Under a mantle of river bed sandstone
Red-headed Bobby Dehoney and me
With cigarette ashes rubbed on our foreheads
And two June bugs held in our front teeth

The candlelight flooded the canyon
As Bob wiped his jackknife off on his shirt
And after we'd muttered a short incantation
Two drops of blood made one stain in the dirt

Only the rim of the canyon
Smeared red with the sunset light
Oh, and the night was a powerful potion
One incantation after another
Maybe it was only a tiny transfusion
But Bobby and I were forever
Blood brothers

The warmth of that childhood canyon
Fades like my headlights over the hill
Today, my only companion
Is this South Dakota tumbleweed
Stuck to my grill

With one eye on the highway
I punch your cassette, glance at the cover
A gust of wind hits the passenger side
And this lone tumbleweed
Is joined by another

Only the rim of the heavens
Smeared red with the sunset light

Oh, and your music's a powerful potion
One incantation after another
Maybe it's only a tiny transfusion
But I'm thanking you here and now
My blood brother

Oh, and your music's a powerful potion
One incantation after another
Maybe it's only a tiny transfusion
But I'm thanking you now
Blood sister and brother