Rastus Russell

Adrienne Young / Mark D. Sanders

It was down in a grove off Curlew Creek

Mr. Brown went out on her porch to sweep

Was the Sabbath Day, late July

The day Mrs. Brown was bound to die

Was rumor goin? round about money hid

Not many believed it but Rastus did

All he had in his hand was a Barlow knife

Yeah that?s what he used to take the first two lives

They found the Browns tied to their bed

When the Crumbs drove up

The Browns were dead

Old Rastus said hello with a loaded shotgun

Never gave the Crumbs a chance to turn and run

Rastus Russell born of bad blood

Raised on misery, murder, and mud

Only good thing in this whole song

Is Rastus Russell is a dead and gone

Well Sheriff Ted Tucker saw the mob on the street

Radioed every cop on the beat

Said no warnings given no questions asked

Just find this Rastus and find him fast

The hounds led ?em down to the old causeway

Found him fishing in Dunedin Bay

Took three strong men to reel him in

And a fourth to finally put the cuffs on him

Rastus Russell born of bad blood

Raised on misery, murder, and mud

Only good thing in this whole song

Is Rastus Russell is a dead and gone

Nobody?d every broke out of that Clearwater jail

Oh but Rastus did and left a bloody trail

There were red hand prints on a stolen truck

Yeah Rastus was runnin? out of luck

Some kind won?t stop at anything

He was diggin? up his mama for her diamond ring

In the graveyard there they laid him love

And that?s a fittin? end to this trail of woe

Rastus Russell born of bad blood

Raised on misery, murder, and mud

Only good thing in this whole song

Is Rastus Russell is a dead and gone