A                      D                   A
My name is Joe Roberts I work for the State
                                               E
I'm a sergeant out on Perenville barracks No 8 

A                              D             A
I've always done an honest job honest as I could
                           E                   A
Got a brother named Frankie Frankie ain't no good

Ever since we were young kids it's been the same come down
I'd get a call on a short way Frankie's in trouble downtown

But if it was any other man I'd put him straight away
But sometimes when it's your brother you look the other way

   D                                        A
R: Yeah me and Frankie laughing and drinking
                 D                          A
   nothing feels better than blood on blood 
          D                       A
   Taking turns dancing with Maria
                                                         E
   While the band played The Night Of The Johnstown Flood

I catch him when he's strayin' like any brother should
Man turns his back on his family he ain't no good

Well Frankie went into the army back in 1965
I got a farm deferment settled down took Maria for my wife

But them wheat prices kept on dropping till it was like we's gettin' robbed Frankie came home in '68 and me I took this job

R: Yeah me and Frankie laughing and drinking...

I catch him when he's straying teach him how to walk that line
Man turns his back on his family ain't no friend of mine

The night was like any other I got a call bout the quarter of nine
There was trouble at a roadhouse out on the Michigan line

There was a kid on the floor looking bad bleeding hard from his head
There was a girl crying at a table it was Frankie she said

I ran out and I jumped in my car then I hit the lights
I must have done about a hundred and ten to Michigan County that night

It was down by the crossroads out bout willow bank
Seen the buick with Ohio plates behind the wheel was Frank

Well I chased him through them county roads
Till the sign said Canadian border five miles from here
Pulled over to the side out the highway watched his taillights disappeared

R: Yeah me and Frankie laughing and drinking...

I catch him when he's straying like any brother should
Man turns his back on his family ain't no good