Little Crosses lyrics

territory town

We told your daddy you’d be back by ten
But it’s quarter to eleven and we ain’t back yet
Sitting at the top of a playground slide
Suckin’ on the bottom of a Marlboro Light

Livin’ life on the edge of a dull knife in a territory town on a Tuesday night

The only wind we been catchin’ all summer’s
Through the windows down over Goodyear rubber
Blacktop straightaway east of town
Through the pumpjacks suckin’ at the red dirt ground

A bottle of vodka and some Keystone Light
Bo O’Reilly said he’d set it outside
The dumpsters out back the IGA
They’re gonna bust that kid one of these days

Livin’ life on the edge of a dull knife in a territory town on a Tuesday night

Summertime

Linda told Tommy that her folks are gone
Tommy told the town that the party’s on
They got ten or twelve cars lined up the block
I heard Tommy passed out about nine o’clock

Linda’s on a keg standin’ on her hands
Wearin’ nothin but a dress and a farmer’s tan
Somebody shouts, “The cops are here”
And we scatter through town like white-tail deer

Livin’ life on the edge of a dull knife in a territory town on a Tuesday night

Summertime

Just some kids playin’ chicken with consequences, baby, cut me loose, light that fuse
I’m a Black Cat packet in the bottom of a garbage can

Meet me down at the high school track
Watch the sun comin’ up from the pole vault mat
Groundsman shoutin’, “What’cha doin’ down there?”
Runnin’ to the car in our underwear

Livin’ life on the edge of a dull knife in a territory town on a Tuesday night

Summertime, oh summertime
Summertime, oh summertime

Forward

I turn and twist the key from off the ring
Set it on the table at the spot where I would eat
Gather up the rest of all my things
Every time I fall, Lord, I find a way forward

Tires split the gravel, throwin’ dust
“Daddy, I knew you’d come if we waited long enough
The cake is gone and mama’s cleaning up”
Every time I fall, Lord, I find a way forward

Darlin, won’t ya wait out in the car
Me and mama gotta talk a little heart to heart
How’d I ever let it fall apart?
Every time I fall, Lord, I find a way forward

Her little face pressed against the glass
Watched the cops haul me out and throw me on my ass
Screamin, “Please, don’t hurt my dad!”
Every time I fall, Lord, I find a way forward

Yelling at her lawyer, at the judge
“Give her all the money, give her all the stuff,
Don’t take my little girl, that’s too much!”
Every time I fall, Lord, I find a way forward
Every time I fall, Lord, I find a way forward

Baby, I can’t make it into town
Even if I could, I ain’t sure if I’m allowed
But Daddy loves ya, don’t let it get ya down
Cause every time we fall, Lord, we find a way forward

Nothin’ left but a little bit of dust
I rub it on my gums and I watch the baggie flush
No one thought I’d ever amount to much
But every time I fall, Lord, I find a way forward

Every time I fall, Lord, I find a way forward

HOPEFULLY

When the water hits the kettle, and the stove heats up the metal
And the water starts to whistlin’ for the tea
That’s just me singin’ to you, a tune I’m tryin’ to brew
To find a little room within your dreams, oh, hopefully

When the butter’s on the biscuit, like Grandma used to fix it
And it leaves ya feelin’ warm and whole and good
That’s just us gettin’ into lovin’, with a little one in the oven
And a whole new set of somethin’ in our dreams, oh, hopefully

Oh, hopefully

Imagine if the sound of a snowfall driftin’ down
Fit peaceful in a song just for you
And me and our little girl, in a big ole magic world
Wild and unfurled before our feet, oh, hopefully

Let’s cut us out a path, but leave the signs to point us back
Should we ever lose the people with the dream

Cause when I’m just another writer, turning wine back into water
Steadied by my age and family
I’ll worry if the stuff I pen to paper has enough
Edge to keep me honest when I sing, oh,hopefully

Hopefully
Oh, hopefully
Hopefully
Oh, hopefully

LITTLE CROSSES

A squirrel jumps out the tall grass on the edge of the road
I seen him dancin’ in the traffic, seen him searching for a way to go
Somehow in the panic he found the space between my wheels
And I seen him reach the other side when I watched him in my mirror

And I wonder if you’re satisfied, been wondering for years
When I drive away and you’re wipin’ little faces free of tears
I got two hands on the wheel, I try to focus on the road
But I pass them little crosses and I shiver in those souls

Them trucks is lined and lit up on the ramp along the rest stop tonight
Standin’ vigil like some sinner found forgiveness in a ditch before he died
But I know that they’re just sleepin, hell, I know that they don’t care
Is there a single one of them that ever gets this scared?

And I wonder if you’re satisfied, been wondering for years
When I drive away and you’re wipin’ little faces free of tears
I got two hands on the wheel, I try to focus on the road
But I pass them little crosses and I shiver in those souls
And I wonder if I’ll have the time to tell the Lord I’m sorry
And I wonder if she’ll wait to cash the check until I’m buried

My rig kicks up a buzzard on the side of the road
Pickin’ on a carcass owned by somethin’ musta moved too slow
The wind from my passin’ by kicks up a bushy tail
Stuck down to the pavement by the carrion meal

And I wonder if you’re satisfied, been wondering for years
When I drive away and you’re wipin’ little faces free of tears
I got two hands on the wheel, I try to focus on the road
But I pass them little crosses and I shiver in those souls

HOW TO QUIT

Crumpled up bills, guitar picks, keys and some change
Fall from my hand to a nightstand in a motel chain
Door deal, tip jar, just enough money to pay
The minimum, get me to next month, fill up the tank

Just shy of two rings, leave a message after the beep
Hey, it’s just me, thought I’d catch ya ‘fore you went to sleep
Hell, I know you been screenin’ my calls for the last couple weeks
Girl, ya know you been breakin’ my balls and I’m strugglin’ to breathe

No one ever taught me how to quit
Get a grip, tuck in your lip, kid
Stare down the barrel and grin as the cylinder spins

Glass in the carpet and beer all over the wall
The motel manager pounding the door in the hall
Revolver on the bed, the voice in my head, damn it all
Everyone’s screamin’ and waitin’ for the hammer to fall

No one ever taught me how to quit
Get a grip, tuck in your lip, kid
Stare down the barrel and grin as the cylinder spins

No one ever taught me how to quit
Get a grip, tuck in your lip, kid
Stare down the barrel and grin as the cylinder spins

COLD

A table sits as empty as the cupboards in a one room studio
A solitary flame atop a burner dances on the stove

The air shimmers in the cold
The ice forms on the window

Boots, soaked through to socks, soaked through to my feet
That stop to stand and knock on every shop door, up and down this street

The air shimmers in the cold
The ice forms on the window

I'll post a letter just as soon as the weather breaks or I find work
Tell your papa you'll be comin back to me, whichever happens first

A kiss blown through the glass falls with the snow
Bus lights fade down the road

The air shimmers in the cold
The ice forms on the window

The air shimmers in the cold
The ice forms on the window

A table sits as empty as the cupboards in a one room studio
A solitary flame atop a burner shivers on the stove

HOLD ON TO ME

If I lied, would you lie to me the same?
If I died, would ya cry over my grave?
If you told me long before that day, you know that I could change, I’d say I’ll try

If I was mean, and I cuffed you round the mouth
Would ya scream, and throw my shit outside the house?
And if the neighbors called the law while I crawled across the lawn, would you leave?

While I pull the bottle closer, push the rest away
Open up the throttle, run the gasoline out the tank
Let the gin blossom, purple in my nose
And the balls in my eyes lose their will to float
Hold on to me, I just need one more drink

Take my hands, take em while they shake
Your wedding band, and so many things I meant to say
Traded by the day for all them bottles hid away, with our plans

Will ya stay, for just a moment while I rest my eyes
Will you wait, countin’ down the times
The breath inside my chest condescends to fall and rise and finally fade

Ya coulda left a thousand times, Lord knows ya shoulda tried
But ya stayed and prayed and let me drain the dreams out of our lives

While I pulled the bottle closer, and pushed the rest away
Opened up the throttle, ran the gasoline out the tank
Let the gin blossom, purple in my nose
And the balls in my eyes lose their will to float
Hold on to me, I just need one more drink

Hold on to me, I just need one more drink

If I lied, would you lie to me the same?
If I died, would ya cry over my grave?
If you told me long before that day, you know that I could change, I’d say I’ll try

FOLDIN’ CASH

Sir, ya gotta light? And how ‘bout a smoke?
It’s been a mighty long day, and I could sure use a break, ya might say more than most

Could ya spare me a buck? Or just a quarter or two?
I been savin’ up, in this paper cup, all afternoon

To put some beer on my breath, smoke in my chest
Just a little foldin’ cash, to keep the cold off my back
And a little self-respect

Ya know I used to sing? Oh, I could really pack ‘em in
Holdin’ them notes, holdin’ them souls, in the palm of my hand

Of course, then came the drugs, and the crowds fell away
But I swore off the stuff, unless you got some? I could sure use a taste

And some beer on my breath, some smoke in my chest
Just a little foldin’ cash, to keep the cold off my back
And a little self-respect

All these folks rushin’ by; some grand, big ole race
Boy, do they try, to keep their eyes out of mine, and they phone in they face

But sir, I thank you for stoppin; No, I don’t want your prayers
Just a little human touch, was more than enough, and any change you can spare

For some beer on my breath, some smoke in my chest
Just a little foldin’ cash, to keep the cold off my back
And a little self-respect

Just a little foldin’ cash, to keep the cold off my back
And a little self-respect

THE WIND IS UP AND WALKING

An old and weary watchman, hangin’ in the prison yard
Kickin’ in the wind to reach between these prison bars
A scratchin’ hempen hunger, an ending on a rope
An open mouth that longs to wrap its lips around my throat

The wind is up and walkin, shouldering the night
The oak is throwin’ shadows, dancing in the dim moonlight

I told that fuckin Sheriff, keep his headlights off my house
My sister's husband’s missing, she’s got enough to think about
I put a deer slug in his headlight, and another in his tail
But he come back with an army, and they hauled me off to jail

The Sheriff found my brother-in-law, with a deer slug in his chest
And he told the judge that slug and mine were a damn near perfect match
I saw em winkin’ back and forth, before they put me on the row
And my brother seen one headlight pullin’ down the drive at home

The wind is up and walkin, shouldering the night
The oak is throwin’ shadows dancing in the dim moonlight

 The wind is up and walkin, a cold steady hand
Pullin’ tight the rope stretched below the oaken branch

Now that rope’s around my neck, but the Sheriff ain’t around
He’s strung up on an apple cart below an oak behind our house
My brother’s hands are on the harness, my old horse is moving forward
The Sheriff’s boots are kickin’ loose when mine drop through this door

The wind is up and walkin, shouldering the night
The oak is throwin’ shadows dancing in the dim moonlight

The wind is up and walkin, a cold steady hand
Pullin’ tight the rope stretched below the oaken branch

FREEDOM

You’re a screaming eagle, up high in the wind
And you’re hungry again, ain’t it good to be him?

You’re a screamin’ beagle, out bustin’ the brush
And there’s a rabbit on the run, there’s gonna be blood

There’s a horror that hides in
The shadows that lie in
The footprints of freedom
Of freedom

You’re a screamin’ fire, full of burnin desire
And the doors gonna blow, that whole house is gonna go

You’re a schemin’ liar, she’s a woman on a wire
And she finally knows, she can let go

There’s a horror that hides in
The shadows that lie in
The footprints of freedom

You’re the white man to the red man
You’re all manifest destination
You’re a selfish son-of-a-bitch
That’s gonna die alone

There’s a horror that hides in
The shadows that lie in
The footprints of freedom

There’s a horror that hides in
The shadows that lie in
The footprints of freedom

Of freedom
Of freedom
Hey, freedom

HOME

Hands, my mama's hands
Stirrin ham'n beans'n honey
Smell the cornbread fryin’ in the pan

Arms, my daddy's arms
Caked in dirt and tired
Tossin’ footballs in the backyard

Home, I wanna go home
Where the fence rows travel gravel lines
And life is measured in square miles

Home, take me home
To the apple in my grandma's eye
To the laughter in my grandpa's smile

Land, my grandpa's land
Rollin golden in the morning
Corn dancin’ in the Autumn wind

Dark, night so dark
Wrapped up in a cricket choir
A blanket dusted in the stars

Home, I wanna go home
Where the fence rows travel gravel lines
And life is measured in square miles

Home, take me home
To the apple in my grandma's eye
To the laughter in my grandpa's smile

But my pick-up kicked up big dust clouds
On the gravel road headed out of town
And the years have cooked the memories down to paste

A concentrated blend of love
Grandpa's stories and grandma's hugs
And I'd trade everything I've got for one more taste

Of home, I wanna go home
Down the fence rows, down the gravel lines
Down the winding drive to the lights

Of home, take me home
To mama's hands and daddy's arms
And the sunrise stretched across the farms

At home, I wanna go home
Where the fence rows travel gravel lines
And life is measured in square miles

Home, take me home
To the apple in my grandma's eye
The the laughter in my grandpa's smile

WOLF MAN

I am runnin through the trees
These hills runnin’ up and down with me
Screamin’ like an achin lung
Poundin’ like a kick drum

I’m runnin, I’m runnin, I’m runnin again, I’m runnin, I’m runnin, I’m runnin again, 
I’m runnin again, I’m runnin again, I’m runnin again, I’m the Wolf Man

I haunt your children’s dreams
I hunt your women’s screams
Grind an axe, light a fire
Hide your children and your wife

I’m runnin, I’m runnin, I’m runnin again, I’m runnin, I’m runnin, I’m runnin again, 
I’m runnin again, I’m runnin again, I’m runnin again, I’m the Wolf Man

I am runnin through the trees
I feel you runnin next to me

There’s a fang in the flower, there’s a pain in the burnin’ power
There’s a wild in the blood runnin through my veins
It’s a burnin’ at both ends, till your all dried up again\
Till the moon’s down, till the teeth pull out
Till the blood’s gone, you’re gonna hear me howl

I am runnin through the trees
I disappear inside of me
Chase the bite, chase the fire
Burnin bottomless desire

I’m runnin, I’m runnin, I’m runnin again, I’m runnin, I’m runnin, I’m runnin again, 
I’m runnin again, I’m runnin again, I’m runnin again, I’m the Wolf Man

i’ll burn a candle

I’ll burn a candle til the room fills up with you
Til your presence pulls the perfume from the vapors in these fumes
And you’re dancing on the panels with the shadows in this room
I’ll burn a candle til the room fills up with you

I’ll pour a whiskey til the room fills up with you
I’ll pour it til the burn pulls your presence from the fumes
And I’ll pull it from the glasses on this table set for two
I’ll pour the whiskey til the room fills up with you

I’ll sing this song until the room fills up with you
Soft and low til the crescendo pulls you into view
And the sweetness in your harmonies reaches through the gloom
I’ll sing this song until the room fills up with you

I still dream about the night you pulled away
Standing by your bedside pulling Scripture off the page
Trembling in the stillness with the candle’s dying flame
I still dream about the night you pulled away

So I’ll burn this candle til the room fills up with you
Til your presence pulls the perfume from the vapors in these fumes
And you’re dancing on the panels with the shadows in this room
I’ll burn a candle til the room fills up with you

I’ll burn this candle til the room fills up with you

All songs written by Joe Stamm (“Wolf Man” co-written with Dave Glover)
(c) 2025 Den Tree Records, JSM Publishers (ASCAP)