Heartland Feeling
By: Beck Hansen
Written by: Beck Hansen

Version Of: Heartland Feeling

This Version:
 
Lyrics:
Alright, what we're talking about here is a kind of a, it's a heartland feeling. Mellencamp, you know, kind of a Mellenfeeling. OK, what you got to get together is some heartland folk singer, we're gonna need it real quick...John Cougar Mellencamp, Bruce Springsteen, Bob Seger, that type of feel...a Mellen-feeling. A real powerful, approving music of a heartland quality, uh just powerful, straight forward music and if you can't get just the right type of feeling, find someone who'll pass and change them.

Old Man Johnson got his head in his hand
Making his way across state in a fiddlin' band
With hair all down in his eyes
And a microphone all covered with flies
When he gets done playing, goes back to his room
Climbs into bed in his cowboy boots
And he picks up a magazine, turns on the tv
Lights a cigar as he's falling asleep
Well, he's only a person who doesn't know shit
Yeah, nothing happening, that's about it, yeah

Well, little Rosanna came from Texarkana
Had fourteen dollars wrapped in a bandana
Came into town not looking for much
Well, she found a hound dog and she named him Dutch
She got a job at the arcade taking quarters
But she was never too good at taking orders
So one night, she stopped giving out change
She kicked the boss in the shin and unplugged the games
She's only a person who doesn't know shit
Nothing happening, that's about it, ooh yeah yeah yeah

Sam got canned at the cannery
He punched out the clock that night
His knuckle was bleeding as he walked home
He was cold and he had a headache
Well, his wife was cooking canned beans
He took out all the money out of his jeans
And he set it on fire in the kitchen sink
As his wife handed him a drink
He was only a person who didn't know shit
Nothing happening, that's about it, yeah huh

Smiler was looking for handouts
Sleeping in an abandoned lighthouse
Down at the minimall, shaking his hat
Washing windows with his bare hand
He found a sports car with the keys
In the ignition, it just seemed so easy
He took a joy ride, drove it into a hedge
Came out with a steering wheel wrapped around his head
Well, he's only a person who doesn't know shit
Nothing happening, that's about it, ooh ooh yeah

Well Jane was born in a small town
Everybody just standing around
They had bingo games and a raffle
Everybody chewing tobacco
Well, she grew up kind of restless
All her boyfriends wanted to be dentists
Till she got a job at the truck stop
And she got old fast and never did what she want
She's only a person who doesn't know shit
Nothing happening, that's about it, oh yeah... ooooh
 
Live:

Played live 8 times:
Earliest known live version: July 23, 1995
Latest known live version: July 23, 2014