(Steve Fromholz)

Six o'clock silence

Of a new day beginning

Is heard in the small Texas town

Like a signal from nowhere

The people who live there

Are up and moving around

'Cause there's bacon to fry

And there's biscuits to bake

On the stove that the Salvation Army won't take

And you open the windows

And you turn on the fan

'Cause it's hotter than hell

When the sun hits the land



Walter and Fanny

Well they own the grocery

That sell most all that you need

They've been up and working

Since early this morning

They've got the whole village to feed

Well they put out fresh eggs

And throw bad ones away

That rotted because

Of the heat yesterday

The store is all dark

So you can't see the flies

That settle on round steak

And last Monday's pies



Sleepy Hill's drugstore

And the cafe are open

The coffee is bubbling hot

'Cause the folks that ain't working

Gonna sit there 'til sundown

And talk about what they ain't got

Someone just threw a clutch

In the old pickup truck

It seems like they're riding

On a streak of bad luck

The doctor bills came

And the well has gone dry

Seems their grown kids don't care

Whether they live or die