Darrell Scott - Uncle lloyd

He was ^Gnot my father’s brother But he wished that ^Fhe coul^Cd be Told us ^Amkids to call him ^Emuncle And we would ^Dbe his f^Camily He had a ^Gwife and kids in Fresno The youngest one was ^Ftwenty^C-four Dad had b^Amrought him into our ^Emhouse They didn’t ^Dwant him ^Canymore

He helped us ^Gwork the family business Building fences ^Fin the^C sun Worked just ^Amlike a man of ^Emtwenty ‘Til the wo^Drking day w^Cas done He and ^GDad would spend their evening Sitting in lawn chairs ^Fin the^C yard Where they’d d^Amrink a toast to ^EmSeagram’s Seagram’s ^Dnever went dow^Cn hard

W^Amon’t you wak^Eme up Uncle Lloyd Got a ^Glot of work today get up at ^Amdawn to make the ^Emcoffee Load that ^Gtruck and be on your way Friday ^Amnight you can drive to ^EmVegas Maybe ^Gthis time y^Fou will^C win Buy a t^Amrailer by the ^Emriver And you won’t ^Dhave to wor^Ck again

He was s^Gleeping in the workroom With a mattress ^Fon the^C floor When one n^Amight I heard him ^Emcrying As I passed ou^Dtside hi^Cs door He cried, "^GRita, girl I love you Rita, Darling pl^Fease don^C’t go I’ve tried h^Amard to make you ^Emhappy I’ve done ev^Derything I^C know"

Then I h^Geard the bottle open The tipping up and ^Fputtin^Cg down Heard the r^Amustling of the ^Emcovers Then he did not ^Dmake a ^Csound I thought of ^Gthirty years of Rita Standing sternly ^Fby his^C side All the y^Amears of hanging in ^Emthere All the em^Dptiness^C inside

Then I t^Ghought of how their children Have children ^Fof the^Cir own And how a ^Amman at fifty-^Emseven Winds up ^Dliving so a^Clone

^AmWon’t you wa^Emke up Uncle Lloyd Got a ^Glot of work today get up at ^Amdawn to make the^Em coffee Load that ^Gtruck and be on your way Friday ^Amnight you can drive to ^EmVegas Maybe ^Gthis time y^Fou will^C win Buy a t^Amrailer by the ^Emriver And you won’t ^Dhave to wor^Ck again