Ballad Of Forty Dollars
Tom T. Hall Lyrics

The man who preached the funeral
The individual who presided over the funeral service

Said it really was a simple way to die ...
The funeral preacher stated that the man's passing was an uncomplicated occurrence

He laid down to rest one afternoon
The man went to take a nap on an afternoon

And never opened up his eyes ...
He did not wake up from his nap and had died in his sleep

They hired me and Fred and Joe
The artist was hired to assist in the burial process along with two other individuals named Fred and Joe

To dig the grave and carry up some chairs ...
Their task was to excavate the burial plot and move seating arrangements into place

It took us seven hours
They worked at the job for a total of seven hours

And I guess we must have drunk a case of beer. ...
The group finished a case of beer during their labor

I guess I ought to go and watch them put 'im down
The artist felt an obligation to witness the burial process

But I don't own a suit
The artist lacked proper attire for a funeral

And anyway when they start talkin' about
The singer feels uncomfortable with

The fire in Hell, well, I get spooked
The concept is unsettling for the artist

So, I'll just sit here in my truck
The singer decides to wait in their vehicle instead

And act like I don't know 'im when they pass
The singer plans to avoid acknowledging the deceased when the funeral procession goes by

Anyway, when they're all through
Once the funeral procession has ended

I've got to go to work and mow the grass.
The artist has work to attend to following the funeral

Well, here they come and who's that
The procession has arrived and someone catches the artist's attention

Ridin' in that big ol' shiny limousine
The individual is arriving in a large, well-maintained car

Mmh! look at all that chrome, I do believe
The singer is amazed by the shiny embellishments on the car

That that's the sharpest thing I've seen
The car is very striking and catches the artist's eye

That must belong to his great uncle
The artist draws a conclusion that the fancy car must have belonged to the Uncle of the deceased

Someone said he owned a big ol' farm
Others at the funeral had mentioned that the great uncle was a landowner

When they get parked I'll mosey down
After they park the car, the singer intends to take a closer look

and look it over, that won't do no harm.
The artist does not feel that examining the vehicle will have any negative consequences

Well, that must be the widow in the car
The singer infers that the woman in the car is the widow of the deceased

And would you take a look at that
The singer is impressed by the woman's appearance

That sure is a pretty dress
The singer compliments the lady on her attire

You know some women do look good in black
The artist references the traditional attire of individuals attending a funeral service

Well, he's not even in the ground
The deceased has not yet been buried

And they say that his truck is up for sale
Rumor has it that the truck of the deceased is now available to purchase

They say she took it pretty hard
People have shared that the widow is coping with the loss of her spouse

But you can't tell too much behind the veil.
It is not always obvious when someone is struggling with grief

Well, listen ain't that pretty
The artist hears music being played and finds it to be pleasant

When the bugler plays the Military "TAPS"
The musician is playing a specific somber song typically used during military funerals

I think that when you's in the war
The singer assumes that the song is played for individuals who were in the military

They always hide 'n play a song like that
The artist suggests that the melancholic melody is common at funerals for veterans

Well, here I am and there they go
The funeral procession is now moving and the singer is still present

And I guess you'd just call it my bad luck
The singer sees their inability to collect the $40 they are owed by the deceased as an unfortunate occurrence

I hope he rests in peace, the trouble is
The singer wishes for the deceased to rest in peace

The fellow owes me forty bucks.
However, the fact remains that the deceased had an outstanding debt to the artist