Bill Anderson - Golden Guitar lyrics

rate me

I happened to walk into a honky tonk one night down in New Orleans

Up above the bar hung a big guitar like none I'd ever seen

The neck was set with diamonds and though the strings were old

Like Kings of Sound they wound around six keys of solid gold

A man stepped up beside me his breath was strong with wine

He said you know that guitar once belonged to a mighty close pal of mine

He used to play it right here I forget the year around '45 I think

Ha I could tell you quite a story friend if you'd care to buy me a drink

[ ac.guitar ]

Well I possessed by every weakness that takes a man a fool

I bought a round he drank it down and then he rocked back on his stool

He said yeah I remember now it was '45 alright

He just returned from the Great War that's where he lost his sight

His buddies gave him that guitar at the time it was simple and plain

He added the gold and the diamonds as he played his way to fame

He was doing a show in Shreveport the night he received a call

To come appear on the Grand Ole Opry the greatest show at all

[ ac.guitar ]

I was driving him to Nashville it was cold and misting rain

The signals flashed and the whistle screamed I swear Mister I never saw that train

I heard the doctor tell him just after he used his knife

You're lucky son it was just your arm it could have been your life

But he died that night life just demanded more than he could give

I think he couldn've made it he just lost his will to live

But this world's loss is heaven's gain and tonight he's still a star

He plays with a band of angels that's my son's golden guitar