Well, I remember the year
that Clayton D. Laney died
They said for the last two weeks
that he suffered and cried
It made a big impression on me,
although I was a barefoot kid
They said he got religion at the end
Clayton was the best guitar picker
and I used to follow Clayton around
I often wondered why Clayton,
and made it down in Tennessee
Daddy said he drank a lot,
but I could never understand
I knew he used to pick up in Ohio
Clayton used to tell me, son,
you better put that old guitar away
There ain't no money in it,
it'll lead you to an early grave
Clayton taught me how to drink booze
I can see him half -stoned
pickin' out the love -sick blues
I was gonna carry on somehow
I'd give a hundred dollars
if he could only see me now
that Clayton Delaney died
but I went out in the woods and I cried
Well I know there's a lot of big preachers
That know a lot more than I do
But it could be that the good Lord
Likes a little pickin' too
Yeah, I remember the year
