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