Thistledown Tears

Take me down to the bottom land
 Good as any and we'll make our stand
 Hide our money in the bucket of the well
 Keep your head down low it's blowing like hell
 Reverend said it's a Judgement Day
 Land turned to dust where it used to be clay
 There's a darkness coming and it's well past dawn
 Roomful of candles and the lights all gone
 So don't cry your thistledown tears
 Blood and water both run clear
 The time to wrestle the angel is here
 And the night is quickly passing
 Hymn songs drumming the dusk of the rooms
 Glory go marching in the thread of a tune
 Light up your lanterns and lay down your cares
 Saint John he's riding the four white mares
 (Ref)
 Churchbells ringing in the pounding wind
 Ringing the dead men to rise up again
 There's dust comin' in at foot of the door
 The moon and the tide and the earthly shore
 The pull and the spin of a timed out reel
 Hearts made of flint and words made of steel
 The wind comes down off the Texas plain
 Abel's calling to raise up cane
 (Ref)
 The dawn rolls under the fenceline wires
 Oily and cold but breathing of fire
 The cock he's crowing the daylight of dreams
 For Judas and mercy and every in between
 For Judas and mercy and every in between