Released: August 5, 1985
Songwriter: John Mellencamp George M. Green
Producer: Don Gehman John Mellencamp
Scarecrow on a wooden cross
Blackbird in the barn
Four hundred empty acres
That used to be my farm
Grew up like my daddy did
My grandpa cleared this land
When I was five
I walked the fence while Grandpa held my hand
Rain on the scarecrow
Blood on the plow
This land fed a nation
This land made me proud
And son, I\`m just sorry
There\`s no legacy for you now
Rain on the scarecrow
Blood on the plow
Rain on the scarecrow
Blood on the plow
The crops we grew last summer
Weren\`t enough to pay the loans
Couldn\`t buy the seed to plant this spring
And the Farmers' Bank foreclosed
Called my old friend Schepman
Up to auction off the land
He said:
"John, it\`s just my job
And I hope you understand."
Hey, calling it your job, ole hoss
Sure don\`t make it right
But if you want me to
I\`ll say a prayer for your soul tonight
And grandma\`s on the front porch swing
With a Bible in her hand
Sometimes I hear her singing
Take me to the Promised Land
When you take away a man\`s dignity
He can\`t work his fields and cows
There\`ll be
Blood on the scarecrow
Blood on the plow
Blood on the scarecrow
Blood on the plow
There\`s 97 crosses
Planted in the courthouse yard
Ninety-seven families who
Lost ninety-seven farms
I think about my grandpa
My neighbors and my name
And some nights
I feel like dying
Like that scarecrow in the rain
Rain on the scarecrow
Blood on the plow
This land fed a nation
This land made me proud
And son, I\`m just sorry
They\`re just memories for you now
Rain on the scarecrow
Blood on the plow
Rain on the scarecrow
Blood on the plow
Rain on the scarecrow
Blood on the plow
This land fed a nation
This land made me so proud
Son, I\`m just sorry
They\`re just memories for you now
Rain on the scarecrow
Blood on the plow
Rain on the scarecrow
Blood on the plow
Blackbird in the barn
Four hundred empty acres
That used to be my farm
Grew up like my daddy did
My grandpa cleared this land
When I was five
I walked the fence while Grandpa held my hand
Rain on the scarecrow
Blood on the plow
This land fed a nation
This land made me proud
And son, I\`m just sorry
There\`s no legacy for you now
Rain on the scarecrow
Blood on the plow
Rain on the scarecrow
Blood on the plow
The crops we grew last summer
Weren\`t enough to pay the loans
Couldn\`t buy the seed to plant this spring
And the Farmers' Bank foreclosed
Called my old friend Schepman
Up to auction off the land
He said:
"John, it\`s just my job
And I hope you understand."
Hey, calling it your job, ole hoss
Sure don\`t make it right
But if you want me to
I\`ll say a prayer for your soul tonight
And grandma\`s on the front porch swing
With a Bible in her hand
Sometimes I hear her singing
Take me to the Promised Land
When you take away a man\`s dignity
He can\`t work his fields and cows
There\`ll be
Blood on the scarecrow
Blood on the plow
Blood on the scarecrow
Blood on the plow
There\`s 97 crosses
Planted in the courthouse yard
Ninety-seven families who
Lost ninety-seven farms
I think about my grandpa
My neighbors and my name
And some nights
I feel like dying
Like that scarecrow in the rain
Rain on the scarecrow
Blood on the plow
This land fed a nation
This land made me proud
And son, I\`m just sorry
They\`re just memories for you now
Rain on the scarecrow
Blood on the plow
Rain on the scarecrow
Blood on the plow
Rain on the scarecrow
Blood on the plow
This land fed a nation
This land made me so proud
Son, I\`m just sorry
They\`re just memories for you now
Rain on the scarecrow
Blood on the plow
Rain on the scarecrow
Blood on the plow
more tracks from the album
On the Rural Route 7609
- The Real Life
- Your Life Is Now
- Don’t Need This Body
- Sweet Evening Breeze
- The Full Catastrophe
- My Aeroplane
- Troubled Land
- Someday the Rains Will Fall
- Theo and Weird Henry
- Women Seem
- Between a Laugh and a Tear
- If I Die Sudden
- Peaceful World
- To Washington
- Colored Lights
- The World Don’t Bother Me None
- Jack and Diane (Writing Demo)
- Jenny at 16
- Rain on the Scarecrow
- Jim Crow
- Big Daddy of Them All
- What If I Came Knocking
- Longest Days
- Sugar Marie
- Mr. Bellows
- Deep Blue Heart
- Love and Happiness
- Someday
- Forgiveness
- To M.G. (Wherever She May Be)
- For the Children
- Freedom’s Road
- Our Country (Alternative Version)
- Jim Crow
- Thank You
- Ghost Towns Along the Highway
- Jackie Brown
- Cherry Bomb
- Jack & Diane
- L.U.V.
- County Fair
- When Jesus Left Birmingham
- Country Gentleman
- Rural Route
- Void in My Heart
- Just Like You
- Rodeo Clown
- A Ride Back Home
- Authority Song
- Grandma’s Theme
- Death Letter
- Young Without Lovers
- Pink Houses
From the albums
- Scarecrow (1985)
- The Rolling Stone Collection - 25 Years Of Essential Rock (1993)
- Rough Harvest (1999)
- Words & Music: John Mellencamp’s Greatest Hits (2004)
- On the Rural Route 7609 (2010)
- Plain Spoken: From the Chicago Theatre (2018)
John Mellencamp popular songs
- Jack & Diane
- Pink Houses
- Hurts So Good
- Small Town
- Check It Out
- Authority Song
- Rain on the Scarecrow
- I Need a Lover
- Cherry Bomb
- For the Children
- Farewell Angelina
- R. Gang
- To M.G. (Wherever She May Be)
- Worn Out Nervous Condition
- Yours Forever
- No One Cares About Me
- Forgiveness
- L.U.V.
- This May Not Be the End of the World
- County Fair
- Goodnight
- Young Without Lovers
- Another Sunny Day 12/25
- Serious Business