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
Words & Music: John Mellencamp’s Greatest Hits
- Pink Houses
- Walk Tall
- Dance Naked
- Love and Happiness
- Again Tonight
- Paper in Fire
- Just Another Day
- I Need a Lover
- Martha Say
- Wild Night
- Check It Out
- Your Life Is Now
- Key West Intermezzo (I Saw You First)
- Ain’t Even Done with the Night
- Peaceful World
- What If I Came Knocking
- Rain on the Scarecrow
- Rumbleseat
- Lonely Ol’ Night
- When Jesus Left Birmingham
- Jack & Diane
- Hurts So Good
- Cherry Bomb
- Small Town
- Pop Singer
- Jackie Brown
- Teardrops Will Fall
- Thank You
- Crumblin’ Down
- Human Wheels
- Authority Song
- Now More Than Ever
- This Time
- Hand to Hold On To
- Get a Leg Up
- I’m Not Running Anymore
- R.O.C.K. in the U.S.A. (A Salute to 60's Rock)
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
- Nothing’s for Free
- Cold Sweat (Live)
- Wild Night (Acoustic version)
- Crazy Island
- The Face of the Nation
- Days of Farewell
- Get a Leg Up
- Rodeo Clown
- When Margaret Comes to Town
- I Ain’t Ever Satisfied
- Junior
- Just Like You
- Lonely Ol’ Night (live)
- Great Mid-West
- Take Home Pay