Songwriter: Tom T. Hall
Producer: Jerry Kennedy
The man who preached the funeral said it really was a simple way to die
He laid down one afternoon, never even opened up his eyes
They hired me and Fred and Joe to dig the grave and carry up some chairs
It took us seven hours, I guess we must have drunk a case of beer
I guess I ought to go and watch them put him in the ground but I don't own a suit
Anyway when they start talking about the fire in hell, well, I get spooked
So, I'll just sit here in my truck, act like I don't know him when they pass
Anyway, when they're all through I've got to go to work and mow the grass
Well, here they come and who's that ridin' in that big ol' shiny limousine
Look at all that chrome, I do believe that's the sharpest thing I've seen
That must belong to his great uncle, somebody said he owned a big ol' farm
When they get parked I'll mosey down and look it over, that won't do no harm
Well that must be the widow in the car and would you take a look at that
That sure is a pretty dress, you know some women do look good in black
Well, he's not even in the ground and they say that his truck is up for sale
They say she took it pretty hard, but you can't tell too much behind the veil
Well, listen ain't that pretty when the bugler plays the military taps
I think that when you're in the war they always had to play a song like that
Well here I am and there they go and I guess you'd just call it my bad luck
I hope he rests in peace, the trouble is the fellow owes me forty bucks
He laid down one afternoon, never even opened up his eyes
They hired me and Fred and Joe to dig the grave and carry up some chairs
It took us seven hours, I guess we must have drunk a case of beer
I guess I ought to go and watch them put him in the ground but I don't own a suit
Anyway when they start talking about the fire in hell, well, I get spooked
So, I'll just sit here in my truck, act like I don't know him when they pass
Anyway, when they're all through I've got to go to work and mow the grass
Well, here they come and who's that ridin' in that big ol' shiny limousine
Look at all that chrome, I do believe that's the sharpest thing I've seen
That must belong to his great uncle, somebody said he owned a big ol' farm
When they get parked I'll mosey down and look it over, that won't do no harm
Well that must be the widow in the car and would you take a look at that
That sure is a pretty dress, you know some women do look good in black
Well, he's not even in the ground and they say that his truck is up for sale
They say she took it pretty hard, but you can't tell too much behind the veil
Well, listen ain't that pretty when the bugler plays the military taps
I think that when you're in the war they always had to play a song like that
Well here I am and there they go and I guess you'd just call it my bad luck
I hope he rests in peace, the trouble is the fellow owes me forty bucks
more tracks from the album
Live at the International, Las Vegas
- Once More with Feeling
- Take These Chains from My Heart
- When You Wore a Tulip and I Wore a Big Red Rose
- Drinkin’ Champagne
- My Only Claim to Fame
- San Antonio Rose
- She Still Comes Around (To Love What’s Left of Me)
- Jambalaya
- Brown-Eyed Handsome Man
- She Even Woke Me Up to Say Goodbye
- You Went Out of Your Way (To Walk on Me)
- Flip, Flop and Fly
- Ballad of Forty Dollars
From the album
Jerry Lee Lewis popular songs
- Great Balls of Fire
- Whole Lotta Shakin’ Goin On
- All Night Long
- All the Good Is Gone
- You Don’t Miss Your Water
- It Won’t Happen with Me
- Drinkin’ Wine Spo-Dee-O-Dee
- Drinking Wine Spo-Dee O’Dee
- I Could Never Be Ashamed of You
- What’d I Say
- Over the Rainbow
- I’m Feeling Sorry
- Time Changes Everything
- Another Place, Another Time
- Memphis
- Mean Woman Blues
- My Lovely Fraulein
- He Can’t Fill My Shoes
- Folsom Prison Blues
- You Win Again
- Bottom Dollar
- Skid Row
- I Love You Because
- Mom and Dad’s Waltz