Tribute to George Jones

by Desmond Kelly

“The Possum”, small of stature, for a huge talent in Country Music, George Jones is now no more, but tributes still flow in, thick & fast. As time goes by, I will endeavour to write my very own “tribute” to this “STAR” of Country Music, but for now, another great Country song that is also featured on “You-Tube” has been written & recorded by Kevin Fowler, who, for all intents & purposes, projects an “image” of “No-Show” Jones in the hectic days when George was drinking so much, his wife, at the time (the “Possum” married three or four times), hid the keys to his car in order to stop him going to the nearest “bar”, about 8 kilometres away, but George was one determined character, so he just got into the seat of his ride-on mower and “drove” to that bar at 5 kilometres an hour (top speed), to “get a drink”. Kevin Fowler’s song tells the story of a drunk who would drink anything but water & I saw George Jones in Keviin’s song. It is a superb song, readers so please watch it when you can. “COUNTRY MUSIC COVERS LIFE”

“I ain’drinkin’anymore (but I ain’t drinkin’ any less)

I’ve been goin ‘out , every night, havin’ a ball, comin’ home about a quarter to two
Oh, you said that you’d be leavin’, if you didn’t start seein’ a change in me real soon
You said “it’s gettin’ really old,”& that you wanna be told that I ain’t drnkin’ no more
“Well now honey, here it goes, better listen close, before you go walkin’ out the door.

I ain’t drinkin’ anymore, oh now, that’s what you want me to say
I ain’t drinkin’ anymore, guess you finally got your way
Nope, I ain’t drinkin’ not a one beer, that’s what you wanna hear
But honey, I must confess, I ain’t drinkin’ anymore, but I ain’t drinkin’ any less”

I got “lit”, the other night, yeah, I got in a fight, the police had me down on the ground
They were puttin’ on the cuffs, they really roughed me up, they said “boy, we’re takin’ you down”
Before he read my rights, he said “take my advice, don’t let me catch you drinkin’ no more”
I said “officer, please let me go, & I won’t do it anymore, come on, let me go on home”