enough
When you're doing all you can
But it ain't enough
Yes, sir