I just learned a new song, and it is one that grabbed me the first time I heard it and still does to this day. I'm interested in knowing any others that may have affected you the same way.

THE SKY ABOVE, THE MUD BELOW (TOM RUSSELL)

Two men rode in from the south
A rainy autumn night
The sky above, and the mud below
They walked into the Deacon's bar
They were Mexican by sight
The sky above, and the mud below
They threw a horsehair bridle down
'Can we trade this for whiskey rounds?'
The Deacon slams a bottle down
The two men start to drinkin'

Their hair was long and black
Tied up behind their ears
The sky above, and the mud below
Their faces were identical
Like one man beside a mirror
The sky above, and the mud below
Then someone whispers 'That beats all
Their wanted poster's on the wall
Twin brothers name of Sandoval
Horsethieves from Boquias'

Now the bridle and the belts they wore
Were braided grey and black
The sky above, and the mud below
The color of a roan hose
Once belonged to Deacon Black
The sky above, and the mud below
The fastest horse for miles around
He'd been stolen from the old fairgrounds
A month ago outside of town
He'd tracked, but never found them

Now the Deacon was a preacher
Who had fallen hard from grace
The sky above, and the mud below
He owned the bar, and a string
Of Quarter Horses that he'd race
The sky above, and the mud below
Yeah, Decon he could drink and curse
And he still quoted sacred verse
He was sheriff, judge, he owned the hearse
A man you did not anger

The sky above the mud below
The wind and rain and sleet and snow
Two horse thieves from Mexico
Drinkin hard and singin'

One brother he spoke English
Deac enquires as to their work
The sky above, and the mud below
The man says 'Mister we braid horse hair Bridles, ropes and quirts'
The sky above, and the mud below
'Yeah that fine bridle we did make
A roan horse killed by a leg bone break
He's horse hair rope and horsemeat steak
We cleaned him to the bone'

These gentlemen were ignorant
Or didn't know just where they were
The sky above, and the mud below
Deacon's face grew dark
As he measured every word
The sky above, and the mud below
'You horsehair braidin' sons-a-bitches
Stole my claim to earthly riches
Someone go an dig a ditch
There may well be a hanging'

One brother reached into his shirt
Searching for his gun
The sky above, and the mud below
Too late, for Deac had whipped around
His sawed off Remington
The sky above, and the mud below
The twins they raised their hands and sneered
But Deac was grinnin' ear to ear
'Now court's in session, hear ye hear
Yours truly is presiding!'

The trial commenced and ended quick
They didn't have a hope
The sky above, and the mud below
Deac says 'Now we'll cut your hair
And you can braid yourselves a rope'
The sky above, and the mud below
'The Old Testament it says somewheres
Eye for eye and hair for hair
Covet not thy neighbors mare
I believe it's Revelations'

Now the fancy horsehair bridle
Hangs on Deacon's wall
The sky above, and the mud below
Next to that wanted poster
Of the brothers Sandoval
The sky above, and the mud below
And the twisted rope so shiny black
The artifact that broke their necks
Their craftsmanship he did respect
They should've stuck to braidin'

The sky above the mud below
The wind and rain and sleet and snow
The Deacon's hearse is rolling slow
In the first blue light of morning