Orange Claw Hammer

A thick cloud caught a piper clubs tail
The match struck blue on a railroad rail
The old puff horse was just pullin' through
And a man wore a peg leg forever

I'm on the bum where the hobos run
The air breaks with filthy chatter
Oh, I don't care there's no place there
I don't think it matters

My skin's blazin' through and my clothes in tatters
And the railroad looked like a Y up the hill of ladders
One shoe fell on the gravel, one stick poked down
Gray of age fell down on a pair of ears

An eagle shined through my hole watch pocket
A gingham girl, baby girl, passed me by in tears
A jack rabbit raised his folded ears
A beautiful sagebrush jackrabbit

And an oriole sang like an orange
His breast full of worms and his tail clawed the evenin' like a hammer
His wings took to air like a bomber
And my rain can caught me a cup of water
When I got into town, odd jobs mam ah, your horse I'll fodder
I'm the 'round house man, I once was your father

A little up the road, a wooden candy stripe barber pole
And above it read a sign, "Painless Parker"
Lic-licorice twisted around under a fly
And a youngster cocked her eye

God before me if I'm not crazy is my daughter
Come little one with your little dimpled fingers
Give me one and I'll buy you a cherry phosphate

Take you down to the foamin' brine and water
And show you the wooden tits on the Goddess
With the pole out's full sail
That tempted away your peg-legged father

I was shanghaied by a high hat beaver moustache man
And his pirate friend
I woke up in vomit and beer in a banana bin
And a soft lass with brown skin
Bore me seven babies with snappin' black eyes
And beautiful ebony skin

And here it is I'm with you my daughter
Thirty years away can make a seaman's eyes
A round house man's eyes flow out water, salt water