Tom T. Hall - Ballad Of Bill Crump lyrics

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 handrubbed 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...