Indeed Porter has had some weird mental stuff bubbling his whole career. Look at the picture of Porter as the titular character from his album Skid Row Joe/Down in the Alley. Yowsa. He put out albums with titles and themes such as Soul of a Convict and one called Confessions of a Broken Man.
To put it more specifically to a song, hunt down a copy of his murder ballad "The Cold Hard Facts of Life." The general story line of a husband killing his wayward spouse is common, but the telling comes out making you think the singer standing at the mic might just be walking the edge himself. Even Alice Cooper never sounded quite so truly disturbed.
However much this effect in these records reflects Porter Wagoner's real internal states versus being an artistic construct, it's all good.
RUBBER ROOM
(Porter Wagoner)
c 1972 Owepar Publishing
In a buildin' tall with a stone wall around there's a rubber room
When a man sees things and hears sounds that's not there
He's headed for the rubber room
Illusions in a twisted mind to save from self-destruction hmm it's the rubber room
Where a man can run into the wall till his strenght makes him fall and lie still
And wait for help in the rubber room
From his blurry vision of doom a psycho in the rubber room
The man in the room right next to mine screams a woman's name hits the wall in vain
He's in the rubber room
I hear footsteps poundin' on the floor God I hope they don't stop at my door
Hmm I'm in the rubber room
Now they've come to get me but they find
I'm a screamin' pretty words tryin' to make 'em rhyme
I'm n the rubber room hmm a psycho I'm in the rubber room hmm
CLICK HERE for an outstanding Porter Wagoner discography and lyrics site.
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