Ballad of Bill Crump

(Tom T. Hall)



Now I'd 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.