Strike up the Band

Strike up the band Mr. Evans Heaven under canvas awaits This straw house is packing in till blow down Some may even see those pearly gates Oklahoma set up for the show Windjammers take their place and blow The notes upon the page A score that will surely span the ages But two days pass upon the tracks And 16 lives won't make it back This train will crash and cease the harch Was it the Light Calvary march Oh what a sound Strike up the band Mr. Evans Heaven under canvas awaits This straw house is packing in till blow down Some may even see those pearly gates The wild west was next to test A chance to put this curse to rest Mister Evans takes the stand Coronet in hand But as the band began to play The wind picked up the tent blew away Timbers shivered underneath and left 38 deceased Oh on the ground Strike up the band Mr. Evans Heaven under canvas awaits This straw house is packing in till blow down Some may even see those pearly gates Father son and holy ghost We let 3 goats parade these grounds Not a stitch of green in the air can be seen And we dare not count this circus crowd We kept the birds from flying in No one was heard whistling The pachyderms all raised their trunks When folks were picturing Right foot first into the ring I think we thought of everything A bearded lady starts to sing Strike up the band Mr. Evans Heaven under canvas awaits This straw house is packing in till blow down Some may even see those pearly gates Most tragedies will come in threes Exception won't apply to these The reason he now collects the sheets And throws them to the river bed Too close to home this curse did roam When the Coronet beside the trombone Stabbed out the march's final note And then fell over dead Oh, on the ground Strike up the band Mr. Evans Heaven under canvas awaits This straw house is packing in till blow down Some may even see those pearly gates Strike up the band mr. Evans strike up the band