I plugged 16 shells from a thirty-ought-six And a black crow snuck through A hole in the sky So i spent all my buttons on an Old pack mule And i made me a ladder from A pawn shop marimba And i leaned it up against A dandelion tree And i filled me a sachel Full of old pig corn And i beat me a billy From an old french horn And i kicked that mule To the top of the tree And i blew me a hole 'bout the size of a kickdrum And i cut me a switch From a long branch elbow Refrão I'm gonna whittle you into kindlin' Black crow 16 shells from a thirty-ought-six Whittle you into kindlin' Black crow 16 shells from a thirty-ought-six Well i slept in the holler Of a dry creek bed And i tore out the buckets From a red corvette, tore out the buckets from a red corvette Lionel and dave and the butcher made three You got to meet me by the knuckles of the skinnybone tree With the strings of a washburn Stretched like a clothes line You know me and that mule scrambled right through the hole (refrão) Now i hold him prisoner In a washburn jail That stapped on the back Of my old kick mule Strapped it on the back of my old kick mule I bang on the strings just To drive him crazy I strum it loud just to rattle his cage Strum it loud just to rattle his cage (refrão)