Mickey Newbury Cortelia Clark Lyrics

[Verse 1]
I was just a boy the year
The Bluebird Special came through here
On its first run south to New Orleans
A blind old man and I, we came
To Guthrie just to see the train
He was black and I was green

[Verse 2]
"Tell me what you see," he said
"Is the engine black or red?
Son, that's the loudest thing I've ever seen"
Then he picked his guitar up
Sat on the fender of the truck
And his eyes lit up as he began to sing

[Bridge]
And I remember when
That old man's dreams were chained
To a depot down in Guthrie
And a bluebird special train

[Verse 3]
He picked his guitar up, shuffled down the walk
The cars uptown wound round the buildings at his feet
Lookin' mighty proud, that old man With his battered hat in his hand
Lord, he sung a song that made me weep
Yes, he made me weep

[Verse 4]
I read it in a week old paper
No one made it for his wake
Or laid a single flower at his feet
"He was just some blind old beggar"
People said, but Lord, I'll wager
He won't be beggin' up there on your streets

[Bridge]
You'll find him Lord, this morning
He'll be stepping from the dark
Can you save a street in glory, Lord
For Cortelia Clark?

[Outro]
I was just a boy the year
The Bluebird Special came through here
On its first run south to New Orleans
A blind old man and I, we came
To Guthrie just to see the train
He was black, was I green?