These Old Bones

These old bones will tell your story these old bones will never lie These old bones will tell you surely what you can’t see with your eye These old bones I shake and rattle these old bones I toss and roll And it’s all in where they scatter tells you what the future holds Oh she lived up on the mountain eleven miles or so from town                                                              With one-eyed cat named Wink billy goat and blue tick hound Her graying hair was braided and wrapped around her head And her dress was long and faded and her home a rusty shed In a little pouch of burlap tied with a piece of twine There were bones all shapes and sizes gathered through the course of time She’d throw them out before you she swore that she could see The present past and future she could ready your desti- ny Every- body knew about her came to get their fortune read Concerning health and wealth and power who to love and when to wed Well I just like helpin’ people I’m just glad that I could help Why I know everybody’s secrets but I keep it to my- self [Chorus] These old bones will tell your story these old bones will never lie These old bones will tell you surely what you can’t see with your eye These old bones I shake and rattle these old bones I toss and roll And it’s all in where they scatter tells you what the future holds Some called her witchy woman some said she was in- sane Some said she was a prophet still everybody came Just because a body’s different well that don’t make ’em mad Well they’ve crucified a many for the special gifts they’ve had I had often heard about her dreamed a- bout her now and then For I too was clairvoyant came a- bout when I was ten I was fascinated with her and the things I’d heard a- bout And I knew some day I’d meet her and one day it came a- bout Well I know’d that you ’uz a’comin’ I could feel it in my bones These old bones have also told me that I won’t be here for long Did you know that you ’uz adopted did you know you once’t was mine? But the county took you from me said I wasn’t right in mind But I just know’d I had to see you ’fore these bones was laid to rest So I conjured up a message it must’a worked I guess This gift runs in the family I know you also know And I passed this gift on to you these old bones they’re just for show [Chorus] These old bones will tell your story these old bones will never lie These old bones will tell you surely how to live and when you’ll die These old bones I shake and rattle these old bones I toss and roll And it’s all in where they scatter tells you what the future holds I held her hand while she was dyin’ and with the funeral through I headed on back up the mountain for Billy Wink and Blue And that little pouch of burlap with those bones so worn and old She give me somethin’ special now every time I throw [Chorus] These old bones will tell your story these old bones will never lie These old bones will tell you surely what you can’t see with your eye These old bones I shake and rattle these old bones I toss and roll And it’s all in how they scatter tells you what the future holds (Ending chorus) These old bones these old bones these old bones these old bones These old bones these old bones these old bones these old bones These old bones these old bones these old bones these old bones These old bones these old bones these old bones these old bones These old bones these old bones these old bones these old bones --- (Talking on the ending chorus) Now I can’t tell you what you want to hear I just tell you what I see It’s these old bones a’talkin’ blame it on them don’t pack it on me It’s just like that time that there boy died up at the sawmill Well I know’d who done it but I never said And I know’d when somebody is a-cheatin’ Or when somebody’s baby was gonna be born dead But unless somebody just plain out and asked me Well I just figured there ain’t no point goin’ around actin’ like you know everything Just ’cause you might Ah you know girl I want you to take these bones ’Cause I don’t want no young’un of mine a’going around unprepared You just remember that the magic is inside you There ain’t no crystal ball