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about

Story song about a child, a father, and a stranger from downstream.

lyrics

River Rat
© 2013 The Squirrel Hillbillies

Grassy field and unpaved road
Through the crooked trees
Little shack stands all alone
Where the river meets the reeds

Sun don’t shine much anymore
On this muddy patch of land
Daddy’s gun hangs by the door
Mama’s ashes in a can

Guided by a gentle breeze
And currents flowing north
She left her home in New Orleans
A padlock on the door

She rested at the water’s edge
A lazy August day
Her cotton dress all dripping wet
Her hair a mat of dreadlock braids

Digging up the trilobites
Sand between my toes
She broke the silence with a sigh
Words like the water flowed

She told me trouble finds her fast
Said not to get too near
I said Daddy and the river rat
Are the only things I fear

Devil woman, Daddy warned
A bounty on her head
And when he found us by the shore
His beady eyes turned red

I held my breath and I grabbed his gun
And broke the barrel down
I knew the time had finally come
As he pinned me to the ground

We tumbled in the river
He was swallowed by the depth
I felt my body shiver
As the water took his breath

I turned around onto my back
As he sank beneath the rocks
And drifted like a river rat
To an island of dreadlocks

Daddy's buried with his gun
Among the crooked trees
Unmarked grave beneath the mud
Where the river meets the reeds

Vines across the empty shack
A padlock on the door
And the red eyes of the river rat
They don't haunt me anymore

credits

from Goody Shoes, released March 30, 2014
Jenny Wolsk Bain, vocals, mandolin
Gary Crouth, vocals, guitar
special guest Jason Rafalak, upright bass

license

all rights reserved

tags

about

The Squirrel Hillbillies Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

From deep within the urban forest of Pittsburgh's East End, the Squirrel Hillbillies often emerge to share their eclectic mix of acoustic roots, spanning folk, country and blues. Duo partners Jenny Wolsk and Gary Crouth have been writing, arranging, recording and performing together since 2010. Their original songs have been played on radio programs in the US, Europe and around the world. ... more

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