stars

I
Well, there’s a hole in the road where the moon’s been cryin’
Near the shack by the bent-back stream
And there’s a spot on the dirt where the stain’s still dryin’
From the tears of a whippoorwill’s dream

Well, there was once a time I glimpsed the light of the stars -
The moon hangin’ over the sea
But now I wonder through the valley of the coal, black night
And the stars won’t shine for me
Stars won’t shine for me
Stars won’t shine for me

II
Well, there’s a mud-caked mirror that lies in a ditch
‘Neith the curtain of a kudzu vine
And there’s a message on its surface that’s carved with a switch
From the lick of a lodgepole pine

Like the restless apparition of a nightmare’s kiss
A barrel-fire blooms to smoke the bees
I carved a shadow in the sunlight with a ten-inch blade
And now the stars won’t shine for me
Stars won’t shine for me
Stars won’t shine for me
********************************
WELL,
There were 12 black ribbons
Where 10 were forgiven
There were 8 stitches sewn
And 6 fuses blown
And there were 4 pints of tar
And 2 buried jars
AND THERE WAS NONE SPOKE HIS NAME
And 1 heart to blame
There were 3 jugs of rain
For the 5 on the train
There were 7 widows wed
With 9 twist of thread
AND THE HAMMER SPLITS THE TEARS
11 nails are driven
WHERE THERE WERE 12 BLACK RIBBONS
11 nails are driven
Where 10 were forgiven
With 9 twist of thread
And the 8 stitches sewn
And 7 widows wed
And 6 fuses blown
For the 5 on the train
There were 4 pints of tar
And 3 jugs of rain
And there were 2 buried jars
And 1 heart to blame
AND THERE WAS NONE SPOKE HIS NAME
NO
NONE SPOKE HIS NAME

and the hammer splits the tears
and the hammer splits the tears
*************************************
Like the restless apparition of a nightmare’s kiss
Like the moon hangin’ over the sea
The hammer splits the tears of the twelve gone by
And now the stars won’t shine for me
Stars won’t shine for me
*************************************

III
Well, there’s a hole in the road
Where the moon’s been cryin’
‘Neath the curtain of a kudzu vine
And there’s a spot on the dirt where the stain’s still dryin’
Form the lick of a lodgepole pine

There was once a time I glimpsed the light of the stars -
the moon hangin’ over the sea
I carved a shadow in the sunlight with a ten-inch blade
And now the stars won’t shine for me
Stars won’t shine for me
Stars won’t shine for me

IV
Well, there’s a mud-caked mirror that lies in a ditch
Near the shack by the bent-back stream
And there’s a message on its surface that’s carved with a switch
From the tears of a whippoorwill’s dream

Like the restless apparition of a nightmare’s kiss
A barrel-fire blooms to smoke the bees
Now I wonder through the valley of the cold, black night
And the stars won’t shine for me
Stars won’t shine for me
Stars won’t shine for me
*****************************
‘Neath the hold where the kudzu vine’s been cryin’
In the dirt where the lodgepole pine’s still dryin’
There’s a mud-cake message that lies in the ditch
There’s a curtain on the road that’s stained from a switch

And the lick of a whippoorwill dream
And the kiss of a whippoorwill dream
And the tears of a whippoorwill dream

Stars won’t shine for me
Stars won’t shine for me
Stars won’t shine for me