Mama Sang a Song-Bill Anderson

(God put a song in the heart of an angel and softly she sang it to me) I get to thinking lots of times about back when I was a lad Of the old homeplace where I grew up of the days both good and bad My overalls were hand-me-downs my shoes were full of holes I used to walk four miles to school every day through the rain the sleet and the cold I've seen the nights when my daddy would cry For the things that his family would need But all he ever got was a badland farm and seven hungry mouths to feed And yet and yet our homefire never flickered once 'Cause when all these things went wrong Mama took the hymn book down and mama sang a song (What a friend we have in Jesus) I've been rocked to sleep many a night to the tune of What a Friend And come morning Rock of Ages would wake me gently once again And when daddy would reach up and he'd take the Bible down And he'd read it read it loud and long And I always felt that maybe our house was blessed When daddy would say mama sing a song Sister left home first I guess and then Bob and then Tommy and then Dan By then dad's hair was turning white and I had to be mama's little man But it seemed that as daddy's back grew weak my mother's faith just grew strong And those were the greatest days of all when mama sang a song (Rock of ages cleft for me let me hide myself in Thee) I guess the house is still standing I don't get to go back much anymore No voice is left to fill those halls and no steps to grace the floor For you see my mother sings in heaven now around God's golden throne But I'll always believe that this world is a better place Because one time my mama sang a song (precious mem'ries flod my soul)