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 11 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 read 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 helping people I'm just glad that I could help Well, 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 a 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 them 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 knowed that you's 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 got 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 knowed 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, 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 livin', 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 dying 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 gave me something 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 where they scatter Tells you what the future holds" "Now I can't tell you what you want to hear (these old bones) I just tell you what I see (these old bones) It's these old bones talking (these old bones) Blame it on them; don't pack it on me (these old bones) It's just like that time that there boy died (these old bones) Up at the sawmill (these old bones) Well, I know'd who done it, but I never said (these old bones) And I know'd when somebody is a cheating (these old bones) Or when somebody's baby was going to be born dead (these old bones) But unless somebody just plain out and asked me (these old bones) Well, I just figured there is no point (these old bones) Going around acting like you know everything (these old bones) Just because you might (these old bones) Ah, you know girl I want you to take these bones (these old bones) Because I don't want no young of mine going around unprepared (these old bones) You just remember that the magic is inside you (these old bones) There ain't no crystal ball" (these old bones)