Old Man Catfish

from Stay Ahead of the Wolf by Driftwood Soldier

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lyrics

There’s a mile full of mud where the river slows down. Get you a bottle of brackish water and seven shots of Crown. Open up that river mouth and pour it all down. Wake up silty and guilty on the other side of town.

There’s a mile full of mud where she runs wide and slow, and a hole where old man Catfish has been known to go when it’s raining or shining, when he’s joyful or grieving. He grown big as a bus on a fat world’s leavings. Blowing smoky bubbles from a life full of trouble. He done shook down his own mountain and crawled out of the rubble

Well they call my old man The Catfish. He got whiskers long as a cottonmouth tail. Skin as smooth as a grifter and a stomach full of sorrow, break a highway scale.

Mama, scare your children with The Catfish. Use his blues to put that fear in little Jack. Think you know all about The Catfish? Got you looking down your nose thinking Jesus got your back. Well, enjoy your wings while that river runs slow. Polish your precious possessions and your purchased halo, ‘cause they gonna drag you under when that bank starts to flood. Down to the cold, cold bottom and that three feet of mud. And the last thing you’ll see as your soul sinks in is that old whiskery smile, that old catfish grin.

credits

from Stay Ahead of the Wolf, released October 18, 2019
Written by Owen Lyman-Schmidt
Arranged and performed by Driftwood Soldier

Driftwood Soldier is:
Owen Lyman-Schmidt: Vocals, Mandolin, Suitcase, License Plate
Bobby Szafranski: Bass Guitar, Bottle Caps

Additional Instrumentation:
Katty Otto: Drums

Produced by Driftwood Soldier with Erin McKeown
Recorded by Alex Santilli and Eric Bogacz at Spice House Sound in Philadelphia, PA
Mixed by Ted Hutt and Ryan Mall at Kingsize Soundlabs in Eagle Rock, CA
Mastered by Ryan Schwabe

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Driftwood Soldier Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Driftwood Soldier is no average mandolin-bass foot-stomping gutter-folk duo.

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