Count My Blessings

Album: The Grifter's Hymnal

Written by Ray Wylie Hubbard
Snake Farm Publishing (SESAC)

Mama gimme a nickel and a deck of cards
said  go on  and play in the back yard
walking down the alley come my uncle lonnie
said lemme teach ya about 3 card monty
take the ace of hearts and two black queens
flip’em over so they can’t be seen
spin’ em around four or five times
bet a nickel find the ace and win a dime
ten minutes later I had thirty five dollars
singing ain’t misbehavin’ by  the great Fats Waller

I believe I’m gonna count my blessings
I believe I’m gonna count my blessings

Now I saw a black crow on  a fence post
singing away like Sam Hopkins’ ghost
he sang when you see I ain’t breathin no more
nail my feathers to a old barn door
or drag my carcass out  behind the shed
just make sure  you’re  pretty sure I’m dead
ask a  Ouija board if  you can’t quite tell
or if I start  to stink like the floors in hell
go to Navasota after I’m done dying
it don’t do you no good sitting around crying

So I got me a pencil and a moleskin book
when I heard Bertha Franklin shot and killed Sam Cooke
wrote down December 11, 1964
ain’t gonna be twisting the night away no more
it took 15 minutes for the jury to decide
cause of death’s  justified homicide
Liza Boyer wasn’t called  by the prosecution
later on she’s arrested for prostitution
La hacienda motel had a busted down door
Sam’s wallet and his money was never accounted for

RWH: acoustic guitar
Audley Freed: electric guitar
Rick Richards: drums
George Reiff: bass

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