Rock Salt and Nails

On the banks of the river, Bb F where the willows hang down F Am C Dm And the wild birds all warble Dm F with a low moaning sound F Am C Dm Down in the hollow, Dm F Where the waters run cold, Bb It was there I first listened F To the lies that you told Now I lay on my bed And I see your sweet face. The past I remeber, Time cannot erase. The letter you wrote me, It was written in shame. And I know that your conscience Still echoes my name. The nights are so long, And sorrow runs deep. And nothing is worse Than a night with out sleep. I'll walk out alone And look at the sky. Too empty to sing, Too lonesome to cry. If the ladies were blackbirds And the ladies were thrushes, I'd lie there for hours In the chilly, cold marshes. If the ladies were squirrels With a high bushy tail I'd fill up my shotgun With rock salt and nails. --- Rock Salt and Nails - Earl Scruggs