The Poacher (Acoustic)

I was feeling on my way, I was 12 years old

Walking underneath a blanket of West Virginia coal

I walked right by a No Trespass sign

Yeah, the grass looked greener 'cross the property line

I told myself that I would not shoot

And if anybody asked, I took the scenic route

My hands started shaking, I let a round go

From the .223 polk stock powder load, bye-bye

I was born this way, who am I to be ashamed

It's the Indian blood in the poor man's veins

I did it that time and I did it again

Started selling meat to all of my friends

And they'd buy, yeah, they'd buy

'Cause there's a whole lot of people who like the wild food

But they can't go hunting 'cause the monthly bills are due

The farmers grow bread and the kitchen cooks soup

So I fed a lot of purpose with the deeds that I do

In the trees I found my sweet by and by, by and by

Well, I had to put the fear in the DNR

So I slashed their tires when they were parked

The whole administration, they had done get scared

But a young new trooper caught a wild hair

He pulled me over with a hefty load

But the law don't own the mountain

So I left him in the smoke

Well, the doctors and the lawyers, they're good at what they do

But a man needs a license just to hunt for some food

The farmers grow bread and the kitchen cooks soup

But the Lord gave me a purpose with the deeds that I do

Back in the trees I found my sweet by and by

Yeah, the sweet by and by

The good book says there's a time to heal

A time to build, a time to kill

Our Father was a carpenter

He blessed me with the same steady hand

And I got time to kill

'Cause there's a whole lot of people who like the wild food

But they can't go hunting 'cause the monthly bills are due

The farmers grow bread and the kitchen cooks soup

So I fed a lot of purpose with the deeds that I do

Back in the trees I found my sweet by and by

My sweet by and by