Come an' lissen to my story
'Bout a man named Will
A poor mountaineer
Made his livin' by the still

He and his ole woman Grace
Had a log shack fer their homeplace
Had three kids, two boys and a girl
Grace said that's enuff old man
Keep it in yore pocket or I'll put it in a can

Now JimmyJoe the eldest born
On a cold February morn
With eyes as bluewild as the creek
He's big, he's wild, moutain cat sleek

StevieRay came along two years later
Grace said, William, you take a cold tater
And wait, this is the end of the line
Anymore sons you'll sleep in the cold moonshine

Now Grace in the woods did go
Of an early morn towards town
To use her egg money and blow
It all on a purty dotted swiss gown

When she heard a hiccuppin' squawl
Turned to see a girlchild bawl
She took to that red-headed babe, it was just like her
Full of piss, shit and vin-a-ger

Oh I'll name you Cassie Dayzella
My mama's name was Hassie MayElla
You'll be just like me
And Mr. Willie will see
He can have his crazy Jimmy
And his whinin' Stevie Ray
All the blasted livelong day

Now Jim the oldest boy
Was Mr. Willie's pride and joy
But Jim had a tellin an' he'd say
He'd had a dream he'd go far away
He'd meet a curly headed man
Of many big words and a plan
He dreamed oft at night
Watchin' lightnin' bugs scatter little stars for his meager light

Cussed hisself and thought and thought
What a life he had
Am I evil, perverse or just bad
As he thought what he mought
Do with his desire for a man
With long hair and earrings and a smile
I ain't never seed this feller yet
'Cept in my dreams I can
Touch his lips to mine and oh I pine
To make him mine
And walk thru life with him ever' mile

I'm hearin' birds sangin' so fur away
It's breaks my heart to hear Mama say
Willie, yore son is dumber than rocks
Sittin' out there he rocks and he rocks
Hisself, ear all a-cocked
To hear nuthin' at all, and it's a shame
To give that boy the Ellison name

I can see ever tint in the sunset hue
In my dreams he lays beside me
His eyes the deepest dark blue
His breath mingled in mine he drew
His lips up to touch me like a honey bee
Skippin' 'long the daisies
His voice was sweet and low
His scent of musk and the woods
Mama says I got the crazies

I got a itch in me to find out
What's over the next rise
Mamma says never doubt
It's fur bee-yont yore reach
Take it from a woman that's wise
To city ways, you better stay here
JimmyJoe, you'll be thawt a queer

Oh mama, got a hankerin' to go
To see the Pacific and waves aflow
Plus there's a man waitin so true
He with russet curls and eyes of blue
If I cud only know if 'twould be best
To bid my kin all adieu
Set out in the early mornin' dew
Oh, I'd fly to his arms so bold
Here on this mountain, I'm cold
So durn lonely and forlorn
I'll not marry a woman, I've sworn

JimmyJoe yore plumb sad and queer
You cause my pore heart to fear
Yore goin' bad, yore a sinner bad
Belong to the asylum as one mad
Seein', liss'nin and smellin what we cain't
Oh Willie's blood in you's a taint
I myself wished to go away
Fer from here back to my folks in the city
One day I'll leave you
See iff'n I do
I want to see bright lights and have no care
Dress purty and go daint-sin with lights
To shine and no kids to wear
On my soul, you the worse of all
With your sights and all the sound
We don't hear and yore heart all bound
Up in a boy in a colored vest
Oh I long for a rest

Jimmy Joe said I know mama I know
But he's coming, the one to throw
His arms 'round my waist
He'll take my hand in his
And my heart will know at the moment
The scent of him, the sigh on his lips
His flower face all aglow
And I'll throw
My arms 'round his shoulder And go
I'll never look back, Mama, come what may
He'll be all I desire, forever and a day.