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lyrics

Mad Dog Blues
M. Litton

It’s a rough ol’ world, you’re born to surrender
Though you may run n’ hide like an old outlaw
It’s a rough ol’ world and none are delivered
She’ll shoot ya down, my friend
Shoot ya down one and all

When a dog goes mad they’ll shoot him at sunrise
Let the barn cats come and lap up his blood
If he lives so long that he’s old and near blind
They’ll stake ‘im by the river when it’s starting to flood

When I was a child I walked into the pasture
Found bones bleached white by the sun and the rain
I recognized my old dog’s brown-black fur
I curse the hour I first felt my soul give way

Now the lilac bloomed in the cemetery breeze
And mixed her perfume with the stench of death
Beneath those bones the grass grew green
The earth feeds each and by each she is fed

It’s a rough ol’ world, you’re born to surrender
Though you may run n’ hide like an old outlaw
It’s a rough ol’ world and none are delivered
She’ll shoot you down, my friend
Shoot you down one and all

When a man goes mad he best jump in the river
If he don’t jump fast they’ll haul him away
In the give and take some are taken by the Giver
While others put up gold for their buryin’ day

You can rest in the shade while the sun beats down
Far from the wrath of your mad dog mind
If you break your cover he’ll run ya to the ground
If you lay low he may take you from behind

So tell my sons there’ll be peace in the valley
Tell my daughters that the lilac blooms
You can tell ‘em all I’ve gone out a-huntin’
Gonna shoot a mad dog in the afternoon
Shoot a mad dog in the afternoon.

credits

from Rootless Seed, released January 1, 2001

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The Gothic Cowboy/The Border Band Lawrence, Kansas

I'm a creekbank ghetto boy. Began my singin' near half a century ago in Canada, then hit northeast, down thru Nashville, Austin, out to Colorado and back to Kansas where I started out and will likely remain. My influences are Leadbelly, Jimmie Rodgers, CCR and The Band, while the juices of a hundred others flavor my music, not to mention the devil himself if that's what it takes to make a song... ... more

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