Lyrics
Down the crooked road a ways
Introduction to the journey along a twisted path.
A child's shadow hiding in the briar
A child's presence concealed among thorny bushes.
Tending to a twisted heart that's bent and broken
Caring for a damaged and distorted heart.
Wounded and abandoned left amongst the rotted root to rot
Left wounded and forsaken amidst decaying roots.
Moon, crimson moon
Reference to a crimson moon.
Rose marie's walking down the crooked road a ways
Rose Marie progresses on the crooked path.
All aglow, her fair white skin
Glowing with fair white skin.
Portrait of beauty, angel to many
Describing her as a beautiful angel to many.
Hears the hush crying from the briar
Hearing a sorrowful sound from the thicket.
Reaches in her hand to see what's the matter
Extending a helping hand to investigate.
And is dragged through the darkness
Unexpectedly pulled into darkness.
Beneath the lonely cypress
Beneath a solitary cypress tree.
The town's beloved daughter
Identification of the town's beloved daughter.
Carried to her death in the turbid waters
Being carried to her demise in murky waters.
And set afloat downstream
Set adrift downstream.
Whole town erupts, bursts into flame
Chaos ensues as the town erupts in flames.
Parties go a-searching down the crooked road a ways
Efforts to find answers along the crooked road.
Find old rufus there drunk and asleep
Discovery of Rufus, intoxicated and asleep.
Fishing by the water must have killed our beloved daughter
Speculation that Rufus might be responsible for the tragedy.
Can't hold back these waves of anger
Unleashing waves of anger.
Tie a rope around his neck
Punitive action with a rope around Rufus's neck.
See if he still hollers
Testing his reaction to the punishment.
Another innocent soul hangs over the brier
Another innocent life hanging over the briar.
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