12 O'clock Whistle

The air raid siren at the high school blew

Every weekday, twelve o'clock noon

Dinner time, people as if we didn't know

I guess the city fathers liked to hear that thing blow

The boys were chasing the city truck, spraying DDT

It kept the mosquitoes down

And that stuff won't hurt you none the neighbor lady'd say

Encephalitis, now that can ruin your day

Granny was hanging out wash, talking across the fence

The neighbor lady nodded like it all made sense

She's just gonna stay with him 'til the kids are grown

Fetch me that clothes pin up off the ground would you hon'

Won't you stay with me 'til the sun goes down?

On that flat top mountain to the West of town

Won't you stay a while, I just don't see

Why you must be leaving? Won't you stay with me?

I had a cherry coke dripping on my cowboy clothes

Riding down Scott street in that big white Olds

We're going through nigger town, honey lock your doors

'Course that's not what we're supposed to call 'em anymore

We're going to the beauty shop, it's not too far

You can come inside or you can just set in the car

No you can't go with grandpa to the pasture today

They're shipping calves and you'd just get in the way

Won't you stay with me 'til the sun goes down?

On that flat top mountain to the West of town

Won't you stay a while, I just don't see

Why you must be leaving? Won't you stay with me?

We had fried okra and black eyed peas

Granny had her saccharin, she was putting it in her tea

Pull that screen door to hon' you're letting in flies

Don't you know nothing

Yonder comes the pickup, he's coming down the street

Run help him put the horses up so we can eat

He's always late for dinner, Lord, he moves so slow

12 o'clock whistle blew half an hour ago

Won't you stay with me 'til the sun goes down?

On that flat top mountain to the West of town

Won't you stay a while, I just don't see

Why you must be leaving? Won't you stay with me?