the true handy man doesn’t work on a house
with a pencil and a rule
what he’s handy with are his people you see
love is jt’s tool
most songs that are sung are about going home
according to his school
when life’s skies grow dark and full of clouds
and the world turns down right cruel
when ole stringbean sang about carolina
he sang about a woman not a state
about a holy host of others
loved ones his truest fate
he had no need for sad salvation army sisters
singing nearer my god to thee
or moonlight ladies in the canyon
he was going home you see
up on the roof went ole jt
what a fool I was to leave
the only happiness i’ve ever known
where the seeds of faith were planted
and the fruits of love were grown
where seldom was heard a discouraging word
only rockabye sweet grady james
where I always thought I would see you again
e’r my flying machine went up in flames
when ole stringbean sang about carolina
he sang about a woman not a state
about a holy host of others
loved ones his truest fate
he had no need for sad salvation army sisters
singing nearer my god to thee
or moonlight ladies in the canyon
shower the people sang jt
walking man walks like ole jt
in every life there are sacred places
where sweet memories abound
but it’s a place in time not a place in space
where a person’s home is found
when life’s cold winds blow and your back’s to the sun
what’ll turn your head around
are those precious sacred faces
whose voices make such precious sacred sounds
when ole stringbean sang about carolina
he sang about a woman not a state
about a holy host of others
loved ones his truest fate
he had no need for sad salvation army sisters
singing nearer my god to thee
or moonlight ladies in the canyon
b s u r like ole jt
he was going home you see
john s sylvest, 2014, bmi
lyrics put to melody 2018 – in production
