LUTHER

Boxcar Willie



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