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The Ballad of Wallace Green and His Dog

from It Doesn't Matter Why It Is, It Doesn't Matter If It's Wrong by John Elliott

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lyrics

From just outside of Birmingham, a man named Wallace Green
He’s got a dog he loves who loves him back
And a pick-up painted green
Been in the desert for four years
On probation for four months
He’s got a lawyer from the state who’s always late
And he’s got some land back home
But he won’t get back to it
And he won’t see the sun again
When they take him in and they get a closer look

Wallace came out west to meet a girl
Took his time along the way
She was thinner in her picture, he decided he should stay
Taught her children to be proud
Cleaned ‘em up and set ‘em straight
Gave ‘em something to believe, filled up their plates
But all the men he met didn’t treat him with respect
They called him slow, they made him mean
And Wallace Green says:

“It doesn’t matter why it is, it doesn’t matter if it’s wrong
It only matters that it is and it’s been goin’ on a bit too long.”

There’s only so much that a man can take before he breaks
It happened one night, it happened so fast
Wallace don’t remember what went down
He knows he heard a buzzin’ sound
And he woke up next to dead tied to a hospital bed
With four felonies to his name
It’s a dirty game and he got a piece of it

That dog was desperate when he found her
Hunger sick and danger thin
Almost gone, he cleaned her up, washed off the blood
And took her in
Wallace learned to love her quick
Gave her a name he thought would stick
He lets her out, she feeds herself, she leaves the bones
And every night back home she’s sleepin’ at his feet
It’s all that either of them needs
It’s a perfect scene
But it’s over now for Wallace Green

He was out on bail when he found
That his dog was in the pound
He had a week to get some cash
Or they were gonna put her down
He called his ma hopin’ that she could help him out
She had some money down south, she went it west
And Wallace said it’s good she did
‘Cause he’d come after who killed her if they did
And he’d hurt him hard
He wouldn’t laugh or frown
He’d hunt him and he’d bring him down
Take the body back to town
Put it in his pick-up truck
Prop it up and drive it around

‘Cause it doesn’t matter why it is and it doesn’t matter if it’s wrong
It only matters that it is and it’s been goin’ on a bit too long

credits

from It Doesn't Matter Why It Is, It Doesn't Matter If It's Wrong, released July 21, 2008

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John Elliott San Francisco, California

“John Elliott is the Andy Kaufman of folk music.”

“Post Seinfeld, Post 9/11 Eyebrow Rock.”

“Well crafted and artful songs by a potentially disturbed individual.”

Singer/songcyclist. ... more

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