I was born Clarence Marshall,
In the hills of Tennessee,
After the great depression,
It was a small mining town,
My father was a miner,
My mother stayed at home,
My father wasn't faithful,
And my mother died alone,
It was clear at midnight,
When I came to the church house door,
That a life of crime wasn't any way to die,
Some folks fall in line,
Others turn away,
I was born alone and I died just the same,
But I didn't want to be a miner,
Or die in a mining town,
I moved to the city,
To those city lights,
I never saw my folks,
Never went back home,
They say strangers like me,
Were supposed to die alone,
It was clear at midnight,
When I came to the church house door,
That a life of crime wasn't any way to die,
Some folks fall in line,
Others turn away,
I was born alone and I died just the same,
Those men that I killed,
Were only mile markers to me,
A lost highway of sorts,
Of lost thoughts and dreams,
I Clarence Marshall died,
On those lonely church house steps,
Maybe there's mercy in death,
But hell is a safer bet,
It was clear at midnight,
When I came to the church house door,
That a life of crime wasn't any way to die,
Some folks fall in line,
Others turn away,
I was born alone and I died just the same,
I was born in 1934,
And I died in 56,
I still miss my ma,
The hills of Tennessee,
I was buried with my flask,
My gun and my memories,
If there's one thing I could say to her,
I would say I'm sorry,
It was clear at midnight,
When I came to the church house door,
That a life of crime wasn't any way to die,
Some folks fall in line,
Others turn away,
I was born alone and I died just the same,
credits
from The Nightbirds Revolt,
released November 18, 2007
Dylan Kight - Guitar, Bass, Vox
Robert Smith - Drums
Evan Kinney - Banjo
The latest from Jessica Pratt retains the sense of mystery that characterized her previous albums, adding expansive arrangements. Bandcamp New & Notable Jan 6, 2019