He played guitar in a honky-tonk band
He drank Jack Daniels, black label brand
He was the life of the party
Till they closed down the bar
In the eyes of a young boy, he was a star

CHORUS:
HE'D SAY, "SON, DON'T YOU RUN DOWN THE ROADS THAT I'VE RUN
AND DON'T GO AND SING ALL THE SONGS THAT I'VE SUN
'CAUSE THIS KIND OF LIVIN' TAKES ITS TOLL ON A MAN
AND THROUGH THE SMOKE AND THE NEON I SAW IT FIRST HAND
I GOT THE LOWDOWN ON THE HIGHLIFE
BUST STILL HERE I AM"

The blues and the bottle held him under their spell
Took him to heaven and put us through hell
Well, sometimes I feel him up on this stage
His restless spirit
Still runs through my veins

REPEAT CHORUS

I got the lowdown on the highlife
But still here I am
Mmm