Papa's Old Fiddle

Papa brought his fiddle to the new frontier

And many a night it brought us cheer when he'd play for us

My papa had an old homemade fiddle whittled out of a piece of pinewood

Lord knows it didn't look like much but it sounded mighty good

And when the chores were done after supper papa'd take that old fiddle down

He'd sit there in an old cane bottom chair and all of us kids would gather round

Though the times were hard on the frontier papa never made a fuss

And somehow the world seemed to be a little bit brighter when he'd play for us

I could always tell just about how he felt he'd sit there and close his eyes

And that old fiddle would almost talk sometime I'd swear it's gonna cry

Then there was the time when mama took sick the joy in our home was gone

One night she called papa close to her bed and I heard her say papa play me a song

I saw the tears roll down his cheek he turned toward the wall

He took that old fiddle under his chin he stood there straight and tall

Now the years have gone by and thoughts of hard times have almost faded away

But the mem'ry of papa's old fiddle well I think that'll always stay

Sometimes I can almost hear it at the close of a day

And I remember just how much it meant to me when my papa used to play