Well, it was battered and scared
And the auctioneer felt it was hardly worth his while
To waste much time on the old violin
But he held it up with a smile
"Well, it sure ain't much but its all we got left
I guess we aught to sell it to
Oh, now who'll start the bid on this old violin?
Just one more and we'll be through"
And then he cried:
"One give me one dollar, who'll make it two
Only two dollars who'll make it three
Three dollars twice now that's a good price
Now who's gonna bid for me?
Raise up your hand now don't wait any longer
The auction's about to end
Who's got four, just one dollar more
To bid on this old violin?"
Well, the air was hot and the people stood around
As the sun was setting low
From the back of the crowd. a gray-haired man
Came forward and picked up the bow
He wiped the dust from the old violin
Then he tightened up the strings, ooh...
And then he played out a melody pure and sweet
Sweeter than the Angels sing
And then the music stopped and the auctioneer
With a voice that was quiet and low
He said, "Now what am I bid for this old violin?"
And he held it up with a bow
And then he cried out:
"One give me one thousand, who'll make it two?
Only two thousand who'll make it three?
Three thousand twice, you know, that's a good price
Come on, who's gonna to bid for me?"
And the people cried out "What made the change
We don't understand"
Then the auctioneer stopped, and he said with a smile
"It was the touch of the Master's hand"
You know, there's many a man with his life out of tune
Battered and scared with sin
And he's auctioned cheap to a thankless world
Much like that old violin
Oh, but then the Master comes and that old foolish crowd
They never understand, no
The worth of a soul and the change that is brought
Just by one touch of the Masters hand
And then he cried out:
"One give me one thousand, who'll make it two?
Only two thousand who'll make it three?
Three thousand twice, you know, that's a good price
Come on, who's gonna bid for me?"
And the people cried out, "What made the change
We don't understand"
Then the auctioneer stopped, and he said with a smile
"It was the touch, that's all it was
It was the touch of the Master's hand
It was the touch of the Master's hand
Oh, it was the touch of the Master's hand"