The Ballad of Coyote Thompson

Words and Music by John Compton

Coyote Thomson was a man,
Badly in need of a plan
All the way from Ohio,
He came to make a stand
But he just cooled his feet in the sand

He struggled long, but soon turned to drink
And within that sand he began to sink
turned down, turned around
he was on the brink
And robbed a liquor store before he could think

Not the type, he was once on top
taking chances like a shot
but restless nerves, and fanciful dreams
lured him like a plot
and later that same evening he was caught

Coyote tried not to get mean,
among the crowd in their county jeans,
he tried to remember
Once there was a lovely dream
with blue Ohio skies and grassy greens

In thirteen months he was back on the street,
and with $50 he went out to eat
and the waitress with blond hair
Thought his smile was sweet
and agreed that later – they could meet

And in her blue eyes he found the sea
and found the man he was waiting to be
and she knew he was a good man, just wanting to be free
as they lay together in talking up life’s mystery