Old Courthouse - Faron Young

A hello oh hello Jim

Yeah I just walked in the house myself

Oh it’s a fact alright they’re gonna tear the ol' courthouse down

I heard about it in town just before I left

Municipal buildin' some of 'em said they’re gonna call it

Bigger and better all around

Naw they ain’t gonna have no votin' on it

They just decided to tear the ol' courthouse down

Oh I’m like you Jim I reckon I hate to see it go

Why when I’s just a boy in my teens

Pa brought me to town for the first time

That was the first big buildin' I’d ever seen

Later bought the license to marry the woman there

Paid taxes on my first piece of land

Voted the first time right there in them ol' wooden halls

I reckon that ol' buildin' watched a lot of us grow into men

Got the children’s birth certificates there

All of 'em still livin' 'cept one

It was the big war Jim you remember

You remember doncha that’s where we lost him

The rest of 'ems all married up now and

They got little time for us ol' folks

I reckon that new buildin’s for them

Yeah it’s gonna be a big one cover the square

Won’t have a yard yeah right out to the street

Course that ain’t gonna leave no room to argue religion and politics

Or the champion checker players to meet

You know now that they’re tearin' that ol' courthouse down

It seems like I’m losin' a friend

Dad burn it Jim that buildin' ain’t no older than I am

Guess a feller oughta prepare I reckon for the end

What’s that you say Jim

Oh yeah I’ll meet you there in town Saturday like I always have

Why I guess out in the street I guess Jim

Yeah but then the courthouse and the wooden benches’ll all be gone

There won’t be no where to sit down and rest

Hey Jim 'fore you ring off you know I’s thinkin'

If there’s ever day place in the Promise Land you know

An off duty congregation ground

I believe I’d be happy with that ol' courthouse yard

Where our Lord’ll walk up and say welcome

Here’s your place come on feller

Sit down sit down

When the roll is called up yonder I’ll be there