The Year That Clayton Delaney Died

Tom T. Hall

I remember THE YEAR


THAT CLAYTON DELANEY DIED


They said for the last two weeks


That he suffered and cried


It made a big impression on me


Although I was a barefoot kid


They said he got religion at the end


And I'm glad that he did





Clayton was the best guitar picker


In our town


I thought he was a hero


And I used to follow Clayton around


I often wondered why Clayton


Who seemed so good to me


Never took his guitar


And made it down in Tenn-o-see





Well daddy said he drank a lot


But I could never understand


I knew he used to pick up in Ohio


With a five piece band


Clayton used to tell me son


You'd better put that ol' guitar away


There ain't no money in it


It will lead you to an early grave





I guess if I'd admit it


Clayton taught me how to drink booze


I can see him half stoned


A-pickin' out the Lovesick Blues


When Clayton died I made him a promise


I was going to carry on some how


I'd give a hundred dollars


If he could only see me now





I remember THE YEAR


THAT CLAYTON DELANEY DIED


Nobody ever knew it


But I went out in the woods and I cried


While I know there's a lot of big preachers


That know a lot more than I do


It could be that the good Lord


Likes a little pickin' too





Yeah I remember THE YEAR


THAT CLAYTON DELANEY DIED