Ballad Of Forty Dollars Lyrics - Singles - Dave Dudley

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