The Preacher And Me / Sparrow—Father Time

These next two songs from Hal Ketchum's Father Time have a palpable historical feel, though I'm not sure to what extent either are based in real events (if at all)...

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First, a great ballad of the old west. Unfortunately there's no YouTube performance vid to link to and the song isn't available on Hal's facebook page either (unless maybe it's been added since I last checked), so I'll link here to Hal's web page with the short Father Time song clips so that you can hear a sample. Luckily the lyric is excellent, quite capable of standing alone as a poem in its own right.

The Brazos river is in Texas. I'm not sure if there is any real historical basis for this song and not sure of the name "Satonta" either. Just spelling it like it sounds to me. Could be a native American name, but maybe not—I don't know. I couldn't seem to Google up anything that seemed relevant, but without knowing the proper spelling, such searches can be problematic. At any rate, here's the lyric...


THE PREACHER AND ME
Performed by Hal Ketchum
From the album Father Time
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The Brazos ran wild as the spring rains had left her
Foamin' and ragin' her way to the sea
We’d cross her that evenin' and no one would notice
No one would know but the preacher and me
Sixteen days a' ridin', pushin' on that mule train
Two hundred rifles for Satonta's band
That preacher a' talkin' 'bout freedom and justice
‘Bout takin' the coin from the high bidder's hand

He said, "Change is a welcome and a wondrous thing
That only the truest intentions will bring
We'll trade'em up even an eye for an eye
The faster you live, hell, the faster you die"

He rode on before me, a glow in the moonlight
Peacefully swaying to some old gospel tune
I laid down my hand 'cross the grain of my rifle
That river before me, my chance coming soon
But I'd keep him around till we forded the water
I'd need him around till we made the other side
And I'd shoot me a hole in that glow in the moonlight
Say a prayer for the preacher at the end of his ride

He said, "Change is a welcome and a wondrous thing
That only the truest intentions will bring
We'll trade'em up even an eye for an eye
The faster you live, hell, the faster you die"

He turned and he smiled as we pushed them mules deeper
He spurred his horse, swam across, stood waitin' on the bank
I made it halfway, saw the flash of his rifle
My leg burned like fire, my horse kicked and sank
Kickin' and churnin' that ol' muddy water
Goin' down, comin' up, goin' down again
I swear to this day it was that river that saved me
Swept me away from that preacher's killin' hand

He said, "Change is a welcome and a wondrous thing
That only the truest intentions will bring
We'll trade'em up even an eye for an eye
The faster you live, hell, the faster you die"

Now that Brazos ran wild as the spring rains had left her
Foamin' and ragin' her way to the sea
I'd cross her that evenin' and no one would notice
No one would know but the preacher and me
I said no one would know but the preacher and me

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Here's a sad, but hauntingly beautiful song about the horrors of war...




SPARROW
Performed by Hal Ketchum
From the album Father Time
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Well, we dug in down the road from Harper's Ferry
Then we fired our guns as far as they would carry
The sunset came and we shot only shadows
Where this war will go now only God knows

And if I were a sparrow I would fly
And if I were alone now I would cry
But tears won't bring my brothers
Back home to their mothers
Or bring comfort to a soul too young to die

Well, we belly-crawled our way down through the corn rows
Sherman's boys were waitin' in the willows
They cut us down till we were only ten
May I never feel that kind of cold again

And if I were a sparrow I would fly
And if I were alone now I would cry
But tears won't bring my brothers
Back home to their mothers
Or bring comfort to a soul too young to die

Well, the fiddles played "She Wore A Yellow Ribbon"
On the day I made my way back to the livin'
It's hard to be a hero when you've seen
The blade and bullets shattering a dream

And if I were a sparrow I would fly
And if I were alone now I would cry
But tears won't bring my brothers
Back home to their mothers
Or bring comfort to a soul too young to die
No, no, tears won't bring my brothers
Back home to their mothers
Or bring comfort to a soul too young to die

We dug in down the road from Harper's Ferry
We belly-crawled our way down through the corn rows
The fiddles played "She Wore A Yellow Ribbon"