Mary Crowell Follow

Get Down Mama
Copyright 2003 by Mary Crowell and Simon Crowell
Simon (my son) and I went to the Huntsville Botanical Garden’s Scarecrow Trail one year. His complete fascination with the “Crowella De Ville” scarecrow and a couple of observations (quoted directly in the lyrics) about scary things in general led to this song. The title comes from him asking me not to leave one evening when he was scared he would have nightmares. “Get down, Mama, sleep your eyes down!” This song is a collaborative effort between us.

VERSE
Get down, Mama. Sleep your dark eyes down.
The scarecrow’s a’comin’ and he ain’t no clown.
Cloak yourself in midnight; duck your head ‘neath your wing.
‘Crazy things we’re hearing are not meant to be seen.

Ah ah hah hah! Uh huh!
Uuuh Huh! Uh huh!

CHORUS
Dead trees’ bones on the hills
Wave at the tall rows of corn.
North wind howls and it chills,
Singing to the old things we mourn.
Yay, yay, yay, yay, yay!

VERSE
Get down, Mama. Dream a new sort of dream --
One with shiny metal, one that glitters and gleams.
Scarecrow man is coming; he’s just clothing and sticks.
‘Come to get his payment. See which one that he picks.

Ah ah hah hah! Uh huh!
Uuuh Huh! Uh huh!

CHORUS
Dead trees’ bones in the shadows writhe,
Wave at the long rows of corn.
Reaps the man, with his low-slashing scythe.
Soon the summer plantings are shorn.
Yay, yay, yay, yay, yay!

INTERLUDE
Get down, Mama.
Yay, yay, yay, yay, yay! Ah ha ha ha!
Get down, Mama.
Yay, yay, yay, yay, yay! Ah ha ha ha!

VERSE
Get down, Mama. Croak your Gathering Caw.
‘Plenty food for eating if you saw what you saw.
Scarecrow man is done now; he is gone for the night.
We’ll feast here in the harvest ‘til the dawn of the light.

Ah ah hah hah! Uh huh!
Uuuh Huh! Uh huh!

CHORUS
Dead trees’ bones are our feast hall.
We’ll eat the remains in the corn.
The air is black, and it’s loud with our calls,
Singing to the old ones we mourn.

Get down Mama. Sleep your dark eyes down.
Scarecrow’s a’comin’ and he ain’t no clown.