Tupelo

(album: The Trees Are Dead & Dried Out, Wait For Something Wild - 2003)

Looka yonder
Looka yonder
Looka yonder

A big black cloud comes!
Yes, a big black cloud comes.
Come to the Tupelo,
Come to the Tupelo.
Yonder on the horizon,
Yonder on the horizon.
Stopped at the mighty river,
Stopped at the mighty river,
And sucked the damn thing dry
Sucked the damn thing dry

Tupelo-o!
Oh, Tupelo
In a valley hides a town called Tupelo.

Distant thunder rumble,
Distant thunder rumble,
Rumble hungry like the Beast,
The Beast it cometh, cometh down,
The Beast it cometh, cometh down,
The Beast it cometh, cometh down,
Wow-wo-wo
Tupelo bound.

Tupelo-o!
Oh, Tupelo
The Beast it cometh, Tupelo bound.

Why the hen won't lay no egg,
Can't get that cock to crow,
The horse is spooked and crazy,
Oh God help the Tupelo
God help the Tupelo,
God help the Tupelo,
Oh God help the Tupelo.

Ya can say these streets are rivers
Ya can call these rivers streets
Ya can tell yaself ya dreaming buddy,
But no sleep runs this deep, no!
No sleep runs this deep,
No sleep runs this deep
Women at their windows,
Rain crashing on the pane
Writing in the frost Tupelos' shame, Tupelo's shame, Tuprlo's shame
God help the Tupelo
God help the Tupelo
God help the Tupelo
God help the Tupelo

Oh, go to sleep little children,
The sandman's on his way
Go to sleep little children,
The sandman's in his way,
But the little children know,
But the little children know,
They listen to the beating of their blood,
Listen to the beating of their blood,
Listen to the beating of their blood,
Listen to the beating of their blood!

The sandman's mud!
The sandman's mud!
The sandman's mud!
The sandman's mud!

And the black rain come down,
The black rain come down,
Black rain come down,
Water, water everywhere,
Water, water everywhere,
Where no bird can fly no fish can swim
Where no bird can fly no fish can swim
No fish can swim
Until The King is born,
Until The King is born,
Until The King is born...

Tupelo-o!
Oh, Tupelo
'Til The King is born in Tupelo.

In a clap-board shack with a roof of tin
Where the rain came down and leaked within,
A young mother frozen on a concrete floor,
With a bottle and a box and a cradle of straw...

Tupelo-o! Yeah! Yeah!
Hey, Tupelo
With a bottle and a box and a cradle of straw

Well Saturday gives what Sunday steals,
And a child is born on his brothers heels,
Come Sunday morn the first-born dead,
In a shoebox tied with a ribbon of red.

Tupelo-o! Yeah!
Oh, Tupelo
In a shoebox buried with a ribbon of red.

Mama, rock you little one slow,
Mama, rock your baby,
Mama, rock your little one slow,
Mama, rock your baby,
Mama, rock your baby,
Mama, rock your baby,
Mama, rock your little one slow,
Mama, rock your baby,
Mama, rock your baby,
Mama, rock your baby,
'Til the King is born in Tupelo
'Til the King is born in Tupelo
'Til the King is born in Tupelo
'Til the King is born in Tupelo
Mama, rock your little one slow,
Mama, rock your baby,
Mama, rock your little one slow,
Mama, rock your baby,
'Til the King is born in Tupelo
'Til the King is born in Tupelo
'Til the King is born in Tupelo
'Til the King is born in Tupelo!

Tupelo-o! Yeah! Yeah!
Oh, Tupelo
And carry the burden of Tupelo
Tupelo-o! Yeah! Yeah! Yeah!
Tupelo, Tupelo, Tupelo, Tupelo...
The King will walk on Tupelo!
Tupelo-o! Yeah!
Oh, Tupelo!
He carried the burden outta Tupelo!
Tupelo-o!
Yeah, Tupelo
You will reap just what you sow!