King Harvest (Has Surely Come)

(album: The Band - 1969)

Corn in the fields.
Listen to the rice when the wind blows 'cross the water,
King Harvest has surely come

I work for the union 'cause she's so good to me;
And I'm bound to come out on top,
That's where she said I should be
I will hear every word the boss may say,
For he's the one who hands me down my pay
Looks like this time I'm gonna get to stay,
I'm a union man, now, all the way

The smell of the leaves,
From the magnolia trees in the meadow,
King Harvest has surely come

A dry summer, and then come fall,
Which I depend on most of all
Hey, rainmaker, can't you hear the call?
Please let these crops grow tall!
Long enough I've been up on Skid Row
And it's plain to see, I've nothing to show
I'm glad to pay those union dues,
Just don't judge me by my shoes

A scarecrow in a yellow moon,
Pretty soon, the carnival on the edge of town,
King Harvest has surely come

Last year, this time, wasn't no joke,
My whole barn went up in smoke
My horse Jethro, well, he went mad
And I can't ever remember things being that bad
Now here comes a man with a paper and pen
Telling us our hard times are about to end
And then, if they don't give us what we like
He said, "Men, that's when you gotta go on strike!"

Corn in the fields
Listen to the rice when the wind blows 'cross the water,
King Harvest has surely come