Look out mama, there's a white boat comin' up the river
with a big red beacon and a flag and a man on the rail
i think ya better call john
‘cause it don't look like he's here to deliver the mail
and it's less than a mile away
i hope he didn't come to stay
it's got numbers on the side and a gun
and it's makin' big waves
Daddy's gone, and my brother's out huntin' in the mountian
big john's been drinkin' since the river took emmy-lu
so the powers that be
left me here to do the thinkin'
and i just turned 22
i was wonderin' what to do
and the closer they got, the more those feelings grew
Daddy's rifle in my hands felt re-assuring
he said red means run, son, numbers add up to nothing
when the first shot hit the docks
i saw it coming
raised my rifle to my eye
never stopped to wonder why
then i saw black and my face flash in the sky
Shelter me from the powder and the finger
cover me with the thought that pulled the trigger
just think of me as one
you'd never figure
would fade away so young
with so much left un-done
remember me to my love, i know i will miss her