The Dust Witch

Gothic punk with post-punk art rock, psychobilly and crooked Americana; dirty electric guitar, melodic bass, primitive drums, distorted piano and brief tremolo guitar; low male storyteller in conversational verses that break into ragged melodic hooks, using the user's own recorded voice; raw garage production with jagged dynamics; nervous, punchy pulse

[Intro — wind across empty ground, one low guitar note]

Oooooo...

[Male lead, low and distant]

She comes when the moon is thin
She comes when the town goes still
No footsteps in the dust
No shadow on the hill

[Verse 1]
They call her the Dust Witch
But the desert knows her name
She wears the night like a widow
She walks inside the rain

Her eyes are covered in white
Her hands are cold as stone
She can hear a heartbeat
From a mile away alone

She knows the sound of a secret
She knows the weight of a lie
She knows which dreams you're keeping
And which ones want to die

[Chorus]
Oh, Dust Witch
Howl into the night
Dust Witch
Sing without your eyes

Tell me what the darkness knows
Tell me what the darkness hides
Oh, Dust Witch
Don't leave me here tonight

[Verse 2]
She sleeps beneath the crossroads
Where the dead grass bends and breaks
She drinks the heat from summer
She feeds on what fear makes

A child once asked her
"Can you see the stars?"

She touched his face so gently
And whispered, "They're where you are."

Then she turned toward the town
Though she couldn't see the road

And every porch light flickered
As if the whole town knew

[Chorus]
Oh, Dust Witch
Howl into the night
Dust Witch
Sing without your eyes

Tell me what the darkness knows
Tell me what the darkness hides
Oh, Dust Witch
Don't leave me here tonight

[Instrumental — slow guitar, distant coyote-like vocal]

[Verse 3]
She heard a little boy crying
Three streets beyond the square
She followed his breathing
Through the cold October air

She found him by the window
Staring into the dark

He said, "There's something outside."

She said, "I know."

[Pause]

"Don't look."

She laid her hand upon him
And felt his heart beat fast

Then something in the darkness
Called her by her past

Her face became a question
Her body became still

She whispered—

"I remember."

And the whole night went cold.

[Bridge — nearly whispered]
Some women carry children
Some women carry scars
Some women carry curses
Like other women carry hearts

Maybe she was born wicked
Maybe she was born afraid
Maybe somebody loved her once
Maybe somebody stayed

Maybe every monster
Was somebody's little girl

Before the dust came down.

Before the world went blind.

[Chorus — larger, mournful]
Oh, Dust Witch
Howl into the night
Dust Witch
Sing without your eyes

Tell me what the darkness knows
Tell me what the darkness hides
Oh, Dust Witch
Don't leave me here tonight

[Outro — voice increasingly distant]

She walks beyond the houses
Where the telephone wires hum

She walks beneath the moonlight
Though she cannot see the sun

And somewhere past the railroad
Where the dry weeds twist and sway

A coyote starts to calling.

She answers from far away.

[Wordless howl]

Oooooo...

[Male lead, almost inaudible]

Dust Witch...

[Second distant howl]

Oooooo...

[Silence]

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[Intro — wind across empty ground, one low guitar note] Oooooo... [Male lead, low and distant] She comes when the moon is thin She comes when the town goes still No footsteps in the dust No shadow on the hill [Verse 1] They call her the Dust Witch But the desert knows her name She wears the night like a widow She walks inside the rain Her eyes are covered in white Her hands are cold as stone She can hear a heartbeat From a mile away alone She knows the sound of a secret She knows the weight of a lie She knows which dreams you're keeping And which ones want to die [Chorus] Oh, Dust Witch Howl into the night Dust Witch Sing without your eyes Tell me what the darkness knows Tell me what the darkness hides Oh, Dust Witch Don't leave me here tonight [Verse 2] She sleeps beneath the crossroads Where the dead grass bends and breaks She drinks the heat from summer She feeds on what fear makes A child once asked her "Can you see the stars?" She touched his face so gently And whispered, "They're where you are." Then she turned toward the town Though she couldn't see the road And every porch light flickered As if the whole town knew [Chorus] Oh, Dust Witch Howl into the night Dust Witch Sing without your eyes Tell me what the darkness knows Tell me what the darkness hides Oh, Dust Witch Don't leave me here tonight [Instrumental — slow guitar, distant coyote-like vocal] [Verse 3] She heard a little boy crying Three streets beyond the square She followed his breathing Through the cold October air She found him by the window Staring into the dark He said, "There's something outside." She said, "I know." [Pause] "Don't look." She laid her hand upon him And felt his heart beat fast Then something in the darkness Called her by her past Her face became a question Her body became still She whispered— "I remember." And the whole night went cold. [Bridge — nearly whispered] Some women carry children Some women carry scars Some women carry curses Like other women carry hearts Maybe she was born wicked Maybe she was born afraid Maybe somebody loved her once Maybe somebody stayed Maybe every monster Was somebody's little girl Before the dust came down. Before the world went blind. [Chorus — larger, mournful] Oh, Dust Witch Howl into the night Dust Witch Sing without your eyes Tell me what the darkness knows Tell me what the darkness hides Oh, Dust Witch Don't leave me here tonight [Outro — voice increasingly distant] She walks beyond the houses Where the telephone wires hum She walks beneath the moonlight Though she cannot see the sun And somewhere past the railroad Where the dry weeds twist and sway A coyote starts to calling. She answers from far away. [Wordless howl] Oooooo... [Male lead, almost inaudible] Dust Witch... Dust Witch... [Second distant howl] Oooooo... [Silence]

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