I once loved a soldier
His family gunned down in the woods
He stared out from a blanket and died
And I took down the words
I took down the words

The essence of flowers at war
Alone with the progress of man
A runaway pancake a nosebleed
A sewing machine on the land
A sewing machine on the land

With snowkissed window sills
And a newspaper wet with rain
I think on the day that I met you
Never to come again
Never to come again

Oh, brother I smell lightning
Sisters in the rye
When they need water
The leaves learn to claw the sky
Leaves learn to claw the sky

Crossed factory lots and cornfields
The cities dark with light
Where knife bearing phantoms found me
I couldn't put up a fight
I couldn't put up a fight
So now I grow checkerboard tulips
Neath a rusted out weathervane
And peer through overhill spires
Lest you follow a friend
Lest you follow a friend

The frogs will grow silent with bootfall
My hound he will groan low
With vision adjusted to velvet
If you come around I'll know
You come around I'll know

Oh, brother I smell lightning
Sisters in the rye
When they need water
The leaves learn to claw the sky
Leaves learn to claw the sky