Red Fade

He wore that red-white grin

With a blue fade on the cloth

Sold the room a fresh coat

Then took the paint right off

Backroom handshake, wristwatch gleam

Trades in the dark with a smirk

Every tip hit one more time

While the little guy did the work

And the courthouse doors kept swinging

Like they knew his name by heart

Every rule got bent to fit him

Every warning fell apart

Red fade, red fade

He wore the whole flag thin

Red fade, red fade

Let the lying rush back in

Took the house, took the trust

Left his own crowd in the dust

Red fade, red fade

That shine won’t wash back in

Even his own folks shook their heads

At the deals and the trail of smoke

County lines went cold on him

When the punchline turned to broke

He sold the joke like gospel truth

Then laughed when the ledger showed

Money in, and money out

On a road that no one owns

And the courthouse doors kept swinging

Like they knew his name by heart

Every rule got bent to fit him

Every warning fell apart

Red fade, red fade

He wore the whole flag thin

Red fade, red fade

Let the lying rush back in

Took the house, took the trust

Left his own crowd in the dust

Red fade, red fade

That shine won’t wash back in

Now the base won’t sing as loud

And the party bites its tongue

Too much grift in broad daylight

Too much poison on the tongue

He can wave that hand all day

But the mirror tells the truth

When the red fades off the banner

It fades off the crowd too

Red fade, red fade

He wore the whole flag thin

Red fade, red fade

Let the lying rush back in

Took the house, took the trust

Left his own crowd in the dust

Red fade, red fade

That shine won’t wash back in