Well, it was midnight cold and rainy
In the sleepy town of Fairburn
Population small
An angry man stood out on Main Street
Shivering in his coat sleeves
By the City Hall wall
Thumbing every car that's passed him
For an hour
But they wouldn't
Look at him at all
So he yelled, "Damn you, friends and neighbors
You won't give me a ride
My feet are sore from walking
And I'm froze to my inside
Lord, a man could catch his death of cold
Or a severe case of flu
Thanks to friends and neighbors like you"
Well, he come storming into my restaurant
Dripping water soaking wet
In a freezing cold
I poured him a hot black cup of coffee
Took his coat off cussing mad
And here's a tale that he told
Said, "I picked up a young hitchhiker
Took my billfold and my car
And let me off down the road
Well, I must have walked for hours
To get here
Went to see your friendly sheriff
In my desperation
He just sit there and picked his teeth
Laughed a little when I told him
Of my situation
And when I finished
He leaned back and belched
Said let me see some identification"
Cause he said, "Damn you, friends and neighbors
Seems like every Saturday night
I get an earful of this same old bull
Cause some drunk gets off half tight
Every weekend's the same old story
Don't get home till one or two
Thanks to friends and neighbors like you"
"Well, I called your sheriff a dirty name
Then was thrown out through his front door
By a big deputy
I hit that sidewalk cussing
Shook my fist back in his face
Said, "You can't do this to me"
Cause I'm a circuit judge for Monroe sheriff
And you gonna pay for all this indignity
Well, I've seen some angry people
But I never seen a man as mad
As that fellow was
He said, "I never did like Fairburn
I hate the rain I hate hitchhikers
And I'm sick of your local fuss
And if I ever saw a town
That needs another sheriff
This is one town that does"
And he yelled, "Damn these friends and neighbors
As he grabbed his coat to leave
Well, this night I spent in Fairburn
Just too funny to believe
Lord, I could write a book of jokes
About what I've been through
In this town of friends and neighbors like you
I just am not ready
For Fairburn
Glad I found one friend
Neighbor, thanks for the coffee here
I think, I'll get back across the street