Lyrics

Johnny, Don?t Sell Your Guitar
By W. Montgomery





Verse 1
Johnny, don?t sell your guitar
Hang on, just a little while more
It?s the best friend you ever had
Don?t cast it off when things get bad
Johnny, don?t sell your guitar

Verse 2
You got your first one when you were twelve years old
Ordered from the Sears, Roebuck catalogue
It was the prettiest thing you did see
Lying ?neath that Christmas tree
Johnny, don?t sell your guitar

Bridge 1
What do those critics know about your wounded heart?
Stories of love gone bad you have to tell
If you can keep on making your guitar sob
Maybe you won?t have to get a job
Johnny, don?t sell your guitar













Verse 3
A man in Nashville said he could make you a star
But you refused to compromise your style
Now your career has hit a drought
And you?re begging for a chance to sellout?
But Johnny, don?t sell your guitar

Verse 4
You crossed this land more times than the Pony Express
Slept in more motel rooms than the local hooker
You?ve been traveling forever it seems
How long can you live on dreams?
Johnny, don?t sell your guitar

Bridge 2
You played in some of the sleaziest dives
A musician?s ever seen
And you gave it your whole heart
Where the stale beer and loudmouth drunks
Smelled like an outhouse full of skunks
Johnny, don?t sell your guitar

Verse 6
Johnny, I see you?re getting tired
And your path just gets steeper every day
I know the going?s mighty tough
But you?re livin? the life you love
Johnny, don?t sell your guitar
Johnny, don?t sell your guitar




You know I was talking with a friend of mine, a guy named Johnny, how he was getting discouraged with the music business, playing at open mikes, small clubs, never making any money or getting the recognition he deserved, small gigs, picking them up around the country wherever he could, recording his own cds, his maintaining his page on myspace, waiting for a break, that he was thinking about giving it all up, even selling his guitar?.
This is what I told him??


But to tell you the truth, Johnny, while I got your attention, and I?m speaking as a friend, frankly, entirely candidly, brutally honest hat bass could go, and frankly those drums, clarinet and sax, and I was talking to your wife, your kids are hungry, she for one would love it if you sold your guitar. That guitar doesn?t sound that good anyhow, just sentimental attraction, it?s about 50 years old, retirement, maybe a new guitar, maybe you should take up the bass


Verse 3
You played it from dawn to dusk
Wore your fingers way past the bone
You played it so long and hard
Your Daddy kicked you off the farm
Johnny, don?t sell your guitar