Cottonmouth

(album: Mr. Entertainer - 1979)

Fourth day of August 1950
By nine o'clock it was hotter than the devil's torch
Momma said we need some fresh water
And she handed me the bucket down from the porch
She said why don't you let your little brother tag along with you
The spring was not more than fifty yards away

Little brother stopped when we got down to the orchard
I figured he was going to wait there in the shade
But then I seen him reach down in the tall grass
He was trying to pick up something laying in the sand
I yelled Lord, Lord brother look out
There lay a cottonmouth
But that thing bit little brother on the back of the hand

I picked him up and ran back to the house then
I hollered hurry up momma and call Dr. Brown
She said I can't call nobody cause the phone's dead
Stormed last night and blown the lines all down
She said hurry up son and run on over to the Jackson's
And see if Mr. Jackson can haul you on into town
I started running off in that direction
While momma was trying to calm little brother down
Mr. Jackson hauled me into town to get the doctor
Doctor said I hope we ain't too late
When we drove up to the house I could see momma crying
And using her apron to wipe her tears away

That was one hot day down in Mississippi
Our RC Cola thermometer said 95
I watched the heat wave shimmering above the corn fields
While the doctor tried to keep little brother alive
The cows all bunched up down along the creek banks
And three old buzzards was wheeling in the hazy sky
And I was thumbing little rocks at some Dominicker chickens
Trying to look through my tear-filled eyes
Then I heard our old screen door a-slamming
And the doctor came out holding momma by the hand
He said I'm sorry but I can't do anymore for the boy
And a cottonmouth moccasin can kill a full grown man

Fourth day of August 1950
At eleven o'clock it was hot
And little brother was dead
I picked up a chopping axe and went toward the orchard
Gonna find that cottonmouth
Chop off the cottonmouth's head