[Verse 1: Delta slide-blues hollerer male MC, raw hollered delivery over stomping drums and slide guitar] Every Labor Day at Grandma's, Uncle Clyde is at the grill Apron sayin' KING, and the smoke rollin' down the hill Twelve summers at his elbow, I been standin' like a post "Let me flip one, Unc," he says "Lawd, boy, you'd burn the toast" Hockey-puck burgers, chicken black as a church shoe Hot dogs split like they been in a fight or two And the whole family's eatin', every cousin, every aunt Sayin' "Clyde, you did it again," and Clyde just nods, "I know I can" Mm-hm, every year the ketchup's gone before the sun is low And I always wondered why, but I never got to know [Hook: Delta hollerer MC, hollered, slide guitar ringin' on every line] Twelve long summers, Lawd, I been waitin' on the tongs Uncle Clyde at the grill sayin' "Junior, it won't be long" Family holdin' plates, and holdin' tongues Smilin' through the smoke like there ain't a thing wrong [Verse 2: Delta hollerer MC, harder, bass guitar and tambourine stompin'] So I practiced all year long on a kettle in the yard Watched the old men at the church picnic, and I studied hard Learned the heat by my hand and the flip by the sound Learned you never press a burger, Lawd, you never push it down Then this Labor Day comes, and Uncle Clyde's back is out He's in a lawn chair with a heatin' pad, and he's got a pout He holds the tongs out to me like a sword across his knees Says "Don't you shame this family," and I say "Yes sir, please" [Hook: Delta hollerer MC, hollered, the slide guitar cryin' under every line] Twelve long summers, Lawd, I been waitin' on the tongs Uncle Clyde at the grill sayin' "Junior, it won't be long" Family holdin' plates, and holdin' tongues Smilin' through the smoke like there ain't a thing wrong [Verse 3: Delta hollerer MC, bottleneck rake, a raked slide chord slams in on the first bite] Burgers pink inside, the chicken golden to the bone Aunt Bernice takes one bite, and then she drops her phone Cousin Ray says "Lord," and Grandma grabs a second plate And somebody hollers "Finally!" and then they hesitate 'Cause Uncle Clyde heard every word from the lawn chair by the fence Thirty years of ketchup, Lawd, and now the ketchup makes sense Clyde says "Pass me one," he takes a bite and chews it slow Says "Boy, that's good," and winks at me like he's always known So next year I hand him back the tongs and pass the ketchup down And I hold my tongue like family, 'cause that's how love goes 'round [Final Hook: Delta hollerer MC, everything in, stompin' drums and slide guitar] Twelve long summers, Lawd, I been waitin' on the tongs Uncle Clyde at the grill sayin' "Junior, it won't be long" Family holdin' plates, and holdin' tongues Smilin' through the smoke like there ain't a thing wrong [Outro: Delta hollerer MC, over the slide guitar] Mm-hm. Pass the ketchup, Unc. [End]
