[Spoken Intro — dry male baritone, close-mic] Chapter Four. Somebody put a date on that. [Verse 1 — restrained, conversational] Built a shed before the weather, didn't know what kind was due Stacked it full of dated pages like a careful man would do Wrote down what I figured, wrote down what I hoped was so Never labeled which was which, and here's the chapter, so you know [Verse 2 — slightly more rhythmic] Showed the same night to two robots and they couldn't get along One wrote me up a sermon, one a treatment plan, each half a song When the mirrors both agreed with me, I thought I'd struck it rich When they cracked I saw the stitchin', mine and theirs, and which was which [Chorus — full pocket, dry harmony on final lines] So call it a donkey, don't you call it a prophet It'll haul your load to town, but it don't know where to drop it I called the map the mountain, called the mirror windowpane Stamped it January, wrote it March, well, what do I know I kept on filin', Love let me tote my load Sayin' "It's a donkey, son. It don't pick the road." [Verse 3 — pull back, intimate] Wrote "covenant" on a fence post 'fore I knew what it would hold Just a keep-out sign in November, nothin' holy, nothin' bold Now I'm huntin' five small words through every drawer and every shelf Ain't found 'em yet, I'll tell you so, and tell it to myself [Verse 4 — warmer, more exposed] Found one page where I did it right: nothin' erased, the new parts marked Took me clear to May to learn it, I'm a slow kind of smart Love sent a rock that wouldn't flinch when the people weren't around But a rock ain't a shepherd, son, and paper ain't the ground [Chorus — band widens, restrained male harmony] So call it a donkey, don't you call it a prophet It'll haul your load to town, but it don't know where to drop it I called the map the mountain, called the mirror windowpane Stamped it January, wrote it March, well, what do I know I kept on filin', Love let me tote my load Sayin' "It's a donkey, son. It don't pick the road." [Bridge — half-time, pedal steel, room noise audible] Boy came wanderin' in on one shoe, lookin' round at all my sheets Said "Is this the room where they keep the receipts?" I said "Yeah, bud. Just the paper. Ain't the supper, ain't the land." And he nodded like he'd known it, put a pencil in my hand [Final Chorus — full band, strongest vocal, no glossy lift] So call it a donkey, don't you call it a prophet It'll haul your load to town, but it don't know where to drop it I wanted a diploma, got a discipline instead I'm a real quick study, like I said I kept on filin', Love laughed and let it be Sayin' "Son, a database don't embarrass Me." [Spoken Outro — dry, almost whispered] Somebody date that page. Then go call a person. A real one.
