Indian Summer

Chris Whitley

summer is lost now

the frost is closing in

to the cold gospel dollar

the poor man walks in sin

I can't get no entrance

the doors all in rows

I pray into the distance

let me outta these heavy clothes



I beg

Indian summer I need some return

so hard to get warm now

and so easy to get burned

down on the pavement the laws are learned

it's so hard to get warm where

it's so easy to get burned



when a sister called up

and said that love had broken down

I said there too much ice around here

to find no solid ground

well I just squeezed a season

from this paper bag

I pray to the burning tires

wrap my feet in rags



begging

Indian summer I need some return

it's so hard to get warm now

and so easy to get burned

down on the pavement the laws are learned

it's so hard to get warm where

it's so easy to get burned



now the sky is empty

the street is sweating tears

communion at the station

for a million grinding gears

well I'm riding out this century

the harvest engines sing

from the church of mercenaries

to a naked virgin spring



I'm singing

Indian summer I need some return

it's so hard to get warm now

and so easy to get burned

down on the pavement the laws are learned

it's so hard to get warm where

it's so easy to get burned



hard to get warm where

it's so easy to get burned