Aaron Smith & the Coal Biters - Ab Clayborn

Ab Clayborn rode to Kiefer’s cabin
Seven miles he whipped his mule
And when he reached the cabin yard
Ab his pistol drew
He said HJ Kiefer
I’ve come to pay you all you’re due
For my daughter Laura fair is slain
And I know that it was you
Let them bones burn and keep on burnin’

Ab shot out the cabin windows
Shots one and two
But all he heard was silence
And the wind blowing through
Ab felt no satisfaction
That his shots had found their mark
So Ab called out again
As the skies around grew dark
HJ Kiefer come and face me
Come die like a man
For my daughter Laura fair was murdered
by your wicked hand
Again there came no answer
So Ab called out once more
Then shots three and four
Shattered HJ Kiefer’s door
Let them bones burn
And keep on burnin’

Ab Clayborn stood at the threshold
His heart was racing fast
And on the cabin floor
He saw the body of the man
HJ Kiefer lay unmoving
So Ab cried out again
Kiefer are you dead?
He heard no answer but the wind
Ab Clayborn raised his gun again
And with a trembling hand
Sent shots five and six
Into the body of the man
Let them bones burn
and keep on burnin’

H.J. Kiefer lay sprawled on the floor
Broken bottle in his grip
From the shelves of Clayborn’s general store
It was deadly arsenic
Ab loaded up his gun and emptied it again
Let them bones burn
And keep on burnin’

Still Ab felt no satisfaction
And his rage did not abate
So he set fire to the body
In the fury of his hate
And the people of Limestone Valley
Deer and Lurton gathered round
To watch the corpse of HJ Kiefer
Burnin’ on the ground
Let them bones burn
And keep on burnin’

That’s the story we were given
And that’s the story we believe
Some might call to question details
But I never saw the need
Ab Clayborn never killed a man
Though he got to watch him bleed
Let them bones burn
and keep on burnin’