[Intro: Southern-rock male lead, dueling overdriven guitars, slow menacing build] Out past the last row where the corn grows tall There's a man made of straw and he's no man at all [Verse 1: Southern-rock male lead, stomping live drums, low southern-rock drawl] Daddy staked him on a post when I was barely nine Burlap sack for a head and a hat of the oldest kind Stood him out at row one-twelve to keep the crows in check Thirty years he never moved, I reckon, not a speck Monday mornin', coffee hot, I looked across the corn He was standin' in one-eleven, sure as I was born I said "the wind," I said "the kids," I said "some fool's idea" Tuesday he was in one-ten and the crows were nowhere near [Verse 2: Southern-rock male lead, heavy bass, tighter southern-rock delivery] Wednesday I wrapped a logging chain around him and the post Padlocked it and hung the key on a string around my throat Thursday mornin', chain was coiled up neat beside the tree And he was standin' in one-oh-six, just lookin' back at me Sat up Friday with a shotgun and a pot of coffee black Fixin' to catch whoever's draggin' him and never let him back Must've nodded off round three, 'cause I woke up stiff and sore And he was leanin' on the rail, three steps from my door [Hook: Southern-rock male lead, full southern-rock band, huge menacing hook] Every mornin' he's a row closer, y'all Never seen him walk and I never heard him crawl Swear I'll stay awake, but the dark gets long Sleep on it, sleep on it, and the straw man's on my lawn [Verse 3: Southern-rock male lead, stomping live drums, colder southern-rock delivery] Saturday I never blinked, I sat there wired till dawn He never moved a single straw out there across the lawn Sunday I went to strip the bed and yanked the quilt back hard There was corn silk on the pillow and red clay from the yard My boots beside the bed were caked up to the laces in the mud And straw was packed beneath my nails, my knuckles scraped to blood Daddy used to walk at night, they'd find him in the rows Mama tied his ankle to the bedpost, now I know It's been me the whole time, haulin' him a row a night asleep And there ain't no rows left now, just the back door and the key [Bridge: Southern-rock male lead, screen door creak, the band cuts dead on one long screen-door creak, then the dueling guitars crash back] Hear that hinge? I'm on my feet Hear that hinge? My boots are laced up neat I ain't awake, I ain't awake Somebody tie me to the bed for heaven's sake [Final Hook: Southern-rock male lead, full southern-rock band, biggest menacing hook] Every mornin' he's a row closer, y'all Never seen him walk and I never heard him crawl Swear I'll stay awake, but the dark gets long Sleep on it, sleep on it, and the straw man's on my lawn [End]
