Lyrics
My name is Joe Roberts I work for the State I'm a sergeant out on Perenville barracks No 8 I've always done an honest job honest as I could Got a brother named Frankie Frankie ain't no good Ever since we were young kids it's been the same come down I'd get a call on a short way Frankie's in trouble downtown But if it was any other man I'd put him straight away But sometimes when it's your brother you look the other way [Chorus] Yeah me and Frankie laughin' and drinkin' nothin' feels better than blood on blood Takin' turns dancin' with Maria While the band played 'The Night Of The Johnstown Flood' I catch him when he's strayin' like any brother should Man turns his back on his family he ain't no good Well Frankie went into the army back in 1965 I got a farm deferment settled down took Maria for my wife But them wheat prices kept on droppin' till it was like we's gettin' robbed Frankie came home in '68 and me I took this job [Chorus] While the band played 'The Night Of The Johnstown Flood' I catch him when he's strayin' teach him how to walk that line Man turns his back on his family ain't no friend of mine The night was like any other I got a call bout the quarter of nine There was trouble at a roadhouse out on the Michigan line There was a kid on the floor lookin' bad bleedin' hard from his head There was a girl cryin' at a table it was Frankie she said I ran out and I jumped in my car then I hit the lights I must have done about a hundred and ten to Michigan County that night It was down by the crossroads out bout willow bank Seen the Buick with Ohio plates behind the wheel was Frank Well I chased him through them county roads Till the sign said Canadian border five miles from here Pulled over to the south out the highway watched his taillights disappeared [Chorus] While the band played 'The Night Of The Johnstown Flood' I catch him when he's strayin' like any brother should Man turns his back on his family ain't no good
Song details
Artist: Johnny Cash