Notes: I stuffed together every Thanksgiving memory over the years into one casserole of reminiscence, and I wound up with this sum-it-all-up ballad.

Thanksgiving Stuff - Click here to listen
By: Jake Speed 11/18/06

Verse 1:

I wake up late, it's Thursday morn
The leaves are dropping red and orange
I'm skipping breakfast Thanksgiving is here

The Joy of Cooking book's wide open
Mom's stuck in the kitchen, moping
Dad's on the recliner drinking beer.

There's Uncle Mike and Uncle Dan
And lipstick kiss, cheek-squeezing Aunts
Who love to talk about when I was born.

There's awkward cousin conversations
Cut short by the football games
We'll get along just fine Thanksgiving morn.

Chorus:

Hallelujah, Hallelujah, we all sing Hallelujah
The table's set, the kitchenette is full of food
Hallelujah, Hallelujah, we all sing Hallelujah
Thanksgiving Day is on the way, sing Hallelujah

Verse 2:

String green beans, corn bread muffin
Casserole and Stove Top stuffing
Turkey giblets what the Hell is that?

My brother dared my cousin Chris
To taste a turkey giblet bit
Now cousin Chris is sick and can't play catch

The kids are making handprint turkeys
Grandma's snacking on beef jerkey
Sis dressed up the dog in pilgrim shoes

The silverware's set for a feast
I sneak a cold Milwaukee's Beast
Thanksgiving day is here, Hallelujah,

Verse 3:

The Kiddie table just exploded
Thank God, last year, I got promoted
My brother's sneaking peas onto the floor

We find our place and Dad says grace
Uncle Frank's drunk in the face
We loosen up our belts and praise the Lord.

We all dig in, such sweet aroma
Soon we'll all have turkey comas
We eat too much but still have room for pie.

Then it's time to lie and yawn
And put on Alice's Restaurant
And dream and sleep away Thanksgiving night

Verse 4:

Tomorrow morn we'll wake at four
We'll storm off to the outlet stores
Go shopping till we hate each other's guts

We'll stuff the station wagon trunk
So full with bags of Christmas junk
We'll have to make poor grandma take the bus

We see a Christmas tree sale lot
With twine, somehow, we tie it on
We get back home and haul it in the den

Two days pass, we'll say goodbye
Then breathe a big Thanksgiving sigh
And one month later, do it all again