See the father's barn burning Watch as the flames Illuminate the sky See the boy who set the fire Watch the barn burning In his eyes in his eyes Hear the cattle calling out Into the night They crowd against the fence Until it breaks And as it breaks The arson shakes Know that it's life And nothing more See the boy obey the father Stuffing the crying Kittens in a sack Hear the father curse the boy And whip him with a switch Across the back across the back See them standing on The bridge at twilight They tie it to a rock And let it go And through the tears It disappears And now he knows It's life and nothing more And through the tears It disappears The path is cut the way is clear It's up the stairs And through the door He finds the matches in a drawer Into the barn he lights the hay It catches quick Can't find his way Through the burning ash And blinding smoke He stumbles and begins to choke A just reward a settled score And now he knows It's life and nothing more