Tall tale of a murder down in Bayou country, set to a minor Bach-y melody and chord progression, Procol Harum-style.
Brother Leon’s Tale
(Heiser/Pinnegar)
Way down in Choupique Bayou
Where the ‘gators quietly wait
Brother Leon kept his secrets
Beneath an iron grate
And no one ever asked him
If those rumors all were true
About a time so long ago
When he was still a youth
Angelina was a temptress
Green eyes and raven hair . . .
Every live man in the parish
Would risk Hell on her dare
Young Winston James was in her spell
And she could be so cruel
Till one rainy night behind the church
He tired of being her fool
He pushed her to the soggy grass
His hands around her throat
Her scream cut through the darkness
Death was in that note
Then silver lightning flashed above
That Randall blade came down
Young Winston fell back on his side
She saw her savior frown
They all said it was murder
But they could not say by whom
They searched all ’round the ground outside
But they never searched his room
Angelina kept her secret well
To protect her savior’s life
And buried in that stone cold floor
Is Leon’s favorite knife
Down in Choupique Bayou
Where the ‘gators quietly wait
Brother Leon says his midnight prayer
Kneeling on an iron grate
No one knows the secrets
The human heart may hold
When looking in the eyes of love
Can make your blood run cold
