[Verse 1: Pulpit-preacher male MC, preacher rise-and-fall cadence over huge drums and gospel piano chords] Let me tell you 'bout a man who could talk the paint off a wall And he couldn't read the little sign on the door down the hall Every diner in the county, every counter, every booth I said "I'll have what Lonnie's havin'," and I never told the truth Learned the bus by the color, learned the green one from the blue Learned the church by the steeple and the courthouse by the queue "Forgot my glasses," forty years, I said it with a grin And the lady at the window slid the paper and the pen And I made a little X, y'all, made it neat and made it straight And I carried it like a stone through every door and every gate [Hook: Preacher MC, big sung hook over the full band, tambourine on every beat] Make your mark here, mister, on the dotted line Forty years I drew an X and swore that I was fine Now I sound out every letter and the whole name's mine Forty years of makin' marks, now I'm leavin' one behind [Verse 2: Preacher MC, the drums hit harder, gospel piano climbing] Fifty-six, a flyer on the board beside the door Couldn't read a word of it, but I knew what it was for Tuesday nights at seven in the basement with the chairs Grown men with their hats off, sayin' letters like a prayer A for apple, B for both my hands are shakin' on the page Big as I am, sweatin' like a schoolboy on a stage Then I look up at the back row and I near about fell down 'Cause there's Lonnie in the basement, soundin' out the same sound Forty years I ordered what he ordered, word for word And he was orderin' the special 'cause the special's all he heard [Hook: Preacher MC, big sung hook, the piano chords pounding with the drums] Make your mark here, mister, on the dotted line Forty years I drew an X and swore that I was fine Now I sound out every letter and the whole name's mine Forty years of makin' marks, now I'm leavin' one behind [Verse 3: Preacher MC, full-stop landing, the whole band lands with him on "Period. Full stop."] Eight months in, the teacher slides a card across the wood Says "Read it out loud, Earl," and I'm shakin' where I stood "I can read," I read it slow, three words, I read 'em off the top She says "What's that at the end?" I said "Period. Full stop." Friday at the diner, me and Lonnie in the booth Menu in both hands like it's the gospel and the truth Read the whole thing out loud, every special, every pie And the waitress says "The usual?" and Lonnie says "Not tonight" I ordered what I wanted, then I signed the check in full Every letter, E, A, R, L, and it looked so beautiful [Final Hook: Preacher MC and the full band, tambourine and piano, everything in] Make your mark here, mister, on the dotted line Forty years I drew an X and swore that I was fine Now I sound out every letter and the whole name's mine Forty years of makin' marks, now I'm leavin' one behind [Outro: Preacher MC, last piano chord] Y'all. Period. Full stop. [End]
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