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12 O’Clock Whistle Lyrics by James McMurtry

Americana Master Series: Best of the Sugar Hill Years

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The air raid siren at the high school blew
Every weekday, twelve o'clock noon
Dinner time, people as if we didn't know
I guess the city fathers liked to hear that thing blow
The boys were chasing the city truck, spraying DDT
It kept the mosquitoes down
And that stuff won't hurt you none the neighbor lady'd say
Encephalitis, now that can ruin your day
Granny was hanging out wash, talking across the fence
The neighbor lady nodded like it all made sense
She's just gonna stay with him 'til the kids are grown
Fetch me that clothes pin up off the ground would you hon'
Won't you stay with me 'til the sun goes down?
On that flat top mountain to the West of town
Won't you stay a while, I just don't see
Why you must be leaving? Won't you stay with me?
I had a cherry coke dripping on my cowboy clothes
Riding down Scott street in that big white Olds
We're going through nigga town, honey lock your doors
'Course that's not what we're supposed to call 'em anymore
We're going to the beauty shop, it's not too far
You can come inside or you can just set in the car
No you can't go with grandpa to the pasture today
They're shipping calves and you'd just get in the way
Won't you stay with me 'til the sun goes down?
On that flat top mountain to the West of town
Won't you stay a while, I just don't see
Why you must be leaving? Won't you stay with me?
We had fried okra and black eyed peas
Granny had her saccharin, she was putting it in her tea
Pull that screen door to hon' you're letting in flies
Don't you know nothing
Yonder comes the pickup, he's coming down the street
Run help him put the horses up so we can eat
He's always late for dinner, Lord, he moves so slow
12 o'clock whistle blew half an hour ago
Won't you stay with me 'til the sun goes down?
On that flat top mountain to the West of town
Won't you stay a while, I just don't see
Why you must be leaving? Won't you stay with me?
Credits
James McMurtry

James McMurtry

About “12 O’Clock Whistle” by James McMurtry

Read the complete lyrics to "12 O’Clock Whistle" by James McMurtry from the album "Americana Master Series: Best of the Sugar Hill Years". On Lyrks you can follow along with the full text, explore the artist's discography, and discover related songs. The track is often categorized under Rock.

"12 O’Clock Whistle" is performed by James McMurtry. from the album "Americana Master Series: Best of the Sugar Hill Years" This page provides the full lyric text for fans who want to sing along, study the songwriting, or compare versions across releases. Lyrks organizes lyrics by artist and song slug so you can bookmark and share a stable URL. Music lyrics help listeners connect with emotion, narrative, and rhythm in a track. Whether you are learning English, researching a favorite chorus, or preparing for karaoke, having accurate line breaks and section labels (verse, chorus, bridge) makes the experience easier. We link to the official artist profile on Lyrks where available, including biography snippets, top songs, and chart placements when we have that data. If you enjoy "12 O’Clock Whistle", explore more songs by James McMurtry using the links below. Chart and trending pages on Lyrks highlight what listeners are searching for this week. For copyright or correction requests, see our DMCA and contact pages.

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Frequently asked questions

"12 O’Clock Whistle" is credited to James McMurtry. Songwriting credits may include additional writers listed on the release; check the credits section on this page for linked collaborators.

"12 O’Clock Whistle" appears on "Americana Master Series: Best of the Sugar Hill Years".

Visit the James McMurtry artist page at /artist/james-mcmurtry for biography, popular tracks, and links to more lyric pages.