[Verse 1] I was locked up in Pinejaw for torchin’ the sheriff’s shed Moonshine fire lit the sky, now I sleep in a concrete bed Warden said I’d rot here, but I had a plan in mind And a dog named Hickory howled every time the north gate aligned [Verse 2] Hickory wasn’t no bloodhound, just a stray with a busted ear But he’d play that old harmonica when the coast was clear He’d sit by the garden fence, blowin’ blues through the wire And I knew when he hit that high note, it was time to light the fire [Chorus] Hickory Hollow, where the shadows run deep Where a dog plays tunes and secrets don’t sleep I rode out on rhythm, with a banjo for a blade And Hickory’s howl was the call that I obeyed [Verse 3] I carved a decoy banjo from a busted prison chair Stuffed it full of gravel, left it sittin’ there Guards heard the clatter, ran toward the sound While I slipped through the garden, low to the ground [Verse 4] Hickory led the way, tail high like a rebel flag Through swamp and pine, past the warden’s old shack We hit the highway runnin’, harmonica in hand Now we play outlaw lullabies across this broken land [Chorus] Hickory Hollow, where the shadows run deep Where a dog plays tunes and secrets don’t sleep I rode out on rhythm, with a banjo for a blade And Hickory’s howl was the call that I obeyed [Bridge] Some say he’s magic, some say he’s cursed But I say he’s freedom in a harmonica verse If you hear him playin’ near the county line Best keep movin’—he’s already read your mind [Final Chorus] Hickory Hollow, where the legends are born Where a dog and a convict broke every norm We ride on rhythm, with fire in our veins And Hickory’s howl still echoes through the chains
