Boxcar Willie Luther
I can still remember The first time I saw him Silver-haired old man Even then
But we hit it off together And fished old Paynee River Through the years I'm proud to say Luther was my friend
They all called him crazy Said his mind was simple They even talked of puttin' him away
But he wouldn't hurt nobody And I hated all the town folk The way they treated Luther And the game they used to play
They said, "Luther here's a dollar Luther here's a quarter Take either one you want, old man Which one will it be"
Then they'd all hoop and holler And he never took the dollar He'd take the shiny quarter Smile and walk away
I watched him growin' older And I finally gave up countin' The times they made him play That awful game
Till one day he lay a-dyin' And I was sittin' by him He said "Boy, before before I go There's somethin' to explain"
"I know you've always wondered Why I just took their quarters And now, son You're old enough to understand"
"But you see, the way I had it figured Was never take that dollar The day you do, boy The money game will end"
They said, "Luther, here's a dollar Luther, here's a quarter Take either one you want, old man Which one will it be"
Then they'd all hoop and holler But he never took the dollar He'd take the shiny quarter Smile and walk away
Now Luther lay a-sleepin' In the ground down by the river Lord knows I miss that old black man
But twenty sacks of quarters And the wisdom of his thinkin' Have made my life much easier Than I had ever planned
Well, I often go to see him And I place a paper dollar And a brand new shiny quarter On his grave
And I feel my body shiver As a cool breeze from the river Blows that paper bill up through the trees And far away
Luther, here's a dollar Luther, here's a quarter Take either one you want, old man Which one will it be
He lived and died in squalor And he still won't take the dollar But there's a pile of quarters Heaped high on Luther's grave
Luther, here's a dollar Luther, here's a quarter Take either one you want, old man Which one will it be
Yes, they'd all hoop and holler And he never took the dollar He'd take the shiny quarter Smile and walk away
Luther, here's a dollar Luther, here's a quarter Take either one you want, old man Which one will it be
Then they'd all hoop and holler And he never took the dollar .....FADE
