Sugar and kerosene

As a kid on the ranch, when I’d get the croup

My Ma’d go straight to the core

She’d say, Git the kerosene off’a the shelf

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From the back porch, there by the door.

She’d git down the sugar in its yeller can

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An’ find us a big silver spoon

She’d have me set down in the blue kitchen chair

An’ she’d say, You’ll feel better real soon.

She’d fill up the spoon with the sugar she’d brought

Then douse it with pure kerosene

She’d say, Open wide, cuz we want you to heal

Why, no time at all you’ll feel keen

When I was a little buck I fought it off

I’d spit it right out if I could

But after some years of me gittin’ that stuff

It finally began tastin’ good

Sugar an’ kerosene, ain’t that a pair

Y’ wouldn’t think that’d cure nothin’

But not too long after I’d swaller that brew

Why, I’d quit m’ coughin’ an’ snuffin’

Now this jist ain’t somethin’ ya give kids today

I won’t recommend that you do

But I tell ya, fer croup an’ a runny ol’ nose

They ain’t nothin’ better fer you.