[Verse 1: Ominous Southern-gothic rap male MC, slow growled bars, heavy half-time drums, baritone guitar drone] Halloween night out back of Hollins Road Little Pruett girl in a witch hat never made it home Pillowcase of candy found by the culvert pipe Mama on the porch steps holding a porch light Deacon Royce from the fire hall took the map and the lead Forty of us lined up shoulder to shoulder in the reeds He said walk it slow and holler her name again Said I know these pines, I been hunting 'em since I was ten Somebody fetched old Bell and his bloodhound Judge Hound so old he gray at the muzzle and he walk with a grudge Gave him her sweater, let him bury his face And he went in them pines like he already knew the place [Hook: Ominous Southern-gothic rap male MC, heavy half-time drums, deep sub bass] Let the old dog lead, let the flashlights wait He keep circling back to the man at the gate You can laugh at his age, you can call him blind But the nose don't lie and the nose don't lie [Verse 2: Ominous Southern-gothic rap male MC, growled bars, baritone guitar drone] First time he come back, put his feet in the dirt Bayed at the Deacon, nose up on his shirt Men all laughing, said the dog's past due Said that nose been shot since before I was two Second time Judge went a mile through the pine Came back panting and stood in the front of the line Royce kicked at him, said get this mutt out my way And he wiped off his hands on the moss and the clay I was fifteen, holding a light at the end I seen Judge show his teeth to the man he call friend Every hollow we checked, every creek, every ditch That hound kept pointing at the man with the switch [Hook: Ominous Southern-gothic rap male MC, heavy half-time drums, deep sub bass] Let the old dog lead, let the flashlights wait He keep circling back to the man at the gate You can laugh at his age, you can call him blind But the nose don't lie and the nose don't lie [Verse 3: Ominous Southern-gothic rap male MC, baying guitar howl rises under every line, every word dragged hard] Three in the morning, and the line got thin Royce said we go home, start again at ten Said the girl probably wandered, said the river is high And he looked at me careful when he said goodbye Judge sat down in the road and he would not get up Just stared at the Deacon and the bed of his truck I ain't laughing no more, I ain't sleeping tonight I'm the kid at the end with the last good light [Final Hook: Ominous Southern-gothic rap male MC, heavy half-time drums, howl still pulling, raw full voice] Let the old dog lead, let the flashlights wait He keep circling back to the man at the gate You can laugh at his age, you can call him blind But the nose don't lie and the nose don't lie [End]
