Well, we left home free spirits, me and Billy Ray
He was a going to be going to be going and I was running away
Now we was broke before we got started and it got worse later on
I wrote home for money and Billy Ray wrote a song.

Now the people sure get picky when it comes to givin' a ride
It didn't take long us leavin' but I thought we'd never arrive
Now we get more rides than hitches as we hitch hiked along
I got sore feet and blisters and Billy Ray wrote a song.

Billy Ray wrote a song about everything we did
I was a-findin' fault he was findin' rhyms that fit?
Well, we did a lot of thinkin' most of my thoughts were wrong
I wanted to ride to Nashville but Billy Ray wrote a song.

Well, we got into Nashville tired, a-hungry and cold
If we'd had a dime between us we could a-called everybody we know
We found a bar still open a little band was pickin' away
And I set in to drinkin'. Billy Ray set in to play,

He was an overnight sensation I heard the radio say
Somehow they failed to mention the miles all along the way
Anyway that's how it happened, yeah, and it sure happened strong
They wrote about it happenin' Billy Ray wrote a song.

Billy Ray wrote a song about everything he knew
If I'd a known what I know now, well, I'd-a been writing too
Billy Ray sure had it made and I'm still taggin' along
I'm a-writing home for money, Billy Ray' still writes the songs