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about

A bizarre funeral for a friend. sort of.

lyrics

Based on a story from my dad
Old Antoine
1. They found old Antoine’s body
He was frozen to the ice
His chin was resting on his knees
Like he was resting nice
His arms arounds his legs
His fingers white with frost
About a mile out on the tundra
Old Antoine’s life was lost
Chorus
Antoine won’t you read
From the book in your hands
Won’t you read and take away my pain
Pretend it’s a book of the things you said
Won’t you read those passages again?
2. They chipped him from the snow bank
He was solid as a rock
His mustache broke right off him
When they rolled him on his back
Froze in that position
His knees stuck to his chin
They had bought the best of coffins
But they could not put him in
3. So they built a great big bonfire
To try to help him thaw
They put weights upon his knees
Sapling spring upon his jaw
In the middle of his wake
The frozen knees gave way
The sapling snapped his head up
And the whole town ran away
4. They never buried Antoine
‘cause He never did lie flat
I drug him to the place he died
And that is where he sat
Still upright in his coffin
So this is what I did
I put a good book in his hands
Because I could not close the lid
5. And when I think of Antoine
I can see him everywhere
The raven got his eyeball
The porcupine his hair
The otter got his attitude
The wolverine his look
There’s a bear out on the tundra
Still reading Antoine’s book

credits

from Family History, released March 9, 2023
Songwriter J.W. McClure on guitar and vocal; Thaddeus Spae on guitarron

license

all rights reserved

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about

J.W. McClure image

J.W. McClure Seattle, Washington

J.W. McClure lives in Stanwood, Washington. This is a career restarted for me. In the 1970’s I was often an opening act at the Washington D.C. clubs, The Cellar Door and The Childe Harold for Tom Paxton, Dave Van Ronk, Tom Rush and many well known bands. In the 1980’s I returned to Washington to do folk music, satire and stand-up comedy before getting swamped by family and other work. ... more

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