Song Lyrics

Well, I left my home out on the great High Plains
Headed for some new terrain
Standin' on the highway with my coffee cup
A-wonderin' who was gonna pick me up
I had my hopes up high, I never thought that I
Would ever wonder why I ever said good-by
I had my hopes up high

Well, the first ride I got was in a dynamite truck
The driver kept a-tellin' me his bad luck
As we swerved around the curves I began to shout
Hey-ey mister would you let me out?
I had my hopes up high, I never though that I
Would ever wonder why I ever said good-by
I had my hopes up high

And the next ride I got was with a man in trouble
The beard on his face was all in a stubble
Runnin' from the law he was goin' ninety-nine
I said hey-ey mister, you're out of your mind
I had my hopes up high, I never thought that I
Would ever wonder why I ever said good-by
I had my hopes up high

Oh, the next ride I got was with a preacher man
Told me that the wicked would be buried in sand
Don't know why I did it but I lost control
Hey-ey papa, would you save my soul?
I had my hopes up high, I never thought that I
Would ever wonder why I ever said good-by
I had my hopes up high

And I finally got a ride on a carnival train
Nearly blew away in a hurricane
I got to thinkin' 'bout that preacher down in Louisianne
Sittin' on the Delta Siftin' sand
I had my hopes up high, I never thought that I
Would ever wonder why I ever said good-by
I had my hopes up high

Joe Ely

The duration of I Had My Hopes Up High is 3:33 minutes and seconds.