Philip Marshall Cates was born in Carolina
Went to school in England
Philip and Samantha married on his farm
Before the harvest season
He was schemin'
His worshipped father died a Great War hero
At night he'd lie in bed and clutch
His silver stars and eagles
He was schemin'
Back abroad in London Philip Marshall Cates
Had met an old explorer
Who'd climbed the Ural Mountains, crossed Sahara
Dove the oceans, spoke of more
Oh, he spoke of more
So one night Philip abandoned poor Samantha
Future Smokey Mountain old maid
And as he dark departed, son Lysander
Joined his father as a stowaway
He spoke of more
But tonight, don't cry
For Samantha, mother and bride
As she holds a black and white photograph
That fades away
She still works the farm
And she remembers her baby in her arms
The babe that left her barren
And the man that drove her early grey
And they all take respite in
The thought of coming home one day
Philip and Lysander carried south
To work for merchants out of Quito
Son translated, father wore a gun
And fended off banditos
He grew weak though
Then in eighteen years they worked
Every job from here to Argentina
Every woman a distortion of
The last time they had seen her
He grew weak though
But tonight, don't cry
For Samantha, mother and bride
As she holds a black and white photograph
That fades away
She still works the farm
And she remembers her baby in her arms
The babe that left her barren
And the man that drove her early grey
And they all take respite in
The thought of coming home one day
Old Lysander Cates spent over thirty months
In travel north to Raleigh
Gasping when he saw Samantha
Bed-ridden, rheumatized and gnarly
He said "I'm sorry
"It's been seven years since father was gunned down
"By gauchos out to rob our cocaine
"And when I got out of jail for killing every last one
"I started home again
"Oh, Mother I'm sorry"
Old Samantha Cates was buried in
The shadow of the church bell tower
And when he took his life Lysander's body
Landed there amongst her flowers
But tonight, don't cry
For Samantha, mother and bride
As she holds a black and white photograph
That's faded away
She still works the farm
And her baby has outgrown her arms
The fields are never barren and
The men come in for supper after a long hard day
And they all take respite in the thought of coming home