The Mudcat Café TM
Thread #18250   Message #180370
Posted By: Stewie
17-Feb-00 - 08:02 PM
Thread Name: BS: For Catspaw and others: possums
Subject: RE: BS: For Catspaw and others: possums
On the subject of 'possums on the half-shell' and road carnage, this ditty springs to mind. The benevolent society for armadillos no doubt would feel that he got his just deserts:

THE ARMADILLO JACKAL
(Robert Earl Keen)

The evening sun was sinking down, a chill north wind it blows
The new-ploughed ground was coolin' fast, the river rolls and flows
'Neath the 2-lane river bridge between my place and town
On that hotbed farm-to-market road they call 1291
I'm sayin', sun, you'll see me searchin' - sizzlin' down that broad highway
Dollar signs in both my eyes, I'm seekin' out my prey
I'm prayin' Jesus will you send me just another three or four
They pay 2.50 down in Halletsville, 3 dollars, maybe more
And more than likely they'll be out tonight, a-wandering from the farm
Waddlin' down 1291 to keep their bodies warm
I'm talkin' walkin' boots and neckties and boots for rodeo
They don't run too fast, don't waste much gas, I'm makin' lots of dough
The armadillo – oh-oh-oh, the armadillo – oh-oh-oh

The armadillo never sees me when I hit him with my brights
His life don't pass before his eyes, he's blinded by my lights
And so I hit him with my bumper, doin' sixty, sixty-five
They take 'em frozen down in Halletsville, they don't take 'em alive
The jackal cri – ay ay – ed, the jackal cried-ay ay ay, the jackal cried
But there is two of them a-walkin' down the line
I can't believe my luck tonight, this year makes twenty-nine And so he rolled the first one runnin', the second was too fast
His brakes and lights were squealin' as he stomped down on the gas
Good God, his car was sideways flyin' when the bridge-walk met his door
The impact shook the riverbed, his hood went through the floor
Forevermore- or – or – or, forevermore – or – or – or, forevermore
Was his last moment from the bridge walk to the stream
From the speck of blood around his smile to spewin' gasoline
And then he screamed his raspy epitaph before he turned to flame
They pay 2.50 down in Halletsville, I ain't the one to blame
Ain't it a sh – a – a –a – me, the jackal cried – ay ay ay
The armadillo – oh-oh-oh, the armadillo – oh-oh-oh, the armadillo – oh-oh-oh

Copyright Robert Earl Keen, Keen Edge Music
Source: Robert Earl Keen Jr 'No Kinda Dancer' Philo CD PH 1108 PS.

--Stewie.