[Verse 1: Chris Knight]
It got so hot last night, I swear
You couldn't hardly breathe
Heat lightning burned the sky like alcohol
I sat on the porch without my shoes
And I watched the car roll by
As the headlights raced
To the corner of the kitchen wall

[Chorus: Chris Knight and John Prine]
Mother, dear, your boy is here far across the sea
Waiting for that sacred coal that burns inside of me
I feel a storm, all wet and warm, not ten miles away
Approaching my Mexican home

[Verse 2: Chris Knight & John Prine]
My God, I cried, it's so hot inside
You could die in the living room
Take the fan from the window
Prop the door back with a broom
The cuckoo clock has died of shock
The windows feel no pane
The air's as still as the throttle on a funeral train

[Chorus: John Prine]
Mama, dear, your boy is here far across the sea
Waiting for that sacred coal that burns inside of me
I feel a storm, all wet and warm, not ten miles away
Approaching my Mexican home
[Verse 3: John Prine]
My father died on the porch outside
On an August afternoon
I sipped bourbon and cried with a friend
By the light of the moon
So it's, Hurry! Hurry! Step right up!
It's a matter of life or death
The sun's going down
And the moon is just holding its breath

[Chorus: Chris Knight and John Prine]
Mother, dear, your boy is here far across the sea
Waiting for that sacred coal that burns inside of me
I feel a storm, all wet and warm, not ten miles away
Approaching my Mexican home
Approaching my Mexican home