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Whistling Past The Graveyard, by Tom Waits. (Covered by Screamin’ Jay Hawkins)

“Well I come in on a night train
with an arm full of box cars
on the wings of a magpie
cross a hooligan night
and I busted up a chifforobe
way out by the cocomo
cooked up a mess a mulligan
and got into a fight.

Whistlin’ past the graveyard
steppin’ on a crack
i’m a mean motherhubbard
papa one eyes jack.

You probably seen me sleepin’
out by the railroad tracks
go on and ask the prince of darkness
what about all thet smoke
come from the stack
sometimes I kill myself a jackel
suck out all the blood
steal myself a stationwagon
drivin’ through the mud
whistlin’ past the graveyard
steppin’ on a crack
I’m mean motherhubbard
papa one-eyed jack.

I know you seen my headlights
and the honkin’ of my horn
I’m callin’ out my bloodhounds
chase the devil through the corn
last night I chugged the mississippi
now that suckers dry as a bone
born in a taxi cab
I’m never comin’ home

whistlin’ past the graveyard
steppin’ on a crack
I’m mean motherhubbard
papa one eyed jack

myeyes have seen the glory
of the drainin’ og the ditch
Ionly come to baton rouge
to find myself a witch
I’m-mona snatch me up a
couple of em every time itrains
you see a locomotive
probably thinkin’ its a train

whistlin’ past the graveyard
steppin’ on a crack
I’m a mean motherhubbard
papa one eyed jack.

what you think is the sunshine
is just a twinkle in my eye
that ring around my fingers
just the 4th of july
when I get a little bit lonesome
and a tear falls from my check
theres gonna be an ocean in
the middle of the week.

whistlin’ past the graveyard
steppin’ on a crack
i’m mean motherhubbard
papa one eyed jack

I rode into town on a night train
with an arm full of box cars
on the wings of a magpie
cross a hooligan night
i’m-ona tear me off a rainbow
and wear it for a tie
I never told the truth
so I can never tell a lie

whistlin’ past the graveyard
steppin’ on a crack
I’m mean motherhubbard
papa one eyed jack.