Carpetbaggers

Album: Acid Tongue (2008)
Play Video
  • They come to town when the war is over
    Dirty boots in the middle of the night
    Trolling the bars, hitting on the soldiers
    Boys give it up without a fight
    They say, ?Hey, boy, how about your place?
    I know you really want to take me home?
    Drop the bags off on the bedroom floor
    They make love with the lights on, saying

    ?I?m a carpetbagger, baby
    I?m coming to your town
    I?m going to treat you kind (woo-hoo)
    I?m going to rob you blind (woo-hoo)
    I?ll smile all the time
    Whoa, yeah
    Whoa, yeah
    Whoa, yeah

    Sally could have had any one of the boys
    But she couldn?t love no one she could not control
    Friend of mine and her got married
    I don?t hear too much from them anymore
    Last I heard, he had a rope around his neck
    Dragging around the grocery store
    Carrying her bags and pushing down the aisles
    Saying, ?I ain?t got no home in this world anymore?

    ?I?m a carpetbagger, baby
    I?m coming to your town
    I?m going to treat you kind (woo-hoo)
    I?m going to rob you blind (woo-hoo)
    I?ll smile all the time
    Whoa, yeah
    Whoa, yeah
    Whoa, yeah

    They come to town when the party?s over
    Books been written and truths been tried
    They?ll take it all if the door?s left open
    Steal the nose right from under your eyes

    Singing, ?I?m a carpetbagger, baby
    I?m coming to your town
    I?m going to treat you kind (woo-hoo)
    I?m going to rob you blind (woo-hoo)
    I?ll smile all the time
    Whoa, yeah
    Whoa, yeah
    Whoa, yeah
    Whoa, yeah Writer/s: Johnathan Rice
    Publisher: CONCORD MUSIC PUBLISHING LLC, Downtown Music Publishing
    Lyrics licensed and provided by LyricFind

Comments: 2

  • Jon from Tower, MnI think Costello adds a lot of energy to the song. Compare versions on Youtube with and without him.
  • Theresa from Murfreesboro, TnCostello's voice is horrible in this song, thank heaven Jenny can carry a tune!
see more comments

Editor's Picks

The Fratellis

The FratellisSongwriter Interviews

Jon Fratelli talks about the band's third album, and the five-year break leading up to it.

Tom Johnston from The Doobie Brothers

Tom Johnston from The Doobie BrothersSongwriter Interviews

The Doobies guitarist and lead singer, Tom wrote the classics "Listen To The Music," "Long Train Runnin'" and "China Grove."

Dexys (Kevin Rowland and Jim Paterson)

Dexys (Kevin Rowland and Jim Paterson)Songwriter Interviews

"Come On Eileen" was a colossal '80s hit, but the band - far more appreciated in their native UK than stateside - released just three albums before their split. Now, Dexys is back.

Charlie Daniels

Charlie DanielsSongwriter Interviews

Charlie discusses the songs that made him a Southern Rock icon, and settles the Devil vs. Johnny argument once and for all.

80s Video Director Jay Dubin

80s Video Director Jay DubinSong Writing

Billy Joel and Hall & Oates hated making videos, so they chose a director with similar contempt for the medium. That was Jay Dubin, and he has a lot to say on the subject.

Grateful Dead Characters

Grateful Dead CharactersMusic Quiz

Many unusual folks appear in Grateful Dead songs. Can you identify them?