I Had My Hopes Up High (Joe Ely) Well I left my home out on the great High Plains Headed for some new terrain Standin' on the highway with my coffe cup A' Wonderin' who was gonna pick me up I had my hopes up high--I never thought that I Would ever wonder why I ever said good-by I had my hopes up high Well, the first ride I got was in a dynamite truck The driver kept a' tellin' me his bad luck As we swerved around the curves I began to shout Hey-ey mister would you let me out I had my hopes up high--I never though that I Would ever wonder why I ever said good-by I had my hopes up high And the next ride I got was with a man in trouble The beard on his face was all in a stubble Runnin' from the law he was goin' ninety-nine, I said hey-ey mister you're out of your mind I had my hopes up high--I never thought that I Would ever wonder why I ever said good-by I had my hopes up high Oh, the next ride I got was with a preacher man Told me that the wicked would be buried in sand Don't know why I did it but I lost control Hey-ey Papa would you save my soul I had my hopes up high--I never thought that I Would ever wonder why I ever said good-by I had my hopes up high And I finally got a ride on a carnival train Nearly blew away in a hurricane I got to thinkin' bout that preacher down in Louisianne Sittin' on the Delta Siftin' sand I had my hopes up high--I never thought that I Would ever wonder why I ever said good-by I had my hopes up high From the First, Live Shots, Mountain Stage, Best Of Vol.1, Whatever happend to Maria Album` s.