By townes van zandt
The old woman finally caught me
sneakinand' and'round her cave
her hair looked just like barbwire, boys
and her smile just like the grave
she asked me could i stay awhile
i said iand'd better go
she slid her arm around my neck
and sweetly whispered no
itand's cold and dark and lonely here
as soon enough youand'll see
iand'm oh so glad you stumbled in
iand've been cravinand' company
i cannot stay too long you know
i left some friends at home
donand't you fret about your friends
down here weand're all alone
what about my mother
i canand't just leave her there to mourn
you donand't have to think about her
just forget you were ever born
iand'll disappoint my father
you know he worked so hard for me
if you have to pay your father back
just send him some misery
iand'll miss, i said, a girl i know
i canand't just leave there to pine
sheand's still got plenty of men to go
iand'm sure sheand'll do just fine
what about my little boy
she said, heand's just like you
let a few short years roll by
heand'll end up down here too
then her pale green eyes began to glow
she placed her hand on mine
she smiled and said donand't worry
youand'll get used to me in time
as her cold tongue flickered toward
i spun myself around
made a dive for the passageway
but the walls come crashing down
now her eyes were the only light
my fevered brain could see
but i tore myself away from them
and fell down to my knees
iand've come too far, i canand't get back
i beseeched the gods of men
fame and fortune just laughed at me
then silence once again
a whisper deep within
embrace the god of love
i lifted my face and through the tears
i saw light fall from above
i hurled myself into the wall
i ripped and clawed my way
through the stinkinand', clinginand' loam
back to the light of day
i crawled out into the wind again
the sky upon my face
i heard the earth sigh patiently
as it slid back into place
now iand'm back among the ones i love
iand'm loved by them in turn
and itand's only on the darkest night
that green eyed memory burns
so walk my friends, in the light of day
donand't go sneakinand' and'round no holes
there justmight be something down there
wants to gobble up your soul
