The Armadillo Jackal

Lyrics

The evening sun was sinking down A chill north wind, it blows The new-plowed ground was cooling fast The river rolls and flows Beneath the two lane concrete river bridge Between my place and town On that hot bed farm-to-market road They call 1291 I'm sayin' son, you'll see me searching Sizzlin' down that broad highway Dollar signs in both my eyes I'm seeking out my prey I'm praying, "Jesus, will you send me "Just another three or four?" They pay two-fifty down in Hallettsville Three dollars, maybe more And more than likely they'll be out tonight A-wanderin' from the farm Waddlin' down 1291 To keep their bodies warm I'm talking walking belts and neckties And boots for rodeo They don't run too fast, don't waste much gas I'm making lots of dough The armadillo The armadillo 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 Hallettsville They don't take 'em alive The jackal cried The jackal cried The jackal cried, "Look there's two of them "A-walkin' down the line "I can't believe my luck tonight "This here makes twenty-nine" And so he rolled the first one running The second was too fast His breaks and laughter squealing As he stomped down on the gas Good God, his car was sideways flying When the bridge walk met his door The impact shook the river bed His foot went through the floor Forevermore Forevermore Forevermore was his last moment From the bridge walk to the stream From the speckled blood around his smile The spewin' gasoline And then he screamed his raspy epitaph Before he turned to flame "They pay two-fifty down in Hallettsville "I ain't the one to blame" "Ain't it a shame?" The jackal cried The armadillo The armadillo The armadillo The armadillo The armadillo