Havin' a Good Time by Waylon Jennings & The Waymore Blues Band (2024)

Havin' a Good Time

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Everybody's gone away said they're moving to LA
There's not a soul I know around everybody's leaving town
Some caught a freight some caught a plane
Find the sunshine leave the rain they say this town'll waste your mind
Must be right cause it's wasting mine
Some got to win some got to lose good time Charlies got the blues

My heart keeps telling me there ain't no kid at thirty-three

Play around you lose your wife you play too long you lose your life
I got my pills to ease the pain can't find a thing to ease the rain

Sometimes I'd like to try and settle down but everybody's leaving town
Some got to win some got to lose good time Charlies got the blues

The song "Good Time Charlie's Got the Blues" by Waylon Jennings depicts the emotions of a man who feels left behind as his friends and community are all moving away. The opening lines, "Everybody's gone away said they're moving to LA, there's not a soul I know around everybody's leaving town," sets the forlorn tone of the song. The man is struggling to find a place for himself in a world where all that's familiar to him is vanishing. He's left in a city that's slowly driving him mad. The line "they say this town'll waste your mind, must be right because it's wasting mine" is especially poignant, as he's realized he's become a part of the madness within him.

The song is also about coming to terms with getting older and the choices we make in life. The line "My heart keeps telling me there ain't no kid at thirty-three, play around you lose your wife, you play too long you lose your life" speaks to the sadness of realizing that life is passing us by, and that the consequences of our actions can have far-reaching effects. He knows that he's made mistakes, and that he's lost some of the things that matter most to him. And yet, he can't help but feel a sense of longing for the good times that have now passed.

Everybody's gone away said they're moving to LA
Everyone has left and is relocating to Los Angeles.

There's not a soul I know around everybody's leaving town
No one I know is left here; everyone is departing.

Some caught a freight some caught a plane
Some left by train, while others left by plane.

Find the sunshine leave the rain they say this town'll waste your mind
People believe that leaving this town will lead to a better, happier life, as this place is known to deteriorate one's mental state.

Must be right cause it's wasting mine
This must be true because it is happening to me personally.

Some got to win some got to lose good time Charlies got the blues
Some folks succeed while others fail. Good Time Charlie is one such individual who is not doing well.

My heart keeps telling me there ain't no kid at thirty-three
I don't feel young anymore and my age is beginning to show.

Play around you lose your wife you play too long you lose your life
Playing games in relationships will result in losing your partner. Continuously indulging in these activities will also rob you of your life.

I got my pills to ease the pain can't find a thing to ease the rain
I am taking medication to deal with physical pain, but there seems to be no cure for my emotional distress.

Sometimes I'd like to try and settle down but everybody's leaving town
Although I want to settle down, there seems to be no reason to do so as everyone is departing.

Some got to win some got to lose good time Charlies got the blues
The same phrase is repeated in this final line to emphasize the idea that some people thrive while others don't, and in this case, Good Time Charlie is one such person who is struggling.

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