The man who preached the funeral said it really was a simple way to die
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He laid down to rest one afternoon and never opened up his eyes
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They hired me and Fred and Joe to dig the grave and carry up some chairs
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It took us seven hours and I guess we must have drunk a case of beer
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I guess I ought to go and watch them put him down but I don't own a suit
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And anyway when they start talking about the fire in Hell, well, I get spooked
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So, I'll just sit here in my truck and act like I don't know him when they pass
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Anyway, when they're all through I've got to go to work and mow the grass
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Well, here they come and who's that ridin' in that big ol' shiny limousine
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Look at all that chrome, I do believe that that's the sharpest thing I've seen
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That must belong to his great uncle, someone said he owned a big ol' farm
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When they get parked I'll mosey down and look it over, that won't do no harm
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Well that must be the widow in the car and would you take a look at that
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That sure is a pretty dress, you know some women do look good in black
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Well, he's not even in the ground and they say that his truck is up for sale
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They say she took it pretty hard, but you can't tell too much behind the veil
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Well, listen ain't that pretty when the bugler plays the military taps
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I think that when you's in the war they always had to play a song like that
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Well here I am and there they go and I guess you'd just call it my bad luck
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I hope he rests in peace, the trouble is the fellow owes me forty bucks
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Ballad of Forty Dollars
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Tom T. Hall |