I had a good friend In my hometown Early this morning They layed him in the ground He was my brother I won't tell you his name He was a junky For whiskey and cocaine Oh, no, he's dead an' cold Don't go down the dead man's road! The dead man's road! I hear you're out there, sayin' It won't happen to me 'Cause it feels good an that makes that So easy to believe My friend was young an' strong Like everybody else I began to understand When I got there myself All the goodtime losers They knew my name Just small-time users Waiting on a train I danced with the devil He tried to get my soul I didn't recognized him On the dead man's road Oh, no he's dead an' cold Don't go down the dead man's road! The dead man's road! I cheated on my woman An' I cheated myself I cheated my mother and my father Everybody else I came to know Jesus An' he saved my soul Changed my direction From the dead man's road Oh, no he's dead an' cold Don't go down the dead man's road! The dead man's road!