SMOKEY JOE
SMOKEY JOE WAS SO GOOD TY COBB HAD TO SAY
HE'D WIN THIRTY GAMES IN THE MAJORS ANY DAY
SATCHEL PAIGE CLAIMED HE WAS THE BEST OF THEM ALL
SMOKEY NEVER SAW HIS PLAQUE IN THE SHRINE OF BASEBALL
SMOKEY JOE NEVER PITCHED IN A MAJOR LEAGUE GAME
BUT HE BEAT PITCHERS NOW IN THE HALL OF FAME
THIS BLACK NATIVE AMERICAN, A BIG TEXAN TOO
FACED A WALL OF HATRED HE COULD NOT PITCH THROUGH
HE PLAYED FOR THE LINCOLN GIANTS AND HOMESTEAD GRAYS
AND OTHER GREAT BLACK TEAMS IN HIS GLORY DAYS
IN THE WEST KNOWN AS CYCLONE IN THE EAST SMOKEY JOE
JUDGING FROM BOTH NICKNAMES, HE NEVER PITCHED SLOW
HIS CURVE BALL DROPPED LIKE A BIRD SHOT IN FLIGHT
YOU SMELLED SMOKE BUT HIS FASTBALL ZIPPED FROM SIGHT
WHEN HE GOT IN TROUBLE HE'D SMILE THROUGH IT ALL
THE STRIKEOUTS WOULD COME AND ONE BY ONE THEY'D FALL
DURING SMOKEY JOE WILLIAMS FIELD OF DREAMS
HE PITCHED TEN SHUTOUTS OF MAJOR LEAGUE TEAMS
AND WON TWENTY-TWO GAMES OUT OF THIRTY
THERE'S NO DOUBT HE WAS FAR MORE THAN WORTHY
SMOKEY JOE WAS BARRED FOR THE COLOR OF HIS SKIN
YEARS LATER HE WAS STILL ON THE OUTSIDE LOOKING IN
BUT SMOKEY JOE WILLIAMS FINALLY MADE IT TO THE HALL
WHAT ABOUT THE OTHER GREATS WHO GAVE THEIR ALL?
REPEAT CHORUS
REPEAT THE LAST LINE
Written by Joe Pickering, Jr. and Phil Coley
Joe Pickering Jr. President
King of the Road Music
13 Pond St.
Bangor, Maine 0440l C2001
1-207-947-3525