Subdivision Blues Songtext

von Tom T. Hall

Out on the edge of town I bought a two room brick
Moved in as soon as I got the plumbin' all fixed
Making them payments worked my fingers to the bone
Anything I had to do to get myself a home

There was water in the basement, it looked like a swimming pool
The man said, "Son that water'll help to keep your cottage cool"
The Welcome Wagon brought me out some sleepin' pills and booze
I got the mean old subdivision blues

Somebody came and knocked my fence down just the other day
Tore up my yard and hauled my lawnmower away
Shot out my windows with the BB gun
A boxer down the street came by and beat up my son

So I went out and bought myself a big old German dog
The man behind me saw me and he started raisin' hogs
A nineteen year old girl next door is sunnin' in the nude
I got those mean old subdivision blues

But I bought my house because it was located near a school
Now a bus comes by and takes my kids to Istanbul
The guy next door just bought his son a brand new saxophone
The man behind me sued him 'cause his hogs were leavin' home

My buddy left his wife and now he's livin' in a tent
A hippie sued me 'cause I did not have a room to rent
They built a trailer park before I had a chance to move
I got them mean old subdivision blues

Well I moved out in the country just as far as I could go
I couldn't even get the Grand Ole Opry on the radio
I guess you know what happened just as soon as I moved in
The man across the valley started clearin' off this land

The law came out and said that I would have to move my barn
They said the man next door was gonna subdivide his farm
They auctioned off my farm to build the state another school
I got the mean old subdivision blues

Well other night I dreamed I died and I went right straight to Hell
I don't know what I did but you know you can never tell
They handed me a key and handed me a little map
They said, "You got a place to live and we'll show you where it's at"

They took me to a two room brick just on the edge of town
With thirty thousand other little houses falling down
A million years to pay it off with payments overdue
Yeah, it's hell to have the subdivision blues
Got those mean old subdivision blues