Iris DeMent - The Night I Learned How Not To Pray lyrics

I was laying on my belly in the middle of the living floor I was watching Howdy Doody so I'm guessing it was right around four When I saw my baby brother tumbling from the top of the stairs He was lying limp and silent and the blood was trickling through his shiny Hair When my mom saw my little brother she said you better run and get your dad And her voice was high and she was shaking so I knew that this was bad Well we stood out at the mailbox watching her and dad and brother drive Away And I didn't waste no time I got down on my knees right there and began to Pray Well I prayed into the evening, never even took the time to have a bite I was sure if I prayed hard enough that God would make it right We were at the kitchen table long past bedtime when we finally got that Call And I knew that it was over when my sister slammed that phone against the Wall That was the night I learned how not to pray God does what God wants to any way And I never did tell my mother, I kept it from my sisters and all my Brothers That was the night I learned how not to pray It was 41 years later when I took my brothers picture out of a box Hung it on the wall and sat across from him and I began to talk When the evening started I didn't know what I was going to say But before the night was over I told them all about how I learned not to Pray That was the night I learned how not to pray God does what God wants to any way And I never did tell my mother, I kept it from my sisters and all my Brothers That was the night I learned how not to pray