Grandpa's Promise

He grew up in the Tennessee mountains without a penny to his name He taught me how to be a man and how not be ashamed Though he had only a rock for a pillow and granite pebbles were his only friends He had something he had to tell me before his life would end Though we were common people, he had uncommon pride And this is what he told me the day that he died Heeyahhh! That’s what ol’ grandpa said Just before he left this world And then he was dead

He was mean as a viper, sneaky as an old tomcat He died with a hard on, but we won’t talk about that He never read a book, he never wrote a word The moment ‘fore he died ‘Hyahh!’ is what I heard