The funeral was over,
the folks started home
It was only a few that were there
A lonely little fellow on an old wagon seat,
His heart ached too heavy to bear.
Turn to his father who drove the old mule
His face plainly showed the deep hurt
Why did they put Grandpappy
in that old wooden box
Then cover him over with dirt?
The man searched for an answer
as the old mule walked along
Through his tears he gazed down the road,
As he held the little boy
close to his old ragged shirt,
And tried awful hard to lighten his load.
Why, Pappy wasn't in that box, boy,
The Lord took him out.
He came and got Pappy last night
while he was asleep.
And that old coffin,
that's all they buried today, boy.
That's the truth, honey baby,
don't you weep
You remember how old Pappy always
say he think he need a new banjo?
Well, the Lord know that
And he come and got Pappy
He found him a -dreamin'
and a -rockin'
in that old rockin' chair
And he take him up to heaven
and he show him a big beautiful garden
And he say, Pappy, you work it
You not only get a new banjo
but you'll get a new mule, a good mule,
and a plow that's got a
golden plowshare.
That's what he'd say to Pappy.
Yeah, Pappy's gone away,
but he's got a new banjo,
a brand new one,
and he's just set ting up there rockin'
and a -plinkin' on them golden stairs.
And I'll tell you something else,
boy, Pappy's got a new mule,
a good mule this time.
And old Pappy's workin' in a big,
beautiful garden
And he's plowin' with
that golden plowshare
That's the truth, honey baby,
that's the truth