📍 Part 1: A Night of Music, Memory, and Mission
On August 28, all roads lead to Whitewater Amphitheater in New Braunfels, Texas, where Robert Earl Keen will headline a special flood relief benefit concert. For those who’ve followed his long and storied career, this isn’t just another performance — it’s a homecoming with purpose.
As a longtime resident of Kerrville, one of the communities most affected by the July floods, Keen felt the devastation up close. Camp Mystic, a beloved summer camp attended by his daughters, lost more than two dozen young people in the storm. In response, Keen took action — promising 100% of his tour merchandise profits to the Community Foundation of the Texas Hill Country, and inviting other artists to join him in turning grief into hope.
While fans are eager for many of his classics, there’s no doubt which song they’re waiting for: “The Road Goes On Forever.” It’s more than a hit. For many, it’s the anthem of Robert Earl Keen’s entire career.
🎧 Part 2: About the Song – The Road Goes On Forever
Written in 1989, “The Road Goes On Forever” is more than just a country ballad — it’s a cinematic saga that changed the face of Texas songwriting. Released on Keen’s album West Textures, the song tells the story of two outlaws, Sherry and Sonny, whose love story spirals into crime, chaos, and consequence. It’s gritty. It’s wild. And it ends with a wink:
“The road goes on forever / And the party never ends.”
Inspired by the narrative ballads of Townes Van Zandt and Guy Clark, the song became a cult classic, gaining momentum in Texas bars and college towns. Then something unexpected happened: The Highwaymen — the supergroup of Johnny Cash, Willie Nelson, Waylon Jennings, and Kris Kristofferson — discovered the song and performed it live. Later, The Highwaymen’s individual members continued covering it, helping the song grow beyond state lines.
But it was Keen’s own storytelling — his dry humor, poetic realism, and slow build — that kept the song alive. “The Road Goes On Forever” became his unofficial signature, closing out most of his concerts for over 30 years, often with the entire crowd chanting the final chorus in unison.
What makes the song so powerful is not just its outlaw tale, but its defiance of endings. In a world full of heartbreak, loss, and change, Keen reminds us: life rolls on. That spirit — of resilience, rebellion, and relentless drive — is why the song continues to matter, especially now.
At a concert built around healing after tragedy, when Keen plays that final line — “And the party never ends” — it will mean something new. It will mean: we go on. Together.