Earthquake
Mickey Newbury
On his mountain there sits a long
Gray-bearded, ancient hermit
Sadly starin' at the caption
In the San Mateo Times
It reads, "Today the prophets
All agree that California
Is to be swallowed in
The twinkling of an eye."
He goes thumbin' through his growin'
Stack of half-unfinished rhymes
Till he finds the one he once submitted
To the New York Times
They just laughed at him and said
"You senile, wino, drunk, old fool
Get outta here
You must have lost your mind."
So he went back to his mountain
Where he began to pray
He prayed for those in ingrorance
Who would treat a man that way
For the truth will fall like his mountain, Lawd
On all that have grown deaf
The day the world is swallowed up
And California's left