Lyrics

The Roswell Incident


My father was a rancher
East of Socorro
southeast of Corona
near Roswell, New Mexico

In the middle of nowhere
no radio, no telephone
1947
I was 12 years old

Big lightning storm one night
beginning of July
we heard an explosion
wondered what, wondered why

Riding out the next morning
over the pasture to check on some sheep
that's when Daddy found it
the big field of weird debris

He brought some of it home then
laid it out on the kitchen floor
bits and pieces
of things we'd never seen before

Like foil but not foil
like wood but not wood
like wire, waxed paper
all weighing much less than it should

Everything was so strong
we couldn't cut it or scrape it
pliable, unnatural
we couldn't burn or break it

There were symbols in purple and pink
like a transparent recipe
ranged out in columns
but nothing we could read

A couple days later
Daddy drove into Corona
and there he heard the stories
what had been seen by others

Near Magdalena
on the Plains of San Agustin
a civil engineer
and an archeological research team

found a disc shaped object
surrounded by creatures
like human but not human
round heads, no hair, small features

A military officer
drove up and ordered everyone to leave
swore them to silence
their patriotic duty

A couple in Roswell
star gazing from their front porch
watched an object speeding
through the night of the big storm

Like two inverted saucers
glowing from the inside
headed straight for the lightning
right out to where we resided

They said
"We know what we saw
no rocket, no weather balloon
Why keep it a secret?
What could we learn?
What could we learn?
Well, we don't know
but we do know two things
we know what we saw
and we know that we are not alone."

So Daddy went into Roswell
where he talked with the sheriff
who called up the army
who came for my father

Took him out to our pasture
with trucks and soldiers
where they picked up the pieces
and carried them all away

Then they jailed my father
and they asked him questions
under guard in a small room
from head to foot tested him

He said
"You know what I saw.
I don't know why you're doing this to me
but I will keep it a secret
because you say it's my duty."

One week later
he came home on an airplane
said forget all about it
he never spoke of it again

But sometimes I asked him
"Daddy?
Was it from another planet?
Was it something from the future?"
but I never got an answer.

Still, I know what I saw
I don't care what they told him
Why keep it a secret?
What could we learn?
What could we learn?
Well, I don't know
but I do know two things
I know what I saw
and I know that we are not alone

I know what I saw
I don't care what you're thinking
Why keep it a secret?
What could we learn?
What could we learn?
Well, I don't know
but I do know two things
I know what I saw
and I know that we are not alone

©1996 Suzanne McDermott/Drexel Road Music (ASCAP/STIM) All Rights Reserved