Patterson Hood - Ever South lyrics

We packed our few belongings and we moved across the ocean To start a new life in this land so bold and vast Dispersed from Ellis Island, my distant Irish kin Eyes cut to the future, heart's tied to the past We held tight to our loved ones and we held on to the promise And we scraped our meager living hand to mouth We prayed to what would have us, every doubting John Thomas Spreading through the Appalachia ever south Spread through Appalachia ever south And I hear we weren't welcomed here, at least not in those days No one needs our drunken, fighting, thieving kind But we settled in this new place and we worked it in our ways And spread our kin upon it in due time Spread our kin upon it in due time And we fought our losing battles and we held onto our ways And we talk of how we left behind our better days Some were living lives of leisure, some surviving hand to mouth Bash our heads against the future, ever south Bash our heads against the future ever south When I set my sights upon you, we were both still in our prime We were moving in big circles that I sought out to combine And I held you in my arms and swore eternal love this time Tried to la**o brighter futures and let it drag us both behind La**o brighter futures, let it drag us both behind So we aimed our sights westward like so many did before Expanding our horizons to some distant shore Where everyone takes notice of the drawl that leaves our mouth So that no matter where we are we're ever south No matter where we are we're ever south Now my Christian Southern brethren will tell you all what for To keep your heathen ways up in you and your shoes outside the door Take your stand for noble causes till you just can't stand no more And surrender to some savior, Praise the Lord Surrender to some savior, Praise the Lord But despite our best intentions, it pains me to report We keep swinging for the fences, coming up a little short We sure can get it wrong for someone so devout I hear you whistling past the graveyard looking down Whistling past the graveyard looking down Ever Southern in my carriage, ever southern in my stance In the Irish of my complexion and the Scottish in my dance In the way I bang my head against my daily circumstance Let this blue eyed southern devil take you out upon the prowl With decadence and charm we'll take it into town Tell you stories of our fathers and the glories of our house Always told a little slower, ever south