The Load-Out lyrics
by Jackson Browne



Now the seats are all empty

Let the roadies take the stage

Pack it up and tear it down

They're the first to come and the last to leave

Working for that minimum wage

They'll set it up in another town



Tonight the people were so fine

They waited there in line.

And then they got up on their feet,

And made the show, and that was sweet.

And here the sound of slamming doors and folding chairs

And that's a sound they'll never know



Load those cases and lift those amps

Haul those trusses up and get'em up those ramps

'Cause when it comes to moving me,

You know you guys are the champs

But when that last guitar's been packed away,

You know that I still want to play.

So just make sure you got it all set to go

Before you come for my piano



But the band is on the bus,

And they're ready to go.

We gotta drive all night

And do the show in Chicago... or Detroit.

I don't know, we do so many shows in a row.

And these towns all look the same.

We just pass the time in the hotel rooms

And wander around backstage.

Till those lights come up, and we hear that crowd,

And we remember why we came.



Now we got country and western on the bus,

We got R&B, we got disco,

And 8-tracks and cassettes and Stereo

We've got rural scenes and magazines

And we've got truckers on CB

We got Richard Pryor on the video

We've got time to think of the ones we love

While the miles roll away

But the only time that seems too short is the time that we get to play

People you've got the power over what we do

You can sit there and wait

Or you can pull us through.

Come along, sing this song

You know that you can't go wrong

'Cause when that mornin' sun comes beating down

You're gonna wake up in your town

And we'll be scheduled to appear

A thousand miles away from here



People stay just a little bit longer

We want to play -- just a little bit longer

Now the promoter don't mind

And the union don't mind

If we take a little time

And we leave it all behind and sing

One more song

Oh won't you stay just a little bit longer

Please, please, please say you will

Say you will



Oh won't you stay just a little bit longer

Oh please, please stay just a little bit more



Now the promoter don't mind

And the roadies don't mind

If we take a little time

And we leave this all behind and sing

One more song

The Very Best Of Jackson Browne album cover
The Very Best Of Jackson Browne
Find out more about 16 songs from this album

Buy this album



← Back to Jackson Browne albums