Black-eyed man, he took the blame
For the poisoning of the well
They found this shoes by the pulley
They found his fingerprints all over the pail

Black-eyed man, I'm warning you
The people around here
Will not be fooled by a simple line or two

Yes, your honour, I do solemnly swear
That I saw him late last night
Dancing barefoot, bathed in light
And reaching for every star in sight
Yes, I did go to him
But completely against my will
And yes, he did things to me
Things of which I dream of still

Black-eyed man, I'm warning you
What I say is what you'll do
To hell with love and truth

I always meant to say I'm sorry
For all the things I said and did
'Sorry,' I feel better now, do you?
But you promised me the sky
And fell short a star or two
What else did you expect me to do?
Black-eyed man, he took the blame
For the poisoning of the well
They found his shoes by the pulley
They found his fingerprints all over the pail
With a noose around his neck
Cicadas trilling everywhere
He says to the people gathered round him
'It ain't the water that's not right around here'

Black-eyed man, I'm thirsty, dear
Be a love and bring some water here
Drawn fresh from the well