[Spoken]
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Let me tell you about a song
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That was brought to me by a good friend of mine who's a good songwriter
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And everytime he brings me a song I'm always willing to listen
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But the story and the reasons for writing this song
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Were even more interesting to me than the song
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The old friend and fella I'm speaking of is Tommy Collins
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Tommy told me about an experience he had when he was a minister
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Where he was called to preach a funeral for a man with no identity
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Tommy said he never forgot the way he felt
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Like here is a human being who someone must have loved at sometime
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And yet there was no one present to pay respect
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Just a couple of grave diggers a funeral man and Tommy
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Then the story switched to another thought bout during his last visit to Nashville
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He went down to listen to an ole street singer
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That he always made a point to go hear each time he was in town
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And it was then that Tommy discovered
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That Jack Dupree the ole street singer had passed away
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And Tommy said he wondered how many were present at Jack's funeral
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And it was these two true to life incidents that inspired this song
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[Sang]
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I only saw five people when they buried Jack Dupree
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Two diggers and the preacher the funeral man and me
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The pray was said and the hole was filled in less than half an hour
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And I said goodbye to the little man who picked the wildwood flower.
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For twenty years I'd seen him on the lower Nashville streets
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They said he always earned enough to buy his clothes and eats
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He'd stop awhile and check his watch with the big clock on the tower
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That's when I asked him once if he could pick the wildwood flower.
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He always drew a crowd because he put on such a show
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He'd dance and sing and play and smile just like a polished pro
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And everytime he saw me standin' in the crowd
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I knew the tune that he'd play next would be the wildwood flower.
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I told him once that he could be what people call a star
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And he said why boy I'm happy how many of them folks are
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I'd hate to have to force a smile and feel myself turn sour
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There ain't no put on in my face when I pick the wildwood flower.
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Then I saw a thousand people as they begin to come
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Business men and opry stars party girls and bums
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And on that little mound of clay bouquets begin to shower
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As they paid respect to the little man who picked the wildwood flower...
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Man Who Picked The Wildwood Flower
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Merle Haggard |