a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 #

when dad and uncle archie lost the farm - tanglefoot lyrics

Loading...

we’ve had this place forever
the farm’s been in our family
since the 1850’s land grant from the crown
some of my uncles moved out west
to farm a great big spread
but our side of the family stayed around

a pig run, a horse stable
good pasture and an orchard
oak trees elms and maples, lots of charm
a happy hundred acres
up until that awful day
when dad and uncle archie lost the farm

now mom, she grew up baptist
she never drank or swore
her only vice was talking on the phone
two longs and a short, that was the
ring meant for our house
but she couldn’t let those other rings alone

who was sick and who was broke
and who was mad at who
and whose kid pulled the ice rink fire alarm
small town rural gossip
was mama’s stock in trade
’til dad and uncle archie lost the farm

“you know what your farm’s worth these days?”
the banker told my dad
“well you could get a hundred thousand free and clear!
with equity like that, young man
there’s so much you could do
and all you’d have to do is sign right here!”

but mom, she didn’t like it–
says right in the bible
that a borrower would only come to harm
but they never asked mom what she thought
so she never said a word
’til dad and uncle archie lost the farm

we could hear their voices coming
through the wall from the back kitchen
“we could borrow fifty thousand right away!
we’ll have a real big operation
just like gerald out in dauphin
we’re finally gonna make this old place pay!”

“we’ll get another hundred acres!”
“yeah we’ll buy a big john deere!”
“put up a second silo!” “paint the barn!”
it was only mom who thought
it might just be a house of cards
’til dad and uncle archie lost the farm

with interest rates gone through the roof
and prices gone to h-ll
and the banker calling every other day
ask how we were doing
and if we thought of selling out?
elsewise how would we ever pay?

one day i found mom in the kitchen
she was staring out the window
and the telephone was swinging from the wall
the neighborhood, it seems
already knew what she just learned
that dad and uncle arch had lost it all

well that was 30 years ago
and everyone’s long gone
and i’ve bored you to distraction with this yarn
i should have been home hours ago
for my job at the bank
with everyone that took our family farm

- tanglefoot lyrics

Random Song Lyrics :

Popular

Loading...