The Day the Barn Burnt Down to the Ground

I wrote this song after my Dad burnt his own barn down. He was burning trash a little to close. When I was growing up (youngest of 5) I had to clean the barn because we all had chores to do and I was delegated to the task. One sibling told me if I clean the barn barefooted it would kill my ‘athletes foot’. Of course everyone knows that barns that store cattle all winter: the flooring isn’t just straw but also manure a foot or so deep.

Brother One: I was in the field bailing hay
when I saw the sky was black and gray
I hurried home, but, it was too late…
THE DAY THE BARN BURNT DOWN TO THE GROUND.

Sister: I was in town, shopping around
And bought a lovely gown
And was turned around, and it was too late…
THE DAY THE BARN BURNT DOWN TO THE GROUND.

Brother Two: I was canoeing down on the Wisconsin,
caught some fish and went a swimming and so was too late…
THE DAY THE BARN BURNT DOWN TO THE GROUND.

Brother three: I was at the neighbor’s, but I didn’t kiss her,
I didn’t even touch her, we were racing thru the cornfield and saw it too late…
THE DAY THE BARN BURNT DOWN TO THE GROUND.

Brother four: I wasn’t smoking weed,
I was cleaning the stalls, when a cow kicked over a lantern…
THE DAY THE BARN BURNT DOWN TO THE GROUND.

My great friend “Fred Kenny Price” provided the awesome music!