ballad of forty dollars

the man who preached the funeral said it really was a simple way to die

he laid down to rest one afternoon and never 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 and i guess we must have drunk a case of beer

i guess i ought to go and watch them put him down but i don't own a suit

and anyway when they start talking about the fire in hell

well

i get spooked

so

i'll just sit here in my truck and 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 that's the sharpest thing i've seen

that must belong to his great uncle

someone 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's 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