GULF COAST HIGHWAY

Original Nanci Griffith version



Nanci Griffith:Gulf coast highway, he worked the rails
He worked the rice fields with their cold dark wells
He worked the oil rigs in the Gulf of Mexico
The only thing we've ever owned
Is this old house here by the road

Nanci Griffith:And when he dies he says he'll catch some blackbird's wing
And we will fly away to heaven come some sweet blue bonnet spring

Mac McAnally:She walked through springtime when I was home
The days were sweet, our nights were warm
The seasons changed, the jobs would come
The flowers fade, and this old house felt so alone
When the work took me away

Mac McAnally:And when she dies she says she'll catch some blackbird's wing
And she will fly away to heaven come some sweet blue bonnet spring

Nanci Griffith:Highway 90, the jobs are gone
We kept our garden
Griffith and McAnally:We set the sun
This is the only place on Earth blue bonnets grow
And once a year they come and go
At this old house here by the road

Griffith and McAnally:And when we die we say we'll catch some blackbird's wing
And we will fly away to heaven come some sweet blue bonnet spring

Nanci Griffith:Yes when we die we say we'll catch some blackbird's wing
Griffith and McAnally:And we will fly away together come some sweet blue bonnet spring

Info

GULF COAST HIGHWAY is a song written by James Hooker, Nanci Griffith, and Danny Flowers and originally released by Nanci Griffith on her 1988 album Little Love Affairs. She recorded the song as a duet with Mac McAnally in August 1987. The above lyrics are for the original Nanci Griffith version of GULF COAST HIGHWAY as released in 1988.

Nanci Griffith -- Little Love Affairs (album cover art, LP issue)
Nanci Griffith -- Little Love Affairs

LP - MCA Records (MCA-42102) - USA, 1988
Nanci Griffith -- Little Love Affairs (album cover art, CD issue)
Nanci Griffith -- Little Love Affairs

CD - MCA Records (MCAD-42102) - USA, 1988

Bruce Springsteen's Version

Bruce Springsteen sound-checked Nanci Griffith's GULF COAST HIGHWAY in 1988 during the Tunnel Of Love Express Tour but he never performed it on the tour's or any other tour's regular shows. Nanci Griffith also mentioned that Bruce Springsteen and Patti Scialfa recorded the song as a duet, but this is yet to be confirmed. See the 1988 sound-check version for more details.

Available Versions

List of available versions of GULF COAST HIGHWAY on this website:

GULF COAST HIGHWAY [1988 sound-check version]
GULF COAST HIGHWAY [Original Nanci Griffith version]

Page last updated: 16 Feb 2017