Music: The Avett Brothers/Scott Yancey Avett/Timothy Seth Avett/Robert William Jr Crawford
(Big Brother)
Fess up, fess up, tell the truth, my man
Unless takin' it to hell is your plan
(Little Brother)
Forgive yourself if you think you can
Tell the tale, tell the tale, my man
(Captain) And this is your last chance, shipmate.
(Big Brother) Don't you feel the blood filling your lungs?
(Little Brother) You can taste it.
(Captain) You're dying.
Doubt you'll see another sunrise.
(Big Brother) Tell our story.
(Captain) Release us.
(Little Brother) Release yourself.
(Captain) It's now or never.
(Big Brother) And don't beg our forgiveness.
Seek your own.
(Mate)
Twenty-one days lost at sea I fought
For twenty-two years non-stop I've talked
Through the desert, pissed-drunk, and confused I walked
I spit a tooth in the palm of my hand
(Big Brother, Little Brother & Captain)
Yeah
Fess up, fess up, tell the truth, my man
Unless takin' it to hell is your plan
Forgive yourself if you think you can
Tell the tale, tell the tale, my man
(Mate)
Yeah the wind and the trees are ganging up on me
They sing my funeral song in harmony
I just wanna walk home unaccompanied
(Ensemble)
They keep singin'
They keep singin' and singin'
They keep singin'
Singin' they keep singin' to me
Oh, oh
Singin' to me
Oh, oh
I hear 'em singin'
Oh, oh
(Mate)
Well, I wish things were different true and deep
But everything that's so shallow is everything about me
You know they told me I could just take my money and leave
I hope the people on the ground'll understand
I hope the people in the crowd'll understand
(Ensemble)
Fess up, fess up, tell the truth, my man
Wipe the blood from your face and your hands
Forgive yourself if you think you can
Tell the truth, tell the truth, my man
Oh, tell the truth, tell the truth, my man
Oh, tell the truth, tell the truth, my man
(Mate)
Such a story it is for those that are partway in love with tragedy.
In this grim hospital ward, we're all dead and dying, so the story suits us.
But then, you're all dead and dying too. Aren't you just?
Think back to when you were younger than you are.
When you could draw deep breaths
and were taller and braver and truer.
And you fell in love every morning and out every night
and tomorrow was always better
and summer just around the corner
and the whole goddamn spinning world was one big game of chance
and, brother, you won!
(Oh...)