• Song:

    Carolina Drama

  • Artist:

    The Raconteurs

  • Album:

    Consolers of the Lonely

A5
I'm not sure if there's a point to this story
        C5        G5        A5
But I'm going to tell it again
A5
So many other people try to tell the tale
    C5           G5         A5
Not one of them knows the end

         A5
It was a junk-house in South Carolina
       C5       G5      A5
Held a boy the age of ten
A5
Along with his older brother Billy
          C5          G5      A5
And their mother and her boyfriend
          D5
Who was a triple loser with some blue tattoos
D5
That were given to him when he was young
      A5
And a drunk temper that was easy to lose
          C5            G5      E5  A5
And thank god he didn't own a gun

A5
Well, Billy woke up in the back of his truck
       C5         G5        A5
Took a minute to open his eyes
A5
He took a peep into the back of the house
            C5       G5      A5
And found himself a big surprise
D5
He didn't see his brother but there was his mother
D5
With her red-headed head in her hands
          A5
While the boyfriend had his gloves wrapped around an old
C5                G5         E5   A5
Priest trying to choke the man

( C5  G5 E5 A5  F5 )
( A5     G5   F5 ) (2x)

A5
Billy looked up from the window to the truck
      C5              G5            A5
Threw up, and had to struggle to stand
A5
He saw that red-necked bastard with a hammer
         C5             G5          A5
Turn the priest into a shell of a man
D5
The priest was putting up the fight of his life
D5
But he was old and he was bound to lose
    A5
The boyfriend hit as hard as he could
                C5           G5            E5   A5
And knocked the priest right down to his shoes

A5
Well, now Billy knew but never actually met
    C5              G5            A5
The preacher lying there in the room
A5
He heard himself say, "That must be my daddy"
        C5                G5     A5
Then he knew what he was gonna do
D5
Billy got up enough courage, took it up
D5
And grabbed the first blunt thing he could find
         A5
It was a cold, glass bottle of milk
           C5             G5          E5   A5
That got delivered every morning at nine

( C5  G5 E5 G5  F5 )
( A5     G5   F5 )
( A5     G5   F5  E5 )

A5
Billy broke in and saw the blood on the floor, and
A5
He turned around and put the lock on the door
D5
He looked dead into the boyfriend's eye
    E5
His mother was a ghost, too upset to cry, then

A5
He took a step toward the man on the ground
A5
From his mouth trickled out a little audible sound
D5
He heard the boyfriend shout, "Get out!"
          E5
And Billy said, "Not till I know what this is all about"

A5
"Well, this preacher here was attacking your mama"
A5
But Billy knew just who was starting the drama
D5
So Billy took dead aim at his face
               E5
And smashed the bottle on the man who left his dad in disgrace, and

A5
The white milk dripped down with the blood, and the
A5
Boyfriend fell down dead for good
      D5
Right next to the preacher who was gasping for air
          E5
And Billy shouted, "Daddy, why'd you have to come back here?"

A5
His mama reached behind the sugar and honey, and
A5
Pulled out an envelope filled with money
      D5
"Your daddy gave us this," she collapsed in tears
 E5
"He's been paying all the bills for years"

A5
"Mama, let's put this body underneath the trees
A5
and put Daddy in the truck and head to Tennessee"
D5
Just then, his little brother came in
            E5
Holding the milk man's hat and a bottle of gin singing,

A5
Well now you heard another side to the story
        C5          G5      A5
But you wanna know how it ends?
A5
If you must know, the truth about the tale
C5      G5       A5
Go and ask the milkman
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