YouLyric
Sign in
Sign up for free
The Sky Above and the Mud Below
Share
Ramblin' Jack Elliott
What's this song about?
Generate meaning
1
Two men rode in from the south, a rainy autumn night
2
The Sky above and the mud below
3
They walked into the Deacon's bar, they were Mexican by sight
4
The sky above and the mud below
5
They threw a horsehair bridle down, we trade this for whiskey rounds
6
The Deacon slams a bottle down, the two men start to drinkin'
7
Their hair was long and black, tied up behind their ears
8
Their faces were identical, like one man beside a mirror
9
Then someone whispered that beats all, their wanted posters on the wall
10
Twin brothers name of Sandoval, horse thieves from Boquillas
11
Now the bridle and the belts they wore were braided gray and black
12
The color of a roan horse once belonged to Deacon Black
13
The fastest horse for miles around, he'd been stolen from the old fairground
14
A month ago outside of town we tracked and never found him
15
Now the Deacon was a preacher who had fallen hard from grace
16
He owned the bar and a string of quarter horses that he'd race
17
Yea, Deacon he could drink and curse, though he still quoted sacred verse
18
He was sheriff, judge; he owned the hearse, a man you did not anger
19
The sky above, the mud below, the wind and rain, the sleet and snow
20
Two horse thieves from Mexico drinkin' hard and singin'
21
One brother he spoke English, Deac inquires as to their work
22
The man says mister we braid horsehair bridles, ropes and quirts
23
Yea, that fine bridle we did make, a roan horse killed by leg-bone break
24
He's horsehair rope now; horse-meat steak, we cleaned him to the bone
25
Well these gentlemen they were ignorant or didn't know just where they were
26
The Deacon's face grew darker as he measured every word
27
You horsehair braidin' sons o' witches stole my claim to earthly riches
28
Someone go and dig a ditch, there may well be a hangin'
29
One brother reached inside his shirt searching for his gun
30
Too late, for Deac had whipped around his sawed off Remington
31
The twins, they raised their hands and sneered, Deac was grinnin' ear to ear
32
He says court's in session, hear ye hear, yours truly is presidin'
33
Well the trial commenced and ended quick they didn't have a hope
34
Deac says we'll cut your hair now boys and you can braid yourselves a rope
35
The Old Testament, it says somewhere eye for eye and hair for hair
36
Covet not thy neighbors mare, I believe it's Revelations
37
Now the fancy horsehair bridle, it hangs on Deacon's wall
38
Next to that wanted poster of the brothers Sandoval
39
And he twisted rope so shiny black, the artifact that broke their necks
40
Their craftsmanship he did respect, they shoulda stuck to braidin'
41
The sky above the mud below, the wind and rain, the sleet and snow
42
The Deacon's hearse is rollin' slow in the first blue light of mornin'
The Sky Above, The Mud Below (Tom Russel...
81 views
0 meanings
Go Pro
Unlimited meanings ยท Priority generation
Upgrade
