Ballad Of Bill Crump Lyrics - Tom T. Hall

Now I'd hear a lot of tall stories since my business is writin' songs 

And every now and then if you listen real close a good true one comes along 

And this is the story of old Bill Crump from the North Carolina Hills 

Nat Winston of Nashville knew this man real well 

He built the church and he built the pews 

He built the cradles and the furniture for the schools 

Folks in Avery County say that he was better than good 

Probably one of the reasons the Lord made wood 

Now men have faults and Bill's fault was he loved to sip that corn 

He lived ninety some years that way don't guess it was hurtin' him none 

You could take him a picture from a catalog he could build anything he'd see 

He could make anything that you could make out of the tree 

One day Bill said Mama I'm gettin' old I want you to measure me good 

I'm goin' out to that wood pile and get myself some wood 

And I'm gonna make me a coffin I want it to fit me fine 

The way I figure it I've got about enough time 

He built the church and he built the pews... 

Now Bill worked on that coffin like he was gonna be there awhile 

He'd show the folks and rub that wood and then stand back and smile 

He used that body for ninety some years figured it had treated him good 

And when he left it he put it away in some real fine wood 

Oh right now old Bill's sleepin' in the hills of North Caroline 

In his homemade coffin hand rubbed walnut velvet lined 

Now most folks use their heads and hands and just think of themselves 

His body's there but his spirit's someplace else 

'Cause he built the church and he built the pews... 

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