The Armadillo Jackal Lyrics - Robert Earl Keen

The evening sun was sinkin' down, a chill north wind a-blows 

The new-plowed ground was coolin' fast, the river rolls and flows 

Beneath the two-lane concrete river bridge between my place and town 

On that hot-bed Farm to Market road they call 1291 

I'm sayin' son you'll see me searchin', sizzlin' down that broad hiway 

Dollar signs in both my eyes, I'm seekin' out my prey I'm prayin' 

"Jesus, will you send me just another three or four?" 

They pay two-fifty down in Halletsville, 3 dollars, maybe more. 

And more than likely they'll be out tonight a-wanderin' from the farms, 

Waddlin' down 1291 to keep their bodies warm. 

I'm talking walkin' belts and neckties, and boots for rodeo, 

They don't run too fast, don't waste much gas. 

I'm makin' lots o'dough. 

The armadillo, oh, oh, oh 

The armadillo, oh, oh, oh 

The armadillo 

Never sees me when I hit him with my brights. 

His life don't flash 

Before his eyes, he's blinded by my lights 

and so I hit him with my 

Bumper doin' sixty, sixty-five, 

they take 'em frozen down in Halletsville 

They don't take 'em alive. 

The jackal cried 

The jackal cried 

The jackal cried, 

"Look there's two of 

Them a-walkin' down the line. 

I can't believe my luck tonight this here 

Makes twenty-nine!" 

And so he rolled the first one runnin'. 

The second was too fast. 

His breaks and laughter squealin' as he stomped down on the gas. 

Good-God, his car was sideways flyin', 

when the bridge wall met his door. 

The impact shook the river bed his foot went through the floor 

Forevermore 

Forevermore 

Forevermore was his last moment from the bridge wall to the stream, from 

The speckled blood around his smile a-spewin' gasoline. 

And then he screamed his raspy epitaph, before he turned to flame, 

"They pay two-fifty down in Halletsville 

I ain't the one to blame" 

Ain't it a shame 

The jackal cried 

The armadillo 

The armadillo