Evel Knievel

On the news, they keep showing the video of Evel at Ceaser's Palace where he put himself in a coma for a month. It hurts, every time I watch it. I prefer to watch him doing a successful jump.



Evel actually affected the life of my family in a big way, back around 1975, when several neighbor kids set up a ramp and began jumping their bicycles off it, Evel-Knievel-style. Our eight-year-old son, Jimmy, fired up his Honda 70 minibike, figuring he'd take a turn at it.

Like Evel at Ceaser's Palace, he hit the ramp wrong. And ended up in the middle of our gravel road with a leg broken just below the knee. He was in traction in the hospital for a month, and confined to a wheel chair here at home for another month, getting back on his feet just in time for school to start.

My parents never understood why we let our son get back on that motorcycle, but Cliff and I both felt it was the right thing to do. It's just a fact of life that you get back on the horse that throws you.

(I don't think Evel had anything to do with our son's repeat of the incident earlier this year.)

I guess I had a little bit of a crush on Evel back then. It must be that outlaw thing Waylon Jennings sang about.

LADIES LOVE OUTLAWS
Lee Clayton

Bessie was a lovely child from West Tennessee
Leroy was an outlaw, hard-eyed and mean
One day she saw him starin', and it chilled her to the bone
She knew she had to see that look on a child of her own

(CHORUS)
'Cause ladies love outlaws
Like babies love stray dogs
Ladies touch babies like a banker touches gold
Outlaws touch ladies somewhere deep down in their soul

Linda was a lady, blonde and built to last
Billy was a no-good guitar picker runnin' from his past
Listenin' to his songs she heard nothin' but bad news
Still she made her mind up to try to get him win or lose

(REPEAT CHORUS)

Jessi liked the Cadillacs and diamonds on her hands
Waymore had a reputation as a lady's man
Late one night her light of love finally gave a sign
Jessi parked her Cadillac and took her place in line

(REPEAT CHORUS)