Writer Dolly Parton
These old bones will tell your story
These old bones will never lie
These old bones will tell you surely
What you cant see with your eye
These old bones, I shake and rattle
These old bones, I toss and roll
And its 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
Shed 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
Im just glad that I could help
Why, I know everybodys 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 cant see with your eye
These old bones, I shake and rattle
These old bones, I toss and roll
And its 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 bodys different
Well, that dont make em mad
Well, theyve crucified a many
For the special gifts theyve 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 Id heard about
And I knew some day Id meet her,
And one day it came about
Well, I knowd that you uz acomin
I could feel it in my bones
These old bones have also told me
That I wont be here for long
Did you know that you uz adopted?
Did you know you oncet was mine?
But the county took you from me,
Said I wasnt right in mind
But I just knowd I had to see you
Fore these bones was laid to rest
So I conjured up a message
It musta 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, theyre 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 youll die
These old bones, I shake and rattle
These old bones, I toss and roll
And its 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 cant see with your eye
These old bones, I shake and rattle
These old bones, I toss and roll
And its all in how they scatter
Tells you what the future holds
Now I cant tell you what you want to hear
I just tell you what I see
Its these old bones atalkin
Blame it on them; dont pack it on me
Its just like that time that there boy died
Up at the sawmill
Well, I knowd who done it, but I never said
And I knowd when somebody is a cheatin
Or when somebodys baby was gonna be born dead
But unless somebody just plain out and asked me
Well, I just figured there aint no point goin around actin like you know
everything, just cause you might.
Ah, you know girl I want you to take these bones
Cause I dont want no youngun of mine agoing around unprepared
You just remember that the magic is inside you
There aint no crystal ball
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