Barbed Wire Halo

Well, God bless Texas And Deacon Shackelford He read the Bible seven times And he believed every word That old beat up leather book Had been through it all He sat on the back pew So he could chew him a chaw Singin' amazing grace, how sweet the sound That saved a wretch like me He carried candy for the kids In his Sunday dress coat He'd take me fishin' after church And taught me things I needed to know No, Deacon didn't have a family Lord knows, he wished he did He told the whole congregation That I was his grandkid And today he joined up with Jesus Wearin' shiny pearl snaps We sang a few gospel hymns And then the soldier played taps I bet he's walkin' with Pete down a street paved with gold Showin' off his brand-spankin' new wings And his barbed wire halo He married sweet Emma Grace Before the war was through She held his right arm next to his anchor tattoo He was on a ship off at sea When she died in childbirth He lost his whole world From the far side of the Earth And he lost his will to love He lost his will to live Until he met a man who taught him to forgive Yeah, life took him to hell and back To hell and back a time or two But in the end he beat the devil Until he was black and blue Singin' I once was lost, but now I'm found Was blind, but now I see And today he joined up with Jesus Wearin' shiny pearl snaps We sang a few gospel hymns And then the soldier played taps I bet he's walkin' with Pete down a street paved with gold Showin' off his brand-spankin' new wings And his barbed wire halo Before he went, he made me promise him that I wouldn't cry And though I told him that I wouldn't You know I couldn't help but lie 'Cause today he joined up with Jesus Wearin' shiny pearl snaps We sang a few gospel hymns And then the soldier played taps I bet he's walkin' with Pete down a street paved with gold Yeah, sure as the old church bell still rings He always said he had country in his soul He's showin' off his brand-spankin' new wings And his barbed wire halo Sweet chariot comin' forth to carry me home Swing low, sweet chariot, comin' forth to carry me home That goes out to everybody's grandaddys God bless 'em