Hollis Brown he lived on the outside of town 2X
With his wife and five children and his cabin fallin' down
You looked for work and money and you walked a rugged mile 2X
Your children are so hungry that they don't know how to smile
Your baby's eyes look crazy, they're a-tugging at your sleeve 2X
You walk the floor and wonder why with every breath you breathe
The rats have got your flour, bad blood it got your mare 2X
Is there anyone that knows, is there anyone that cares?
You prayed to the Lord above, oh please send you a friend 2X
Your empty pockets tell you that you ain't a-got no friend
Your babies are crying louder now, it's a-pounding on your brain
2X Your wife's screams are stabbin' you like the dirty drivin' rain
Your gra** is turning black, there's no water in your well 2X
You spent your last lone dollar on seven shotgun shells
Way out in the wilderness, a cold coyote calls 2X
Your eyes fix on the shotgun that's hangin' on the wall
Your brain is a-bleeding and your legs can't seem to stand 2X
Your eyes fix on the shotgun that you're holding in your hand
There's seven breezes blowin' all around the cabin door 2X
Seven shots ring out like the ocean's pounding roar
There's seven people dead on a South Dakota farm 2X
Somewhere in the distance there's seven new people born