These Old Bones

These old bones will tell your story

These old bones will never lie

These old bones will tell you surely

What you can't see with your eye

These old bones, I shake and rattle

These old bones, I toss and roll

And it's all in where they scatter

Tells you what the future holds

Oh, she lived up on the mountain

Eleven miles or so from town

With a one-eyed cat named Wink,

A billy goat and a blue tick hound

Her graying hair was braided

And wrapped around her head

And her dress was long and faded

And her home a rusty shed

In a little pouch of burlap

Tied with a piece of twine

There were bones all shapes and sizes

Gathered through the course of time

She'd throw them out before you

She swore that she could see

The present, past and future

She could ready your destiny

Everybody knew about her

Came to get their fortune read

Concerning health and wealth and power

Who to love and when to wed

Well, I just like helpin' people

I'm just glad that I could help

Why, I know everybody's secrets

But I keep it to myself

These old bones will tell your story

These old bones will never lie

These old bones will tell you surely

What you can't see with your eye

These old bones, I shake and rattle

These old bones, I toss and roll

And it's all in where they scatter

Tells you what the future holds

Some called her witchy woman

Some said she was insane

Some said she was a prophet

Still everybody came

Just because a body's different

Well, that don't make 'em mad

Well, they've crucified a many

For the special gifts they've had

I had often heard about her,

Dreamed about her now and then

For I, too, was clairvoyant,

Came about when I was ten

I was fascinated with her

And the things I'd heard about

And I knew some day I'd meet her,

And one day it came about

Well, I know'd that you 'uz a'comin'

I could feel it in my bones

These old bones have also told me

That I won't be here for long

Did you know that you 'uz adopted?

Did you know you once't was mine?

But the county took you from me,

Said I wasn't right in mind

But I just know'd I had to see you

'Fore these bones was laid to rest

So I conjured up a message

It must'a worked, I guess

This gift runs in the family

I know you also know

And I passed this gift on to you

These old bones, they're just for show

These old bones will tell your story

These old bones will never lie

These old bones will tell you surely

How to live and when you'll die

These old bones, I shake and rattle

These old bones, I toss and roll

And it's all in where they scatter

Tells you what the future holds

I held her hand while she was dyin'

And with the funeral through

I headed on back up the mountain

For Billy, Wink and Blue

And that little pouch of burlap

With those bones so worn and old

She give me somethin' special

Now every time I throw

These old bones will tell your story

These old bones will never lie

These old bones will tell you surely

What you can't see with your eye

These old bones, I shake and rattle

These old bones, I toss and roll

And it's all in how they scatter

Tells you what the future holds

Now I can't tell you what you want to hear

I just tell you what I see

It's these old bones a'talkin'

Blame it on them