Old wood porch and a rusted key
Looking out on the cypress tree
He wears a badge and a heavy coat
Watching for a drifting boat
Hold the line while the water creeps
While the sleepy bayou sleeps
Keep the watch through the purple haze
Lost inside a humid maze
Cicadas scream in a rhythmic beat
Tarmac humming in the summer heat
He smokes a pipe by the railing rail
Watching for a ghostly sail
Spanish moss hangs like a heavy veil
Cold wind tells a lonely tale
His boots are worn and his spirit's lean
Watching things that stay unseen
Hold the line while the water creeps
While the sleepy bayou sleeps
Keep the watch through the purple haze
Lost inside a humid maze
Sinking deep in the black mud floor
Lock the gate and bolt the door
The tide is high and the moon is gold
Stories that the elders told
Sinking sun turns the river red
Tucking every bird to bed
He counts the hours till the morning light
Guarding secrets of the night
Hold the line while the water creeps
While the sleepy bayou sleeps
Keep the watch through the purple haze
Lost inside a humid maze
One last look at the muddy flow
Wait for the morning light to glow
Just a man on a wooden floor
Watching by the bayou shore
