THE SKY ABOVE THE MUD BELOW Tom Russell
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Two men rode in from the south, on a 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, The two men start to drinkin'
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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 one 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 poster’s on the wall
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Twin brothers name of Sandoval, horse thieves from Boquillas"
Now the bridle and the belts they wore were braided gray and black
The sky above and the mud below
The color of a roan horse once belonged to Deacon Black
The sky above and the mud below
The fastest horse for miles around, He'd been stolen from
the old fairground
A month ago outside of town. We tracked and never found him
Now the Deacon was a preacher who had fallen hard from grace
The sky above and the mud below
He owned the bar and a string of quarter horses that he'd race
The sky above and the mud below
Yea, Deacon he could drink and curse, though he still quoted sacred verse.
He was sheriff, judge; he owned the hearse, a man you did not anger.
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The sky above, the mud below,
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The wind and rain, the sleet and snow
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Two horse thieves from Mexico drinkin' hard and singin'
[ Tab from: https://www.guitartabs.cc/tabs/t/tom_russell_band/the_sky_above_the_mud_below_crd.html ]
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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, roan horse killed by leg-bone break.
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He's horsehair rope now; horse-meat steak, We cleaned him to the bone
Well these gentlemen they were ignorant or didn't know just where they were.
The sky above and the mud below
The Deacon's face grew darker as he measured every word.
The sky above and the mud below
"You horsehair braidin' sons of bitches stole my claim to earthly riches.
Someone go and dig a ditch, There may well be a hangin.”
One brother reached inside his shirt searching for his gun.
The sky above and the mud below.
Too late, for Deac had whirled around his sawed off Remington.
The sky above and the mud below
The twins, they raised their hands and sneered, Deac was
grinnin' ear to ear.
"Court's in session, hear ye hear, Yours truly is presidin'"
Well the trial commenced and ended quick, They didn't have a hope
The sky above and the mud below
Deac says "We'll cut your hair now boys and you can braid yourselves a rope"
The sky above and the mud below
"The Old Testament, it says somewhere 'Eye for eye and hair for hair
Covet not thy neighbors mare', I believe it's Revelation."
Now the fancy horsehair bridle, it hangs on Deacon's wall
The sky above and the mud below
Next to that wanted poster of the brothers Sandoval.
The sky above and the mud below
And the twisted rope so shiny black, the artifact that broke their necks,
Their craftsmanship he did respect, ‘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 in the first blue light
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light of morning.
[Best played in some sort of finger style with the thumb alternating base notes and the
occasional hammer on]
