[Intro – guitar fingerpicking] (soft humming from Rose begins) Hmmmmm… Hmmmmmmm… Well now… Pull up a chair a minute Let that guitar breathe I’ve got a little story to tell you [Verse 1] It was Halloween morning Nineteen ninety-nine Up in Athens, Ohio Where the hills roll slow in time There was a basket on a doorstep At Widow’s Gate that day Inside a slice of apple pie With one small bite away [Rose humming softly] Hmmmmm… hmmmmm… [Verse 2] Now anybody in that town Could tell you right away That little bite of apple pie Belonged to Rose, they’d say Red hair like autumn fire Blue eyes shining bright And when that girl starts singing Lord she fills the morning light But that morning she was missing Now where could that child be [Rose humming grows slightly louder] Hmmmmmm… [Verse 3] Now Rose she loved the river And the humming railroad line She’d match her voice to iron rails Like a little symphony in time And I knew right where to find her Down where the water flows Under that bridge near Mount Vernon Where the quiet river goes [Bridge] Now you see… Rose ain’t like other children But we’ll get to that later… Yes sir… We’ll get to that later [Rose humming with guitar melody] Hmmmmm… hmmmmm… [Verse 4] I saw that green pendant glowing Soft beneath the bridge Like it knew she’d been up to mischief Hiding on that ridge I leaned down through the railing Called her name real slow “Rose… I know you’re down there Girl you can come on home” Then I heard that little giggle Echo through the stone [Instrumental – guitar + humming] Hmmmmmm… hmmmmm… [Verse 5] Then the rails began humming Far across the hills That deep old sound of thunder Rolling soft and still And Rose began humming with it Like she always does Like the train and that little girl Were speaking just because [Final Verse] Now my name’s Mr. Otis Been playing blues all my life And I’ve got a tale to tell you About joy and pain and strife It’s about a town called Monkey Hollow Though the maps say it ain’t there But I’m gonna tell that story If you’ve got time to spare [Outro] Now Rose… She’s a child of the Lantern But we’ll get to that later Yes sir… We will get to that later [Rose humming fades] Hmmmmm… Hmmmmmm… (guitar slowly fades out)
