Ballad Of Bill Crump

Now I hear a lot of tall stories since my business is writin' songs
And every now and then if you listen real close
A good true one comes along
And this is the story of old Bill Crump from the North Carolina Hills
Nat Winston of Nashville knew this man real well

He built the church and he built the pews
He built the cradles and the furniture for the schools
Folks in Avery County say that he was better than good
Probably one of the reasons the Lord made wood

Now men have faults and Bill's fault was
He loved to sip that corn
He lived ninety some years that way
Don't guess it was hurtin' him none

You could take him a picture from a catalog
He could build anything he'd see
He could make anything
That you could make out of the tree

One day Bill said, Mama I'm gettin' old
I want you to measure me good
I'm goin' out to that wood pile
And get myself some wood

And I'm gonna make me a coffin
I want it to fit me fine
The way I figure it
I've got about enough time

He built the church and he built the pews
He built the cradles and the furniture for the schools
Folks in Avery County say that he was better than good
Probably one of the reasons the Lord made wood

Now Bill worked on that coffin
Like he was gonna be there awhile
He'd show the folks and rub that wood
And then stand back and smile

He used that body for ninety some years
Figured it had treated him good
And when he left it
He put it away in some real fine wood

Oh, right now old Bill's sleepin'
In the hills of North Caroline
In his homemade coffin
Handrubbed walnut velvet lined

Now most folks use their heads and hands
And just think of themselves
His body's there
But his spirit's someplace else

'Cause he built the church and he built the pews
He built the cradles and the furniture for the schools
Folks in Avery County say that he was better than good
Probably one of the reasons the Lord made wood

He built the church and he built the pews