[Intro] epitome of doom works for no false bug logic that ever existed persistence carries berries resistance subsistence existence metaphorically I am picking berries at two in the morning two in the morning two in the morning again by the blackberry brush mud on my hem seed on my tongue mud on my hem seed on my tongue we say it low but the pines still shake we say it twice so the lie don’t take we say it low we say it twice we say it low we say it twice [Verse 1] don’t kneel don’t kneel we bend for the fruit not for the fallen ones don’t kneel don’t kneel we bend for the fruit not for the fallen ones thorn in my thumb juice in the cut suck blood and laugh keep moving County Road 8 somewhere behind us County Road 8 somewhere behind us County Road 8 somewhere behind us now owl in the cedar not minding much owl in the cedar not minding much and that feels right and that feels right and that feels more right than half the things said in daylight [Pre-Chorus] carry it through carry it through red on the palm black under the nail carry it through carry it through red on the palm black under the nail no false names no false mouth no dead words in the dark of the south [Chorus] no false names will we shout no false mouth to talk about no dead words tonight not in this dark not in this south no false names will we shout no false mouth to talk about no dead words tonight not in this dark not in this south [Verse 2] persistence carries berries we carry the pail we carry the children we carry the hell up to heaven up to heaven up to heaven somehow wet leaf iron taste crushed enemies under the boot wet leaf iron taste crushed enemies under the boot somebody laughs at the blackberry bush somebody laughs at the blackberry bush grab a couple light bugs toss them in the jar blink on and off blink on and off blink on and off like a tiny little signal that means keep going [Bridge] count us wrong and we still count up one for the hand and one for the hush one for the ones not here by the bramble one for the branch that still won’t break count us wrong and we still count up one for the hand and one for the hush one for the ones not here by the bramble one for the branch that still won’t break we said don’t kneel but look at us now down in the roots with our backs bent hard picking what’s left before day can spoil it picking what’s left before somebody else names it and that’s the whole thing that’s the whole thing that’s the whole thing isn’t it they name it wrong from far away we know it true by the stain it leaves [Final Chant] epitome of doom works for no false bug logic that ever existed persistence carries berries resistance subsistence existence epitome of doom works for no false bug logic that ever existed persistence carries berries resistance subsistence existence metaphorically I carry it through through briar and burr through whatever they called us at noon metaphorically I carry it through through briar and burr through whatever they called us at noon we know the bush by the stain it leaves we know the truth by the blue-black bloom we know the bush by the stain it leaves we know the truth by the blue-black bloom [Outro] four in the morning and the buckets lean full someone wipes their hands on a flannel shirt thorn snapped off in the pad of a finger moon on the berries not saying a word moon on the berries not saying a word moon on the berries not saying a wordbut look at us now down in the roots with our backs bent hard picking what’s left before day can spoil it breath going white in the dark [Final Chant] epitome of doom works for no false bug logic that ever existed persistence carries berries resistance Subsistence existence metaphorically I carry it through through briar and burr through whatever they called us at noon we know the bush by the stain it leaves we know the truth by the blue-black bloom [Outro] 4 a.m. and the buckets lean full someone wipes their hands on a flannel shirt thorn snapped off in the pad of a finger moon on the berries not saying a word
