Wheatland Ferry

I dedicate this one to Les Paul...

Wheatland Ferry

i left that little junkie back in stayton
to hell with her and all her junkie friends
i stole her buick, then i broke the fender
i hate starting shit that i can never end

i headed for my folk's place back in salem
but the bank had got there many years ago
a family with two kids: would they surrender?
i really didn't want to make it so

give me all the money, give me matches
tell the kids i'll show them something scary
just give me what i ask for and i'll vanish
the boatman waits for me at wheatland ferry

dig in tight, my nasty little momma
dig in tight, put your nails inside my veins
dig in tight and i will fight you like a stranger
drown me in the river, end my pain
wait for me but only for awhile
the boatman waits for me at wheatland ferry
he cannot wait forever, evermore

they're tearing up the road that leads to keizer
it smells like tar and piss and sweetened rum
i gotta get my ass on out of keizer
i'm sure that thought occurs to everyone

i made it through to all that haunted farmland
where crows put on their shows and curse the sun
i nearly lost it on their serpent highway
i started putting bullets in my gun

dig in tight, my nasty little momma
dig in tight, put your nails inside my veins
dig in tight and i will fight you like a stranger
drown me in the river, end my pain
wait for me but only for awhile
the boatman waits for me at wheatland ferry
he cannot wait forever, evermore

behind me came those motherfucking sirens
a light show for the damned of no respect
i drove it hard and made the left i wanted
two little dollars put me on the deck

i laughed as we pulled across the river
the cable snapped and whipped just like a snake
across the water stood my junkie girlfriend
i shot the gun too little and too late

dig in tight, my nasty little momma
dig in tight, put your nails inside my veins
dig in tight and i will fight you like a stranger
drown me in the river, end my pain
wait for me but only for awhile
the boatman waits for me at wheatland ferry
he cannot wait forever, evermore

i left that little junkie back in stayton
to hell with her and all her junkie friends
i stole her buick, then i broke the fender
i hate starting shit that i can never end

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