In Vivo

"put a dead cat on the railroad tracks
when the wolf bain's blooming by the tressel
get the eyeball of a rooster, stones from a ditch
wash 'em down with bilge water, say you'll never snitch

take the buttons from a yellow jacket, feather from a buzzard
blood from a bounty hunter's cold black heart
catch the tears of a widow in a thimble made of glass
tell your mama and your papa they can kiss your ass

poison all the water in a wishin' well
hang all them scarecrows from a sycamore tree
burn down them honeymoons, put 'em in a pillow case
wait next to the switch blades at the amusement park for me

strangle all the Christmas carols, scratch out all the prayers
tie 'em up with barbed wire and push 'em down the stairs
i'll whittle you a pistol keepin' nightmares off your blinds
them sons-of-bitches always seem to sneak up from behind

syphon all the gas from your daddy's pickup truck
fill up Jonny's T-bird and i got a couple bucks
put on little perfume, wear a ribbon in your hair
be careful that you don't wake up the hounds

tear a bolt of lightning from the side of the sky
throw her in a cedar chest, if you want i'll tell you why
bring the gear shift knob from a fourty-nine Mere
lie down here beside me, let me hold you in the dirt

your gonna tremble and tear the throat out of the night
sink your teeth into my shoulder, dig your nails into my back
tell that little girl to let go of my sleeve
you'll be a woman when i catch you, comeon, baby, fall in love with me

with my double barrel shotgun and a whole box of shells
we'll celebrate the fourth of july
we'll do a hundred miles an hour spendin' someone else's dough
drive all the way to Reno on the wrong side of the road"