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lyrics

Sweet baby boy, rattle snake in his hand,
grinnin’ from the bottom of the cradle. I stand
like a proud father would who slipped into fatherhood like a trance.
If a proud father could, he would give his boy a fighting chance.

I’m feelin’ scared, I can’t remember what for.
I think there’s somethin’ dark movin’ under the floor.
My boy’s outa snakes and he’s hungry for more.
But my bones were set broken at birth, so I can’t move to the door.

I’m beggin’ him, “Please son, behave.
I’m doin’ all I can to save
all our ancestors gave.
Can’t you hear them callin’ you from the grave?”

Tears are wellin’ up like tar in his eyes.
My blood is runnin’ thick as the fog outside.
There’s a ghost in the corner, and she’s tellin’ me to run and hide.
My boy’s eyes are red now, and he’s growin’ in size.

I recall the crooked sound of a music box by my bed,
and the demons in my daddy’s eyes that his crooked smile hid.
And I can see the snakes movin’ underneath his skin.
I guess I was Faust then, but now I’m him.
Yes, now I’m him.

I wake to the whispers of my boy’s forked tongue.
There’s a chill in the room makin’ the spiders run.
There’s a pause like the silent space after you cock a gun.
I’m thinkin’ to myself, “My God, what have I done?”

I turn for the door as the crib starts to crack,
then I feel his claws fall across my back.
I catch a glimpse of myself in his eyes, then it all goes to black.
A baby’s cry echoes from my grandaddy’s shack.

I’m askin’ him, “Son, do you think you’re brave
to cast out all that I gave?
Well, you can’t kill the slaves
‘cuz we’ll be callin’ you from the grave.
We’re your ancestral ray.”

credits

from Don't be Afraid; It's Only Death, released June 6, 2013

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Clay Rose Boulder, Colorado

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