Lyrics:

Writer: Steve Goodman

It was all I could do to keep from cryin'
Sometimes it seemed so useless to remain
But you don't have to call me darlin' darlin'
You never even call me by my name.

You don't have to call me Waylon Jennings
And you don't have to call me Charley Pride
And you don't have to call me Merle Haggard anymore
Even though you're on my fighting side.

And I'll hang around as long as you will let me
And I never minded standin' in the rain
But you don't have to call me darlin' darlin'
You never even call me by my name.

Spoken:

Well, you know me and The Possum Eatin' Cowboys have
been playin' this song for a long time out there on the
road. It's a touchin' little Steve Goodman number 'bout
trains and trucks and mamas and prison and gettin' drunk.
So anyway, me and the boys got together and we asked
Mr. David Allen Coe and a few of our other heroes if they
wouldn't mind singin' with us on what has proven itself to
be the perfect country western song.

I was drunk the day my mama got out of prison
And I went to pick her up in the rain
But before I could get to the station in the pickup truck
She got ran over by a damned old train.

So I'll hang around as long as you will let me
And I never minded standin' in the rain
You don't have to call me darlin' darlin'
You never even call me....
Well I wonder why you don't call me...
Why don't you ever call me by my name.