Uncle Jim

I've been thinking 'bout my dear old Uncle Jim
A man who led a sad and lonely life
He drank too much and he never finished much of what he started
Divorced his only wife
He was my father's only brother, don't you know my mother
She never cared for Jim
'Cause he drank too much, divorced his wife
He never went to church once his whole life
They did not want us growing up like him

But to speak in his behalf, the man could joke, the man laugh
And he brought joy into my lifе
What did I care if he drank too much and nevеr finished nothin'
Divorced his only wife

He and my father, see, they shared their similarities
But in most ways they was like day and night
My father was industrious, he earned hisself a fortune
Jim just liked to drink and write
When Jim was young he went to working on the local papers
Reporting on the hot news of his day
But then somewhere along the line
Quit his job, he changed his mind
And why, he'd never say
He went to work teachin' English at the local high school
Sellin' life insurance on the side
He ended up sellin' life insurance to his friends
He was the only one who had none when he died, when he died

Once I went and lost the only thing besides his Mason's ring
That ever gave him any pride
I went and lost the gun that he brought home from World War One
I told him one night he got drunk and cried
When he got drunk he used to introduce me to his goldfish
Said he knew each and every one by name
He drank too much but after his wife left him and his daughter took her life
Why, he just weren't the same

Cancer finally got the man, he spent his final days
Shootin' morphine, drinking booze
And in the weeks before he died there was my Momma at his side
She say, "Drink up Jim, what you got to lose?"
Which is leading me to say that I been thinking more these days
About my dear departed Uncle Jim
He drank too much, he never finished much of what he started
And they named me after him
Yeah, they named me after him
I'm proud to say they named me after him