I WON'T BE COMING HOME TODAY

SPACESHIPS AND ASTRONAUTS TRIPPIN' ON THE MOON,
GHETTOS AND HUNGRY BABIES RACIN' INESCAPABLE DOOM.
MAMA DON'T CRY NO TEARS FOR ME, DADDY DON'T MAKE NO BED.
I WON'T BE COMING HOME TODAY. THE EVENING RAIN IS FALLING RED.

MY MOTHER WAS A WHITE WOMAN,
WHO LOVED MY DADDY ALL HIS DAYS.
MY DADDY WAS A BLACK MAN WHO SAW ME AS THE ONLY WAY.
AND WHEN I WAS A YOUNG BOY, I LEARNED ABOUT THE HUMAN RACE.
I NEVER UNDERSTOOD MY FEELINGS,
WHEN I LOOKED THEM BOTH IN THE FACE.

BORN IN TENNESSEE, I CAUGHT A BUS TO MEMPHIS, WAS ONLY 23.
LIVIN' IN FLOPHOUSES WORKIN' FOR BREAD AND SINGIN' FOR FREE.
LIGHT FACES, DARK FACES, MANY DIFFERENT WOMEN COMPANY.
GOD AND MISERY SHARE NO ANSWERS AS I CAN SEE.

(short band break)

SPACESHIPS AND ASTRONAUTS TRIPPIN' ON THE MOON,
GHETTOS AND HUNGRY BABIES RACIN' INESCAPABLE DOOM.
MAMA DON'T CRY NO TEARS FOR ME, DADDY DON'T MAKE NO BED.
I WON'T BE COMING HOME TODAY. THE EVENING RAIN IS FALLING RED.
IT'S FALLING RED, IT'S FALLING RED, IT'S FALLING RED,
IT'S FALLING RED, IT'S FALLING RED, IT'S FALLING RED,
IT'S FALLING RED, YES!

(Thurston Hammersley solo)