Golden Guitar
Anderson Bill Lyrics

I happened to walk into a honky tonk one night down in New Orleans
I casually walked into a small bar in New Orleans one night.

Up above the bar hung a big guitar like none I'd ever seen
Above the bar hung a large guitar, unlike any I had ever seen before.

The neck was set with diamonds and though the strings were old
The guitar's neck was adorned with diamonds, but the strings were old.

Like Kings of Sound they wound around six keys of solid gold
The guitar strings wound around six keys made of solid gold.

A man stepped up beside me his breath was strong with wine
A man came up to me and his breath smelled strongly of alcohol.

He said you know that guitar once belonged to a mighty close pal of mine
He told me that the guitar used to belong to his close friend.

He used to play it right here I forget the year around '45 I think
His friend used to perform with the guitar in that bar, around the year 1945.

Ha I could tell you quite a story friend if you'd care to buy me a drink
He offered to tell me a story about his friend, but only if I bought him a drink.

[ ac.guitar ]
Instrumental break.

Well I possessed by every weakness that takes a man a fool
I was foolish and susceptible to any type of weakness.

I bought a round he drank it down and then he rocked back on his stool
I bought the man a drink, which he quickly consumed before leaning back in his seat.

He said yeah I remember now it was '45 alright
After drinking, the man began to recall that it was, indeed, 1945.

He just returned from the Great War that's where he lost his sight
The man's friend had recently returned from the Great War and had lost his vision there.

His buddies gave him that guitar at the time it was simple and plain
His friends gifted him the guitar when it was plain, without any embellishments.

He added the gold and the diamonds as he played his way to fame
The man's friend added the gold and diamonds to the guitar as he became more successful as a musician.

He was doing a show in Shreveport the night he received a call
The man's friend was performing in Shreveport when he received an important call.

To come appear on the Grand Ole Opry the greatest show at all
He received an invitation to perform at the Grand Ole Opry, one of the most renowned music venues.

[ ac.guitar ]
Instrumental break.

I was driving him to Nashville it was cold and misting rain
The man was driving his friend to Nashville, and it was a cold and rainy night.

The signals flashed and the whistle screamed I swear Mister I never saw that train
Despite warning signals and a screaming whistle, the man did not see an upcoming train.

I heard the doctor tell him just after he used his knife
The man heard the doctor tell his friend, after performing emergency surgery, that he had narrowly escaped death.

You're lucky son it was just your arm it could have been your life
The doctor informed the man's friend that he was fortunate to have escaped with just a minor injury.

But he died that night life just demanded more than he could give
Despite the successful surgery, the man's friend passed away that night, as he did not have the strength to overcome the challenges of his life.

I think he couldn've made it he just lost his will to live
The man believes that with more willpower, his friend could have survived.

But this world's loss is heaven's gain and tonight he's still a star
Though his friend is gone, he lives on as a beloved musician, and is now a star in heaven.

He plays with a band of angels that's my son's golden guitar
The man believes that his friend now plays music in heaven, using the golden guitar that belongs to his son.