The Swamp Remembers Everything

[INTRO — SPOKEN, VERY QUIET] After all that... After the Witch... After Pierre's gumbo... After the Crawdad started talking in Morse code... I figured I'd finally learned everything there was to know about the swamp. I was wrong. The swamp don't teach you everything. It teaches you enough... to know you'll never stop learning. [VERSE 1] Moon hung low above the water Fog was crawling through the reeds Frogs were whispering in the darkness Like they knew exactly what I need I walked down to the shoreline Didn't bring no gun or knife Just the scars from all those lessons And a little borrowed life Crawdad crawled up from the mud Looked me dead between the eyes Said, “Boy, you look different.” I said, “I feel different.” He said, “Good.” Then he disappeared. [PRE-CHORUS] Catfish said, “You finally listening.” Lizard Man said, “Don't get proud.” Squatch pointed at the mud beneath me. There were two sets of footprints. I said, “Who else been walking with me?” Squatch looked at me. “That's what I'm wondering.” [CHORUS] The swamp remembers everything Every footstep, every lie Every fool who came looking Every soul who asked it why It remembers every monster Every lesson, every scar And if you stay here long enough You find out what you are I thought I came here chasing ghosts But the ghosts... They knew me from the start. [VERSE 2] Widow Crow sat in the cypress Black wings shining in the rain She said, “You spent your whole life Trying to outrun your name.” I said, “I ain't running.” She laughed. “You still are.” Then Preacher Possum stepped beside her With that crooked little grin Said, “Every exorcism Is just a door you haven't opened yet.” I said, “What door?” He pointed toward the water. The water pointed back. [PRE-CHORUS 2] Mothman circled through the moonlight Kraken rolled beneath the black Lizard Man said, “Something's coming.” Crawdad said, “It's already back.” [CHORUS] The swamp remembers everything Every footstep, every lie Every fool who came looking Every soul who asked it why It remembers every monster Every lesson, every scar And if you stay here long enough You stop asking what they are You start asking who you were Before you wandered in this far. [VERSE 3 — BUILDING] Then I heard a fiddle somewhere Playing something I once knew Banjo rattled through the cypress Like the swamp was calling through I smelled gumbo on the night wind Heard Pierre laugh beyond the trees Saw the Witch upon the water Smiling like she knew I'd see She raised her hand. I raised mine. Neither one of us spoke. Then she smiled and disappeared Like a candle in the smoke. [BRIDGE — HALF-SPOKEN, REVERENT] And suddenly... I understood. Lizard Man taught me patience. Crawdad taught me caution. Catfish taught me truth. Squatch taught me when to move. Mothman taught me how to watch. Preacher Possum taught me faith. The Witch taught me not to run. And every monster I'd been scared of... had been trying to teach me something. [PAUSE] Even Pierre. Though I'm still not eating that gumbo. [FINAL CHORUS — HUGE, SOULFUL] The swamp remembers everything Every footstep, every lie Every fool who came looking Every soul who asked it why It remembers every monster Every lesson, every scar And if you stay here long enough You stop asking what they are You stop asking where they came from You stop asking where they are You start asking who you were Before you wandered in this far The swamp remembers everything And somehow... so do I. [FINAL INSTRUMENTAL — SWAMP MONTAGE] [FROGS RETURN] [FAINT BANJO] [DISTANT FIDDLE] [CRAWDAD CLICKS] [CATFISH SPLASHES] [WIDOW CROW LAUGHS SOFTLY] [DEEP SWAMP RUMBLE] [OUTRO — SPOKEN, WARM AND EXHAUSTED] So that's the truth. At least... that's the version I remember. Maybe I was high. Maybe I was lost. Maybe there never was a Witch. Maybe there never was a Squatch. Maybe Pierre really did make that gumbo. Actually... that one I'm pretty sure happened. [PAUSE] But tomorrow night... when the moon gets low... I'll probably go back. Because once the swamp teaches you how to listen... you start hearing things everywhere. [VERY QUIET] And sometimes... they're listening back. [LONG PAUSE] You know... I think I finally understand what the swamp wanted. [WHISPER] It wanted me to come home. [FADE INTO FROGS, WATER, DISTANT FIDDLE]