Emmylou Harris

racing in the street

I got a sixty-nine Chevy with a 396
Fuelie heads and a Hurst on the floor
She's waiting tonight down in the parking lot
Outside the Seven-Eleven store
Me and my partner Sonny built her straight out of scratch
And he rides with me from town to town
We only run for the money got no strings attached
We shut 'em up and then we shut 'em down
Tonight tonight the strip's just right
I'm gonna blow 'em off in my first heat
Summer's here and the time is right
For racin' in the street

We take all the action we can meet
And we cover all the northeast states
When the strip shuts down we run 'em in the street
>From the fire roads to the interstate
Now Some guys they just give up living
And start dying little by little piece by piece
Some guys come home from work and wash up
And go racin' in the street
Tonight tonight the strip's just right
I'm gonna blow 'em all out of their seats
Calling out around the world
We're going racin' in the street

He met her on the strip three years ago
In a Camaro with this dude from L.A.
He blew that Camaro off his back and he drove that little girl away
But now there's wrinkles around his baby's eyes
And she cries herself to sleep at night
When he comes home the house is dark
She says 'Baby did you make it alright?'
She sits on the porch of her daddy's house
But all her pretty dreams are torn
She stares out alone into the night
With the eyes of one who hates for just being born
For all the shut-down strangers and hot rod angels

Rumbling through this promised land
Tonight my baby and me we're gonna ride to the sea
And wash these sins off our hands
Tonight tonight the highway's bright
Out of our way mister you best keep
Cause summer's here and the time is right
For racin' in the street