THE SKY ABOVE THE MUD BELOW
Best with a Travis style pick
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Two men rode in from the south, one rainy autumn night
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The Sky above and the mud below
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They walked into the Deacon's bar, they were Mexican by sight
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The sky above and the mud below
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They threw a horsehair bridle down, We trade this for whiskey rounds.
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The Deacon slams a bottle down,
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The two men start to Drink in'
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Their hair was long and black, tied up behind their ears
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The sky above and the mud below
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Their faces were identical, like a man beside a mirror
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The sky above and the mud below
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Then someone whispered "That beats all, their wanted posters on the wall
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Twin brothers name of Sandoval,
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horse thieves from Boquillas"
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Now the bridle and the belts they wore were braided gray and black
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The sky above and the mud below
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The color of a roan horse once belonged to Deacon Black
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The sky above and the mud below
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The fastest horse for miles around, He'd been stolen from the old fairground
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a month ago outside of town
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We tracked and never found him
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Now the Deacon was a preacher who had fallen hard from grace
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The sky above and the mud below
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He owned the bar and a string of quarter horses that he'd race
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The sky above and the mud below
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Yea, Deacon he could drink and curse, though he still quoted sacred verse
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He was sheriff, judge; he owned the hearse,
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man you did not anger
Bridge -
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The sky above, the mud below, The wind and rain, The sleet and snow
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Two horse thieves from Mexico drinkin' hard and singin'
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One brother he spoke English, Deac inquires as to their work
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The sky above and the mud below
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The man says "Mister we braid horsehair bridles, ropes and Quirts
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The sky above and the mud below
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Yea, that fine bridle we did make, A roan horse killed by leg bone break
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He's horsehair rope now; horse-meat steak,
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We cleaned him to the bone
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Well these gentlemen they were ignorant or didn't know just where they were
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The sky above and the mud below
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The Deacon's face grew darker as he measured every word
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The sky above and the mud below
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"You horsehair braidin' sons of bitches stole my claim to earthly riches.
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Someone go and dig a ditch,
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There may well be a hangin'
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One brother reached inside his shirt searching for his gun
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The sky above and the mud below
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Too late, for Deac had whipped around his sawed off Remington
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The sky above and the mud below
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The twins, they raised their hands and sneered, Deac was grinnin' ear to ear
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He says "Court's in session, hear ye hear,
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Yours truly is presidin'"
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Well the trial commenced and ended quick, They didn't have a Hope
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The sky above and the mud below
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Deac says "We'll cut your hair now boys and you can braid yourselves a rope"
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The sky above and the mud below
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The Old Testament, it says somewhere 'Eye for eye and hair for hair
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Covet not thy neighbors mare',
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I believe it's Revelations
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Now the fancy horsehair bridle, it hangs on Deacon's wall
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The sky above and the mud below
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Next to that wanted poster of the brothers Sandoval
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The sky above and the mud below
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And the twisted rope so shiny black, The artifact that broke their necks
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Their craftsmanship he did respect,
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They shoulda stuck to braidin'
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The sky above, the mud below, The wind and rain, The sleet and snow
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The Deacon's hearse is rollin' slow
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in the first blue light of morning
