Mama's Funeral - Elizabeth Cook

At mama’s funeral, organs didn’t play

But you could hear the lonesome sway

Of the local guitar man

He played Hank Williams songs

We all did 'Farther Along'

The boys drank beer out by the barn

At mama’s funeral

Oh the birds showed up to sing

As we gathered round the ole porch swing

Where her feet had worn the paint off the boards

And her pillow sat all faded and torn

Her children all took turns

Trying to find the words

Just wantin to say something right

Bout the best friend they’d found in life

And explain it to the nurses that came from the hospital

To mama’s funeral

It was surprising to me, thought it’d be as hard as it could be

But everybody took a little piece of pain

And they spread it round like summer rain

And it helped to ease the load

More than I could’ve known

At mama’s funeral

And my family made me proud

Cause when the cryin got loud

The laughter followed close behind

Daddy’d say «now don’t all remember the time…»

Tables set up all over the place

Covered with pictures, candles and lace

The Quik Sack stayed open late

Sold out of all their cups and paper plates

To the strangers that gathered up on the hill

For mama’s funeral

All the pretty flowers planted by her hands

Her guitar in a corner sittin on a stand

Nah nah nah nah…