Well out of southern Illinois, come a down home country boy

He’s gonna make it in the city playin guitar in the studio
Well he hadn’t been there an hour, when he met a Broadway flower
You know she took him for his money and she left him in a cheap hotel

Well it’s easy for you to see, that that country boy is me
I’m sayin how’m I gonna ever break the news to the folks back home
Well I was gonna be a great success, things sure ended up a mess
But in the process, I got messed up too

Well hello momma and dad I had to call collect
cause I aint got a cent to my name
Well I’m sleepin in the hotel doorway
And tonight they say it’s gonna rain
And if you’d only send me some money
I’d be back on my feet again
Send it in care of the Sunday Mission Box Number 10

Oh back in southern Illinois, they still worryin’ bout that boy
But this boy’s goin home soon as he gets the fare
Because as soon as I got my bread, I got a pipe upside my head
You know they left me in an alley, took my money and my guitar too

Well hello momma and dad I had to call collect
cause I aint got a cent to my name
Well I’m sleepin in the hotel doorway
And tonight they say it’s gonna rain
And if you’d only send me some money
I’d be back on my feet again
Send it in care of the Sunday Mission Box Number 10

hadn't heard this song before, but I lived in Southern Illinois for 17 years. Family still lives there. Who wrote the song/poem? Thanks!

He and Maury (both pictured in the original post) died in a plane crash in December of 1973.

He's much better known for his hits like Leroy Brown, You Don't Mess Around with Jim, Time in a Bottle, Operator, etc.

This was one of his lesser known but still wonderful tunes.

"I got a name" is one of my favorite songs.

What part?

and Makanda. :)

not far from where the late great Paul Simon lived. I lived in Saline County.

Never knew he had a song that referenced S. IL. cool.