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've drunk a case of beer

I guess I oughta go and watch them

Put him down but I don't own the suit

And anyway when they start talkin' 'bout the fire

And 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 ole shiny limousine

Look at all that chrome, I do believe that

That's the sharpest thing I've seen

That must belong to his rich uncle

Someone said he owned a great big 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

He's not even in the ground

And they say that his track is up for sale

They say she took it pretty hard

But you can't tell too much behind a veil

Well, listen, ain't that pretty

When that bugler plays the military taps?

I think that when you's in the war

They always hired and played 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'll rest in peace but trouble is

That fellow owes me forty bucks