[Intro: raspy Southern drawl male rapper, slow, over a tolling bell and pipe organ] Hey now, little cowboy, hold up, little witch Y'all can keep the candy, come on over by the ditch [Verse 1: raspy Southern drawl male rapper, heavy half-time drums] Y'all done Juniper and Locust, and them pillowcases sag Now you're starin' down the dead end like it owes you for the bag See that porch that's leanin' sideways, see the window with the tape That's the one the grown folks drive past and won't look in the face Man who lives there keeps a hatchet hangin' by the kitchen door Keeps a shovel in the bathtub, keeps a padlock on the floor Ain't no truck out in the driveway, ain't no name upon the box Every fall, one kid goes knockin', and his mama's still on watch He don't rake, he don't wave, he don't take the paper in And the shed out back is humming like a fly behind your skin [Hook: raspy Southern drawl male rapper, pipe organ hits on every line] Not that house, child, not that house Hold your sister's hand and keep the candy in your mouth Not that house, child, don't you walk up there and knock 'Cause the man who lives in that one ain't been home since six o'clock [Verse 2: raspy Southern drawl male rapper, the organ getting heavier] Folks say Tommy Kale went up there on a dare in second grade And all they ever found was one red sneaker by the gate Sheriff walked it twice, the second time he came back gray Turned his badge in on a Monday, took his trailer far away Y'all can laugh, and y'all can dare each other, y'all can act real tough Tommy Kale was tough as nails, and tough was not enough Ain't no ghost up in that house, a ghost at least would stay at home What lives there likes to take a walk on Halloween alone [Hook: raspy Southern drawl male rapper, pipe organ hits on every line] Not that house, child, not that house Hold your sister's hand and keep the candy in your mouth Not that house, child, don't you walk up there and knock 'Cause the man who lives in that one ain't been home since six o'clock [Verse 3: raspy Southern drawl male rapper, closer, the pronoun turn from he to I] See, he don't sit in there and wait for little ones to ring He puts his Sunday coat on, and he goes out visitin' Walks right up like a neighbor, says, "Y'all lost?" and grins a bit Says, "Not that house, come here, let me tell you all of it" Then I tell it nice and slow, the hatchet and the gate And I walk y'all down the hill, and nobody's runnin' late 'Cause I ain't been in that house tonight, I left at six o'clock I been standin' on this corner since the first kid hit the block And look at that, y'all took my hand, and nobody screamed or ran Nobody ever runs from the man who warns you 'bout the man [Outro: raspy Southern drawl male rapper, just the organ and the drums, slow and close] Not that house, child, that house never hurt a soul It's the man who walked you home, and he ain't walkin' you home [End]
