I married Rose in 21.
We got a little farm.
First year out, the barn burned down.
I broke my good right arm.
From then on in, things got bad.
I guess they could have been worse.
But seeing Rose in rags all day
made me want to curse
That's okay, Rose would say,
don't you worry none
We'll have good times by and by
next fall when the work's all done
I watched her hands
grow rough and red
from picking the field
Puttin' up in mason jars,
while little crops they'd yield
I'd find what jobs there were in town,
most times there were none
But Rose would still have
supper awaiting,
that night when the day was done
That's okay, Rose would say,
don't you worry none
We'll have good times by and by
Next fall when the work's all done
Our firstborn had a face like Rose
I guess a temper like mine
She'd sleep all day, cry all night
But she grew up and married fine
Our only son went off to fight
In 1940 and four
A year went by and a telegram
said he ain't coming
home no more.
One winter night in 59,
Rose took a terrible chill.
She went to sleep and
she didn't wake up.
I guess she's sleeping still.
But sometimes when the wind is singing
high up in a china berry tree,
It seems it's not the wind at all,
but Rose singin' to me
That's okay, Rose, it's safe,
don't you worry none
We'll have good times by and by
next fall when the work's all done
That's okay, Rose, it's safe,
don't you worry none
We'll have good times by and by
Next fall when the work's all done
That's okay, Rose, it's safe
Don't you worry none
We'll have good times by and by
Next fall when the work's all done
We'll have good times by and by
Next fall when the work's all done
You