Red-Winged Blackbird (Live)

Mama named her for the mountains Everybody else just called her Laci for short But the paperwork said Appalachia When her social worker wouldn't find the evidence To bring her case to court She turned twelve in late December A month before she found her mom in cardiac arrest Her dad was passed out next door A pile of empties and some crystal With her uncle and the rest Anyone could have seen it coming Thirteen years before If they knew what they were looking for They were looking for A red-winged blackbird Her story written by her name A red-winged blackbird No matter where she flew she knew that she would never get away The first boy to give her money Would have finished up with school a year before her if he'd stayed She told herself it's just the one time Didn't think her dad was sobered up enough To even notice what she'd taken Anyone could have seen it coming Sixteen years before If they knew what they were looking for They were looking for A red-winged blackbird Her story written by her name A red-winged blackbird No matter where she flew she knew that she would never get away It was the second week of summer When she left it all behind her and just started walking south Something new, to trace the river back To its source, and just keep walking on Up into the mountains There was no one there to see it happen The moment she transformed But if anyone was looking for her They were looking for A red-winged blackbird making her escape A red-winged blackbird Letting her wings carry her away from all the pain A red-winged blackbird Story written and erased A red-winged blackbird No matter where she flew she knew she was gonna find her way