Jackson Browne: The Load-Out

Now the seats are all empty
Let the roadies take the stage
Pack it up and tear it down
They're the first to come and the last to leave
Working for that minimum wage
They'll set it up in another town

Tonight the people were so fine
They waited there in line
And when they got up on their feet they made the show
And that was sweet -
But I can hear the sound
Of slamming doors and folding chairs
And that's a sound they'll never know

Now roll them cases out and lift them amps
Haul them trusses down and get 'em up them ramps
'Cause when it comes to moving me
You know guys are the champs
But when that last guitar's been packed away
You know that I still want to play
So just make sure you got it all set to go
Before you come for my piano

But the band's on the bus
And they're ready to go
We've got to drive all night and do a show in Chicago
Or Detroit, I don't know
We do so many shows in a row
And these towns all look the same
We just pass the time in the hotel rooms
And wander 'round backstage
Till those lights come up and we hear that crowd
And we remember why we came

Now we got country and western on the bus
R & B, we got disco and eight tracks and cassettes in stereo
We got rural scenes and magazines
We got truckers on C.B.
And we got Richard Pryor on the video
We got time to think of the ones we love
As the miles roll away
But the only time that seems too short
Is the time that we get to play

People you got the power over what we do
You can sit there and wait
Or you can pull us through
Come along, sing this song
You know you that can't go wrong
'Cause when that morning sun comes beating down
You're going to wake up in your town
But we'll be scheduled to appear
A thousand miles away from here