Rabbit Soup

Verse 1

Tin roof ticking in the cold night rain

One bare bulb on a rusted chain

Old man grinning with a gap-tooth smile

Said, "Come on in—you've walked some miles"

Wood stove coughing, floorboards loose

Black pot boiling up rabbit soup

He filled my bowl, then locked the door

I heard something scratching beneath the floor

Chorus

Rabbit soup, rabbit soup

Black pot bubbling, thick as glue

No tracks outside, no hanging hide

So what went in that stew tonight?

Rabbit soup, rabbit soup

He took one bite—I took two

Then something underneath my chair

Whispered, "Friend, that ain't no hare"

Verse 2

Bent fork shaking in my right-hand grip

Grease ran black from the old man's lip

The scratching stopped, the room went still

Then came three knocks from beneath the sill

He leaned in close and cleared his throat

Pulled one white hair from his winter coat

Said, "Every stranger pays their due—

Some bring silver, some make stew"

Chorus

Rabbit soup, rabbit soup

Black pot bubbling, thick as glue

No tracks outside, no hanging hide

So what went in that stew tonight?

Rabbit soup, rabbit soup

He took one bite—I took two

Then something underneath my chair

Whispered, "Friend, that ain't no hare"

Bridge

I kicked that table

Split that door

Ran through the briars

Bled on the thorns

Behind me laughing

Low and slow

"Leave your bowl—

But bring me more"

Final Chorus

Rabbit soup, rabbit soup

Black pot waiting for someone new

One chair empty, one spoon clean

Steam still curling through the trees

Rabbit soup, rabbit soup

If you smell it, keep moving through

No tracks outside, no hanging hide

And never eat there after night

Outro

Tin roof ticking

Black pot hot

Three slow knocks—

Then nothing.