I said I would write a song about a guy I heard about while living in San Angelo in the mid-'90s. So I did. This ain't how his story went. And his name wasn't Joseph Browning. And, hell, I guess without music it's just a poem. Still, here's one for Joesph and his short, but epic life.
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Fightin’ and fucking are fine, I guess, for ordinary men
But I got my uncle’s .250 and I’m adjusting for the wind
To tell the truth I’d be with Sue if she wasn’t born again
So it’s me and you, at the zoo, we’re going hunting friend
I shot the monkey, I blew away the bear,
I even shot the zebra, man I just didn’t care
I don’t know why, guess there isn’t much to do,
I’d have shot the sheriff, if he’d a been there too,
Yeah, I shot the hell out of the Pecos Zoo
The sheriff dragged me out of bed, and look, they got you, too
I hear it didn’t take much poking around before he found a clue
We left the shells, what the hell, man that’s something I would do
.250’s a rare gun, but I got one … damn we shoulda taken the .22
I shot the monkey, I blew away the bear,
I even shot the zebra, man I just didn’t care
I don’t know why, guess there isn’t much to do,
I’d have shot the sheriff, if he’d a been there too,
Yeah, I shot the hell out of the Pecos Zoo
Hey, remember we had that wreck — we both got thrown clear?
I guess we got that lucky with the judge, it’s been a helluva year
Christ almighty son, you can’t have a gun and not a sniff of beer
But I don’t drink and you know what I think? Monkey season’s here
I shot the monkey, I blew away the bear,
I even shot the zebra, man I just didn’t care
I don’t know why, guess there isn’t much to do,
I’d have shot the sheriff, if he’d a been there too,
The Judge asked me why’d you do it son, was it trouble at home or bullies at school?
I didn’t know why, shootin’ just makes me high, and I shot the hell out of the Pecos Zoo