This is the song for Baby Birch Oh I will never know you And at the back of what we've done There is that knowledge of you Well I wish we could take every path I could spend a hundred years adoring you Yes, I wish we could take every path because you know I hated to close the door on you Do you remember staring up at the stars So far away in their bulletproof cars? When we heard the rushing, slow intake Of the dark, dark water and the engine breaks And I said, "How about them engine breaks? And if I should die before I wake Will you keep an eye on Baby Birch? Because I'd hate to see her make the same mistake" When it was dark, I called and you came When it was dark, I saw shapes When I see stars, I feel in your hand And I see stars and I reel again Well mercy me, I'll be goddamned It's been a long, long time since I last saw you And I have never known the plan It's been a long, long time, how are you?
Your eyes are green, your hair is gold Your hair is black, your eyes are blue I closed the ranks, and I doubled back But, you know I hated to close the doggone door on you We take a walk along the dirty lake Hear the goose cussing at me over her eggs You poor little cousin, I don't want your dregs A little baby fussing over my legs There is a blacksmith and there is a shepherd and there is a butcher-boy And there is a barber, who's cutting and cutting away at my only joy I saw a rabbit as slick as a knife and as pale as a candlestick And I had thought it'd be harder to do but I caught her, and skinned her quick Held her there, kicking and mewling, upended, unspooling, unsung and blue Told her, "Wherever you go, little runaway bunny, I will find you" And then she ran as they're liable to do Be at peace baby and be gone Be at peace baby and be gone