Cochran Legacy (I Remember The Cochran Circus)

Cattleman's Bar

It rained that summer night
When the material mechanisms didn't sound right
The merry go round got bumpy and the shafts locked up
Power got stuck

Daddy took me with him away from the scene with the girls and Bart and we fled
The flames orange against the center pole painted red
Five, six or seven people were dead
Everyone there would always have that noise in their head

The girls stayed outside and didn't go far
Daddy thought it was probably better than coming into The Cattlemen's Bar
But I wanted to go with my Father
Even though Elizabeth offered to hold their daughter

I was covered with my Father's coat and vest
And Bart looked at my Dad to see if this was for the best
Through the double doors
Boot heels on the wooden floors

They went to the back near the hall
And I'll never forget the wainscoting wall
The bar tender seemed like he knew me
Like he knew I was hiding my child under my coat down to my knee

I laid Maddie down on the floor boards on our other coats and vest
I covered her with the blue jacket as she pulled my green one closer to her chest
We had some drinks and a bit of whiskey
Because that carnage didn't just leave Bentley's knees feeling shaky and tipsy

Then a man soon came in
And looked at me like my Carnival he had been
He sat down pulled up a bar stool and looked at us
He said he's heard of The Cochran Circus

He said his name was unimportant but Daddy raised an eyebrow
The Guy was missing something somehow
But he just wanted to help
And thought he could fix the bum hand Marcus had been delt

Father took on another business partner that night
If it wasn't for The Man In The Cattleman's Dad would have lost more than his Carnival and our home

He would've lost the fight
Arrest him, yeah they just might
'I can't leave my girlfriend alone to raise our 4 year old daughter'
I can't be put away because I'm not responsible for the so-called 'manslaughter'

But The Man knew us already and he even knew me
He knew me since before I was three
The man recognized my Father and Father remembered him
The Man knew me since I was around two, maybe longer and he knew where Cochran Shows had been

The Man In The Bar knew my name and he knew I was under the table even though he didn't see
We didn't know his name till this year in 1944
When a man named Asa Kines came through the bar door

This night would have been the last opening night
But Asa helped Daddy make it all right
Like Marcus' family and me, we all knew neglectful and criminal were nonsense claims and words and lines
He wanted to help and bring joy to people just like Kines

Mr. Cochran my Father and the most devoted, kindest and caring and loving Father I could ever have had
And I don't believe he's evil, mad or bad
He's my best friend and helps me and teaches me
And he loves me and Mommy more than most can see

Going into The Bar
Got us far
And even after that night, Father put us before himself
And even I know, sometimes he doesn't talk about the pain he felt

The Cattlemen's Bar may have raised the bar
But Mommy and Daddy raised me and I've come far
Like my Father and my family and sisters and brothers
The Cochran Circus is grand, but The Cochran Family is strong, committed and loving like no other