SONG: “Little Red Rabbit”

Our friend Cheyenne has been an undeniable source of inspiration. So, when she said she was moving out of state, we decided to write her a little folk tune as a keepsake of our love and appreciation.

Download mp3.
And, check out more of Joe's songs.

• Little Red Rabbit

Amid the northern plains
Off in a stand of willow
A momma rabbit limped along
   Her pelt was apple hued, 
   Her senses resolutely
Trained on all that might go wrong

She chewed the bramble bark
And nimbly etched a trail
When her youngest kit made for the mill pond
   Tout suite, the hind legs thumped, 
   Her whiskers twitched as she jumped
With a vinegar re-proach-e-ment:

I know you want to stand tall with ears up high
Just never let that sunshine catch your eye
Red or white, day or night
Your only choice comes down to fight or flight

But when the snow is falling
You don’t stand a chance
Sticking out like an ember through the shadow
   You will be seen from the blind 
   Where the dogged hunter pines
Nevermore for the trappings of home

Monsieur Pierre “le tueur de lapins”
Took a deep breath
And smelled his quarry on the air
   The iron kissed his lips 
   Like the bloody blow that lets
A fighter know that he’s still there

And so he shot  —  again and again
Till nothing moved there anymore
The smoke left the ground, 
And all was still without a sound
Except the ringing he learned to ignore

Now in the roots
Beneath the orchard’s tallest tree
Her sweet babes have burrowed out a new den
   Each year they lift the pall 
   When the first fruit falls
Singing: “We remember when…“

She told us :: stand tall with ears up high
Knowing everyone gets knocked around
Red or white, day or night
Bones will set, and the heart rebounds

Remember :: stand tall with ears up high
When you’re not so sure which way to go
Red or white, day or night
Your best foot forward is what brings you home