Merle Haggard: Uncle Lem

Uncle Lem

Ladies of the Garden Club say his home is just a disgrace to the town
If the mayor wants re-elected he'd better pass some laws and tear it down
They wanna' cover it with flowers, maybe even plant some Dogwood trees.
I guess that they've forgotten, when we were kids, what that place used to be.

I know it's just a shanty now but Lord that place was built with human tears
For it's the home of Uncle Lem who was born and raised and lived there ninety years
There's not a boy in this ole' town that had'nt stopped for water at his well.
Or sat on his porch in the evenin' and listened to the stories that he'd tell.

His hair was the color of cottonfields and his skin was old and brown
And he was born in that rundown shack before there was a town
He bought that shack and piece of earth for the highest price you'd pay
His Mom was bought and sold there, Uncle Lem was born a slave.

(spoken)
The mayor and some ladies of the Garden Club went out to that old shack
to tell Uncle Lem that he'd have to find another place to live. But they found him there
in that old broken down rockin' chair and on an old brown paper sack thay found his will.
Now I wanna leave my old shotgun to the fine mayor of this town for I remember when
he was just a little fella' he used to follow me around. Lord, I wish I had more to
leave to my friends that I love, but, Lord, all I've got's this old shack and piece of earth
and I want it to go to the ladies of the Garden Club.

His hair was the color of cottonfields and his skin was old and brown
And he was born in that rundown shack before there was a town
He bought that shack and piece of earth for the highest price you'd pay
His Mom was bought and sold there, Uncle Lem was born a slave.
His Mom was bought and sold there, Uncle Lem was born a slave.