Drive-By Truckers - Ever South lyrics

We packed our few belongings and
We moved across the ocean
To start a new life in this
Land so bold and vast
Dispersed from Ellis Island
My distant Irish kin eyes cut to the future
Heart’s tied to the past

We held tight to our loved ones and
We held on to the promise
And we scraped our meager
Living hand to mouth
We prayed to what would have us
Every doubting John Thomas
Spreading through the Appalachia ever south
Spread through Appalachia ever south
And I hear we weren’t welcomed here
At least not in those days
No one needs our drunken, fighting
Thieving kind
But we settled in this new place and


We worked it in our ways
And spread our kin upon it in due time
Spread our kin upon it in due time

And we fought our losing battles and
We held onto our ways and we talk of how we
Left behind our better days
Some were living lives of leisure
Some surviving hand to mouth
Bash our heads against the future, ever south
Bash our heads against the future ever south

When I set my sights upon you
We were both still in our prime
We were moving in big circles that
I sought out to combine
And I held you in my arms
And swore eternal love this time
Tried to lasso brighter futures and let
It drag us both behind
Lasso brighter futures
Let it drag us both behind

So we aimed our sights westward
Like so many did before
Expanding our horizons to some distant shore
Where everyone takes notice of the
Drawl that leaves our mouth
So that no matter where we
Are we’re ever south
No matter where we are we’re ever south

Now my Christian Southern brethren will
Tell you all what for
To keep your heathen ways up in you
And your shoes outside the door
Take your stand for noble causes till
You just can’t stand no more
And surrender to some savior, Praise the Lord
Surrender to some savior, Praise the Lord

But despite our best intentions
It pains me to report
We keep swinging for the fences
Coming up a little short
We sure can get it wrong
For someone so devout
I hear you whistling past
The graveyard looking down
Whistling past the graveyard looking down

Ever Southern in my carriage
Ever southern in my stance
In the Irish of my complexion and
The Scottish in my dance
In the way I bang my
Head against my daily circumstance

Let this blue eyed southern devil take
You out upon the prowl
With decadence and charm we’ll
Take it into town
Tell you stories of our fathers and
The glories of our house
Always told a little slower, ever south