Maddox Table

Lyrics

[Verse 1] The legs of Maddox kitchen tables My whole life I twisted on a lathe In a foreman's torrent, my first English was "Faster boy if you want your pay" Barking commands loud and simple We could all obey [Verse 2] Then I was forever pulling slivers Rubbed the sawdust always deeper in my eye Varnish vapor that could linger On my skin, it held tight The whine of spinning blades Still echoes to bother my sleep at night [Chorus 1] See that oxen stamped dead center On the letterhead of the company mail For decades, a spitting image Of the animal I portrayed At Maddox table a yoke was carved For my neck [Verse 3] Sun through the window oil spattered And in mason jars tricked plenty seeds to thrive The standing joke around the shop Was with my green thumb anything'd grow My part was to laugh Show an ornery jig had cut it at the knuckle bone [Chorus 2] See that oxen trade mark Burned Into every stick of furniture from horn to tail For decades, a spitting image Of the animal, I portrayed At Maddox table a yoke was carved For my neck Was tailor made [Verse 4] Oh, my Dolly was a weak, not a burdened girl Treat her to a piece of vaudeville A Wintergarden moving picture show Bemus Point on July Sundays, by trolley we'd go To your benefit we'll strike a bargain With the waving fist of a union man Not just for smokes, spirits, candy and cologne But for automobile keys, cash in the bank And the deed on a place called home