Houses On The Hill (Live On KCRW, 1997)

Well, I found a bunch of letters
Written for the fellow who broke your mama's heart
The envelope folds
Smelled of her ancient perfume

I'll bet she didn't know
How to respond to 40 blankets of snow
Caught him out wandering alone
With no place to go

There were stars in the sky
There were houses on the hill
And there were bottles and pills
That were easy to buy
To keep her warm from the oncoming storm

Well, I found them in the north-west corner
Of the attic in a box labeled "Tinsel and Lights"
Didn't know what I was looking for
Maybe just a blanket or artifacts

Eisenhower sent him to war
He kept her picture in his pocket that was closest to his heart
And when he hit shore
It must have been a target for the gunmen

There were stars in the sky
There were bunkers on the hill
And there were caskets to fill
Where he would lie
Shrouded in the red, white and blue with the stripes

There were stars in the sky
There were houses on the hill
And there were bottles and pills
That were easy to buy
To keep her warm from the oncoming storm