Old Joe - Tim O'Brien

Outside of town where the bodies are buried*

The bodies are buried outside of town

They decorate the graves with the flowers they carry

The flowers they carry all scattered around

Old Joe pulls back the weeds from the headstones

He cuts the vines that grow in between

Old Joe works at the cemetery

At the cemetery keeping it clean

Old Joe carries a spade and shovel

A spade and a shovel to the top of the hill

He gets a rhythm and he starts diggin

He starts singin with the Whipporwill

Joe sees families comin and goin

Comin and goin as the years roll by

The whole town comes here sooner or later

Sooner or later everyone dies

Old Joe knows they all had secrets

They all had secrets they took to the grave

Old Joe knows the secrets don’t die

Secrets don’t die on the burying day

Old Joe knows the hearse will be comin

The hearse comes rollin when the church bell tolls

Tomorrow morning they’ll be prayin and preachin

Prayin and preachin right over this hole

Old Joe sees the loved ones leavin

The loved ones leavin wiping their eyes

Old Joe looks where they lowered the casket

The ground’s still wet from the tears they cried

After the body is six feet under

Six feet down beneath the clay

He walks to the gate as the sun is settin

His workin is done for one more day

And no one hears the voices risin

The voices risin from below the ground

No one hears the stories they’re telling

The songs they sing when the sun goes down