Lyrics Orange Claw Hammer - Captain Beefheart, The Magic Band

Orange Claw Hammer

A thick cloud caught a piper clubs tail
The match struck blue on a railroad rail
The old puff horse was just pullin' through
And a man wore a peg leg forever
I’m on the bum where the hobos run
The air breaks with filthy chatter
Oh, I don’t care there’s no place there
I don’t think it matters
My skin’s blazin' through
And my clothes in tatters
And the railroad looked
Like a 'Y' up the hill of ladders
One shoe fell on the gravel
One stick poked down
Gray of age fell down
On a pair of ears
An eagle shined through my hole watch pocket
A gingham girl, baby girl
Passed me by in tears
A jack rabbit raised his folded ears
A beautiful sagebrush, jack rabbit
And an oriole sang like an orange
His breast full a worms
And his tail clawed the evenin' like a hammer
His wings took the air like a bomber
And my rain can caught me a cup a water
When I got into town
Odd jobs mam, ah, yer horse, I’ll fodder
I’m the round house man
I once was yer father
A little up the road a wooden candy stripe barber pole
And above it read a sign, 'Painless Parker'
Lic-licorice twisted around under a fly
And a youngster cocked her eye
God, before me if I’m not crazy
Is my daughter
Come little one
With yer little dimpled fingers
Gimme one
And I’ll buy you a cherry phosphate
Take you down t' the foamin' brine and water
And show you the wooden tits
On the Goddess with the pole out s’full sail
That tempted away yer peg legged father
I was shanghaied
By a high hat beaver mustache man
And his pirate friend
I woke up in vomit and beer in a banana bin
And a soft lass with brown skin
Bore me seven babies with snappin' black eyes
And beautiful ebony skin
And here it is I’m with you my daughter
Thirty years away can make a seaman’s eyes
A round house man’s eyes flow out water, salt water