On the day that I was born Cross the plain come a red dust storm First the wind, then the rain Streaks of blood down the windowpane Hole in the roof, leak on the bed Bad baptism on the baby's head Mama cried the curse is come The mark of the reddleman's on my son Reddleman coming He's coming for me Reddleman coming Learn to crawl, learn to eat Walk and talk that double-speak Hide my heart and show my hand Listen in the dark for the reddleman He come selling that dirt that stain your soul Saying this don't hurt anyone at all Just sink your eyes into little girl lost But don't waste your time, it don't wash off CHORUS Late in life I fell in love uptown With a one-armed woman who'd been around I said how my love did you lose your hand She said a pound of flesh for the reddleman A daughter born, a father sees There's a red in the thread of the web he weaves Clean his clothes in the holy font But the rank of the reddle come back to haunt CHORUS Red hawk sits on a telephone pole Watch to see which way I go When I fall and when I stand And tells it all to the reddleman