Live Oak

There's a man who walks beside me 
It is who I used to be 
And I wonder if she sees him 
and confuses him with me 
And I wonder who she's pinin' for 
on nights I'm not around 
Could it be the man who did the things 
I'm living now ? 
I was rougher than a timber 
shippin' out of Fond du Lac 
When I headed south at 17 
ol' sheriff on my back 
I never held a lover in my arms or in my gaze 
So I found another victim every couple days 
But the night I fell in love with her 
I made my weakness known 
Through the fires and the farmers diggin' dusty fields alone 
The jealous innuendos of the lonely hearted men 
Let me know what kind of country I was sleeping in 
Well you couldn't stay a loner 
on the plains before the war 
My neighbors had been slightin' me 
I had to ask what for 
Rumors of my wickedness had reached our little town 
Soon she'd heard about the boys I used to hang around 
We'd robbed a Great Lakes freighter, 
killed a couple men or more 
And I told her her eyes flickered like the sharp steel of a sword 
All the things that she'd suspected 
I'd expected her to fear 
Was the truth that drew her to me when I landed here 
There's a man who walks beside me 
he is who I used to be 
And I wonder if she sees him and confuses him with me 
And I wonder who she's pinin' for 
on nights I'm not around 
Could it be the man who did the things 
I'm living down ? 
Well I carved a cross from live oak 
and a box from shortleaf pine 
Buried her so deep 
she touched the water table line 
I picked up what I needed 
and I headed south again 
To myself I wondered 
would I find another friend 
There's a man who walks beside her, 
it is who I used to be 
And I wonder if she sees him and confuses him with me.