I plugged 16 shells from a thirty-ought-six
And a black crow snuck through a hole in the sky
So I spent all my buttons on an old pack mule
And I made me a ladder from a pawn shop marimba
And I leaned it up against a dandelion tree
Leaned it up against a dandelion tree
Leaned it up against a dandelion tree

I'm gonna whittle you into kindlin'
16 shells from a thirty-ought-six
Whittle you into kindlin'
16 shells from a thirty-ought-six

Well I slept in the holler of a dry creek bed
And I tore out the buckets from a red Corvette
Tore out the buckets from a red Corvette
Lionel and Dave and the Butcher made three
You got to meet me by the knuckles of the skinnybone tree
With the strings of a Washburn stretched like a clothes line
You know me and that mule scrambled right through the hole
Me and that mule scrambled right through the hole

I'm gonna whittle you into kindlin'
16 shells from a thirty-ought-six
Whittle you into kindlin'
16 shells from a thirty-ought-six
I'm gonna whittle you into kindlin'
16 shells from a thirty-ought-six
Whittle you into kindlin'
16 shells from a thirty-ought-six

Now I hold him prisoner in a Washburn jail
That I strapped on the back of my old kick mule
Strapped it on the back of my old kick mule
Bang on the strings driving them all crazy
I'm gonna strum it loud, gonna strum it loud
I'm gonna strum it loud baby, yeah gotta strum it loud
Strum it loud, strum it loud, strum it loud

I'm gonna whittle you into kindlin'
16 shells from a thirty-ought-six
Whittle you into kindlin'
16 shells from a thirty-ought-six
16 shells, 16 shells, 16 shells