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The Ballad of Delbert & Bill

from Better Devil by Austin MacRae

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i.m. The Ward Brothers, Munsville, NY

lyrics

The Ballad of Delbert and Bill

i.m. The Ward Brothers, Munsville, NY

This is the ballad of Delbert and Bill
Two brothers who farmed in the Munsville hills
They were threadbare as scarecrows and stunk to high hell
But no one was offended by Delbert and Bill
No one was offended by Delbert and Bill

They’d fire up their Farmall and head on downtown
Get some butter and Wonderbread, then turn right back round
They labored like oxen on hardscrabble land
Did I mention they washed all their livestock by hand?
Did I mention they washed all their livestock by hand?

Now the troubles all started when Bill spat some blood
We feared that the good lord would take him for good
Old Delbert was shaken, and he babbled away
His eyes were all wild to see Bill in such pain
His eyes were all wild to see Bill in such pain

I was woken one morning with terrible news
Delbert stood crying, said “Billy ain’t movin’”
I called the authorities to come fetch ol’ Bill
When they looked at the body, they smelled mercy-kill
When they looked at the body, they smelled mercy-kill

Well the troopers poured in, and reporters did too
They pressed Delbert hard in the name of the truth
Connie Chung flew in next cause a neighbor had said
That Delbert and Bill enjoyed the same bed
Yeah Delbert and Bill enjoyed the same bed

Well a jury was called and the battle lines drawn
The doctor feared Delbert wouldn’t last long
How he shook like a leaf as he climbed to the stand
And his tremors they rippled all over this land
Yeah his tremors they rippled all over this land

So here ends the ballad of Delbert and Bill
With a not-guilty verdict, and a show of good will
We locals we showered Delbert with beer
And said that he’d shine for a million more years
Yeah we said that he’d shine for a million more years

Some folks say that Munsville gives them the chills
But I loved those poor boys like I love my own hills
Their farm is still standing but Delbert’s long dead
And the stars still deliberate up overhead
Yeah the stars still deliberate up overhead
Yeah the stars still deliberate up overhead

credits

from Better Devil, released July 1, 2019
Written by Austin MacRae
Recorded live at Electric Wilburland Studio in Newfield, NY
Engineered, mixed and mastered by Cass Medcalf

Austin MacRae: vocals, guitar
Devon MacRae: harmony vocals, guitar
Jen Cork: harmony vocals
Sophie MacRae: fiddle
Casey Widger: upright bass

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Austin MacRae Ithaca, New York

Austin MacRae is an Ithaca-based contemporary folk singer/songwriter.

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