Gathering Storm

There's talk in town from the livery to saloon

Just last night, somebody saw a bloodspot on the moon

And two counties over it was rumored that three dogs went mad

They put 'em down with charm salt but those folk's luck still gone bad

Well, this morning in the pine pews at Calvary Church

The womenfolk were nervous, the sermon unrehearsed

And the newspaper front page spoke of a Mr. John Brown

When they hanged him in Virginia, he wore an abolition frown

There's a gathering storm

From the North to the South

Swirling with vengeance

There's thunder in them clouds

That gathering storm

From the Wild West to the East

Is coming like a locomotive

Engineered by a hellish beast

Ol' Sassafras Sassoon was hunting down in Snakebite Hollow

Said he found a dead angel and his tobacco he did swallow

Said that angel was a dire omen of consequence to come

Said he got down on his knees and prayed after a shot of sweet rum

Well, there's fussing and fighting in the Jenkins household

Tommy told his pappy no man or woman should ever be sold

Pappy said Ham from the bible, he was to blame

So Tom bought a ticket one way bound on the first northern train

Don't you feel that gathering storm

Something's wrong with the weather

A gathering storm is moving

Over the cowering heather

That gathering storm

Gonna shake our sycamore trees

There's lightning in the firmament

And it's aimed at you and me

Don't you feel that gathering storm

From N'Orleans to Arkansas

Casting a great big shadow

Like a sharp black bear claw

A gathering storm

From Mississippi to New York

That gathering storm

Gonna rain down pitchforks

That gathering storm

From the North to the South

Swirling with vengeance

There's thunder in them clouds

A gathering storm

Hear the nevermore ravens sing

All the hosts of heaven

And hell are shivering