Dividing The Estate
Todd Snider Lyrics

A petal falls from a dying rose
A symbol of death and decay, represented by a petal falling from a dying rose.

Into the wind it blows through fate
The petal is carried by fate, representing the natural cycle of life and death.

While down below the ground there grows
The cycle of life continues, as a new rose grows from the ground.

Another rose that can hardly wait
The new rose eagerly anticipates its time to blossom and flourish.

You know my uncle finally died of a heart attack
The singer's uncle has passed away from a heart attack, emphasizing the sudden and unexpected nature of death.

Bustin' with pride he was way overweight
The uncle was overweight, but also overly proud and arrogant.

There was hardly anybody at the funeral
The uncle was not well-liked, as evidenced by the low attendance at his funeral.

Besides the ones who thought they might divide the estate
The only people who attended the funeral were those who were hoping to get a piece of the uncle's estate.

The preacher couldn't tell us everything that he did
The preacher was hesitant to speak ill of the deceased and did not reveal all of his wrongdoings.

But he said every kinda thing that he could
Despite his reticence, the preacher spoke about the uncle's life as much as he could.

Mostly focusing on long ago when he was just a kid
The preacher mostly talked about the uncle's childhood, implying that he had not lived a worthy life since then.

And his intentions had all been so good
The preacher tried to see the good in the uncle, despite his obvious flaws.

My mother said when he was younger he was skinnier
The singer's mother reflects on how her brother used to be when he was younger.

And kinder and funnier and humble as a white picket fence
The uncle was once kind, funny, and humble, but changed as he got older.

As he got older he got fatter, left his wife for something younger
The uncle let himself go physically, and also made poor choices in his personal life.

Started showing up here drunker makin' less and less sense
The uncle's behavior became increasingly erratic and nonsensical.

So through the eye of a needle on the camel's back
The singer references a biblical passage about the difficulty of entering heaven, perhaps suggesting that his uncle did not lead a virtuous life.

The American dream hits the Pearly Gate
The singer comments on how his uncle's life and death reflect the American Dream.