The Brothers of Furnace Hill

War was not a passion nor a duty nor a charge
to an empty heart in yearning for a bolt on a closed door
Nothing rose a spoke in him
Nothing hardened him more
Adam set to wandering intent on living poor

Adam had a reason to be nothing but a shell
His life was made a blessing by the angle the hatchet fell
Brother you have raised me
Brother can`t you tell
I`ve learned not to seek love
Your plight has trained me well

Father caught the train that led his son to Washington
Cloaked in lies with eager eyes he brought the shell to his kingdom
The stranger sat crestfallen in a meaningless throne
no more a soldier no more a son
Adam wandered on

The valley preys upon the dried up souls brought by the wind
and spits up all the seeds they`ve sewn in hopes to let love in
The soil holds no compassion no remorse for the naive
Adam in his garden finds it brings him no relief

Refuge in the whore houses didn`t keep him for long
Brother`s letters fought to lure him back to the East Canaan home
Brother you have found out
Father`s will begs my return
You bear the mark
You`ve not forgot the night on Furnace Hill
Cathy was a devil`s curse nearly beaten back to hell
Adam saw a thing in her made him want to make her well
Brother saw the danger and brother warned him `til
she got into his defenselessness and shattered his shell

Chorus

Adam and the babies knew not one more than the other
on the farthest point away from the decay of older brother
Cathy I gave you Eden and you left us here in the heat to dwell
I`ve learned now to not know love
nor recognize myself

The valley preys upon the dried up souls brought by the wind
and spits up all the seeds they`ve sewn in hopes to let love in
the soil holds no compassion no remorse for the naive
Adam in his garden finds it brings him

The wanderer sat motionless apart from all that breathes
The brother sank into a well of self pity
The babies cried to no reply
The earth swallowed the seeds
The garden dried and love like dust was lost in Salinas
The garden dried and love like dust was lost in the valley