[Verse 1: North Mississippi blues male lead, low moan over a hypnotic one-chord guitar riff] Well, the church throws Halloween down in the basement every fall Chili on the folding tables, paper bats along the wall And back behind the boiler there's a barrel by itself Old black oak from the cider mill, a chalk board on the shelf Got the names of all the champions who ever bobbed it right Thirty names in yellow chalk, Lord, and they all say the same tonight Next to every single name, it says "still in" in faded white And I'm twelve and I'm the loudest, and I'm itchin' for a fight [Pre-Hook: North Mississippi blues male lead, mmm, the riff tightening] Mama always said, "Mmm, Junior, you don't ever take a breath" Preacher said I'd run my mouth until I talked myself to death [Hook: North Mississippi blues male lead, full band, pounding] Come up for air, boy, come up for air Ain't an apple in the county worth the stayin' down there Every champion on that chalk board went for glory, held his breath Never came up for air, Lord, and they're holdin' it yet [Verse 2: North Mississippi blues male lead, the riff going murky and deep] So I hand my cape to Deacon and I grip the barrel rim Put my face down in the cider and it's colder than a hymn And the barrel ain't got a bottom, it just goes, and goes, and goes Past the basement, past the red clay, past the place where nobody knows And there's faces in the cider, kids in haircuts from before Cowlicks, pigtails, Sunday collars, maybe twenty, maybe more Every one is holdin' apples and they wave me in like peers With their cheeks puffed like a bullfrog on a breath they held for years [Hook: North Mississippi blues male lead, full band, pounding] Come up for air, boy, come up for air Ain't an apple in the county worth the stayin' down there Every champion on that chalk board went for glory, held his breath Never came up for air, Lord, and they're holdin' it yet [Verse 3: North Mississippi blues male lead, apple crunch, one huge crunch on the downbeat as he bites, then the full band slams back] Little girl with a ribbon says, "Stay down, you'll be the best" Says nobody ever beat 'em, and she taps upon her chest But my lungs are bangin' on me like a fist upon a door And I hear my mama hollerin' my name across the floor So I bite the biggest apple, crunch, and kick off of the deep Come up hollerin' and spittin' while the church ladies weep Now they chalk me with the champions, the newest in the line They're still down there holdin' it, but I came up, and I'm fine [Final Hook: North Mississippi blues male lead, full band, pounding, the riff grinding] Come up for air, boy, come up for air Ain't an apple in the county worth the stayin' down there Every champion on that chalk board went for glory, held his breath Never came up for air, Lord, and they're holdin' it yet [Outro: North Mississippi blues male lead, low moan over the riff] Well, Deacon, nail a lid on it Mmm, and I'm still talkin' [End]
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