Where the Dead Won't Go

Ron Ferguson

Ron1

Ron Ferguson

outlaw folk, forest folk, subtle voodoo weirdness

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Where the dead won't go,
Maybe living men can rest.
Don't know why the creek ain't frozen.
Don't intend to second-guess.
Take the saddle off the horses.
Let the coffee overflow.
If the dead don't like this forest—
[RESONATOR: 5→6]
That's enough for me to know.
Verse 3
Somebody shouted,
“Jack Winter?”
Jack spun halfway toward his gun.
Man came laughing through the timber.
“Easy, boy. Don't shoot someone.”
Jack stared.
“Horace?”
“Last I checked.”
Then Elena stepped behind him.
And beside her—
Small and thin,
One hand resting on her shoulder—
Brayden.
[ALL DROP EXCEPT DREADNOUGHT]
Jack:
“Bray?”
The boy smiled.
“Took you long enough.”
[RESONATOR — warm 5→6]
Jack laughed so hard
he nearly cried.
Verse 4
[LIGHT 6/8 | brushed snare returns]
“Fryes hit home.”
“We know.”
“We got it back.”
“We don't.”
“Sarah's alive.”
Brayden:
“I know.”
Jack stopped.
“What?”
Horace cleared his throat.
Elena suddenly found
the coffee fascinating.
Jack:
“How?”
Brayden shrugged.
“Saw her.”
Jack looked at Horace.
Horace:
“Coffee?”
“No.”
“Whiskey?”
“Horace.”
“Coffee it is.”
[Instrumental]
[DREADNOUGHT: 1–3–5–6]
[LOW WOOD FLUTE enters: 1–2–4–5–♭7 | NO 3RD]
[RESONATOR answers VERY SPARINGLY: ♭2→1]
[WOOD FLUTE and RESONATOR]
Verse 5
Brayden sat beside the water.
Blind eyes turned toward the south.
Said,
“Three black birds beneath a storm.”
[DISTANT TRUMPET: ♭5→5→6]
Jack:
“What birds?”
Brayden didn't answer.
Then:
“Mara's sweeping.”
Jack forgot to breathe.
“Who?”
“Mara.”
[ONE DRY SHAMISEN PHRASE: 1–♭3–4–♭5→5→6]
“She hears a bell.”
Jack grabbed his shoulder.
“Mara's alive?”
Brayden frowned.
“I think so.”
Then smiled.
“Sarah's moving little blocks.”
[TELECASTER: 1–♭3–4–5 / 6→5]
“Men keep arguing.
She doesn't.”
Jack slowly sat down.
Bridge — North
[METER LOOSENS | WOOD FLUTE: 1–2–4]
Brayden's smile disappeared.
Head turned north.
Jack:
“What?”
No answer.
“Bray?”
“There's something behind the dead.”
[RESONATOR: LOW ♭2]
“What?”
“I can't—
They're—
They're—”
A woman's voice said:
“Enough.”
[ALL STOP]
Verse 6
Nobody'd seen her sitting there.
Maybe twenty feet away.
Gray hair braided down her shoulder.
Weathered face.
No fear displayed.
Three Crows reached toward their pistols.
Coley's hand got halfway down.
Jack saw black glass at her belt.
“Easy.”
Coley frowned.
Not steel.
Not iron.
Obsidian—
Knapped so fine the edge
looked thinner than the light.
Coley:
“That's a knife?”
Old woman looked at his revolver.
Then at hers.
“Mine works here.”
[WOOD FLUTE: 1–2–4—]
[NO RESOLUTION]
Verse 7 
[RETURN gentle 6/8]
Jack asked,
“Forest Folk?”
She smiled slightly.
“That's your name.”
“What do you call yourselves?”
She answered in a word
Jack couldn't make his mouth repeat.
Coley tried.
She shook her head.
Coley tried again.
Horace laughed.
“Quit while you're losing.”
Even the old woman smiled.
[RESONATOR: 5→6]
Jack:
“Benjamin sent us.”
Her smile disappeared.
“I know.”
[Verse 8]
[DREADNOUGHT + WOOD FLUTE]
“He stayed behind.”
“I know.”
“How?”
The woman looked toward Brayden.
Brayden said softly,
“I saw him in the snow.”
Jack swallowed.
“Dead?”
Brayden shook his head.
“Not yet.”
[PAUSE]
Nobody asked the next question.
The old woman stood.
“Eat.”
Jack:
“That's it?”
“For tonight.”
“But—”
She pointed toward his bedroll.
“Eat. Sleep. Ask tomorrow.”
Coley nudged Jack.
“Best orders we've had all month.”
[Final Refrain]
[WARMEST ARRANGEMENT | gentle 6/8]
Where the dead won't go,
Maybe living men can stay.
There's green beneath the winter
And warm water in the gray.
Got a brother back beside me.
Got a roof of pine and snow.
Don't know who these people are
[WOOD FLUTE: 1–2–4–5]
But the dead won't follow.
[RESONATOR: tiny ♭2→1]
That's enough tonight to know.
[Outro]
[DREADNOUGHT fingerpicked]
Jack stretched beside the fire.
Coat rolled underneath his head.
“Coley?”
“Yeah?”
“You think we're safe?”
Coley thought about it.
“Dead things won't come in.”
Jack:
“That wasn't what I asked.”
[PAUSE]
Coley:
“Go to sleep, Jack.”
From somewhere in the darkness:
Old woman:
“Good advice.”
Jack sits up.
“Where the hell is she?”
Horace:
“You'll get used to that.”
[WOOD FLUTE: 1–2–4–5–♭7]
[RESONATOR: soft 5→6]

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[INTRO — LIGHT FRONTIER 6/8 ~88 BPM | fingerpicked DREADNOUGHT: 1–3–5–6 | soft bass | brushed snare] [RESONATOR — distant 5→6 bend, then ♭2→1 | playful] [MALE BARITONE — tired, relieved] Verse 1 Fifty miles southwest from Benjamin, Maybe fifty-three. Coley quit pretending that he knew Where they ought to be. Snow got thin beneath the timber. Wind forgot to bite. Jack unbuttoned half his coat And said, “Well, that ain't right.” [RESONATOR: 5→6] Coley wiped his brow. “No.” Jack: “Complaining?” Coley: “Not yet.” Verse 2 [6/8 LIGHTENS | DREADNOUGHT fingerpicking] Pines stood black around a hollow. Green moss underneath. Water running clear and open. Mist rising with the heat. Snow lay deep beyond the tree line. Here the ground was soft. Jack knelt down and touched the water. “Warm.” Coley: “Don't drink it.” Jack: “Why?” “Because it's warm.” [RESONATOR: ♭2→1] Jack considered that. “Fair.” Where the dead won't go, Maybe living men can rest. Don't know why the creek ain't frozen. Don't intend to second-guess. Take the saddle off the horses. Let the coffee overflow. If the dead don't like this forest— [RESONATOR: 5→6] That's enough for me to know. Verse 3 Somebody shouted, “Jack Winter?” Jack spun halfway toward his gun. Man came laughing through the timber. “Easy, boy. Don't shoot someone.” Jack stared. “Horace?” “Last I checked.” Then Elena stepped behind him. And beside her— Small and thin, One hand resting on her shoulder— Brayden. [ALL DROP EXCEPT DREADNOUGHT] Jack: “Bray?” The boy smiled. “Took you long enough.” [RESONATOR — warm 5→6] Jack laughed so hard he nearly cried. Verse 4 [LIGHT 6/8 | brushed snare returns] “Fryes hit home.” “We know.” “We got it back.” “We don't.” “Sarah's alive.” Brayden: “I know.” Jack stopped. “What?” Horace cleared his throat. Elena suddenly found the coffee fascinating. Jack: “How?” Brayden shrugged. “Saw her.” Jack looked at Horace. Horace: “Coffee?” “No.” “Whiskey?” “Horace.” “Coffee it is.” [Instrumental] [DREADNOUGHT: 1–3–5–6] [LOW WOOD FLUTE enters: 1–2–4–5–♭7 | NO 3RD] [RESONATOR answers VERY SPARINGLY: ♭2→1] [WOOD FLUTE and RESONATOR] Verse 5 Brayden sat beside the water. Blind eyes turned toward the south. Said, “Three black birds beneath a storm.” [DISTANT TRUMPET: ♭5→5→6] Jack: “What birds?” Brayden didn't answer. Then: “Mara's sweeping.” Jack forgot to breathe. “Who?” “Mara.” [ONE DRY SHAMISEN PHRASE: 1–♭3–4–♭5→5→6] “She hears a bell.” Jack grabbed his shoulder. “Mara's alive?” Brayden frowned. “I think so.” Then smiled. “Sarah's moving little blocks.” [TELECASTER: 1–♭3–4–5 / 6→5] “Men keep arguing. She doesn't.” Jack slowly sat down. Bridge — North [METER LOOSENS | WOOD FLUTE: 1–2–4] Brayden's smile disappeared. Head turned north. Jack: “What?” No answer. “Bray?” “There's something behind the dead.” [RESONATOR: LOW ♭2] “What?” “I can't— They're— They're—” A woman's voice said: “Enough.” [ALL STOP] Verse 6 Nobody'd seen her sitting there. Maybe twenty feet away. Gray hair braided down her shoulder. Weathered face. No fear displayed. Three Crows reached toward their pistols. Coley's hand got halfway down. Jack saw black glass at her belt. “Easy.” Coley frowned. Not steel. Not iron. Obsidian— Knapped so fine the edge looked thinner than the light. Coley: “That's a knife?” Old woman looked at his revolver. Then at hers. “Mine works here.” [WOOD FLUTE: 1–2–4—] [NO RESOLUTION] Verse 7 [RETURN gentle 6/8] Jack asked, “Forest Folk?” She smiled slightly. “That's your name.” “What do you call yourselves?” She answered in a word Jack couldn't make his mouth repeat. Coley tried. She shook her head. Coley tried again. Horace laughed. “Quit while you're losing.” Even the old woman smiled. [RESONATOR: 5→6] Jack: “Benjamin sent us.” Her smile disappeared. “I know.” [Verse 8] [DREADNOUGHT + WOOD FLUTE] “He stayed behind.” “I know.” “How?” The woman looked toward Brayden. Brayden said softly, “I saw him in the snow.” Jack swallowed. “Dead?” Brayden shook his head. “Not yet.” [PAUSE] Nobody asked the next question. The old woman stood. “Eat.” Jack: “That's it?” “For tonight.” “But—” She pointed toward his bedroll. “Eat. Sleep. Ask tomorrow.” Coley nudged Jack. “Best orders we've had all month.” [Final Refrain] [WARMEST ARRANGEMENT | gentle 6/8] Where the dead won't go, Maybe living men can stay. There's green beneath the winter And warm water in the gray. Got a brother back beside me. Got a roof of pine and snow. Don't know who these people are [WOOD FLUTE: 1–2–4–5] But the dead won't follow. [RESONATOR: tiny ♭2→1] That's enough tonight to know. [Outro] [DREADNOUGHT fingerpicked] Jack stretched beside the fire. Coat rolled underneath his head. “Coley?” “Yeah?” “You think we're safe?” Coley thought about it. “Dead things won't come in.” Jack: “That wasn't what I asked.” [PAUSE] Coley: “Go to sleep, Jack.” From somewhere in the darkness: Old woman: “Good advice.” Jack sits up. “Where the hell is she?” Horace: “You'll get used to that.” [WOOD FLUTE: 1–2–4–5–♭7] [RESONATOR: soft 5→6]

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