"Grandpa, here's your coffee"
said Edith, as she filled his cup
"Nobody'll find you here
and Earl is glad you guys showed up"
" The way things are downtown
you might have to stay for awhile

There was a helicopter hovering over your house
when I talked to your neighbor, Kyle"
"Who the hell do they think they are
Invading our home like that?
Grandma and I had to leave so fast
We couldn't even catch the cat"

"The helicopter scared the shit out of him
and it took off down a trail
down past the railroad track
towards the county jail"

"Jed, you really screwed up now!
What did you have to do that for?
Everybody wants to hang your ass
and here's a note from Lenore"
Sun touched the cold steel bars
as she pushed the paper in
Jed took it up and read it
and he couldn't hide a grin

Outside the jail window
a crow flew across the sky
completely disappearing behind each bar
then a helicopter flew by
"Say hi to Earl and Edith
Tell 'm I'm doing fine
Tell 'm it's time for them to let you go now
they should cut the line"

"Can grandma come and see me?
I got a new song to sing
it's longer than all the others combined
and it doesn't mean a thing"
The noise was unfamiliar
generators whirling
walkie-talkies screaming
vans parked in the open field

TV crews and cameras
they wanted to interview grandpa on the porch
They came through the gate and across the lawn
knocking down Edith's Tiki Torch
And grandpa saw them there
looking through the venetian blind
"Those people don't have any respect
so they won't get any of mine"

"I don't wanna talk about Jed
I don't watch channel 2 or 6 or 9
I don't have time to talk that fast
and it ain't my crime"

"It ain't a privilege to be on TV
and it ain't a duty either
The only good thing about TV
is shows like 'Leave it to Beaver"

"Shows with love and affection'
like mama used to say
A little Mayberry living
could go a long way"

He took Earl's shotgun down from the closet
loaded up both barrels
Walked out on the porch and fired 'm off
and up walked a woman named Carol

"Susan Carol from Early Magazine
I got some questions to ask"
"Well you can stick 'm where the sun don't shine! "
grandpa said with a gasp

Then he fell face first and let out a sigh
and Edith ran out in shock
He was looking at her from down on the floor
Grandpa looked like he was trying to talk

"That guy just keeps singin'!
Can somebody shut him up?
I don't know for the life of me
where he comes up with that stuff. "

They laid his head on a newspaper
with a picture of Carmichael on the front page
posing with the little league baseball team
and a seedy shot of Jed on a motorcycle

Grandpa died a hero
Trying to stop the media
Fighting for freedom of silence
Trying to be anonymous

Share your loving and you live so long

Share your loving and you live so long

Share your loving and you live so long