Jacob Baum (Water Witch)

Lyrics: Robert Hunter
Music: Robert Hunter

A lyric in Robert Hunter's "Box Of Rain." It seems to have been performed live only a few times. Once on 18 May 1984 with rather different lyics (thanks to D.J.Johnson for pointing this out), and once on 30 Octeber 1983, where it veers off in a different direction.

These are the lyrics in Box Of Rain:

I dug in that spot before, I didn't find no water
Tell me, how do you do it, where did you get that power?
I got it from my father, who was a seventh son
Don't really need no willow wand, though I guess it helps me some

Chorus
Water witch, come now
Bend your willow and see
Is there water in my land?
Cool, sweet water for me?
Find that water now, cold clear water
Come, cool water--Oh come, sweet water
Please bend your willow and see

Jacob Baum came to Nehi Valley nineteen forty nine
All the wells were long gone dry--heaven presented no sign
Jacob could sniff a hidden spring like a hound can track a scent
Water never failed to show wherever his willow bent

Preacher Will got it in his head that Jacob was the devil
Said no one could do this thing and still be on the level
During the controversy Jacob dowsed the chapel ground
Found a mother wellspring there, enough to go around

It so happened that Preacher Will, he owned that plot of land
Got it on a deed of trust from someone lately damned
You should have seen the colors change--his true concern turned 'round
To how much he could profit from the water inside his ground

[chorus]

Everyone saw through his scam from profit to disaster
Nonetheless, our hands were tied, our need made him the master
Till Jacob shook his willow wand in anger at the sky
And rain fell down for seven days till not one well was dry

Preacher Will snuck out of town the day the sun returned
We took up a collection to pay Jacob what he'd earned
He said I can't accept your pay or my power will be lost
Thank you for your faith in me--that's all it's gonna cost

[chorus]

Come cold water--come, cool, sweet water
Jacob, bend your willow and see
Witch that water, now, cold clear water
Cool, sweet water for me ...

Water witch
Bend your willow and see
Is there water on my land?
Water for me
Come water
Come water

Jacob Baum rode into Nehi Valley nineteen forty nine
The Carson River was dry as snuff, there was nothing to drink but sunshine
He said he was a water witch and he could work the willow wand
We made him prove his boast and then the preacher said Jacob Baum

I've dug in that spot before, I didn't find no water
Tell me, how do you do it, where did you get that power?
I got it from my father, who was a seventh son
Fuck you know I don't really need the willow, though it helps me some

The preacher said Jacob Baum must be some kind of friends with the devil
Said no man could do those things and still be on the level
That is until Jacob prophesied water in the chapel ground
Said there's a whole lot there and a load away in town

Water witch
Bend your willow and see
Is there water on my land?
If so, find it for me
Come water
Come water

It just so happened that the preacher owned that spot of ground
When the water stirred it up, might as well have been money from the ground
You could see his wheels a-spinning round and round and round
Figuring out where he could live when that water was [sounds]

Before he let us have a drop he took cash and IOUs
Well, buddy, how could we refuse
Till Jacob Baum got so angry with his willow wand at the sky
Rain seemed to collect in a rain-filled water high

Water witch
Bend your willow and see
Is there water on my land?
Is there water for me
Come water, come water
Water witch
Come quick witch with your willow wand
Find why, cool water, can you find any water for me

The greedy Preacher snuck out of town the day before the sun returned
The whole town gathered round to pay Jacob Baum what he'd rightly earned
Said I can't accept your cash or the power would be lost
Driving devils out of town is my [road] and that's all, that's all

I'm gonna cut, witch
[Anywhere you] and see
Is there water on my land?
Water for me

Come water, come water, come water
Come water, come, come water witch
Come water witch
Wave you willow wand
[?] is the one for me
Come water, come water
Witch witch, willow wand
Water, water witch come see
Cool water, cool water, cool water, cool water
Dip you bucket in the clear blue sky
[etc]

Water witch
Bend your willow and see
Is there water on my land?
Water for me
Come water
Cool spring water

I dug in that spot before, I didn't find no water
Tell me, how do you do it, where did you get that power?
I got it from my father, who was a seventh son
You know I don't really need the willow, though it helps me some

Come water
Ooh come water

Water witch strode into Nehi Valley nineteen forty nine
[Asking] work from door to door, anything [bar] time
Mother set him chopping wood, [pay him] the ditch
We didn't know our hired man was also a water witch

Come water
Cool spring water

Long dry Jaruary, it didn't rain till May
First dry winter ever out our way
Easter time our well dried, hired man sighed
Cut himself a willow wand, shook it out the sky

Come water
Oh come water

Soon word got out, there was a big demand
Never seemed to like the work, could not understand
Me and Abe, I love him, now Abe's our brother
He's like the father we'd never seen

He lived in a shed, we knew he loved our mother
Mother didn't seem to care for him, or any other

He could sniff out a well spring like a hound can a ditch
Well how do you do it, [I'm called] a witch

One night he came in drunk, forced himself upon her
Came to his senses at the clap of thunder
Seems almost as though our creek runs three or four weeks of rain
But in Nehi Valley the water witch was never seen again

Water witch
Bend your willow and see
Is there water on my land?
Water for me
Come water
Come water