The Ballad of Forty Dollars

The man that 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 talkin'

About the fire in hell I get spooked

So let's just sit here in the truck

And act like we don't know him when they pass

Anyway, when they're all through

We got to go to work and mow the grass

Here they come and who's that riding

In that big old 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 big old farm

When they get parked let's mosey down

And look it over, that won't do no harm

That must be the widow in the car

And won't 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 tell me his truck is up for sale

They say she took it pretty hard

But you can't tell too much behind a veil

Listen ain't that pretty when

A bugler plays a military taps

I think when you were in the war

They always hide and play a song like that

Well, here we are and there he goes

And I guess that you might call it our bad luck

I hope he rests in peace

But the trouble is the fellow owes us forty bucks