Lyrics:

(lyricless singing)

Look a-yonder, look a-yonder
Look a-yonder, a big black cloud comes!
Yes, a big black cloud comes
Come to the Tupelo, come to the Tupelo
Yonder on the horizon, yonder on the horizon
Stopped at the mighty river, stopped at the mighty river
And sucked the damn thing dry, and sucked-a the damn thing dry

Tupelo-o!
Oh, Tupelo
In a valley hides a town called Tupelo

Distant thunder rumbles, distant thunder rumble
Rumble hungry like the Beast, the Beast it cometh, cometh down
The Beast it cometh, cometh down, the Beast it cometh, cometh down
Wow-oh-oh, oh Tupelo bound

Tupelo-o!
Oh, Tupelo
The Beast it cometh, Tupelo bound

Why the hen won't lay no egg, can't get that cock to crow
The horse is spooked & crazy, oh God help a-Tupelo
God help a-Tupelo, god help a-Tupelo
Oh God help the Tupelo
You can say these streets are rivers, you call these rivers streets
You can tell yourself you're dreamin' buddy, but no sleep runs this deep, no!
No sleep runs this deep, no sleep runs this deep
Women at their windows, rain crashing on the pane
Writing in the frost, Tupelo's shame, Tupelo's shame, Tupelo's shame
God help Tupelo
God help the Tupelo
God help a-Tupelo
God help a-Tupelo

Oh, go to sleep little children, the sandman's on his way
Go to sleep little children, the sandman's in his way
But the little children know, but the little children know
They listen to the beating of their blood
Listen to the beating of their blood
Listen to the beating of their blood!
Listen to the beating of their blood!

The sandman's mud!
The sandman's mud!
The sandman's mud!
The sandman's mud!
And the black rain come down
The black rain come down
Black rain come down
Water, water everywhere
Water, water everywhere
Where no bird can fly, no fish can swim
Where no bird can fly, no fish can swim
No fish can swim until The King is born
Until The King is born, until The King is born

Tupelo-o!
Oh, Tupelo
Until The King is born in Tupelo

In a clap-board shack with a roof of tin
Where the rain came down and leaked within
A young mother frozen on a concrete floor
With a bottle and a box and a cradle of straw

Tupelo-o! (Yeah! Yeah!)
Hey, Tupelo!
With a bottle and a box and a cradle of straw

Well Saturday gives what Sunday steals
And a child is born on his brothers heels
Come Sunday morn the first-born dead
In a shoebox tied with a ribbon red

Tupelo-o! (Yeah!)
Oh, Tupelo
In a shoe box buried with a ribbon red

Mama, rock you lil' one slow
Mama, rock your baby
Mama, rock you lil' one slow
Mama, rock your baby
Mama, rock your baby
Mama, rock your baby
Mama, rock you lil' one slow
Mama, rock your baby
Mama, rock your baby
Mama, rock your baby
Til the King is a-born in a-Tupelo
Til the King is a-born in a-Tupelo
Til the King is a-born in a-Tupelo
Til the King is a-born in a-Tupelo
Mama, rock you lil' one slow
Mother, rock your baby
Mother, rock you lil' one slow
Mother, rock your baby
Til the King is a-born in a-Tupelo
Til the King is a-born in a-Tupelo
Til the King is a-born in a-Tupelo
Til the King is a-born in a-Tupelo!

Tupelo-o! (Yeah! Yeah!)
Tupelo, and carry the burden of Tupelo!
Tupelo-o! (Yeah, yeah, yeah!)
Tupelo, Tupelo, Tupelo, Tupelo...
Yeah! The King will walk on Tupelo!
Tupelo-o! (Yeah!)
Yeah, Tupelo!
He carried the burden outta Tupelo!
Tupelo-o!
Yeah, Tupelo
You will reap just what you sow!