Two men rode in from the South, a rainy autumn night
(The sky above and the mud below)
They walked into the Deacon's bar, they were Mexican by 
sight
(The sky above and the mud below)
They threw a horse hair bridle down - "we trade this 
for whiskey round"
The Deacon slams a bottle down - two men start to 
drinkin'

Their hair was long and black, tied up behind their 
ears
(The sky above and the mud below)
Their faces were identical - like one man beside a 
mirror
(The sky above and the mud below)
Then someone whispers "that beats all... their wanted 
poster's on the wall
Twin brothers name of Sandoval - horse thieves from 
Boquillas..."

Now the bridle and the belts they wore were braided 
gray and black
(The sky above and the mud below)
The color of a roan horse once belonged to Deacon Black
(The sky above and the mud below)
The fastest horse for miles around - He'd been stolen 
from the old fairgrounds
A month ago outside of town - We tracked but never 
found him

Now the Deacon was a preacher who had fallen hard from 
grace
(The sky above and the mud below)
He owned the bar and a string of quarter horses that 
he'd race
(The sky above and the mud below)
Yet Deacon he could drink and curse, though he still 
quoted sacred verse
He was sheriff, judge, he owned the hearse - a man you 
do not anger

The sky above, the mud below, the wind and rain, the 
sleet and snow
Two horse thieves from Mexico, drinkin' hard and 
singin'

One brother he spoke English - Deacon inquires as to 
their work
(The sky above and the mud below)
The man says, "Mister, we braid horsehair: bridles, 
ropes and quirts..."
(The sky above and the mud below)
"Yah, that fine bridle we did make - a roan horse 
killed by leg-bone break...
He's horsehair rope now, horse meat steak... we cleaned 
him to the bone."

Well these gentlemen they were ignorant, or didn't know 
just where they were
(The sky above and the mud below)
The Deacon's face grew darker as he measured every word
(The sky above and the mud below)
"You horsehair braidin' sons of bitches, stole my claim 
to earthly riches
Someone go and dig a ditch - there may well be a 
hangin'."

One brother reached inside his shirt - a-searching for 
his gun
(The sky above and the mud below)
Too late... for Deak had whipped around his sawed-off 
Remington
(The sky above and the mud below)
The twins they raised their hands and sneered. Deak was 
grinnin' ear to ear
He says: "Courts in session... hear ye, hear - yer's 
truly is presidin'..."

Well the trial commenced and ended quick, they didn't 
have a hope
(The sky above and the mud below)
Deak says, "We'll cut your hair now boys - then you can 
braid yourselves a rope...
(The sky above and the mud below)
The Old Testament it says somewhere - "'eye for eye and 
hair for hair
Covet not thy neighbor's mare' - I believe that's 
Revelations."

Now that fancy horsehair bridle it hangs on Deacon's 
wall
(The sky above and the mud below)
Next to that wanted poster of the brothers Sandoval
(The sky above and the mud below)
And the twisted rope, so shiny black; the artifact that 
broke their necks
Their craftmanship he did respect - they shoulda struck 
to braidin'

The sky above, the mud below, the wind and rain, the 
sleet and snow
The Deacon's hearse is rollin' slow, in the first blue 
light of morning