The Ballad Of Forty Dollars
The Ballad Of Forty Dollars: A Tale of Rest, Regret, and Respects
Lyrics
The man that preached the funeral said
The person who conducted the funeral service
"It really was a simple way to die
Describing the death as straightforward or uncomplicated
He laid down to rest one afternoon
The deceased lay down for a nap in the afternoon
And never opened up his eyes"
He never woke up again, implying a peaceful death
They hired me and Fred and Joe
The narrator, Fred, and Joe were hired to prepare for the funeral
To dig the grave and carry up some chairs
Tasks included digging the grave and arranging chairs
It took us seven hours and I guess
The preparation took a long time, and they consumed a lot of beer
We must have drunk a case of beer
They estimate having consumed a case of beer during the task
I guess I ought to go and watch them
The narrator contemplates attending the burial but lacks appropriate clothing
Put him down but I don't own a suit
Expressing reluctance and lack of a suitable suit for the occasion
And anyway when they start talkin'
The discomfort with discussions about hellfire during the funeral
About the fire in hell I get spooked
Feeling uneasy when discussions involve hellfire
So let's just sit here in the truck
Suggesting avoidance of the burial by staying in the truck
And act like we don't know
Pretending not to recognize the deceased when others pass by
Him when they pass
Continuing to avoid acknowledgment when people finish the funeral
Anyway, when they're all through
They need to get back to work, indicating a practical approach to life
We got to go to work and mow the grass
After the funeral, they have responsibilities like mowing the grass
Here they come and who's that riding
Observing the arrival of mourners in a fancy limousine
In that big old shiny limousine
A description of the impressive car
Look at all that chrome I do believe that
Commenting on the shiny and sharp appearance of the limousine
That's the sharpest thing I've seen
Expressing amazement at the car's attractiveness
That must belong to his rich uncle
Suspecting that the car belongs to a wealthy relative
Someone said he owned a big old farm
A rumor about the deceased's ownership of a large farm
When they get parked let's mosey down
Suggesting they should casually inspect the farm when the car is parked
And look it over, that won't do no harm
No harm in taking a look at the farm
That must be the widow in the car
Identifying the widow in the approaching car
And won't you take a look at that
Complimenting the widow's attractive dress
That sure is a pretty dress you know
Commenting on the widow's appearance in black attire
Some women do look good in black
Recognizing that some women look good in black clothing
He's not even in the ground
Despite the recent death, there's already talk about selling the deceased's truck
And they tell me his truck is up for sale
Implying that the widow may be struggling emotionally
They say she took it pretty hard
Despite the widow's veil, it's challenging to gauge her emotions
But you can't tell too much behind a veil
Reflecting on the solemnity of a bugler playing military taps
Listen ain't that pretty when
Recalling military funerals and the emotional impact of bugle music
A bugler plays a military taps
Commenting on the beauty of the bugler playing military taps
I think when you were in the war
Assuming that during war, they hide and play such songs
They always hide and play a song like that
The arrival and departure of mourners, expressing a matter-of-fact attitude
Well, here we are and there he goes
Expressing resignation or acceptance of their situation
And I guess that you might
Wishing the deceased to rest in peace despite the financial debt
Call it our bad luck
Acknowledging the unfortunate circumstances of the financial debt
I hope he rests in peace
An expression of a sincere hope for the deceased's peace
But the trouble is the fellow
Despite the positive sentiment, the narrator mentions the outstanding debt
Owes us forty bucks
Highlighting the unresolved financial matter of owing forty dollars
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