The Sky Above And The Mud Below Lyrics - The Rose Of The San Joaquin - Tom Russell

Two men rode in from the south, a rainy autumn night 

The Sky above and the mud below 

They walked into the Deacon's bar, they were Mexican by sight 

The sky above and the mud below 

They threw a horsehair bridle down, we trade this for whiskey rounds 

The Deacon slams a bottle down, the two men start to drinkin' 

Their hair was long and black, tied up behind their ears 

Their faces were identical, like one man beside a mirror 

Then someone whispered that beats all, their wanted posters on the wall 

Twin brothers name of Sandoval, horse thieves from Boquillas 

Now the bridle and the belts they wore were braided gray and black 

The color of a roan horse once belonged to Deacon Black 

The fastest horse for miles around, he'd been stolen from the old fairground 

A month ago outside of town we tracked and never found him 

Now the Deacon was a preacher who had fallen hard from grace 

He owned the bar and a string of quarter horses that he'd race 

Yea, Deacon he could drink and curse, though he still quoted sacred verse 

He was sheriff, judge; he owned the hearse, a man you did not anger 

The sky above, the mud below, the wind and rain, the sleet and snow 

Two horse thieves from Mexico drinkin' hard and singin' 

One brother he spoke English, Deac inquires as to their work 

The man says mister we braid horsehair bridles, ropes and quirts 

Yea, that fine bridle we did make, a roan horse killed by leg-bone break 

He's horsehair rope now; horse-meat steak, we cleaned him to the bone 

Well these gentlemen they were ignorant or didn't know just where they were 

The Deacon's face grew darker as he measured every word 

You horsehair braidin' sons o' witches stole my claim to earthly riches 

Someone go and dig a ditch, there may well be a hangin' 

One brother reached inside his shirt searching for his gun 

Too late, for Deac had whipped around his sawed off Remington 

The twins, they raised their hands and sneered, Deac was grinnin' ear to ear 

He says court's in session, hear ye hear, yours truly is presidin' 

Well the trial commenced and ended quick they didn't have a hope 

Deac says we'll cut your hair now boys and you can braid yourselves a rope 

The Old Testament, it says somewhere eye for eye and hair for hair 

Covet not thy neighbors mare, I believe it's Revelations 

Now the fancy horsehair bridle, it hangs on Deacon's wall 

Next to that wanted poster of the brothers Sandoval 

And he twisted rope so shiny black, the artifact that broke their necks 

Their craftsmanship he did respect, they shoulda stuck to braidin' 

The sky above the mud below, the wind and rain, the sleet and snow 

The Deacon's hearse is rollin' slow in the first blue light of mornin'