Memoir of a Rambler

Holy cow I didn't realize that it'd been so long since I've posted anything! Let's just say it's about darn time that I get back to the blog. So let's get to the back story. I wrote this last year when Aaron and I visited my folks and we went to the Gary Allan show. Our seats weren't the greatest but since there were no opportunities to really take any photos, we just danced, sang along and enjoyed the music. Perhaps it was getting lost in the music, perhaps it was a fangirl high after getting our fan club pic signed, perhaps it was Gary coming out on stage in a duster and a cowboy hat....it was totally Gary coming out on stage in a duster and cowboy hat (and the line "chapters, pages, stained an torn" references when he passed his lyric notebook around the audience at the 2019 fan club party. Yes, this girl geeeeeked ooouuutttt!). I felt so inspired on the drive home and this lyric just happened. I did a quick search on the hook and didn't see anything...at least I don't remember seeing anything, this was last fall so the details are a little fuzzy, but I do remember sitting in the back seat of my mom's Jeep (my folks went to gamble while we were in the concert so we rode together) , trying hard not to get carsick as I was typing furiously into the notes on my phone. The melody played in my head as I tried so hard not to hum it because I think Aaron was sleeping, but when we came back to Nashville I sat down with a guitar and put some music to it. I'd planned for more finger-picking, but we all know that my skills aren't the best so I gave up and stuck with strumming. It's not your typical commercial format but y'all know I like to push the envelope and color outside of the lines. Check out the video above and read the lyrics below!

Memoir of a Rambler
© 2019 Chelsey Layton

The memoir of a rambler it's a crushed and dusty black
Seen a hundred-thousand miles, won't hang up cowboy hat
The memoir of a rambler is a pair of rattlesnake
Boots that have danced bar rooms from New York to L.A.
That's the Memoir of a Rambler

The memoir of a rambler it's been carved and etched
Countless stars and tattoos, a map of where he's been
The memoir of a rambler is soaked in 80 proof
By an old friend who's never far in his black labeled suit
That's the Memoir of a Rambler

The memoir of a rambler lies in six rusty strings
Three chords and a first hand count of mistakes and memories
Chapters, pages stained and torn, old dreams and regrets scattered
Amidst the bass, kick drums and highway hums, that's the Memoir of a Rambler

The memoir of a rambler is a dozen lost goodbyes
Shouted out into the wind, drowned by the sands of time
The memoir of a rambler is an angel's broken heart
Who believed his forevers like she believes in God
That's the Memoir of a Rambler

The memoir of a rambler lies in six rusty strings
Three chords and a first hand count of mistakes and memories
Chapters, pages stained and torn, old dreams and regrets scattered
Amidst the bass, kick drums and highway hums

The memoir of a rambler lies in these rusty strings
Three chords and a first hand count of mistakes and memories
Chapters, pages stained and torn, my dreams and regrets scattered
Amidst the bass, kick drums and highway hums, that's the Memoir of a Rambler

The memoir of a rambler is a crushed and dusty black
Seen a hundred-thousand miles, won't hang up cowboy hat