Lyrics for "The Whipporwill"
©2006, Charlie Cheney
Mary Gaskell was thirty-four
When she finally married the boy next door
Ten years later she fears she settled
But she'd never dare say it
So here they both sit in this country bar
Drinking gin and tonic for $1 a jar
When the mournful song comes from the woods
She knows the first time she heard it
Oh Bill, it's the whipporwill
I haven't heard that song since I was seven still
It's a long time to wait for a thrill
It's the song of the whipporwill
Billy Johnson bought his parent's house
He and Mary moved upstairs when his folks moved out
Ten years later he knows Mary's sad
But he can't figure what to do about it
He holds his breath because he's afraid she'll leave
Grab her purse and run to the sea
Because he knows there's something she desperately needs
And he hears that songbird too
Bill and Mary they sip their drinks
As darkness falls neither one can speak
The heat and the gin have left Mary muddled
And that songbird's call is strong