There's a man in my town named Howard McBane
Twenty years ago he said he'd come to make it rain
(The) crops they all were dying back in eighteen ninety three
Howard came to town and told them put your faith in me
He rode in on a train from east of the big river
It was so damn hot that morning still I couldn't help but shiver
Daddy told me he wa'n't nothing but a snake oil dealer
to these desperate farmers Howard seemed like a faith healer
Howard told the people if they wanted to have water
sign the dotted line, bring him their money wine and daughters
common folk get desperate when there's nowhere left to turn
last summer was a scorcher, their fields were sun burned
so they gave him what he wanted what else could they do
he winked and laughed and told them, I'll make it rain on you
then Howard climbed the hill on the southern edge of town
and he ranted and he chanted and the rain came pouring down
Howard McBane rode in on that train
come to make it rain
this town will never be the same
Howard McBane rode in on that train
come to make it rain
Howard McBane
There's a man in my town named Howard McBane
Twenty years ago he said he'd come to make it rain
Now there ain't no woman in this town Howard ain't defiled
Ain't nothing that he don't own for two hundred square miles
(We) thought he was a miracle, (but) he was no messiah
no amount of holy water can put out this fire
train that came up straight from hell twenty years ago
is heading back to Hades with a cargo of lost souls
Howard he is heading to another dried up town
where they'll sign his dotted line and he'll make that rain come down
Howard McBane is a demon, an archangel from hell
drain your soul for a couple drops of water in your well
now your seeds are all dying in the ground where they fell
and he's off to find more suckers who need rain
Howard McBane