The Way the Whole Thing Ends - Gillian Welch

Say you wanna see my garden

And you wanna make it shine

Say you wanna see my blue jeans

Hanging on your old clothesline

Standing in the back door crying

Now you wanna be my friend

That’s the way the cornbread crumbles

That’s the way the whole thing ends

Now what’s a little baby doing

Dressing up in banker’s clothes?

What’s a little sweetheart like you

Doing with a bloody nose?

Standing in the backdoor crying

Now you’re gonna need a friend

That’s the way the cornbread crumbles

That’s the way the whole thing ends

Now once you had a hook and ladder

Up into the headless night

Once you had a motorcycle

But you couldn’t ride it right

Standing in the doorway crying

Now you’re gonna need a friend

That’s the way the cornbread crumbles

That’s the way the whole thing ends

Now someone said something one time

But Daddy didn’t talk too loud

People ought to stick together

That’s the way to make a crowd

But here you come, alone and crying

Now you wanna be my friend

That’s the way the cornbread crumbles

That’s the way the whole thing ends

Mama’s in the beauty parlor

And Daddy’s in the baseball pool

Sister’s in the drive-in movie

Brother’s in the old high school

Now here you come, alone and crying

Once, you know, you were my friend

That’s the way the cornbread crumbles

That’s the way the whole thing ends

Standing in the backdoor crying

Now you wanna be my friend

That’s the way the cornbread crumbles

That’s the way the whole things ends