Songwriter: Bruce Springsteen
Producer: Pat McGarvey Sid Griffin
My name is Joe Roberts, I work for the state
I'm a sergeant out of Perrineville barracks number 8
I've always done an honest job, as honest as I could
I got a brother named Franky, and Franky ain't no good
Ever since we was young kids, it's been the same come down
I get a call on the short-wave, Franky's in trouble downtown
Well, if it was any other man, I'd put him straight away
But when it's your own brother, you look the other way
Yeah, with Franky laughin' and drinkin', nothin' feels better than blood on blood
Takin' turns dancin' with Maria as the band played "Night of the Johnstown Flood"
I catch him when he's strayin', like any brother would
Man turns his back on family, well, he just ain't no good
Franky went in the army back in '65
I got a farm deferment, took Maria for my wife
Wheat prices kept on droppin' 'til it was like we was gettin' robbed
Franky came home in '68, and me, I took this job
Yeah, when we're laughin' and drinkin', nothin' feels like blood on blood
Takin' turns dancin' with Maria as the band played "Night of the Johnstown Flood"
I catch him when he's strayin', teach him to walk that line
Man turns his back on his family, he ain't no friend of mine
The night was like any other, I got a call 'bout quarter to nine
There was trouble in a roadhouse out on the Michigan line
There was a kid lyin' on the floor, bleedin' hard from his head
There was a girl cryin' at a table and it was Frank, they said
Well, I went out and jumped into my car and I hit the lights
Must've done one hundred and ten through Michigan county that night
It was out at the crossroads, down round Willow bank
Seen a car with Ohio plates, behind the wheel was Frank
I chased him through them county roads 'til a sign said Canadian border five miles
Pulled to the side of the highway, watched his taillights disappear
Franky laughin' and drinkin', nothin' feels like blood on blood
Takin' turns dancin' with Maria as the band played "The Night of the Johnstown Flood"
I catch him when he's strayin', like any brother would
Man turns his back on his family, he just ain't no good
Man turns his back on his family, he just ain't no good
He just ain't no good
I'm a sergeant out of Perrineville barracks number 8
I've always done an honest job, as honest as I could
I got a brother named Franky, and Franky ain't no good
Ever since we was young kids, it's been the same come down
I get a call on the short-wave, Franky's in trouble downtown
Well, if it was any other man, I'd put him straight away
But when it's your own brother, you look the other way
Yeah, with Franky laughin' and drinkin', nothin' feels better than blood on blood
Takin' turns dancin' with Maria as the band played "Night of the Johnstown Flood"
I catch him when he's strayin', like any brother would
Man turns his back on family, well, he just ain't no good
Franky went in the army back in '65
I got a farm deferment, took Maria for my wife
Wheat prices kept on droppin' 'til it was like we was gettin' robbed
Franky came home in '68, and me, I took this job
Yeah, when we're laughin' and drinkin', nothin' feels like blood on blood
Takin' turns dancin' with Maria as the band played "Night of the Johnstown Flood"
I catch him when he's strayin', teach him to walk that line
Man turns his back on his family, he ain't no friend of mine
The night was like any other, I got a call 'bout quarter to nine
There was trouble in a roadhouse out on the Michigan line
There was a kid lyin' on the floor, bleedin' hard from his head
There was a girl cryin' at a table and it was Frank, they said
Well, I went out and jumped into my car and I hit the lights
Must've done one hundred and ten through Michigan county that night
It was out at the crossroads, down round Willow bank
Seen a car with Ohio plates, behind the wheel was Frank
I chased him through them county roads 'til a sign said Canadian border five miles
Pulled to the side of the highway, watched his taillights disappear
Franky laughin' and drinkin', nothin' feels like blood on blood
Takin' turns dancin' with Maria as the band played "The Night of the Johnstown Flood"
I catch him when he's strayin', like any brother would
Man turns his back on his family, he just ain't no good
Man turns his back on his family, he just ain't no good
He just ain't no good
more tracks from the album
Light of Day: A Tribute to Bruce Springsteen
- Brilliant Disguise
- Two Hearts
- Something in the Night
- Valentine’s Day
- Atlantic City
- Back in Your Arms
- If I Should Fall Behind
- Man at the Top
- State Trooper
- Highway Patrolman
- My Hometown
- Lucky Town
- Thunder Road
- The Promise
- Souls of the Departed
- Ain’t Got You
- E Street Shuffle
- Badlands
- Candy’s Room
- Hungry Heart
- Mansion on the Hill
- Johnny 99
- New York City Serenade
- Bobby Jean
- Streets of Philadelphia
- I’m on Fire
- Better Days
- The River
- Light of Day
- Downbound Train
- Born to Run
- For You
- Working on the Highway
- Pink Cadillac
- Book of Dreams
- Stolen Car
- Secret Garden
From the album
Sid Griffin popular songs