There were junkies and burnouts, drunks on the skids
In the shantytown out by Devil Downs Bridge
You’d hide in the shadows of trash barrel fires
Eavesdrop on stories of dreamers and liars
You were older and wiser my ally, my foe
With a puppy dog smile and a ticking bomb soul
There was some kind of yearning, something inside
Tossing out breadcrumbs for trouble to find
Oh, Brother Mine, where can you be
You weave like a river that can’t find the sea
No drink is strong enough, no high lasts long enough
Your demons grab on and just won’t set you free
We would sneak through the attic, down into the barn
Across the back field, Dad’s guitar in your arms
I’d sit for hours at your feet while you played
When you sang “Wild Horses” couldn’t drag me away
The big boys said, “We dare you!”
loaded once and spun
You watched Little Frankie take aim
A quick prayer to God, a shot of a gun
In the time that it takes for a scared boy to run
The stars were all rearranged
Found your bible on the floor, broken and torn
Wouldn’t say a word, wouldn’t tell what was wrong
I knew you were angry by the way that you smiled
I knew you were gone long before your goodbye
Vocals and acoustic guitar – Ruth Hill
Harmony vocals – Cyndi Longo
Upright bass – Nate Martin
Recorded and mixed by Jud Caswell at Frog Hollow Studio, Brunswick, Me